Puss-Puss, the Princess

Princess Puss-Puss is my nickname for my little Daisy. No, not MY "daisy," my pussy Daisy, no wait -- get your mind out of the gutter! My cat Daisy is who I mean. It was inspired by listening to lots of Lady GaGa. Sometimes I don't call her princess, just puss-puss. She is so small and soft. She loves to be stroked. And she purrs so loud. Come on get back on the same page with me.

Daisy tends to run away from me when I approach. She is afraid of large objects coming at her. I am too. Once she is on a high shelf she turns her back to me and sticks her ass in the air. That is because I scratch her back. She raises her back legs to meet my fingers, to make sure I scratch hard enough, but not too hard. I think she likes it rough.

I am divulging a lot about private moments I spend with my puss-puss. They are times filled with love and joy. I need her and she needs me, we're a team. I feed her and care for her, and she in turn keeps my blood pressure low.

Cigarettes Are Not Candy Bars

I stopped smoking at the end of August, 2009. I think it was to get ready for my new Trikke. I had wanted to quit for a long time but I just couldn't. I was waiting for that special time which comes to me every few years. It's like I get a break. I can quit smoking and have no cravings, dreams or setbacks. It is only during this window of opportunity that it happens. And it happened at the end of last August.

It is something I don't talk about or tell people. Why? It is a really BIG thing, after all. I guess because I wasn't driven up a wall, or paced a room, or had to call a friend. It was easy. It was nothing. Like changing from milk to dark chocolate.

Cigarettes are not candy bars. I think if I didn't have sugar every day I'd be blogging on the ceiling. So this is why I don't brag about quitting smoking. Believe me, the world will know when I beat my sugar addiction!

The "King" of the beasts

When all is right with the world

Be Careful, It's a Trap

Starting Weak Three

I know there's a typo in the headline, but really it's just a pun. This marks the beginning of week three, and I am where I was two weeks ago. I still think there's hope. I haven't given up on myself yet. After all I do quite a bit of exercising. I just haven't hit that mark of burning more calories than I waddle off.

So I started off with some goals that I haven't accomplished, like writing down everything I eat or cutting down to ONE serving of junk food a day. All I have to do is recommit. After all, I am worth the trouble. And if I am doing this weight thing slowly, I really might overlook say the 2-3 pounds I might have lost. So maybe it's too soon to think I'm not on the right path.

Oh, there is one thing to consider while judging me weak-willed, I did stop smoking 5 months ago! So look at me world!! I am powerful and I accept changes with confidence and ease!

Sugar -- oh how I luv ya!

I just can't stop eating sugar. I love sugar. I love candy bars and cookies and even catsup, a combination of the best things -- veggie and sugar! Actually the best things together are sugar and fats, but I'm trying to turn a new leaf so if you can get nutrition and sugar, well, what is more perfect than that?

The sad part is that sugar will be the death of me if I continue on this path. I have diabetes and I still can't control my sugar consumption. I stopped eating candy bars and now eat protein bars that are quite good, and good for me. They are full of protein and vitamins and minerals, all that quality stuff. I just had a thought -- candied tomatoes! Zucchini donuts! Broccoli with brown sugar and cinnamon! Ok, I'll admit I've gone too far. I still think that protein bars are better for me than a snickers bar. Can you see it too?

This is the one thing I need to stop if I want to lose the extra person I carry strapped to my back. Bananas are almost sweet enough. Dried pineapple or dates really meet my need. So, just like a junkie I will skulk off into the dark, hoping no one will see me, and stock up!!

O-U-C-H!!

Where is Dr. Oz when I need him? Ok, I'm on my new food plan, and I have realized that according to the scale, there was nothing new about it. So, I weighed in on two different scales, and the first one was right. I hope it was right, or do I want it to be wrong? This is where twisted logic comes from. Ok, well, anyway.

