Ghost Ranch, "The Secret," and Upcoming Events

It's been an interesting few weeks of pain and recovery. My back was giving me fits, so I took a trip to a chiropractor last week (Merry McIntyre here in Los Alamos) and she got me all straightened back out. I'm feeling a lot better this week and am contemplating a run or two (went to the gym Monday). The family & I had a nice hike on Sunday up at Ghost Ranch (to Chimney Rock), and the imaginary needle that's been stabbing me in the lower back and hip went away.

Almost there. It's only 1 1/2 miles each way, so it's a great trip for those with short legs. In the right half of the picture, you can see Cerro Pedernal (the flat topped one) and Chicoma Mountain in the background, Abiquiu Reservoir a bit closer, Chimney Rock almost straight to the right of the people. And in case you're wondering, it is damn dry right now for February. And warm. I could have been hiking in a short-sleeve shirt.

If I was a crow, I'd hang out there, too. Fantastic view. You could watch stuff die for miles in every direction. Chimney Rock is just out of the picture on the left-hand side.

I've been thinking a lot about "The Secret," and while I couldn't get very far in either the book or the movie (too much of a sales pitch for the goal of becoming rich and famous, which I don't care about), the premise has stuck with me. That premise: you can shape your own destiny, not just in your actions but by your thoughts and words. In their (the Secret people's) words, "Everything is possible, nothing is impossible." So, while I've been thinking a lot on back pain and recovery, and my mantra has been "no more back pain, please" the universe hears "pain" and throws it back to me. A couple nights ago I changed my mantra to "wellness, wholeness, strength, flexibility" and I'm already looking at it differently and feeling better. Part of the good vibe is certainly the chiropractic adjustment mentioned earlier, but PMA (positive mental attitude; term courtesy of Scott Beguin!) goes a long way.

I'm working toward a couple fitness goals. First, I want to get back into Karate. I'm starting to miss it, especially for the hip flexibility it promotes, but I'd really like to avoid landing flat on my back again (which is what precipitated this latest bout of back stuff). I'm still at least a month out from that goal, as I need more core strength first. Second, I'd like to run another half-marathon (I'm looking at the one in the Valles Caldera in June). I'm hoping to start training for real this week (got a nice trail run in tonight), which should give me plenty of time to get my mileage up. 

That's all the insight (and time) I have for this week.

On my calendar:
- Feb 22 gig with DK and the Affordables, Pajarito Pub & Grill, 8-midnight, $5 cover
- Mar 8 fly tying class at Warm Hearts Yarn, 1-3 pm, $20 per person
- Mar 15 gig with Craig Martin Experience, Betty Ehart Senior Center, fundraiser for the Empty Bowls Project.
- Mar 21-23 weekend, Mountaineering class for ski patrol.

This weekend I'll be working in the wood shop/garage finishing some projects for the kids, teaching my daughter everything I know about archery (which isn't much), practicing Affordables tunes, arranging some music for CME, and working on an art project (giant flies tied from recycled materials) for an upcoming show at Fuller Lodge. Stay tuned!

Thanks for reading, and have a great week!