Staying On a Roll.....and Bounce

Is it really winter already?? DAMN! Where the hell does the time go? I guess losing track of time is a sign of you've been pretty busy, which I have been.
I have unfinished websites coming out of my azz, but the good news is that two will be ready for launch tomorrow. Don't piss this Diva off...she comes out WORKING!

Ok. Y'all know I'm crazy, right? Yeah. I am. When it comes to fitness, I'm like a junkie in a crack store. I saw an Urban Rebounder in my studio at Wall St the other day after teaching class, and started jumping on it. Mind you, this is not the first time I've seen a rebounder. I actually took the Urban Rebounding workshop and got certified to teach it umpteen years ago, but never bothered to get myself a rebounding class.
Anywhoo.....guess who went right home and ordered an Urban Rebounder? Yep. You got it! Now this mini trampoline is sitting in the middle of my living room, and I've had to figure out quick where to store it without having to close it back up after every time I use it. (Opening and closing it - NOT easy!)
I just couldn't resist! You'd think I'd seen it for the very first time, the way I came right home and ordered it, like PRONTO. I get these impulse urges sometimes......luckily for me it's usually for good, healthy stuff!! Otherwise I'd be in BEEG TROUBLE!

Get Paid To Lose Weight!

So, it finally arrived yesterday, and I took it for a spin. I've found that a good thing to do is turn on a music video station on the telly, get up on that thing, and GO! I bounced to the beat for a good 20 minutes, working some different moves here and there, and then jumped off. That was a damn good sweat I got for my efforts, even though it took about 10 minutes for me to break a sweat. But then again I AM a fitness instructor!!! Not like mere mortals at all! lol

By the way...
-the cost of an Urban Rebounder, complete with workout dvds, carry bag, 5 year warranty and shipping: $189.00
-being able to bounce up and down in my living room just like I was a little kid again -- PRICELESS!
The cats were looking at me like I'd gone bonkers. They didn't know what quite to make of me up in the air....

The great thing about having a trampoline at home is that I can run on it instead of going outside when I don't feel like getting dressed, or am just feeling too lazy to go outside. Somehow, even when feeling lazy, I know I'll still get up on that thing. Good move for me, getting it!

Ok, darlings, back to the land of webdivadom for me. I gotta finish those sites before I get sleepy. Then, I'm going for another ride on my rebounder! Cheers!



** The Fitness Diva® is a top fitness trainer and instructor living in New York City. The name "The Fitness Diva" is solely her official registered trademark. Anyone else using the name or mark is subject to a lawsuit.

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The Web Diva Gets Jacked!!!

Yep. Just like getting knocked over the head on a dark street and having your wallet taken while you lay bleeding on the cold, hard pavement.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, my main mission this year and beyond is to establish myself as a web entrepreneur and independent businesswoman. I have been out here building websites, buying domain names to build on, and learning to work the web from every angle possible. So far, it's been a great education!

Now, I own about 30 domain names, on everything from business to fitness to doggywear, and my registrar, GoDaddy was holding the brunt of them. Since I registered with them, I decided to take part in their cash parking, which is where you can make $$$ off your parked domains (domains that you haven't put a site on yet). So, being the quick learner that I am, I figured out that the way to make $$$ on cash parking is to market the domains just like a website. In the past few months, me and cash parking became one happy couple, me logging into my account every evening to see the day's cash totals on each domain, a glass of merlot in my left hand... The money was piling up softly like snow...
After I got my first payout, it was official -- I was IN LOVE! Me and my cash parking got really tight, and I worked the hell out of it, and saw good results.

The better my marketing skills got, the higher those cash totals went. It was bliss! My bank account was a happy camper too!

Imagine my surprise to come home the other day and see an email in my box saying "GODADDY CASH PARKING ACCOUNT SUSPENDED!!!". WTF??? Oh, HELL no!


Come to find out, they had issues with some of the methods I used to market my names, like using Google Adwords and placing inexpensive classified ads. Funny thing is, they don't say NOT to use Adwords in their TOS, so to me, that's a slimy little loophole they get to exercise whenever they get ready. I'd been using AdWords and classified ads, ALL YEAR LONG, and they didn't seem to have a problem with it.
Well, GoDaddy invoked their rights, and pulled the carpet right out from under me. And with a nice cash balance that was to be paid to me in the two upcoming months, to boot. Yes, they get to keep that, and I have NO recourse. Gotta just let that money go.

Well, that pissed me off, and I've come out fighting. I found myself a new hosting/registry company and transferred half my domain names to them. You don't treat me good, you NO get my $$$$. I am happy to say that I am now using LUNARPAGES HOSTING, and so far, they seem pretty cool. In addition to customer service people that are actually knowledgeable and helpful, they also give you FREE Coffee Cup web editing software (which I just started using a trial version of, and really like). In fact, you get the entire Coffe Cup library of web tools, for chat, blogs, video on your site, creating animation, forms...everything! AND FREE WordPress for blogging.
Lot's of cool little toys to use, experiment and play with! You also get a C Panel, which GD doesn't provide. I just LUVS me a C Panel to check my web stats with!

