Silly Willa

There is something about a paper bag...

... that makes Jake want to get
cozy.

My Friend, the Diet

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

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

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

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

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.