Is there a such thing as Unconditional LOVE?

While I don’t think of death often, I do think about losing the love of my life; my cat Dychess. I know! It sounds crazy, right? I also believe that the Universe responds to our most powerful thoughts; which means we are powerful enough to manifest the ALL of life; whether you lable it good or bad. After all we are what we think we are OR not. I returned from a trip to Maryland, last week, to see my new neice and I had a day dream, if you will, that Dychess got sick and past away. It was an eary feeling. I recall saying to myself, “Fee, cut it out. “Nothing is happening to Dychess. Dychess is fine.” That was the end of it. I didn’t make a big deal out of it, because I’d had those thoughts before. One time, when we lived in the Calabassas hills, I let Dychess out onto the front patio area. While on my phone, I got distracted and Dychess went for an adventure in the woods. I was a wreck. I mean, literally. I crawled into my closet, cried for about 30-minutes. I gave Dychess until 9:00 p.m. to return home. I said, “If she doesn’t want to be with me, then I release her.” It felt as if I were having an out of body experience.

It’s no secret to anyone who knows me or follows me on Social media, that I LOVE this cat. She is my ride-or-die cat. We are BFF’s. We really are. She gets me and I get her. We’ve been together through thick and thick. Boyfreinds and fiancess have come and gone, but that Dychess has staying power. Typically, I either take my lunch to work and eat it cold or have the next door café warm it up for me. However, today, I forget half of my lunch at home. I made a pit stop at home to warm it up. I walk in the door, where I can see every single room in my apartment from the front door. I call out to Dychess. There was nothing. I look over at the bed and I see Dychess stretched out on the bed, in a way, that looked abnormal. I quickly rush over to her and call out her name again, “Hey boogar woogar.” Nothing. There was no meow. There was no movement of her tail. Therew as no purring. I touch her little fat cat body and it felt different. I don’t know what different feels like, but it just felt different. Her eyes seemed to dart back and forth. She appeared to be lethargic. I immediately teared up, ran down my hall way into the court yard and called out for my neighbor Chris. It was instinctual. I’ve known Chris for as many years as I’ve worked at the alkaline water store; however, I’m not the most neighborly person. Meaning, I speak and might share a few minutes catching up, but I don’t hang out . Most of my neighbors are young, they like to socialize, smoke their cigarettes and cigars and play their guitar and sit in the courtyard drinking their wine. They’re all nice people, just not my cup of tea. However, Chris is one I really like. He’s highly intelligent, deep spiritual thinker, kind and consistently considerate of being a gentleman when the ladies in the building need helping carrying heavy bags or boxes to their apartment. Chris heard the panick in my voice and saw tears streaming down my face and without missing a beat or asking what was wrong, he just flew into action. When we reached my apartment, Dychess was no where to be found. She’d hidden under the bed in between the lining of the box spring and the mattress. Chris and I figured Dychess hid because she heard a strange man’s voice in the apartment. She’s no watch dog…that Dychess. So, Chris left. Again, I was a mess. I knew I had to get back to work to relieve my colleague. My shift didn’t end until 3:00 p.m.; however, I was able to leave a little early and come back home in hopes that my cat was still alive. While walking to work, I prayed for the Positive Spirited Angels to help me think positive. I love this cat and I’m just not ready to part ways with her. It took me ten minutes to find her buried deep In the back of my closet. I called her name and she willingly came out. She looked at me, as if to say, "What is your problem?" "Why are you home so early and why are you bothering me?" She looked fine. She trotted outside onto the balcony for a little sun bathing before heading back under the bed until 4:00 p.m.. I patiently waited for her to come out from under the bed, jump onto my stomach, purr loudly and fall asleep atop of my chest; which she did at 4:02 p.m.. Again, I begin crying big crocodile tears of joy and appreciation.

