Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Activity and Aging in SoCal

Today was highly productive! Instead of sleeping until a ridiculous hour and puttering around the love nest, I was up and out of the house with the Mr. He gave me a lift to the gym where I joined the other Pacific Beach (PB) housewives for some aerobics. Most of them are much older - although it's difficult to tell how old, what with the tans and the surgeries.

Sidenote: It never ceases to enrage me - maybe it is culture shock? - to open the weekly news magazine here and see endless ads for plastic surgery, botox, weightloss treatments, cosmetic dental services, lasik, tanning, spa services and other ways to avoid self-loathing through body alteration. The Mr thinks I'm slightly hypocritical since I use eye cream and moisturize. He says that if these ads (on the radio, too) bother me, I should just stop using these kinds of products. But, I said, then I'll have crows feet!

After aerobics, I stuck around down in PB for another couple of hours until the yoga class at mid-day. I stopped and bought some natural food products, of which there is an abundant supply here. Walking back the businesses were: yoga studios, taco shops, hair salons, bars, and sushi shacks. There are quite a few indendent businesses of the sort that Boston has long priced-out. Little shops for rock T-shirts, costumes, cheap Chinese-made clothing, a little vegan restaurant, etc.

Yoga was a dream - so good! Previously I had tried it out at this yoga studio where I thought the quality was going to be better than a gym. Not so! Each instructor said exactly the same thing like some kind of blond Barbie flexible robots. At my little run-down gym, I had vinny yoga with Gina. She was such a breath of fresh air. She appeared to be 60, tan -yes, but with the folds of her years that gave you the warm feeling of a very in-shape, super-nice, laid-back grandmother. She had long black hair that was streaked with silver tied back in a simple elastic. She was not in spandex and bangles (like one woman I thought might be 60 in the class) but in soft, loose cotton T-shirt and leggings. She had a kind voice and wasn't fruity and knew how to guide you without making you feel you were doing it all wrong. The practice was slow, deliberate, and gentle. And by the time Shivasana came I was exhausted and had begun dreaming soon after closing my eyes.

I still had the workout of getting back up the mountain, but I felt a wonderful peace as I pushed my bike (The Beast) up each steep hill. In a few hours it will be time to make dinner for the Mr like a good housewife. I do love this job!

1 comment:

Sonja said...

I am loving your SoCal tales of housewifery, not to mention the oh so clean sidewalks and doggy behinds. Ipo and I are just about to take our evening constitutional and I just have to say that I don't think there could be a greener place on the planet. That is, real green... trees, grass, bushes. All highlighted by pink roses, blue hydrangeas, purple petunias and salty air. So eat your hearts out you California cuties. I like what I got just fine! Hi to Mr.
Love
Mom