The Real Day 3: I think I've got it.

After a cabillion false starts I think I've finally got my photos numbered correctly and with the right date. I've been admiring everybody's blogs, and mine was looking kind of junky so I changed it. It's a little bargain basement, 70s orange, but I dig it.

I wrote yesterday that I walked 1.9 miles, and I was so mad that I didn't technically hit the 2 mile mark. I was so determined on the next walk to hit that 2 miles that I hit a little further. I'm gonna have to take a rest day, but I'm feeling good about it. I'll make it a point to get in a really nice meditation and some reading. I haven't been getting that done as much, so I'll focus some energy on that.

I found an easier mileage thingy than googlemaps. It's MapMyWalk.com. It'll even tell you how many calories you burned if you type in the time you walked. I got this photo in with a whopping three hours to spare. I'm gonna keep this short so I can get my daily dose of shredder blogs.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Walk a NEW RECORD 2.3 miles!!!
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and veggies
• Drank FIVE glasses of water
• Back exercises

Day 3: Walking and Talking / Correction Day 2

I needed some privacy yesterday to take a call from a friend in need so I brought my phone on my walk and talked. I ended up walking the furthest I've walked by a tenth of a mile. I'm just shy of the 2 mile mark.

I was back at the USO tonight. I spent almost my whole shift just talking with two Marines getting ready to ship out to Japan. One Marine had already been in for two years and spent 60 days including Christmas driving across the sand (which is actually topsoil that has been overfarmed) in freezing cold water eating those horrible MRE meals from a pouch. He made a movie on his laptop to stave off the boredom. The other Marine was just out of boot camp and had never been out of the country before. Neither of them could sleep and literally were just bored. I asked if they wanted a video game or frozen pizza, and they said, "No." I asked them if they wanted to talk, and they said, "Yes." We talked the whole night.

The best parts of my day consisted of just walking and talking. Such a simple day, but I really got a lot out of it. I hope those Marines stay safe.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink FOUR glasses of water
• Walk 1.9 miles (a record)
• Meditate
• Back exercises

Me at the gallery show with my friend's pop surrealist painting. It's a painting of Rainbow Brite. The head in the wheelbarrow is Gem.

Correction: The painting is of Strawberry Shortcake not Rainbow Brite. Thanks Shari!

Day Two: A Revelation / Correction Day One

I discovered something about myself that I did not know. (See cartoon)

My jeans are actually too big. Not comfortably baggy like I thought. I'm totally psyched to realize I am definitely a smaller size. I guess I could have guessed in when I noticed that I don't have to unbutton these button fly jeans to take them off, but I kind of dug the convenience of it. hehe
Thanks to these daily photos, I am prioritizing buying new jeans. At least one decent pair. I mean WOW. I had no idea how unflattering my pants are. Tonight it's back to the USO for my shift. It's so cool having fun things to do instead of dreading my days. I practiced guitar again (open chords only) and NO PAIN today. Just a little stiff. But I'm typing. Little by little, I won't just get my life back from before the accident, I'M GETTING AN EVEN BETTER LIFE.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Walk 1.6 miles
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Meditate
• Practice guitar FIVE minutes

****************
Corrected Day One Photo

Day One: Going for 28 Out of 28 - Correction Day Zero Official Blog Post Stating Start of Shredder Council 2.0

I'm out of practice of doing those side by side photos and it took forever to find a room where I could get a full body pic. The only room long enough is the kitchen. No time to dig out my swimsuit so I'll just do it with the clothes. My mission really is more about regaining FULL MOBILITY and the swimsuit photos make me a little nutty and depressed, but we'll see. I may dig it out weekly or something.

I had a GREAT TIME at the art show last night. A cute guy even took my number and asked me to lunch. You never know with the number thing, but it was a fun night. My friend's painting was the very FIRST painting you see when you enter the show. It was cool.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Walk .5 miles at the Book Festival
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and veggies
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Meditate

Fun, Fun, Fun!

I'm a night owl,so I only got a few hours sleep before it was off to the LA Festival of Books to see my sister's band. I only just woke up, but I'm so excited because my friend, Brett Gilbert, has a painting in an exhibit downtown tonight. I'm so HAPPY to be back in Los Angeles. There weren't a lot of cool art shows on my island in the Philippines.


Yesterday I'm grateful i got to:

• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and veggies
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Read a chapter
• Meditate
• Back exercises
• Walk 1.5 Miles!

Taking a stab at moderation and balance

When I was a kid my Mom used to lecture me about moderation. I was never good at it. EVER! From regular stuff like work or school or the student newspaper or the school orchestra, I would be full on obsessed and my entire world would revolve around this project, this career choice or way later in life--some guy. But life has kind of forced this concept of moderation and balance down my throat. I've seen how my obsessions have affected my health: physically, mentally and spiritually. I want a different result than I've had before.

