January 20, 2009. Amazing to have lived long enough to see this finally happen. I hate to do it, but I’ve got to say a big Thank you to George W. Bush for screwing up so completely that everybody wanted his exact opposite in the White House, which, of course, is Barack Obama. Now, I don’t know just how much Obama is going to be able to change - say over the next year or so (and beyond, of course) - but suffice it to say that WHATEVER he accomplishes, it’ll be a step in the right direction for this country of ours that has been so brutally exploited over the past eight years by Bush and his cronies. One has to admire his chutzpah, though, eh? I mean, most people, knowing how much they are disdained and disliked by the multitudes, would probably choose to slink away quietly and hope not to be noticed. Well, perhaps that really isn’t an option for him, but it ought to be. I’m very resentful about that mini-mansion he’s moving into when so many in this country have lost their homes to foreclosure as a result of the mortgage banking meltdown. And, in typical Bush-administration style, they bail out the banks and let the little folks be thrown out into the street. It all very (obviously) irritating to me - downright enrages me, if you want the truth, but it’s something of an impotent rage, after all…I did what I could by supporting Obama. Now, it’s up to him.

I’m at work - and planning to watch the inaugural events online. Anyone who doesn’t like it can kiss my grits.

Okay. Now back to moi. I come to you straight from a three day weekend spent gulping down antibiotics, steroids, cough syrup with codeine (at night) and Mucinex to loosen up the chest congestion. I didn’t leave the house on Saturday or Sunday, and only ventured out with DH yesterday to do some badly-needed grocery shopping. Then, home again, home again, jiggedy-jig, and tucked back in watching one movie after the other on instant Netflix, with a steaming cup of hot tea with honey and lemon ever present at my side. Have I been walking with Leslie? Well, no. I saw the Doctor on Wednesday (from whom flowed all those prescription medicines) and my oxygen levels were pretty low because of the chest infection, so I’ve been getting short of breath and exhausted with minimal effort. Best to “lay low”, and “take it easy” - or so saith the good doctress, at any rate. Funny how once you’ve been exercising regularly, when you stop, you can almost FEEL those pounds creeping back around your midsection. SO not optimum! Still a bit too easily fatiqued, though, so I’m guessing I probably won’t be walking mornings this week. I’m thinking I’d best call the doc and get another 5-day antibiotic pack, too, since there’s still a lot of residual crud bubbling around in the chest. Ah, such is life.

So far, I haven’t felt any huge compulsion to jump-start my dieting prior to the Feb. 1 cut-off point that I established for myself. Lethargy rules, I’m afraid. I’ve been reading some more conscientious bloggers here, and trying to motivate myself with their successes, but despite being happy for those who are doing well, I’m afraid that I’m still not quite ready to jump back on the wagon. And the sad part of all that is that I feel so much BETTER when I am eating right and exercising daily - this slumping about is so self-defeating, really. The WEATHER isn’t very helpful, either. We had about ten more inches of snow Saturday night and into Sunday. A real winter wonderland out there, let me tell you! More predicted? Oh, you betcha! Cha cha cha, huh?

Okay, well, things - at least politically - are looking up, and I MUST get myself into the stream of *feeling good about it all*. That will be my self-help project for today.

Tah,

Z