This week was about trying to settle into a new routine of work, play, and health.
I started taking a ballet fundamentals course through Align Ballet Method with a friend from my critique group. It meets Sundays at 9am, and afterwards we go into our regular Sunday critique session at 11am. It’s super helpful to have a friend to hold you accountable! I’m still too out of shape and practice to attend an open ballet class at my old studio, Westside School of Ballet. I don’t know exactly why I feel so intimidated to rejoin. Maybe it’s simple regret at how much strength and flexibility I’ve lost in the year and a half I haven’t been dancing. Not to say I was ever any good, really. In fact I felt I’d reached a bit of a plateau. But I could at least do simple combinations in the center and balance on demi-point in arabesque and so on. Now? Gah. I can barely hold my leg in passé on a flat foot. Oh well. Building it back up takes time I suppose. I’m also trying to fit in a daily yoga practice of at least 15 minutes and I find that the Youtube channel Yoga with Adriene is really great for that. Then I’m also stretching out at night to try to improve my flexibility. I had a lot of back issues last year and over the summer that I know are related to having stopped ballet and the general lack of movement and flexibility. Well, it’s an on going process!
I got a new monitor! It’s the LG 27UD58, which is super nice and a very reasonable price for a 4K monitor. I’m still figuring out where to place it on my desk, though. Right now it’s a little off to my left, with my laptop in the middle, and I’m finding that I’m straining my neck a little by looking over to the left constantly. So I’ll need to rethink the ergonomics of that.
I usually love to cook but I’ve been finding myself less inspired by cooking and food these days, and I’m not sure why. Could be that I just don’t have as much time as I used to for researching, thinking, planning recipes. I’ve tended to stick to the same meals. My goals for next week are to get back in touch with what I enjoy about cooking – the sensory pleasure, the creativity.
Here’s to a great weekend!