Phoenix Touch

Moving...

2010-11-15T14:53:00.002-07:00

So... I've been blogging here as Touch of the Phoenix on blogspot for several years. I'm realizing that I'm spread all across the web... scattered in little pieces here and there. Websites and numerous blogs. Facebook. Twitter. MySpace. LinkedIn. Bebo. Everywhere. So many sites and links and such to keep up with that I am not doing a very good job.

Thus and therefore...

I'm condensing and simplifying. I'm moving over to WordPress.

Oh stop your whining.

WordPress is a much friendlier platform for website blogging. That's all. :)

So... to continue following my witty-ness, go here... angiekmillgate.wordpress.com/blog/

Looking forward to playing with you again!

In Gratitude

2010-11-14T10:41:00.001-07:00

Truly, I have SO MUCH to be grateful for and my tears are overflowing with the abundance of love that is coursing through me. I've been so blessed over this year - the most difficult one of my life to date. I've learned so much about me, found so much magic and have grown nearer to the woman I was meant to be here on earth. I've found more stones for my footpath and have finally began recognizing the Divine within me.

I feel powerfully moved by the message of this song and the images in this following video. Thank you, Rascal Flatts, for putting my feelings into words and singing it for the world to hear. And, especially, thank you for allowing me to embed this powerful message into my blog.

But, mostly, thank you, God, for being there for me. Always.

Feedback Requested

2010-11-09T07:16:00.002-07:00

I have created a preview profile for Above the Clouds and I would appreciate you taking a few moments to read through the first couple chapters, rate it and leave a message.

createspace.com

Thank you for your interest and support. What an adventure this is!!!

PRESS RELEASE!

2010-11-07T20:03:00.005-07:00

PRESS RELEASE
November 06, 2010

For Immediate Release
Contact: Angie Millgate
Moments of Awakening
angiekmillgate@hotmail.com

Above the Clouds
A Courageous Journey of Hope, Love and Revelation

SALT LAKE CITY, UT - November 6, 2010 - Announcing the release of Above the Clouds - A Courageous Journey of Hope, Love and Revelation by Angie K. Millgate

This book is the first in a series about healing and rediscovering wholeness in a life once fractured seemingly beyond repair. This creative non-fiction work provides a candid look into the author's life with explicit detail and gut-wrenching honesty.

Publication Date: Oct 22 2010
ISBN/EAN13: 1452803889 / 9781452803883
Page Count: 276
Related Categories: Body, Mind & Spirit / Inspiration & Personal Growth

Website: abovetheclouds.webstarts.com
Purchase: https://www.createspace.com/3446382

Above the Clouds
A Courageous Journey of Hope, Love and Revelation

Authored by Angie K. Millgate
Cover design or artwork by Angie K. Millgate

Above the Clouds - A Journey of Courage, Hope and Revelation is an autobiographical account of growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, landing in a marriage riddled with domestic violence and the author's gut-wrenching journey to leave both worlds. With humor, explicit detail and blunt honesty, she provides intimate details regarding her sexual awakening, the terror of living with domestic violence and the race to survive. She also addresses her sheltered life as a Mormon, her eventual departure from that religion and the undeniable power of the human spirit.

For the first three decades of her life, the author searched for love and truth in all the wrong places - everywhere but within - leaving her continually dissatisfied and, eventually, horribly abused. She had no idea what self-love meant because she believed love happened from outside her. She had no idea what true emotion was and she had no idea how to live unless there was someone there telling her who she was, what she liked and which way she should go and when.

After an experience of domestic violence that nearly resulted in her death, which is shared in Above the Clouds with terrifying clarity, she decided it was time to know herself. Her first step was to take responsibility for her life, realizing she needed to stop blaming everyone for where she was. She also realized her relationship with herself greatly influenced her relationship with others. By taking small, certain steps, the progress was slow but has become longstanding.

Above the Clouds offers ideas on how to go about creating change for a healthier, safer life, while discovering and embracing who you are at the core. Anyone, if they are willing to look at themselves, can experience the same healing, safety and audacity in their life.

About the author:
Angie K. Millgate has a dream of bettering this world one person at a time, starting with herself and then, branching outward. She has been a single mother since 1998 and her daughter is one of the biggest joys in her life. When her daughter was born in 1997, Angie knew her life would change drastically. Being a mother has been a huge blessing, but being a single mother is the hardest thing she has ever done. The world is not kind to those who are alone and that is the reason her intention is to hold space for wholeness for everyone in this world - no matter race, religion, sexual preference or marital status.

