the view along the san lorenzo. look, we have wildlife in santa cruz. you can tell me what this is a million times and i will still forget. click on the picture and enjoy the larger version, the detail is really nice.

yoga karma is when you take a later class to avoid the teacher teaching the early class, only to find out the teachers have switched classes.

yoga karma is when you take an early class because a milf said she would be there, but she skips yoga that day.

yoga karma is when you practise on your day off because a cute girl said she would be there, but then she decides she doesn’t feel like practising.

i’m sure you can add to the list. see you tomorow ~m

that’s the view from here. sitting by the surfer statue on west cliff, another perfect day in santa cruz. i took the day off from bikram and enjoyed the beach, but i’ll be back in the studio tomorrow. definitely click and enjoy the larger version, you can see the paddle surfers or whatever they’re called.

“that’s the view from here.” one of the best gories songs, definitely click and enjoy it. i’m gonna go see the gories on thursday! i bought my ticket months ago and now the show is next week. i haven’t been on a trip in a long time, i’m a little nervous, a little excited. trying to decide if i should rent a car or take public transit. obviously, it’s cheaper to take public transit, less hassle than dealing with a car in the city. not only that, if i rent a car, i’m stuck in a little box, paying attention to the road instead of enjoying the view. the advantage of renting a car is that after the show, i can go home. if i take public tranist, i’m stuck in the city until morning. i hate driving, but renting a car means less time away from trixie. i love the freedom that public transit and being on foot gives me, if i want to stop and take a picture, i don’t have to look for a parking spot. that’s the only thing that makes me not want to rent a car. i guess i’m not going on a photo safari, i’m going to see the gories and hopefully take pictures of them. alright, as much as i love the environment, think i’m gonna rent a car for my trip. what do you think? ~m

israel vibration at the catalyst club last night. oh my god, if you coulda dried out my sweat this morning…. i swear, for the first 15 minutes of class, my sweat was resin-drenched. i don’t know if you could smell it, but i could feel it. nothing like a little bikram yoga to get rid of all the toxins from the night before. enjoy your weekend, sweat friends ~m

fire spinning on west cliff.

good class today. tough night. whenever i get totally dissed by a girl, i imagine myself in the hot room, smile and remember all the awful dates i put wonderful women through. “i’m crying but my tears are faraway…” ~m

“what’s next to the moon?” mmmmmm, one of the best songs on ac/dc’s best record, powerage. there isn’t a lot of detail in this moon shot, but it’s not bad for just being my camera, unassisted.

crack. pop. my right shoulder is making so many sound effects this past week. my right shoulder is learning to relax a little more into proper alignment. this has been going on since i started practising bikram. little adjustments that feel so major. my insides realigning themselves. bikram yoga will change your body and mind. i’m feeling that change in my body big time right now. if you practise with regularity and with intensity & precision, you will see results. xo,m

bonfire on the beach. figured i might as well share one with you. the only thing about bonfires is you end up smelling like smoke. i don’t mind smelling like marijuana smoke, but wood smoke is gross. there’s a boat light at the top of the fire, not some trick of the flame.

one of my tweeps had over 50 people in class today. quite a difference between toronto and santa cruz, we only had 9 benders. despite the small numbers, i swear that was the hottest class of the year! oh my god, i thought i was gonna die a couple of times. definitely one of those days where i switch to auto-pilot, no thoughts in my head at all, only focus on the words and doing that. i hate to say it, but thank god for coconut water after class! oh, tasty goodness. see you tomorrow ~m

after bikram, i stopped at petsmart and ran into these two. six year old anna is trying to raise awareness about the dolphin slaughter in japan. i din’t get all the specifics, but i thought it was cool that she made the signs and wanted to stand outside of petsmart with them.

this weekend was another two days off from bikram. i wrote earlier that two days off wasn’t showing a dramatic difference in my body, but now i’m really feeling it inside my body.

