They're following me!

Okay guys, this is getting a little weird. These famous folk are following me around.

As Kerry and I were getting settled into our airplane seats, leaving Maui, a woman boarding asked the person behind us if she could take his picture. At first he said no. But then she talked him into it by convincing him to put his hat on. The photo, she said, was for her son.

Who could it be? I was too timid to turn around, so instead I listened intently to a gravelly voice that sounded like Marlon Brando doing his best low whisper “Godfather” voice.

After much listening between he and the woman sitting next to him who was all excited about the magazines she was reading and the pajamas she had bought, I then heard “him” start singing a few bars of Steely Dan’s “Reeling in the Years” I finally unobtrusively turn around to see none other than Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith.

At first, I thought, “what a snob” for not wanting his picture taken. But when I got home, I did a google search, as the flight attendant told him to “have a good time tomorrow” and was wondering if he was going to be performing in town. The first thing that came up on the search was a picture of he and his girlfriend, (who he has reportedly been having problems with) taken one week earlier, at the Maui airport with their luggage on a Smarte Carte, another picture of him in front of the Enterprise car rental in Maui, and finally, the worst picture they could possibly find of him, supposedly taken prior to him going into rehab in December.

Why do I write about all this on a diet and fitness blog? Because Steven Tyler is a 61 year old athlete.

I know that many of you reading this blog are either ultra marathon runners, surfers, yogis etc. Because we need some fun in life, I have included the video from Aerosmith's sweet emotion you can watch it here. It's especially fun if you watch it all the way to the end. As many of us who consider ourselves athletes can attest, we've fallen prey to sports injuries. Can you imagine doing some of the gyrations Steven does, including that flip-over featured in the video, night after grueling night for forty years? Do you think that Kobe Bryant will be performing for his fans when he's 61? Not likely. I thought it was time for some honest reporting, and I also love a good celebrity sighting.

Here is the truth, according to a source (me) very close to the star: He ordered club soda with extra limes, salmon, no desert and black coffee. No alcohol. He was full of please and thank you's to the flight attendants. He was lovey dovey with his girlfriend. When I sneezed, he said "God Bless You" Of course I made it my business to get some kind of small talk in as we were exiting the plane and he was upbeat, positive, making jokes and eagerly talking to me about the change of weather from Maui to Los Angeles.

If you haven't figured out by now, the pictures taken of him are worth a lot of money. Usually accompanied by an unflattering commentary.

I later saw an interview in which he readily admits that he entered rehab due to the fact that he had surgery on both feet, caused by 40 years of running around like a maniac onstage, resulting in abuse of doctor prescribed opiates.

I know we as a culture like to "Throw the Christians to the Lions" I'm just glad no one was watching me on the flight because I drank two glasses of wine and ate the desert. Kudos to Steven for entertaining us all these years!

There's No Place Like Home-Sez Who?

Today is our last day in Maui. Our workout was a three hour hike and run - yes run! on a trail in Lahaina. "Lahaina" means "Cruel Sun" and as you can see by the photo, this is one dry trail. We climbed to 1500 ft. affording some stellar ocean and island views. It was amazing. Not only due to the lava trail, the company, and the workout, but mostly because my knee was in running shape today, nine months after the surgery. Part of this is mental. I am a trail runner! If you're not sure about trying something; that's a sure sign to do it!

Once back to the condo, it was time for a surf session. Amazing, warm waters including a baby sea turtle popping its head up and swimming next to my board.

I was feeling a teensy bit homesick (took two aspirin 'till the feeling passed) and walked the beach one final time. I saw a Mama Humpback Whale breach, followed by numerous baby breaches. When I got to the end of the beach, I was rewarded by an amazing rainbow. It will be good to get back to Laguna Beach to my daughters and pets. But who ever said "There's no place like home" Oh yeah, it was that Dorothy character whose best friends didn't have a heart, a brain or the nerve. Whatevah.

