Carla's Online Web Journal

It is FREEZING this sunny Monday in the northeast!!! I MEAN FREEZING! I thought Cali was cold last week...WRONG! I hope you all are warmer than me today!!

So I had a pretty low key weekend, resting from Cali and gearing up for Columbus! Cleaning, laundry, upacking and re-packing!! You now..the typical travel stuff! Getting taxes done..BORING!!
I went to see my friend, Rob, spin at his club (DJ Big Pez) on Saturday night. It was great to see him even if for a brief visit.
The big highlight of the weekend was watching the Nationals on pay per view. My friends Pauly and Lisa had me and Nicki over to watch it. It was kind of cool to see it all going down (even though I was there in person) and listening to the commentary as well. I hav to figure out how to get it recorded or pay for it again so my parents can see it! the wonders of modern technology.

So on toward the rest of this chilly week, trying to get things done so I can be ready to go to the ARNOLD!

Stay warm
C

Carla's Online Web Journal

I AM BAAAACK!!
Got home yesterday morning from Cali on the red eye. It kicked my butt but I feel more "normal" today!!

I loved the west coast! With the exception of the unseasonal cold weather it was so different. There was cool, modern architecture, beautiful plants and blooming flowers, sea and mountain views like nothing I have ever seen!! It was city and beach all rolled up into one with moutains surrounding the whole thing! Pasedena was quaint and pretty with clean streets and cute shops and surrounded by mountains! Venice was honky tonk and bohemian and artsy. Santa Monica was definately upscale beach and Beverly Hills???...well, I have never seen anything so rich in my life! Just the cars alone, there was nothing less expensive than an Infinity. Mostly, Jags, Bently's, BMW's, Benz, Land rovers, Hummers. RIDICULOUS!!!! Me and Nicki were sporting around in a beast of a TAURUS!! What a trip. We drove all up the coast and through Beverly Hills and Hollywood, Santa Monica and Venice.

We did our cardio the first day by walking form the Venice Pier to the Santa Monica Pier seeing all the sites along the way. We also did cardio in the Venice Canals neighborhood. It was beautiful in there! A pleasant surprise.

The Ironman was a great way to kick off the season. The venue was beautiful, accomodations great and expo small but a good warm up for the Arnold. It was super exciting that Dave Henry and Lee Preist were battling it out for first place. My boy, Dave looked unbelieveable; bigger, fuller and tighter than the Olympia (if that is even possible!). He was thrilled with his call out and placing. He and my girl, Nicki, are so happy with each other!! I am so happy for them!! I am not losing my best friend but gaining another one!!
I had a chance to visit with Stacy Kaufman from Protan. He got a banner with all sorts of pro bodybuilder pictures on it with me blown up real big. He is so cute!! We got things all set for the upcoming Arnold Expo!
I was able to see Sweet Mari Asp compete in her power meet on Sunday - she was incredible, besting herself at over 358 lbs. The girl that won benched 403lbs!! Just crazy..and they still look real pretty and feminine!! My boy Toney Freeman looked great. He was disappointed with his call out but he too, bested himself. In this sport, sometimes, that is all you can ask for!! Just stick to it Big T - you will make your point!!! I am sure he will be even tighter for the Arnold. Eventually they won't be able to deny him!

Poor Nicki got sick with an upper respiratory thing and we were pretty low key for the rest of the time we were in Cali. The highlight of my trip was training at the Gold's gym/Venice. What an awesome vibe. The garage doors are open and there are people outside lifting. At any given time Charles Glass and numerous others are in there, pros and trainers alike. It was real cool! We got a chance to talk with Mike Ergas, Tito Raymond, Will Harris. It was cool. And the FIREHOUSE is the best BB resturant I have ever seen. I wished we had one here. I would be at it all the time. There is no excuse not to eat "clean" in Venice! I got into the Max Muscle store but Dave wasn't there! I had a great visit with Colleen. She is a sweety from Australia! Great store Dave has too! I wished I had had a chance to get back there! next time, Dave!