I know that with life comes death. I’ll never be prepared for the day, if she should go before me. However, I am fully aware of the blessing, companionship and friendship this little fat fury creature has brought into my life. Today's sequence of events reiterated to me that I live in a pretty awesome neighborhood and community; one in which we look out for one another. This isn’t the first time Chris has come to my aid. I’m prayerful that it won’t be the last. . I’m grateful for this life I’ve created . I’m grateful for the support I have . I take none of it for granted. Ya Hollywoodfitnessgotogurl fee@vertikalmagazine.net yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl@gmail.com

Careful of what U ask for...Cause U just might get it!

As a fairly new retired personal trainer; the thought of hiring a personal trainer is both scary and a little intimidating. It’s like going to the movies and watching a movie from the perspective of a moviegoer and not that of an actor. It’s very difficult for me to take direction and advice from a fellow-fitness professional. I’d much rather just work out with you. I know it’s all Ego based, but I’m sharing my truth with you. I remember the day Robby Robinson, a.k.a. The Black Prince, walked into Beyondo2 water store, where I was working. He had on dark shades, a grey hoodie type sweatshirt and a beanie with headphones on. And, it was hot as hell outside. Lol He gave me very little eye contact; therefore, I instantly disliked him. I’m used to people wanting to chat me up about this or that in the water store environment. He was the complete opposite. I recall this one time he came in and he mistakenly filled up his water containers with our Advanced Reverse Osmosis VS our 9.5PH alkaline water. You would’ve thought the world was coming to an end when I told him he filled up under the wrong faucet. He shared with me that he MUST have alkaline water for his work. Based on his appearance, I knew he was in the fitness industry. I didn't want to like the man, but we had a LOVE 4 water in common. lol I gave him a pass; however, while my dislike for him intensified, my respect for him grew. I realized, here was a man who exhibited focus, specificity of his goal; determination and he valued his time. I thought he was mean. He wasn’t mean. He simply didn’t have time to be coming into the water store to shuck and jive with Fee King. Ya'll Like how I refer to myself in 3rd person. As time went on, my intrigued for Robby Robinson grew. I was determined to break his shell open and get inside of the mind of this intriguing man. So, I decided to talk to him. What a novel idea. Here I was waiting for him to chat me up, when all I had to do was to take some initiative. We quickly became friendly with one another. I learned that Robby is a little shy. I knew he was older, but when he shared with me that he was turning 68-years young in a couple of weeks, I was BLOWN away. He walks tall, confident and upright. He has an extraordinary physique. I also learned that he’s a legend in the body building industry: Mr. America, Mr. World, Mr. Universe, Mr. Olympia, Masters Olympia and so many more. And he’s kind with a great smile. While coming up with ideas to promote the Summer 2014 production of my 1-woman show, “Momma Was A BAD Mutha…Shut Yo Mouth, I thought it would be cool to hire Robby, a.k.a. Mr. Black Prince himself, to train me. He loved the idea. We were both so excited. I was heart-open to learn from the BEST on how and what to eat to achieve the long, lean and muscular physique; along with cardiovascular shape I needed to have on stage. He would come into the water store and it’s all WE would talk about. We giggled over the idea of taking photos and shooting our videos of us training for social media sites. We were both equally excited about this new venture. My bubble was busted when my production team said we didn’t have it in our budget to pay Robby’s rate. I held a space that one day, when the time was right, I would get my opportunity to train with Robby. That day came a lot sooner than I anticipated. October 9th, 2014, I turned 44 years young. On the morning of my birthday, the only thing I had planned, besides flying out to Maryland to meet my newborn 13-day old niece, would be to meet Robby Robinson at the Mecca of ALL body building gyms– Gold’s Venice, in the heart of Venice, Ca. OMGoodness! I learned so much in that 1-hour long session. We trained quads. My thighs were sore the same day. That rarely happens to me. I was sore and tight for three days afterwards. Robby was attentive, focused on detail and on my form and breathing. I’ve never worked with a trainer who emphasized imaging how you wish your body to look. That was so Bob Proctor of him. Lol. We were on the same page with training. He didn’t train me to become a body builder. He trained me to build the only body I have; which he said was extremely strong, fit and muscular. His note to me was to now fine tune and shape my body in the way I IMAGE it and to work on making alterations to my diet. Today, October 18th, 2014, I had my second session with Robby. I didn’t think it could get any better. But it did. I rose at 5:50 a.m. I ate my oatmeal, as he prescribed, and headed down Main Street for Gold’s Venice. We worked chest, abductor and adductor. Robby re-affirmed what I already know about myself; which is: My body is a work of art. I am strong. I can have ANYTHING I want. There is nothing I cannot do and have. It’s not everyday I meet a man or woman over the age of 40, who’s not somewhat jaded, negative and a little cynical. It’s refreshing to meet a 68-year young man who is so full of life, optimism and energy. He not only trains me, but also does every single exercise with me. He’s a Beast in the gym and I’m a fortunate lady. Be careful of what you ask for... because you just might get it. Ya Hollywoodfitnessgotogurl fee@verticalmagazine.net yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl@gmail.com