I'd like to feel the comfort of a balanced life filled with health, happiness, loved ones, friends, creative pursuits, service, and God. So my moderate plan is an attempt not to get too obsessed, but every time I go for walk, I feel one word bubbling through my mind--MARATHON. Did you know people WALK the LA Marathon? There's no time limit and if you keep a pace of 15mph, you'll even finish while the streets are still cordoned off from traffic. All I have to do is walk about 13.5x further than I've done on my best day, but I've got nearly 11 months before the event. My brain starts setting up obsessive schedules, mile goals, making speeches, my pace quickens. Then I force myself to FOCUS on what Im doing! My brain is funny.

These last few years I've found this little-by-little moderation thing has done wonders for my business so far and it helped me lose forty pounds. So you never know. A lot of things have happened in the ten months while I was in the Philippines. The LA Marathon is still ten months away or even a year and ten months away. There my brain goes again. Well I can daydream, obsess, plan IN MODERATION. :)

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Walk .8 Miles
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and veggies
• Back exercises (and remembered to write it down here)
• Meditate
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book

Walking, Yes Indeed I'm Walkin'

Like the song says. So great to be able to walk around even slowly. I only did a half a mile, but got to enjoy the weather and pick up a few things at the shop around the corner.

This Saturday one of my sister's bands, Murphy's Flaw, is playing at Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, and now I'm well enough to go! It's so great to be able to say YES to fun things I enjoy doing again.

I've got another one of those little things above my blog again. It's a yellow triangle with an exclamation point in it that says, "Scheduled outage at 4:00PM PDT" next to it. I had one of those yesterday, too. Is anybody else getting these?

Yesterday I'm grateful I go to:

• Walk for half a mile
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and veggies
• Drink FIVE glasses of water

Maxin' and Relaxin'

I took a rest day, yesterday. I'm gonna walk really slow today so I don't get too stiff. I'll put my focus on listening to my body and enjoying the great weather. Thanks to everybody for the encouragement on steering clear from injuries. There's a little sign above my blog saying there will be an outage on my blogger accournt in five minutes so this will be short.

Yesterday grateful I got to:

• Rest
• Drink FOUR glasses of water
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Meditate

Taking it slow

Last night was my first night at the U.S.O. Here's a picture in my brand new U.S.O. volunteer shirt.

I totally lucked out. My fellow volunteer, Jean, is a super cool lady, and the 2am-6am shift is slower and without a lot of chores. Mostly our guests are sleeping, so I just have to do wakeup calls and make coffee or what not and be on hand if somebody misses a plane or needs directions or whatever middle of the night crisis comes about. I'll learn as each thing comes up. But we did get some men from the Air Force in at about 5 am, and my years of being single and not being a particularly good cook came in handy as the most popular order for the boys is to heat up the most depressingly named frozen food item ever - the Celeste PIZZA for ONE.

Years of using strange microwaves and an ability to fearlessly look straight into the glass and know that four minutes on the box never means four minutes in reality came in handy.

My website about thank you notes made a record profit yesterday. The biggest day ever. I am so excited. There are many grateful people in the world.

On the workout front, I've actually been doing my back exercises but forgetting to write it down. Yesterday after my walk, I had that scary weird pain in my leg so I'll have to slow it down. I was just getting carried away with trying to walk further and break a record. Old habits die hard, but I love being mobile so much I'm not gonna let me ego blow it for me. So today I'll walk less distance and really slow and see how I feel.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Meditate
• Back exercises
• Walk 1.75 miles

I start at the USO tonight

My new gig at the USO is starting in six hours. I'm so excited and even a little nervous. So much to know and learn. I want to do a good job for our boys in blue. I feel that pre-mission excitement building and the excitement of big reveals for Diane and Mike Groom and Michael. Plus the Beach Body gals are kickin' some serious booty.

It feels good to be able to walk outside. Since I don't have a space of my own here at my sister's house, I also enjoy the time to myself. Stress management is a huge component for my overall health and happiness and walking really seems to relieve that for me. Who knew I could ever enjoy and be grateful to just walk around? Nothing like not being able to do something for a little while to make me really want to do it again. Without a space of my own (I live on the couch and have just a drawer or two), the photo thing is not yet worked out, but I do the best I can and have Faith they'll be a way. May there's some place outside or something.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Walk approx. 1 mile at the Street Fair. FUN!
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and veggies
• Drink THREE glasses of water
• Meditate
• Read a chapter

Testing 1-2-3

I was so glad today that after having lunch with a friend, we discovered we were parked FREE for the street fair. My friend asked if I was up for walking around the fair after lunch. Thanks to all the confidence I have gotten from practicing, I said YES! Then we walked into the bookstore and there was a cafe upstairs. I was able to go up and have coffee, too. Man, it's so great to be outside!

