Bodily Cravings

It's funny how your mind works when it thinks you don't want something but your body seems to know that it would do you good. Like when you want to sleep in and not go to yoga at 6:30 a.m., so you don't set the alarm, but you wake up anyway, so you feel like you really should go, and let's face it, you know you'd feel better if you did. Well that happened to me this morning. I had a few small events last night that warranted me getting just minor grumpy. I was glad I wasn't heavy-duty grumpy. Yoga always helps with grumpiness (as does my medication, as is the running joke now!) The somewhat-foul mood started with my English class.

I only had one student, which can be tricky because we usually do a lot of group and pair work. This student came late enough (about 20 minutes late) that I was just beginning to think that no one was going to show up. I was getting a little excited about going home early. But my nice Mexican student came; the one with 3 kids, who works in construction in Denver all day, then comes to English class for 2 hours a night 2 times a week, sometimes straight from Denver. I thought about saying, "You know, I'm tired. I'm just going to go home because there aren't enough students here tonight and I don't feel like being here." But I didn't. In fact, I'm glad I didn't because it worked out quite well. Also, I would be such a schmuck compared to him.

This particular student speaks very well and participates easily. However, he gets frustrated and uncomfortable with writing tasks. So, I was able to say, "Would you like to work on writing?" knowing he wouldn't have to worry about any other students. We were able to work on simple sentences for over an hour. We also read a story about Pompeii, which he seemed to find interesting, and then answered questions. We were supposed to be reading about parent involvement, but what are you going to do? It was actually a nice break having a one-on-one lesson instead of a bit of pain, as I thought it might be. He smiled really nicely when he left. I felt like the writing exercise really may have helped him; with confidence, if nothing else. It turned out to be one of those nights when I was so glad to be there. Sort of like going to yoga when I don't really want to! That often happens with the things that are good and healthy for you. Why can't that ever happen with the not so healthy things? "I really don't want that chocolate cream pie and ginger ale and bourbon. It makes me absolutely groan with impatience just thinking about it."


It was leaving school that I most definitely got grumpy. I rode my bike and one of the girls who does the childcare for us said, "Be careful. My roommate got hit on her bike by a car." I get irritated when people assume it's not safe to ride your bike, in daytime or nighttime. I had a headlight and tail light. I live about 5 blocks away from the school so it makes a lot of sense for me to ride. I also had a feeling that this girl who got hit was probably riding on the wrong side of the street with no lights, coming home drunk after being at Lucky Joe's in Old Town. (The childcare girl is a college girl who seems to enjoy partying-nothing wrong with that until your roommate rides her bike home intoxicated and unsafely.) Then everyone got in their cars and drove off.

I rode home and it was SO cold! I had gloves but no hat. The wind was blowing which seemed to blow right through me. I made it home, glad it was only a few blocks of riding. When I walked in the door though, the overpowering smell of vomit struck me. I know that smell. Hubby's brewing more beer!

Hubby is always up to something. He figured out how to use the sewing machine for the first time, after just reading the manual, to sew a bag for a folding bike that he made so he could check it at the airport without getting charged extra for bike shipping. He decided he wanted a yurt so he built one with a wood frame and tent-like white top in the backyard. Somehow he doesn't seem to spend much money on this crap! I mean, uh, really, really cool stuff. I think he would like to make solar panels for our house so we could use the sun's energy for our home's energy and take the money he saved from all that solar power, to take a bike trip across Mongolia to eat Yak testicles. It's maddening and endearing at the same time.

So anyway, his first batch of amber ale was really good. So good in fact I think he could sell it. He gave it to everyone and everyone loved it! I think it's as exciting for him to make it as it is for the boys to make edible peanut butter play dough. But the smell! Oh my goodness. Our little kitchen was being overrun by this huge pot with the vomit smelling liquid in it and big buckets everywhere. The boys were running around (not yet in bed) in pj's with wet hair. The 3 year old was saying "Mama, you brush my teeth!" I went into the bathroom which had little boy clothes strewn about. At least they had had a bath. And they really were ready for bed. All shiny-faced and sweet smelling. The dog was thumping me with his tail, he was so happy. Hubby was so happy with his green chile beer, that he was as shiny faced as the bathed-boys. I'm not sure he'll be able to wait the 10 days for it to be ready. He may just have to drink it, not fermented. How could I stay a grump with all this fun chaos going on? It really wasn't bad. I think I just wanted to be grumpy.


I took a nice long hot shower, hubby gave me a shot of rum, we had lots of jelly beans, and laughed really hard at Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson in the Wedding Crashers. We went to bed late and I already decided I wasn't going to go to yoga. I didn't set the alarm. But I put out yoga clothes on my dresser just in case, and sure enough, I woke up. Yoga's at 6:30 and I woke up at 6:17. I laid there for about 30 seconds debating. I really wanted to keep sleeping but I knew I should just go. I HAD woken up after all. I kissed hubby on the shoulder, jumped up, got dressed, brushed my teeth, and made it just in time.


Yoga was wonderful. I felt thankful for the day, the sun, my family, my health. Good job, inner self, in getting me there!