I weighted in originally at 265 and it was at a Dr's office. And now one week into my plan and I weigh 10 pounds MORE!?!?!?!? I was so surprised last night I couldn't log in. Do I really have to record that? I'll record it with an asterisk. And please don't forget this.

So I'm not starting over but continuing onward. As long as I'm stumbling forward, there is still forward motion. After all, I can't have believed if I had done really well I'd have lost every pound already. It took a long time to gain this weight... and all those other cliches.

So if I have learned anything from my first week it is to write down every bite! Second thing is to burn more calories than I take in, and that is accomplished by getting on my Trikke to CARVE!

Week Two Starts

Here begins week two and as I look back on week one I must say I did well. My sweatpants are slipping down my waist, hanging down closer to my hips. I can feel the bones about my collar also. I'm not saying I've lost a lot of weight, I just feel differently.

Then at day five and six, well let's just say I messed up a bit. I promised I wasn't going to be perfect. And I kept my promise with pudding and a cup of light whipped cream.

I keep thinking that I don't have to measure and catalog everything I eat. At the end of week one, I am proven wrong. Even though it's week one, I won't divulge how many week ones I've declared that at. Maybe this will be the last.

Anyway this week I'm starting to include photos and how much I weigh at the bottom of the entry. That is the best and most concrete way of tracking progress.

Here's wishing me less mass!

Lbs. today _275*_ Blurry photo is not a mistake, and the camera will probably be blurry for awhile;(

*my old bathroon scale, which is not even digital

I Couldn't Tell Him

A few years ago I had a silent caller. Once he started calling he kept calling no matter how many times I hung up on him or shouted obscenities. This went on for months, maybe once or twice a week. I tried to block the calls through the phone company but Verizon really couldn't do anything. So I called the police. I was able to get the offender's number from caller ID, so when the young officer arrived I was prepared.

He was a young Asian man with very sharp corners on his pants, shirt and tie. His buttons seemed to sparkle against his perfect black uniform. When he came in he took the phone, sat on the couch, and went to work.

He happened to not only get someone on the phone from my caller, but he also spoke their particular dialect. Finally we got to the bottom of the case. It was a very old man who didn't understand English, and may not have really known what he was doing, so I was promised he wouldn't call again.

I walked the officer to the door and shook his hand thanking him for taking care of my problem. As he turned towards the elevator to leave it was then I saw it... The back of his uniform was grey from all the cat hair he picked up while sitting on my couch.

I Love Feet -- Kitty feet

I am so in love with my kitties' feet. I like to watch them curl up and extend when I scratch them. I like watching them hold onto the couch before springing into action, either after one another or just jumping from furniture to furniture. Some are bony, some are furry and some are big and strong. I love the pads that have no fur, and I like kitties with big feet. And little feet also. I guess I could have a foot fetish, but I don't look at it like that. It's a part of loving every little cell that inhabits their bodies. That's how I feel about my kitties.

I never had kids so this is my tribute to watching something grow from little to great. I love being a part of a little life turned large, like Daisy who I have known since the day she was born, and even before she was born, actually. That is something I have never had, even with my other little loves. Usually you get them a few weeks or months old, which is nice also. But to see that little bundle grow from not much more than an embryo to a girl who plays hard with the other who is three times her size. That is the miracle of life in action.

So if you ever want to put a little smile on your face, look at your pets feet. Whatever size or type

of pet, I know you will smile too.

Photo 1 -- Jake in his "box" pads showing

Photo 2 -- Daisy's paw

Photo 3 -- Willa's furry feet

Ready to commit

This is new to the blog. I am going to report in every Friday to record my progress. Check back and see in "JT's Full of Her Health".

I am ready to commit to losing weight. I am not going to just think I am changing my lifestyle, but I am going to write down every little bite I take. I am going to eat mostly veggies, then good carbs and protein. I am going to drink lots of water and then there's cardio (my Trikke) and weights. Oh my, I've almost forgotten stretching which I need to do every time I exercise. Although I am making it sound over whelming, it's not much more that I am already doing 4-6 times a week. (Kinda Freudian, eh?)