Bikram Yoga Maui- Dr. Wayne Dyer

Luckily, I was born into this world as a rubber band. As all good rubber bands go, they give birth to even better rubber bands. Angela can stretch her foot all the way to the point where it actually touches her nose.

Today's workout was Bikram Yoga in Lahaina, HI. Since I now travel among the circles of the rich and famous, who should I run into at the studio but New York Times best selling author Dr. Wayne Dyer, a local Maui resident and practioner of Bikram Yoga. All of the celebrities I have met thus far have been exceedingly friendly. Both of them. That would include Freddy Krueger, who lives in Laguna Beach and Dr.Dyer. The thing about celebrities is that they are normal folk, just like you and me. I went up and introduced myself. He was all about asking me questions instead of the other way around. Where was I from, do I practice yoga in Laguna Beach, was I having a good time? He then proceeded to give me a gift, which was a copy of a movie he stars in, called The Shift.

I have read many of his books. He is a true visionary, writing about human potential. I neglected to tell him, possibly out of embarrassment, just how much one of his books affected me. When I was 19 and married to husband number one, it was, how shall I put this politely, not a great relationship. It was around that time that I picked up the best selling copy of his then current book, Your Erroneous Zones. It changed my thinking so much, that I left the marriage. I will never forget my then husbands famous last words: "Everything was just fine until you started reading that book" Such, my friends, is the power of gifted authors and yoga!

Aloha from Maui!

Welcome to Maui! Kerry and I have been here for one week, which is why you haven't heard from us. It takes about that time to decompress, so we decided to stay for two glorious weeks. It is paradise here, so who knows, we may never return.

It's whale season here, and it's work season for Angela in Southern California. The humpback whales migrate every year from Alaska to the warm waters of Maui for mating and giving birth to their young. It looks like whale soup out here! Every morning we enjoy our coffee under a star studded sky, right next to the ocean, feeling the balmy island breeze caress our skin, then start watching for the whale activity as the sun rises. Some of them have gotten within yards of our patio, and when they jump for joy, it is a sight to behold. I know how happy swimming in this warm water makes me feel!

Today we went on not one, but two hikes, lasting for about five hours. First we went to Waihee Trail, then to Waihee Ridge Trail. The first hike featured waterfalls, two swinging bridges and two great swimming holes, complete with a rope for swinging, Tarzan style, into the water. The second trail, is solid climbing, climbing, climbing. It was pretty slippery due to the ever present rain and mist. It really does look like a scene straight out of Jurassic Park. In fact, they did film a lot of that movie here on Maui. We ended up high up in the clouds where the trail ends. If this isn't the Garden of Eden, I don't know what is.

When we returned to our condo, it was time for a nice relaxing Epsom Salt bath for me. Kerry decided to go surfing, since you can walk straight out the door with your surfboard and be in world class surf. I surely did marry a stud. How could I not? I finally found someone who actually wears me out.

Happy 22nd Birthday Angela!

The Baby of the family turned 22 yesterday! We had an amazing celebration, mother and daughter, relaxing at the spa at the Surf and Sand Hotel in Laguna Beach. We then were joined by family and friends for dinner at their oceanfront restaurant "Splashes" under a stunning Southern California sunset. Angela is blowing out the candles on her Funfetti cake, which is not exactly on the diet, but it was made with love by her beautiful mother. Love the most important ingredient on everyone's diet!

Here is a picture of Angela's sister, Jessica, with her boyfriend Jeff. Remember to go out, celebrate, and tell the people you love just how much you love them. You might even decide to make someone's day by baking them a Funfetti cake!

Happy Birthday Baby! We all love you!

