Somtimes things don't go as planned..

After the Pride Parade I was pretty pumped about my fitness choices.  I loved this new found freedom where I could choose some random activity and use that as my fitness for the day.  Way better than being on the treadmill. =)

So it is bike day with Greg!  I really hadn't slept enough, but I figured we could come back and take naps when we were done.  I just wanted to make sure we went early enough to miss the heat.  I get up and head to the farmer's market, then was going to pick up Greg at a low-traffic metro near my home.  I get chicken, some tomatoes and scallions and then head on up to the metro to pick up Greg.  It is 7:45am when I arrive at the metro.


I park in the shade, roll all the windows down and wait.  A squirrel entertains me as he picks up nuts from one side of the parking lot, then comes across the lot, in front of, and sometimes under my truck, and then buries the nut on the other side of the lot.  Back and forth.  Back and forth.  I wonder how many calories he is burning...

I see a tall figure emerge from the metro rolling an almost comically tall gray mountain bike.  It's Greg!  He has his MIB shades on and he seems to be walking very tall and proud this early in the morning.. wait.. just wait a minute.. is there a strut in that walk?  That strut and stance seems very familiar to me.. yet, it is as though I have never seen it in the daylight.  Is that.. oh yesssss.. that is the same strut that he would use to meet me on the dance floor as soon as we heard the first few notes of Sarah McLaughlin's Possession..  at the hotel bar where we had BBS meets every week.  Oh yeah, there is that smirk the second he see's me.  Greg is still drunk. =)

One of the many reasons that I love Gregory is that he is ALWAYS HONEST.  Even if circumstances lead him to tell you a small lie, he will usually fess up within 10 minutes to a few days later.  His honesty and integrity is matched by few.  If posed with a question that he feels the answer may hurt your feelings, he will give you the sugar coated candy ass answer first - and then place the truth in there cast away like a simple after thought.  He has made being honest into a Flaming* Flaming** Art. =)

* as in gay
** as in dissing someone

After we say our Good Morning's he instantly confesses he is not sober and asks if I have beer.  On this rare occasion.. I do.

Let's tell a huge chunk of this story in pictures.


Happy Greg before the ride.

Happy Greg after the dog fence he tried to go over and the shoe just didn't clear it. 

Happy Greg posing for the "before" photo that was going to be the cover story that the injury happened while ON the bike. =)

Happy Greg posing for the "after" photo in front of his apartment after I tried to kill him. =)

Even though he was a horrible patient, we did have a fantastic lunch with the fresh farmer's market chicken with Mrs. Dash, fresh spinach, diced pears, few raspberries, few craisins and a few Chinese Noodles on top for crunch.  We had an excellent visit which continued on the ride home.

So although my bike was not freed of its basement existence, and we didn't see the north end of the Rock Creek Trail - it was fantastic to spend one on one time with a long time friend talking about how our lives have changed.  Its so great to have really good friends. =)


After he is all better we are definitely going to try this again.  Like when the weather is cooler and we can go on an afternoon ride (I am so not a morning person), and one where we move the gate the same way we came in instead of going over it. =)

Love you Greg! =)

..and then we released it into the wild...

I have just made a bike date for Saturday morning with a long time friend of mine.

I haven't been on a bike ride outdoors since.. since I got a driver's license in Nov 1986. 

Those were the days man.  Even though I was a heavy kid, in 9th grade I biked everywhere.  I had a boyfriend who lived ...

I typed that sentence and then I went to Google - that was over two hours ago.  I went to find his old house on Google Maps to map how far it was from my house to his house.  I saw that they had street view - wow!  So I clicked on it and this is what I saw:

In general, I have a horrible memory.  I am often in the situation where someone says, "Remember that time that we..." followed with some crazy story that involves something minor-ly illegal (urinating in public seems to be a reoccurring theme..) that I don't remember even being there. =)

However, in the instant that the above image loaded I was transported back to a moment in my life that I remember almost every single detail of everything around me and how it happened as though I have watched it in a movie a million times over.  Honestly, in my head, my memory of this story has always played like a climatic John Hughes movie scene.

