JT's full of herself

Going Under

2011-12-11T13:54:00.000-08:00

I am in a fast moving stream and I am going down one more time. I grasp for breath as the tide pulls me along it's mighty arm. I fight to stay afloat, to stay above the wet below.

"Just let go, why are you holding on so?" is asked from outside myself.

"I don't know," I respond, as I cannot concentrate with the onslaught of overpowering water forces. "I'll have to think..."

Later, while still keeping head above water, I realize "if I let go, it will really be over." Then next, "It IS over. I've got to let go." And so I do.

The water is suddenly calm but still cold. Who would have thought by letting go I would be able to take back control.

Entangled in the Minutes

2011-12-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

Time is such a relative thing. Hours go by in a snap, moments take miles. It all depends on where one's head is.

My last three months have been like watching an hourglass fill. Months previous slipped away like unencumbered sand. Time is a thing that cannot be held in a grasp.

When you're entangled in the minutes, life happens. Grab what you can and don't let go. The golden moments elude us the most in remembrance.

I'm the One Who Changed

2011-11-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

This Dream

2011-11-17T09:52:00.000-08:00

Why can't I just wake up from this dream, back in time, back into my twenties. I would do so many things differently.

I would never have stopped having sex. I would never have stopped working. I would not have let go of old friends so easily. I would have loved harder, laughed longer, lived more wisely.

I would have saved money, even a dollar a week. I would have flossed every day. I would have married, maybe had a kid, a family. I would have started something and stuck with it.

I wouldn't have spent my college years high on pot, 24/7. I wouldn't have been drunk every evening. I wouldn't have slept with every man who said I was beautiful.

All I can do about the past is remember it differently. That's the only spin I can put on it. Today is the day I can be effective.

And so I awake...into today.

Pictures of Me

2011-11-17T09:28:00.000-08:00

I like this photo. I know there are spots all over it, but I still think it's a good photo of me.

I don't have many photos of me through my ages. Recently there are volumes, but that wasn't always true.

I would experience new things without a camera. I would go on vacations without a camera.

I would have much rather had photos of me at 21 or 35 or even 42, and maybe one or two exist, but for the most part nothing. As a child there were many but I want to see myself in my glory days, my 20-30s.

Sometimes I feel like an old hag, fat and gross. I want to remember that I was young and beautiful. I wasted that beauty on brownies and pie and of course time.

Although the years are still gone... I am reclaiming that beauty.

Yesterday

2011-11-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

Not on her Trikke

2011-11-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

I am going to admit a deep shame. I have not been on my Trikke, Black Birdie, for almost a month. I have been doing a lot of walking, so I'm still getting exercise, or so I tell my stomach and thighs.

I don't know why, but I just don't have the energy. And energy is not like money in the bank. If you save it, it doesn't accrue.

All I have to do is get on Birdie and it comes back. "...Ahh, yes. This is what it's all about," floods through me. The swish, swish of the tires calm yet invigorate.

My account accrues.

How Long Does "Good-Bye" Take?

2011-10-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

It's been two months since I "broke-up" with my best friend. I just couldn't do anything right anymore. Except walk his dog, (although he may have had some suggestions on that front as well).

I thought I'd be friends with that guy for the rest of my life. And I was happy about it.

We would take his dog Boomer to the beach and end up talking and talking while Boomer chased the ball.

We would carve on our Trikkes together and he would wait for me. His fitness level increased so that it was too slow for him to hang back with me. He was like that, sort of ahead of me in everything.

When we started the Trikke magazine it was his vision that glued the details together, although the mag was my idea. It was his writing skills that made it a success, his designs, his content, his photos, his experience as a high school newspaper editor.

There isn't much room for teamwork with a perfectionist as they are the only ones who can do it right. And so things fell apart.

I wasn't the writer he thought, from reading this blog. Articles I turned in were always a "good first draft." My photos were never clear enough, my designs were not hip. I was negative, dark, too self deprecating. I didn't work hard enough, long enough.

When I excelled in marketing he pulled me from the project, saying my focus should be with the mag. I stalled.

After about a year of scrutiny under a very watchful eye and sharp tongue, I broke. I left the magazine, I left a future and I left my best friend. I did it for me.

Of course it doesn't feel good. I know it should. Maybe on my deathbed I'll feel victorious. Right now I feel like a huge loser. Where is the victory in that?

How long before I can forget and move on? How long before I can say good-bye for good?

How long does good-bye take?

Workin' for the CBC!

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

In another life I volunteered to do some work for the California Bicycle Coalition, at a fundraiser for the Bikestation, way back in June of this year. And now it is time to step up.

I will be authoring their annual fundraiser, for lack of better word choices. Or, I will be putting together their online auction to run with their annual bike summit next month in Los Angeles.

This project has come just in time to save me from myself and an everlasting ennui stemming from too much time on my hands. I can only knock myself out on my Trikke so many times a week. And that I do.

The CBC is an advocacy group for bicyclists, by bicyclists, that helps educate and inform about bike safety issues facing bikers. They interface with CalTrans, write legislation and communicate with lawmakers in California, as well. Among other things... they were proponents of the 3-foot law in which cars must allow at least three feet in passing a bike on the street.

As a Trikker, I can ride in their wake. I use the same streets, abide by the same laws. We are a good team we Trikkers and bikers. Eventually everyone will agree.

Saying Good-Bye

2011-10-11T10:08:00.000-07:00

I never thought I'd use that pic to say good-bye with, but I have officially left the Trikke world behind. I have closed my facebook account and said the good-byes that I needed to say. So it is now over.

It was a good world to be a part of for a while, but I guess I'm not a joiner or a group person. Never have been. I tried for a while, but it just didn't fit.

So I'm where I was a year ago. All I lost was some time and my best friend who I guess really wasn't. Good-bye Trikke world and all its inhabitants.

Why does that sound like "good-bye cruel world?" to me? It isn't...

Fire and Ice

2011-10-06T11:40:00.000-07:00

his weather changed like mercury.
his clouds form and darken, then
sun breaks through.
the heat of his ore
the cold of his ice
smelted and sculpted
me down
until
a splinter
of myself
is left.

The Jake Update

2011-10-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

My old man kitty Jake, (14+ years) fell off my fifth floor balcony last week. It is true that cats are not as sure-footed as most think. They can be downright clumsy. Yet, that is not the slant I want to take with this post.

From what I heard, the manager heard a loud thump. She went out to see what it was and found an injured cat. White with grey on his head. Not knowing what else to do she called animal control. When they arrived 45 minutes later and picked him up, his bowels emptied. (No shit!)

The opinion was he was going off to be put down. That is what I was told when calling after not being able to find him in my apartment. I thought he might have been lost in the building.

It was one of those rough nights of the soul with little sleep to escape with. Next morning with a call to the Humane Society, I found Jake was still alive and ready for pick-up. WOW!

He was in bad shape. Falling five flights is like being hit at 25 mph. His back legs swayed back and forth as he walked. He whimpered for two days. I got him to the vet on Friday and was told if he's not better by Monday I should put him down. He got pain meds.

A cat on pain meds is a sloppy thing. They become very wobbly and their eyes are drunken. On Sunday he was visibly better. He didn't need meds that day. He started eating again and talking to me. I sat with him and held him (when he was ready) for five days.

I remember the doctor telling me Jake has a bigger problem, which is probably why he fell.
But today he is much better. It's been eight days now. I am so reminded time heals all wounds. And yet it seems so long when one is entangled in the minutes.

Jake's Got 8 Left

2011-09-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

Jake on Monday

My senior cat Jake (14 plus years old) has eight lives left after he fell off my fifth floor balcony Tuesday night.

I spent all Tuesday night thinking he was dead. When I called the animal control people I found out he was not. I went Wednesday to get him out of jail.

He is not doing well. He is breathing funny, real short breaths with a noise like it's hard to breathe. I think he is in pain and not in shock (his gums are pink and his paws warm).

I'm not sure what to do today, I am just leaving him alone to relax and heal for now. Usually I tell him to quiet down because he wails at me. This is one time I wish he'd complain. Then I'd know he was all right.

Back From The Brink!

2011-09-27T11:32:00.000-07:00

Jake Domino likes the smell of my Crocs

Message of Gratitude

2011-09-27T10:44:00.001-07:00

Bikestation Grand Opening, Long Beach, CA

2011-09-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

My Trikke, black Birdie

For almost four months I have been a client of the Bikestation in downtown Long Beach. I love the convenience and helpfulness of its employees. When I recently needed some minor wrenching done on my Trikke, it was done for free.

And so I went to the grand opening, September 15, with the politicians and citizens of Long Beach. Door prizes were given out including two free one-year memberships and a basket of bike goodies as well.


Mayor Foster at Ribbon Cutting

The Bikestation in Long Beach was the first in a chain across the USA. It is centrally located next to the blue line, the metro and the LB Transit systems. The organization was founded to make it easier to bike not only in Long Beach, but to also help those who commute using bikes.

Their mission is to make biking an integral part of the transportation mix, because with more bike usage we get cleaner air, safer streets and healthier living.

The Bikestation offers repairs, accessories, rental bikes, lockers, restrooms, changing rooms, showers, bike tours, free air and water if needed. For members they offer convenient 24/7 access to bikes stored away from home.

The Ramp

The Bikestation is Trikke friendly and is willing to work with all kinds of vehicles that are human or electric powered (no detailed repairs on Trikkes or Pon-es. For those repairs see SouthBay Trikke). Some locations have charging stations for electrics.

I guess you could say I'm a fan. While there is only one elevator working in my building of many motorized wheel-chairs, it's the only convenient option for me. Plus, I get an extra workout walking to and from the Bikestation. Thank you Long Beach for being so bike and Trikke friendly!

Girl Power

2011-09-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

Trikke Tri-bred Pon-es

Photo by SouthBay Trikke's, Sean Tice

Just Because I can...

2011-09-18T11:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Sonya Tayeh!

Happy Day!

2011-09-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Another Update...

2011-09-16T08:42:00.000-07:00

Update! Weight Loss Challenge

2011-09-15T15:47:00.000-07:00

I started a weight loss challenge in April in TrikkeWorld Magazine. I lost a total of 16 pounds in the process and finally fell off the plateau that I was on for a year! Even though the official date for the weigh-in is Saturday, I couldn't wait.

As far as pant sizes, I’ve gone down at least two. For the inches, I mostly lost ½ -1 inch, except off the waist and hips where I lost a total of 5 ½ inches, with the grand total of 10 inches overall! Since April, 2011!! Since I first started with the Trikke in September of 2009, I have lost 18 ½ inches and 46 pounds.

