Inspiration by Nosferatu

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...

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

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

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.

I Love Zone Bars, part 2

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

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

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!

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

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!