Okay. And the beat goes on. I am currently writing this in front of my pc at home, which for sure isn’t where I’d typically be at 7:45 AM on a Tuesday. I am <slowly> recovering from what I suppose has been the flu, although whether or not it is THE FLU or not, I couldn’t tell you. While I spent all of last Friday and another 12 hours or so on Saturday in my bed alternately shivering and burning up, and with aches everywhere, including one doozy of a headache, all of which seem to have since sort of oozed towards a congested chest and a deep, stomach-straining cough, accented, occasionally, by a truly magnificent sneezing fit. Let me see - is that everything? I think maybe so. And, no, I don’t know if this is/was THE FLU because  I didn’t consult with the doctor about it. At first, I was too sick and miserable, and then, when it looked like I was in fact going to live, what would’ve been the point? I kept myself quarantined from everyone with the exception of DH, who must be tired by now of my constant admonitions to “WASH YOUR HANDS” and “Spray some Zicam in your mouth”. Pesky as it may be, it seems to have been effective, as he’s showing no symptoms of his own. Oh, I haven’t seen the itty bitty twinnies since mid-week last week. At the rate they’ve been growing, they’ve probably gained another pound apiece during this little hiatus. Well, hopefully by the end of this week, I’ll be sufficiently recovered to spend some time with them again.

Work, I don’t miss. While I’ll admit to a teensy bit of boredom (just a teensy bit), being home - once the coma-like period passed - has been pretty nice. Sunday and Monday (yesterday) were both sunny and warm; not hot, but nice and warm. So DH and I drove down to the park about a mile from our house and sat on the lakeshore in our lawnchairs to soak up a little much-needed vitamin D. We stayed out for an hour each time, and it felt great. We both occupied ourselves with reading our respective books in between looking at the water and just generally basking. I, of course, was equipped with a box of issues, and certainly managed to feel the part of the aging rehab patient. All very reminiscent of an Evelyn Waugh novel, the name of which escapes me at the moment. I did feel as though I ought to be wearing a huge sun hat, be dressed in flowing white silks, and be carrying a parasol. Instead, of course, I was wearing khaki bermuda shorts and a black tank top with my black Old Navy flip flops (Oh, how lovely to be able to leave the house in flip flops again!). Which gives rise, of course, to the question of where I am in my neverending battle with excess weight. Well, I have shed MOST of what I wanted to take off after looking in the mirror in sheer horrified amazement after a winter of barbaric cold and multi-layered dressing (who knows if it’s you or the layers, after all?) plus the pessimism that results from living through one dreary gray day after another…..blaaaah. But, now that we can get out and frolic (okay…SIT) in the sunshine, multiple layers aren’t practical, after all, and it’s time to correct the results of our wintertime overindulgences. Now why this should be necessary, year after bloody year, makes no sense whatsoever, but there you have it. I start out every fall, it seems, determined to NOT let winter get in the way of my healthy eating and excersize, but by January, all bets are off, and there  I am again, consoling myself with all manner of breads, pastas, sweets and so forth - or not. Sometimes, frankly, I just eat far too much of my “healthy” foods. I think I’ve mentioned in the past that my goal is extremely realistic - just to fit comfortably in a size 12. A comfortable size 12 is just fine for my height (5′6) and bone structure. I am comfortable in a size 12 when I weigh about 160. So, I need to lose 10 more pounds. Dare I tell you that when I weighed myself after the winter (in March) the scale was teetering right at about the 185 mark? So, I’ve lost 15 pounds and have 10 to go. But, it sure is monotonous - not to mention ridiculous - to be doing this every spring, year after year after year. Surely there’s a better way! Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the better way - for me, at any rate - would be to live somewhere where winters aren’t quite so cold and miserable. Which I can’t very well do now, can I? Not with new grandbaby boy twins - and of course my other darling little grandkiddos - living HERE.  So, if anybody out there has any tips on how to get through winter without gaining back all the pounds you worked so hard to lose in spring and summer, please share!!!!!

Well, having caught myself staring trance-like at the screen for moments at a time, it seems I’ve run out of words.  It must be time for my morning nap - LOL. This is ridiculous. I’d better feel better soon! <stamping foot>

Hugs,

Z