So here I am, back in reality. It is supposed to snow today and be super cold this weekend!! "Home crap home"- that's what me and Nicki say! I guess I am still a bit spacy from the travel. Give me a few days and I will be back in full swing! Gotta go write my newsletter so it gets out before the end of the month!!
Take care and have a great, warm weekend!!
Ciao
C
PS: Big shout out to Matt and Melissa from Golds W.Side. Matt told me he looks forward to read my blog! Imagine, someone interested enough to read this tuff all the time!!!??? Thanks for the interest Matt and, Melissa, really, you gotta eat to lose fat hon!!!

Carla's Online Web Journal

Big HELLOOO!!!!!

Hey all, just wanted to check in before I leave for Cali tomorrow. I have been hitting it pretty hard in the gym and have gotten in my contact kickboxing as well. My body is definately feeling it this week, sore, tired. I am feeling pretty strong given the fact I haven't really been eating right and barely taking a multi vitamin. I am not where I was before my time off but definately not a total wekling so I feel pretty good about that. I don't want to lookl like a total weakling at Gold's Venice!!!lol

The weather here has gone from frozen tundra to spring again. It is so extreme it is schizophrenic!! By this weekend it is going to be frozen tundra again, but then again...I will be in sunny Cali. But I just learned that it will only be like, 68 degrees when I get there. Figures...it was 80 all last week! Can't complain - it's still better than here!!

Spoke to Toney Freeman today - he is preparing to travel to Pasedena with his trainer from Seattle. He has been there preparing for the show. He says he is happy with how he is looking and doesn't feel it could be any better!! I can't wait to see him with all the new muscle he grew!! I hope he does well. He is a beautiful bodybuilder and a nice guy!!

The only problem with my trip to Cali is that I will be missing my good friend (he's like a brother to me), Keno's, 40th birthday party this weekend. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!! I know it will be a blast and we are all thanking God that he grew around those teeth!!!!!!

How about those athletes inItaly?? The Olympic spirit is prevailing over there for a lot of athletes. It is so exciting to watch. It is an event that really brings the world together! Good luck to them all!

Well all - You may not hear from me till I return unless I can get on a computer while I am gone!! Have a great weekend and stay posted to the boards for the results of the Ironman!!

Ciao!
C

Carla's Online Web Journal

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY ALL!!!!!

Hope everyone has a SWEET day today.

Ciao
C

Carla's Online Web Journal

HELLO ALL!
I have survived the BLIZZARD of 2006, in case anyone was wondering! I was housebound all day yesterday; cooked, cleaned, did laundry, shoveled(twice!)...you get the picture! Anyway it is a great way to start the week since I am leaving for sunny, hot California on Friday! Let it snow here all it wants!

I went to the WESTERN MA Wrestling Tournament on Saturday to root for the AGAWAM team! The coach had me come in and speak to the guys about nutrition in the beginning of the season so I have gone to a few meets. The guys are real receptive to me and seem to appreciate my support! It's awesome to be able to give back! Some of the guys have used my words or wisdom and some could use reminders but they represented AGAWAM well. Coach Geiger has done an awesome job earning respect for the team! GO BROWNIES!

No other earth shattering news here. Just preparing to go to Cali - so looking forward to it!! My girl Nicki is excited to see her man, Dave. They haven't seen each other in a bit and he will no doubt ROCK PASEDENA with the awesome conditioning he always brings to the stage! GO DAVE!!!

Big Ups to Valerie Wagman on the cover of Flex this motnh for a "feature"! Look for her in the FIGURE line-up this year - she is beautiful and gracious and I think she will be doing very well!!! Big Ups to my boy Bill Wilmore also for his article in FLEX. I am so proud of him. He is a hard working BB and will do awesome at his pro debut in CO!! (Of course he will have the most professional prep team!!!(me!!!)).

Have a good Monday and don't forget about your sweethearts tomorrow!!!
Ciao
C

Carla's Online Web Journal

Hey ALL!!
Happy almost weekend!

