Stupid MRI Tubes

I almost did not have an MRI today. Um, that little, tiny LONG tube that they put you in headfirst on your back? Yeah, NO F'ing WAY! I tried to be tough and brave, I really did. I actually got all the way inside that thing before freaking out. I pep-talked myself that I could do this. I couldn't. My shoulders are too wide to fit in the MRI tube, so they made me raise my arms over my head. Once inside, my shoulders were pressing against the sides of the tube, and also against my ears, the top of the tube was TOUCHING MY NOSE, and my hips were squished against the sides too. I totally and completely panicked and yelled to be taken out. I was sweating and hyperventilating. Right now, just typing this, my heart is racing, and I have that punch in the pit of the stomach feeling. I apologized profusely to the tech, but I'm sorry, that was ridiculously crazy! He was really nice and said most people can't do it and that it was totally fine. He gave me two other options (THANK GOD) of sedation or what they call an "open" MRI. I said no to sedation, what if I woke up? NOPE. So, I went with the open MRI. MUCH BETTER. They had to send me to another facility, but I'm so glad it worked out. The open MRI is like a giant hamburger bun, with the sides open. I was cool with that and actually fell asleep. Whew!! I'm going to have nightmares about that other one.

Now it's hurry up and wait. Do I have a herniated disc or what? I want to know NOW! I want it FIXED! Krzysztof says I will be back at training soon, but I'm so scared they will tell me I shouldn't train.  This whole disability thing doesn't work for me. I will find a way damnit!

Amen Brother, Amen

I really like my doctor. After 4 denials, she called my insurance company today and kicked butt. She smiled when she handed me the approval number for my MRI. She took my hand and said, "We are gonna get you better". Apparently, I've lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks because I am in too much pain to eat. I called her office this morning in tears. I'm not a big cryer. Her nurse told me to be there in an hour. I came in hunched over with big puffy, red eyes. I didn't comb my hair or put makeup on. Too much effort. I got ZERO sleep last night from the blinding pain shooting up and down my leg, up through my back into my eyeballs and back down to my calves. I wanted to scream but it came out in short little bursts of pitiful grunts. Got more steroids and pain killers shot into my butt today, but I am pain-free this evening (relief!) and my MRI is scheduled for Wednesday morning, and I have an appointment with a spine specialist. Lots of happier people in my life now, especially K who put his sledgehammer back in his trunk, and I am dwelling on his last text "Now it's time to pray for best-case scenario results". Amen brother, amen.

My Sentiment Today

Spending Spree

Before I found out about the gazillion dollars I owe the IRS, I did a little shopping. I found these cool jeans and really pretty comforter at midnightvelvet.com, and I got new frames for my glasses. So now I look cool and sleep cozy while the US government gets to retire on my very painful payment. Because of the short sale on my home in Washington last year I was punched right in the gut. Thank God I knew it was coming and was prepared, it could have been heart-attack inducing! I'm not kidding. I could have paid cash outright for a new car with what I had to pay them! Arrrrrg.

Invasive Fish

So, I ran across this really interesting little webpage called Invasive Fish. Well, I didn't really "run across" it, I met the author. (A story for another time.) You should check it out for yourself, interesting stuff.  Fun pictures! You should visit. Go! Go now!

Now, some of you know that I like to fish, and that I have very fond memories of fishing with my dad. I was dragged all over as a kid camping, fishing, hiking, stuff like that, and because I was an only child, I paid attention, learned quickly and kept to myself. This gave me the edge. I remember all the old men on the docks were so impressed with how quiet and well behaved I was (not anything like I am now) and they would all clap or congratulate me when I made a good catch. I would get so excited watching the fish flop around. Other kids would get bored and cast out, reel in, cast out, reel in, and drive everyone crazy. I would just sit there patiently listening to my Walkman, finger on my line so that I could feel any little nibble. I gnawed on my beef jerky and would steal marshmallows from my dad's tackle box. Good times.  I haven't fished since my dad passed away in 2007, but I have reason to get my pole wet again now, so perhaps my dad will go with me in spirit.

