Day 2: Leisurely Saturday

I'm planning on taking weekends easy on this mission. Nothing like starting on a Friday! :)

Today I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink FIVE glasses of water
• Walk 1/2 mile

Week One: Otter Vision Mission - A Choice

Today is the start date for my new 20/20 Otter Vision Mission. Thanks to Rob, Lynda, Michael and Diane for suggesting great names for my first mission. I took kind of a combo of two. :)

I had a big choice today. For feminine reasons the instructions on the fat caliper thingy said results wouldn't be accurate and I couldn't find my swimsuit for my day one pic. I could have postponed my start date because gathering stats and getting a good before pic wasn't happening, but I decided to put my energy into the process since that what I claim to what it's about. I'm EXHAUSTED. My plan is to do twenty miles a week and twenty pages a week. In my mind, I figured I would just do four miles and four pages a day for five days and take two days off or some variation. I can't walk four miles straight YET, so I have to break it up. I ended up walking for over TWO hours (one hour each session) today to get in my miles. Man, I'm totally beat.

I'll probably do measurements and swimsuit photos on Sunday or Monday. What's important is that I do the work.

Today I'm grateful I got to:
• Walk 4.5 miles! Woo-hoo!
• Build THREE web pages (but I haven't gone to bed yet, but I'll count that page on tomorrow if I do it)
• Drink SEVEN glasses of water
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables

Last day of "break"

I'm enjoying my mini-break, but I keep doing all the stuff I was doing during the council candidacy, so that stuff is more or less a habit. I'm diggin' on the concept of a "break" anyway. But that will be all over come tomorrow.

Oh, somebody asked what my twenty pages represented in my mission. I have a little website business, (ooh. let me plug it now, http://www.my-thank-you-site.com ). It started off as kind of a hobby and learning project, and has really taken off. I'm eager to double the size of the site to make it more substantial so the twenty pages are twenty web pages onto that site and then my new site (http://www.inspirational-otter.com , which I'm gonna totally revamp.)

Last chance on getting your votes in for my next mission name. :)

Elvis Costello AND The Police

At the freakin' HOLLYWOOD BOWL. Awesome show. Just got home. Sleepy.

Name game

My next official mission is will start this Friday, May 30th and will run nine weeks until August 1st.

Any ideas for names?

I'm gonna combine my business goals and my workout goals and measure in degrees of success. I'll be adding some light weights and even do some stat counting at the top. I've got a nifty body fat caliper thingy, access to a scale and tape measure now. It'll be like a real shredder mission. I don't feel like limiting myself to a results goal. I'm out of the "results" game and into the "falling in love" with the process game. I'm prone to getting obsessive and depressed, which I'm sure will show in some of blogs. I'll just know this up front and note in when it happens.

As always I'll keep up with what I'm grateful for and mark down my back exercises and other stuff.

The theme is 20 AND 20. That's 20 webpages and 20 miles a week. As always measured in degrees of success from 0 to 100% and even beyond if I miraculously do more. I've noticed that I post at night now instead of the morning so I'll do what I'm grateful for today instead of yesterday for this mission. Sometimes I'll post in the morning or whatnot if I have to but do what Lilla and the other people do, and just include it the next day.

Day 28: Congratulations Everybody

There's a lot of stuff, I'm working out about my business and my new apartment (which I need to get within the next month or so). I'm still a little drained from being sad. I did get a quick walk in and have been making a point to drink water and eat vegetables, which I know I wouldn't have done if not for the 95% compliance requirement.

CONGRATULATIONS EVERYBODY. I'll be by a little later to congratulation you on your blogs.

I made 96% compliance for posting.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Drink FIVE glasses of water
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Walk 1.5 miles
• Meditate

Day 27: One more day

Do we get a break after this? I'm gonna start a mission, but there's some things I have to work out.

A very big thank you all for your kind comments. I'm still a little out of sorts, so I'm keeping this short.