I'm testing my photos. The light is bad in my sister's apartment, and I'm a night person (and night is my only time alone, because that's when my sister is working), so I'm going to have to experiment. I've been wearing my RTP hoodie all the time. So I left it on when I got back into the house tonight.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Meditate
• Read a chapter
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink SIX glasses of water

Gotta get my camera ready for ShredderCouncil 2.0!

Yay Lynda and other shredder council veterans! We're back in business. Now, I've got to figure out a new system for taking photos. Just have to figure out where to stack some books and stand for my picture. My goals really don't have much to do with photos, but the photo thing is strangely motivating and (randomly depressing at times).

Yesterday, I'm grateful I got to:

• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Walked a NEW RECORD 1.8 miles

Practicing What I Preach

I don't see myself as a preacher, but Adam's post today got me to thinking, What do I preach?

My health philosophy is molded from my life experiences, which I've bored people with on this blog many times before. Basically, I have serious (but not unsurmountable) physical and mental health issues that have sort have reformed me from a very driven, hardcore Go, Go, Go and later Crash, crash, crash-type, person into a person who prefers to just do what I can, be grateful for what I have, and have a lot Faith that that's okay. Some days what I can do for whatever reason is nothing. Some days it is more than I expected. Each day I try really hard to remember that what I did that day, and in every moment is ENOUGH. Always.

I enjoy being part of Adam's merry band of shredders. I enjoy the focused energy and love of being in a group of people who care about themselves in what ever form that takes to put energy into their own well being and support others. Somehow being part of the group LIFTS the what I can do. I know in my heart that on that first 14 Day mission, I never would have been able to walk to the kitchen without my walker without all of the encouragement and good vibes and just flat out inspiration that I received from all my fellow shredders and Adam.

Thanks to the improvements in my physical health I get to now enjoy a fuller life. I believe creative pursuits, family, friends, service, God and (maybe even one day a significant other) plus moderate eating and exercise EQUALS health. And I really want to enjoy HEALTH.

I wrote this all today as sort of a campaign to be included in the next Mission. I often feel really insecure that my point of view (or to use other words What I Preach) doesn't really serve to the betterment of a "Real Time Physique" blog as my goals and thoughts really have nothing to do with my physique or a rapid fire transformation. But I do feel transformed and it even shows on the outside even though THE OUTSIDE picture is really NOT what I'm all about. I really think my HEALTH is an INSIDE job. The have Faith the outside will take care of itself.

So I hope I get to join you guys on the next mission. I have a lot of Faith that even if I don't meet the "Shredder Council 2.0 Membership requirements" for one reason or another that everything really works out for the best.

Yesterday (Thursday), I'm grateful I got to:

• Drink FOUR glasses of water
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and vegetables
• REST

Missed it by that much!

My sister was on the computer for most of the day and I didn't know so this is my first chance to post. Boo. Missed the day by 26 minutes.

Yesterday (technically Wed.) I'm grateful I got to:

• Eat SIX servings of fruits and vegetables
• Walk a record 1.3 miles in ONE session I walk super slow, so this was a HALF hour of steady walking. I'm getting pretty excited
• Drink FIVE glasses of water
• Meditate

Woo hoo.

I'm putting together a funny poems section on one of my websites, and I'm experimenting with code stuff to see if it works. So you can ignore it or read it if you enjoy corny and/or mildly amusing words in a row.

*********Coding Experiment for Inspirational Otter********

Funny Poems
from Inspirational-Otter.Com

This poem is supposed to be funny.
but what do you expect for the money?
This is what you get
when it's free on the net.
I hope the other poems are funnier than this.

Feeling a little sore, but great

I feel like a million bucks. Visiting the U.S.O. office was awesome. I start bright and early at 2a.m. on Tuesday.

I've got to work on some new material to try out at the Comedy Spot open mic tonight then it's off to my sister, Edie, perform at the Cinema Bar tonight. So this will be short so I can get around to visiting blogs. I'm also happy to report no serious pain in my left hand, so I'll practice an extra song tomorrow on the guitar. Still just simple open chords, but still fun. I'm also sore from walking

Yesterday, I'm grateful I got to:

• Practice walking for .63 miles. TWICE! Once in the afternoon and once in the evening.
• Eat FIVE servings of vegetables
• Drink EIGHT glasses of water
• Meditate
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book
• Back exercises

I Got It!