"It seems that humanity has forgotten its humanity," Angie says, "And how to treat one another with love and kindness. I pray that I will be able to do that for those who cross my path. I want to live a life well-lived. And I hope that, when I am gone, I will leave a Legacy of Love for everyone."

Above the Clouds - A Courageous Journey of Hope, Love and Revelation is Angie's first published book. Since 2002, she has published a free weekly Meditation that goes out via email around the world and has touched the hearts of thousands. She is a teacher, photographer, artist, speaker and a gifted Reiki Master Teacher and Wholeness Coach whose presence holds space for others wherein they can find their lost parts. Angie helps people Remember themselves. Every endeavor she undertakes is imbued with her passion for life and the essence of Love.

For more information about her life, you can visit her website at angiekmillgate.webstarts.com

Swirling

2010-11-01T20:43:00.002-06:00

I thought I was understanding everything everyone was saying in the courtroom. They were all speaking English and using words I understood. So, I should have been able to understand. But I didn’t. All I knew was I was crying. Sobbing really. I couldn’t breathe.

And I didn’t know why.

As soon as Judge Reese said, “There is nothing that I can do except what society expects of me,” I knew where we were heading and my brain stopped being able to absorb the information or translate the sounds into meaningful words. It was just a swirling, garbled mess of groans and moans.

Or maybe that was me.

My best friend is going away for life. I’ve watched him transform right before my eyes into this man that I’ve always been able to see beneath the surface of his façade and this morning, I heard the sentence that condemned him to live behind bars for his entire life.

I cannot compute.

I imagine that, when my brain comes back online, or when my heart starts beating again, or when I start breathing again, or when I am able to string together intelligible thoughts again, I will have more to say. But now… right now… all I have are sobs that are wrenching up from the root of me and crashing out into the universe.

A long, mournful wail. It’s all I’ve got.

Song for Today

2010-10-24T10:22:00.003-06:00

Appreciation 10/24/10

2010-10-24T09:48:00.001-06:00

*Still feels like Christmas to me. It has since midnight, Thursday night, when I found out my book was in print and available to purchase! *It's cloudy and rainy and cold today and I LOVE IT! *The Brown-Eyed Susans are nodding at me and I feel happy that their brilliant yellow petals contrast with the grayness of the day. *Everything, it seems, is coming to easeful resolve in my life. That which was once bothering me has dissolved. Nice! *Being willing to look for the REAL reason I was bothered with my best friend, uncovering it, acknowledging it, revealing it and healing it. *Knowing that all things change. *Learning how to love fully AND be detached at the same time. *Stepping up and into the woman I'm meant to be. ~ Dang! I sure am loving my life!

Above the Clouds

2010-10-23T00:51:00.004-06:00

My book, Above the Clouds - A Courageous Journey of Hope, Love and Revelation is

NOW AVAILABLE IN PRINT!

WOW! This is a dream come true and has been such a journey. I'd love for you to share in my adventure and you can do so by following this link: https://www.createspace.com/3446382

After you've read the book, drop me an email with your feedback, questions and emotions.

YAY! AND THERE IS MUCH REJOICING!!!

Freedom...

2010-10-05T21:29:00.001-06:00

A quote I discovered on one of the discussion boards for my HIST 1700 class... It's a keeper...

"free speech must be kept free even in wartime, even when passions are high, because that is when the people need to hear both sides of the argument, not just what the government wishes to tell them.” (Zechariah Chafee, Jr.,)

Appreciations for 09/02/10

2010-09-02T09:19:00.001-06:00

*The quiet of this classroom... I am the first one here... 45 minutes early. It's calm. It's cool. It's peaceful. NICE! *Laughing at the absurdity of paying TWENTY dollars for a "textbook" for one of my classes. The "textbook" is a stack of papers, about 150 pages high, that is a collection of copied excerpts from email, internet searches, etc. Really?!!! *Watching my favorite show with my best friend until late in the night (or early in the morning, depending who you ask) and sharing our opinions about it. *An afternoon gathering with women yesterday that ended up being fulfilling and informational. *Remembering old memories, suddenly, and feeling curious. ~ I am grateful for my life!