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I measured my blood sugar levels four times a day. I ate a good diet and I avoided all the things that I loved. I was scared and I was careful.

My A1C levels were high, 7.4 (the A1C blood test measures my average blood sugar level over the previous three months). My cholesterol levels were high as well, more than 200. I admitted to smoking. My weight was almost 300 pounds.

Then a friend showed me his new toy, the Trikke. I moved heaven and earth not only to buy a Trikke, but to get fit enough to ride it.

It wasn’t long before my A1C numbers dropped to healthy levels, to a 6.1. My cholesterol number dropped to 126. My weight dropped to 251 pounds, now 240. My Body by Trikke has gifted me with some really good results.

My T8, Black Birdie and me (age 55), we’re going to be carving the streets in Long Beach, CA for a long time!

In Another Life

2011-09-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

In another life I was the editor of TrikkeWorld Magazine. In this life I had a weight loss challenge. I wanted to lose 55 pounds by my 55th birthday which is Saturday. Even though I didn't lose the 55 pounds, I think the challenge was a huge success.

Not only did I finally fall off the plateau that I was on for a year (!) but I did lose another 11 pounds in the process. Even though the official date for the weigh-in is Saturday, I couldn't wait. I don't think I can lose much more in that time anyway!

As far as loss in inches, which is really the big tell in this, I will wait for Saturday. I will be measuring today though, before my b-day cake arrives!

I bleed

2011-09-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

He injected himself
into my veins like heroin.
He warmed my soul
he made me smile.

Now glass shards
have formed and
have nicked
my heart.

The things he said to me
the things he said
echo in my ears
and I bleed
and bleed.

My Affair with Long Beach Continues On

2011-09-12T11:13:00.000-07:00

No matter what happiness or sadness I experience, I like to share it with my fair city, Long Beach, CA. I put on my comfy shoes and walk.

I walk down Pine with all the stores and restaurants buzzing with activity and people going on about their tasks. I walk down Ocean Blvd with its traffic and lights and I continue on. Past the Convention Center and the Center Theatre. Past the protected bike lanes and cycle tracks. Past the hotels and motels. Past where I used to live on Lime Ave. Past the food stores and the WalMart.

I walk past the fountains and the water falls. I walk through high rent areas and low. I just walk. I just walk. I just...

The Last Time I...

2011-09-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

My whole life I have gone through a sort of ritual after a loss. Such as "the last time I brushed my teeth..." or "the last time I wore this shirt..." I was at my grandmother's house or I was still with so and so.

And so it goes, again. The last time I answered the phone with a smile, or the last time I saw another Trikker on the path or the last time I painted my nails this color... My life was so much better.

Loss is so hard. Change sucks. Things that were said cannot be taken back. The last time I didn't cry every day you were still my friend.

Penance

2011-09-08T11:27:00.000-07:00

After the T-bone accident two weeks ago, my life has changed quite a bit. I lost a friend, a job and quite a bit of self esteem. Since that time I have decided to forgive myself.

Life hands us so many lessons. Sometimes we need to be slapped to learn them. I guess I was punched in the stomach with this one. Maybe I was on the wrong path, going in the wrong direction. Maybe bigger things are around the corner. Maybe...

I am scabbed over and when the scars fade I will be reborn. I have learned my lessons and am choosing to recreate myself and move on. Only sunny days ahead of me.

Not At My Best

2011-08-25T10:52:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I T-boned a little kid on the beach bike path. He wasn't more than 6-8 years old. I really scared him more than anything, no scrapes or cuts. And it happened while I was braking, but I wasn't stopped yet. I guess I'm trying to make this sound better than it is.

I think something happens to us when our blood is pumping fast, as in when carving. I know I have talked to a friend about how aggressive we become on the bike paths while jocky-ing for space.

That kid had been doing slow circles in the middle of the bike bath, both lanes. When I came upon him he started racing me in the pedestrian lane. He then waited and waited and waited and then turned right in front of me -- I couldn't stop. I was going too fast in my left curve of the carve. You see, I couldn't swerve right.

At that point a slew of brown words came shooting out of my mouth. I saw his red bike in the white sand. He was running back to his parent who was no where to be seen. I think he decided he was too far from mom and turned back. Who knows.

I didn't want to deal with an angry parent so I rode on. The kid was okay, it really was a slow hit, and he fell in the soft sand. I didn't even fall off the Trikke.

I was caught not at my best by only one witness, a kind bike guy who stopped to make sure everyone was okay. There was a very peaceful look on his face, I felt better for seeing him there. And yet I continued my salty tirade about that kid aiming for me for quite a distance. His look said take a breath, and I did. Then I smiled and rode on.

My blood was pumping fast as I was angry and just missed falling off the Trikke again. It was very hot. I felt like I was going to barf. My heart was all spent by the time I got to the pier, which was the half-way point.

I didn't want to go back the way I had come for two reasons: the wind was strong and the kid with his angry mother.

I am not proud of myself today. I was my father in that moment. I may have scarred a kid for life.

Afterthought -- I wasn't completely like my father, he'd have chased me down and beat me.

JTs Three-Wheel Zone

2011-08-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

I have created a new label for all the posts on my blog that have to do with my Trikke called JTs Three-Wheel Zone. I'm just refreshing my brand if you will. After all, I am JT and I can do what I want here!

So look for some new posts and maybe re-posts of some of my favorites! Any suggestions?

Plus, look for me on Twitter as I tweet about my fitness challenge. I will post tips on fitness that maybe you don't know about. Don't worry I won't be making stuff up. I'll just pass on info that I find useful.

So, welcome to my world, the world of JT. And yes, I am full of myself. I'd have to be to think anyone is interested in my ramblings!

2011-08-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

What is this "Sweet Spot"?

2011-08-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

Me on Blue Birdie, my first Trikke

I have heard that term from the first day I got on my Trikke. It seems to mean many things, as many as people to define the term. Then an "old-timer" spelled it out for me in terms that even I understood.

The "sweet spot" is that spot when the Trikke hits the centrifugal force in the turn. And I thought it was when everything worked together to give one a smooth ride. I guess it still could mean that.

The one week anniversary of my face meeting the pavement was marked by the sweetest ride I think I have ever been on in my two years on a Trikke. Some rides it seems I can barely get into the groove but that day I was circling Rainbow Lagoon, or as we call it "the pond."

Every time I came around the folks at the pool I would slip into this ballet style dance. It felt as if I were a butterfly, alighting on one flower to the next. I don't think I will ever forget how good that felt. A bike sure can't give one that feeling of lightness and purpose.

I have read many stories of the Trikke "saving" the lives of one person to the next. I am one in that list. I was a chain-smoking, diabetic, TV-watching-24-hours-a-day-fool that weighted almost 300 pounds with a sugar addiction and suicidal tendencies.

The Trikke has not only given me a new lease on life (take that Dr. Oz) but it has also given me a new purpose as managing editor of TrikkeWorld Magazine.

I saw an acquaintance the other day for the first time in about 18 months, and he could barely contain himself when he saw me again.

My fountain of youth has three wheels on it.

OOPS! I did it again!

2011-08-03T11:06:00.000-07:00

The very first time I mounted a Trikke, in a moment of panic, I jackknifed the handlebars and went flying. I landed on my face in the street and I wasn't wearing a helmet. I ended up with a ruddy nose and a black eye.

Last Thursday I was carving, I was in the zone, hitting that sweet spot, soaring on my Trikke, Black Birdie. Then, POP! The front fork dropped down, Boom! It felt like my front tire fell into a hole. It immediately stopped my Trikke but it did not stop me. Once again I flew over the handlebars and landed on my face in the street.

I was so dumbstruck I just sat there on the hot asphalt (actually a wonderful bike lane that Long Beach has provided us with -- thank you LB!) and wondered how I was going to pull myself up or even drag myself out of the street. It seemed like quite a while before anyone came across me there.

The first thing discovered was my front tire blew out. It was so bald the inner workings of the tire were exposed. What? I had recently added air to that tire! And my back tires are still in great shape. Yet at the Newport Beach Back Bay ride on 7/24/11, I seem to remember a fleeting thought that my front tire was aging. But a lot was going on and I forgot about it.

So there it is, I was not paying attention to the condition of Black Birdie.

After my first trip over the handlebars I vowed to always wear a helmet. The sun guard on the helmet has grooves in it where my forehead hit the street. Those grooves would have been in my face.

So to recap, I did not pay attention to the condition of my Trikke. I did not check things out, and I hadn't for a long time. Oh sure, I squeeze my tires every couple of rides, but that's it. (And yes, I do know how to check the oil in a car.)

When something stupid happens to someone intelligent, one has to learn one's lesson quickly and move on. I have learned that lesson, and have a new interest in caring for Black Birdie. (And yes, I have been back on the horse that bucked me!)

The Newest Me

2011-07-08T10:44:00.000-07:00

Me, ruminating

Life is really sparking around me lately. What I mean by that is a lot is happening and it's happening quickly. Don't get me wrong, I am loving it.

In my travels around the WWW, I have found some very valuable info about blogging and what creates readership and growth. I am not doing those things. So in a feeble attempt to catch up I have several approaches to try.

Firstly, the whole premise about me being full of myself is all wrong. I am supposed to write about what my readers will relate to. I have come from the opposite side of that topic while writing about what was concerning me at that moment.

The reason I created the blog was to overcome my quietness and have a voice somewhere. No one wants to listen to my ramblings aloud. So the blog was created. The second part of my life had not started yet so I had plenty of time to ramble on.

What has happened since 2009 is mind blowing. I am a partner in an online magazine. We are working with some high-powered people in the city of Long Beach, CA. There are letters to write, contacts to follow-up on, phone calls to make and so on.

So I have become a busy gal. And all this started with a friend seeing an infomercial in the middle of the night for a product called the Trikke. And the rest they say, is history.

Fitness Challenged

2011-07-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

I have been on the diet roller coaster for a few months now. I'm trying to lose as much weight as safely possible by my 55th b-day. I am still hovering around 250, a number I cannot seem to break. What does 250 pounds mean to me?

When I originally gained the weight back in 1993, it was to protect myself. It was also due to a depression so deep I had to feed it like a monster come out of the closet. The only thing that got me through the day was the taste of a dozen doughnuts or a fruit pie. I no longer need the extra poundage and it's become another form of monster to get rid of.

Ok, that's the why of it, so where is the why not, as in why not drop the weight? I am around a lot of people right now and yet I don't feel threatened. I feel small. Is that why I feel the need to be so "artificially" big? There are more questions than answers.