Yesterday I grateful I got to:
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and vegetables
• Read 1/2 chapter
• Drink FOUR glasses of water

Day 26: Eighty Percent of Success is Showing UP

My title is Woody Allen Quote. So today is about showing up and posting.

I've been feeling sad this week. I'm prone to that kind of thing. Being depressed has fallen out of fashion these day, which is a shame. In the eighties it was kind of big and I'm so good at it. I'M JOKING!!!!

However, there is this feeling that feeling sad is a sign that a person's done something wrong or something has to be done to FIX IT, STOP IT, GET OVER IT. I've met so many people who just advocate positive thinking their way out of sadness. For me, that only manifested itself into a bottling up of my feelings and an eventual numbing of ALL feelings--joy, contentment, fear, rage, sadness. All of it.

My dad died about ten years ago around this time. Strangely, this last week would have been his birthday. Did you know many people die right around their birthday? Isn't that weird? Also, it would have been my parents anniversary this month and those Father's Day cards and commercials are popping up. For the first four years, I didn't notice the pattern that I would be sad around this time. Honestly, it catches me by surprise every year. But I've been quicker to figure it out this year. I think it's because I'm living with my sister, and I just spent a lot of time talking about Dad with Mom this last year while I was in the Philippines. I miss him.

Plus, living without my own space and in a lot of clutter that I have no control over isn't as easy to handle when I'm this sad. But without any privacy it kind of adds to my stress. I just SNAPPED and had the biggest crying jag yesterday, which is hard to do when you live in a living room. I had to cry in the shower, which is actually kind of nice. If you're ever in a tight living situation and you need to cry, REMEMBER there's always the shower. :)

I like remembering my Dad, and it's sad, too. No need to remind me of good times or "he's in a better place" or any of that crap. No cheering up is required. Sometimes, and I would argue EVERY TIME, being sad is ok. Everything passes, and I've found it passes easier when I don't worry about how I have to get over "it" or whatever tons of well-meaning, but I feel misguided, people advocate. I get that there are a lot of people are just uncomfortable with grief or sadness or anxiety or fear, frustration, they think the only emotions worth feeling are the "good" ones: joy, peace, happiness, accomplishment, etc. But they're all gifts from God and part of being human. I just don't see the point in pretending only one side of the coin has worth. I used to be afraid if I "gave in" and felt all the sadness and fear that I would be ENGULFED by it and cry forever and just LOSE it. If you're reading this, and you think that way, don't worry. The tears feel good when you let them out. They rarely even last an hour.


Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Meditate
• Read 1/2 chapter
• Drink FIVE glasses of water

Day 24: Midnight is fast approaching

My body fat caliper thingy came in the mail today. I'll measure at the start of the next mission, but I think I'll "practice doing it right a few times tomorrow. I gave a real "boy push-up" a try as inspired my Lynda's Blog: 130 On My Way
.

Lynda got three, but unfortunately, I did not fair as well--not even one. I'm not disappointed though. I'm really weak from all those months of being bedridden. Plus, I could feel it right in my lower back. Yikes, but I'm sure I didn't hurt myself. But I'll keep doing my wall push-ups. Then work up to girl push-ups and I'll be able to get down and give y'all twenty in no time!

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Walk 1.75 miles
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and veggies
• Back exercises
• Drink SEVEN glasses of water

P.S. I just checked Mike's Blog: Aussie Body Builder AMAZING Day 200 pics. If you haven't seen it CHECK IT OUT. If you have. Treat yourself and LOOK AGAIN.

CONGRATULATIONS MIKE!!!

Day 23: Nothing exciting

I've been a bit busy. I want to make this quick so I can get around to everybody's blog. My eating and walking is back on track. I have to wait until the heat dies down, but I don't mind walking when it's dark. It's a safe neighborhood.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Walk 1.5 miles
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink SEVEN glasses of water
• Practice guitar TEN minutes and do hand stretches

Day 22: The heat is on

This heat is exhausting, although I did get a quick walk in just after sundown. I've been busy with family and business lately.

