Yoga challenges

The summer 60 day challenge is wrapping up at Bikram Yoga San Jose. This time I did not sign up to do the challenge. There was travel involved and the family clearly declared that there will be no room for doubles to compensate. I was still hoping that maybe some things will rearrange themselves with some divine providence and maybe a chance will open up to finish.

No such luck. It should have been 48/60. Did not even make that. 42/60 was the final class count. That was thanks to the eye infection that was picked up on the last trip. Have recovered the eyes nicely, but going to travel again. Just have to be conscious and not touch my eyes after touching any of the trays or windows on dirty planes. 

The only good thing was that my MIL was here the last two months and she came to yoga with me. It is always great to have a yoga buddy!

Thanks to my co-sister, MIL and me got a new T-shirt. She saw this in India and it was nice of her to send us these shirts. Love the shirt!

Challenge or not, my goal for the year is >200 classes.. Have 165 for the year and given my future travel schedule, will need to go every day when in town..

It is still a great feeling to cheer my yoga buddies and see them finish. Encouraging people to take this on and see them succeed is giving me as much happiness as finishing it myself. That also is progress in a way!

Screen time

It has been sometime since I came back to blog about anything. Life has been interesting as usual. A recent business trip that ended up with delayed flights, a missed connection, multiple subseqent delayed flights all in an effort to just  return home made me weak and tired. Also ended up with a virus which left me with a lasting eye infection for a good 10 days post all other symptoms. 

Doctors advice was to minimize staring at the screen.. so work had to be done in intense installments between eye drop sessions, driving was difficult, Yoga attendance became sporadic, social media took a break as did this blog.

The last three days have been better. I am back online with some self restraint. 

While all this was going on, the kids started school last week. The little girl who made us toil every morning just to go to kindergarten, is now a senior at high school..

The little one is also now a high schooler and that puts things in a different perspective! 

Had taken these pictures last week but never got a chance to download and edit them.. 

We are getting into the routine for this year. There is a lot less driving given Jr. drives herself. 

One theme that keeps coming back in the house is "daddy is getting old"..

We are all getting old. Also this "if you do all this yoga, how come you are sick?" discussion. Traveling in dirty airplanes can be a risky thing for anyone. 

Then there is the "if you do all this yoga, why do you get angry?". No one said you will be emotionless if you do Yoga. You get to control the anger faster, at least that is what I am striving for. 

The kids are still on daddy's side on all these arguments. Will have a tough time when they are not around as there will be no one to take my side.

Mentally preparing for it starting this year. 

Photoshop magic..

During the function for my dad on mom  last week, I had to be performing a lot of things.. which meant my stint with the camera was done.. 

I usually don't trust others with pictures for events.. and definitely don't trust others with my camera.. however on recent trips, have been handing my camera to my baby cousin (who is not a baby anymore) and teaching her how to hold steady, focus and shoot with the 5D mark ii and she has a really good eye for composition.. told her to keep clicking and leave the rest to me to photoshop..

She did me proud.. We did hire professionals for the event but they are working on the photos. We should have great pictures in a week or two.

Saw this one pic where San has her cute dimply smile and I really wanted to make a portrait out of it.. (Credit to my cousin for cracking the right joke at the right time!).. 

The background.. I needed some recently shot greenery.. and the photo from Amethyst gave me an idea..

So here is 2+2=6..

The original..

the background from a group photo..

and the end result..

Have been lost in photoshop for a long time.. work calls tomorrow. My cold is almost bearable.. have been doing yoga everyday during the break and resting and working on photoshop as a good distraction.

Also my wife is back from India and that alone is a big relief.. my girls know how to press my buttons and get anything they want and sometimes I don't know if I am authorized to authorize things.. good that the big boss is back in the approval loop.

Ta ta for now..