In my weight loss challenge in TrikkeWorld Magazine I have decided to go back to the simple act of exercising and consuming fewer calories than I burn. The KISS method, as in keep it simple sweetie, is my best bet. What is it about me that returns to militant to get the pounds off?

So I'm easing up on myself and trikking more. Those are very important pieces to the puzzle of losing weight. Oh, and eating less with no unscheduled in-between snacking. No eating my way through a TV session anymore. No filling myself with artificial means to reach that empty pit in the center of my soul, (isn't that after all what this whole issue is really about?).

I'm going to start the visualizing as well. I'll see myself at lower weights, more comfortable weights. I'll see myself carving farther and stronger. I'll see myself with less pain. I'll see myself fly...

Reprinting Cougar

2011-06-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

I hate this term, "cougar." It sounds like a woman who is over the hill who preys on the young. A woman squeezed into a too tight dress with lipstick on her teeth. Even the images that come to mind are of predatory women who hit and run, being so lonely that all they can get or hope to achieve is a one night stand. After all, most men will "tap that" with anything that has a pulse, (I have that on authority from a male friend).

So the tables have turned. Women have come a long way, now we can be the aggressors. This is a good thing, don't get me wrong. But labeling us as "cougars" is just another way men get a grip on a powerful woman. And put her down.

This is such a pejorative term, "cougar". It just seems like these women are chasing their lost youth. And maybe that's the point. After all men preyed upon us when we had tight skin. Didn't we think they were chasing their lost years? Why can't a woman do the same?

I would love to consume a youthful, beautiful body just like the next person. I just don't want to be labeled a "cougar" while doing it.

A Lesser Anniversary

2011-06-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

I have recently hit the ten-year mark with diabetes. So far I have been lucky with the disease because I only take one pill a day, no shots. I also keep my blood sugar levels low. I accomplish that with my Trikke.

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, I measured my blood sugar levels four times a day. I ate a good diet and I avoided all the things that I loved. I was scared and I was careful.

My A1C levels were high, (the A1C blood test measures my average blood sugar level over the previous three months). My cholesterol levels were high. I admitted to smoking. My weight was almost 300 pounds.

Then a friend showed me his new toy, the Trikke. I moved heaven and earth not only to buy a Trikke, but to get fit enough to ride it.

It wasn’t long before my A1C numbers dropped to healthy levels, from a 7.4 to a 6.1. My cholesterol number dropped from about 200 to 126. My Body by Trikke has gifted me with some really good test results.

I realize, after taking my health for granted for so many years, I’ve got to stop messing around. Sugar doesn’t have quite the hold it used to have over me, nor do fatty foods. As I eat my vegetable-laden salads nightly, I enjoy crisp, fresh tastes in my mouth. I love the way it makes me feel when I eat healthy foods. I like it so much that I am considering eating (mostly) raw foods. And what that means to me is lots of fruits and vegetables.

I am also focusing on eating whole foods, those foods that are generally one ingredient, like eggs or oranges or salmon. They are full of valuable nutrients needed for Trikking. That’s the energy I need, not the empty calories from say, a Snickers bar. Skittles will not feed my muscles. Mars bars will not help my organs function. To further my point, researchers have recently discovered Alzheimer’s is diabetes of the brain.

The experts think diabetes can be controlled with diet and movement, and tearing up the sidewalk with the Trikke is a great way to move. The cardio exercise I get on the Trikke is tremendous. I tend to Trikke for longer periods of time, more than with any other form of exercise. That’s got to help!

Trikking has definitely changed my life for the better. It has already extended my life and created a better me.

SouthBay Trikke is the place to shop for all things Trikke. Plus Demos, lessons, fix-its, etc!

Originally published in TrikkeWorld Magazine. For more of my weight loss challenge, visit TrikkeWorld Magazine the chronicle of the carving revolution!

Dork of the Day, Revisited

2011-05-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

I had to laugh when I reread this post from almost two years ago. It was so silly that I decided to re-post it, just to remind myself not to take myself too seriously. Here goes...

Just recently I got my first ipod. I had to learn how to operate it, load songs and create a library in itunes. Technology has such a learning curve.

I now use it wherever I go, on the bus, walking, anytime I want to communicate to anyone, "please don't talk to me."

So it was that I came home yesterday after listening to my music rather loudly, ya know, like music is meant to be listened to. After taking the ear buds out of my ears I noticed that my right ear was muffled and felt blocked. I thought that it was due to the loud volume I had just been enjoying. Or maybe, well never mind. I was thinking I would have to go to the doctor to have my ear checked.

I sat down to watch the news. Still not able to get that ear problem off my mind. I started to take off my earrings when my finger brushed against something sticking out of my ear, the padding from the ear bud, you know that white plastic that surrounds the metal speaker. I removed it and, problem solved.

And now you know why this is entitled "Dork of the Day".

One Trikker's Initiation

2011-05-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Since the separated bike lanes appeared in Long Beach, users have been harassed, yelled at and cursed. It's part of the initiation. It's part of the dues paid for use of the lanes.

And so it was bound to happen. I was yelled at by an angry driver as I was about to get into the bike lane.

I was able to shake off the confrontation pretty quickly as I was on my way to the fundraising event at the new Bikestation at the transit mall in Long Beach, CA. I was going to be in a room filled with others who have been cursed at. In other words the users and creators of the bike lanes.

The event was a fundraiser for the California Bicycle Coalition. Dave Snyder, executive director for the San Francisco division was there.The room was also full of Long Beach movers and shakers, bike fans and even some Trikkers.

I arrived on my green Pon-e, Elekktra. I parked it with the other bikes on the top floor of the Bikestation, where members can store their bikes with 24/7 access. This is great if you want to ride a bike or Trikke to work and you can't bring it with you. There are showers for sweaty bikers on their way to meetings. There are many reasons to utilize the Bikestation.

Even I will be using the Bikestation soon. I will be parking my Trikke there as they work on the larger elevator in my building. I expect knock-down drag-out fights with the elderly trying to fit their electric wheelchairs in an elevator that will accept very little else.

The event was casual. There was wine and beer, and some fabulous tacos were available. There were speeches. Then several thousand dollars was donated among the attendees.

I was very happy to bring the Trikke to this event. Trikkes are becoming visible in Long Beach. It is a part of the dialogue and is in the photos. The Trikke is present. It makes me happy to see the acceptance of my funny three-wheeled vehicle in this very accepting city by the sea. Long Beach is truly a city of the future as it incorporates new ideas with the old.

Dare I say it again? I love Long Beach, CA!

Loving Long Beach

2011-04-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

I have dropped more deeply in love with Long Beach over this past weekend. Long Beach opened the separated bike lanes on Saturday with more than 100 people present. Finally those selfish gas guzzlers are learning again what they should have learned in kindergarten -- how to share!

I have been reading the comments in the local papers about what people think of the new "sharrows" and most of the comments have been made by those dinosaurs that will soon be paying $6 a gallon for their right to pollute the world. That doesn't seem so smart to me.

Long Beach has provided us a way to be safer while not running people down on the sidewalks. Long Beach has given us a speedier way to get across town without having to compete for road space with a couple of tons of metal going at speeds of 40 mph. Long Beach has given us space to set aside our cars and ride our Trikkes/bikes to the store or other local errands. Long Beach has given us a chance to do something that will better our environment.

And so it is up to us now, because these separated bike lanes are a trial effort. We have 1-year to prove to the city that we love what they have done for us. And the way to do that is to lock up the car and take a ride on a Trikke or bike or whatever form of human powered vehicle you choose.

One Trickk Pon-e

2011-04-25T09:53:00.000-07:00

My new Pon-e, Elekktra, is amazing. I am rather a slow trikker but I can keep up with the crowd on the Pon-e. I don't have to worry about distances when I am on Elekktra, I can go about 20 miles on a single charge. It really satisfies my search for fun, safety and what I call speed.

I feel pretty safe on Elekktra, probably since I am so used to the Trikke. I have always been afraid of motorcycles; riding, steering and changing gears, it's all too much.

I really am a timid creature when it comes to taking chances that might result in asphalt burn or broken bones. Any kind of discomfort makes me nervous, really. And yet because of the stance on the foot pads with the Pon-e, I don't think of personal injury so much.

The Pon-e is such a blast to run errands with. A trip to the market turns into a fun ride around town. This is the closest I've been to owning a car in 17 years. The convenience factor is so important. And when it's all done, I take Elekktra into the elevator, up to my apartment and straight to my bedroom where I have made a space for her.

I love not having to depend upon exact change for the bus. I love not being a slow moving target. I love that I don't have to purchase gas, insurance or maintain a big savings account for car repairs. I love that my world got a little smaller with the Pon-e.

Plus, it's shiny and new. Who doesn't like shiny and new?

Loving Long Beach, Part ll

2011-04-05T12:49:00.000-07:00

Charlie Gandy and John Simpson, Trikke

On Friday, April 1st, TrikkeWorld Magazine met with Charlie Gandy, in the mayor's office, to talk about Trikkifying Long Beach. That story will unfold in TrikkeWorld Magazine in the months to come.

I had arranged for Trikke Tech to bring down from Buellton, a Pon-e for everyone to ride, or should I say have a blast with. Trikke Tech just happens to be unleashing their new model Pon-e's this month, which are the lithium powered Trikkes. We were flying through the new bike lanes that Long Beach is unveiling in a few weeks. These lanes are such a gift for all who currently fight for sidewalk space.

I am not a full throttle gal, but I was racing to keep up with the guys. We flew east-bound through bike lanes that access Broadway to First street to Junipero, to horrors, a descent down one very steep hill to the beach!

I never realized how much fun it is to be terrified and thrilled all at the same time. My inner-child really had a full play day on the Pon-e. If only people could try these things...

We followed the lanes all the way through Belmont Shore, on the new Sharrow lanes. There will be fewer accidents between bikes and side-walkers, especially here in Belmont Shore.

Long Beach is a very forward thinking city, and it is thinking green. Prediction -- there are going to be a lot of Trikkes tooling around my favorite City-by-the-Sea in time for summer.

And thankfully, we will have safe new lanes to take us where needed for exercise or a quick stop at the market. My favorite, the corridor that runs from Alamitos to the LA River bike trail, and back. It used to be a difficult trek on a trikke with no other location but the sidewalk to ride on.

Thank you, Long Beach for making the sidewalks and streets safer for bikes and Trikkes! And thank you, Charlie Gandy for being the newest Trikke advocate!

What Was I Thinking?!?

2011-03-19T13:39:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to lose weight since I put it on 18 years ago. Last year I had a good start when I lost 30 pounds, but then I got sloppy. I think I relied too much on my Trikke for taking the weight off and not enough on calorie control. So I'm taking another shot at it.

