Clever Manka is dressed and undressed

Today's Tumblr collection is Tuesday, February 18: Tattoos.

I'll be trying this exercise to loosen up hamstrings and quads at the same time. I need to get some more and better yoga blocks, though, 'cos the ones I have kind of suck.

Hey, if you have a Capitol One credit card, you might think about canceling it. Unless you especially like unannounced visitors to your house.

This looks pretty fucking amazing.


I've decided I have very little to say about about Coriolanus beyond HOMFG SEE IT IF YOU CAN. Tom Hiddleston is, of course, amazing, but the woman who plays his mother Volumnia (Deborah Findlay), is good past language. Just HOLY SHIT INCREDIBLE. I'll be honest, I was occasionally distracted by Hiddleston's hotness and occasionally caught myself thinking "wait, what?" Especially when he did things like stand straddling two chairs. Or walk around in a translucent robe. Or sit with his legs spread and crotch pointed at the camera. Or appear covered in blood and wearing jeans that were designed by divine inspiration. There were only two weak spots: Coriolanus's son and wife. The son--well, kid actors are always hit and miss, especially in theater. The wife, though. I mean, the part of Virgilia doesn't give an actor much to work with. She mostly sits (or stands) around and cries. She has some pretty good lines at the very beginning and the actress makes the most of them. I don't understand why they didn't cast someone who could cry on cue, though. She makes a fine ugly-cry face, but tears would've been really helpful. Also, how in the world they managed to cast someone who had no chemistry with Tom Hiddleston is beyond me. She had some fierce competition because the chemistry between Coriolanus and his mother is amazing (seriously, I completely believe that this man is 99% the result of his being raised by this woman). But come on.

So yeah, those were my only quibbles. I loved the costuming (I'm going to do my damnedest to make his first-act costume, including the armor--wish me luck), I loved the sets, I loved the direction. I loved it. A lot.

Today is the first day of my vacation!

I got up, did my first day of Tacfit Warrior (No Intensity Day, what a lovely way to start the program!), then shoveled the sidewalk. Two hours later, you can't tell I shoveled, but that's four inches of snow I don't have to shovel later today. I'd much rather do that sort of thing incrementally. My back appreciates it.

One of the interesting aspects of Tacfit Warrior is the split emphasis between physical and mental goals. Yes, it's crucial to move your body with purpose and effort, but it's equally important to have a purpose for movement--and that purpose is divided into three goals: Career, Personal, and Physical. Career can be modified for one's own situation, so I'm thinking of it more as Intellectual. The idea of "career" has never appealed to me. I have a "job" and I like it that way. So. Intellectual it is.

Here are my goals: Intellectual: Read one horror or horror-related book a month, take notes on it, discuss it with others if possible, and finish the month feeling like I own that book in my brain. This might require reading it twice. Personal: I considered the idea of making sure I spent at least one day/afternoon/evening a week with a friend/friends to insure against hermiting so much, but then I remembered m_stiefvater's post that I linked, below, and remembered that goals based on the participation of others is not so smart. Instead, I chose journaling at least twice a month as my personal goal. One journal entry in my life journal and one entry in my fitness journal would be ideal, but I'm not going to force that. If I want to make two entries in one journal during a particular month, so be it. But I shall finish the year with twenty-four journal entries. Physical: My physical goal remains the same as it has been for years. I want to do at least one unassisted pull-up or chin-up. I'm not sure how Tacfit will distribute strength between my arms and back, so I'm leaving that open. And really, I'll take either. I'm not picky.

During the program today, I spent most of my mental energy making sure I was doing the movements right. That's probably just as well since at the last minute I traded out my Personal Goal for something that is less reliant on other people's participation.

The radio just told me that there is a winter weather advisory warning for KC today. I think my planned excursion to Overland Park with bestill might get postponed. That's disappointing, but I'm the most hesitant person I know when it comes to driving on icky roads. I won't do it, myself (I did it enough when I was commuting), and I am not that great of a passenger, either. But it's only 9:20, so perhaps things will clear up by afternoon. *crossing fingers*

One thing I know I'm going to do today: Make a Fitness Journal entry about starting Tacfit Warrior! I wonder if I have any empty composition books lying around. It would be great to art up the cover of one of those for horror note-taking.

After some wonderful discussions, I figured it was time for a return to largely content-free posting. Here you go.

1. IT installed Office 2010 on my computer at work. All I can say is thank god I memorized a lot of hot key commands, and thank god they still work. The command navigation on this is ass.

2. If you use this sort of page-a-day calendar, and you haven't yet recycled your 2010 one, would you please save it for me? I make it into a notepad, thanks to this fantastic product that roya_spirit purchased for me a couple years ago. I love this stuff. If you'd like me to make you a notepad out of your leftover paper, just let me know. The quart bottle is going to last me the rest of my life. And really, who can't use another pad of scratch paper in their world?

3. Winter finally started do a number on my skin. After going without all summer without a face cream (and most of fall, except for during KCRF when I used sunscreen), I'm starting to get dry and flaky patches on my cheeks. The coconut oil I was using at night isn't working. Well, it works, but it also gets all up in my hair, which is not great.

4. My parents are not visiting for xmas this year, as planned. Never mind why. It's not a health issue or anything. I thought about posting about it (it is kind of a big deal, emotionally), but I don't want to put any more energy into the issue. I am grieved, angry, and disappointed that they won't be visiting. Not because of missing seeing them on the holiday--I couldn't care less about that--but the circumstances around the decision to cancel the trip really really bother me. A lot.

5. I'm up in the air about what to do for NYE. No local activities appeal to me. NYE used to be my favorite holiday, but the past couple years I've been ambivalent about the whole thing. Ambivalent leaning toward dismissive.

6. Hmph.

7. I've been making slow but steady progress on my horror self-education. I hope soon to post my thoughts about what I've read so far (The House on the Borderland, Castle of Otranto, Vathek, Frankenstein, and The Invisible Man).

8. I forget what eight was for.

9. Twenty more work days until I get to take my week away from the office in January. Yay!

10. Fifteen days until I have to have these application files processed and ready for distribution. Eeek!