STRONG ZUMBA!

Tonight I went WAAAAAAAAAAAY out of my comfort zone and did STRONG ZUMBA!  

O.  M.  G.  

It WHOOPED my butt, but I feel SO CHARGED UP!!!  I can honestly say that I would not have tried this if it wasn't for Cancer and living every single moment to it's fullest potential!  The instructor, Maria, is one of the most inspirational people that I've ever come across in my life (and I've met Maya Angelou).  She just oooooooozes with love, and shares it with EVERYBODY!  Today she posted that she was going to be leading a STRONG ZUMBA class tonight, and included this...

See why I could NOT resist?!?!  

This is Maria w/my 2 Warriors!  ❤!!! 

I'm gonna feel this tomorrow...yikes :)  

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

Flu shot

Got my flu shot today.  And Dr. Kritz said "and make sure all those around you get one too."

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

Snot productivity on the rise, but my body is fighting it!

This week my snot productivity has been on the rise...but I feel good and have no fever.  Earlier in the week I felt sort of miserable when I woke up in the morning, but the past couple of days I'm feeling better.  Met with Dr. Kritz today just to make sure all was cool for my treatment next week and I passed with flying colors!  He thinks it's just due to the weather changes.

BP:  98/65  WOW!
Blood counts:  GOOD!
Temp:  97.7  ROCKED IT!
BMI:  23  WOO HOO!

I'm feeling pretty good about how my body is functioning and Dr. Kritz agreed.  He poked me all over and didn't feel anything out of the ordinary!  YES!!  I told him that Bertha and I were now at peace with each other...because as long as neither of us get out of control, me with my living/eating habits and her with growing (at all!), we BOTH live.  

Today I was even feeling good enough about myself to tuck in my t-shirt today for the first time in....oh.....I don't know....25 years or so!  LOL!  I wore my Mom's vest to the appointment and even got a slight little wiff of her Shalimar perfume.  There are no coincidences :)  

This was in the bathroom of the restaurant I went to last night with a fellow NHL Warrior.  LOVE IT!

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

Remembering how it all started...

I've been thinking about my Mom a lot lately.  I went to a Cancer support group meeting last night and it brought back SOOOOO many memories of when my Mom and I would go to support meetings together.  She would always call me late in the afternoon and ask me where we were going to meet and what I wanted to eat.  The answer was always the same, "at the Cancer Center" and "peanut butter and jelly sandwich".  My Mom made *THE BEST* PB&J sandwiches!  It's my answer to "if you were deserted on an island and could only have one thing to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be".

In prep for the support meeting, I dug out my Mom's lime green vest....just to see if it would fit.....and guess what?!!!!.....

I could not be happier!  It is perfect!

Having been thru the journey with my Mom, it has given me a tremendous amount of confidence and strength for my fight.  There was a newly diagnosed lady at the meeting last night...with the same kind of Cancer as mine....and hearing her talk reminded me of how I felt after my Mom told me "I have Cancer".  It's one of those things that you have to experience to understand fully.  But then I thought about when *I* heard those words....and especially after I learned that I have Follicular Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma...how I immediately knew that I've totally got this.

Yes.  I have dark moments.
Yes, I still get in a funk and think it absolutely SUCKS that I have an incurable type of Cancer.

BUT....

I'm able to pull myself out of that darkness and find the strength to Carpe Diem!  And I owe a lot of that strength to my Mom.  In celebration of her fight and of her bravery against this incurable beast, I HAVE TOTALLY, WHOLEHEARTEDLY, ABSOLUTELY GOT THIS!  

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

A refreshing break from the every day routine....

This week my team at work took a refreshing little break from our every day routine and just enjoyed each other's company.  It was AWESOME!  

These ladies give me strength every single day to keep fighting my fight.

Yes, this was my one drink for the month of October!  YUMMY!

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

Quotes

Of course I gotta add some quotes on here!  These are the ones that have spoken to me the loudest lately....

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

My purpose is Joy

My Crazy Sexy Love Notes have been SOOOOOO spot on lately!  I JUST LOVE THEM!  This was the one I picked Friday night for this weekend....

And then I got to hold this little beautiful new life...

 ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I've got this.  ❤❤❤ I'VE TOTALLY, WHOLEHEARTEDLY GOT THIS!

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba

CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc. 

Cancer SUCKS!

My Zumba ladies had a Breast Cancer Awareness event on Friday night.  The entire room was PINK!  I danced my booty off for 90 whole minutes in celebration and in memory of ALL those that have crossed my path with the diagnosis of Breast Cancer.  It's been a few years since I counted, but I have over 40 friends with this diagnosis, including all of my female cousins on my dad's side.