Appreciations for 09/01/10

2010-09-01T09:37:00.000-06:00

*I awoke this morning to find that my life has, indeed, become so magical that it is now second nature. *Driving my daughter to school this morning, I heard my three favorite songs played on the radio and rejoiced in the messages therein. *A day ahead of collaboration and laughter. *Knowing I am in the right place at the right time. *Did a "Resonance Repatterning" session yesterday that simply, beautifully transformed my life in an instant. *The soothing feeling of knowing that all is exactly as it should be. *Living in the here and now and realizing that the here and now is an immense gift with which I've been divinely blessed and feel a depth of gratitude that grows deeper with each passing moment. *Remembering that living an easeful life is actually quite easeful. WOW! Good morning on that one! BIG shift. LOL ~ Oh! My life is beautiful!

Appreciations for 08/31/10

2010-08-31T07:17:00.001-06:00

*The western medical world knows what they're doing when they're really needed. *My friend who is brave enough to reach out when the world is collapsing. *Crisp autmunal air in the morning. *Good science fiction movies. *Good questions. *Curiosity. *Enjoying school. (If I'm going to do this, I'm glad I'm enjoying it!) *Honesty. *Open space. ~ I'm loving my life.

Appreciations for 08/30/10

2010-08-30T07:13:00.001-06:00

*Waking up to the most awesome hail/lightning/thunder/rain storm I've ever seen. WOW! *Good music that has me bouncing around happily as I start my day. *Working with a team of people who match my vision of health and healing. *Being able to collaborate with the owners of Migun. *Feeling relaxed and calm as a result of surrendering to trust. *Looking out the window to see the piles of hail and dark, dark clouds and perceiving it as winter and then feeling excited about that. I'm weird, I know. LOL *Softly boiled eggs. *Music that reminds me of growing up. *Being found on Facebook by a boy I once had a major crush on in fifth grade and being able to share joint memories of being young and carefree. *Watching my daughter do her hair. When did she start caring about doing her hair???? ~ I am so grateful for this life I have been given.

Appreciations for 08/25/10

2010-08-25T07:36:00.000-06:00

*Today is my baby's first day of eighth grade! *Learning the truth about specific situations so that I remain safe. *Remembering: I am loveable! *Working with my best friend and having it feel like PLAY all day long! * While we were working, the yard guy came to do her yard. He said, "What are you two doing in there??? You just keep laughing and laughing!" "Working," we answered. And, then we laughed some more. *Receiving a letter I wrote to myself a year ago about what THIS past year was like. Wrote it last August as if it had already happened. AMAZING how much it matched up with what truly ended up happening! The power of suggestion!!! *I go back to school tomorrow and feel excited to do so. YAY ME! ~ My life is a beautiful dance and I'm happy about that.

Appreciations for 08/24/10

2010-08-24T07:16:00.000-06:00

*One day closer to the beginning of Fall Semester. Actually feeling a bit of the old first-day-of-school-jitters. Funny. *Learning that I am loveable and feeling surprised to uncover that fact, Funny. *Laughing with my best friend ALL DAY yesterday and playing like we were working. Funny. *Finding "funny" in a lot of things. *The color yellow. Funny. (Yeah. It's not really funny, but it seemed like a let down to not have it be. LOL) ~ I'm feeling SO happy to BE alive on this beautiful autumn day!

Appreciations for 08/23/10

2010-08-23T08:30:00.000-06:00

*My computer is BACK and HEALTHY!!! No more bugs! YAY! Thank you, Booger! *I'm learning through experience when to speak and when to stay silent and that BOTH stances are being in my power. *Learning when to get in and when to get out. That's a tricky one! *Listening, taking it in and knowing what is true for me even if it doesn't match the other person's opinion of me. That is a an amazing feeling! *The interesting sounds of the garbage truck in the early morning. *Going forward in the face of fear and trusting that, in my blindness, I will be led to the places I'm needed. *Being able to call my friend and say, "I need to vent. Just listen to me because it's not going to be pretty nor is it going to be enlightened. I just need to get it out and THEN I'll be open for feedback." And so it is. ~ I am appreciating the life I am creating.