Physical Therapy, a Walking Stick and Shots in the Butt

So I really jacked up my back good. Having a rough time getting better. It had been 6 days without getting better, so physical therapy was the next step. I've had back injuries before, but never has recovery taken this long with so much effort. Icing, heat, drugs, stretching, praying. I guess it's the getting old thang. Or maybe I'm stubborn and can't break from sitting too long at the keyboard with the pressure bearing down on my lower back. Either way my patience is running thin. K is in constant contact with me checking up on my progress. I told him I was worried it was taking me too many steps backwards and I'm scared of regressing. I told him I don't like being idle and that I missed training terribly. This was his reply, "Everything happens for a reason. It was a sign that your body needed some rest and was being pushed too hard. This rest will be good for you. Don't stress about it. We will get back at it soon and will go light and slowly push." You can tell by his response that he feels responsible for pushing me hard, even though I've told him that isn't so.

I'm trying to keep my mind occupied with writing, reading and talking/spending time with the newest addition to my life, which is good. I'm learning some things about myself. Work has been a little overwhelming lately, but I did complete a huge project which is a load off. I was able to relax tonight for the first time in a while enjoying some of the simpler things in life.

Got two shots in the butt a week ago, and two more today (ouch!), got x-rays taken and went to my first physical therapy session on Monday. PT went really well, I feel better already, but I am learning all new ways to move/walk and get up from sitting and prone positions. It's odd and will take some getting used to. The last 7 months of training has produced several large "knots" in my lumbar spine that are impinging on several different nerves, causing extreme pain. My PT doesn't suspect any disc damage (x-rays will verify that) but it will take 6 to 8 weeks of PT 3 times a week before I am fully healed. UG. I will most likely be back at training in a week or so but will be starting off slower and there will be more stretching before and after. I still get to hit and kick things, but with some caution. This injury will NOT WIN. It turns out several guys from my old gym are regulars at the PT facility, go figure! We all beat up our bodies, apparently, and get lazy in our movements. I use my lower back muscles WAY too much for everything, so now I will be using more of my abdominal muscles. Good times. I have MAJOR cabin fever so I'm going back to work to tomorrow, my first day without pain killers.  I have a walking stick just in case I feel myself losing balance.  We'll see how it goes.

I have a secret.

Me the other day contemplating all my new possibilities. Life is on the exciting side right now! Sporting my Ray Ban's here with my grandma's diamond necklace that I love so much.

Injured, Sick, Loopy, but Suddenly Pretty Damn Happy!

Last Saturday I came down with a chest cold, but decided to go to training anyway on Sunday because I didn't want to cancel on K at the last minute when he was driving all the way down from Torrance to train me at Reign in Lake Forest. I was doing pretty well despite feeling crappy, sweating the toxins out.  He was taking it pretty easy on me, and I was glad I decided to go. The last 15 minutes of the session, he had me doing "get ups"; an exercise where I wear a 50-pound vest thingee and fall on the ground and get back up again. Weird, I know, but getting knocked down and having to get back up is all part of boxing, go figure!  On one of my get-ups, I twisted JUST the wrong way and BOOM, I went down like a rag doll. Twinge in the back. OK, no problem, just sit for a minute and try again. Nope, not happening. Mega pain. Back was toast. Couldn't get up. K panicked when he saw the way I went down (he could tell it wasn't good) and came running. He had to help me up and he stretched me out for about 20 minutes. It helped a little, enough to get me to the car, but sharp pains were shooting all over my body from my lower back. CRAP. I can't even say I was doing some awesome high twist kick or something cool like that, NO, I hurt my back getting up off the fucking floor. Awesome.

