Phewy, Buoys!

CUTE HONEY BADGER JEWELRY ON MY ETSY SITE!

When you think of tenacious, brave, die-hard animals, you need to be thinking of the honey badger. This girl is tireless. She catches most of her prey by digging, and in a 24-hour period, she'll travel 25 miles sporting her signature jog-trot, digging up to 50 holes at a time. And this chick is tough; you don't want her eyes set on you. A general carnivore, Mellivora capensis fuels up on anything she can clinch her claws around: scorpions, lizards, rodents, birds, but then also extremely poisonous snakes like the adder, cobra and black mamba. She relentlessly follows her prey till it's exhausted and can flee no more. She even takes down adolescent jackals, foxes and wildcats. Predators such as the lion and leopard will make a meal of her when they can, but they must be super hungry if they've decided to go after a honey badger, because she'll give them a ferocious battle and can sometimes save herself from these stronger competitors. She gets her name for her love of bee brood (larvae). Another example of her bravery, she'll face the fury of the hive to gobble these goodies. With Miss Honey Badger--there's no doubt, no fear, no giving up. No wonder she's considered the most fearless animal on the planet. With this animal athlete, it's always on!

So was I a honey badger this past Saturday when I participated in the Lone Star olympic distance triathlon in Galveston? Well, I definitely wasn't tireless.

After this weekend, I was supposed to finally be able to say that I've done a triathlon. I've always turned my nose up at them, quickly concluding that I'm only interested in marathons. Well, that interest has been a struggle for me lately, and my solution was to shake things up and try out a tri. Unfortunately, though, Mother Nature wasn't cooperating; it was a windy morning--too windy for the buoys which wouldn't stay in position, so the swim was cancelled. So instead, I can now say I've done a duathlon. Disappointing, for sure, but it's just as well, because whoa--I was not prepared. I had only gone on three bike rides, with just one of them being a brick. Whatever! So silly. But I felt great on the 24.8 mile ride. It was fun. But the moment I stopped the bike to dismount, that confidence and fun evaporated. Major leg cramps--my calves, my thighs, even my groin. And my 10K run felt like the last 6.2 miles of the marathon. I was running cradling a medicine ball. I definitely PR'd for walk breaks in a 10K. I knew going into this that it was going to be humbling for me, but geez--did it have to be so much so when I didn't even swim? A humble pie smashed in my face!

So, no--I wasn't Miss Honey Badger with her amazing athleticism and her inspiring, tenacious heart. But I did step out of my comfort zone, and I did cross the finish line. So there's a little bravery and die-hardness in me, right?

Click here to check out an awesome honey badger video!

"How to Be an Eco Fashionista" by Fauna Extreme

Today I participated in The Woodlands 20th Earth Day Festival. My booth was an overview of eco fashion. I'm for sure not the authority on the textile industry, but I did the best I could. During this last year of creating Fauna Extreme, I've done a lot of internet surfing on eco-friendly fabrics and screen-printing and dyeing. Really, animal athletes were/are the focus of my line. But it just seemed natural and important for my shirts to be green since they were about embracing wildlife. And so my interest in the world of sustainable t-shirts began. Some things I learned before I chose what kind of tees to make, and many other things I didn't know until all was said and done. There's just so much information and so many pros and cons to the different ways of making an eco-friendly tee. Click on the two photos of the informational flyer I put together--about fabrics, about screen-printing and about dye. Whoa--so much. It's crazy. In addition to the flyer, though, I want to elaborate a little more on a couple of things (But look at my flyer, too, please! I put a lot of effort into it! And keep in mind that I'm no expert. Something could be off, in the flyer and in this blog entry. I'm trying, though!):


1. Yes, bamboo is a super amazing crop that grows organically--without pesticides, or fertilizers or irrigation, and she loves to snack on CO2, which helps big time with global warming. But--she goes through some chemical trauma to become that lovely, smooth fabric that feels so good to wear. And so on the internet, I read from those who criticize the fabric and question its spot in the world of eco fashion. And then I read from the bamboo clothing lines and manufacturers who remain confident that they've got an amazing product that has every right to call itself eco-friendly--that the critics are too harsh on this amazing fabric resource. What's my take on it all? Well, even the critics on the net that I've read from, all admit that bamboo is an incredible, renewable resource. That she's a total badass. And leaps and bounds better than the evil that is conventional cotton and synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon. Bamboo viscose is not perfectly green, no, but she deserves her strut on the eco catwalk. And speaking of not perfectly green, that brings me to the next point...