My best friend in the whole world is getting married in June, and she just announced it, so I've been working extra hard to earn more money so I can go. Plus, my sister is having house guests come to visit here in August, so I'll need to be out of here by then. I could find a friend to stay with, but I'd rather just have my own apartment by the so I wouldn't be an imposition to my friends and family.

The great news is, I've had record 50% increase in earnings for my thank you and thank you notes site last month, and this month may do the same with some extra elbow grease. I've just started a free printable thank you cards section that I think will be a real hit. Sorry I haven't had time to go to everybody's blogs.

Hope you're all shredder-fic!

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Drink TEN glasses of water.
• Walk .5 miles (and then had to quit because of the heat)
• Eat THREE servings of fruits and vegetables.

Day 21: Fiddlin' in the Wild, Wild, West

Holy smokes, was it hot outside. My sister was performing in the Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Competition (her band, Murphy's Flaw placed THIRD!) at the Paramount Ranch, where they used to shoot all the old Westerns and TV shows.

It was over 100 degrees out. I spent the rest of the day at the movies being in air condition. But I easily got in all my water.

I'm wiped. Our little kitten, Puddin', is even too tired to move.

I ordered body fat calipers so I can test for my next official "Mission" after the Shredder Council Candidacy period is over. Just so I can see my progress. Thank you Michael: Fat Burning Machine for sending me the link to a great deal so I just get it!


Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Walk 2.5 miles! (thank goodness it was cooler yesterday)
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and veggies
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Meditate
• Back exercises
• Practice guitar ten minutes

Day 20: Just in case

I thought I'd post just in case I don't make it back before midnight. GREAT day and still a ton of it left. I'll write about today tomorrow like always.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Read 1/2 chapter
• Walked .6 miles

Day 19: Is the term batting 1,000?

I'm feeling a little better and took a short walk to get outside the apartment. Not leaving the house for four days kind of bums me out. I'm really glad, we've all committed to posting daily, because even on days where I think I would be more prone to just flake on my posts, I don't. Plus, I know I'm more "aware" of what I'm doing and more recently what I'm not doing. I haven't missed a posting day yet, and I'm gonna just keep moving. I'd rather not miss a day, because I don't want to calculate the percentages on any given day. It's so much easier to skip the math.

I ate some kind of crappy food while on the long drive to San Francisco and back, and I could actually feel my body going YUCK. It's so weird, because there's been a lot of cake around lately, because of my sister's birthday, but having a slice two days running, I didn't really want it anymore. I can feel my body sort of craving sugar, because of the frosting and stuff, but because I'm a little sick especially, I was glad that my sister finished all the cake and cake-like stuff off. As good as it tastes, it sort of messes with my mood and body WHICH IS COOL. I hate it when my body re-adapts to crappy food, that's when I know I'm in trouble.

My meditation practice is off. I'm typing that here to get that old accountability magic kicking in. Plus I'm going to add some wall push-ups and my modified squats (from my physical therapist) into my program. Plus, I'm gonna get some really, really light weights to do some upper body weight training. I've lost A LOT of muscle mass due to having several long stints of immobility over the last four years, so my body fat percentage MUST BE SO HIGH. Maybe I'll get it checked somewhere cheap or is there some way to do it with just measurements and current weight? Are those calipers expensive? I don't want to put too much into the number, but if there's an easy way to do it, I'll just get a starting number for my next official mission, which will start at the end of the Shredder Council candidacy trial period thingy.

Wow. I thought I didn't have anything to say, but this is long.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and vegetables
• Read a chapter of a spiritually enriching book

Day 18: Under the weather

So much for my storm. I'm actually a bit under the weather. If it wasn't for a telephone call, I might have missed posting today. I'm feeling a little weak and tired. I'm gonna lie down and rest some more. I'm sure it will pass. I don't feel any congestion so hopefully this will pass as quick as it came.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Eat SIX servings fruits and vegetables
• Drink FIVE glasses of water
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book
• Slept like a million hours

RTP Group Time Machine

I wrote this post 200 Days ago today: I learned a lesson today ....

