Good news: Mom is out of the hospital and doing remarkably well. I have talked to her everyday and feel so blessed that my "momma" is all better. Thank you for all of your well wishes.

Bad news: I sit here today feeling more pain than I have ever felt in my life. I have been very fortunate so far to never have experienced grief, yet that came to an end yesterday.

I was walking past the sliding glass door which leads into the backyard on my way to pull my hair up for the gym and saw Electra chasing a squirrel (famous pasttime for her) and absolutely giving it hell! I remember thinking to myself "girl, in 10 years you have never caught a squirrel--you think you are gonna get that one?". I continued on to the restroom and pulled my hair in two low ponytails (chest day, so I needed them split so I could lay on the bench properly). I then walked back in the room, put on my jacket and walked to the back door to call her in..."Electra, let's go!" only to see her laying in the grass on her side not moving. I run out as fast as I have ever run to get to her and knew immediately she was gone. From the time it took me to put my hair in two ponytails and slide on a jacket, my precious dog passed away. WHYYYYY???!!! I don't understand this! She had just been to the vet and not only checked out healthy, but remarkably healthy! Did she not want the surgery this Friday? Did she just get tired of living? WHY? The vet checked her out after she passed away and came up with two scenarios: 1)vascular accident, which essentially means she had a blood vessel burst during the excitement of chasing the squirrel 2) heart attack.

My Mom, H, and others have expressed that it was her time and that God had a plan for her in our lives. Well damnit! I want her BACK! We were a team, she was my pride and joy. I know that she taught me two very important things while she was here; immeasurably love and immeasurable loss. At 10 years old she still acted like a puppy and LOVED, LOVED, LOVED everyone she met. No one walked away unaffected or unimpressed by Electra. SHE WAS TRULY SPECIAL. I know she was a gift from God to me, but excuse me while I have a tantrum wanting her back! I sit here typing through the tears hoping I can find some peace in sharing this...the pain is as palpable and real as I have ever felt. What am I going to do without my 'Lectra? I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't function at this point...I miss her.

For those that do not understand the love between a pet and their owner-you probably won't understand what I am going through. Those that DO understand, well...you get it. This is the darkest time in my life and I pray that I get some peace soon...

Here are some pics I had on my computer of my beauty and when I look at the one of her in the grass and clover, that is what I envision her doing now--being truly happy eternally. She had a wonderful life-there will NEVER be another Electra.

What a lonnnnng day! Glad it is over! It started off with me having to take my pride and joy, Electra, to the vet for her annual checkup/shots and to have some "lumps" looked at. For those that have followed my journal for awhile, you will remember that E had a tumor removed on her left leg that was cancerous...neurofibrosarcoma to be exact. The only good thing about that type of cancer is that it is "non-metastastatic" which means that it doesn't travel to any other areas of the body. I was given the option to do a very long series of radiation treatments or just let it be and if/when the tumor grows back I will need to have it excised once again. Well, it's BACK after two years. She has surgery scheduled for next Friday. She is almost 10 years old now and has been the BEST dog anyone could ask for. She is truly exceptional. This tumor situation has not reduced her quality of life one bit. She still acts like a puppy and is in remarkable shape. She should do just fine during/after the surgery, it is just unsettling to think that she has anything at all wrong and that she has to endure any discomfort during this process. Next Friday will be a doozy for me to say the least.

Next phone call is from home...my Mom has been admitted into the hospital with pneumonia. Pneumonia is scary enough without the fact that she has Multiple Sclerosis which makes it hard to get over things such as this. Anytime someone has severe congestion in their lungs, it is advantageous for them to move a bit and get it "worked up" and out so to speak...well, she is limited on movement so this is particularly scary for me and the family. She is getting great care, but I am still a bundle of nerves waiting for any update whatsoever. She is made out of the same "stuff" I am and is a trooper for sure so I know she will be okay--prayers welcome as always.

The evening ended with a high note when I was able to talk on the phone to the SWEETEST girl named Elana. She is an up and coming fbber and has wonderful enthusiasm and love for the sport. I grow weary of some the jaded, self-absorbed, head cases that our industry unfortunately has. Elana was REFRESHING to say the least. No hangups, no self-esteem issues, no narcissism, no fakeness-nothing. Just a little ball of sunshine! Look out for Ms. Elana she is working with the best now so her path is lined with gold.

