Bros, Toes and Hos! (just kidding about the last one)

Taken by me at MoMA, NYC, June 2009

I think I'll start off my blog entries with something interesting or a new word. How about this, a new phrase of the day:

What a gwaan, mon!!! (Jamaican slang for, What's going on, Man?)

I bet you're wondering; WTF is up with that photo up there? Well, when the challenge started, my boss asked if sex counted as "exercise" (or shall I say, sexercise :). Studies show that vigorous sex will get your body burning 300 calories an hour. Since I obviously haven't and probably won't be doing any of the above activities anytime soon (Aww sh*t, wait! No WONDER I've been GAINING weight these past few years. :s hehehe), there's no way to test out this Bodybugg to see if those studies are true! So, for now, I'll stick to my walking regimen instead. :p So peeps, burn it up on those bedsheets, try out all those funky positions and have fun! But use protection and wash up after, or else you might be burning in OTHER places that shouldn't burn! Hahahah! Ewww!

I dropped off my bro at the airport and drove in to work. $8 for parking. Arrrrgh. Got in early so decided to do my 20x before breakfast. I don't know why, but sometimes this part of the walk reminds me of Poltergeist. Not because there's a poster of a garuda (gargoyle-looking mythical bird) on the wall at the end, but there's this part in the movie where the mother is running down the hall and the hall keeps getting longer and longer and longerrrrrrr...LOL:

...and longer and longer and longer!

As a sidenote, that movie also made me HATE clowns with a passion...remember that clown under Robbie's bed? *shudder*! If I ever have kids, they're settling for Barney at their bday party, not a damn clown!

I forgot lettuce for my tofu-stuffed whole wheat pitas for lunch (yes, gotta make use of that dang failed tofu "burger"), but it actually tasted pretty good. Went home early so I could bring Mom to dialysis. I even packed a snack to take along with me:

After I got her set up, I decided to face my fears: walk from the mall to the shopping center across the street (.62 miles round trip). Now, I know it sounds crazy...that's such a puny distance to be afraid of, considering that I walk, walk walk all over the place now and good distances too compared to 3 weeks ago. But remember that the last time I walked this route back in March, I had a panic attack due to that stupid medication my doc gave me which I didn't need! So yes, I'm chicken. But my eyebrows needed waxing, so I said what the hell, I'm going...and I walked to the nail salon next to the gym where I had a panic attack and never went back (yet!).

Put my headphones on...walked over...started getting hot...but I made it! Wooo!!!

Like Gen. MacArthur said, "...I shall return!" (to this gym someday, that is). For now, I'll settle for the nail salon 50 yards away. Hehehe!.

Now my eyebrows are squeaky clean! I was so proud of myself that I treated myself to a nice pedicure. On credit. SHHHHH, don't tell Dave Ramsey. I swear I will pay it back in full on payday! I swear!

Hibiscus toe! Gee, my toe looks kinda deformed! :o

I walked back, picked up my books to sell at Book Off, then walked to the other side of the mall for more exercise. Borders has a nice coupon for $2 off a magazine (they never have discounts on magazines!) and $5 off a DVD, so I treated myself (yes, on credit. SHHH! I did use the $7 I made at Book Off towards some of it) to a magazine and a workout DVD that looks interesting. The DVD is promoting a $20,000 prize (total $100,000 split between 5 winners) for those who use the DVD and transform themselves. HMMMM...I think I'll enter! The magazine has an article on walking for weight loss, so obviously I had to pick that one up!

As I went to the checkout line, the usual gremlins were there to greet me. Some were on sale, and some even had a special if you bought two bags of them...I took their photo, ignored their cries of BUY ME! and paid for my non-consumable stuff:

Chocolate bars based on the Twilight movie! I rather eat these than watch that crappy flick! (sorry fans, I just didn't get that movie)

Truffles...try freezing them before eating. Pretty good!

I kept walking around on that side of the mall, up stairs, down stairs:
In stores, out of stores:
Looks like a shirt for a hoochie...cut up and tied all over to expose bare skin! Kinda cool, it says Green is Good. I'd wear this if I had the body for it. But I'm still debating on whether or not it is an environmental statement or advocating a "different" kind of "green". That leaf shaped icon above the text sure looks a lot like...a leaf...from a certain "plant"...hmmm. :o

Pastry House opened up a shop near Macys! I did walk inside just to look. I'm surprised my mouth didn't start watering at all the yummy goodies in the showcase. Guess I'm a zombie or something:

This is a safe distance for me. Hahaha!

