Too Cold To Run!!!

I went for a run today - 45 degrees, cloudy and very windy. It made my ears and teeth hurt. Plus I get wheezy when it is cold.

When will Spring be here???

I just got done reading "Handle With Care" by Jodi Picoult. This book was classic Jodi Picoult.

"Handle With Care" is about a New Hampshire family who seem pretty average on the outside. But, their youngest daughter, Willow, has a condition called osteogenesis imperfecta, which is when your body does not produce collagen, causing the bones to be very weak and break easily. So easily, that a hug can cause broken ribs.

Charlotte, the mother, was best friends with her obstetrician, and when Willow is around 5 or 6 years old, decides to sue her friend for wrongful birth. She claims that Willow should have been diagnosed at her 18-week ultrasound so she could have made a decision about whether to end the pregnancy. The family and the friendship are on the verge of collapse.

I could not put this book down. Picoult has a gift in creating great characters and suspense...you never know how the story is going to end. In fact, I did not WANT this book to end!

If anyone is looking for a great book, this one will fit the bill.

Right On Track

I am losing an average of 3/4 pound per week right now. I have lost 13.2 pounds since January 3rd. That average is a bit shy of what I need to be at (which is one pound per week all year) but the past two weeks of small gains set me back a little. No worries, though. I feel good about my progress.

I have not started training in earnest for the P'Tree Road Race yet...I am still waiting for Jess to have her baby! I do not want to be exhausted and sore from training when I need to be focusing on helping Jess out. Although, I think the adrenaline from that whole experience will probably negate ANYTHING I am feeling!

Emily graduates in 9 weeks. Yes, I said 9 WEEKS. How can this possible be?? We are going to order her party invitations today, and I need to start planning the weekend...we have family coming in from out of town, so it is going to be FUN!

Long Overdue Post!

Wow, has it really been almost three weeks since I last wrote? The time is going by so fast lately. Work has been very busy, and by the time I get home I am tired, and don't feel like writing anymore!

So, last week I had a small gain at my weigh-in, which was fine. I admit to having a few run-ins with peanut m&m's last week. I counted all of it, and kept on my plan otherwise. Who knows...it was only 0.4 pounds. I am really not even dwelling on it or analyzing it too much.

This week has been HARD. On Saturday we celebrated my mom's birthday, and we had alot of fun! My sister made a very yummy meal and as usual lots of laughs were shared by all of us. But, the meal was difficult for me to count, so I just dumped all of my weekly flex points into it...which left me with NO flexibility this week. Not good. I usually use 2 points or so a day extra. So, I have basically still been using those extra points and hoping for the best. The good thing is, I am not just saying to myself that this week is a bust and going off of my plan. I am sticking with it, and that is good. Life won't always be perfect...I have to roll with the punches. This is a long-term plan, so in the overall scheme of things, this week is not a big deal. Giving up WOULD be a big deal.

I am reading some really awesome books right now.

One is titled "The Unwanted" by Kien Nguyen. This is a memoir about Kien's childhood. He was born in Vietnam in 1967 to a Vietnamese mother and an American father (a soldier). His family was wealthy until the fall of Saigon, but then his world began to crumble and found himself "unwanted", by his mother, his country of birth, and his adopted country, the United States. His writing is wonderful, and it is hard to believe that this story actually happened. I have never known such fear and sadness in MY life. Kien is now a dentist in NYC! So, it all works out okay.

I am also reading "Yes, Your Teen is Crazy: Loving Your Kid Without Losing Your Mind". 'Nuff said.

We are going to Maine in July (the end of July, actually), and I am hoping to be WELL on my way to my goal weight and well into my training for the half in October. Actually, I KNOW I will be. I am keeping this goal in the front of my mind. I am going to start training for the Peachtree this weekend. The clocks change!!! I am really happy. I am looking forward to it staying lighter out longer, and getting warmer...I can't wait to start!