Thu, Aug 28 2008 by Vanessa.

I love Terri. Who doesn’t love Terri? She’s absolutely crazy. One of the most beautiful crazy people I’ve ever met to be exact. And I’m so proud of her. Terri and I met at the gym. John and I had started personal training sessions many moons ago and my original trainer received a promotion which required a transfer to another gym. So, she passed me off onto a new trainer who just moved to town named Terri.

Skepticism filled me when I heard that Terri keeps her clients in the free weight area more than the fun free-motion machine area. I came to enjoy my workouts in the free-motion area where we played games and tossed balls around and in one way or another distracted me from the fact that a workout was in progress. Then, during one of my last workouts with my original trainer, Terri tagged along to see what I was all about and vice versa. I will never forget that day. John and I were Army-crawling underneath a stretched out rubber band and my body started to fatigue. Terri said “You can quit early if you want. I won’t tell.” That moment and those words solidified in my head that “this girl was going to be way too easy.” Open mouth, insert foot.

Terri wound up beating my butt every single day for 7 months until I stepped onto a stage in Panama City, FL wearing the skimpiest bikini I have ever seen along with 5 inch heels, a fake tan and makeup.  Did I mention I hadn’t been able to shower that morning and I wasn’t allowed to wear deodorant the day before because it would turn my armpits (which had fake tan in them) green?  Did I also mention that during the previous 3 months I ate less than 1500 calories a day due to a diet that included a vomit-inducing amount of Orange Roughy?    I’m sure I left out the part that required me to do TWO 45 minute cardio sessions a day plus 5 lifting sessions a week.  Yes, the girl who “was going to be way too easy” made me her victim.  You see, when you’re crazy enough to make Figure competition a major part of your life, as Terri has, you naturally seek out other “victims” to compete with you.  Who wants to traipse through the depths of hell alone?

Looking back, the decision to prepare for a Figure competition might just have been my first real decision that solidified my need for a new life, AKA Section 2.  Terri showed me a world that I never imagined existed.  Frankly, if you haven’t done it, you have no clue.  My personality did a 180.  Most people can’t believe that I would ever be hateful or spiteful on purpose.  Anyone who knows me knows how my dogs stick to my side, how I love on them all the time, and I how I truly try to be a good person.  My personality changed so much that my dedicated little Mimi dog, who follows me literally everywhere I go, started running away when I walked into a room.  John would only eat when I left the house to train.  I found myself being so incredibly mean, knowing in my head that it was wrong and yet I couldn’t quite stop myself.  I honestly felt what it was like to be someone else.  Anyway, the reason I tell this story is because Terri lives this life every year.  When dieting season comes along she’s right there eating Asparagus, Orange Roughy (I still can’t stand to look at it), plain rice cakes if she’s lucky … well, you get the idea.  She does her cardio, her lifting and still manages to train others.  I don’t know how or why she does it but she does.

Well, this year Terri took flight.  She is kicking butt and taking names.  She’s placed 1st in her last 3 competitions and missed her Pro card TWICE by only 1 point each time.  However, all that is about to change.  This Saturday, August 30, 2008, Terri is going Pro.  I have a feeling and I’m going to send out winning vibes for her all day.  Here’s a picture of her and by the way … again, I’m so proud … she’s wearing MY suit!!!!!

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Thu, Aug 28 2008 by Vanessa.

Our time of departure (in the RV) is approaching.  I’m not sure at what rate but I know it’s getting closer.  As such, I thought it a good idea to clean up the Mustang and try to help Ron sell it.  Off to the Wash Tub!  We dropped the car off, went to get some coffee and then returned to collect my newly cleaned automobile.  Driving home I thought to myself,”How pretty my car looks.  Someone’s going to love owning it.”  That’s when I realized that I actually have to part with my car.  Of course, the tears appeared.  I know it’s just a car.  A skillfully pieced together hunk of metal, plastic and glass that takes me from point A to point B.  Somehow, as is true form for yours truly, my Mustang has become more than that.

I bought my Mustang in CA while John was away for Officer Training.   My mom flew to Lompoc to visit me and became worried when she saw how much my Daytona was smoking.  So, we went car shopping.  I picked it out by myself, I got a 1.9% interest rate, I traded in my old car and drove off the lot with my new car.  Actually, I drove off in a dealer demo since I’ve always opposed buying a brand new car.  Anyway, good buddies we (my car and I) became.  I traveled all over the country in that car.  It was also the first car I bought all by myself and paid off all by myself.  There is a part of me that thinks “Oh, I can just store it in my mom’s garage in CO until we are done RVing!” but that defeats the point.  Section 2 is not a vacation.  The point is not to RV for a bit and then come back to this life.  No, in order to properly create a new Section 2 life I have to let go.  I need to change.  I want to cherish what I have and know that even if I separate from my car it still exists and hopefully brings someone else days, weeks, months and years of reliable transportation, just as it did for me.

I miss my Mustang already but I know our separation is for the best.  Replacements exist for most material possessions.  Section 2 embodies simplification and that requires parting with most of my material life.  So, craigslist here I come.

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