HELLO! A new relationship has just been sprung! I asked them about their terms of service when it comes to how you market your sites and parked domain names, and they said "as long as you don't do anything illegal, or anything that hurts the servers".
Hmph! Sounds DAMN good to me! I'm in!

After my experience with GD, I went and searched on other people who have had problems with GoDaddy, and found a ton of horror stories. Some people had their main accounts suspended for similar reasons as me, AND had their domain names held ransom by GD, and were allowed no logical way to resolve it. Apparently, if they suspend your account for any reason, you are guilty until the cows come home, and trying to resolve it is damn near impossible! If you have revenue generating sites up and running, you're SCREWED big time, and you get charged $199 (per domain name) to get your domain names back. Some people that posted had like, 60, 80, 100, 200 domain names. Oh, they don't just suspend the "offending" site, they wipe out ALL YOUR SH*T!. Whoooo.....scary stuff for ANY webmaster to have to contemplate, much less deal with.


Before signing on with Lunarpages, I did quite a bit of research, and they are in the top 10 of host/registry companies, (ranking like first or second, I forget) among all on the web. So far, they seem to be living up to it. I'm gonna post their link for anyone wanting to get their web business on, or change from the crappy web host you now have:

Lunarpages.com

This has also lit a fire under my butt to go ahead and build my sites for each domain name that I have, instead of relying on cash parking for most of them. In the end, I'm gonna make that $$$ anyway. I'm ready to knock it out!
Lookout, Baby...I am BACK in the saddle!

The Yoga Of Alignment - Yofa Tools For Conscious, Joyful Living

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Keepin' It Young, Baby....Soulja Boy Style!

Today I went and visited my nieces and nephews, ages 6, 8 and 11. It was the little one's birthday, and she wanted me to bring her a Barbie (of all things...lol). I instead got her a "That's So Raven" hairstylin' doll, complete with accessories.

Can I first interject that the doll doesn't look like Raven Symone, but instead is a dead ringer for Beyonce? I swear. Check the photos on the package AND the doll. There must have been a doll head mold mixup back at the factory!

Anyway, she loved it, along with the Dora the Explorer set I got her. So, we spent an hour or so creating little scenarios for the doll, along with one of her Barbie's, to experience, like getting their hair done, dressing up, going to the club, going to the doctor, going shopping....you know, GIRLY stuff. I must admit, I was a bit TOO into it! lol

Then I noticed my other niece and nephew online playing around on Myspace and YouTube, and all of a sudden when this song came on, they jumped up and started doing this cute little dance! It caught my attention, as jumping around usually does...so I went over to investigate.

The song is called "Crank the Soulja Boy (Superman)" by Soulja Boy. Well, after a few listens, I was up and trying to learn the dance myself. It, along with the rap, are really TOO cute!!! My nieces, nephews AND their little friends that were over at the time ALL knew how to do it, and it was infectious. Now I'M doing the Crank the Soulja Boy Superman dance too! It's hilarious, and there are all these people on Youtube doing their own versions of it. Hell, after I get it right, I just might post my own! LOL!

Anyway, here it is. Check this out!

Soulja Boy Superman Instructional Video!

Kids on YouTube version (the best one)

The Original video - HOT!

Another cute mini version

If you're not not up trying to do the dance yourself, you're probably not alive and breathing! lol

By the way, I broke a damn good sweat trying to work this out! ;)


Get those pearlies WHITE....
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Fitness in the Fall - My Kick Ass Routine

Where the hell did the summer go? It seems like I just went to sleep one night, and when I woke up the next morning, it was fall. Bam! Just like that! No gradual cooling off of temperatures these days. Hello, global warming!

Anyhow, my tennis permit is gonna run out soon, so, if I'm going to still play, I'll have to go renegade, climbing over fences, and going to areas way out of my range. That is not very likely to happen, for real.

