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Afternoon with L
I went to the gym this morning, and have my cardigan back, no thanks to the gym staff. Hint: if you don't have the time to check whether something has been left behind, don't take detailed information and promise to do so. (The sweater was still hanging in the locker I had used on Friday morning.)
After exercising, I stopped at Starbucks for a cup of tea and called my friend L. We'd been doing back-and-forth "I'd like to see you if…" for a while without our schedules matching up, but today we made them fit together. We met at Great New York Noodletown, on the Bowery at Bayard Street, and ate roast duck and rice, and then rice noodles with more roast duck. The afternoon then involved a bit of shopping, in Chinatown and downtown Brooklyn, and tea and conversation. I have restocked on dried fruit and fresh ginger, and bought three pieces of baklava. Also, there is a new cafe on Atlantic Avenue that has good tea, but rather dubious "Montreal-style" bagels; too big for Montreal bagels, too small for New York, and not chewy enough for either. Still, a comfortable place to sit and talk that has good tea and is willing to let us just hang out on a random afternoon is worth knowing about. (I prefer New York bagels, but Montreal bagels are okay, though I wish they were a bit less focused on sesame seed.)
Cardio, 21:30, top heart rate 129
Rolled out IT band, etc.
Hamstring bridge, 9, 9, 10, 9 (I got to ten on the third set without really thinking about it, rather than deciding to do an extra)
Psoas, 3 with each leg in the air
Ab work on large ball, 3 sets of 10
Squats leaning on middle-sized ball, 3 sets of 15
Calf raises leaning on middle-sized ball, 3 sets of 15
Opposite arm/leg balance exercise, 8 pairs
Lunges, 2 sets of {10 with each leg forward}. I started on a third set, but it was clear very quickly that I wasn't aligned properly, so I stopped.
Standing on balance platform:
Lat pulldown, 65 pounds, 2 sets of 12; 53 pounds, 12 on each leg
Hug a tree, 23 pounds, 2 sets of 12
Back exercise, 25 pounds, 2 sets of 12, then one-legged, six on each leg
Biceps standing on "bosu" balance thing, 10 pounds each hand, 3 sets of 15
Glute machine, 50 pounds, 12 with each leg; 37.5 pounds, 9 each
Spring is definitely moving along: there were a fair number of white-flowered trees in bloom on Park Avenue, and drooping cherries in front of L's apartment in Brooklyn. Also, I saw two tiny tree seedlings on my block up here in Inwood. On the other hand, there's a lot of winter aconite still in bloom outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, and some crocuses and fritillaries around, in between the daffodils and first tulips.
After exercising, I stopped at Starbucks for a cup of tea and called my friend L. We'd been doing back-and-forth "I'd like to see you if…" for a while without our schedules matching up, but today we made them fit together. We met at Great New York Noodletown, on the Bowery at Bayard Street, and ate roast duck and rice, and then rice noodles with more roast duck. The afternoon then involved a bit of shopping, in Chinatown and downtown Brooklyn, and tea and conversation. I have restocked on dried fruit and fresh ginger, and bought three pieces of baklava. Also, there is a new cafe on Atlantic Avenue that has good tea, but rather dubious "Montreal-style" bagels; too big for Montreal bagels, too small for New York, and not chewy enough for either. Still, a comfortable place to sit and talk that has good tea and is willing to let us just hang out on a random afternoon is worth knowing about. (I prefer New York bagels, but Montreal bagels are okay, though I wish they were a bit less focused on sesame seed.)
Cardio, 21:30, top heart rate 129
Rolled out IT band, etc.
Hamstring bridge, 9, 9, 10, 9 (I got to ten on the third set without really thinking about it, rather than deciding to do an extra)
Psoas, 3 with each leg in the air
Ab work on large ball, 3 sets of 10
Squats leaning on middle-sized ball, 3 sets of 15
Calf raises leaning on middle-sized ball, 3 sets of 15
Opposite arm/leg balance exercise, 8 pairs
Lunges, 2 sets of {10 with each leg forward}. I started on a third set, but it was clear very quickly that I wasn't aligned properly, so I stopped.
Standing on balance platform:
Lat pulldown, 65 pounds, 2 sets of 12; 53 pounds, 12 on each leg
Hug a tree, 23 pounds, 2 sets of 12
Back exercise, 25 pounds, 2 sets of 12, then one-legged, six on each leg
Biceps standing on "bosu" balance thing, 10 pounds each hand, 3 sets of 15
Glute machine, 50 pounds, 12 with each leg; 37.5 pounds, 9 each
Spring is definitely moving along: there were a fair number of white-flowered trees in bloom on Park Avenue, and drooping cherries in front of L's apartment in Brooklyn. Also, I saw two tiny tree seedlings on my block up here in Inwood. On the other hand, there's a lot of winter aconite still in bloom outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, and some crocuses and fritillaries around, in between the daffodils and first tulips.