2. Organic cotton. Reading up the past few days and getting my flyer ready for the Earth Day festival, I learned that only 7% of the world's organic cotton is grown in the United States, which means that most likely your organic cotton garments that were made in the USA came from cotton crops that were flown in from thousands of miles away--from India, Turkey or China (where Fauna Extreme's tees were made, and I will say from a great guy from the US who owns his small factory of 70 employees, spends over half the year in China overseeing it, and is super proud of his responsible and ethical operation. Here's his site: Bamboo Textiles. Thank you, Rich, for all your efforts!) Anyhow, I'm in no way dissing organic cotton. She's superfly, too, but she's not perfectly green either. Since the US is having a hard time getting out of its abusive relationship with conventional cotton, she has to get shipped here from far away, which adds to her carbon footprint, for sure. And she's a thirsty gal--drinks a lot more of the planet's precious water than bamboo or hemp. And people like to add things to her when she leaves the fields, like bleach and heavy metal dyes and finishers with toxins (But the garment she turns into after these things happen can still be called organic. Did you know that? I didn't. Huh.) And one last thing, though, that's so cool: Out of that 7% that the US produces, I found out this week that Texas leads the way in organic cotton crops. I love that!

3. Then there's the screen-printing. A whole world of it. Click on the flyer pic. And for info about dye, too. Geez.

But to conclude about my tees: Pros--1. made with organic bamboo, an incredibly renewable resource. 2. made with organic cotton. 3. screen-printed with Permaset Aqua, a 100% nontoxic ink, more so than any other water-based. 4. Dyed with low-impact, fiber-reactive dyes. 5. Such a high-quality garment--you'll keep it forever! And the inspiring animal athletes--very cute and fun. Cons--1. viscose from bamboo goes through a chemical process with caustic soda and more. So that's a bummer, but I'm confident that my manufacturer traps, contains, and recycles these chemicals and strives to be as green as possible. 2. made in China, so shipped from thousands of miles away to get to me. But that's it about China, meaning that my manufacturer takes good care of his employees, creating a safe and sweatshop-free environment and overpaying his staff. Plus, Rich (with Bamboo Textiles) is the only guy I could find who offers low minimums (500) to create a custom shirt, which is what I really wanted--a feminine fit and not the usual box-shaped t-shirt. 3. The dyeing. The dyes were low-impact, fiber reactive, but it took a lot of water to do the job. That AirDye sounds really cool that A Lot To Say uses. (Did you read the flyer?) I wish I didn't have to do this part of the process separately from the manufacturer, but with the small number of shirts I got, I had to dye them myself in order have a variety of colors. 4. Perhaps there's another environmental con or two, I don't know. The spandex in it? You gotta have some spandex, though, right? :) The personal con, for me, is that these tees were pricey to make. Should've, could've, would've. Sigh...

Time to end this blog entry. But let me just also mention one more point that I've read online about trying to make a green t-shirt: It's important to work local and not have your product travel around so much to get made. Wouldn't it be amazing if I could have Fauna Extreme be a "totally Texan tee" or "totally Texan tank"? Organic cotton from Texas. Manufactured, dyed and screen-printed in Texas. "Made in Texas." How awesome would that be? We Texans are notorious for being obnoxiously proud of ourselves. Speaking and emailing with a couple of Texas farmers, though, this isn't possible right now, at least not in a way that makes fiscal sense. We've got the sweet cotton, but we don't have the spinner, the knitter and the sewer all hanging out together. Sigh again... So "Fauna Extreme, a totally Texan tee" is just a dream.

The Brown Hare--She Ain't No Bunny.

Easter is almost here, and how does the Easter Bunny take on the challenge of hiding all those eggs? I think he calls on his superstar athlete friend the brown hare! She's in the top ten of fastest land mammals, clocking 45 mph. With speed like that, those eggs are hidden in no time!

Hopefully the Year of the Tiger...And Not the Kitten.