I think I will close for now...in a crappy mood to say the least and when I get like this I tend to speak my mind a bit too harshly. Maybe I will make an entry into "Gina's Thoughts" in the members section...that's where I REALLY cut loose.

Later y'all-
G

Hey you guys! All is well on my end. Travelled home this past weekend to see the family...it was such a good feeling to be there with the warmth and familiarity of my loved ones around me. I am living in Oklahoma now, but Texas will always be HOME.

Workouts are off the charts lately. I have gotten sick twice during some recent leg workouts, which is unlike me. I think there is a direct correlation between nausea and walking lunges! lol! The folks at Body Tech are really rallying behind me as I get ready to go into my precontest phase. I have reduced my bodyfat a bit with the help of sensible eating and substantial amount of cardio so their feedback has been invaluable in helping me stay on track. When day one begins of my prep, I am a mad woman with my eye on the goal...no distractions, no cheating, nothing...just full on hardcore, all-out, here-I- come attitude. Well---in the offseason I counter that with being less structured and just enjoy life. This time around, I have ONE eye on the goal and the other having fun during my offseason which should make for a better end result as I go into my first pro show. There is no way I could be one-dimensional year 'round...I am not wired up that way.

Speaking of rallying behind me, there are some people that make it extra special...my girl Carri hitting some workouts with me and being a great cardio buddy, and my new buddy Ilknur Dunlap (no relation to Sarah). Ilknur is originally from Turkey, where she was very successful in bodybuilding, and is now living in Tulsa. She has been training with H every Tuesday and is the sweetest thing! She and I have had some great talks about people in our industry and I have jokingly expressed that I have my eye on only ONE lady that I have to beat and have a saying that goes along with it "I'm coming for ya Yax!" LOL! Unbeknownst to me, Ilknur is quite the photoshopper and sent me this "comic strip" a few days ago. I was cracking up!!!! Thanks Ilknur...I will make this my wallpaper for sure!


Member's section: Should have a great update for you all this weekend--you can see how hard I have been working and the changes that have taken place.

Any ideas you may have for future updates...do not hesitate to shoot me an email and tell me all about it!
Have a great day y'all!
G

Hi y'all! Hope everyone is well and happy. I am doing terrific right now--and truly "back in action"! Workouts are better than ever with VERY consistent cardio and clean eating throughout the week...already dropped 10lbs. I want to get to a lighter weight before my prep starts in late April/early May. Yep, you read right...I am starting my prep then so I can get ready for the EUROPA SUPERSHOW in Arlington, Texas. THAT will be where I make my pro debut. The exact date is August 26, 2006, so the clock is definitely ticking. EVERY workout, EVERY rep, is spent thinking about that goal...and boy do I have a clear vision of what it will turn out like. I am very excited for my family, friends, and whomever may be interested in coming out to see the show to be there and support the world of fbbing. There will be a lot of exceptional ladies there that I will be proud to accompany. Howard and I have a plan of attack for my prep and we believe that I have made the necessary changes to my physique during this down time--even with the injury. I will not make any predictions at this time or any time for that matter, but know this: If you think I looked great at Nationals in '04, "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN NOTHIN' YET!" Get ready, It's ON!

In gym news, Carri and I have been hittin' some great workouts together lately. In my update just posted today, you will see pics of me training along with she and I hittin' some poses together. We had a lot of fun post-training (H doesn't let us cut up too much during training time) and captured some of that with the camera.


Here is a neat pic of me during some machine, tricep pushdowns:



And how things look when the bodyfat is reduced (from '04):

MAN! That is a wicked picture! I love it!!! One of my faves for sure. I hope to have that back and THEN SOME this year...stay tuned, we shall see!

Speaking of fun on-camera...my latest video clips are of me working that heavy bag OVER! lol! The first one is a blooper of sorts, but the second one is the real deal...VERY good clip!

Gonna be a busy week for me, but I am ready to go--it will bring me one week closer to my goal. Stick around, things are about to get REAL interesting around here....

Stay happy!

G