I had to drive to Hollywood later that eve to go to one of my (step) son's performances, and I think the drive to/from did some more damage to my back. When I got home, I tried Aleve, stretching and some ice, but when I tried to get up off the floor from all that, I could NOT GET UP! I mean seriously I couldn't! I started to have a panic attack and cried briefly in fear. It is a helpless, awful feeling!!  Mags was upset and was whining and trying to lick my face. After much trying in excruciating pain, I made it up onto the recliner (thank you push-up practice!)  I crawled up the stairs (literally) to bed. The next morning, I could not stand up straight without holding on to something! It took me FOREVER to get the bathroom, I almost peed myself! Soooo not good. Called the doctor immediately when I coughed big and fell down. The doctor prescribed some pretty heavy-duty stuff. Percocet (pain killer), Flexeril (muscle relaxer), Prednisone (steroid) and Naproxen (high powered anti-inflammatory). I also got two shots in the ass (a pain killer and steroid) right in the office. Shots in the ass really freakin' hurt, btw! Apparently, I am all kinds of fucked up. Ack! Well, it was bound to happen with all this crazy training I do with UFC guys, so I have to suck it up. K has had like, 27 surgeries and knows my plight all too well. Comes with the territory, especially being 41, overweight and somewhat new at this. I won't be driving (cuz of meds) and probably can't train for 2 weeks. NOOOO! So upset. The next few days sucked. My chest cold developed into Bronchitis and work is out of control busy, and since I am having to work from home all loopy it is quite the challenge.

Here is the cool part.  I met someone recently who has inspired me to start writing again. I used to write a lot on my website/blog, but I have been stagnant for quite a while because I had no muse. I suddenly have a muse. It's true I haven't posted much lately, but I have some writing in the works and am trying to decide whether to post it here, start something completely new or maybe submit it elsewhere. Hmm, decisions, decisions. Maybe all of the above! I wonder what my writing is like whilst (whilst!) I am partaking of a narcotic cocktail of pain killers and muscle relaxers. How am I doing so far?

Suddenly I'm so happy! I have a big smile on my face! Pain ain't gonna take ME down! Weeeeeee!  Yup, my life has taken some new turns lately and although some things seem rather dreary, it is turning out to be intriguing, motivating and I kind of have a fluttery feeling all over.  ;-)  Some other things in my life seem to be fading away, but there are new corners I'm turning, with interesting things appearing in front of me. I am excited to see where all these new things will lead.

Life, here I am! The good, the bad and the ugly, it's all good!

The moment you wonder why you thought having a dog was a good idea.

OK, I have to tell you all about my lovely morning. So I had to get up at 7 am (and you all know I don't start functioning until around noon, right?) to take Maggie into the groomer, and then drop my truck off at the mechanic. I put Mags in the back seat, like always. Everything seemed fine and normal. She ran back and forth from each end of the back seat pawing the windows, whining and jumping all over. Then I got to the groomer's and when I opened the back door to let Mags out, I almost threw up. She had had a diarrhea accident, and it was EVERYWHERE. Freaking EVERYWHERE. All over the seats, the windows, the doors, the seatbelts, her, her leash, everything. Then she jumped into my arms. Yeah. Not good. I had to clean it all up quickly, too, because my next stop was the mechanic. Thank the Lord God in Heaven for Clorox wipes. Gah.

They make me feel good about myself.

I know y'all (all 3 of you) are probably sick by now of my training posts, but this is a big thing for me right now so ya gotta deal, OK?  OK.  :-)

So yesterday at training a couple of things. First, as I was walking in, this huge, ripped fighter guy was walking out and said "Dang girl, you are here more than I am!!" I laughed cuz it's true, I live there. Then, one of the other trainers gave me a "fist bump" as I was walking by and said "Good luck today!" I thought he was just basically saying have a good training session, but I found out later it was more than that.