I've never been much of a Valentine's girl, so my husband is a lucky man who never feels the pressure from this Hallmark-made holiday. And anyhow, there's something more interesting to me that falls on this February 14th. This year's Chinese New Year is the year of the Tiger, and for 2010, she pounces on Valentine's Day. If you were born in 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1998 or 2010 (just a wee little cub), then you're a Tiger, and this is your year.

The Tiger is one of the strongest animals on the planet. She kills prey outweighing her by hundreds of pounds and can drag her kill for miles to find the best dining spot. Not a speedy predator, Panthera tigris is one of patience and strategy. You don't even see her coming. Then all of a sudden she's there...and you're gone.

So I've got a problem. I've been going through a rut. I've lost my mojo.

Ever since my back surgery last June, I've been struggling with my interest in running. Before the rollerskating accident at my daughter's friend's birthday party, I felt on top of the exercise world. I PR'd at the Houston marathon last January (3:32). Then I ran the Disney Princess half marathon that March (in a pink tennis outfit--one time only, like a wedding dress--back to shorts now). And then a few of my friends and I completed a 60-day Bikram yoga challenge from March to May. But just two days after the challenge, my yoga mat was pulled out from under me: the goody bag I brought home from the party was filled with a major disc herniation.

My back has a happy ending, though; my surgery was a complete success. I've gotten up to 14-mile runs and have had some +20-mile weeks. I should be back to business. But instead I've been dragging my feet. Lots of "What's the point of all of this?" and "What are we all doing out here?" and "This is stupid." Not the typical interior dialog for a runner. And what an ungrateful little girl I am, too.

And then there's that whispering I hear. "Psst. Sarah. Over here." This month I will also celebrate (Well, acknowledge. Like I said--such an ungrateful girl) eight years in recovery. And though I'm in remission from consuming those quickly life-threatening goodies, I'm still a user of two very potent treats. And geez! They're kicking my butt right now.

The first one is sugar. From an early age, I've always had an appalling sweet tooth that's become infamous as I've gotten older. When I was young, there were plenty of sweets at my house. Ding Dongs were a staple. (Remember unwrapping them from the tinfoil? Best packaging.) In college, there was a bit of a dessert reprieve. I did drink lots of hot chocolates (even in Austin's humid, mid-90s weather), but really my main sugar source was alcohol. And then I graduated to other poisons, and as so many often describe it, my life spun out of control.

I reached the bottom of my slide--wait--slides are fun; this was more like slowly rappelling naked down a mountain of nails. Pitch black night. Icy wind slashing. Sorry--where was I ? Oh yes. February 17, 2002--since that day, I've stopped ingesting almost all highs. Like I said, though--all but two.

So back to the sugar. It's become my main food group. I hit all the sugar bars and sugar stores in The Woodlands/Houston area. This list isn't in any particular order really. I just make the rounds:

--Dessert Gallery: French vanilla cake (a beast that I can devour no problem.)

--Crave Cupcakes: vanilla, strawberry, and the leftovers of what my daughters don't eat of theirs.

--Hubbell and Hudson: red velvet cake (and they recognize me there. humiliating. like an alcoholic trying to be incognito in the liquor store again and again, just wanting what she needs and to get out of there.)

--Black Walnut: hummingbird cake (I actually get this one less because they charge a lot for it, and sometimes I feel like they short me on the portion size.)

--Great Harvest Bread: whole wheat cinnamon chip scone (It's right by my house. I spend so much money at this place. And, yes--very recognized here, too.)

--Randall's: sugar cookies with icing decorations of current events. (picture me biting into a Superbowl football. and yet another place where they know my face.)

--Hewlett Packard: chocolate chip cookie from their food court (my husband is expected to bring one home to me on a once-a-week basis.)

--Carol's Cookie: chocolate chip, no nuts (a 1/2 pound cookie that used to be at Whole Foods but that you can only get online now if you live in Texas--which is expensive with shipping of a perishable item, so I rarely get my Carol's. Santa and Valentines.)

--Potbelly: oatmeal chocolate chip. and the sugar, too, sometimes.

--American Cookie Co. (at the mall): big bite doozies, their other icing cookies, their domino cookie

--Misc. from the gas station: yellow Zingers, Nestle's Crunch, M&Ms, etc...

