State of the Union in Naimaland

Dance
Right, so I haven't done much of it. Creatively speaking that is. I have been going through the motions every few days but I have so much else on my radar right now it has not been a priority.

Miss B. gave me another pair of zills to practice with and I did try hooping and zilling at the same time. That was crazy. I am working on a duet with Miss B. for the next Inappropriate Hafla, I substituted 4 beginner classes for Springfield Bellydance Academy, I am still doing privates every Thursday,  and, I got my 3rd Jim Boz workshop under my belt. I also took a private with Jim and it is still sinking in. Despite all of that, I have been putting all of my creativity into other things.

Exercise
Some folks know that I have changed my exercise routine from when I feel guilty to 15min. a day/5 days a week. I have been doing this since January 2nd, only missing a few in the past 5 months. I have lost at least 10lbs and 2 1/2 inches off my Bellydance waist (the place I wear my Bellydance belts). I actually completed my 100th workout today.

I've stayed on target for 3 reasons. First I work out during my lunch break. I never actually eat during my lunch break. I eat more of a brunch and at mid-afternoon. I also work from home which means I don't have drive to the gym, change clothes, or be otherwise inconvenienced. That means 5 days of scheduled workouts.

Second, the Husband Person set up our old Xbox in the bedroom with the Yourself!Fitness game for me. I basically have a personal trainer and the exercises evolve as I get more in shape. Fifteen minutes flies right by.

The third reason is also related to my job. January was my 10 year anniversary with my company. I received a Thank You letter and a gift card. It made me really depressed to think that all I had accomplished in 10 years was literally sitting on my ass. So I got off it. Now I am feeling and looking better. Go me.

This leads me to Hooping.

Hooping = More time outdoors in a month than the past 10 years.
I have been hooping for well over a month now. It is seriously one hell of a workout. And since I dig it so much I burn an extra 400 or so calories every hour I hoop. I spend more time outdoors because of it too. My mom is even interested. I am making her a hoop so she can start hooping.

Tour de Halo
My free time not spent dancing or hooping is with the Husband Person. We usually catch up on movies/TV or playing video games together. This past week we replayed all of the Halo games in chronological order starting with Reach, Halo 1, Halo 2, and Halo 3. We have not played Halo Wars or ODST yet. We also watch reruns of Entourage, How I Met Your Mother, and The New Adventures of Old Christine.

Reading
The Way Ladies finished up Walking in this World by Julia Cameron last month. I am almost finished with Sandworms of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. I am a  s l o w  reader and refuse to read more than one book at a time. Not much else to say here.

Beading Tutorials
Ah yes, the thing all my readers wait with bated breath for. I have gotten really good feedback about them. Everyone seems to like them so far. I don't know how many more I will do before I've used up the extent of my knowledge base and patience to write it all out. I am currently working on a complete project tutorial where you learn to actually make something from start to finish. It should be fun.

Blogging and Pen Pals
I want to say thank you to all of my readers. There are a lot of blogs I follow as well. Many more than are listed in the sidebar links of my own blog. I have them on Google reader because I am too lazy to go out and check each one every day. I really want to get in the habit of commenting on other blogs more. Even if it is just a, "Thanks for posting," to show my appreciation for all of the knowledge other bloggers share every day. You know, like being the friendly face in the audience while your troupe mate dances.

Finally, I want to address my serious neglect for not mentioning my Bellydance Pen Pal Kis in Australia. We exchanged addresses after Christmas and send each other random little pick-me ups. I get close to giddy when a letter from her arrives in the mail. Getting unexpected notes of friendship and good vibes is awesome! Not to mention, I still feel child-like awe imagining something from the other side of the world is in my hands.

The first card Kis sent me.

~N