What do I drink for my skin?

Having recently turned 44, I think it might be time to add a skin toning, firming and hydrating topical solution to my existing regime of hydrating from the Inside/Out by drinking 9.5 Fluoride, chlorine and chloramine-FREE alkaline water. I do believe some of us are blessed with good genes; while most of US have to work at it. I fall somewhere in the middle. Although I don’t believe I look and most importantly, I don’t FEEL, act or perform like your typical 44-year old. However, I do realize that my skin cells are dying on a daily basis and their rejuvenation rate might be a little slower than it was in my 20s and 30s. My issue is I really have no idea where to start. With all these serums, motions, potions and elixirs. What has been working for me is upon waking in the morning, to ingest a minimum of two 8-ounce glasses of room temp PH water. When I travel, I make sure to ALWAYS add an organic lemon to the best-bottled water I believe is on the market. Fortunately, on this trip to Maryland to meet my new niece Chandler – I don’t have to worry about the necessity of putting lemon in my water; as my sister, being the Fashion, Beauty and skin care diva that she is, has an alkaline water system thanks to her big sis. She also has a medicine cabinet full of skin and hair care goodies. She has radiant skin and shiny and a head full of long, flowy and shiny hair. I love rummaging through her cabinets when she leaves the house or takes a nap. After all, she’s doing a lot of napping with an 18-day old new born. The issue is, I know she’s tired of telling me the best products out there due to my resistance to paying a lot for products. I’m CHEAP! What can I say. Whatever happened to the good ole days when Vaseline and Noxzema did the trick? It’s all a mystery to me. I don’t know that I’ve bought into the belief that the more you pay means the better the quality. Last year for Christmas, my sister gifted me a beautiful make up bag, full of skin care goodies. OMG! My first thought was, WOW! She’s saved me soo much money and time. Fast forward to almost a year later, I still have 90% of those products left because I’m frugile and need my stuff to last. And, I actually like the way they feel on my skin. Here’s my issue today. I feel like my skin, exposure to the outdoor elements increasing, my dietary intake and my workout has changed drastically from last year until today. So, with that being said – I want to be open to giving my skin and my hair the absolute best nutrients and hydration, without breaking the bank. I could ask my sister; however, she has a newborn and she aint got time for that. lol So, I’m asking my peeps out there. What are some of our top fave and most effective skin care products that are under $50. Let’s keep it real. This is Fee King you’re talking to. I’m NEVER going to spend much more than that. Okay! So, give me what you got. I’ll try it and report back to you. Ya Hollywood Fitness Gotogurl yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl@gmail.com feeking@vertikalmagazine.net www.yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl.blogspot.com

What's the Big Deal about Alkaline Water Anyway??