the other day, my teacher said you “build strength through flexibility.” no lie, i’m feeling way stronger than i ever have. class today was exhausting, an early class, i was still waking up. i din’t know where i was gonna find the strength for the third part of locust, but i din’t even struggle, my core felt so strong. that was the effect of two days off, feeling and being stronger than when i was in the room on friday. okay heartbreakers, see you tomorrow ~m

alright, sweat friends, i gotta give it up to bobby of bobby’s can cookin’. his backyard bbq festival was bombtastic. thanks to this man, my friends and i sat in the park and enjoyed the sun for two days straight. you can relax in the park anyday, but usually you get hassled by cops, homeless people or tweakers. this weekend, my friends and i sat in the park, enjoying our barbeque in the sun, listening to the mellow jazzy r&b bands. i think i was in the park for 6 hours today. when one of the bands would play a good song i would think, “my dad would really like this right now.” not just the music, but also sitting in the park, eating bomb-ass food. funny that i would think of my folks when i’m hanging out with my friends, but that’s the kind of nerd i am. it was definitely better to be with my friends though because we were in the park for so long, at the end of the day, live oak smokers hooked us up fat with chicken! oh man, that was so cool, “you guys want some chicken?” um, hell yeah! alright friends, that was my decadent weekend. well, only the day because i din’t tell you about the bonfire, but that’s another post for another day. xo,m

from the polynesian festival on the wharf.

how was your saturday friends? not only did i bike to the beach and enjoy the sun, i went to the park for the first ever “bobby’s backyard barbeque festival.” two things you may or may not know about me: i hang out in san lorenzo park almost everyday and i love barbeque. the fact that bobby brought one to the other makes him a genius in my blog, i mean, book. this was good eating, mom and dad, you would have enjoyed it. not everyone had fun, some woman named @CaelesP tweeted, “went to rib cookoff today. it was pathetic. 6-8 contestants and a taqueria. not many people there santa cruz is more about vegan than bbq.” hmmmmm, it’s all in your point of view, 6-8 booths to choose from was enough for me. there weren’t a lot of people, but there was a way steady crowd all day. enough squares were around to take over drunk hill and enjoy the bands that played. *plus* the cook-off kept the homeless tweekers out of the park all day. this was my tweet from the actual park: “baking in the park at the barbeque cook-off, r&b jazzy band playing at the duck pond”. you say pathetic, i say awesome, it’s all how you look at it.
just like being in the hot room. your totally hot class is another person’s 90 minutes of bliss. it’s all in your mind, always. see you tomorrow ~m

p.s. check out the pig that din’t enjoy bobby’s backyard bbq festival

wanna get lei’d? snark snark. cool colours from the polynesian festival. click on the picture to really enjoy the details.

perfect day in santa cruz. even though i say i don’t notice the heat, i was still kinda bugged that it was only 102º in the hot room today. and everyone was acting like it was the hottest class ever! i’ll admit, i *did* enjoy my coconut water after class. oh! you know what else i enjoyed? i took @writeouschick’s lead and had a post-yoga cheeseburger, fries and milkshake! from the local burger shack, jack’s, it was bombtastic and om nom nom at the same time. much gratitude for another beautiful day. ~m

scene from the polynesian festival on the wharf recently. luv the colours of this photograph. don’t forget to click on the picture to see a larger version.

before the noon, a newish girl asked me how i managed to get through class without fidgeting. i told her it was all in the mind. once you realize all you need is your breath, you stop using water to get through class. once you learn to accept the things you have no control over, like the sweat dripping or the length of the postures, then you learn to focus on yourself and the poses. learn to save energy by making the most of your savasana. most importantly, if you’re doing something that isn’t part of the dialogue, stop it! alright heartbreakers, i’m off my soapbox and off to the kitchen. xo, m

these are the best plums i have ever had. kinda tart, sometimes sweet. they have such a distinct flavor, i wish i could share it with you, but this photo will have to do. actually, it’s all i have left of this year’s plums. well, this and some pits that i kept in the freezer so i can grow my own tree someday.