It was an exceptionally difficult session. One of the things K had me do was pull a weight rack towards me from all the way across the gym with a big, long, thick rope tied to it, like hauling in a catch, then I had to push it to back into place and do it again. We also did "sledgehammers", which is slamming down a heavy-ass sledgehammer onto a big monster tire. Apparently, K carries his sledgehammer around in his car everywhere he goes. About halfway through I was just DRENCHED in sweat, makeup all over everywhere, and breathing heavy. My face was purple. K told me to sit for a minute and recoup and he brought me my water bottle. He came and sat down next to me coaching me on my recovery breathing and said this:

K: "I want to tell you something."
Me: "Ooh nooo, what? Am I doing it wrong?"
K: (laughing) "No. A few of my other MALE clients could not finish this same workout today. You've already gone farther in. They quit. I wanted you to know that."
Me: "Whaa? Are you kidding?"
K: "No. When Arnie, my boss, (the guy who fist bumped you earlier) saw my training plan for you today he said, Holy shit Krzysztof, isn't that a little aggressive for her? I told him no, she'll do it, watch her."
Me: (I just sat there blinking at him, I had no words.)
K: (smiling) "I was right."

They must all do it on purpose to motivate, but these guys make me feel so good about myself. God bless them!

My Road

I walk my own road. I always have. Sometimes I run down it, sometimes I am dragged down it and I sometimes even crawl down it, but it is MY road alone. Sometimes people try to get on it with me, but they (so far) just get plucked off, kicked off, jump off or fall off.

I interned for King County Police in Seattle when I was in college, and I became very good friends with the chief of homicide; he kind of treated me like a daughter and took me under his wing. (That was the dept. I wanted to work in once upon a time.) I remember distinctly on my last day, he handed me an envelope with a letter in it. Something he said in it really touched me and has stayed with me. He wrote "Cheryl, you are a very unique woman on her own road. You have a destiny ahead of you that will challenge you, but always remember that it takes both strength AND heart to make that journey. I believe you will go far. It has been an incredible pleasure getting to know you. Good luck to you in the Academy! Keep your sharp wit and stay out of those pool halls!" (Haha on the last part, I played a lot of pool back then.) What brought this up you ask? Well, K had me doing push-kicks tonight (those are when you push your opponent backwards away from you by bringing up your knee to your chest and thrusting your foot out to their chest) and for some reason every time I did one, I heard in my head "GET OFF MY ROAD!!", which made the kicks more forceful. You see, the voices in my head try to help out during training, LOL! So, it brought this memory up for me.

My Trainer in the Movies

So most of you know that my trainer "K", former UFC superstar Krzysztof Soszynski, is now an actor as well. He was in "Here Comes the Boom" with Kevin James, playing "Ken Dietrich", and his newest movie "Tapped" will be out this fall where he landed a major role as the bad guy. I also just found out that he will be in two HORROR movies, with production beginning soon. One is called "Severed Connections" and the other (and I quote) is "Blah, blah, something in the woods" which will be shot in Texas. LOL! One of these days I'm gonna ask him to get me a part in one of these horror movies as an extra. :-)  I need to be a zombie!

An update for those of you who aren't on my Facebook.

Making new friends at the UFC Gym, and I'm putting in effort to get out of my comfort zone. I am outgoing and friendly (or try to be) but I have this habit of not trusting anyone (especially women which might surprise some of you), or, I get set in my routine and don't waver from it. My friend wanted me to come down to San Diego to hit the casino with him and some of his friends and family, but I had training that night and so I declined. Stupid. Should have gone. Would have been fun. I *CAN* reschedule training and still get my 4 nights in a week with K. I also got invited to go back to Austin, Texas again in June, but it conflicts with vacation time one of my direct reports has scheduled so I declined because I figured I would get told NO due to having too many peeps in my department gone at once. I should at least ASK first before assuming. I will do that on Monday. One of the people going said, "But you HAVE to go! It won't be as fun without you!" How sweet is that? I think some out-of-town trips would be really, really good for me. For Pete's sake I still haven't been to VEGAS! Plus, I want to keep getting asked to do stuff, so I need to say yes more often. I'm not getting any younger that's for sure, and a single, financially stable woman should be groovin' all the time before the world goes to hell in a hand basket. I just booked a flight for a quick trip to see my BFF in mid-April, so I just gotta keep up the good work!