Losing weight must be like quitting smoking, in that I must keep trying until my goal is reached. Just because I failed a few times, the only real failure is giving up. So I am focusing on my health, on the calories I shove into my mouth, and exercising every day.

The crazy thing is I am doing it in front of 98 (to date) readers of TrikkeWorld Magazine as well as you, my blog fans! I think the pressure is just what I need to keep my nose out of the refrigerator.

I will be reporting in once a week at the magazine, but more frequently here. I see this as the space where I can blow off the day to day steam from not being able to eat my way through my anger, joy, fear, excitement, disappointment and whatever other feelings I may have in any given moment.

My first installment will be March 24th, and I will focus on why I over eat, how it started, some of the psychology behind my weight gain and my obsession with food. It should be deep, but not so deep that it's uncomfortable to read. That's what I'm aiming for anyway.

Obsessed

2011-03-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

My friend and I are either talking about it or doing it together. Sometimes I do it alone. Sometimes I even do it in a group. And ever since I started doing it, it is always on my mind. I'm thinking about where I'll do it tomorrow, or doing it in the SouthBay next week. What is "it" you ask? Well if you are familiar with this blog you can probably guess "it" since I write about "it" a lot..

It's TRIKKING, the best way to have fun and get full body exercise as well. But I'm not writing a sales brochure here, I'm just admitting to an obsession.

Recently I talked to someone, an interview I was doing for TrikkeWorld Magazine, and this someone had not trikked in a long time. As I spoke to him, his Trikke was hanging above him, on a hook. By the time we were done talking, he was planning to upright it immediately.

That's the way it is with Trikkers. Once you experience carving, nothing else makes sense. Even when I get overwhelmed a Trikke run helps me focus.

It's funny, because as I sit here I am debating between a nap or a Trikke ride. And the Trikke wins again.

Loving Long Beach

2011-03-08T13:05:00.000-08:00

I am having a love affair with the city I live in, Long Beach, CA. Not only have I lived here for the last 17 years, but I don't see myself wanting to go anywhere in the near future.

There are so many fascinating parts to this city from its cultural diversity to it's tourist areas. From the museums to the playhouses. From the galleries to the painted electrical boxes on the streets.

Long Beach is a college town, my college town. It is full of young people with fresh ideas and angst. It is full of old people with memories and wisdom. Even the skyline is a combination of old and new.

And the best part is Long Beach's dedication to all things green.

We have recently been given our own bike paths in the downtown retail and residential areas. The paths are freshly laid and separated from the car lanes with a five inch curb. We have beach bike paths that are clean and fresh. And if there is not a class l path, there are ll & lll class lanes that are wide and safe.

The beach path leads to the LA river path. You can go from beaches to marshes to river beds. After a day on the trails there are many watering holes and great restaurants. And after dinner there are clubs for music or comedy or a movie. And there are so many shopping opportunities, with small boutiques to souvenir shops to WalMart.

My favorite thing to do in Long Beach is to ride my Trikke. I can get on it and just go. Anywhere. And so I introduce a new feature to the blog, JT loves LB. Look forward to pics of Long Beach from the point of view of a Trikke enthusiast, me.

What's up

2011-02-17T11:51:00.000-08:00

A friend and I gave birth to an online magazine called TrikkeWorld Magazine.

I figured I should announce it to my faithful readers. Especially since my hit counter said no one even visited this site last week! So sad.

I have written so much about the Trikke and its wonderful benefits on my blog. I will continue to do so. And yet it's fun to look back at how the whole affair began. It really started back in 2009 when my same friend saw an infomercial in the middle of the night. From that came my love affair with my Trikke.

Most toys I get I grow tired of pretty quickly, but not the Trikke. Even as my one year anniversary approached I still was loving my Trikke.

Sometimes the funniest things are heard while trikking like it's too hard. It is not. The only other thing I can say about that is it's one fun ride. And it's not too hard.

Like anything the Trikke takes some getting used to, but it is so worth the trouble. And trouble is not the right word. The right word is trust. As you get used to riding the Trikke you develop trust. When that happens it truly is one fun ride!

Back on Track

2011-02-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

Since I lost focus on my weight loss journey, I have had to recommit and refocus. And it is working! I am almost back to where I was last July, which was my lowest point, weight wise.

I got sidetracked with Zone Perfect bars and later just junk food and the holidays. It is so easy to lose focus. And of course, if something is good, well more of it must be better. Right? Wrong!

Sometimes I wonder if I really have it in me to lose weight. I am like a junkie when it comes to sugary, greasy foods. I try to introduce more colors into my diet, then I just don't feel hungry. I don't eat what was planned. This is where I mess up. I cannot plan my meals because I am a "what do I feel like eating" kind of person.

Back where I was last year at this time I was wondering if I should do the lap band thing or try again to curtail my sugar jones. I really don't want to do the lap band thing. Not just yet. So I will try again. Not starting over, that's not what this is about. It's about eating as well as I can... one day at a time.

And as long as I keep trying again there is hope. It's like a problem I need to solve. I'll just keep at it until I get it right.

The Sweetest Spot

2011-01-14T09:18:00.000-08:00

During my trikking history, I have found what seem to be many illusive sweet spots. Today was the ultimate! Firstly I should define the "sweet spot" for the non-trikking unfortunates out there.

The sweet spot refers to when all the trikking actions along with your body are working in unison to propel the Trikke forward. It is sort of spiritual with the right and left brain functioning at the same time and crossing meridians and such. I don't have those details down yet.

So back to the bike path. I have been really fighting with the Trikke. That is not the way to ride. I was trikking in this hula-hoop fashion which feels like a circle eight of the body. I was really working it. And it was working me. Unbelievably, there were sweet spots within that framework. That is the magic of the Trikke.

I watched a video on YouTube that showed me a different way to ride, the correct way. I should be "pulling" the trike from side to side across the front of my body. And while doing that, turning the handlebars from side to side, almost slightly.

It is momentum in action. I turn and whip the Trikke around that centrifugal force field. And whip around again. I don't have to work so hard, and I now know where the rock and roll in the slogan comes from. It all works so well when you work it right.

Procrastination is a dirty word

2011-01-08T09:57:00.000-08:00

My middle name is Procrastinator. If I can put a chore off, well, I do. There are so few things in my world that need immediate attention. And so a very bad habit has developed.

And yet this cannot continue. Things are piling up around my ears. If I don't stop procrastinating I will drop into the much scarier world of hoarding.

The prospect of becoming a hoarder has made me more aware of my bad habit of putting everything off. It's a vicious cycle. There is something that is so sad about hoarders. And yet, I am beginning to understand the illness.

It springs from the feeling of "not enough." I can understand the feeling of not enough. I come from that family. I was conditioned to believe there was not enough from an early age. My mother confided in me as a child. "Where are we going to get the money for...?" was a familiar theme. And then she would lite another cigarette.

As an adult, I function under the prospect of not enough. There certainly is not enough money to last a month. And from that, all else springs. With that in mind, I tend to hold onto things I may need in the future. The thing is, I never seem to need exactly what I save.

Now is the time to take that leap of faith. I can let go of some of my unused items. I will be able to provide everything I need. And I have everything I need right now, in this moment.

And so a new goal is born -- winter cleaning!

Resolution for 2011 -- set goals!

2010-12-28T11:04:00.000-08:00

My new year's resolutions will have nothing to do with being a better person or to stop smoking -- after all, I already quit smoking last year, which made me a better person. My resolutions will be much more specific than that. So is that a goal then?

I could resolve to eat better, but my goal is to lose weight. Or, I could resolve to get outside more, but my goal of trikking often would get that done. And when I trikke, I really am enjoying the great outdoors to the fullest.

So, which do I do? Announce my resolutions, or set my goals?

Goals are more than resolutions. Goals are something we plan out and tackle one little bit at a time. The plan is charted out and the road is mapped. Goals are something we look at daily, and check off each step along the way.

Resolutions are much broader and are a very public thing. We boast about them during the holidays. And resolutions give us reason to splurge until January one. "I'll eat now and make a resolution at the beginning of the year."

Goals are much more private. Plus, we don't boast about setting a goal, we only boast when achieving that goal. So goals are more personal than resolutions.

And we all know that resolutions last only as long as the crowds in the gym.

To Those I've Snubbed

2010-12-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

Back in the day, when I was young, beautiful and thin, I was very unapproachable. I watched, as a child, those old movies from the 1930's when women rebuffed the advances of men. Back when women were hard to get. Unfortunately, I never learned that was just fiction.

In real life I was one lonely, beautiful, young and thin woman. Guys didn't respond like in the movies. If I didn't smile at them, well, they didn't think, "oh, challenge." They thought "oh, bitch," and moved on to the next less beautiful yet friendly woman. I would think he's just not the one. Or I would console myself with "I'm out of his league" and I would go on to refuse to dance with the next guy who asked.

This all hit home for me the other day when I was talking to someone I thought was cute. He was not interested, he wouldn't even look me in the eyes as we spoke. Well, I thought, he could have at least been nice.

The years have leveled the playing field. I realize with my now imperfect packaging that even though someone might not have the best look, great gifts come in all kinds of wrappings.

Silly Willa

2010-12-14T12:28:00.000-08:00

There is something about a paper bag...

2010-12-14T12:05:00.000-08:00

... that makes Jake want to get
cozy.

My Friend, the Diet

2010-11-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

I have decided to befriend the diet. I may as well. If I want to get anywhere with my weight loss goal, I must befriend the diet. There are no options. If I want to lose weight I must play by her rules. Period.

I have tried eating healthier foods--protein bars instead of candy bars, yogurt instead of ice cream and nuts instead of chips, etc., etc. Yet it all comes down to counting calories. I can exercise all day long, but if I don't cut calories my efforts are for naught.

With all that said I must also admit that I have been eating myself into plateau land. I have been hovering around 250 for four or five months now. The truth is I am not on a plateau, I am eating too many calories! I'm tired of it.

I am also tired of shopping for a few healthy alternatives then blow the effort by eating them all in one night. Yes, in one night. That won't work well even with healthier options.

I have come to realize that I can eat banana splits all day as long as it's under 1800 calories per day. I just won't feel my best. So, the only secret to losing weight is 1800 calories a day. There are some "buts" though.

Eat 1800 calories BUT only 30% should be from fats. Eat 1800 calories BUT get enough protein BUT it's got to be lean protein. Eat from the food pyramid BUT be careful of servings from the upper levels of the pyramid. It always comes down to that.