I am going to record my progress in this blog. I have to be held accountable and I am doing it today, tomorrow and until the extra person I carry around evaporates away. I am NOT going to be perfect yet I will try my best every day, after all I am addicted to sugar. I must have it in one serving size at a time, not the whole package.

So today I weigh 265 lbs. Yikes, that took courage. And my goal is 175 and possibly 150. So here I go, I am full of health, energy and lightness!

Love affair with my Trikke

I have talked a lot about my Trikke, Birdie, in past posts. I've written about falling off of it, of constantly wanting to get back on it and even ruminated over physical therapy of my knee which has kept me off the Trikke for several months. And yet I don't think I have ever written about all the fuss and bother about the Trikke. I may have written about the first time I saw a friend ride one and immediately knew I wanted one. And I'm going to go through it again with a new perspective.

In April of 2009 I first saw StanLe on his Trikke. He was excited about showing it to me so we went down to the beach bike path and as soon as I saw him ride away, I knew my love affair with movement had truly begun. It reminded me of skating, which I loved but was too scared of falling to get very serious about. And the carving looked like the way I copied surfers riding their bikes. The first time land surfing came into my vocabulary. The best thing about the Trikke is that you have handlebars to hold onto, not like skating when you could fall on your ass at any time, and I really wanted to avoid that.

So, I dreamed of Trikking. I would meet StanLe around Town, me walking, he Trikking, and so I kept that vision of me on a Trikke alive. Finally six months after the dream began, the dream came alive and I bought my first Trikke. It took a few hours to master. I practiced in front of the building where I live. Everyone was curious about this three wheeler deal. I had people cheering me from their balconies... really. After a few short weeks of going one block more, I was Trikking with StanLe.

The feeling I get from Trikking is well, freeing. I am in control of where I go while carving on the sidewalks around my town. The carving is the best, just like riding a sidewalk like a rogue wave.

I cannot wait to get a few months of solid surfing behind me. Before my knee problem, I was there and my Trikke, Birdie, was like an extension of my legs.

I knew how to make the Trikke mine. That's another great thing about this three wheeler. Once you get the basics down, the ride is your own. There are so many ways to ride, for instance the workout can be geared towards a lower body or upper body workout, or both for that matter.

The stories I've heard about weight loss are many, and there is even a 75 year old Trikker, which I am aiming for. Well actually both of those things I'm aiming for, a skinny 80 year old Trikker, that's my goal.

So, If anyone wants to get in on the ride of a lifetime look up South Bay Trikke. They will do you right! Tell them I sent you, I get free gear!

P.S. Never ride without a helmet!!

photo by Randy Boyd

Jake

Hello, I'm Jake. I am the head of this household and I can prove it by out yeowling anyone here. She defers to me always or I'll protest long and loud. I really don't know what happened to my life as I was very content with my friend Buster. We slept together, we got along, hell, we even used to eat from the same plate. But he's gone now. I am still sad and miss him a lot.

Anyway, we were happy and she brought in another cat which upset the balance because this new one only wants to play, and she doesn't care about size. She is fearless. She hides behind chairs and jumps out when I'm not looking. Luckily my hiss backs her up a bit. Sometimes we box a bit, but I always win.

Then a bit later she brought another one in. It was very crowded around here. Buster got sick and he's no longer with us, and in his place are two FEMALES! What is she trying to do?

And yet, when she rubs my belly, I don't care about anything anymore. I would much rather be with her and put up with the others that to have no belly rubs. I do love her. I just don't understand why she tells me to shut up when I'm professing long and loud how I feel about things! Check back as I have a lot to say around here!

The littlest Kitty

You caught me! I usually hide in drawers, closets and under blankets. I am very small and everything is so big around mew. And all the sounds seem big to me too. I guess you could say I'm timid, but I love the lady who feeds me, and she sure knows what feels good to kitties! I was born to be a feral cat, but she stepped in the way and took care of me and my litter mates. They are a memory now, but I'm happy.