Ask And You Shall Receive or Be Careful What You Ask For

Several years back I was enjoying a lovely early morning trail run with a beloved Ultra Buddy when we started talking about one of my ex's. I thought it was funny when I told him "I'd rather sit in poison oak than be with Good Ole' What's His Name"

Here we are, ten years later, as I lie on my stomach, wearing a pair of baggy pajama pants typing this out on my laptop. Why you might ask? Because baggy clothing and lying prone are the only comfortable positions I can get into relative to the - how shall we say - location - of the worst part of the poison oak outbreak. If you are at all sensitive to poison oak, you may want to re-think going on the adventure I regaled you with on my last post. If you do decide to attempt it, at least promise me you will wear a pair of running tights.

Much as you all want to see it, the closest we will get to a photograph of the famous rash is the above photo which at least shows off my cute pedicure. Words to live by - "Leaves of Three, Let it Be" and next time you think you're being funny, remember, it just might come back to bite you in the butt!

Has Rico Secretly Taken Out A Life Insurance Policy On Me?

Between Kerry taking me out in the Tsunami surf conditions on Monday, and Rico taking me on our adventure today, I am beginning to think that the two of them have been watching too much Lifetime Channel movies. You know, the chick channel where someone is always attempting to collect millions in life insurance money. They never get away with it.

I met Rico at Blackstar Canyon this morning for what I thought was going to be a nice, easy, 2 hour hike on a fire road. Easy.

When we met, he handed me a newspaper article from the OC Register, which showed a picture of a stunning, mysterious waterfall in Blackstar Canyon. You can read about it here. Well, I did not "read all about it" but instead tossed the news article into the back of my car, and off we went.

The article claimed that it was only around five miles round trip. Simple really. Seven hours later we were back at our cars.

We found the creek, made a sharp right and there was a small trail which quickly turned into NO trail, but instead a series of boulder climbing and hopping, scrambling and bushwacking up a narrow debris laden creek.

If I had known what I was in for, I would've worn running tights, long sleeved shirt, gloves, trail gaiters and probably had some of those hiking poles, which I don't own. But no, my attire consisted of a cute little pair of short pink running shorts, a short sleeved shirt and running shoes which quickly got soaked.

This location is stunning. We saw hundred year old oak trees, red newts, cute tiny little frogs gleefully hopping along with us, lush ferns. And poison oak. Lots of poison oak. Are we there yet? How much further could it be? We can't give up now, we must be almost there. Did we go the right way? What time is the sun going to set?

We finally made it there and were rewarded by hundreds of gallons of water splashing down into a small pool of delightfully cool water which I took advantage of to bring the swelling down.

On the way home, I stopped at the drug store and bought myself a large bottle of Tecnu, a preparation which removes poison oak oil from your skin and clothes.

We had a wonderful adventure. I will now answer the question that Expiring Minds wanna know - Yes, I did break a fingernail.

Mother Nature Handed My Cute Lil' Ole' Butt To Me On A Plate Today

It started out innocently enough.

If you watch the news, you may know that Southern California was issued Tsunami warnings over the weekend. Needless to say, the surf was quite large and exciting, a condition which experienced surfers wait for all year.

This morning, we woke up to my Surfer Boy's "tide chart application" on his iphone which predicted 3 to 4 foot waves at San O'Nofre surf beach. God forbid that anyone would actually look out the window, even when you live at the beach like we do, to monitor the surf. Heck no! That's why you've got your iphone!

So off we drove to my favorite surf beach, San O', for a little early morning fun in the sun. If you are a relatively new surfer, like me, you quickly discover that the majority of the folks out in the water have been surfing, oh, somewhere starting around the time they were embryos.

Once we got there, it looked something like this: double overhead waves, no breaks between the sets, surboards spinning high up into the air after a wipeout (if this ever happens to you, cover your face when you resurface. I speak from experience.) I looked at it and thought, "How hard can it be?"

I lasted exactly five minutes attempting to paddle out to the lineup whilst getting my board ripped away from my body by the ever approaching breaking waves. Luckily for me, my surfer boy husband was a lifeguard in a past incarnation, so he escorted me safely out of the water.

You have to admit though, I do look pretty good in my wetsuit.