Failure is not an option.. Dr. Fuhrman's 10 in 20

I have started and stopped so many exercise programs and healthy eating plans. I always seem to come back to Dr. Fuhrman's plan. I have gained a lot of weight these last few years. Many things happened in my life, and I gave up on sound nutritional advice and started to look for easy and convenient things again. Easy and convenient foods are usually processed crap, however.

I started another journey with 80 pounds to lose.

I am approximately 15 days through Dr. Fuhrman's 10 in 20 program, and I have already lost 10 pounds! I haven't done any exercise other than walking the dog during these 15 days.

This is incredible, because I usually have to work out harder.

I don't know why I stopped using Dr. F's advice in the first place. I must've needed to take an unhealthy side journey away...

I'm back, and on my way to fitness again!

It only SEEMED hard...

I can almost remember...
seems a lifetime away

Was it this lifetime or another?

suffocate, breath deep
suffocate, breath deep

buried alive,
walking dead

fear

afraid to live
afraid of waking up

disillusionment

afraid of the unknown

reaching
stretching
seeking

Am I finally awake?

RIP Van Winkle

I've been here before,
I've been here before

Was it a dream?
Is it a dream?

It's more beautiful than I remember

will I forget?

I've dreamt this before

slip and slide
in and out
sideways, backwards, forwards

Reaching, stretching for truth

Truth is inside.
Truth is Now

God DID NOT give us animals to eat!

I am vegan.

With veganism comes scrutiny from others.

"Where will you get your protein?"
"Where do you get your calcium?"
"What do you eat?"
"Why?"

But there is my personal favorite:

"God gave us animals to eat."

WHAT?  Why would you say that?

"Well, it says so in the bible"

ACTUALLY...

the Bible says

GENESIS 1:29

"And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which [is] the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food."

"Imagine No Religion"

Today, a coworker told me that “children should be raised with religion, otherwise they will run wild”.  I am not fully sure what the hell that means, but it made me think of a conversation my son and I had last week.

I recently had the opportunity to speak with him about “Good Friday”.  He heard me say I had “Good Friday” off work.  I explained to him what the day represents by telling him there was this guy Jesus that believed in Peace and Love, but that the story goes, that some people hated that he was spreading the word about loving everyone and so they killed him.  He says, “Oh, so he was kind of like Martin Luther King Jr., because he died because he was teaching about loving everyone no matter what color or who they were”.  I agreed, “yes, they were very similar”. 

So, without raising my son in a religion, but being honest with him about what all different religions believe, he is able to see that sort of correlation.  I didn’t need him to fear hell for that, but he understands that you should love everyone.  He understands it doesn’t matter what color someone is, what they look like, what they wear, who they love, what they eat, or what religion (or lack thereof) they are.  He understands we all have feelings, feelings can be hurt, and it is nice to treat people nice (animals too).  What more can I ask?  Unfortunately a lot of current religions that I could have indoctrinated him in, even the Christianity I was raised with, wouldn’t be doing as good at teaching him the morals already instilled, since many of them are still against marriage equality and civil liberties for gay people.  I'll stick with John Lennon and continue to "imagine no religion".

Cat Butt

Dear Inconsiderate Cat,
Why do you stick your butt on my things?
Do you always have to turn around and stick your butt in my face?
Must you brush your butt-hole over the top of my beverage, rendering it undrinkable?
Why must you insist on using the carpet as your toilet paper?
You smell.
Go lick yourself (but not lying next to my head in bed, please).

Flying Braless

I was sending an office memo today to notify my coworkers of a death.
Reading the deceased's obituary got me thinking about my own death.

I know we mourn the passing of others because we are so used to them being around, and we will miss them, however, I don't want some lame ass, boring funeral where everyone just cries and walks around eating food.  I also want my obituary to be more original.  Sure, my obituary can say who outlived me, and who already died, but I think I will pre-write my obituary with fill-in-the-blank spots for the names.  Maybe something similiar to this:

Rough Draft of my Obituary

Angelique lived an awesome existence; 

she loved hanging with Bea, 

attending many Phish shows & wearing happy pants, 

marrying Tim, raising Aiden, 

dancing to more Phish, 

getting fat then getting fit, 

spending times with her family & friends 

and petting pussies.  

Angelique also really loved:

 hula hoops, bubbles, things that glow, and things that bounce.

She was survived by: (list survivors.. don't forget surviving pets!)

She was predeceased by: (insert those that died before me; including pets!)

The celebration of Angelique's life & transitioning to her bodiless existence will be held:  (insert place and time).

Even though you might be sad or missing me, 

rejoice, because now, not only do I get to go braless, I can also fly!

Pondering Love, Revolutions, and Grocery Shopping

Yesterday was a busy Saturday afternoon at the supermarket.  Some people meandered through the aisles, blocking the way for other shoppers, often not moving their carts to the side to let others through.  Some busy people rushed to cut me off and get into an aisle before I did.  Some people gave my son and me dirty looks because he was running off and wanting to scan everything at the price checkers. 

I came home thinking "where's the humanity?" 

I am not so better than those the perceived rude shoppers. 
I came home fuming, feeling pretty lousy from my shopping experience. 

Where is MY humanity? 

Where is the love?

Later on, yesterday evening, I went to bed with a meditation CD; long needed after a busy day.  I haven't listened to this disk in many years.  It has relaxing flute music and a few words from the Dalia Lama about love and opening the heart.  What a treat!  His voice is soft and he sounded, well kind of like Yoda (because of his accent).  He spoke about Love in such a moving, inspirational way.  

I came to the realization I hadn't applied love and compassion in my dealings with my friends at the grocery store.  I realized I don't always apply those feelings of love and compassion for some of my seemingly difficult co-worker friends.

I realize there are so many places I forget to apply this message of Love.

Tonight on Facebook, people are talking about revolutions.  I am going to begin my revolution at home with my mind.  How could I ever expect to go out into the world speaking about freedom and love, when I haven't mastered it within my own mind, heart, and home... or at the grocery store, for that matter.  How could a revolution ever do any good if it didn't first begin with the seeds of Love?