Tommy--what is Jar Jar?

That sound you just heard was the starter pistol firing at the Who Can Traumatize Whom the Most with Hyperlinks Olympics!

DJ, my husband was telling me about an Alton Brown show where he made a roux in the oven. Does that seem right to you?

No. I mean, I suppose you could, but no because this:

It doesn't seem right to me. Roux should involve being stuck at the stove for twenty minutes with a wooden spoon.

is the right of it. 20 minutes at least.

Roux should involve being stuck at the stove for twenty minutes with a wooden spoon.

yep. I do it with a magazine so that I am not tempted to walk away. I do the same thing with risotto.

Teppy, from my yoga teacher friend:

Here is my advice.

First, practice the stretches in the picures, but instead of trying to clasp your hands, hold onto a yoga strap and separate your hands about 6 inches or so. This will give you a bit more room to stretch as you build flexibility in your shoulders.

Also, the two standard stretches that runners, yogis, etc, use are helpful.

this one

And this one

When you are doing the stretches, practice deep even breathing in and out through your nose. Each inhale and exhale should last at least four counts. When you hold the stretches, do so for about 10 full breaths.

In a couple of weeks, you should find increased flexibility in your shoulders.

If you have a couple of seconds during your work day, try stretching then to avoid letting tons of tension build up around the top of the spine and in your shoulders. If you can't get away from your desk...do a few shoulder rolls forward and back and that should help a bit.

Steph, here's stretch that can help open that up. Check the stretches on this page--you don't want to focus on just one set of muscles.

ita, that's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! I've marked your post for future stretching.

I try to do it when I have people over so we can all hang in the kitchen and take turns.

Teppy, from my yoga teacher friend:

Oh, lisah, thanks! I didn't expect a yogi-produced response so quickly! I'll try using a yoga strap when I do that stretch, and try holding the stretch longer.

I have the world's most jacked-up-but-still-flexible-and-working shoulders. One of the krav instructor perqs is tailoring your warmup so it includes your PT exercises. Not sure if the sudden increase in shoulder shrugs and rolls was noted by the students.

Googling jar jar amphibian produces 267,000 matches. jar jar reptile produces 347,000.

Google and the internets have spoken!

Although it'd be fun to start an internet campaign of "Jar Jar is an amphibian, dammit!" to try raise the amphibian numbers above the reptile numbers. Fun, that is, if I had nothing whatever to do with my time....

I didn't expect a yogi-produced response so quickly!

Well, we are Constant Communicators and she's got all the info in her head! She's really a great teacher.

I'll try using a yoga strap when I do that stretch, and try holding the stretch longer.

I think it was using the yoga strap for a while that really helped me out. My problem was that I could get my arms over but hands would fly apart. But now I can hold the stretch pretty well and my hands are getting nearer and nearer to the ground.