In my opinion, people who are overweight are diet masters, they just don't act on what they know. I'm crossing over to the other side. I'm ready for the next level of thin-ness to take over my life. I'm ready for the next step, which is (can you guess?) no more than 1800 calories per day!

I will refocus on my diet/food plan and I will report it here... I am now a friend of the diet. And she is a friend to me.

My (Black) Birdie, my T8

2010-11-15T11:59:00.000-08:00

I have not reported on my new T8 at all, and I've been riding it for over a month now. It took a few weeks to get used to, but now that I am the master, all things are well. I must admit that this is one of the best purchases I have ever made. Not only does it reaffirm my commitment to losing weight, but as a friend said it's a fountain of youth for me. And it is.

Not only do I do eight miles on a regular basis, but just getting out in the sunshine is good for my soul. It is good to see familiar faces on the streets. I get lots of smiles and questions, and sometimes that's a pain, but it's worth the risk to be one of the only females to trikke on a regular basis in Long Beach. I am an example. I am a role model for the idea that it's never too late.

The T8 is like driving with power steering. It is so easy to glide around on. I'm really glad I had the T78 for the first year so that I could fully appreciate this model. It has made me a better Trikker.

And so, I live for sunny days. I live for days with soft breezes. I live to trikke. With all that in mind, my life has improved -- from watching TV all day on the couch to watching the weather report so as to figure what trail would be best for that particular day. Thank you Trikke. Thank you (Black) Birdie.

My Favorite Quotes

2010-11-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Often, my favorite quotes come from songs, not books. Even though Nietzsche or Baudelaire (go ahead, insert your favorite philosopher or poet here) have a corner on the market, for me, songs contain some pretty intriguing subjects. "So stick out your can, cuz' I'm the garbage man," by Lux Interior of the Cramps is a great standby. Not only does it say something about me, but it also shows you how obscure my musical tastes run.

Another favorite, from the Chameleons (UK), "Time will make a ghost of us all." Although not uplifting, it is a reality with which I cannot escape.

Almost every song has a line or lines that are profound or inspiring. A new favorite is by 3oh!3, called "My first kiss." It's just so graphic I love it, "Your kiss is like whiskey, it gets me drunk, and I wake up in the morning with the taste of your tongue." Yummy!

Marilyn Manson's "beautiful people" comes to my mind when I am trying to get around some fool walking on the trikke path. "There's no time to discriminate, hate every motherfucker that's in your way." I know, it sounds cruel, but sometimes these fools need mowing down. Plus, who would think I listen to Manson in the first place?!

So now to redeem myself, I will share a quote from Simon and Garfunkel "you read your Emily Dickinson and I my Robert Frost, and we note our place with book markers that measure what we've lost." I love the way that sounds.

That is the way poetry works. Maybe the exact meaning cannot be grasped but the sound of it is pleasing. It is understood on some level that may not be a conscious level. The heart understands, not the brain.

In this way lyrics are very much like poetry and are quite quotable. So next time someone asks about my favorite quote I may be stealing from Lady Gaga when I answer "I like it rough."

In the Rear View

2010-11-06T11:45:00.000-07:00

Every few years or so the beast in my pants comes out growling, so I must admit I still think about sex. For some it's an everyday experience, for others not so much. For me, not at all. And I miss that. I know, being a woman, I can go out and get some anytime. Unfortunately it's not that easy.

And so I think of posts past. I really believe, to my misfortune, that "It's Only Gross If You're Ugly" and that hinders me from approaching the subject with anyone other than myself. It's the same old weight issue, I guess.

The age thing is no help either, even though older women and younger men are a common subject , I just can't wrap my mind around it all. Sometimes I think "Cougar? No Thanks" and then there is "Revisiting Cougar". I am really torn on the subject.

Am I a "Fast Woman" or am I just "Waking up"? Either way, it's all so confusing. This must be why there are electronics... And I am thankful for that.

I used to think I had had enough sex for a lifetime in my younger years. Is that possible? I have been single for so long now that I think that statement is just a way of smoothing out the edges, consoling my soul.

And yet the beast is back. So who knows what the future holds. I'm going back on my diet. Isn't that the fun of the game of life?

Inspiration by Nosferatu

2010-10-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Halloween Tribute

This is a first draft of a brochure I worked on for a group Halloween Trikke ride. It was not needed and yet I liked it so much I had to publish it somewhere. The small logos are not mine, just the shadowy design. Creepy, isn't it?

Introducing (Black) Birdie...

2010-10-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

I am a bit behind on my blogging as life has gotten a bit large lately. Large in a good way mind you, yet still large.

I have not written about my new Trikke, (Black) Birdie. She is a beautiful beast from the Trikke Tech family of Trikkes. She is the next step up for me from the T78. There are quite a few upgrades that I have noticed.

One of the first things I noticed was the look of the T8. Maybe it's all in my mind, but I think this just looks richer than the T78. When I walk down the street people are captivated by this model. It is a serious carving machine. Maybe it's just because it's black, I don't know, or maybe the angles are more extreme.

The carving mechanism (for lack of a proper term), sits higher and seems much larger than the T78. Maybe that accounts for the feeling of power from the T8. The front fork smoothly slides back and forth across the asphalt as I carve down the street. Not so with the T78.

I compair the T78 to an old Volkswagen bug. It is inexpensive, a great starter Trikke, yet has no frills. I really had to beat that old girl into submission to make her go. With the T8 there is none of that.

I compair the T8 to a Lexus, with power steering that just glides in the direction it's pointed. And I have the best brakes with a lighter frame to make it more sporty. This model doesn't respond well when I try to overpower it. I need to ease up and finesse this baby.

So if anyone out there is looking for a great starter Trikke, (Blue) Birdie is still on Craig's list. (SOLD)

P.S. If you look closely there is a Daisy spotting in the picture! My invisable kitty does exist...

The Arrival of Cookie Dough

2010-10-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

I was chosen to receive samples of the new Cookie Dough varieties of the Zone Perfect nutrition bars. I was part of the media roll-out for this new variety. I don't quite know how I got on that list, but it's a good list to be on.

I received a heavy box a few days ago. I couldn't stop my mind from racing. "This is a lot of samples!" I thought. "I'm set for a few days!"

I opened that box like I hadn't seen food in a week. I was surprised when I found a white ceramic cookie jar. That accounted for the weight. I opened the jar and inside was the holy grail of nutritional candy bars. I got one sample each of peanut butter, chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookie dough nutritional bars.

I was a bit disappointed. I was envisioning a case each, and a few other samples as well, namely chocolate mint or strawberry yogurt nutrition bars. I know, kinda selfish since I still got three bars for free!

I must say the peanut butter was my favorite. It had a firm yet creamy texture and the flavor was not shy. The chocolate chip had lots of chips yet not too many to overshadow the cookie dough. The oatmeal was good, but some of the oatmeal pieces -- although small-- were a bit dry.

There was no hint of all the vitamins and minerals that pack these nutrition bars. The flavor and texture of cookie dough was recreated successfully here. And each packed 10 grams of protein. I think they would be great to take during a Trikke ride for refueling as they don't have as much protein as the traditional zone bars.

So, just to recap, the cookie varieties are a big "yes!" but the regular protein bars are still the best (esp. chocolate mint and strawberry yogurt -- see a pattern?)! So if you like cookie dough, try them.

P.S. The cookie jar will be kept in a place that reminds me that the power of my words involved me in the media roll-out of a national product!
P.P.S. Check out www.facebook.com/zoneperfect for a month of give aways ending Nov. 1st

It's Too Hard

2010-10-15T12:03:00.000-07:00

As I ride my Trikke down the street I get a wide variety of comments such as "is it fun?", "is it a good workout?", and "is it hard to learn?" Just to set the record straight -- yes, yes and no. Yet the most mind boggling comment I hear is "it's too much work."

The craziest comment heard was from a guy standing in line, at the marine recruiting station, waiting to do pull ups. "It's too much work!" he says. And yet, he's waiting to do pull ups! Now that's hard work!

The vast majority of folks with negative comments are much younger than me. Picture it -- a 54 year old obese woman having a blast carving up the sidewalk and two men in their thirties comment under their breath "it's too much work." Picture it again -- a 54 year old obese woman carving up the sidewalk who overhears "it's fun" says one "it's too much work" says the other 12 year old. Picture it one more time -- a 54 year old obese woman carving up the sidewalk hears "it's too much work" from strollers on the bike path. What!?!

The Trikke is so much fun that sometimes I forget it is an exercise machine. Others see it as an exercise machine and don't know how fun it is. Either way the Trikke is an exercise machine that is hard sometimes, yet always fun, even when I'm puffing up a trail. Maybe I need to check that strained (yet joyous) look on my face.

2010-10-06T13:33:00.000-07:00

I Love Zone Bars, part 2

2010-10-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

As stated earlier in one of my posts, I love Zone Bars. I would rather eat them than any candy bar, protein bar, or vegetable. Not only do they have a whopping 15 grams of protein, but they also contacted me from my previous post to offer a trial of their newest product, cookie dough varieties. I am still waiting for the delivery, probably sometime this week.

Now, this could be an example of how the universe works. Ask for something and it will come to you. I just put the word out for someone to send me Zone Bars like a celebrity, and BOOM, they are on their way. This is the power of the pen at work!

I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship...

Stress Is a Speed Bump on the Fwy

2010-10-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have recently reverted back to my old state as "victim." That attribute snuck in as I was paying attention to something else. I was stressing myself out, and forgetting who I am.

I am a powerful, creative woman. I am a writer, a blogger and sometimes a graphic artist, on a small scale. And I stress myself out with internal messages like "I'm not good enough" or "I'll never get this done." I tell myself lies and then I believe them.

Enough is enough. Just because I used to go to that loser place doesn't mean I belong there. I don't belong there. I left that location in 1989, or there abouts. So how did I find myself there last week? It's an easy place to go. It's actually easier to go there than not.

The waves just wash me up on that shore. Usually I'm tossed about before the ocean spits me out onto the sands of that beach. No creative juices flow here, it is just sand, quicksand. There are no dreams or goals here, only "I wish..."

"I wish" is not a powerful place. It is a place for victims who have no goals or plans -- no road maps. "I wish" is a place for those who can't say "I am going there, even without a map." There is no determination, there is no quest.

And it all comes about from the quicksand-like entrapment of stress. Stress can keep me immobilized, and victimized. It keeps me there until I remember who I am. It is then I remember my skills and talents. It is then I am released. It is then I book an exit off this place, and I am home again.

