This will be a quick one and then I'll relay more details as the days go by.

As I'm sure you've already noticed from my homepage, I've finally left a national show with a trophy in hand. In the toughest class at the 2003 Figure Nationals and amongst 40 girls, I received fifth place. I had been hoping for one of the top three slots so that I could end the year as a pro, but I narrowly missed out on this opportunity. Though a bit of disappointment has set in, the thought of quitting has not. I believe next year will be my year, and thus, I am beginning to set the 2004 game plan in motion.

I have two weeks off from the diet. This week is a free-for-all! I've had the wonderful opportunity to visit England and Ireland, so I'm experiencing all types of food! I've had Thai food, true Italian cuisine, American cheeseburgers, and Belgian chocolates! All I can say is, "yum!" I did run a few miles the other day and with all the walking and climbing of steps to get everywhere in London, I'm definitely working off a bit of ice cream and the bites of cheese I've had throughout the week. Next week, I'll get back in the gym and for two weeks will play around with the weights. That means that I won't worry about rep ranges or sets or weight amounts. I'll just enter the weight room, look around, and decide at that moment what I want to do. It's the idea of having the freedom of choice--whether it's in terms of food, cardio choices, or weight training exercises--that excites me the most!

I will soon have photos developed from the competition and will have my webmaster post them in the members' section in the next couple of weeks. I should also have a few photos from England as well. And don't forget my shoot with Brian Moss. It was an absolute success and I shoud have that disk of photos in a month or so. Y'all will be the first ones to see these. A true exclusive!! Don't miss it!

I will write more tomorrow or Saturday, so definitely check back in. I'll describe more about the show, the preparations, the New York experience, and my thoughts on everything, including plans for 2004.