RIP Kim Crocker.  You were the first I ever knew with Cancer.  What a wild ride we had.  I remember going to Sing for the Cure in Dallas and meeting Nancy Brinker and Maya Angelou.  I don't think I would be as strong fighting my fight if I hadn't been part of your tribe many moons ago.  I'm forever grateful for that.

Here's my dancing partners for the evening!  WOO HOO!  

Seriously.  How can you not have fun with these two!??!!!

Can't you just feel the LOVE from these pictures!!!

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

Survivors. We just find each other.

I bought myself a ticket to see Terri Clark, Suzy Bogguss and Pam Tillis in concert at the Clayton Center in...well....CLAYTON!  I'd never been there, but I knew I couldn't miss out on this event.  I mean, Terri's song "No Fear" is on my "Surviving NHL" playlist...and many others.  It's been my song for multiple decades.  My favorite words of the song are...

And when I need two arms around me
And there's no one near
When I'm alone let the only sound be
No Fear

I want peace, love, and understanding
A stogie and an ice-cold beer
Don't wanna live afraid of dying

I used to hit every wall there was
I used to run away from love
All I ever wanted was right here
But I had to reach way down inside

I used to stay up all night long
Wondering what I was doing wrong
All I ever needed was right here
But I had to reach way down inside
I had to have faith I'd find
No Fear
No Fear
No Fear

Anyway, when I walk into the Clayton Center, I go straight to get a water.  This man comes up behind me...and to make a long story short, he ends up telling me to follow him, that he bought his wife a water earlier and she didn't drink it, so no need to waste my money, he'd just give me that one.  It was the weirdest thing ever, but he was SOOOOOO genuinely nice that I just followed him without even thinking about it.  I thought....this'll be a good story. :) Well, come to find out, there was this whole back room full of Who's-Who-In-Clayton type folks who had just finished eating dinner!  They're all dressed up, sitting around these huge tables socializing.  A lady at the door looked at me...like I needed a ticket or something to get in....but my new friend just grabbed my arm and said "She's with me!".  LOL!

And sure enough, don't you know, he sat me down in his seat at his table, which was filled with about 9 other people, introduced me to everyone there, and left!  ....oh yea, and there was a brand new, unopened bottle of water.  I stayed to talk to everyone, including my new friend's wife.  One thing led to another...I told her how weird it was that he just led me back to this table but I wasn't missing out on a single thing that life had to offer because of ol' Bertha not being curable....to which she responded....."My husband has Colon Cancer.  He's on maintenance treatments right now."....and then we just stood there and looked at each other in silence for a couple minutes.  And I replied "Well then, that's why he found me.  There are no coincidences".  

Wow.

I had the wife (I obviously can't remember EITHER of their names, DAG NAB IT!) take our picture...

 We showed each other our ports and talked about how thankful we are to have them.  It was amazing.  Oh yea, and that's his $2 "bottomless coffee".  He told me "All the old geezers get one!"  LOL!

Here's the girls, singing their hearts out!  It was awesome....

The guy sitting next to me had on this old country style shirt, one like Conway Twitty or Porter Wagner would wear.  It was black with white trim all around.  When we were getting up to leave, he said "Ma'am, you sure have a nice laugh.  I could tell you had a very good time at this concert.".  ❤❤❤  The people in Clayton are the GREATEST!!  It was a VERY good choice to go see these ladies.

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

I admit it. I cheated.

Hi!

Since I started the Crazy Sexy Diet in April, I have been ROCKING it!  I had to adjust my protein intake a little when I was a few months in to it, but since then, it's been pretty easy.

....before I go on, I'm going to take a minute to write down what a drastic change this diet has been because I was thinking about this yesterday and it is absolutely amazing.  I'm even surprising myself, which is pretty AWESOME!  My weight had been like a yo yo for YEARS, but not anymore.  When my life is on the line, being a Vegan is an easy path to follow.  I mean, some of my favorites used to be dry salami + cheese, garlic baloney sandwiches on white bread (I'd eat them for an entire week), hot chicken wings, Taco Bell Nachos Bellgrande, filet mignon, BACON!  OMG BACON!  A typical day might include stopping at McDonald's for an Egg McMuffin + coffee (1 cream + 2 sugar), then lunch at Wendy's for a single cheese everything no onion + fries + diet coke, then dinner was Taco Bell!  HOLY CRAP!  And if I thought about it, I might have had a Snickers or Heath bar.  NOW I get excited when I find a new place that has a drink or salad w/kale in it!  WHAT THE?!!   And even if I am in the same room as piping hot, fresh pepperoni pizza, I will be happy and satisfied with just eating my greens.  WHODATHUNKIT?!

Anyway....back to the purpose of this post....

So now that I've told you how strong my willpower has been, I must admit that I cheated.  And honestly, it was SOOOOO WORTH IT!  OMG!  Carmel apple w/nuts.  NC State Fair.  Also ate 12 little mini-donuts (w/no sugar on top, just the donuts).  And then I followed that with a LOT of water and Quinoa Tabouli salad from Neomonde....so the whole day wasn't a cheat.  BUT OMG....THE APPLE.....well, see for yourself, it was a whole body experience....