Day 17: The calm before the storm?

Remember how I wrote about how I think I'm going to kick it into "higher" gear? And I didn't mean that I was already in high gear, I meant that my high gear is considerably lower gear compared to my shredder pals. lol

Please don't mistake my joke as as putting myself down or anything, it's just how it is and that's okay. In the weird instance that there is a lurker out there that may have time restraints or a health conditions (mental or physical) that prohibit the hardcore FULL-ON SHRED way and is feeling bad or procrastinating starting his/her own transformation until he has more time or an injury heals or his depression lifts, I want you to go ahead and start anyway. Commit to doing an imperfect job. Commit to just doing what you can. Some days it could be something as small as not eating any fried foods or taking the stairs or having a glass of V8 or something.

I wrote that things have a season and I can feel the desire mounting and I can't wait to see how it's gonna look. Apparently how it's going to look is me staying in my pajama top all day and working on my business. I have a website that's become profitable, however, since I've started posting daily I have not worked on the site much AT ALL. Luckily, my business hasn't suffered, but I can feel that creeping anxiety about money that I find quickly manifests itself in depression and stress eating. I did, however, eat more fruits and vegetables, but have not gone walking. I'm not bitching and not sweating it, but I don't want to be dishonest in my blog and represent like I've been "shredding hard" yesterday or today. I have been getting plenty of sleep as I've been EXHAUSTED. I think maybe being on an actual day schedule (like awake at 8am when I normally go to sleep at 6am), on my mini-vacay has kind of caught up with me. I'm excited about what tomorrow will bring and grateful for today.

So I guess today might be the calm before my shredder storm.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink FOUR glasses of water
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book
• Hand stretches and practice guitar 15 minutes

RTP Group Shred Time Machine

200 Days Ago I wrote this post.

Day 16: Happy Birthday Dear Edie

I was at the USO last night. It was a slow night, but a lot of fun just yacking and kickin' it with my fellow volunteer and former FBI AGENT Jean. Super cool lady.

The day just got busier from there, because it's my sister's birthday! She's 41 today. I got her a paper shredder and baked her a cake and packed her lunch for work. It was a low key birthday, but still fun.

I'll just get this up in time:

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Eat SIX (yay) servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink SIX (yay) glasses of water
• Walk .5 miles
• Practice guitar and do hand stretches 10 minutes
• Back exercises
• Meditate

I'm gonna make a point to read two chapters of a spiritually enriching book before I go to bed tonight to get into the habit more. It makes my days better.

200 Day Group Shred Time Machine

On Day One of the the first RTP Group Shred I wrote this post:
Day One Super Secret Swimsuit Gulp Photos Revealed.

Day 15: Feeling motivated to kick it up a notch

I'm feeling really motivated and excited today. Last week was kind of stressful and getting away for the weekend really was an exciting treat. Great friends, great town, great times.

I really believe that everything comes in it's own time and has a season. A lot of my more painful experiences in life have kind of come out of a lack of acceptance of what I believe is this fact. My impatience for change that I was not yet capable of and my need to dictate what gifts God chooses to give me has been the cause of much of my misery. I used to torture myself endlessly and be racked with anxiety, guilt and shame at my own imperfections, which I now see as part of being human.

I've been really clear about my intentions and what I'm looking to do as part of the shredder experience. I just want to put focus on my health, because when I do, I feel the benefits. By reading people's blogs, I get inspired. And by just taking time out of each day to post my photo, I remind myself about my commitment to my health. When I see that I haven't drank as many glasses of water that I would ideally like to have or ate as many vegetables or meditated or didn't walk for several days in a row, I can see how it correlates to my moods. I can even notice how my motivation and drive ebbs and flows. I've found the less I've fought against those ebbs and flows and the more I accept that everything happens in its own time, the more naturally and without a lot of the old hoopla and self flagellating things just get done.