now that the plums are gone, my new thing is gravenstein apples. there is a generous tree on the property that has been treating me well this week. fresh fruit is a luxury i don’t take for granted. the property i live on has lots of different fruit, so i’m always eating something healthy. this evening i’ve already enjoyed 3 apples and 2 pluots. snacking on fruit and almonds keeps me away from the doritos and donuts i would rather have. fruit is also very hydrating, so if you’re a bikram bender, it’s a win-win. alright heartbreakers, time for dinner: garbanzo bean, potato & carrot stew of sorts. see you tomorrow ~m

interior, santa cruz diner, pt. 2. let me take you to a place where the service is slow…. ha ha, seriously though, this is a good place to practise patience, but the food is worth the wait. plus it’s the only place open 24 hours, besides denny’s and you wouldn’t wanna eat there unless it was free.

speaking of free, we suspect a woman at the studio has been trying to scam free classes by not signing the sign-in sheet and then disputing the computer record later. after a couple of months of this, she finally settled her debt with the studio. she signed her check as if every pen stroke caused her pain and then casually tossed the check and pen in my direction with the slightest of disdain. in my sweetest of voices, i said, “thank you, bitch, you din’t have to toss the pen at me, you could have just left it right here” and placed it on the sign-in sheet she picked it up from. actually, i said her name, but i was thinking “bitch” ha ha. after she left, my teacher said, “that woman is not happy with us.” can you imagine leaving a yoga studio like that? it’s not the dmv, this is a place for gratitude and love. hope she learns to open her heart sooner than later. see you tomorrow ~m

part 5 of my “interiors” series, denny’s and another table for one. i’d rather eat at santa cruz diner, but i won’t turn down a free meal. i woke up early for this denny’s breakfast and then i rocked the noon, later that day. i thought the pancakes might be a little heavy, but i had a great class. musta been the maple syrup!

i always eat before class. today, seconds before the noon, i was trying to cram almonds in my mouth. i’d already had some almonds and an apple, so i told myself that was enough. if the buddha could survive on one grain of rice a day, then i can rock a sweltering bikram class with only some almonds and an apple. it’s all in your attitude, in your mind. the second you start doubting yourself, you lose. okay, end of sermon, see you tomorrow, heartbreakers! ~m

interior, el chino. my favorite sit-down mexican restaurant. chicken mole is kinda like my birthday meal, so you know i had to eat here! om nom nom

another weekend away from the yoga studio. i gotta be honest, i was tired this morning and din’t really feel like doing anything. i could hear the studio calling my name, but i din’t feel like rushing around to make the 10. i was busy tweeting and snuggling with my trixie kittie. before i went to the beach, i kicked it in the park for a spell. while i was there, i saw one of those willow-y things i wrote about yesterday—a sign i was prolly doing something right. see you tomorrow in the hot room ~m

interior, tony and alba’s. pizza anyone? last night’s dinner with the m, d & s. nice to have my family in town for a few days. i pedaled to the beach, after they left today, feeling a little bit lonely. i’m lucky to have my folks in my life. every time i’m with them, i realize how much i’ve become like my dad. not just mannerisms, but even dumb things like wondering if those white wispy things you see floating in the air have any conscious control over their flight. you don’t have to know what i’m talking about, but after they left, i saw 2 on west cliff, like they were following me.

no bikram today, but lots of biking. betty white won an emmy for her guest host spot on saturday night live! hope your saturday was as nice as mine. back to bikram tomorrow ~m

interior, santa cruz diner. breakfast for dinner? yes, please.

normally, i’m a friday noon bender, but my family is in town, so i woke up early and did the 10. trying class today, lost my focus a few times, but survived. lunch with my mom and dinner with the whole family, it’s been busy around here. xo,m

“this one goes out to the one i love.
this one goes out to the one i’ve left behind.”

early morning pop song solace at another table for one.

the maple syrup was delicious! bikram yoga was trying which made it extra nice. dinner with my folks and sister was yumtastic. felt like a little kid when i hopped on my bike and rode to the beach. xo,m

hbd to this west cliff fire-hula hooper! i love night photography. tonight i was trying to photograph the moon shimmering off the ocean, but my results say i’ve got a lot to learn about shooting at night.