Had to include the picture of my photo bomber, Terrill!  

WHAT AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE!

I LOVE LOVE LOVE going to the NC State Fair every year!  I just love the diversity of people and the fact that everybody is usually REALLY, REALLY HAPPY!  You see people eating all kinds of crap, blowing money on all sorts of crazy things, and they are all SMILING!!!  I spent my wad, as usual, but I loved every single moment of it....especially because I got to spend the day with these two angels....Kileen and Meghan....

Saw this too....it was the most beautiful bird I have ever seen in my life.

It could not have been a better day.  Bertha, I know you enjoyed it too.

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.

An Epiphany!

Sorry for the silence....again.  I've been in a rut.  Stuck.  But then Kris Carr posted something on her facebook page (or maybe it was an email, I can't remember) about this challenge called "Say it, Sweat it, Get It" challenge (FREE!) by someone named Erin Stutland.  It was only for a week, so I thought what the heck....

HOLY SHITBALLS!  IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!  And today I had a GARGANTUAN epiphany!  (I have never used the word epiphany before…so this is big….I had to look it up to make sure it matched how I was feeling.  It said this:  Epiphanies are relatively rare occurrences and generally follow a process of significant thought about a problem.)  

The challenge used music and Mantras and, literally, FIVE MINUTE workouts....well, except for Monday.  Monday started with a 20-minute "Soul Stroll".  It was an absolutely INCREDIBLE WEEK!  OMG!  Today I did TWO Soul-Strolls back-to-back, one power-walking and then back at a jog!  FOR TWENTY MINUTES!  CHANTING MANTRAS OUT LOUD!  It was incredible.  Yes, people looked at me weird and I did stop the chanting whenever I passed people with small children....but I tried out the new greenway by my house and it was super fantastic.  :) 

On my way back today, while I was panting and sweating and chanting things like "I AM STRONG NOW!  I HAVE ALL THAT I NEED!" (there are lots more....), I felt like I broke free of a huge, heavy chain that was hooked to an anchor that developed during 2016.  

I LITERALLY DID!  

HOLY SHIT!  

I have been doing the challenges all week, but this weekend, while doing them again, something deep inside me changed.  This second time around, the thing that kept running thru my head was something that Erin says during the Soul Stroll.  She says:  “I know you can turn it up, even if it’s just 5%!”  

I did the 4 daily challenges back to back on Saturday.  WOWSA!  It wasn’t a pretty 20 minutes, but it was my best and I was proud.  I went to yoga afterwards and raised myself a little bit higher on the lifts.  Then this afternoon I decided to do the Soul Stroll.  My plan was to do it once, at a very fast-paced walk, then turn around and walk back to Hot Lava.  However, once I got to the end, I decided to JOG back!  I was on top of the world and I didn't want the feeling to end so I just DID IT!  

AND THAT'S WHEN IT HAPPENED!!!  

I broke free!!!  On my way back I GOT OUT OF MY HEAD AND LIVED IN THE PRESENT! 

I stopped worrying about my port and if it could handle all of my movement.  
I stopped worrying about my ex.  I was on a brand new greenway which was taking me on a BRAND NEW PATH AWAY FROM HER!!    
I stopped worrying about doing something to make my Cancer spread!   Bertha and I are at peace and I know she will co-exist with me and not take over because then we BOTH will lose.

I have been really working on myself since the beginning of the year.  As you know, I changed my diet drastically and became a vegan (thanks to Kris Carr), I’ve been exercising, and working hard on finding my tribe of people who will inspire me…but I was still stuck.  I just couldn’t break free of the anchor.  I still had moments, especially at night, when I would go to that dark place.  But as I was saying the Mantras this week….they ALL hit home…and I was finally moving forward again….but it wasn’t until TODAY that it made my heart absolutely BURST!  It was that moment that I heard Erin say “I know you can turn it up, even if it’s just 5%!”…and I did.  And that was exactly enough.  BOOM!

This is after Soul Stroll #1:

*THIS* is after Soul Stroll #2!  BOOM!

 This is me, without the anchor.  

I am strong now.
I have all that I need.
I am happy, healthy, wealthy, and loved.
What I seek is also seeking me.
I make space for greatness.
I call in my success.
I focus on giving.
What I give is what I get.

I let go of the old.
I'm creating something NEW!!

There are angels everywhere!  Thank you Erin Stutland.  You came along right when I needed you most!  ❤   And I am still humongously grateful to Kris Carr for her Crazy Sexy Diet!  ❤❤❤

Always forward, never back,

❤,
Bubba
CEO of Save My Ass Technologies, Inc.