But rollerblading in the fall is still the sh*t. After blading for about 5 to 10 mins in even the coldest temperatures, your body really warms up. Blading when it's colder is also more enjoyable because there tend to be less people outside and in the parks, the wimps! I like cold weather. In this city, most people stay off the streets when it's cold. Better for me! I no longer have to skate around you! ;)

Besides my blading, I'm adding some outside jumprope to my regimen. I bought myself a mini boom box to play my favorite aerobics CD's on while jumping. Jumping rope to music is the best; a real motivator. I found a box that weighs not even 3.5 lbs, that I can stuff into my backpack, and I then head over to a tiny little plaza square by my house and rock it for about an hour. I never blast my music loud, so the neighbors still love me. ;)

My Fall Jumprope Workout Routine:

2 - 3 minutes stretch (hamstrings, quads, calves, hip flexors, triceps, back, biceps, shoulders)

Warm up jump - 10 mins

15 lunges (first leg)10 bench push ups, 15 lunges (other leg)10 push ups

2nd round jump - 15 minutes

20 squat front kicks, 40 crunches on park bench

3rd round jump - 15 minutes

20 rabbit hop jumps, 50 reverse crunches, lying down, legs over back of bench

Final jump - jump until completely spent. Sometimes that's 10 mins, sometimes 15, sometimes 20. Jump until you cannot lift another leg. That's how you really rock it all the way out!

Final Stretch, go home.

This workout leaves me feeling so amazing when it's done. The endorphins kick in like a mega vitamin shot. I can jump rope for more than an hour, WITHOUT the calisthenic breaks, only stopping now and then for a few seconds to sip some water. The endurance I've gained from jumping rope is amazing!

Anyway, there it is. Now, if you want to try this, know that you may have to reduce the rope intervals. Not everyone can jump rope for a straight 10 or 15 minutes, at least not at first. Start with 5 minute intervals and work your way up. And if you do smaller time limits, do more intervals of them. This workout will rip you up nicely if you do it right (and of course, alter your diet a bit).

I throw this into my weekly routine at least twice a week, 3x if I'm really trying to get ripped. Have fun with it! I do!




** The Fitness Diva® is a top fitness trainer and instructor living in New York City. The name "The Fitness Diva" is solely her official registered trademark. Anyone else using the name or mark is subject to a lawsuit.

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My 9/11 Class Remembered....

Today is not only the sixth year anniversary of the 9/11 tragedy, but also the anniversary of the exact day of the week that this madness happened.


6 years ago today, I got up and went to teach my 9:30am Cardio Kickbox and 10:30 Total Body Conditioning classes as I usually did every Tuesday morning. Like most, I saw this as just another day to get through, another task to accomplish, another day of work to complete, and as always, was looking forward to the weekend. I, like we all, had NO idea of the calamity that was to follow.


While getting ready for work, I heard something about a plane crashing into a WTC tower on the radio. I turned on my television, and saw the afermath; a fiery, gaping hole in the tower. I remember saying to myself "They're gonna have a hard time fixing that". I then went out the door and on to work.

The gym I worked in that day had 4 floors, and our aerobics class was on the top one, pretty much isolated from the rest of the gym members on the lower 3 floors. We started our class as usual, most of us having "heard something about a hole in one of the towers", or having seen the first hit on the morning news, but not much else. At around 10:02 or so, one of my class member's husbands, who was working out downstairs, came running into our class, screaming "The World Trade Center has collapsed!!" I didn't believe what I'd heard at first. "No f*cking way", I thought. "That's just not possible!" The entire class of about 30 people went nuts. "Oh my God!" one of my members yelled. We ran downstairs to the third floor where there were televisions all over the room in front of cardio machines, and there it was. The tower falling. Even upon seeing it with our own eyes, it was impossible to believe. People stood around awestruck, some were crying. Others were on cell phones, frantically trying to find out where all their loved ones and friends were at that very moment. It was crazy.

We completely suspended our second class, and everyone rushed home, fear, anxiety and uncertainty in their eyes. I must say, I had never seen that look on my fellow New Yorkers faces ever in my life.


By the time I got home, it was over. Both towers had collapsed. All my TV stations were black except CBS, since I didn't have cable at the time. I sat all the rest of the day and watched the planes crash into the towers, and then the towers fall...over, and over and over again. I must have seen the towers fall a hundred times. I was in a trance. It didn't seem real. Yet, we all know it was. I think I remained in a state of shock for the next couple days.


In my class today there were two ladies that were with me in this same class 6 years ago. We remarked about how crazy it was, how life goes on, and how many people just try to push it out of their minds and try to forget. I will NEVER forget.


One of my clients that I was training at a boxing gym lost her father, a firefighter chief, in one of the tower collapses. I remember how she was in the weeks after, still coming in to work out with me to keep her mind off her sorrow and loss. I remember not knowing what to say to her, wanting to comfort, but thinking that anything I said would be too flimsy and weak to meet the deep gravity of her situation. Funny thing is, I had met her father weeks before this incident, he having had come by to see this gritty, dingy boxing gym his daughter was learning to kickbox in. He was such a nice, gentle man.


My memory of the WTC towers is going to a little boutique in tower (2?) called Papillon. Of some cute little purple shoes I had bought at one of the other shops there, to match an outfit I'd bought at the Century 21 across the street. Of walking through often, from the last stop on the E train, sometimes stopping to eat at one of the little fast food places there. Of visiting my Mom years ago for lunch one day when she worked at the towers. Of flying in from other parts of the country and the world, and upon seeing them, knowing that I was finally home. Remembering how pretty it was to fly into NYC at night, seeing the Statue of Liberty, the WTC Towers and the Empire State building, like miniature monuments on a gorgeous, sparkling, toy city. Of walking past it, and taking it for granted, thinking it would always be there for me.