Appreciations for 08/22/10

2010-08-22T12:47:00.000-06:00

*My brother KILLED my computer virus! GOOD! Yes! *Supporting my uncle as he crossed the finish line of his 100th marathon yesterday. *Watching my brother cross the finish line of his first marathon in the same marathon as my uncle. He looked GREAT and was smiling! *Listening to his wife speak at the awards ceremony , on behalf of my brother, for the Utah Foster Care Foundation. *Watching the hits increase exponentially on my brother's website www.run2100.com. *Feeling so proud of my baby brother's commitment to serve and his willingness to do so lovingingly. *Spending the night babysitting my nephew. What a blessing! *Finding a quick, easeful solution for easing trauma and witnessing IMMEDIATE results! ~ I am in love with my life!

Appreciations for 08/19/10

2010-08-19T11:00:00.001-06:00

*My daughter is planning for her first "Big Girl" haircut today. She's getting "swishy bangs". She has started wearing make up. She's entering EIGHTH GRADE! When did she get so grown up??? *The quietness of the morning. *Staying awake until 5:30am with my best friend, laughing our guts out and healing. *Being introduced to new things. *Late night walks. *Cloudy skies. ~ I love BEING alive!

Appreciations for 08/18/10

2010-08-18T08:06:00.001-06:00

*Mornings on the porch. WOW! *Feeling the absolute reality of possibilities. *Good music filling the atmosphere on a perfect morning. *Bugs dancing glowingly in the brilliant light of the sunrise. *Breathing. *Seeing the beauty in myself. *Connection across the smallest of spaces without touching at all. *That smile. ~ Man! How I love my life!

Appreciations for 08/16/10

2010-08-16T17:19:00.000-06:00

*My friend made it home from her trip safely. *Feeling angels around her. *Spending the day with my daughter. *Playing Monopoly with her and watching her dramatic interpretation of her progress, or lack thereof. *Fresh zucchini out of the garden, battered and fried. *BBQ chicken. *Getting to see friends tonight. *Spending time on the porch with my best friend. ~ I'm LOVING my life.

Appreciations for 08/15/10

2010-08-15T10:20:00.000-06:00

*LIVING in GiST on a daily basis. *Finding beauty in the mundane. *Believing when I really can't see a reason why I should believe. *Feeling free. *BEING free. *Having very little money and feeling happier than I've ever felt before. *Remembering each day, when I wake, that I've chosen IN to this life and this day IS a gift. *Recognizing the magic I create and the miracles all around me. *Expanding into beautiful possibilities. ~ I am so grateful to BE alive!

More from FHS 1500-042

2010-07-26T21:22:00.002-06:00

I am really enjoying this class and loving the papers I get to write for it. Here is another one I'm proud of:

For most of my life, the terminologies “self-understanding” and “self-esteem” were something I understood on some level in my brain, but didn’t understand as an overall concept. When people would talk to me about these concepts or ask me if I had good self-esteem, I would stare at them blankly, having no idea if I did or did not. In reading our text, the definition of self-esteem helped me to understand that self-esteem is actually how I view myself as a whole. (Santrock, 2008, p. 395)

The definition of self-understanding, however, was seemingly vague and I had to really ponder what it meant for me as I contemplated the words: “the cognitive representation of the self, the substance of self-conceptions.” (Santrock, 2008, p. 388) When I read that, I stared at the book for quite some time without any understanding of what it meant. I appreciated the examples as I read on and came to realize that self-understanding is how I categorize the roles I play in the world: I am a daughter, a sister, a mother, a dancer, a student, a teacher, a healer, an adult, etc.

When I was eight years old, I believed that my world was perfect and, for the most part, it was. It wasn’t until I got to be in my late 30’s that I began seeing that life was not as perfect as I thought it was. While I did not suffer from abuse, neglect or unkindness, both of my parents had as children. They each made a conscious choice to treat their children differently and therefore my siblings and I were simmered in an atmosphere of love and safety.

However, as I have grown up, I've exhibited signs of childhood abuse. This has led me down a very curious path of discovery and has helped me to develop some intensive healing work for my clients. In the process of self-discovery in the last decade, I have asked myself several times about my self-esteem, self-love and self-understanding at various stages in my life.

What I’ve come to understand is that, as an eight year old, my life WAS divine. I was loved. I was cared for. I had a roof over my head and a bed in which I slept safely at night. I had food in my belly and plenty in the cupboards. I was enrolled in dance and witnessed my parents supporting my siblings and me in whatever we chose to do. At eight, I was the epitome of self-love. I thought I was a pretty cool kid. My self-esteem was high, but I didn’t really know who I was. I had self-understanding in that I was able to see and understand the categories in which I fit – daughter, sister, dancer, student, etc – but I had no idea who I was outside those labels and had an innate feeling that I was more than what the labels indicated.

