Do not go quietly into those Spanx

Quick Rant...

Was having a conversation with an otherwise reasonable seeming woman when we got on to the discussion of tattoos. She stated that she had been getting her tattoos strategically in places that won't stretch as she gets fatter. I was baffled, why was gaining weight even an option? Why accept weight gain as an inevitability. I understand that factors like childbirth and menopause will prevent me from remaining 118lbs for ever but I refuse to ever be of a weight that my skin is distorted. I guess this is the closest I'll ever come to understanding the mentality of obesity, that some people just accept there is nothing you can do. But you can! You can fight it just by adjusting your relationships with food and exercise. Don't focus on the things you don't like, find the things you do. I can guarantee there is a vegetable or cardio workout for everyone.

I refuse to accept frailty as an option as well. It never fails when I'm at the grocery store, I usually am just in to grab a few things so I won't get a cart (helps cut down on impulse buys). I'll hand carry my items to the counter, the cashier will scan it and the bagboy will sack it. One of them will ask if I need help out to my car. When I do have a lot of items or if it's a young kid that you know is just doing what they're told, it doesn't bother me. But every now and then I can tell they are asking because they think it's a ridiculous amount for one person to carry... despite the fact that I carried it there all by myself (which I am always quick to point out). I just got this the other day, I was buying cat litter and soda (not intending to use those products together), and the cashier was a woman of 60 or maybe 70, not much older than my own mother. She was thin, frail, and looked older than her years; she struggled to pull the litter across the scanner. I reached for the 25lb box with my left arm, already holding the soda in the right, and she remarks "Oh honey, you should get a cart. You'll give yourself a hernia." I thoughtlessly remarked, "Oh it's only 25lbs," and picked it up from the counter one handed. As I walked away I realized the gravity of that exchange. I certainly take my youth for granted, I possess strength, stamina, and flexibility that I expect as standard for everyone. If I can do it, anyone can. And at some point my body will start to rob the calcium from my bones and the protein from my muscles, but this woman was, as I said, not much older than my own mother who is a triathlete, runs a 3 hour half marathon, avid kayaker and also scoffs at the idea of a 25lb box being something to fear. She is proof that it's never too late to get your fitness where you want it.

Never accept something as inevitable, unavoidable, or beyond your grasp. If you can set your heart on it, you can do it.

Drugs and Guns

Well alright, woke up at 2 so today was completely useless. I putzed around and played with my new toy (Asus Transformer tablet with Android) and at one point stuffed a vespa style scooter and a very tall man into the back of my car. That seemed productive enough. Tomorrow shall be the long awaited return to reality. Waking up at a decent hour, getting back into a workout schedule and eating actual food instead of protein bars, coffee and alcohol. Fringe has been one long, wild ride and I'm sad that it's over but the robot camp is the week after next so I will soon be spending time again with my wonderful Dog Powered Robot Family. I hope to continue the friendships and connections that I have made over the past week, so many exciting and talented people.

Oh and here's my rant about the Miami Cannibal. It's just a stream of consciousness opinion, not an actual article.

The story of the Miami Cannibal has spread faster than the facts can keep up with it. The cliff notes are a man in a drug induced mania happened upon an unfortunate victim, and decided to remove his pants and eat his face. Video of the incident shows several motorists and cyclists passing by, not one stopping to intervene. The attack lasts for 18 minutes before the officer finally arrives and guns the man down. The whole thing is quite horrific and while I was first fascinated by this story I think it's reached a point of insensitivity. Everyone is making jokes and references to the Zombie Apocalypse and openly posting the graphic photo of the victim. All fun and games until you realize the family of the homeless man didn't even know he was alive until the story broke. I think there are several very important issues here that are being missed because of the sensationalism of this story.

Pappo was once a bright and promising youth. Then he just slipped, multiple arrests on petty charges and just sort of disappearing from the lives of his family. That alone should be sparking a conversation on the causes of homelessness and what can be done to prevent it. At no point did no one try to intervene in his life?  It can be near impossible to get someone to change if they don't want to, especially when substance abuse or mental illness is a factor. Who becomes responsible for a person when released from an institution, such a prison. At what point do the red flags go up, 3 arrests? 5? 20? Is it the responsibility of the system, of the family, of society in general? Homelessness needs to be looked at like a disease, something to be prevented not just cured. There are so many resources available but they are underfunded or unknown to many people who need them.

As for Eugene, I've read some articles saying he was on cocaine, some claiming bath salts (synthetic cocaine), but what matters is that he was on a drug in the first place. Say what you want about "nanny laws", drug laws are there for a reason. Yes, what you do to your body is your own business but when a substance makes a person a danger to society that is where the line must be drawn. Anything that has the power to substantially the behaviour of a person does need to be controlled and regulated but when someone can purchase something like bath salts at a gas station but be arrested for an ounce of pot, the laws need to be revised.

Lastly, I've read comments of people being shocked at how many witnesses there were to this broad daylight attack and that nobody intervened. I've driven through Miami there is so much happening on the road itself that sometimes it is difficult to pay attention to anything other than the cars around you. And if you do see something like that all you can do is call the police.

Or shoot the motherfucker yourself.

I am sure that every single person that had called in the incident, had they been properly trained and sufficiently armed would have stepped in. This wasn't a simple fight that could have been broken up by a can of mace. A crazed, nude man was eating another man's face! Even if I had come across the scene and I was armed with mace I would have been hesitant of using it. What if that wasn't enough to deter or stop him, what if by doing so he would become enraged and come after me? I can guarantee, unless you have extensive hand to hand combat training, nothing short of a gun or taser set to crispy was going to bring him. When the cop shot him the first time, the guy simply growled and continued the attack. How is a guy on a bike armed with an iPhone going to be able to stop that? So kudos to all the citizens that did the right thing by calling it in but this story proves how important it is for private citizens to obtain firearms. For personal protection as well as to aid in the safety of their fellow citizens.

Fresh

From December 30th till January 3rd, I was asked what my New Year’s Resolution was. I would reply that I had none because, to me, they are meaningless. My New Years Resolution for 2011 was to learn to drive stick. I had one lesson which ended after 20 terrifying minutes. A second try involved a solo attempt to move my boyfriend's manual car into our garage. I stalled every time I tried to drop into gear. It would lurch forward violently and I was able to get the car half way in using this method before it died entirely. Needless to say, I will be keeping my bike ready in the event of apocalypse and both my car and my boyfriend are immobilized. Despite such a crushing failure of determination, I’d say that 2011 was still pretty action packed.  I learned the basics of aerial gymnastics, performed as a fire eater, got two paid TV gigs, set a PR for 5k and ran my first half marathon, was crowned the first female Scareactor of the Year (voted by other actors) and also Performer of the Year (decided by management) for third time in a row for Halloween Horror Nights.

All in all, I’d say pretty damn accomplished.

So I’ve decided resolutions are not for me...