My heart, my blessings, and my thoughts go out to all that lost their lives, their loved ones, and their peace of mind that day. I, for one, will NEVER forget. R.I.P. WTC.

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Rock it Like Federer....

....That's my new catch phrase. You know, as in "Bend it like Beckham"? After watching Roger Federer wipe pretty much everyone else in sight off the court with such precision, mastery, and at times, effortlessness, I have now dubbed the word 'Federer' an adjective (and a verb!). Who better to deserve this honor?

Here is the complete definition:

fed*er*er 1. strong, dominant, masterful

fed*er*ate 1. to demolish, conquer or annihilate

fed*er*ize 1. to endow a person, place or thing with superior quality or ability

fed*er*es*sence 1. complete dominance and mastery of a situation
2. flawless precision


Just as with Spanish and Italian verbs, you drop the er (r/re) suffix to conjugate.

Ok. I think that sums it up! Let's use each of them in a sentence!


Dude, I'm about to go completely Federer on this project pitch. We are going to GET that client!

My abs are killing me today! I totally federated my entire body during that last workout!


My apartment layout sucks! I'm going to rip out that wall, hit Home Depot, and absolutely federize this place!


She handled that entire situation with complete federessence. I had no idea she had such cojones!


To federate, federize or 'be federer' about something is to completely annihilate it, knock it out, rock it....be it a task, an opponent (in any circumstance), a concept...whatever. I think it works!

Now, try out a few sentences of your own. You might even be able to come up with better ones than I have!


Now, do NOT make the mistake of slipping up and saying "Federline" instead of "Federer". That, will unfortunately, bring up a completely opposite list of definitions! Always be sure to carefully differentiate the two!


My prediction for the winner of the 2007 US Open men's final? You know who. Of course, you do! Federer is gonna get out there and Rock it like Roger. Tennis at its awesome best, and I will be there watching, admiring, and wondering how anyone can be THAT damn good!

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Go Diva, It's your birthday, Go Diva.....!

Ahhhhhh. Yessss! I woke up today feeling FABULOUS!!! Got myself a good night's sleep after watching the US Open night matches, and since I took off work today, I got to sleep without worrying about being up on time! Yum!

I am having a "do whatever the hell I feel like" day, and haven't yet decided how the day will unfold. I'm starting it off with a Godiva Mocha flavored coffee (my newest little sin...yummy!) and relaxing here watching the morning matches of the US Open. You know I love tennis!

The only thing stopping me from getting a US Open ticket is that the crowds there have multiplied fourfold since the last time I went to Flushing Meadows, and I HATE crowds. I got to see the very first Williams vs Williams final a few years ago, and also attended matches the following couple years. Now, tennis as a whole has become SO popular that the people quotient there has gotten a bit out of hand. The Williams' are back, and Sharapova, Roddick, Nadal, the Serbs (love them!, especially that crazy Novak Djokovic!), James Blake, and some guy named Roger Federer...lol, have all become such STARS that everyone is turning out to see them en masse. The Open is the ticket right now, and everyone is making it their business to be there. Can't blame 'em either; the matches have been on fire the past few days! Definitely worth the price of any ticket!
Not long ago, I remember being able to walk the grounds of the Open freely without having to step over tons of people. I might get over that, though, and go anyway. Who knows? lol


Some serious blading will definitely be on the menu today. Just another thing that makes me feel fabulous, so I can't miss out on that! Later on, a sumptuous dinner somewhere. I'm feeling some butter drenched lobster coming on!


I have to say now that fitness has been DAMN good to me. I look FAR younger than I actually am, to the point where I'm still getting carded at bars, and in some places when I go to buy beer/alcohol. It's almost to the point where it's a bit eerie. It's somewhat strange to me that folks at times find it so hard to believe that I'm of (drinking) age. When I show them my ID, they're always like "NO WAY!!". Gotta admit, I LOVE that! Hee heeee!


Depending on my hairstyle and state of restedness, I can still pass for a teenager on certain days. No one else that I know in my age range can pull that one off, but I do, and it happens often! ;) But usually, I'm pegged for being in my early to mid 20's. Cool as hell, that is, since I'm sooooo much older than that! How old, you ask? No, no, darling. A Diva NEVER tells! Now you knew I was going to say that, didn't ya? ;).


A toast to fitness...something I live and breathe, the engine that drives and sustains this fabulous body and life of mine. I hope and pray to have many more years like this!

The Yoga Of Alignment - Yofa Tools For Conscious, Joyful Living

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