I read a lot and recently read the "The 18 Rules of Happiness". I was surprised to learn that I practice most of them and that is probably why I'm so happy of late, but if I work on those last ones, imagine the extra bliss! Rule #3 is "Say yes more". It starts with a quote, "I will say yes to every favor, request, suggestion and invitation. I will swear to say yes where once I would say no." - Danny Wallace. The only time I can feel good about saying no is when I already have plans! BUT I will take a raincheck!!

Tonight, K started me with Tabata sprints, then the big rope-pull, then slams, then sledgehammers, then crunches and leg raises, then sidekicks, then front foot pushes, then a whole bunch of skipping rope. He always saves the best for last. As I was leaving, he added this, "I am teaching Muay Thai and kickboxing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Pick two and come. I want you sparring with my guys." Apparently 4 nights a week isn't enough.

I am a beefaholic. A vegan's worst nightmare. You'd think my cholesterol would be through the roof, but it's actually gone from 302 down to 200 in 6 months. Tonight, I made Filet Mignon (seared in a cast iron skillet), steamed asparagus and quinoa rice pasta (linguini cut) sprinkled with a little parmesan, garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil. YUMM! K doesn't want me eating wheat or flour, so rice pasta gives me the pasta choice.

Something I read today that made me think, "There is no up without down, no strength without weakness, no light without dark. One cannot understand or feel true joy without first experiencing pain and sadness." Hmm, so true. The balance of life. God knows what he is doing.

I made it through training tonight with plenty of energy, but I got my butt kicked big time. Back is hurting from high twist kicks and kettle bell swings. (40lb full-body kettle bell swings are HARD!) He also made me do planks in between sets. My elbows/forearms were sliding to the sides during planks because there was a waterfall pouring off of my face onto the matt. This makes things extra difficult, it feels like I'm on a slip-n-slide. There are about 100 cardio machines in 3 long rows (treadmills, ellipticals, rowers, etc.), all facing the same direction at the UFC gym. Guess who was getting trained and paraded right in front of their line of site? Yup. I swear K does this on purpose. I have to concentrate really hard to block my audience out.

Slip Drills

I texted K this morning that my back was toast from last night's drills. He asked me to let him know when I hurt so that he can tailor my next workout to avoid injury. Thursday night I worked a lot on "slips" (see video) and we did 30 straight minutes of strike avoidance (getting out of the way of a punch or kick). This involves bending and ducking in all sorts of odd positions while keeping your balance, your fight stance and breathing correctly. It's hard. I like this video because it shows how sopping wet you get boxing and you can hear their "breathing" patterns which is what K is a drill sergeant about. Fricking breathing. Oh! and his latest beef with me is my "angry face". LOL! When I start feeling the burn and start grunting, my face contorts into what K calls my angry face. He says this, "STOP with the angry face. RELAX and breathe." I'm all "RELAX? Are you f'in kidding me? I like making my angry face!" Then he gets his Krzysztof look and says, "So you like letting your opponent know you are hurting and tired? Not a good plan." I hate it when he makes sense.

Slip drills:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUcPHtfzs8c

So, I've been with K for 6 months now and I swear he finds a new muscle to rip apart in me every session. He tells me this afternoon that I won't run on the treadmill today, but instead he felt I was ready for "running ladders". You know ladders, where you see football players doing it all the time in practice. It's like hopscotch on steroids. I just try not to trip over my own feet. So now my knees, hips and ankles have joined my back in hell. And I get one whole day off before I go back.

A question I was recently asked: "So, what do you do besides work and train?" LOL. Not much! That is my life. It takes a HUGE amount of time and dedicaton to do this. I only work so that I can afford training, or I'd give that up. :-) I don't have kids to raise, or a husband to slave over so I'm free to do the things I've always wanted to do! I don't know how I settled on boxing/kickboxing/MMA, but I found my "thing". Who would have thought? I'm sure the people of my past would be rolling their eyes, insulting me and calling me Jane Wayne, but I don't care what anyone thinks, I love training and I'm not losing myself again! It originally started as something to do to regain my health, but now it is my love and obsession. Some women are obsessed with men, I'm obsessed with punching them. Ha!