In 1985 when I was in 9th grade, the dark brown house on the left of this picture (follow the driveway up to see it) was my boyfriends house.  We dated for a little less than a year (I think?) - =)

One night, he had a birthday party at his house.  At this party, the girls in the honors group I ran around with decided it would be a good time to tell me that when my boyfriend was in Washington DC over the summer with their honors group, he met a girl named Margaret Anderson and he had kissed her.  They had basically dated for the week that they were there together.  I think she was from Iowa.

The girls had pulled me aside into a spare bedroom to tell me this.  I went flying to his room and point blank asked him if it was true.. he solemnly confirmed it and I ran from the room and the house starting to cry.

It was POURING rain outside.  I didn't have a way to get home or anywhere to go.  So I went under that tree in the picture, in the middle of the cul-de-sac  for shelter and to cry.

Just like the academy award hopeful actress I thought I was, and even though no one could be possibly watching me, my face went dramatically into the palms of both of my hands and I SLOWLY slid down the trunk of the tree to the ground as I was bawling to the point of hyper ventilating, I was just devastated by what had just happened, then I realized the ground was really wet and so I should probably just stand..

I remember thinking even in that moment that it wasn't so much that he had done it, but I was so embarrassed that everyone had known this had happened, all of my closest girl friends, his friends - they were all on the trip together, they all knew - and yet they chose that moment, his birthday party, to tell me.  At least that is what my voice over would have said if it were a John Hughes movie. =)

After just a few minutes, he came out.  I can see from his form that his hands are in the pockets of his beige dockers (yup.. I was into the geeks even way back then..) and his shoulders slumped over from the cold rain.  He was back lit by the garage light and so he was this dark silhouette with an orange-y glow calmly walking towards me.  He came to the outer edge of the tree top rain shelter and stopped.  We just started at each other and it was as the sound of the rain pounding the earth just went away.. it was just me and him on the planet.  He finally spoke..

"Can I come in?"

My heart melted.

He tried to assure me that it didn't mean anything and there wasn't anything more to it.  He wanted to tell me but just didn't know how... I don't remember what happened after that... other than the kissing.

Oh sorry..  LOL just day dreaming.. he was a good kisser.  Not as good as the hubby, but I did teach him well. =)

Hehehe anyway, so after my Google search I see that it was 5.8 miles from my house to his house.  So that is the new milestone to shoot for - a 11.6 mile bike ride. =)

I have owned a beautiful bike for 5 years now where it lived in my shed literally the day after purchase until I joined here on 4/2, and now is used frequently.. in my basement on the bike trainer. =)

This Saturday, my bike will be set free to explore the outdoors for the first time in it's life. It is very excited. =)

I am so PROUD!

Yesterday I was feeling a bit of a funk.  =)

My most favorite party dress was calling to me from the closet. I have only wore it once (20 year reunion last year - me and my awesome hubby before the reunion to the left) and it is now almost too big for me now that I am down almost 50lbs from that photo,  and I wanted to be able to wear it one more time.


So who would appreciate my strikingly simple, yet beautifully elegant party dress most?

The Gay Pride Parade in DC! 

I got all dressed up and headed down to DC to surprise my long time friend Greg who was having a picnic at the church he attends.

They had a great turnout, awesome food, and everyone was VERY nice! =)

After the picnic they were going to be marching IN the parade. I needed some pedometer steps, so I decided I would go with! =)

However, I had a really big challenge to overcome first.  The little jacket of my party dress is just too hot for marching in a parade.  I have never.. EVER gone sleeveless in my entire life in public - let alone with just straps!  I was debating back and forth in my head.  You will be IN a parade.  Hundreds of thousands of people will be looking at your arms - esp if you have to carry that flag that Greg wants you to carry.  Then I thought, really Lorelei?  These people are here fighting for their rights of equality as citizens in their own home country that treats them like they aren't even human, fighting against discrimination, and mindless violence, and hate crimes and all that they have to go through because of the CLOSED MINDEDNESS of our society... and YOU are worried about your flabby ARMS?  Get over it! =)