When I see her I stick my butt in the air and she scratches me. I love this kind of service! When I am hungry, there is food. When I want to sleep safely I have so many places to go. And when I feel like playing, there is my friend Willa who loves jumping on me when I'm not seeming to pay attention.

It's all very nice except the big white cat who hisses and swats at me whenever we run into each other around the territory. He is so mean and I try to stay away, but still we run into each other. He scares me, he's a bully.

Pussy Love

One of the things I love most is my three roommies, Willa, Daisy and Jake. They seem to want to get their messages out, and so I will, when I'm done posting, let them have their say. I have no idea what they will divulge, yet they seem to feel it's important. So here we go with a new segment called Pussy Love. I'll let them introduce themselves.


Merow-ow,

I'm what she calls Willa, among other things. I think she took out that big Wheeler thing that runs over my tail all the time. She'll be gone for a while. I'm so glad I got this chance to tell you all about my life.

It is rather crowded with two other butt sniffers here. She calls one of them Daisy. I like her, she plays hard for such a little one. She's half my size, and I can dominate her easy. The other, Jake, is a real problem for me. He thinks he runs the territory, but he is wrong and I tell him every chance I get. He's kind of stubborn. And big.

Life is pretty easy otherwise. I get to sleep my 16 hours without worry. I have food whenever I get the tiniest craving. Water is leaking out of the faucet in her litter box room, (wow what a strange litterbox it is) that's fresh for me.

My favorite thing is running out of the door whenever I get the chance. I love meeting other people, and going into their territories. The smells could keep me busy for hours! Reowoh!

I hear her, she's so loud, so I gotta go! I've gotta hang out by the door, so I might get my chance. The door is opened so seldom and for very short amounts of time (whatever that is). I hear the door now, so bye...

I'm still ringing in the new year!

Today is the second day of the rest of my life, sort of. I am back on my Trikke for the second day after a very lengthy recovery from a knee injury. It's called chondromalacia, or, ironically enough runner's knee. If you knew me you'd be in on the joke by now, or just look at any picture of me.

Chondromalacia, or chondo for short, is thinning of the cartelidge in the knee joint. Isn't it cool to have access to the internet? I am an expert now. The bitch is sometimes recovery takes up to three months.

I am on my second Trikke run since November's very few painful attempts. Yesterday I went five minutes, today ten. So far no problems. Yeahhhh! Although I will retain complete joy until tonight when the pain would traditionally show.

But I am off topic, although it's a pertinent topic. Am I skimming over the fact that I TRIKKED TODAY!?! I am trikking tomorrow for 15 minutes, then 20, then who knows! I might be back to my favorite past time with my clothes on. OMG!

My Trikke brings me such joy. I love the feel of the air across my face, I love syncing my carving to the music on my ipod, especially when the beat is strong and fast (Lady GaGa comes to mind). And in a few short weeks (after all we are in the middle of January already) I will go a few miles again and really have a blast carving on the bike trail.

Strength will be mine, I will have it again. Our bodies are such perfect machines. Sometimes they take longer than we'd like to heal, but given the right recourse they come back.
Photo by Randy Boyd

Yaaa-Hooo, 20-ten!

There is a lot of speculation going around about what we should call this decade. The 'tween years seem to be approaching like a blizzard and we have the end of the world to contend with in December of 2012 as well.

The promise of a new decade makes me smile. I know it's just a few days later from last year and yet I am thinking about goals for this new year. I get to re-invent myself! What is it about the beginning of January that inspires us to start this trek? I know it's like a clean slate for us all, a new calender without any X's to mark good and bad starts and stops. But doesn't that happen every time we turn the page on our calendars?

So, I'm going to take this global restart date to make some goals, not resolutions, to be a healthier, happier person on this planet. And I plan to spread joy, because we have less than three years before the end of time!
Photo by Randy Boyd