Autumn Is A Middle-Aged Woman

2010-09-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to old Simon and Garfunkle lately. It returns such feelings, and it brings new ones as well. What is it about music that moves me so? Is it the slight melancholia that wraps itself like a warm blanket around my memories? Is it the timelessness of those memories that present themselves in a three minute format? Maybe it is just that time of year.

For me, fall brings to mind a reflection of not only the past year, but also my past. It is the aging of the year, it is the aging of me. It is the march towards death, it's the end of the year. That alone is a tiny death.

In January, everything is new and possible. As the year progresses, the blooming of events reveal longer days and more activity. After the rush of summer brings a slowing, an aging. I begin to feel older. I am more tired. The days shorten. I bring out my sweats. Even the flowers begin to deconstruct.

Autumn is like a middle-aged woman, still lots of surprises, still a slowness. Sometimes one's past is bigger than one's future, sometimes there is a second bloom.

Don't ever give up on the year. Don't ever give up on the self. Even though the year is waning, I am not. Not this year. My possibilities are blooming like April. And still the fall brings me to reflect on the yesterdays of my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO9Ild2cvdg&feature=related

Another Year Down!

2010-09-19T11:25:00.000-07:00

Friday was my 54th birthday. Why be coy about it? Yes, I'm 54. I've never been a female who was shy about her age. Why bother. Plus I am so interested in other people's ages. It's just something to guage a person by. It's really a curiosity. Ask me about my weight and well, that is a subject I'm silent about.

Speaking of weight, I am still on that plateau, not gaining but not losing either. I have one year to make my goal of 175lbs. by my 55 birthday. I know it's a reachable goal. Afterall, I don't have to quit smoking again. I like to think that is why I have only lost 30 lbs this year. Most people gain weight when they quit. I still lost. And I must say those 14 inches didn't drop off in my sleep!

So now that I've given myself a shout out (I deserve it during my birthday week), it's time to recommit. Or maybe I should wait until my week is over? Anyway It's good to be conscious of it. I want to get back to mostly raw foods. I like that food plan. No more than two Zone Perfect bars a day (yikes), cut out most sugar and white foods, and let the cards fall where they will.

Of course I will be Trikking all the way to 2030, when I will be put into the old Trikker's home, where we will relive all our skills and spills all the way to the grave. I know, but it's my week, and I can get away with anything self-indulgent. This blog is called JTs full of herself for a reason!

Bye-Bye (Blue) Birdie

2010-09-11T11:55:00.000-07:00

I have graduated to the next level of Trikking, the T8. It seems to be a shrunk-down version of a T12, which is the cadillac of the Trikke world. So if the T12 is the cadillac, the T8 must be the corvette.

I am still getting used to the T8, just like a new bike or new anything. It is just different. I even notice the difference in a new computer keyboard to be honest. So getting used to the T8 requires new muscles to work, a new wiggle if you will.

My first Trikke, (blue) Birdie, will be sold to a good home as I step forward into a new realm of Trikking. The new T8, (Black) Birdie, is such a smooth ride! All I have to do is move the handlebars back and forth and I just glide down the sidewalk. This is what land skiing is all about.

The T8 feels like the lubed-up version of the T78. It feels just like an oil change in my old mustang, (back when I had that car). I never noticed anything until I drove out of the tune-up bay. The car felt like it was on rails. I just glided down the street. I am gliding once again.

If I could talk to a T78 fan, I would tell them to step up to the T8. Immediately. I fell in love with Trikking all over again! The cost is so worth it, especially since I plan to Trikke for many years to come. Plus, South Bay Trikke has refurbished models available right now at a greatly reduced price.

So, Step up... You know you want to.

Farewell, Blue Birdie!

Labor Day=Trikke Day

2010-09-08T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Labor Day Trikke Ride in Long Beach was a huge success! We had 20 Trikkers on the bike path. This is something Long Beach has never seen. And yet, something Long Beach will see several times per year hereafter. I am so pleased with the baby I birthed.

After riding all 10 miles, I was beat! We all went to a pub after and had lunch. What a hearty group. For someone who is not comfortable in a crowd I did really well. After all we all have something in common -- a love for Trikking. Everything else is incidental.

Since the "ride" I have been exhausted. I've been beat from that positive energy. But what a way to be!

Who knew that, when I first saw someone on a Trikke and knew I had to have one, it would open up a whole world of new friends and colleagues.

If this were the Trikke Awards I would give the most inspirational award to he who first showed me his Trikke. To South Bay Trikke an award for best selling, servicing and teaching. And Trikke gets the award for the most fun on three wheels.

I of course would get best female athlete of the day because no one tried harder than me to complete the circuit!

I Love My Trikke

2010-09-01T11:09:00.000-07:00

Can A Bike Do This?

I have been writing about my Love Affair With My Trikke for a year now, and I must say I still love my Trikke. Even more than last year! It is just One Fun Ride! I even quit smoking to trikke better.

Recently I have been taking more chances on the Trikke. I have been Trusting My Trikke more and more. All you have to do is Color Me Blown Away! And the weight, well it comes off in hits and misses, like in Another Seven Down. All I know is I am in much better shape than I have ever been in. Even if I am not always going down the scale, I am always and forever Ms. Trikke USA!

All my Trikke posts are written under the label, JTs full of her Trikke. I also have another label -- JTs full of her health, which is about my weight loss with the Trikke. Check out me and Birdie!

Also looking forward to my new T8 coming in September. Will post pics soon. Must name new Trikke...

One Fun Ride

2010-08-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

I haven't written about my love affair with my Trikke lately. It's not because we're on the rocks. It's not because I have decided to use it as a clothes rack. It's because I have been in training for the last six weeks.

I have been riding seriously every other day for those weeks because I want to build my Trikke-muscles for the Labor Day Trikke Ride in Long Beach, exactly one week from today. I've been in training to ride farther and am now able to cover 10 miles. This is quite a goal buster for me.

I've had my Trikke for a year now and I still remember when it was hard to go around the block. I thought 10 miles was farther than my body could dream of. And yet here I am.

My body has changed so much. I am leaner. I am harder. I have upper body strength. I have definition. Not bad for a 54 year old obese woman with fibromyalgia!

I still have a long way to go. So far the journey has been packed with fun and hard work. After all Trikkes don't move themselves.

After next week I can go back to trikking any day I want for as long as I want. I won't stop traveling 10 miles. When I think of it, I will never be out of training as long as I'm breathing and loving my Trikke.

The Shoulders I've Tread Upon

2010-08-24T11:27:00.000-07:00

I can't help but think of the women before me. They led the way for me to live as I've pleased, to make the choices I've been confronted with. Yet, How many centuries have women been born into a straight-jacket of servitude? How long before we had choices?

Just think, one hundred years ago, a woman could not live alone. She would not be single and she would not be without children whose noses needed to be wiped or who's diapers needed to be changed.

Even 50 years ago a woman needed a man to get through. These women were born to serve. After watching my mother work all day and come home to work all night, I saw that being a woman was a rotten deal.

Without words, I learned what was in store for me. And yet, I was lucky enough to be born in an era where I had choices. Should I marry? Should I have a career? After all it's just too much work to have it all.

I never wanted to pick up after a man like my mother did. The price was too high for me. And I can't help being grateful for all those unnamed women who were stuck in a life of subservience and who dreamed a better dream. I get to reap the benefits of those dreams.

I thank all the women whose shoulders I've tread upon. And I thank them for the life I live today. Without them I wouldn't have the choice to be with a man or to stand alone.

No Plateau

2010-08-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

My friend Sara and I are both trying to lose weight. A lot of weight. And we both have noticed something about our bodies. It seems we lose weight in layers.

When I started my body was very soft, what you would think pudgy feels like, pliable, like a pillow sort of. I started exercising and losing weight. The pounds dripped off and my body got hard. It felt great.

Then a strange thing happened. I stopped losing weight. My body got all soft again. I thought I had gained all my weight back. I was surprised after a weigh-in that I had not gained one pound.

What happened? I lost all that soft fat, only to have the firm layer underneath go soft. Is the body getting ready to lose the next layer by making it soft and more easy to access for weight loss? Is this process what a plateau is?

If this is a plateau, I don't mind it. It is not a stagnate state the body goes into, but a preparation for the next phase of weight loss. As long as my body is actively working to lose weight and not just on vacation, I can handle that with diplomacy.

Paws-ative Proof

2010-08-13T11:33:00.000-07:00

In-cognito

2010-08-13T10:38:00.000-07:00

I have these spells occasionally, well maybe frequently, where I want to sleep all day. And so I do. I get up and in two hours I am so tired. I say to myself that I will just sit down for a while and then I wake up six hours later.

The dishes pile up in the sink. I don't want to cook, well I can't with no clean forks or spoons. I eat protein bars and yogurt to sustain myself. And my mood takes a dive into the deep end. I guess this is what depression and/or fibromyalgia look like.

My Trikke sits, collecting dust. I throw clothes over the handlebars. Those handlebars are perfect for a clothes rack. They are more perfect for carving up the sidewalk, but that is far from my reach during my down time.

These moods can last for three days. After that time I generally pull myself away from the Velcro couch and the TV. I need Zone Perfect bars. I need cat food. I need to save my soul from rotting on the inside.

It is hard, every time I get up and make my way back into my life. It takes walking blocks to unstiffen the muscles that have been shriveling up for the last few days.

In the sun, I'm like a flower unfolding. With my petals open to the sun, I stretch, I grow. It is then that I am recreated. Again.

Trusting My Trikke

2010-07-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

When I ride my Trikke around town, I am just another person fighting for sidewalk space. I have learned how to carve while taking the least amount of cement because of this. Yet lately I have been experimenting with opening up my angles. And while doing this I have found a new way to ride my Trikke. I've also found a new sweet spot.

To sum it up, I am "spending more time on the sides of my tires." In doing so I am leaning more. I am finally trusting the lean. I'm able to move a little faster. And I enjoy the ride more.

This is such an intellectual vehicle. Not only do I get rocked into a zen state, I think clearer. I now take paper with me when I trikke because the ideas just keep rolling through my brain. And I am an idea person.

So, getting back to the lean. I got this idea from watching how much time trikkers spend in the lean. I have finally gotten to the point where I don't think I'm going to fall off my Trikke every time I get on it. I know there is enough muscle memory in place that I can trust a little bit.

Even though I am getting very comfortable on three wheels (again), I won't be bombing down hills or going off sidewalks. I can still have a blast just trikking straight ahead. Well, sort of straight.

I'm In the Zone

2010-07-28T12:23:00.000-07:00

I have not written about my weight loss journey lately. I think it has incorporated itself into my everyday life so thoroughly that I don't think, worry or ruminate about it much anymore. I am eating better, getting exercise and doing all the right things. I am not obsessing about the numbers right now. And, the numbers are staying firm.