So there's a little problem with sugar.

My second high is caffeine. Specifically, Grande bold coffee from Starbucks. Just black. No sugar. (I don't care for mixing these drugs.) I'm drinking it as soon as I've dropped my daughter off at school, and then I'm wishing for another as soon as I'm done with it. Sometimes I'll get a refill price from the one by my house. And many days, I buy a Tall in the afternoon of their Pike's Peak, a weaker brew which is all they offer after the morning. I also dabble in diet Cokes and Red Bulls, but coffee is my first choice for caffeine.

To top it off, I've almost stopped drinking water. And so last week I had to make a little trip to the doctor because my misbehavior created a bladder infection. My body was saying, "Enough is enough. What the hell are you doing?" The doctor put me on an antibiotic and told me to change my crazy ways. But what do I do? After getting the medicine from the pharmacy, I pull into the Starbucks drive-thru for a ceremonial, grand finale Grande. My 4-year-old daughter scolds me from the back seat, "Mommy, the doctor said you can't have coffee," and I reply, "I know, Sweetie. Mommy's crazy."

And of course, it wasn't the last coffee. I took the medicine, I drank more water, I got better, and I'm back to the insanity.

What do I do about this mess I'm in? It's just like in my past. I can't make it one day without sugar and caffeine. The idea seems impossible. In some ways, quitting these two drugs seems harder than quitting the others. I don't have the option of flying to another state and living under lockdown in a treatment facility and then a halfway house for icing addiction. And rationalizing a slip is so easy when it's just dessert and coffee. "One cookie isn't going to kill me." Basically what I'm saying is: quitting cookies and coffee could prove harder than quitting all of the poisons from my past. It feels just as overwhelming and insurmountable.

So I was born in 1974. That's right--I'm a Tiger. The question is...can I act like one this year? Can I pounce, can I ambush, can I take control? Or will I continue to be a silly little kitten, batting at her catnip toys?

I hope to be a Tiger, patient and strong. But there's something about Tigers: they're solitary. They git-r-done alone. And solitude never works for someone in recovery. I can't conquer sugar and caffeine by myself. So I hope to be a Tiger--but one who accepts defeat and relies on something outside of herself to succeed. One day at a time.

I finished writing this post on Friday the 12th. And the year of the Tiger doesn't begin till Sunday. So does that mean I'm thinking about a two-day bender? Oh, ya. For sure. And what if my husband (who I need to mention is also celebrating/acknowledging eight years in recovery this month and is just as cuckoo as I am) gives me a tin of Carol's Cookies for Valentine's? We'll see.

To be continued...

The Queen of Extreme Endurance

There's no one on Earth like the Bar-Tailed Godwit! Listen to this discussion about how awesome she is!

Fauna Extreme's Elegant, But Powerful, Color Enhancing Book for Young Ladies

All of Fauna Extreme's captivating critters have been corralled into one beautiful book that connects young ladies with some of life's most amazing animal athletes and encourages girls to persevere and overcome. Twelve striking, b&w drawings of animals with speed, strength, stamina, strategy and spunk--waiting to be intensified with oil pastels and colored pencils. Witty portrayals of each athlete that will connect and inspire. Seven pages of fun review questions and activities.

And this book is super eco-friendly! Pages are 50% post-consumer waste. Cover is 100% pcw. Processed chlorine-free. Wax based inks. Created with 100% wind power.

For girls of all ages who love animals, sports, art, who care about the environment, and who just love to learn!

$14 plus $3 shipping. PayPal at the bottom here. Combined shipping price of $2 if also purchasing shirts. Pickup option also available to Austin-area customers.

Check out this slideshow of the book. Expand it! Get a close look at this must-have.

Or, click on the photos below.

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My First Booth Experience

Yesterday was the Fitness and Wellness Expo and Texas Yoga Championships at The Woodlands Pavilion. And Fauna Extreme was there. My first time to do the booth thing. While it wasn't really what I'd call a shopping atmosphere--lots of booths with chiropractors, allergists, plastic surgeons..., I had fun and managed to sell a neckful of necklaces and a few shirts (mostly to my very supportive friends). And now I've got my feet wet for my second booth experience next weekend at an arts and crafts event--a much more, festive shopping feel hopefully!