That was it, I wrapped up the jacket, put it in my backpack, had a last minute (my arms aren't hideous right?) with Greg who earlier in the day told his friend Angela, "I learned from Lorelei that you never tell a woman you don't like her outfit if she has not brought an alternative one with her to the hotel.." so who knows if he was telling the truth, but ultimately it didn't matter.  I DECIDED I was simply not going to go into heat exhaustion or not do the parade because of my own hang up about my arms.  I thought about The Biggest Loser contestants who get up on front of millions of people in their workout gear and do things that most overweight or obese people could never endure privately, let along in competition on TV.  So to not walk in the parade, or wear the coat just b/c of my arms.. that would be ridiculous. =)

WOOT!  I WILL OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES IN MY MIND! =)

As we walked to the parade staging area I also realized, that next to Greg no one would really even be looking at me!  LOL!

His shirt is made from original disco balls and his COMBAT BOOTS match his shirt, except that all of the little sequins are different colors of the rainbow.  Then we also had little disco balls around our neck.  All I could hear through the sound of the crowd cheering were ..

CHEEERbootsCHEEERlookatthosebootsCHEEEERboots

Throughout the entire parade I got one direct compliment on my dress and heard another guy say that some woman he knew had that dress - LOL.



Conclusion:  Sequin Shirt + Sequin Boots > Pretty Party Dress at the Gay Pride Parade. =)



This is Ms. Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen and Star of the Ziegfeld's Drag Show and one of her sweet and nice boy toys.  She was parked next to us in the staging area so I ask her Highness if I could have a photo, she was happy to oblige. =)  I added a disco ball to her minion's neck as he just wasn't dressed up enough without it.  =)
  
The parade route was 1.1 miles, but we walked a mile to the end of the route first, and I held a flag above my head arms fully extended the 1.25 hours we were on the parade route. We then walked .5 miles back to the Greg's, and then on to the truck. It was amazing to be in the middle of such energy of such a cheering and supportive crowd. 


This last photo is during the parade route to show the volumes of people.  It was like this for over a mile - just amazing! =)

It was like 97 in DC.. and so I poured buckets of sweat, but I had my new awesome TLC backpack (Thanks G!), my bottles of water and I didn't care - I was there supporting my friend, getting in my fitness in a BEAUTIFUL party dress and taking in the energy of easily over 200,000 people! It was amazing! =)

Why don't you want your Wellness?

If you work, does your work give you a few "Wellness" or "Mental Health" days per year?

Do you take them? =)

Why not schedule a "Wellness" day for yourself? Take that day, a vacation day, or heck, call in sick and pre-plan and spend that day doing something that helps one of the areas that you may have struggles in your journey.

Do some pre-planning cooking, packaging and freezing for your meal plan, or spend several hours of that day doing a Biggest Loser Campus style workout for many hours throughout the day. Use that day to do some physical activity you have always wanted to try. Schedule time with a trainer if you do most of your workouts on your own. Use that day to jump start or revive your personal program on your journey.

If you have been going strong in your journey, then maybe you spend that day getting a massage, facial, or altering your pants that are becoming too big. =)

Most of us subconsciously overcompensate in the work place to make sure no one sees any disadvantage to having an unhealthy person in that position. You give so much to your employer, be sure to take advantage of the benefits that they have set up to make you a happier and healthier employee and person. =)

NYC Beauty

I went to NYC the other day with Beverly.  On the way home it was sunset and it looked like it was setting right into downtown NYC.

I took photos from the moving car, on my iPhone and I was so thrilled to catch what we were seeing.. the buildings were making HUGE shadows up into the sky.

I just wanted to share.. =)

What's your excuse again?

I was just watching TBL episode that included:

The all-you-can-eat temptation challenge where Koli consumed more than 4,600 calories to get the ONLY vote in elimination that week to save Sam, if needed. 20 minutes after he was declared the winner of the challenge he was back in the gym to work off the calories he had consumed.