I may be at a plateau. I have been at 250-ish for more than a month. I must admit I have been going crazy over the Zone Perfect bars, eating as many as five a day. Well, I do need my protein, after all. And at 15 grams a bar, I am getting it. Unfortunately I'm also getting 210 calories per bar.

Ok, the protein issue -- that's just an excuse to eat more of them. They are better than snickers bars!

I wish I were a celebrity so that every time I mention Zone Perfect bars the company would send me a case. My favorite is chocolate mint. If it were Valentine's Day, I would still want a box of chocolates -- double chocolate Zone Perfect bars, (not those funky heart shaped boxes filled with chocolate flavored crap). Just slap a bow on the box. Don't send flowers, they die. Send strawberry yogurt Zone Perfect bars to get to my heart.

So my thought for today is don't get all your protein from a Zone Perfect bar, it may keep you from your goals. But one or two will make the world a better place to be. Thank you, Zone Perfect.

P.S. FYI -- I mentioned Zone Perfect bars seven times in this post.

Disturbing, funny and just wrong

2010-07-25T13:05:00.000-07:00

I read an article in The Week magazine about researchers finding out how to turn female mice into lesbian mice. They discovered by deleting one gene the female mice would avoid males and try to mount the females. The gene is called fucose mutarotase or FucM for short. Seriously, FucM.

I find it disturbing that we change the DNA of these mice at the embrionic stage. These mice probably do have a better life than street mice, but this just seems wrong. The scientists don't even know the significance of their findings yet, just that it may help them find the "gay" gene one day.

And the perfect attitude for a lesbian mouse to have could very well be, well, FucM.

The Perfect Cocktail

2010-07-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have been having all these aches and pains with a variety of different descriptors, such as sharp and stabbing to dull and achey. I can't tell which is the most bothersome as they are both very uncomfortable. I was questioning a site to see if I have arthritis and found one full of women talking about how much pain they are in and how many different sensations it causes.

Some of the women listed their medications, the latest cocktails, and prognoses for those issues. I may as well have been looking at my previous perscriptions, because I have run across many of those meds in the last 20 years. Lexapro, neurontin, synthroid, vicodin, steriods, lithuim, fentanyl, cortisols, diclophenac, prednisone. And the diagnoses include: hypertension, obesity, depression, GERD, hysterectomy, hernia, gall stones and the list goes on.

I wanted to post a question asking about their childhood. Was there a lot of stress, fear, anger or denial? Was there violence? Worse?

In recovery therapy it is thought that 90% of obese people have been sexually abused.

Why do so few take the majority of the meds? Why are most of them women? I take seven separate medications daily, not counting the few that wait in the wings (example -- water pills and other pain meds). What is really going on here?

My first thought is that we complain about so many seemingly vague symptoms and doctors, who just want us to feel better, give us what they think will work. Yet how does a doctor know if it's fibro or arthritis? Is that why we use so many common ingredients in our cocktails? They throw the same meds at us for different diagnoses, kinda like throwing spaghetti on the wall to see if sticks. And what about the different ingredients we go through to get the correct cocktail? And the years that takes? It was 9 years for me alone.

My fibro symptoms seem very similar to those with arthritis. I bet the majority of us have other similarities as well. I mean body type, mind set and history. And with all this in mind I must say I'm not really complaining. My perfect cocktail keeps me off the couch and on my Trikke. That's the most important issue to me right now.

"So Happy I Could Die"

2010-07-19T11:32:00.000-07:00

This is a song title by Lady GaGa that struck a chord with me. Her version is about her "addiction monster." My first thoughts were far from that.

I remember a day in Jr. High when I had a hall pass for some reason or other and I ran into my "omg, if-he-talks-to-me-I'll-just-die" crush -- Craig Lunsford. He was cruising the halls without a pass as usual.

I don't know why but he stopped me and we had a conversation. He was nice and I forgot my quietness and chubbyness. I remember thinking that if I died right at that moment, I would be complete."So happy I could die."

This is a concept that has puberty all over it. Those years when everything was at a high pitch and immediate response was not soon enough. And yet being "so happy..." has a timelessness to it. All those insecurities and fears are dimmed.

I recently added the song to my play list. Yesterday it came on and I thought of Craig Lunsford. I remembered that feeling of utter fulfillment, a feeling of completeness that a teenage girl gets from a teenage boy. Back then it carried me away.

It's been a few decades since a teenage boy started my heart racing. My trikke carries me away these days. "So happy I could die" now has to do with the wind in my hair, the warm sun on my skin, the completeness that fuels my trikke and me to go forward.

Ms. Trikke USA

2010-07-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

When I trikke I take the attitude of a beauty queen on a float. It's not because I'm feeling really beautiful that day or anything like that. When people look at me while I'm on my Trikke, they are looking at me through the eyes of their inner child.

Most people light up when they see me, asking "is it fun?" My smile, also furnished by my inner child, conveys yes. For that brief exchange it is two adults forgetting who they are for a few minutes letting the playground days come back. It really is magical, and it really is fun.

I'm a big girl now, with a big girl helmet and a track that is not limited to the school blacktop. It is great fun tooling around my coastal city. I know where not to go and where to spend most of my time. Being an adult has its high points and low points. Being a trikker is all golden.

Need I Say More?

2010-07-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Can a bike do that?

Breaking Through

2010-07-07T13:19:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went on a trikke ride, the first in a week. I went as far as my last trikke-trip. I still wanted to go farther, but I thought I had better not push it, so I stopped. Today I feel fine and ready to go again. My neck is pushed up against that glass ceiling.

Will it be today I break through my self imposed limitations? I keep bumping up against that imaginary limit and thinking that is all I'm good for. I have a new perspective today. I need to keep bumping up against that ceiling and I will eventually find a crack. After all, I am not trapped under water hoping to break through a wall of ice. It's just another goal.

I think trikking is a barometer into what is going on with my everyday life. Some days I can't get on the trikke, and then there are days like today when I can't wait to get out there and on that. I am aiming for the pier. It's about six miles round trip. Watch out for falling glass...

Sidelined

2010-07-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

My knee started whining again last week. I don't know what I did, I was just innocently trikking. When I stepped off the Trikke I stepped into pain. It went from my knee, up to my hip and back down to my knee. I had to walk home on it, 6 blocks. It was hard to breathe my leg hurt so badly.

What happened? I have no clue. I didn't fall off my Trikke, didn't step on or off incorrectly. I have no idea what I did. But it sidelined me for a week, just when I was getting stronger and was pushing through to the next level.

I have been suspicious about this next level and how I fit into it. I seem to revisit the top of my highest level and am never able to break through to the next. Something happens and I find myself starting over, again and again.

I've recognized this pattern in other aspects of my life. I feel good, no, I feel great, and then I catch a cold. I'm down for a week and have to restart my fitness gains over again. It happened in my professional life way, way, back when I had one. I never broke my own glass ceiling. And especially in previous dieting attempts, I get down to a certain number or average and then I trip myself up, gain all the weight back, get frustrated, eat like a bear before hibernation and then hibernate. I hide until I get my fight back, and then the whole cycle starts again.

Stop! Stop I say! I want to do things differently this time. I know I can do things differently this time. I will do things differently this time. Admitting the problem is the first step, right? And so I plan on trikking later today. It has been only 7 days off the Trikke so I should be able to step back into the level I was at during my last ride. Right... ?

Look...

2010-06-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

2010-06-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

2010-06-22T12:27:00.000-07:00

The Dreaded Question

2010-06-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

It is easy reconnecting with people from my past with the latest technology. Thanks to Facebook, it is not just the alumni association that can keep up with me after years of being a ghost.

I get a thrill from finding a long lost pal. I also get a thrill out of discovering what they have done with their lives. Unfortunately the dreaded question follows, "what have you been up to?" They want to know the same about me.

The path I chose is far from traditional, even when the lack of marriage and kids is off the table. I remember that one decision that would forever change the direction of my future. In 1993, I called in sick and never worked again in my chosen profession. I was stripped of my executive status and for a year or so worked temp jobs where office skills weren't so important. From account executive to advertising director to answering phones.

It was a pesky major depressive episode. They don't call them nervous breakdowns anymore. It was the reason I called in sick that fateful day. Next was the nine years it took to get the meds right, then the next six years trying to get my fight back. We are talking 15 years of focusing on myself. Most don't choose that path, I was plunked down right in the middle of it.

I couldn't help myself one day, on Facebook. I looked up an old friend. I was taken by her success. I just had to comment on how happy I was for her. Her reply to me was "what have you been up to?" Innocent enough and yet how do I answer a question like that on Facebook, the Xmas newsletter of everyday living?

My "why trikkers are older" Theory

2010-06-18T10:50:00.000-07:00

On the TrikkeTalk site I get a lot of info about trikkers including a survey of the ages of Trikkers. Most of them are in their 40s, 50s, even a 75 year-old trikker (bless her)! It makes me wonder why this "tri-bike" of the 21st century has not caught on with all ages.

My first thought is that trikkers are extra intelligent. It takes years to become as wise as we are. This makes us open to new ideas, willing to try new things. We are the baby boomer generation and getting older has a new face.

We want to stay active, so we work hard and play harder. Now there are powerful pills to keep us moving, when arthritis might have sidelined a previous generation. We also consider "play" to be important, a 21st century idea.

We are concerned about our health like no other generation. Trying to recapture our youth, or just trying to feel our best, is big business. We are concerned about quality of life. And we are not resigned to spending our senior years in front of the TV.

I think cost also plays a role. Many 20-something future trikkers just don't have the money to spring for a $500 fun machine like we can. But hey, it's five times the fun of a traditional bike, that 20th century idea of recreation and transport.

Trikkers are older because we are the forward thinking adults of the 21st century and we have the drive to try something new. We value our health and want to keep moving until we die. We are showing everyone that we can't be written off so easily.

I Picture

2010-06-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

I Picture
my seduction
in slow motion.
I want to prolong your kiss,
I don't want to miss your tousle with my bra.
We'll tumble into bed
arms knotted, lips tied, tongues entwined.
I meant to say "no"
until you unzipped my dress.
Then I threw my "no" out the window
like a brick.

Even though we tear down clothing
we aren't really naked.
Like carpenters who work together
yet build separately
we move people in between us
like walls.

Doug

2010-06-12T12:54:00.000-07:00

Doug buys our drinks at the Rex
after an eight-year absence.
He still wears topsiders and
drinks Chivas on the rocks.
The only difference --
his wife drinks with him.

