Snow.

We had a pretty amazing night of Halloween-time fun followed by a little sleep and the last of our series of Alexander classes with Nina D'abbracci.  You could see that the evening might have affected some of the class a bit more than others.  Attendance was low.  In the class with Nina, we worked on some new ways to stretch from the shoulders before working into our posture and walking.

You'd be surprised how many people laugh when you tell them you're spending several thousand dollars to learn how to stand and walk.  Granted there's some other things... a few other things that we learn in our time here, but, yes, we learn how to stand and walk.  What was really interesting for me was that, when she was diagnosing me, I learned that I lean way back into myself.  She had set me to a "correct" posture and I felt like I was a short breath away from falling head-over-heels on to my forehead.  It's really uncomfortable, but I've been playing with it all day, and hopefully will be able to correct the issue in the next few weeks.

I'm learning to walk.

After class, Phillip, Jeena, Ariel, Kristie, Marianna and I went to Tom's Diner (of Seinfeld fame) which is down Broadway from College Walk for a little breakfast.  I should just disclose with you really quick, that if you really feel the need to get in touch with a little Seinfeld nostalgia, this is the place to go; if not the food is less than stunning and you aren't really missing anything by passing on it.  I've eaten here a few times now and there's definitely better diners to be found in the city. We were in just finishing up with our meal, hanging out/chatting, and getting pressured to pay and leave up by our busboy when something magical happened:  It started to snow on Broadway.  I've lived here, I've seen it, but it's still impressive.  Especially since the sentence "It started to snow n Broadway" is an understatement.  It started dumping large white flakes of utter cold on Broadway might me more apt.  There was something there, though, having that experience with each other.  Having a laugh; sharing a look of wonder at nature practicing the changing of the season before our very eyes.  Hearing the breathy, gleeful gasps of fellow Californian, Jeena Yi experiencing her first winter snow in the city where she lives... it was grand, and a wonderful experience to share.

(Photos courtesy of Marianna Caldwell)

Snow on 112th & Broadway

Jeena & Kristie

Ariel & Ryan

Phillip & Jeena

Kristie & Marianna

I returned home, warmed and excited to have a few hours to myself.  To remove the cares of the program from my mind and reflect upon the week and finally curl up with a book, some hot tea and a blanket and relax beside my window that looks over on the whitening street below.  I'm about to get back to it now; the moments are too sterling to continue pass up.


"And finally Winter, with it's bitin', whinin' wind, and all the land will be mantled with snow."
-Roy Bean

-Nix