As I headed off to return to the other side of the mall, I passed through Tilt arcade when a flurry of people in the corner (some lined up) caught my eye:

What the...I swear, it was like LAS VEGAS in that place. Everyone was playing some sort of electronic slot touchscreen looking game? For money, I think? I stayed long enough to snap this pic and I left. I am curious about it though; I'll return to ask what the deal is...because if it IS for money, then I'm just wondering how legal this is...hmmm!

Finally got back to the other side of the mall, just in time because Mom started cramping again. I kind of hesitated to post something this personal, but if anyone needs a wake-up call as to why they need to start taking care of their health now, here it is. This is her dialysis machine:
That's 2 needles in her arm (thicker than the wire handle on those chinese food take-out boxes; that's how THICK the needles are), treatment is 3 times a week for 4 hours to clean out the toxins in her blood because she didn't take care of her diabetes back in the day. You can't move during the treatment, you just have to sit there and watch TV. Sometimes you have cramps so bad, kind of like how a "charley horse" feels like, but worse. So to those of you who complained about the tiny fingerstick we got during our assessment, you'll be complaining a lot more about pain sooner than later if you don't take care of yourself NOW. This f*cking sucks, believe me. You do NOT want yourself or your family to go through this.

If you have the chance to change your not-so-good habits now, why not do it? You're never too old or too young or too lazy. Think about your family, your girlfriend/boyfriend, your kids, your grandkids. Do it for them too. Because if you don't, they're going to be the ones who have to take care of YOU because you were too lazy to take care of yourself when you should have.

Look at me, 3 weeks ago my only exercise was my short walk from the bus stop to work. Then from my room to the kitchen to get ice cream. Now my fat @$$ can walk over 10,000 steps a day, even with plantar fasciitis, itchy eyes, and yes, phantom fears of a panic attack...for the sake of trying to improve my health (yes, prize money is nice, but it's not guaranteed), YOU can do it too. No more excuses. Like my Nike shirt says:

Breakfast Pro Carb Fat Cal

4.0 Grams Bear Naked Triple Berry Crunch Granola 0.5 g 3.1 g 0.3 g 16.0 Cal 1.0 Cup Blueberries 1.1 g 21.0 g 0.5 g 82.7 Cal 1.0 Cup Cottage Cheese Low Fat 2% 26.7 g 8.3 g 5.5 g 194.4 Cal 0.5 Cup Papaya 0.4 g 6.9 g 0.1 g 27.3 Cal Total 28.7 g 39.3 g 6.4 g 320.4 Cal

AM Snack Pro Carb Fat Cal

1.0 Item Banana 1.2 g 27.6 g 0.6 g 108.6 Cal Total 1.2 g 27.6 g 0.6 g 108.6 Cal

Lunch Pro Carb Fat Cal

1.0 Item Bread Pita Whole Wheat 6.3 g 35.2 g 1.7 g 170.2 Cal 5.0 Ounces Tofu, Raw, Firm, with Calcium Sulfate 22.4 g 6.1 g 12.4 g 205.5 Cal Total 28.7 g 41.3 g 14.1 g 375.7 Cal

PM Snack Pro Carb Fat Cal

1.0 Item Banana 1.2 g 27.6 g 0.6 g 108.6 Cal 0.5 Serving Odwalla Banana Nut Bar 2.0 g 20.5 g 3.0 g 120.0 Cal Total 3.2 g 48.1 g 3.6 g 228.6 Cal

Dinner Pro Carb Fat Cal

2.0 Cups Broccoli 5.1 g 12.1 g 0.7 g 61.9 Cal 5.0 Ounces Tofu Firm Prepared witih Calcium Sulfate Raw 22.4 g 6.1 g 12.4 g 205.5 Cal Total 27.5 g 18.2 g 13.1 g 267.4 Cal

Total for all meals 89.3 g 174.5 g 37.8 g 1300.7 Cal

Awesome numbers for today, considering that I had to drive to/from work today. I really BM@$$ today!:

Steps: 15,066
Calories Consumed: 1300
Calories Burnt: 3140
Activity: 1 hr., 49 mins