I don't even know where to start!!

There is so much going on in my life right now, it is hard to know how to put it all on here. I am on Facebook every day, it would be so nice if I could just copy and paste all that crap here and be done with it.  LOL.

Training is going well. I had a pivotal moment with it in December when Krzysztof (K) got pissed at me and told me I needed to get my shit together. It was at that moment that I decided to quit smoking for real and change some things in my life forever. I did it! Smoke free for over a month now! My eating is much better, too, and yesterday K told me I was doing "fucking amazing"!  He has never said anything like that before, he is more of the yell at me type. K's new move "Tapped" comes out in the spring. He is the bad guy again. I am actually learning some technique now, rather than just gasping for oxygen. Boxing is hard!  I will start learning MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) at the end of the year when I've dropped enough weight to do the grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Mom is hanging in there, all done with Chemo and Radiation. She lost her hair, and it is growing back now. She had 70% tumor shrinkage and is in a partial remission at the moment. She is back to her "squirrel on crack" persona running around here driving me crazy. The doctor gave her less than a year, but I don't know, she is pretty onery. :-)  I got her an Xbox 360 for Christmas because she wanted to play the Kinect (like the Wii) for virtual bowling since she can't do it in real life. I, myself, am enjoying the zombie killing games. My stepson is schooling me on all things Xbox. "Left 4 Dead", "Dead Island" and now they just came out with "The Walking Dead" (after the series), which I love of course. I asked my therapist if there was something wrong with me (muscle cars, Xbox, horror movies, boxing), she said no, I was just a unique girl who was in touch with her male side. So, I'm going with that. People laugh at me when I have my boxing wraps on with my long, manicured nails. You CAN be girly and be a boxer too. Look at Ronda Rousey!!  She is totally beautiful and is one of the first women to be in the UFC!! UFC 157 in Feb!!

Work is weird.  Now that my Seattle counterparts are gone and the NJ plant shut down, I am overwhelmed and stressed, and don't know how much longer it is going to last. I'm putting all my money into savings and trying to hold off buying my new Dodge Challenger until after tax time. I want to pay cash for the car, but I don't want to eat up all my savings doing it. Training is super expensive too, so I have to figure out how I will replace my income temporarily if something happens to my job.  I'm still working from home 3 days a week since mom isn't driving, but I also train 4 nights a week, am still remodeling the house, the boys (my stepson and friends) come see me about once a month, and I go up there to see his plays, etc. Training used to be right here in Lake Forest, but K got a job at a new UFC gym in Torrance, so I followed him up there. Now it is an hour there and back. :-/  He is worth it, though, I am actually learning shit, and losing weight, and getting buff!

Well, that should catch you up somewhat. I went to Seattle in December to visit my best friend, which was a blast, but I froze to death, lol. I am going back to see her again in April, then she is coming to see me in July, and I will take her to Disneyland.

For those who asked, here is a typical day of my "fighter" diet that K monitors very closely:

Breakfast:  1/2 cup of steel cut oats (oatmeal) with stevia or honey. 2 eggs with salsa/peppers, water, cup of coffee. Multi-vitamin, fish oil, Vitamin D, Calcium.
Mid-morning: Protein shake with vanilla/caramel whey, 1 banana, nonfat milk.
Lunch: Grilled chicken with veges (celery, pepperoncini's, carrots, green peppers, green onions, cucumbers) and tomato in a spring mix/spinach salad in a ginger sesame dressing with croutons, water.
Midday: Protein shake with Chocolate whey, strawberries, peanut butter and nonfat milk.
--Killer workout for an hour--
Dinner: BBQ'd Beef tenderloin steak, steamed asparagus, wild rice OR sweet potato OR a little pasta, water.