it was 40 years ago today, iggy and ron taught the punks how to play. how did you celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of fun house? i’ve been listening to this record for 25 years and it still sounds amazing to me. god loves the stooges. you know this is true because he let ron asheton live long enough to enjoy the stooges reunion.

fun house was prolly the only thing that got me through class today—oh my god, i was struggling! kim said something about fake it til you make it and i smiled because that’s exactly what i was doing. i may have looked strong and confident, but i wanted to collapse on my mat so bad. i heard iggy singing part of a lyric “i came to play.” yeah, that’s how i found my focus today, i came to play and i’m not gonna rest. make it look easy on the outside even if you’re dying on the inside. xo,m

west cliff fire-hula hooper. this picture is so cool, with the fire right in front of her face. love.

i wonder if we’ll feel the effects of a new bikram yoga studio in the area. today’s noon wasn’t empty, we prolly had 20 people in class, even some first-timers. i’ve been in noon classes with a *lot* less than that. yesterday’s noon wasn’t mat-to-mat, but there were still a lot of baked benders. with only two days to compare, it seems like things might stay the same at the studio. i’m sure we’ll lose some regulars, but i think there’s always someone ready to take their place. maximum love,m

more night photography yumminess from yesterday.

well, after two days off from bikram, i was back in the studio today. can’t say i noticed too much of a difference in my outward appearance, but maybe i feel a little more “solid.” hmmmm, i don’t know about the difference between one day or two, but it definitely felt good to be back in the hot room. even more than the stretching, it felt nice to sweat again. that’s not the best thing about bikram yoga, but it’s a pretty great feeling to cleanse yourself from the inside out. see you tomorrow ~m

fire spinner at the light house. or should i say the surf museum? i say apple, you say tomato. this was the perfect ending to my day. i started out on the wharf, at the polynesian festival. spent some time with a new friend and i think she likes me. then rounded out the day by watching the fire spinners. pretty great day in santa cruz, at least in my world.

day two of no bikram yoga. i think my abs are looking a little more defined. we’ll see tomorrow when i look in the mirror for 90 minutes. xo,m

it’s my dad’s bday! my mom sent me a picture of their picnic today and the bikram bender in me wrote back, “tell my dad to sit up straight!” you’re never too old to correct bad posture, right? check out my dad’s band, from 1969, lil lavair and the fabulous jades, “i’d be so happy.” “if you would only show me the way, into your heart….” mmmmmm, i love that girl on the right. she looks just like my second wife…and i’ve only been married once! ha ha.

day one of two days off of bikram yoga. my back wasn’t as cranky as it usually is when i take a day off. we’ll see how i feel tomorrow. xox,m

i really love it when i look at this website and all the pictures are themed. right now, with a flock of seagulls and the desert dream dance company, i think ilovesweat.com looks pretty cool.

excellent class today. the friday noon is back to being my favorite class again. talking with my teacher today, i’m gonna take the whole weekend off to see how my body likes the recovery time. i swear i notice differences in my physical appearance with only one day, it’ll be fun to see what two days feels like.

oh yeah! tomorrow is our first pre-season game—GO PACK! luv,m

desert dance dream company at the cabrillo blah blah blah festival. oh, you know what i mean, right? i was so taken by one dancer, i kinda forgot about this picture. click on the photograph to really enjoy the detail of the costumes ;~}

kinda dreading my upcoming birthday, so i’ve been distracting myself by being a beach bum. after bikram, i grabbed a bus stop burrito and met up with my friends on the beach. we sat and, um, enjoyed the natural scenery of a popular beach ;~}

see you tomorrow heartbreakers ~m

more yummy goodness from desert dream dance company’s performance at the cabrillo art, music, wine festival this past weekend.

woke up early and made it to sally’s 10 am. she guides you through the sequence so softly, but she makes you work hard! honestly, i was having trouble staying focused. it was like, “how much more can i work?” “i can barely stand.” “i shoulda slept in and gotten more sleep.” and this was during the standing series! i don’t know where i found my focus, but by the time we made it to the floor, i was all smiles because i din’t drop dead. seriously, that’s how i felt. thank god for a 2 minute savasana and the sit-ups in the middle. sometimes i think if i din’t eat so healthy, i’d be savasana-ing out a lot of the poses. alright heartbreakers, see you tomorrow ~m

i love it when bellydancers break out the sword ~ desert dream dance company thrilled the cabrillo art, music, wine festival this weekend. anything free and kinda cool is alright in my book and there’s plenty of that in santa cruz. i love this town!