It has been sunny here all week but soooo coooolllldddd! Thoughts of spring are in the distance as we are getting a Noreaster tomorrow night into Sunday. Goo d weeked to hunker down and enjoy the Olympics, I guess.

I have been in the gym and kickboxing all week and besides feeling sore I feel awesome.

Yesterday I sepnt some time at the Copy Cat print shop with my girl , Cindy. they are printing off my contest prep flyers and new business cards (with my new TITLE). She ios awesome. with the click of the mouse she inserts new pictures and refigures everything andf wellA! New cards at a reasonable price!!! They will be ready for me to take to Cali!! SWEET

I met with a new personal traiining client this week. I think I will enjoy her. she is a very nice lady.

I missed a couple of special birthdays though...my good friend, Pauly and my cousin, Rob. I didn't really forget them as I thought about them the whole day of their birthday but just didn't get to the phone or the mail box. SORRY!!! Wishes for a great year you two!!

Between Christmas bills and gas prices....I am broke! I haven't been this __sed out for a while. Hopefully some new opportunities will start rolling in? Wi8shed I had kept that bartending job a bit longer!!!!

OK all - there is the update for now!
have a safe, warm and peaceful weekend!
Ciao
C

Carla's Online Web Journal

How about those STEELERS!!!!!
They pulled it out in the second half. They had me nervous in the first half, though! I spent the game at my shesho, Maritza Miranda. she had a few people over and TONS of food (my stomach hated me until this afternoon!). It was a fun time and seemed like old times rooting for my dad's Steelers!!

I had a busy weekend as I worked my part time Gerstner job! I did a demo for Instone products with my peeps Cherie and Miguel in Auburn, GNC. They are always fun to spend the afternoon with! On Sunday I "secret shopped" for Fizogen at the Eastfield and Holyoke malls. Both, Brandie and Pat, earned their gift cards being the knowledgable sales associates that they are!!

On Friday evening I went with my girl, Nicki, to the RUSSELL in Hartford, Ct. It is a real upscale, loungy type place with light eats and good drinks! It was a pleasure to meet the general manager, Hugh Russell, who definately went out of his way to greeet ALL his guests in the establishment. My room mate, Damaris and her boyfriend, Rick and his friends were also there and we joined them in their VIP section for one drink as well.

Saturday was also a big 5th birthday aprty for my little nephew, Seth. I was in charge of making the "camoflage cake". It was a near disaster, good thing we had a Hummer to go over the canyon in the middle of it!! He, however, thought it was the best cake around. Oh!, to be 5 again!!


All in all, it was a pretty laid back weekend with a mix of work and play!

Tonight it is bakc to contact kickboxing with "red Dragon". I am sure I will be crippled tomorrow!!!

Talk to ya soon! (Pray for my body to hold up tonight!)
C

Carla's Online Web Journal

Hey All!!!

Glad to know that the weekend is upon us! Although I will be working at the malls doing demos for suppliments. It's a pretty pleasurable gig though, so no complaints!

It's big superbowl weekend! not that I have any special plans. I think I will go to my parents and root for the Steelers withmy Dad. He is from Pittsburg an as a little girl he would have me rooting for the Steelers! So you know that superbowl is the biggest eating day besides Thanksgiving?? That was on the news this morning. Gosh...Americans are just so orally fixated, aren't they?

14 more days till I get to go to sunny Cal!! I am getting a little excited.

I have been training consistently and my body feels like I have never picked up a weight. How does that happen so fast? One day, you are in the shaape of your life doing double cardios like nothing and a month later your body feels like you have been beaten with a stick just from lifting normal weights???? I was in bed sleeping by 9:30 pm last night! That's what I get for taking an extended break. I can just hope that when I diet down I see all sorts of improvements from all that rest! I will keep you informed about that science experiment!

Well, me and my girl Nicki are going out to dinner and drinks tonight. I very rarely go out around here. It will be our pre-Cali warm-up!!!!!

By the way, thanks everyone that has joined my website this month. I think you will be pleased with the little newsletter we are putting out every month.

OK all - have a great day and fun weekend!!
Ciao
C