idle musings

We’ve had a 30 day yoga challenge at my studio that ends on Sunday. Part of the challenge was to do a minimum of 20 classes, with the other 10 points coming from a variety of ‘homework’ assignments designed to teach you more about yoga.

I thought I was doing fine for classes until my schedule got turned around this week due to a co-worker being ill and needed to switch days with me. That meant that today I needed to do three classes because I can only do one class on Sunday and none on Friday or Saturday.

So, I did a pilates class this morning and an Anusara-inspired class and a relaxation class this evening. The pilates was all core (obviously) and the Anusara was focused on hip-openers. My whole body is just … tired!

In other yoga news, I did a wall-supported handstand all on my own on Wednesday, and full back bend to the floor on Monday. Woot woot!

Tonight was Maia’s and my first agility class, at Dizine Canine with Dana Gallagher.

It was awesome.

I had emailed Dana ahead of time to let her know of Maia’s reactivity to people, and she is obviously very well versed in dog language because she bribed Maia with goodies and made quick friends. Maia was a little confused by this idea of being in a daycare setting with other dogs but not getting to even greet any of them, but she did very well. Amazingly well.

First we learned the tunnel. It was super short to begin with – only a couple feet long. Dana held Maia on her leash on one side and I showed Maia my hand full of treats through the tunnel. She caught on quickly that running through the tunnel to get to me meant treats. We had the tunnel stretched out quite far by the third repetition through all the dogs, and Maia totally understood to come running through the tunnel to me. Yay!

Next we did ‘around and come back’. I’m not sure what the name for this would be, but there was a cone, and I would send Maia around it on the left side with my left hand, and then give her treats with my right hand as she came around. Again, once she understood what I wanted, she was doing it no problem (but this was with me literally six inches away from the cone. The goal is to get further and further away, and send your dog around something with hand gestures and voice commands).

Last we did running recalls, to train the dogs to come up to us on the side we want. Dana held Maia by the collar and I started about 15 feet away. I called Maia and started running, looking over my shoulder and encouraging her to come up on that particular side. The first time we did it, one of the other dogs came running after us and the owner, a man, came running after his dog. Maia completely ignored them and was focused on me and the treats. Amazing. Usually, anyone running towards her would get a reaction, but especially a heavy-footed man. I was so proud of her!

Also, it was just so great to be in a place with other people but know that no one was going to invade our space or try to interact with Maia. I would let her watch the other people and dogs, then bring her attention back to me and our toy, or give her simple commands and then lots of treats and rubs.

I can’t wait to go again. Dana did warn us at the beginning of class that agility can become an addiction, and I can see how!

I was talking to one of my staff tonight about online courses. She took Chemistry 11 online while in France on an exchange, and if I can do the same course, that would make my life so much easier. One pre-req that I could start getting out of the way now! I will be looking into this post-haste.

I had the most amazing yoga class tonight. This is the one class I look forward to all week – it is a flow class, so more cardio and quicker movements than the rest of the hatha classes I attend. Andrew is an awesome instructor who likes to do ‘crazy’ poses – last week we did hand stands; tonight we did back bends.

Yoga has really been a fantastic addition to my life. It gives me a place to let everything else fall away and I get to think only of my physical body. It allows me to utilize skills I learned in martial arts but in a gentler and more healing fashion. There is no competition except with myself.

Ziggy’s new mum took this photo when I met her to give her Ziggy. She emailed it to me with the title “Ziggy loves Erin”, with a note that said thank you for loving him until they could find each other.

It made me tear up a little, but it solidified that she is absolutely the right person to have adopted Ziggy, and I am so very happy for them both.

I went to an info session at Douglas College this week regarding their Animal Health Technologist program and finally, finally, I have found what I want to do.

Unfortunately, I have pre-reqs that need to get done before I can apply, as well as 80 hours of volunteer time in vet clinics, and the cut off date for registration for this September is Feb 15. That means I’ll be applying for September 2011. However, as they only take 30 students per year, I figure I’ll need the next year to get some solid volunteer work under my belt and hopefully get some awesome letters of recommendation as well.

I have to take Bio and Chem 11, and a science 12 which will most likely be Bio. I may have to take a math course as well – I have to check what my math was in high school and whether it is acceptable or not. The good thing is that high school courses are free, and both VCC and Cap offer them so I will have some options as to scheduling.

I’m probably going to suck it up at the Green Cult until I start the program, which sucks but it doesn’t make sense to do something else making less money for the next year and a half. I want to save as much as possible so that I don’t have to take as much out in student loans. The AHT program is 2 years and it is full time – 16 credits per semester. Whew! I already know that I will not be able to work at all while maintaining a course load that heavy, so the more I have socked away in the bank before I start, the happier I will be.

I feel so happy to have found something that not only I am passionate about, but I can actually do. Everything else I had looked into needed so much extra schooling before I could even start the program I was looking at that it just wasn’t worth it. To do four pre-reqs before learning to be a nurse to animals? That I can handle.

One of the parts of the program is the large animal portion and we get to go to a goat farm! I <3 goats. And I get to buy scrubs and a lab coat! Just so full of awesome – I can’t wait to get started.

I now have two years worth of books read recorded here on my blog. The reason this is so cool, and will only continue to be more so the longer I keep track – tonight I was thinking about a book I read in 2008. I couldn’t remember the title or the author, but I recognized it when I saw it on my list. I have now put it on reserve at the library for a re-read.

I just registered for an information session at Douglas College for their Animal Health Technology program, and on the registration form it has the following: I request the following disability accomodations (ie Sign Language Interpreter, Braille, E-Text, Large Print, etc). I think that’s all kinds of awesome.

The Good:

• bought my townhouse
• had surgery on my knee
• adopted Maia
• became a foster home for That’ll Do Border Collie Rescue
• fostered Ziggy
• joined a yoga studio and confirmed that yoga really is the most wonderful type of exercise for me

The Bad:

• upped my anti-anxiety medication to double my previous dose, just to continue to feel mediocre
• still working a job I hate
• not able to figure out what I want to be when I grow up

The Plan for 2010:

• keep looking into careers and possible school options, and find something
• keep practising yoga
• think about moving away from Vancouver (either somewhat locally like Mission, or not local at all, like Cape Breton)