I spoke with the volunteer coordinator at the USO, and at the end of the conversation she said that, "We want you." I get to take a tour of their 2,000 square foot facilities tonight at 6 and pick out my weekly shift. Woo-hoo. I'm so excited. The shifts are short, only four hours. I get one shift to start off with, and then I'm on call for others. I'm so excited.

Yesterday, I'm grateful I got to:

• Eat SEVEN servings of fruits and veggies.
• Drink NINE glasses of water.
• Walk .63 miles. A tenth a mile above last time!
• Did my back exercises.
• Practiced my guitar for FIVE minutes simple, open chords only and hand stretches. (So far so good on hand. Just a little stiff. I'll watch it today.)

Bob Hope and Christy Murphy together at last?

Thank you to my fellow shredders for their comments. I forgot how much that brightens my day. I'm feeling particularly grateful today, because my cold is waning AND a little extra hope from Bob Hope may be coming way.

Very quick post regarding yesterdays good health stuff.

I'm grateful yesterday I got to:

• Drink three glasses of water
• Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables
• Practice walking briefly, but uphill
• Meditate
• Back exercises
• Plenty of rest

I've already gotten up and practiced walking once today.

Not Bob Hope exactly, but ...

I put in an application to the U.S.O. to be a volunteer at the Bob Hope Hollywood USO LAX . I got a voice mail message about my application. It's not for performing, it's for helping out in the airport lounge facilities when our serviceman our traveling through town. They need people for the overnight shift 2am-6am , and their offices are right around the corner. What are the odds of finding a volunteer position right in my neighborhood that suits my crazy sleep schedule! Now that I can stand and sit up any time I want, I can do stuff that I feel is sort of useful. I hope they can use me. Wish me luck!

Shredder Council 2.0 is coming

I have no idea what it means, but it's sure to be exciting. Adam is cooking up his next big mission. I can hear his Aussie-accented voice in my mind's ear saying "shred hard" and words like "mastermind group" and "massive" and all his other enthusiastic and encouraging catchy sayings that have seeped into the lexicon of shredder blogs and I can guess have even fallen into actual, real-life conversations with our friends and family.

I'm back to daily posting, and I can see my mood lifting already. I'm still dealing with a cold and other health issues. I was going to do a nifty chart, but Suzette noted that she just typed what she did and I kind of dig that more. In the long run, it's more work, but I like to blab about what I do and take credit for my little victories where my health is concerned. All of it is ultimately in the hands of God as is everything in my life. But this blog is for celebrating my blessings and coping with my disappointments when the blessing aren't as easy for me to recognize. Sort of spiritual/health refrigerator for me to tack up my latest finger paintings of all the things I have to be grateful for.

Yesterday I'm grateful that I got to:

• Practice Walking for Half a Mile!
• Read a Chapter from a Spiritually Enriching book
• Meditate
• Eat 5 full servings of fruits and vegetables

You know what I realized returning to this blog and the Shredder Council? That my first 14 day mission goal was to not use my walker and walk to the kitchen to make my own coffee. And with an exception to the airport flight when I had use it a little before they brought my wheelchair, I haven't use it AT ALL. It's all the way in garage. I not only make coffee for me and my sister every morning, I can stand to wash the dishes without even having to take a break. All that time in the Philippines where my Mom had to bring me meals in bed. You know what? I've made dinner for Edie and me so many times since I've been back, I can't even count. I carry the plates and everything.

Pretty damn cool.

Charts Are All the Rage

I'm gonna set up one of those nifty charts that everybody has. I think they're pretty cool. Just for fun. I'm not big on feeling guilty about what did or didn't get done. It stresses me out, and stress management is the key to less pain and health issues for me. That said, when I first started this blog my focus was on meditation, water, reading, servings of fruits and vegetables and dancing around my room. I'm going to replace the dancing with practicing walking, because I really want to be able to walk far and I have this crazy idea that one day I might want to try to walk the LA Marathon. I'm not committing to it. It's just this funny idea I've had. But for now, it would be cool to walk a few miles without having to shuffle home and lay down. So I'll note how far I get each day so I can CELEBRATE every step.

I still have a cold, but my LEFT hand is feeling way better. I'm going to keep stretching it. Ooh. I'll add that to the chart. Now to figure out how to make it.

My sister came into some bread

No not money. BREAD! It's the craziest thing. My sister came home last night with tons of whole wheat bread and raisin bread, raisin bagels and raisin English muffins. Apparently there was a couple who needed a jump start for their bread truck, but nobody would stop for them. Since it was broad day light and the bread truck is around the neighborhood a lot, my sister gave them a jump. They paid her generosity off in bread. At first Edie declined, but the wife insisted.