felt so bad for my teacher today—she got verbally assaulted by an unhappy bender who complained about the heat. she was right next to the thermometer, so i guess the room was at 108º. the thing that burns me up (har har) is we were was in a class last week that was at 109º and she din’t complain—prolly because it was a male teacher who looks like a chippendale dancer. i’ve seen her act like that before with another female teacher. it’s strange that this woman can bring such negative energy to the yoga studio. in the hot room, she is often an energy drain with her overdramatic, exhausted flopping down, constant wiping, etc. honestly, that’s why i don’t like practising around her, well, and also because she modifies poses some of the poses, but that’s not the issue, it was just the way she talked to my teacher that was so awful. oh, but i gotta say, i like it when she is near me because it gives me a chance to work on my focus. it’s amazing how ugly a beautiful woman can look when she is acting like elizabeth taylor in a foul mood. well, i don’t remember who said it, but with all the people in this world, why let one ruin your day? see you tomorrow ~m

desert dream dance company, santa cruz. free belly dance performance on saturday as part of the cabrillo art, music, wine festival. sounds a lot more glam than it was. imagine half a city block filled with vendors selling food, tie dye clothes and art work to a bunch of middle-aged people walking down the street drinking wine. wow, did that sound cynical? how can i be cynical about something that got me this photograph? click on the photograph to see the larger version and really enjoy the detail of her, um, costume. seriously though, there’s a lot to like about this photograph besides her back bend.

oh yeah, i forgot to mention this sooner, but denny’s just brought back the free birthday grand slam breakfast! i’ve had a free birthday breakfast at denny’s more times than i care to admit. with denny’s so close to the birdhouse, the only drag is waking up early to eat before i bend at the noon. oh, but i’m making plans too far in advance, aren’t i?

had a nice baker class today, super roasty, all sweaty goodness. see you tomorrow ~m

i like the guitar hero shot, don’t you? a flock of seagulls rocking the beach boardwalk on friday night. for being a small town, there’s a lot to do in santa cruz. this weekend, san lorenzo park hosted the san francisco mime troupe and downtown was the site for the cabrillo art, music and wine festival. it’s not like this stuff is all that great, but it’s a nice distraction for a little while.

usually i’m all about the sunday silent six, but my back was craving the push of the dialogue today. love being a packed, sweaty room and still having a strong class. it’s all the good stuff i eat—the last few nights i’ve been enjoying chard, romaine, pinto beans, tomato and avocado. i’m getting hungry just writing about it, but seriously, if you eat good stuff always, you’re priming your body for a good class no matter how much you sweat. see you tomorrow ~m

a flock of seagulls, santa cruz beach boardwalk. if it wasn’t for the bass player, they wouldn’t live up to their name, a flock of haircuts, ha ha. they had one good song, two okay songs and a lot of filler, but still, they’re touring around the country playing those songs, not a bad job. and to their credit, a flock of seagulls never once asked, “remember the ’80s?” like loverboy or corey feldman did. hope you’re enjoying your weekend ~m

never in a million years did i think i would say, “i saw a flock of seagulls today” but i did. where’s your hair? i guess if you’re remembered for a bad haircut, it’s easier to wear a hat in guilt.

love my friday noon with the baker. mmmmmm, i had one of those classes where i felt aligned the entire time. and i forgot my water bottle, so all i had with me was a little cup of water. the wheelchair guy did a double again today. afterwards, he asked if there was a shower stool he could use. i felt bad, our studio din’t have anything appropriate to use in the shower. they have the handbars, but i guess that’s still not good enough. he was good natured about it, “i’ll just tough it out.” is your studio accessible to the wheelchair bound? have a good weekend ~m