Not knowing who I was continued on throughout my life, as did the feeling that I was more than my labels. As a teenager, I deeply disliked myself. Fourteen years old, for me, was a tumultuous, painful period of my life. I felt like an outcast and never fit in with the girls in my new neighborhood. They all had boyfriends. No boys liked me and, instead, they teased or ignored me. I was short and my body was curvaceous. My friends’ bodies were lengthy and tiny. I felt fat and ugly and unwanted. My self-love was at an all-time low, as was my self-esteem. Although I still was very conscious of my categories – student, daughter, sister, dancer, in puberty, etc – there was an underlying current of “misfit” in every aspect of my life. There was no way I could have understood myself and neither could anyone around me.

Today, around 28 years later, I would say that the last 13 years have taught me who I am and I’ve developed a self-understanding that is the foundation of who I am now. This self-understanding has created ground from which I can build self-love and self-trust and it is more than the categories with which I identify for my life. I’ve found a deep, soul-level understanding of myself that goes beyond the boundaries of earthly categories and labels. I understand myself and I utterly love the woman I am and the journey that I have travelled to become this woman. While I’ve done a lot in my life that many people did not understand, I’m grateful for every step of the way and esteem myself for being brave enough to become the woman I am.

Quotes for 07-26-10

2010-07-26T06:01:00.001-06:00

These quotes accompany my Meditation of the Week for 07/26/10.

We are healed from suffering only by experiencing it to the fullest.
~ Marcel Proust

When I stand before thee at the day's end, thou shalt see my scars and know that I had my wounds and also my healing.
~ Rabindranath Tagore

People are afraid of themselves, of their own reality; their feelings most of all. People talk about how great love is, but that's bullshit. Love hurts. Feelings are disturbing. People are taught that pain is evil and dangerous. How can they deal with love if they're afraid to feel? Pain is meant to wake us up. People try to hide their pain. But they're wrong. Pain is something to carry, like a radio. You feel your strength in the experience of pain. It's all in how you carry it. That's what matters. Pain is a feeling. Your feelings are a part of you. Your own reality. If you feel ashamed of them, and hide them, you're letting society destroy your reality. You should stand up for your right to feel your pain.
~ Jim Morrison

Healing the Cracks

2010-07-26T06:00:00.002-06:00

Lessons Learned from a Glass Guru
(part 3 of 3)

For the last two weeks, I’ve been sharing with you my experience of spending time with Sheldon, a glass technician for SafeLite AutoGlass Repair. (click here to read the last two articles.) I spent no more than an hour with this young man and, in that time, as we talked about my repairing my windshield, Sheldon shared bits of wisdom that caught my attention and that I could apply to many aspects of life.

I’ve had windshield chips repaired before, but I’ve never been privy to watching the process and having it explained to me step by step. Generally, my experience of windshield repair has looked like dropping off my car, sitting in a filthy waiting room until the project is complete, having my number called and then leaving. I assumed the same would happen for this project, the only difference being I would be able to go back into my clean, nice-smelling home to wait. However, that was not the case.

After opening the garage, introducing Sheldon to my car and talking with him about the craters in my windshield caused by the meteoroid that slammed into me, I turned to go inside while he worked. He had returned to his vehicle to gather the tools of his trade and as my hand touched the doorknob, he called out, “Angie, what do you do for work?”

His question sparked a conversation about my work as he set up shop on the hood of my car. This resulted in me staying looped into his presence and, rather than going inside to pour over homework, I stayed in the garage and got to know my technician a little better.

It was fascinating to witness Sheldon’s precision and intent of perfection as he worked. I was enthralled with learning about the process of healing glass. The fact that he was taking resin - strong glue - and dripping it into the cracks and that was going to make the glass whole was absolutely magical to me. This sheet of glass that is curved to match the body of my car and built to withstand all but the most vicious of impacts was once wounded and dangerously cracked, but was now healed.

At one point in the process of fixing my windshield, Sheldon could have stopped prior to the point of perfection and absolute surety that the cracks were sealed. At that point, the windshield looked fairly pretty, but it would have been a gamble with time and nature as to whether the cracks spread. If he hadn’t said anything at that point, I wouldn’t have known the difference if it never cracked, but he could see that the problem didn’t appear to be fully resolved. He explained to me that the process of trying again... and again... would make it a little more unattractive each time, but he wouldn’t give up until he was sure he’d sealed it. That sounded like a good plan to me.