We sat in the parking lot after work,
windows fogged, just talking.
I was 18 pretending to be 21,
and he was entering law school.

Doug comes over to tell me
how beautiful I am at 26,
and that he can't use his law degree.
His wife buys our second round and
tells him it's time to go home.
She looks at me as if I would steal her purse.

Taking One for the Team

2010-06-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

Today I have to go to my pain management doctor for a shot in my knee. The last one was very uncomfortable and there was pain. Enough to make me nervous thinking about it. If it helps the pain in my knee at all it will be worth it. But it might not help either. Remember, doctors practice medicine after all. All I can think about is that I need to take one for the team. My team, JT's and her Trikke's team.

I guess we can judge our adult-ness by facing situations like this one, especially needing to relax while very uncomfortable. "It's gonna hurt, so relax!", the doc says. HA! I'm a baby when it comes to this stuff. I squeal, hunch up, tense up and let the doc know how I feel about what he says is "uncomfortable." When they use that word, well, it's like when I take out the pet carrier for Jake. May as well stay under the bed, he isn't coming out.

So I must offer up my knee to the gods for sacrifice. It's not a virgin knee, but it will do. I can then add this to the list of knee work and go on to the next procedure if needed. Boy, what I won't do to trikke longer and harder.

Does Weight Loss While Sick Count?

2010-06-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

I have been sick all week, I fell last Sunday with something I had been fighting the previous week. So I went to the Doctor yesterday and found out I have a sinus infection. Not my first, so I understand why I have felt so lousy. And yet when I got on the scale I had lost another 5 pounds!! Well, I know I've hardly eaten all week but some of it has got to count. I always have to say to the nurse, "up one more" to that 50 pound marker. Not anymore. I still have two more 50 pound chunks to go, but that will come with time.

I am amazed that no matter what I do I keep losing weight. I don't think I am eating my best, and another 2-3 pounds come off. Don't misunderstand. I have completely changed the way I eat, and I love eating more healthfully. I exercise and drink lots of water. I'm doing everything right, and it works!! I still overeat at night, so that effects how much I lose, but I'm not in a hurry. I don't want to have to lose these pounds twice.

So even though some of the five pounds will come back, I probably can forget a few of them. Isn't science wonderful? Eat the right things and you will lose weight. They said it would be like this.

How Many Shoes Does It Take?

2010-05-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

I am on my third pair of shoes. Breaking Trikke shoes in is a bitch, especially if I am in the middle of trikking and my feet start to hurt. Not only am I far from home when the pain starts, but I don't want to go home either.

My ugly shoes (previous post) are hopeless, being made with a mixture of rubber and suede. They are too tight at the side of my toe, and the material won't budge, not even 1/4 inch.

My second pair (above), are like deck shoes that were said to be like crocs, but aren't. The only thing croc-like about them is that they are anti-bacterial. I finally broke down and got a conventional pair of shoes, Danskins, (below). They are ugly only because they aren't Sketchers. They don't give me the closeness to the foot deck that I like while trikking. And the bottoms of my feet still hurt.

It is probably because I hold onto the handlebars with a death grip that only my feet can compete with. For some reason I don't relax my feet while trikking. I thought at first I was trying to go faster than my fitness level permits, but it might be the shoes. Or so the lady at Payless suggested. She said it had something to do with support.

I have noticed that when I start the kick-off with the right foot, (while traveling), if I don't stay flat-footed there, my foot stays relaxed. I have also noticed if I just take it easy and stop trying to go as fast as a bike, I don't handle the bars with the aforementioned death-grip. Maybe if I take it easier I'll be able to trikke longer. After all, what is my hurry? I live in urban heaven here in Downtown Long Beach, CA. And Summer is coming...

And so my quest for the perfect shoe continues...

Nike -- any ideas?

Jake, the Master of the Nap

2010-05-20T11:12:00.000-07:00

The Slowest Striptease

2010-05-19T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm still trikking, and eating well. I am still losing weight. And every pound is a new thrill. Every week I am able to unpeel another layer, like an onion.

I kind of wondered if each pound or two would be as exciting as the first pound or two, and the answer is YES, every pound, ounce or gram is exciting and fulfilling. After all, I fought for each pound lost.

I am finding that my esteem is growing. I cannot help looking in windows as I pass by, each week looking better than the last. And even though I have lost only 21 pounds, my body has changed by leaps and pounds... I mean bounds.

Breaking news... I have lost a total of six inches overall, so far. I am so proud of myself! I need a reward. It used to boggle my mind that a reward would be anything but food. Yet now I am picking out things that have nothing to do with something I put in my mouth.

I now think a smaller size t-shirt is an amazing reward. I also think things like flowers and shoes and music are all satisfying. So many ways it's no trouble thinking them up. Like this reward right now... a Trikke ride. Bye!!

Another Seven Down!!

2010-05-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

I'm the most surprised woman on the planet right now. I lost another 7 pounds!! I think the answer is my Trikke. After a few hours on Birdie and it doesn't matter what I eat. When I am actively trikking my weight just goes down.

I complain that my scale is not moving, and then I trikke a couple of days. I must apologize to the scale. Even though I have had clues along the way, opening to having a suspicion, to then having it proved to me. Again. And again. I finally get it. "YEAH! Another 'X' pounds!" I am now in the weight range for my T78 air.

On TrikkeTalk.com, the place for all things Trikke, I found a survey asking how many miles I trikke a week. It made me realize how many miles I cover, another surprise! I usually go 3-5 miles per outing, and I trikke about 3-4 times per week so that averages up to 20 miles a week. That is when I'm feeling well. I was discouraged at first when reading about other Trikkers who do that in a day!

"I am so full of myself!" I thought.

When I finally got over myself, I realized I was doing more than I thought. This attitude of "not enough" is a familiar theme. In college I didn't study enough, I didn't write enough, yet graduated with a high 3 point GPA in my major's classes. At work I didn't make enough calls, and made $42,000+ per year (in 1990's money), always could have done more...

I have thought I wasn't enough for 53+ years, and it takes my Trikke to make me acknowledge that I accomplish much more that I realize. More than I give myself credit for even. 7 pounds worth of credit, BABY! Thank you Trikke. Thank you JT.

With My Last Few $$ I Bought Romaine

2010-05-06T07:45:00.000-07:00

Things really are changing around here. I'm doing what "they" say to do. I'm cutting down on fats, I'm making better choices when I snack, and the other day I spent my last few dollars on romaine. I have never spent my last few dollars on any kind of green food.

I used to spend my money on ice cream and candy bars. For a while I was only eating butter lovers popcorn, 5 bags a day. I have had a love affair with junk food, going way back.

My mother used to shut me up with candy when I was a baby. I used to spend my allowance on candy bars. When I became diabetic I still couldn't kick my sugar/fat habit. I figured sugar to me is what alcohol was to my parents. And they died because of it. Am I resigning myself to die from a sugar related illness?

I don't think so. The other day I reached for an apple instead of some other form of edible crap. And I enjoyed it! I have a new found love for Gala apples. And dinner is never served without a huge salad, that I estimate to be about 3 servings of veggies. Instead of candy bars I eat protein bars, instead of ice cream I eat yogurt and for something crunchy I eat nuts.

It was a few days before pay day and all I had was about $7 on me. I went to the store because I ran out of salad fixings! So I bought romaine. When I stopped at the cash register, I was blown away. I really have changed my lifestyle.

It's only a matter of time before my body catches up.

Weight Loss, Oops!

2010-04-29T10:27:00.000-07:00

I have not been writing about my weight loss lately, mostly because I lost focus for a few weeks. But that's ok, because I've got until 9/17/2011. This is my goal date, to be close to 175 lbs., or under. So I am going to get my focus back and stop eating more than 1800 calories a day.

I read an article that said to focus on three things that will help your weight loss success. So for this week I am focusing on NOT eating a days worth of calories after dinner, protein every four hours, and stretching after exercise.

Even though this is not the most widely read blog on the net, it helps me stay accountable to myself to read and write these words. And I feel like writing about this every week is too much and once a month is not enough, so maybe every other week would be better. I'll try it and see what happens.

Here's to strength and focus!

Ugly Shoes and the Sweet Spot

2010-04-25T13:33:00.000-07:00

I love these shoes. I hate these shoes. These are some ugly shoes. And yet, I love trikking in these shoes. When I wear these shoes while trikking, I feel very connected to the Trikke, like it's an extension of my body. The foot pads are my feet's pads. This gets me closer to the "sweet spot" while trikking.

I feel sorry for those who don't know about the sweet spot, and no it isn't next to the "G" spot. The sweet spot is trikking at its best, when every cell in my body is operating in sinc to make the Trikke ride one smooth movement.

Most days I feel like my legs and arms are operating separately. And then there are those magical days when I hit it right. It's one movement propelling this thing forward, not arms and legs and body and Trikke, all working separately to build the momentum needed to go forward. It's this smooth movement that generates forward momentum.

On those magical days when I hit that spot it is very zen like. Should I venture to say spiritual? I read somewhere that feeling comes from both sides of the brain operating together for this activity and it creates a peaceful state. That sounds right to me.

And so, that's why I wear these ugly shoes. Not to be fashionable, not because they make my feet look sexy. They get me to the sweet spot, and that's where I want to be.

Trikke, er, Toyota Grand Prix

2010-04-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Toyota Grand Prix. It is happening about one mile away. And it seems unusually quiet. Friday was the first "Free Friday" I have ever attended, and it was interesting, for a moment. All the vendors were selling food or race-emblazoned clothing. Oh, and Tacate.

Inside the convention center was a track set up for bike stunts. We got there in time to see some amazing flips, high jumps and other high jinks.
I can't help wondering where Trikke is this weekend. I think a Trikke exhibit is missing from this expo.

Where are the guys with their Trikkes all set up waiting for these visitors from around the country to ask the questions I am asked constantly on the street. If Trikke wants to go big, this world wide event seems to be a good place to continue.

If Trikke had been at this event, I would have brought that excitement home with me. I would be talking about it around the water cooler on Monday. I would have been checking out the Trikke.com sites around the "www". And I would start the process of buying and learning how to capture that Trikke Moment, when I know I've got the carve down.

Oh, wait, I do have a Trikke, and I have done all those things in the last paragraph already! Well I never talked about it around a water cooler, not yet anyway. If I did, I would say it is the best invention yet, except for fire of course. Oh, and the wheel. Three wheels exactly. Carve Diem!

Willa in Water(color)

2010-04-17T17:02:00.000-07:00

The Usual Suspects

2010-04-16T09:30:00.000-07:00