Ta-Ta For Now!

Still Alive

I am working on a new site. I will be back soon. Don't give up on me!

Breaking Bad

OK, I came to the party a little late, but 'Breaking Bad' is hands down the BEST show EVER! It beats LOST, 24, ALL of them! My 70-year-old (but very hip) therapist recommended it to me for a "distraction". (Yes, I have a therapist, I have a few issues.) She absolutely loves the show (along with everyone else on the planet) and laughed while telling me the concept; a struggling, nerdy, seemingly spineless middle-aged chemistry teacher is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer (what my mom has) and winds up creating this pure crystal meth via advanced chemistry techniques with a former student of his so that he can leave money for his broke family and pregnant wife after he dies. OMG, the show is CRAZY, but incredibly well acted (Bryan Cranston has won 3 Emmy's now) and it just hooks you in completely. I was sitting with my jaw open at the end of episode 3, Season 1. I couldn't believe my eyes. I have been watching the seasons thru Netflix, waiting for each disc in the mail. NOT GOOD ENOUGH. So, I went out and bought a new 55-inch Samsung HD, 3D LCD TV with internet and a new cutting-edge Surround Sound system so that I can stream Netflix live and see the show in all of its glory whenever I want. So what that it cost me $3500! Maybe I will wait on retirement just a little longer. It gets delivered and setup tomorrow! Can't wait!

LONG LIVE WALT AND JESSE!

Life and Other Crazy Shit

So, the monkey wrench got tossed right into the ocean. BUT there was much learning from the event. I learned how I really feel about something and figured my priorities out. I think it happened for a reason because otherwise I would still be confused and unsure. As far as the prediction I mentioned, it can still unfold in my current situation. I just didn't realize it before. All in all, a positive learning experience, and a reinforced belief that "if something seems too good to be true, it probably is".

Krzysztof is now working me 4 days a week and I am actually improving by leaps and bounds! Especially my endurance in running/climbing. I can do more pushups, too! Weight is coming off slowly, but the inches are really adding up! (Muscle weighs more than fat.)

Mom is doing well and starts her fourth and final round of chemo next week. She finished radiation. She will complete all of her treatment by Thanksgiving! Yay!

I want to retire. My job is too stressful. They pay me a lot, but I am so tired, and I want to try and enjoy life before things get really bad. You know, do some traveling and stuff. Going to think about it and look for medical insurance alternatives to see if I can swing it sometime in the next two years. Maybe write for a living or do something fun part time. I don't know.

Monkey Wrench

Some very unexpected events have occurred in the last week, and I am all of a sudden questioning my life. A monkey wrench has been thrown in. The monkey wrench is good, really good, hence the confusion and questioning. There is some heart string pulling. It also made me realize how unsure I was about certain things. Sorry to be so vague; I'm sure this predicament will unfold at some point, and I won't be able to resist writing about it, but for now I need to get my head on straight and make GOOD decisions. This is happening for a reason; even others have told me they sense a good change occurring for me without them having much information. A kind of collective "this seems different, but different good". Bizarre. The other piece of this is that it was predicted by someone, and it seems to be happening exactly as spoken. October 20th could (possibly) become a very significant date for me.

Wanna Know What I've Been Doing and Eating?

I'm 3 months into training now with professional UFC fighter, Krzysztof Soszynski. He also makes my meals, which are quite yummy! My body has never hurt so much but felt so good at the same time! I am getting stronger and leaner every day and I'm loving this awesome and fun new sport!

Krzysztof's Power Breakfast:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl6SZVpzhEQ&feature=related

Egg White Pancakes with Krzysztof Soszynski:

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VvM-ps8eAE&feature=relmfu

I also just got back from 'Here Comes the Boom'! It was a cute movie, but I have to say, seeing a movie with someone you know in it, and sitting in the theater WITH them at the same time is as cool as it gets! The Reign Team was all there tonight cheering and hollering, so fun! K was freaking awesome!