And I can feel the flowing of motivation to put more energy into walking, maybe even weight training, growing. I feel a natural desire to want to eat more nourishing foods and pay closer attention to food. I can't wait to see what that's going to look like in the next few days, and I'm going to watch it, experience and enjoy it.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Drink four glasses of water
• Eat three servings of vegetables
• GOOF OFF!

Day 14: Two weeks in

Wow! Two weeks flies. My weekend in SF was a blast. I'm exhausted. The running joke of the weekend was me asking my friends if any form of potatoes ie. french fries, mashed, hash browns could count as a vegetable serving. The answer was what I would expect. If it was a baked potato with the skin, but not a ton of crap YES, but other wise, NO. Although, Stu, was of the opinion that beer could count as a vegetable. Too bad I don't drink beer. lol

Other non-fruit and vegetable items: vodka and orange juice NO, but freshly squeezed orange juice with breakfast YES.

What do you think? Hehe.

I'm so glad I've been doing my back exercises more regularly and have been walking more regularly, because I had very little pain ALL WEEKEND. I'm exhausted. Long drive home. I'll check in on everybody tomorrow. Thanks guys. Happy Shredder Sunday and

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY SHREDDER MOMS!

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Walk 1.7 miles!
• Drink FIVE glasses of water

Day 13: Live from San Francisco

My friends are taking the art to Club 6 for the show tonight. We spent the morning on Haight Street walking and checking out the shops and having coffee. Last night we had dinner at Tommy's Joynt. I tried to grab some fruit at the rest stop on the way yesterday, but it was rotten. I'm making a point to try and get in some fresh fruit and more veggies today. I'm on vacation mode, but getting TONS of walking in. I'm so glad I rested up this week.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat THREE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink THREE glasses of water
• Read on 1/2 chapter of a spiritually enriching book
• Walked 1.3 miles. :)

PS I'll just be in here until tomorrow. I'll catch up on all my fellow shredders soon. Thanks for swinging by and saying hi.

Day 12: Live from San Francisco

I made it, and my back isn't killing me. Yay! I'll get plenty of walking tonight and tomorrow. Just wanted to post this in time. Wow. Photos on the fly are not my thing.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and veggies
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book
• Drink SEVEN glasses of water
• Back exercises
• Practice guitar and hand stretches 20 minutes (and I still can type)

Day 11: Totally Flipped

My photo that is. I found out that my little photo booth program on my MacBook can flip photos so you can read the text on my shirt. I'm Irish and Filipino. Go figure.

I wrote a new comedy song today. My hand is kinda weird, but it'll be a workout. I played longer, because I wanted to get it right even though it's one of my under-a-minute comedy songs that I'm working on. I'll post a link to the recording when it's done, but no need to visit it if you don't want, because it's not shredder related.

I have to be up in the actual morning time to drive with friends to San Francisco. I've been kind of taking it easy to make sure I can make the drive and walk around in San Fran without being a party pooper. My hand is feeling a little weird and I've actually go to get to bed soon. Hope y'all are doing great.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat SIX servings of fruits and veggeies
• Drink FIVE glasses of water
• Meditate
• Walk 1 mile

Day 10: A little busy

Howdy Shredder Pals and mystical internet lurkers in the future. I've been a little busy the last few days. I wanted to make sure to get my post up before midnight. I'll be around to everybody's blogs soon. I'm going to San Francisco for an art show this weekend, so I'm trying to work out the details and wrap up some business. Hope anybody who's reading this is having a shredder-ific day.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Meditate
• Drink FIVE glasses of water
• Eat Six Servings of fruits and veggies
• Rest

Day 9: Watermelon, Baby

I'm feeling a little drained and a tinge of depression. This happens to me from time to time. My natural inclination is not go to my open mic tonight at the BrewCo, but I'm gonna take some contrary action and go ahead. I've been doing a lot of counseling and this blog and reading blogs has taken an amazing amount of time and energy. But I'm sure once I get it going it will be easier for me to balance this blog, comedy, my service commitments and business. Hats off to shredders who do this, a full-time job and have kids! So impressive.

