Almost-firsts

Wednesday was a big day of almost-firsts. In the morning, I went to my first yoga class in *cough* four years. I haven't been since moving to Australia, but my neighbourhood/suburb has more than its share of yoga studios. At 9am I looked up the studios near me, and found a 90-minute, $12 beginner session starting at 9:30. I packed a bag and got there just in time, and it was excellent.

We "ohmmmed" in what sounded like harmony. I only had my form corrected once, in cat pose. The only time I felt fully ridiculous was when we did alternate nostril breathing. I mean, really - you cross your index and middle fingers and put them on your third eye, which leaves your ring finger free to block one nostril and your thumb to block the other. I caught the eye of the girl next to me and it was clear she was also trying not to giggle.

Our instructor, Dan, used the "correct" term to explain the other type of breathing we learned - it meant, using the muscles you'd use to clear your throat. But the correct term didn't mean anything to me, so I was glad when he added, "Some yogis call it Darth Vader breathing." Aha! I can do that.

The best part of the class was definitely the relaxation at the end - once again, the "correct" term is beyond me. Dan got up very quietly while the rest of us were resting on our backs, eyes closed. I heard music, and after a moment, realised it was live. Not only was Dan singing to us, he was accompanying himself on his guitar! And it was great. Live music for a cool-down in yoga class was definitely a first.

This post is interrupted by a photo of my new shoes, which I purchased on Wednesday - but they are not an almost-first. Aren't they cute? I love the cutouts. They're mostly for work (the six weeks I have left, anyway) and I can see myself wearing them with a favourite casual dress as well.





My evening brought another almost-first: driving lessons! I drove a teeny tiny bit in Canada but never liked it, and I still recall how shaky my legs were after my first lesson. At one point a well-meaning guy friend tried to teach me how to drive his truck (sorry about the gear box, Brhett) and a short-lived boyfriend tried once too, in a department store parking lot. Both lessons ended in frustration and were never repeated.

Since Jody and I bought a little manual hatchback ('08 Toyota Yaris) in February and I applied for a Queensland learners license, last night was our first chance to take me out to practice. Since I've never successfully driven a stick shift, and never driven on the left side of the road, we knew we couldn't just start by driving to somewhere. So we found a deserted stretch of straight road along the river, and I practiced starting. Shifting into first. Applying gas and shifting into second, then gearing down and coming to a stop. Reversing. Of course I stalled, but it wasn't as terrifying as my first-ever lesson. Jody explained things when I asked, and otherwise said very little, to allow me time to think. Almost-first lesson with a gear shift? Success!

Challenging Creativity

Well, dear readers, I'm back. I haven't really gone anywhere but I thought you might have heard enough out of me in June with 26 posts, and July seemed to slip through my fingers. Now that classes have started again, the next three months are set to be just as busy!

After challenging myself to blog every day in June (and almost managing it) I thought I would give myself new challenges for July - creative ones. I spent an evening writing lyrics to enter a contest for free registration to ALIA's new librarians sympsium, and the following Sunday afternoon and evening recording and editing the resulting music video.

I've since received official word that my entry was chosen as the winner! So, it's off to Perth in September, where I'll be tweeting and blogging and networking with other new grads and librarians. I am so excited!

Doing my little parody reminded me of how much I liked to sing, so I decided to challenge myself even more - I auditioned for a role in an upcoming musical production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The movie is one of my favourites but I've never seen it staged, so I decided to go for it. Lest you all think I lead a charmed life, I didn't get the part I wanted. I was offered a spot in the ensemble but I turned it down because the time commitment required... If I got one of the Bride roles I might have been more motivated to juggle my schedule, but as it is, I think I made the right decision.

I think my reading and singing went well but the dancing portion of my audition was pretty hopeless - moves I haven't done before, very fast, and very little time to pick it up. I was pretty nervous too. Oh well. The point is, I gave it a shot!

Here's to pushing boundaries!

Excuses, excuses

I know, I know... it's been a whole month. I'm sorry. I've been very busy, I promise. And with what's happening in Japan and Libya lately, it seemed almost superficial to just post another book review or recipe, but I couldn't really think of what to say that hasn't already been said by someone with a greater depth of understanding than me.

-And then another week passed while I went on vacation-

Four weeks ago I began a thrilling, terrifying adventure - grad school. Yes, I have re-entered higher education, and am on my way to becoming a librarian! Not the bun-wearing, shushing kind either - but aside from that I don't know what kind of librarian I would like to be. As technology creates more formats to hold information, librarians' jobs change and their roles expand. I don't think libraries will die out anytime soon, they'll just be different from how they're portrayed in movies like The Music Man.



"What do you want to take out?"
"The librarian."

God, I love that line. Robert Preston is gold. And Shirley Jones...I can never pick whether I love her as Marian, Laurey, or Julie best.

Expect to see more library, book and DRM (digital rights management) related posts in the future. It will take me approximately 18 months of full-time study to earn my MLIS (Masters in Library and Information Science), and that's as a follow-up to my English B.A. There's far more to library studies than shelving, cataloguing and microfiche!

Librarian 2.0 - Twitter account, red glasses, nose stud, Kindle and all.

A Busy Kitchen

I decided to play in the kitchen tonight and make dinner AND dessert, certain I could manage because dinner required marinating for 1/2 an hour and would be made on the stovetop, while dessert would use the oven. Oh-ho-ho, how optimistic I was!

Since finishing work two weeks ago I've been a busy girl - trying to decide what path to take next, planning vacations, writing, reading, budgeting and sending handmade cards to my friends who are getting married and having babies. Things are in flux at the moment and I wanted to spend time in the kitchen, as it always seems to give me a sense of accomplishment and the feeling that some things will turn out, no matter how crazy the rest of my life is.

Several months ago I made Chicken Thighs in Riesling, and tonight it was just as delicious as I remembered, served with a side salad. While it marinated away in the fridge I got to work on a cake I've had my eye on for ages : the Smitten Kitchen Gingerbread Apple Upside Down Cake, henceforth known as Skapple cake (the SK for Smitten Kitchen, although as I look at the original post again it seems she's adapted it from someone called Karen Bates at the Philo Apple farm, and the New York Times). So! Skapple Cake.

It's not a difficult cake, exactly - but there are several steps, which felt a bit beyond me tonight. Do not attempt this cake unless you have several bowls. And enough counter space. And perhaps a helpful roommate. And at least two hours, because it bakes for nearly an hour and takes time to put together unless you're really with it. I most definitely was not tonight. I managed with my loose-bottomed cake tin/cheesecake tin, but a cake tin with a sealed bottom is better. Fortunately I'd anticipated the problem of heated topping dripping from the tin, and had put an old cookie sheet underneath the pan.

On the plus side! The cake was moist and spongey, the house smelled fantastic while it baked, and although it looked very "homemade" it was also pretty impressive. I used Braeburn apples, which kept their shape but still softened. If you feel like something warming that will keep you happily in the kitchen for a while, this is a good cake to try. It turned out beautifully, so at least my hard work was worth it. Smitten Kitchen suggests cider or dark ale to accompany it, and a bit of softly whipped cream.