Where's the gala?

"Rule number one: Heiress aren't needy. If an heiress is feeling a little insecure, she should go shopping. And if she still doesn't feel any better, she should go to Paris. Or Saint- Tropez. For the weekend, if necessary. Because there's always another fun place to visit, another set of fun people, another cute outfit waiting to be snapped up. There's no reason for an heiress to ever EVER be bored."
-Paris Hilton

I went shopping last night and bought myself a ball gown. That's the second ball gown I've bought in 2 weeks and the 3rd in 6 months. It's beautiful and I look fantastic in it, but I don't have any balls to go to. Well, not yet anyway. Cookie came up with a good idea -- to have a black-tie Oscar Party... red carpet and all. I might just do that. I don't know what else I'm going to do with these gowns. I feel like Cinderella in reverse.

In other news, I'm back to eating everything again. Thank goodness! I learned that I love steak. ... Now that I've detoxed my body, I'm going through a phase of cleaning house on the guy front. I've been dating a lot of different and nice, but not right for me guys and I'm one-by-one clearing them from my life. This has been a little hard, but I feel like it's a good thing. I'm making room for what I want and what I need. Amen!

Fast is Over

“When the stomach is full, it is easy to talk of fasting.”
Saint Jerome

I decided to cut out of the fast a day earlier. I didn't eat food for 9 days and had my first solid food today -- half an orange and some homemade vegetable soup. It feels so good to eat though I got a head rush from the sugars in the orange. It almost made me dizzy. Whew!

Anyway, I'm glad that's over. I'm ready to eat!!!

"Far better is it to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure...than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat." -Theodore Roosevelt

Hey All! Thanks to everyone who commented. It's nice to know that your words are not just going into some vacuum and disappearing.

So, I'm on Day 7 of the fast. Supposedly after Day 3 you no longer crave food and you just feel high. Also, you lose cravings for unhealthful substances. This has NOT been the case for me. I've been really missing food and booze. I want a steak and a cookie. Why am I doing this again? The problem is that I keep being subjected to watching people eat meals. I guess it's my fault for attending the dinner party, going to goodbye lunches, allowing my parents' yummy-looking Haitian goodbye meal to be at my house, and other such torturous activities. I've decided however that I'm not going to subject myself to that anymore. For crying out loud, this fast is hard enough.

Other than that, I have been feeling pretty good. I have energy, though I have a sore throat today. Evidently as your body heals itself, you can have manifestations of illness. My friend who's doing this with me has thrown up and has been feeling nauseous for days. Oh what a joy. Why am I doing this again?

In other news, I'm still training for the triathlon -- though I'm not training hard during this period. I'm just going to be easy on myself. I've been dating. Do you know it's difficult to go on a date when you're not eating or drinking? Water dates are not that interesting. One of my dates took me to a concert though. That was a good, fast-friendly date.

I'll keep y'all updated on the fasting situation.

Update

"Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment." - Jim Rohn

I hadn't been as good as usual about updating my blog. There's so much going on and then not that much at the same time. I'll give some highlights. I've decided to take on a 10-day cleansing fast. I'm just finishing up day 2. It's not fun. I want food. I'm told the 2nd and 3rd days are the hardest. We'll see if I make it. I was already trying to make deals with myself. ... "How about it I just fast one day a week for the entire year. Do I really need to do 10 days? Why don't I just start again when my mother leaves? I do so love her cooking." I'm trying to stay strong. I haven't eaten since Friday evening, so I guess I'm doing good.

My class frenzy has started up. I've decided to really make 2006 the year of refining myself. I'm taking another Mama Gena class, writing, and painting classes. The Mama Gena and writing class are only 4 weeks. After this month, life should settle down a wee bit. I'm debating whether to travel to NYC for the last Mama Gena class. That would be loads of fun, but I'll miss my last writing class. Hmmm. I'll have to mull that one over. I'm asking for a sign about what to do.

I saw Brokeback Mountain tonight. That movie is hauntingly beautiful. I'm just came back from the theatre and am still absorbing it fully. Wow, is all I can say.

Other than that, I'm mostly focusing on training for this triathlon. I haven't done much by way of tri training for the past couple days. Yesterday I took the day off and today I went to yoga. Tomorrow is swim and bike day. I'm still on the program. I'm going to make this.

Dearest lovelies reading this. I hope you're well. Send a comment or two. It's nice to hear from out there in cyberspace and know that someone is reading.

New Year Message

I am the new year...

Life, I am the new year.
I am an unspoiled page in your book of time.
I am your next chance at the art of living.

I am your opportunity to practice
what you have learned about life
during the last twelve months.

All that you sought
and didn't find is hidden in me,
waiting for you to search it out
with more determination.

All the good that you tried for
and didn't achieve
is mine to grant
when you have fewer conflicting desires.

All that you dreamed but didn't dare to do,
all that you hoped but did not will,
all the faith that you claimed but did not have -
these slumber lightly,
waiting to be awakened
by the touch of a strong purpose.

I am your opportunity
to renew your allegiance to Him who said,
'behold, I make all things new.'

I am the new year.

- Author Unknown (from the website Inspiration Peak).

Weekend

I didn't make the Sunday run, but had a great 30 mile bike ride with Jojo on Saturday. Well, it was great until I got into an accident with another biker. I veered to make a left in front of her and she crashed into me. My knees are a little scraped up, but otherwise I'm doing fine. I took yesterday off and went for a swim this morning.

Yesterday I went to dim sum at the Empress Pavilion with Jill, Ilyse, and Kelli in Chinatown. The wait for a table was epic, but the food was very good. I want to go back but much earlier in the morning next time and avoid the hour and a half wait for a table!

After brunch I went to meet some Los Angeles area sister goddesses (women who'd taken classes at Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts). One of the women was hosting in her beautiful home in Playa del Rey. It was so fun and very educational. A group of women committed to pleasure will always have fun and also get dishing. I had a blast.

Quote of the Day

"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." -Buddha

I am an ironwoman (or at least half of one)

I signed up to do the Wildflower Half-Ironman. Sean said that "Wildflower" sounds so cute and sweet. Not so much. It's one of the toughest triathlons in the country ... 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run (all very hilly and rather grueling). Should be fun. Jojo signed up to do it with me and Ilyse is going to do the relay.

One of my new years resolutions was to get back into shape and this is definitely setting the stage. Since I signed up right after Christmas, I've been very good about working out. Jojo and I even did a late night, rainy, Ironwoman run when we were up in the Central Coast. When it's cold, wet, dark, and hilly and you're out there running you feel like a bad-ass. A bad-ass and an idiot, but pretty tough nonetheless. That was a great way to get us going.

This week I've been very good about hauling my hump to the gym. I've been waking up earlier so that I can walk the dog and make it to the gym. I went to the pool for the first time in 6 months and swam twice. I've biked once, run twice, and I even made it to yoga. I have a long bike ride tomorrow and a run set for Sunday. I'm going to get through this. I'm motivated.

Happy New Year!

I hope you had a great new year. Mine was lovely. I went to the Central Coast with Marley, Sean, Jojo, and other assorted friends who came for less time: Steve, Jessie, Monica, Eleonore, Nico, and Clint. It was so relaxing and just beautiful. We stayed in near Morrow Bay... we could see the Morrow Bay bird sanctuary from the jacuzzi in the yard. It was a sweet spot. We went wine tasting and biked around the wine country, we cooked, played board games, drank champagne, laughed, talked, ran, and had a brilliant time. It was a wonderful way to bring in the New Year. I feel like a new woman.