I'm excited, because I've figured out how to incorporate a nice walk around Westwood with my open mic. Baby steps.

I bought half a watermelon today at the Farmer's Market. I haven't actually bought a watermelon in a million years. Man is it good.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Meditate
• Read two chapters from a spiritually enriching book
• Drink FOUR glasses of water
• Eat FOUR servings of fruits and veggies

Day 8: Unlike Bob Geldoff, I Like Mondays

Kickin' off with a reference to a Boomtown Rats song that at the moment I cannot remember how it goes.

I like Mondays, because it's a really cool day. As part of being a member in a support-group-type-fellowship thing, I get to be a kind of adviser to other people in the group. Typically, I get to meet and do some counseling-esque kind of work on Mondays afternoons. Since I have to be up, well I'll just call it earlier, to meet with my council-ee, I come home take a nap, and then go to the USO.

After the USO, I go to the Farmer's Market to meet some friends, talk, maybe grab some breakfast. I guess technically by the time I got to USO and breakfast, it's Tuesday. Maybe I like Mondays, because I spend most of Monday sleeping. If you're reading this Bob, you can use that tip.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Eat FIVE servings of fruits and vegetables
• Meditate
• Read TWO chapters from a spiritually enriching book
• Drink FOUR glasses of water

Day 7: Insert Clever Day 7 Headline Here

I like taking photos earlier in the day, but I'll settle for getting it done. Kind of pressed for time and grateful to be able to be of service to the people in my life today. Gotta eat some dinner and then get around to support my fellow shredders and congratulate them on everybody on a great week of mutual support and hard work.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Meditate
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book
• Rest
• Drink FOUR glasses of water
• Eat FOUR servings of fruits and veggies

PS Whoops I forgot to change the dates at the bottom of the photos. Like Gilda Radner said, "It's always something." :)

Day 6: But it's Day 7 in Japan

When I was shredding in the Philippines I had the luxury of being on the same side of the dateline with Adam. Now that I'm in Los Angeles, Adam is blogging in tomorrow already. Add to the fact that my sleep schedule is naturally kind of odd (I usually go to bed between 4am-10am or like today 1pm) and my blog day numbering is kind of weird. I've decided to just copy Michaels (that's Michael: Fat Burning Machine
for those who may not know), because he is in California and has is act together. There are many shredders in Australia (I think Bec's Blog: 217 Day Journey and it ought to be pretty obvious that Mike of Mike's Blog: Aussie Bodybuilder is in Australia) and Lynda (of Lynda's Blog: 130 On My Way) is in Spain. I have no idea what day they are on, but I suspect they are so FAR in the future that people are in flying cars.

Ta dah! I got the full names on my fellow council candidates' blogs in a post and the links may even work. I'm in a weird mood. Not bad weird. Good weird. But weird.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:
• Drink EIGHT glasses of water
• Walk 2.3 miles
• Eat FIVE serving of fruits and vegetables

Day 5: RTP MAGIC

I got a mention on Adam Waters: RTP Blog 2.0 and as a result a lot of support and encouragement. I was having kind of a bummer day and BAM LIKE MAGIC your kind words and comments lifted my spirits. You guys are amazing.

Thank you Adam and all my shredder friends. You can have no idea how much you all have helped my life.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Eat FOUR servings of fruits and veggies
• Drink SEVEN glasses of water
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book
• Walk 1.3 miles
• Meditate

Two hours to spare

Well an hour and 45 minutes, but still got it in. Yesterday, I took a rest from walking. I just realized that there may be people reading my blog that don't know my story. I updated the "About Me" thingy in the left column. In short, my main focus is to regain my mobility and increase my overall health. But if there's anybody out there in shredder land that may be hesitating starting a blog, because of health or time or other issues, do what you can and know that it is enough--always.

Yesterday I'm grateful I got to:

• Eat SIX servings of fruits and vegetables
• Drink SIX glasses of water
• Meditate
• Read a chapter from a spiritually enriching book
• Rest