I was in awe that glue could cause the glass to fuse together as if there never was a problem and I thought that was miraculous. However, Sheldon was not pleased because the craters and spidering cracks were still visible. His healing job of my glass was not beautiful in his eyes.

“I’m sorry, Angie. These chips were really bad.” My Glass Guru sounded dejected. “I can’t make it look pretty for you.”

“I don’t care about pretty, Sheldon. I care that the cracks won’t spread and cause me to have to purchase a new windshield. You did what you had to do to make that happen.”

“Thanks for not getting mad,” Sheldon said. “Some people expect there to be absolutely no trace of the holes or cracks. Sometimes people get so focused on having a perfect appearance they lose track of what is really important... fixing the hole and the cracks.”

In life there are people who are so concerned with having a perfect appearance on the surface of their life, they lose track of their inner focus. Rather than being fully human and flawed by emotional expression, these people believe that putting on a pretty face and covering up how they truly feel is the best plan. This superficial focus results in inner turmoil as the body strives to stay in balance.

A cracked surface of your emotional body or energy field is the result of bottling up your emotions rather than expressing them. Emotions are energy that wants to move. If you’re conditioned to not express your emotions - you’ve learned that they’re scary or “bad” or you’ve been taught that “boys don’t cry” - whatever the reasoning is behind your willingness to stuff your emotions, it is that very process of stuffing the emotions that will forge chasms through your system. Then, when you are focused on appearing perfect to the world, things can fall through the cracks and get lodged within where they simmer and stew. In this process, while you think you may be fooling the world, from certain angles your holes and cracks will be painfully obvious.

There is a resin, though, that can seal the cracks of your life. When you choose to begin to fully experience, feel and express your emotions as they surface, this will slowly work to heal and seal the cracks that once were. Even though it may seem scary at first to feel those emotions, it is in the feeling of these emotions wherein healing lies. And, amazingly enough, this wholeness is more attractive in any light than any superficial façade you could ever create.

© Angie K. Millgate 7/11/10

Sharing (9)

2010-07-25T10:15:00.005-06:00

It has been almost an entire year since I've entered anything into my blog series entitled, Progression into Beauty. It's not that my progression into beauty has been forgotten or given up, but rather, my progression into beauty has taken several turns into other realms than focusing on losing weight. It has been QUITE the year since my last entry into this series. However, the promptings are coming from all around and I'm paying attention. It's time to focus again on my physical body.

A few days ago, I received an email from a very dear friend, Gaby, that has sent into motion a chain of events that I have never before considered. It read something like this...

Ang-

...This is a big risk for me so I am going to be brave.

This Saturday (31st) is the open casting auditions for "Biggest Loser" at NBC here in SLC. They are taking individuals and teams. Would you like to be my partner in this adventure?

All we need for Saturday is a picture and our personalities. You can find info on the KSL page....

I want to do this but you are the only person I would consider doing this adventure with as a partner. I know together we could learn a ton and have fun.

What do you think?

Love you,
Gabs

Thus ensued a thought process that went something like this...

I LOVE Gaby! We have so much fun together! It would be such an adventure to be on "Biggest Loser" with her and there would be lots to learn about. But I haven't really ever followed the show... hmmmm... I imagine that could be a problem... and I don't really like the name of the show... seems "negative" to me... BUT it would be so fun to do that with Gaby! We could TOTALLY do it!

Without more thought than that, I shot off a response: ABSOLUTELY! LET'S GO FOR IT!

What was I thinking? WOW! This is a HUGE commitment. I had NO idea how big of a commitment it truly is until our studying began. She and I have been researching and getting educated on the show, watching as much related stuff as we can get our hands on, reading blogs, reading wikipedia, reading news articles, watching contestant videos. We spent 4 1/2 hours together last night going over everything we've discovered, discussing what we want to do next and talking, talking, TALKING to see if spending four months together in a house in another state away from our lives here, with other people and being totally focused on our health was something that sounded appealing and do-able. We came away from that with a resounding yes.

WE ARE GOING FOR IT! We WILL be at the casting call next Saturday.

Who woulda thunk it!

So... three cheers for Gaby and me! Send lots of good "Biggest Loser" success juju. She and I can pull off anything together so this is going to be SUPER FUN!