We are the Champions.

What's playing on the iPod right now: You Gotta Fight by the Beastie Boys


The only disability in life is a bad attitude. ~Scott Hamilton

Perfect. Even the Beastie Boys agree with me. The shuffle feature is like a musical 8 ball of fate.
I search for messages from the Universe, sent to me via the next random song.

I've realized that I looooove to work out. I love to sweat and I love to glow. I love the way I feel during the next couple of days when my body's sore. I love it when my muscles reflect my effort.

I took too much time off and forgot how great this feels, but I think I'll be sticking to this idea of getting at least four good workouts in each week. I've got a bike, weights, my own two feet and soon I hope to have another treadmill. I've got what I need to get my sweat on.

Right now my abs, glutes, quads and hams are all sore. Even after 228 combined upper, lower and oblique crunches, coupled with 10 miles of walking and biking in the past 48 hours, I'm wondering if my muscles will heal soon enough for me to go biking in Santa Cruz this weekend.

I'm not where I was last year, when this picture was taken - spending 6 days of the week in the dojo, training for the tournament or the belt test, but I am remembering how good it felt.

I used to feel sorry for people who couldn't find the motivation to get up, get out and get going, but after seeing the man who waterskied with no limbs on a youTube video, I really don't have that much compassion left. I'm trying, though.

After all, I was 42 when I trained for my first marathon and 46 when I got back into the martial arts. If I can create my own motivation, so can everyone else. The trick is to love yourself enough to treat yourself well.

But then again, what do I know? It's not like that's a gold medal around my neck. ;)

On second thought, shhh...

What's playing on the iPod right now: Santa Ana Winds by the Cold War Kids


The cyclone derives its powers from a calm center. So does a person. ~Norman Vincent Peale

I heard what I wanted to hear, but it wasn't what I really wanted to hear.

I said what I'd waited to say, but it wasn't what I really meant.

And now I can't help but feel bad for an old friend. But in the center of it all is a calm that comes with knowing that I only want the best for him. I hope things work out for him soon. And I hope they keep working out, for the better.

Anticipation.

What's playing on the iPod right now: Who Cares?

Expecting is the greatest impediment to living. In anticipation of tomorrow, it loses today.
-Lucius Annaeus Seneca

I know, I know. This isn't my usual family-friendly photo accompaniment. Whatever. We're all adults here, right? Get over it. I just love this pic. Reminds me of my Olivia favorites...

It's been a great week so far, and look at that! It's only Monday. I was thinking in the shower again (which is where my best ideas hit me, at least when I'm not singing) and I realized that this is a great time to be me. My family is together and well; my book has an agent response; I'm in a commercial on Thursday, and we were asked to perform again in a couple of weeks.

I was tempted to let my mind wander forward to any one of the three upcoming events, but I knew I would be operating on auto pilot during the process.

I could be thinking, Oooo, yay, a commercial! I wonder when it'll air? Will my family like it?
Instead of, Wow, this warm water feels fabulous on my naked skin.

I could be thinking, My first book deal! Will this make us financially worry-free?
Instead of, The sound of Indy laughing in my room is the best music to my ears.

I could be thinking, Another performance! I wonder what songs the band will want to do this time?
Instead of, The smell of lavender body wash is very relaxing.

In this moment I have everything I want and need. Even if none of my plans turn out as well as I'd anticipated, I can remember this moment and that it was perfect.

Scrambled Eggs.

On the one hand we have the innocence and joy of the children who wake up to chocolate bunnies and the thrill of the Easter egg hunt; on the other hand we have the "adults" who kill death in video games, threaten their parents with putting rest homes on speed dial and throw peanut MnM's at each other.

And in the middle somewhere, we have a house full of big kids who laugh, eat, play, joke and love to be together, especially during the holidays.

We may be scrambled, but we're a bunch of good eggs.

Some late night thoughts.

If we're honest from the beginning, does that make it any better?

Sometimes we fall on purpose,

so that we can let someone else pick us up for a change...