Pussy Love, Part two X 2

I have a clear plastic box that is originally a panel from an electric litter box. For some reason Jake took to it on top of the window ledge between my kitchen and living room. I don't almost step on him there. I don't pass food through there. And, he can see the whole apartment from this perch. It's what cats love, height and low traffic. If he is happy and quiet, I too am happy and quiet.

Jake tends to be loud and impatient. But who wouldn't be. His Buddy and our soul mate cat, Buster, passed away 1 1/2 years ago. They were best friends. They slept together, played together and even groomed each other. The makeup of his territory has changed drastically.

No more are quiet days of napping in the sun. Now he's likely to get jumped upon, any time, any place. I feel for him, I really do, but my hands are tied. I adopt pets for life, and he doesn't like the new setup. I love his "sisters" as much as I love him. So he needs to get used to it and find places that are safe for him, like the one pictured here.

Nap on my darling Jake...

Pussy Love, part two again

This little princess is a very shy kitty. She is small and afraid of large things, which from her point of view is almost everything. I will always protect and love her. I know if I hadn't been there, she would have been feral. And I don't think she would have lived very long.

She is affectionate when relaxed, yet she still doesn't trust me completely. And I have been with her since day one! I'm glad she is flourishing with me none the less. I am patient and I know in a few years she'll be all over me, and I'll wish she were less affectionate. On second thought -- no, I won't. She is perfect as she is...

Pussy Love, Part two

I love how photogenic Willa is. Her eyes are a turquoise color that shows up in photos. She's always striking silly poses, like when she does a half somersault, and just stays there with her ass in the air and her back paws around her ears. That one is probably in the Kama Sutra. She just does it because she is the silliest cat I have ever lived with.

She is also teaching herself to scoot along the wall, as if she is climbing horizontally, (the baseboards are carpeted). I really need to do a photo album called Silly Willa. So here's to another shot...

Sitting With Myself

Ever since I put those two pictures of myself together (see 3/14 post), I have been quietly contemplating my success in the weight loss category. Upon closer inspection and an appointment with my doctor, I have lost about 12 pounds since the beginning of the year. That is about one pound per week. That is exactly where I am supposed to be. About one pound per week.

I look back at all the misery and complaining I did this year around losing weight. I thought I wasn't losing weight, then I thought I might have lost some weight and then I'd weigh myself on an old analog scale, which I was advised to throw away. WOW, no wonder I suffer from stress disorders.

I have learned that I AM successful with what I'm doing. I have changed my eating habits, stopped with all the candy, cookies and pies. I now eat yogurt, protein bars, and fresh fruit. I lay off bad oils and bake, steam or poach. I don't eat red meat and I do eat salmon a few times a week. That is all I have done.

Well that, and my love affair with my Trikke. That's just plain 'ole fun, not a workout.

Butt Shot

I love this butt shot. Even tho it's kinda dark, I can see development here. I remember my butt being flat and fat. In this pic I look like I have a tighten-ing ass with shape, actual shape! My butt's rising like popin' fresh biscuits. Okay so I got a little ahead of myself, but there is progress. I spent the last two months whining about nothing happening and now I'm posting shots of me exclaiming how much better I look while staring at the pics wondering if it's just camera angles or the dark colors I'm wearing that makes me look successful.

I am so disconnected from my body. This makes it hard to pinpoint what I really look like. Even the images in the mirror are distorted for me. I am used to seeing layers of flab, and even though the shape is the same, the size has gotten smaller. It's kinda like an optical illusion. Only I can see it, or not see it as the case may be.

Which is a Witch?

Suddenly while I'm watching TV, I see a brown blur of highly charged energy stream by -- a vision? She shoots across the room and then shoots back, as if on some magic broomstick.

There is no aim to her madness, she just likes the wind in her eyeballs. Or maybe she has fallen prey to some unseen energy force taking up all the warmth on a cold night or coolness within heat. They say cats are aware of things invisible to us.

It really doesn't pose much of a problem when she's in a snit, unless she is springing off your lap to chase a moth. She uses her unclipped claws for momentum. She won't let me clip them, she needs the balance. So it's best to know your little monsters, lovely little monsters that purr when you stroke them. Purr when you read to them, purr when you scratch their necks, or backs or heads.

My little angel puss is about 6 pounds. She is so little next to her sibs, Jake about 17 lbs, and Willa, about 9 lbs.

One day a neighbor from the old country asked me if I had any children, to which I replied no, never. She said "no wonder you love these so much, (nodding towards my baby) if only you had children..."

If only things were that simple. I'll stop here for now. It's too tempting to take the low road...

Color Me Blown Away

I wouldn't believe it if it weren't in front of my face like this. I still don't believe it really. You can do wonderful things in photo shop. But NO, this is me then and me now. This has taken about 6 months of trying not to eat too much junk food and grueling exercise.

Fake-out.

The exercise was a cinch with my Trikke. It's a fairly new exercise machine, compared to bikes. But it's so much more fun to ride than a bike. I love just cruising around downtown Long Beach. I could envision taking this on vacations and sightseeing on it. I get to see a different side of a city that way.

Plus, this is the easiest and funnest exercise I have ever done. Even when I overdo it, I am not sore the next day. Playing on my Trikke is a great total body workout. I can see my arms developing. When going against an incline, I can really feel my abdomen working. And the legs are getting much stronger and firmer than I've seen in years.

I originally saw a friend ride one and immediately had to have it, yet it took another 6 months before it was parked in my apartment. That was a happy day.

The first photo (above) is one of my first rides outside of my apt. complex. This second photo (right) is a very recent one. I could go on and on about me and Birdie, but I'll let the pics speak for themselves...

Photos by StanLe

I give in

Each week for the last few months I have been commenting on my progress down the weight loss hole. There is little recordable progress. And yet my body is changing. Like I have stated before, I am getting harder. I know that, I feel that and am proud of that, even though I can't record inches and pounds lost. With all this in mind I am changing to reporting in once a month with my weight loss news.

I will still ruminate daily.

I read an article that stated if I only concentrate on three life changes weekly, I will lose more weight. I can change them up or switch them around. Only three a week. Some of those include drinking more water, adding more color to the menu, eating protein every four hours and/or portion control. There are 20 choices. This article was in the most recent issue of First for Women magazine. So, I'll give this a shot, it's easier than trying to diet.

I'm so excited

I got on the scale today and it said 265, again. But this time I am not going back up, just to go back down again. I will continue to go down. This time it feels really good to be here. My body continues to harden, and have sharper angles.

When I get to 250, I'm going to throw a party, a pound party. With every 25 lb. block of weight that comes off I will throw a wild party. There will be photos of star struck me, moments captured for the blog.

This wild party will have a very restricted guest list. Mostly me and my pussy(s). It will be the highlight of the Gardens season. I'm already working on the seating chart. There's me rubbing Jake's belly while he sits along side me belly up, on the couch. Daisy sits on my far knee, holding on with her unclipped claws. Willa's easy 'cuz she sits on the arm of the couch, above Daisy, each paw holding onto that respective side. She has memories of sliding off.

I can only begin to see and conjure up what my 100 lb. mark might look like.

I generally wait until the 10th of the month to measure my progress, but I'm too impatient, so off I go...