Cinnamon Raisin bagels are a whopping 5 Weight Watchers points. Somehow free food born out of good deeds is all the more tasty. So worth it.

Still sick. I slept all day yesterday and woke up at midnight. I'm so glad I have the luxury of working at night. I did do my back exercises though. I can't afford to get too stiff.

Slept all day

Holy smokes. I slept an entire day. Total Rip Van Winkle. Just want to keep posting to stay in the habit of posting. Wow. This cold came out of nowhere.

Return to Daily Posting

I'm sliding in under the wire on posting. Does eating Spam Lite for lunch count as healthy? Um. I would say NO. Although I appreciate the effort the makers of Spam set forth in producing the tasty Spam Lite, I doubt I'll be eating a lot more of it in the near future. My Spam eating was out of necessity in that there was nothing else to eat in the house, but my big sister is at the store now. I'm totally freeloading on the grocery bill, but I totally earned my keep by cleaning out the entire fridge and freezer to make room for all our healthy food. And when I say cleaned out, I mean throw freezer-burned stuff out and Ice-Aged condiments into the trash NOT eat all the unhealthy food. Because with an exception to the Spam Lite, there isn't a lot of unhealthy stuff at Chez Sister's Place.

I totally have caught ANOTHER COLD. But I'm taking my vitamin C and various other herbal and medicinal elixirs. My hand is fully functioning today. I used both my left and right to scrub many funky Tupperware containers I excavated from the not-often-seen recesses of my refrigerator.

The Most Powerful Reason Why

I wasn't going to post today. I was just gonna go around to some of the shredder blogs and soak up a little inspiration, when I read something in Lynda's Blog that really tapped into what I needed to hear:

"The reason for exercising and eating well. It´s to be able to live life to the hilt in every way..."

I really want that. God, I think about nothing else almost every day. A friend of mine had been keeping my guitar for me while I was in the Philippines. I studied music when I was a kid and up through college, but I never really was much of a guitar player. I played violin in the orchestra, but I gave that up years before the accident. After the car accident, I had a nerve damage on my ulnar nerve of my left arm from where the other car hit. I couldn't really play much, but nerve stuff is weird. I kept the pressure off my arm, watched the way I slept and took a break from playing any music for the last three years. I thought I'd try the other day, because I'd started work on some comedy songs that I wanted to work out.

Holy SMOKES! I couldn't use my left hand for nearly two days. There isn't too much tingling, but my hand is SO WEAK. And the pain kind of grew to scary levels. But I'm glad I tried so I know that I'm weak. Now that I know, I can work on slowly building my strength in my hand over time so I can play again. I'd be lying if I didn't say it made me super sad. Maybe it was the pain. Sometimes that's a bummer.

It was so strange. One of my sister's bands, Dimebox Band, had their CD release party last night, and my friend Joey Buttler had a show on Friday that Edie and I went to. It was really fun and inspiring, but later I was surprised that I was kind of sad about not being able to play and how long it will take to just be able to again.

I went to the music store and bought a guitar book and a new capo anyway. Nothing lasts forever. I'm typing with both hands right now. But yeah, one day soon I'll be playing my guitar, running really fast, and wearing high heeled shoes even on concrete floors while standing for hours at a time and climbing any set of stairs without even a second thought. I wish it were today though. Soon.

Busy, busy, busy

I've been super busy with stand-up comedy. I haven't had any big shows that are good for taping, but I've been keeping on top of my back exercises and just going out more means I'm walking and standing more.

I've been making a concerted effort to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables during the day. My Size 12 jeans no longer fit. I'll have to buy new pants soon, but money is a little tight.

When I left Los Angeles for the Philippines I weighed between 185-190 an all time high. Now I weigh between 145-150. It's really cool that I haven't gained the weight I lost while I was away. My site dedicated to thank you notes had it's first over 3,000 unique visitor days as of this week. It's so cool!

I'm completely behind in reading my fellow shredder blogs. I am so impressed how everybody keeps on top of their blogs and reading everybody's blogs while working full-time jobs and even having kids. Hats off guys.

I attempted to walk two miles in the neighborhood the other day. Unfortunately, I started hurting pretty bad. But the cool thing is I stayed calm and relaxed and just walked super slowly back home. Sometimes it's the panic of the pain that can really get to you. It's what I think in my head it might mean. Particularly with back pain. I just relaxed, canceled my plans for the evening and rested. I did my back exercises and just keep working through it. I've had to take some advil here and there, but overall, things are getting better.