Covered in sweat, Koli starts to feel ill - after a series of belches he says, "Do you smell that America? That's obesity.. it smells disgusting."

The challenge that week was the build the tower with blocks to climb the scaffolding to claim your flag. Daris won the challenge for a 1 lb advantage at the weigh in and O'Neal fell from his tower and severely injured his knee and was taken to the hospital which earned him the 1 lb disadvantage at the weigh in after everyone else completed the challenge.

Sam and Koli decide that Sam needs to be above the yellow line so they can use Koli's vote to save O'Neal. Sam pushes himself even further.

After returning from the hospital O'Neal was told that no fractures, but when the bones smacked against each other and broke off calcium and bone spurs which exposed the nerves that is what was causing the severe pain.

Just when you think he can't take any more, that evening, he finds out his brother passed away from his battle with cancer.


At that week's weigh in..

Koli managed to burn the calories he consumed plus more to lose 10lbs that week.

Sam loses 6 lbs which puts him in the middle of the pack for the week.

O'Neal managed to work through his pain and his grief to lose 8 lbs that week.


O'Neal said, "When you consistently work hard, consistently believe and you consistently don't give up you can do this."


"When life tests you - you have the potential for greatness."

- Bob Harper


They all pushed hard towards their goals ignoring the pressures of the challenges of life, the competition, the antics in the house.. they set milestones and they DID IT.  No EXCUSES! =)

What are your milestones? =)

Are you having an HD Experience?

Last night the hubby and I watched Valentine's Day while in bed with our recovering double knee surgery Pomeranian Peaches.

I accidentally ordered the non-HD version of the movie. 

Hubby:  You didn't order HD.

Me:  Ooops!  Hmmm.. (We watch a few seconds of the screen) I wanna watch the HD one.

Hubby:  Really?  It's a Garry Marshall film, not like there are gonna be fight scenes or cool special effects that we want to see in HD.

Me:  (I consider his point of view for a few minutes as the opening scenes are unfolding.) Look at the title, it looks fuzzy.  Everything looks like it has a film on it.  I don't like it. I am gonna order the HD version.

We start the HD version and the difference is really astonishing.  I feel more part of the experience.  I feel more connected to the movie.  I feel more entangled in the story line and connected to each character. I am literally pointing out the differences to hubby through the first few minutes. =)

Once you have experienced something in an HD experience - you are unable to foster the same experience of feelings for the non-HD version.

Just the other day I watched a video about the business of software.  In it, a woman is a speaker at a developers conference and she talked for just a few brief minutes as part of a larger topic about people having HD experiences.

In her PowerPoint presentation she showed a picture of a huge rock formation. "To some you may see a huge rock formation".

I think to myself - Yup, check - huge rock formation.

However, there are people who see that rock formation and have an HD experience about that rock formation:

To a rock climber, it is a wicked challenge of skill, brains and fitness and so much more.

To a geologist, it is minerals and earth formation with climate and period of drought indicators and so much more.

To an archeologist it is a burial ground of information and treasure and so much more.

These people have these HD experiences because they are passionate about it.  They have taken the time to learn more about it, experience it on a deeper level than the average person would.  If you haven't created an HD experience for yourself, then you just simply won't be able to see all the possibilities that it holds.  You will just see it for what it is, for what you know it to be - a huge rock formation.

So.. the question is - are you experiencing your journey in HD?

We just saw on the other post how the woman who lost 415 lbs eats and trains like an athlete. Being an athlete is an HD experience to every day nutrition and fitness AND mental.  

From everything I have read and seen so far on those who have taken off the weight and kept it off - that is what they are all doing - they EAT and TRAIN and LIVE like athletes.  (If you have seen otherwise, please show me links because I can't find it anywhere. =) 

The ones who keep it off make their physical health and just as equally their mental health a priority over EVERYTHING else.  They experience their transformation and/or their maintenance journey in HD.  They are plugged in to everything they learned, applying methods, trying new things, and drawing from resources constantly available to learn new and different things and to BE and STAY successful at their maintenance programs.

Are you having an HD Experience?