Ever since I was a little girl, I recall having inconsistent bowel movements. I recall having gas and always having a little bloated tummy. This might be TMI – but stay with me on this one people. By the time I hit my early twenties, my condition became increasingly worse. There was a time I had to take myself to The Emergency room because I hadn't eliminated in almost 14-days. The emergency room Attending Physician sent me home with a prescription that would cost me less than $5; which was a bottle of mineral oil and orange juice. Lo and behold, It worked. That would be the beginning of my addiction to needing some sort of laxative in order to move my bowels. Whether it was correctal, those chocolate flavored ex-lax to colon cleanse pills I relied on for years. This became a normal way of life for me. I would use a bowel movement aid in the evenings before bed, wake up and immediately engage in some sort of aggressive cardiovascular activity and then follow that up with a hot cup of caramel soy latte from TheCoffe Bean. We’ll talk about soy at a later date. It wasn't until, as a Celebrity personal trainer, I would be introduced to something soo simple that was right under my nose all the time. I'd just been hired to train Marla Gibbs of The Jeffersons & 227. During one of our in-home training sessions, Ms. Marla would become adamant about pausing our workout to drink water from a counter top metal square shaped box, that talked to you when you pressed its buttons. I remember joking with Ms. Marla, that Jesus went 40-days without drinking water and surely we could get through a few minutes of exercise before needing water. She quipped, "Baby, this water is life." LOL. She gave me that look that let me know she was serious about her water. From that day on, every time I would go to Ms. Marla's home to train her, she would give me a gallon of her 8.5 alkaline water. I accepted the two to three gallons of alkaline water she'd offered me on a weekly basis. I had no idea what alkaline water was and what it meant, but It was wet, looked and tasted like water. The first thing I noticed after ingesting this clear liquid, was an eight pound loss of weight in under two weeks. “Oh, I’m drinking this water for life”, I said. The next thing that occurred was my hormonal acne completely cleared up. As you know, I’m a gym horse. I found myself covering up my blemish scars that the acne left with concealer. Those who know me, know I rarely wear make up and I’m an absolute proponent of NO make up in the gym. However, the acne scarring was embarrassing. The last and most noticeable and Important improvement since drinking alkaline water was that I was actually having bowel movements once a day. That’s what attributed to my weight loss. I had no idea what alkaline water was and why it worked, but I knew I would drink it Forever and I have now been drinking alkaline water for over seven years. More importantly, I am an advocate of drinking clean water that has NO fluoride. Clean water that’s been alkalized simply by adding minerals is the way water was intended to be…straight from a natural spring. So, if I show up at your home or at a restaurant or company party and you see me carrying my own personal half gallon glass of yummy, delicious clean tasting clear liquid, don’t think I’m crazy. Just know that I am serious about my water. After all, the brain and heart are composed of 73% water, and the lungs are about 83% water. The skin contains 64% water, muscles and kidneys are 79%, and even the bones are 31% water. My theory is: We age from the Inside/ Out – So drink up so that you can look and feel the part. Stay tuned for more shares on water, health, wellness and fitness in the upcoming blogs. If you have a question or topic you want me to cover – feel free to send it to me. Luv and light… Ya Hollywood Fitness Go2Gurl feeking@vertikalmagazine.net yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl@gmail.com yahollywoodfitness.blogspot.com Instagram: yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl

Ask & It Is Given!!

