You're Shining; I Can See You . . .

"You're smiling, that's enough"
Shawn Colvin, Diamond in The Rough

Sing it:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdvRcFd-tGg

Shawn coopted internal dialogue this week.  Used to having a song "stuck in the head."  But for a few days after Friday she set up shop in the temporal lobes.  Rolled out the carpet, pulled up a chair, there she was in the living room between my ears.  That place is reserved for a handful on an extended basis:  Townes, Guy Clark, Gillian Welch, the Roche Sisters, Tom Rush, Steve Earle, Dave Frishberg, Pete Seeger.  And now Shawn.  Come on in; welcome, and thank you for making my skin crawl.

Sunday was a walk in the marsh, a Costco run and a dog bath. Nada mas, but the stupid bowl had to be watched. Crap food had to be eaten.  Two beers had to be consumed.   Go Pack.  The 49er's passed on Aaron Rogers in favor of Alex Smith ?   You must be fucking kidding me.


Chill, sportstalk flunky.  Monday, 90 minutes of Pradeep.  Had planned all day for kettlebells, but after 9 hours, (6.2 billable) could not resist the opportunity to be guided by someone who will make me better.  Always a sweatfest; this no exception.  Smoking combinations for 45, then dial it back, and ramp up the core work at the end.  Folks with very very strong practices laid out quivering on the mat at the end; me in a puddle.   His classes are art.
Tuesday.  Reply brief with supporting declarations in.  Done, gone, and dusted.  Gym late, still sore from Pradeep and it showed:
warmup, 100 single arm swings, 10+10x5 16kg, no breaks.
Pressfest:
5+5 20kg, 5+5 alternating 24, to 1+1x2 32.
The 32's go but are dicey.
10 twin 16kg front squats
5+3 neutral grip pullups, 22lbs assist
10 deck squats, 8, then 4kg counterbalance.  These getting much better.
3x
Swings, 20 24kg to 1+1 24 kg tgu x 5
'cept last tgu was 32.  Left side an adventure in epic fail.  Coming up shoulder clearly not sucked down and arm too far out.  70lbs comes down fast and slams into the mat; trainers had the courtesy not to look up.  Try again and fly up.  Got lucky, learned something without injury.
after 50/30/20 24kg swings, one arm work now with 24  pretty damn strong.
Today weird lunch with weird new partner.  Bail to 5:15 mh.  Waiting in line, very cute very young chinese gal starts chatting.  Model buddy next to her rolls her eyes at "oh what do you do for your upper body strength." I am old, not stupid.  I tell her kettlebells and she looks blank.  Go breathe deep and come back in ten years.  MH class is good, just the right amount of juice after Monday and Tuesday.

7:05 boat, scotch.  Get to car and Terri Gross is interviewing Rodney Crowell.  He talks about hanging with Townes and Guy Clark.  Liked him since being turned on in New Mexico, 1983 by That Woman.  Doubly so after HSB in 2006, when one of his two lead guitarists, young gunslinger Jedd Hughes, blew up the stage with black Telecaster pyrotechnics.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8euVaHyIOc&feature=related.  They did this, like Shawn, Rodney takes a cover and makes it original.  It occurs to me, late as usual perhaps 30 years or so, that there is no need to limit the talents that set up shop in your head.  The capacity to enjoy art is as limitless as the capacity to love your children (or your dog.)  It is as limitless as your ability to do things well and make yourself stronger, healthier.  It is as limitless as the universe itself, whether above you, or just part below the foot pressing hard into earth,, feeling all of it and missing nothing.