Bigger or Better: Life outside of Texas

A few months ago, I tried to convince my boyfriend Mark to accompany me on a laser tag mission at Battlefield Houston [no, I am not receiving compensation for this post for any endorsements]. He declined, saying that after experiencing paintballing, laser tag just was not rousing enough. So I let it slide. But I think he wanted to win me over to his side of the matter, because this past week he told me he was going to take me paintballing. After the experience, I had a childhood flashback to a scene from The Swan Princess  (1994 movie by Nest). Derek wants to practice his archery. Normally his servants dutifully dress up like animals so that he and a friend can shoot them with padded arrows covered with colored chalk (as a way to determine which archer shot which animal). One day, royal musicians are coerced into being the animals, because the servants got the day off; understandably, they object. Derek cajoles them, saying  "C'mon guys, they're harmless." I...

I distinctly remember in high school brushing yoga off as not real work. Probably because at the time I was on the cross country team, and so I equated movement with effort. It's so refreshing to have one's beliefs challenged. But I still have one lingering question about yoga moves. WHY are so many moves named after a dog (downward dog, upward dog, flip your dog, etc.) when cats are clearly more flexible? Why isn't there more representation for cats? This is particularly mind-boggling to me because I have a dog AND a cat, and although my dog does some pretty good full-body stretching, my cat is far better at bending and twisting her spine. just look at how easily her back leg touches her face! copy cat In my 3 or 4 years of practicing yoga, I have only heard of ONE cat pose: that of the alternating cat and cow routine of arching and then sinking the torso while on all fours. It's possible that dogs are better at following commands (and thus follo...