As I sit here jammin to The Ojays "She used to be my girl" and downing the other half of my half gallon glass of 9.5 alkaline water, I can't help but reminisce on my life; specifically the past three years. What a ride it's been. I know what you're thinking, what do the Ojays and water have to do with Asking and Getting? Well, nothing. This song ALWAYS puts me in a Feel good mood and it's hot outside and I'm thirsty. That's all. And reminiscing on my growth keeps me in a god mood. Reflecting on all the things I've yearned for, wanted, needed and then had the courage to ask for and ultimately RECEIVED; all because I was open to, had the burning desire and Hunger to read a life changing book titled: "Ask and It is Given" BY: Esther and Jerry Hicks. I've read this book ELEVEN times. Yes. I can be a little obsessive when I'm hungry. When is the last time you've been that hungry? I've had many Life Changing and Life Improving events occur over the past two years; especially due to this incredible book: "Ask and It is Given" and two consecutive years of participating in an 11-week Master Mind Group based on the reading and principles of: "You are Born Rich" BY: Bob Proctor. It all started with me admitting that my life was NOT working. Okay, it looked okay from the outside, but once you took a deeper look, even Ray Charles could've seen that there was some major stuff that needed to be dealt with, removed, forgiven and changed. So, thus began the work. When this kind of work happens, it has to happen from the Inside out; because there aint no Calvary coming to save the day. You gotta get in there, knee high in your shit, and do the work. And I did and I continue, till this day - this moment, to doing the work. In doing this work, one of the constants in my life is that I live my life, similiar to my 1-woman show; as A ONE Woman show. I do it all. I didn't know how to ask for help. I didn't understand that in the asking for help, is where you are vulnerable; which is really where our power lies. I didn't know that I was creating a shell around me that only allowed people inside in a limited way. I would go to the movies by myself, plays by myself, events and functions by myself. I even traveled the country by myself. Lol. Laugh if you will, but I did. My motto used to be "If it's meant to be, It's up to FEE" And I meant that. My second trip to The UK and Europe, this past August 2014, was another Life Changer. However, this trip opened my heart to the possibility and the necessity of community. Although the first three weeks of my six week trip, I was alone; however, I met amazing people on a daily basis. I did more than meet, I asked to make connections with people and connections are what I created. It was the most yummy, delicious, spiritual and life expanding experience I've ever had. I returned to California with the intention of opening myself up to being apart and involved in community. In the short three weeks I've been back, my sister gave birth to my first niece - a beautiful baby girl named Chandler Marie Revis. I am looking forward to being apart of this new community of Aunties. I'm looking forward to creating a new lifestyle that will afford me the ability to be with my sister and new niece, on the East Coast, more often. Another community creating opportunity presented itself to me just this morning. My friend, who is always supporting me on some level, Tyrone Davis, a.k.a. Mr. Lifaholik, text me and asked me to join him this morning for a workout. Now, he doesn't know this, but he will after this gets published. My first instinct was to say "No thank you" and tell him that I was already at the gym. What was that about? lol Although we make these declarations to change, grow and do better; Spirit is always testing us to make sure the things we want are the things we are ready for. Deep! I know. I'm taking ya'll somewhere. I reached deep into my new bag of tools and came up with a new answer; which was simply "YES". I notice I don't really like to exercise with other people. And this coming from a retired personal trainer. And, I don't like people, i.e., trainers, telling me what to do. I lamented against my fear and resistance and did it anyway. I showed up and showed out. The best part of my workout with Tyrone, besides him having his short of the entire time, was his other female friend showing up. She's a gorgeous sistah with a blog that I just love, titled @Curvygirlsncurls. Gotta love that! We worked the rootah to the tootah! And, it was fun. My only note would be to add some Salt-N-Peppa, MC Lyte, a little Nicki Minaj and Iggy Izalea to the workout playlist. lol Now, in sharing this, I don't want ya'll hitten me up on Instagram, Facebook and tweeting me invites all over town. I'm just one person. Break me in slowly. lol. I'm kidding. No, really. I'm serious about that. Although I love people, socializing and this newfound love of community; I still love my quiet times to reflect and work. After all, I'm building a movement here. I'm a Hot mess is what I am. Ya Hollywood Fitness Go2Gurl...Fee King is Grateful those whow matter the most have NOT given up on me. More importantly, I'm GRATEFUL I haven't given up on myslf. Live life ya'll and fill up on yummy, delicious 9.5PH water. Ya Hollywood Fitness Go2Gurl fee@vertikalmagazine.net Yahollywoodfitnessgotogurl - Instagram thefeekingshow - Twitter