r.i.p twizzlers

Hello lovelies,

I've missed you! I had a lull in blogging. Partly because I was swamped, but mostly because I believe in the 'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't blog it' credo.

I realized that I was in a funk a couple of months ago when I was trying to finish my 47 things about me post and re-read #2. I always wake up happy -- no matter how angry I was when I went to sleep or how I wake up. I always worry that if I heard a burglar in the house my first thought would be "Ooooh, fun! I have company!"

Whoa! That was not true for a couple of months. I couldn't put my finger on what was wrong, but I sure was crabby and out of sorts. I really realized it about six weeks ago when I was hanging out with an old friend, that I was happy to see and all I could do was complain. I didn't even like being with me. Sheesh.

Ironically, that same friend told me that he woke up one day a few months ago and felt good for the first time in a long time. I told him that I was feeling like crap to keep the universe balanced. Well, I'm feeling better punk - I hope you still are too.

Long ago I decided this blog was not going to be about cats (have one, his name is Felix and he looks like a bat), hot flashes (been there, done that) or my weight. Well, you're just going to have to hear about my weight for a minute.

In order to feel better I started addressing the things that were bogging me down. The basement project was one. I stopped staying at work until 11:00 pm. I dusted off my bike. I reacquainted myself with the library - and thanks to Erin Brown I have a small display of my PEZ dispensers in the Glendale library. And I joined Weight Watchers.

I know that my activity level has declined over the years. I went from an active job at the coffeehouse to a mostly desk job. I started blogging and writing which requires hours on my bohunkus.

In the beginning I'd eat potato chips and other crunchy-saltys when I was writing. A year or so ago I switched to Twizzlers. They were 'fat free' and didn't leave trails of salt between the computer keys. I was feeling pretty damn good about myself.

The first time I typed my Twizzler intake in to the Weight Watchers program I almost fainted. One serving of Twizzlers is worth 5 points! The same as a cup of chicken and dumplings! So eating a bag of Twizzlers (not out of the realm of possibility in a three hour writing stint) was like eating four cups of chicken and dumplings! Or drinking 10 Miller Lites. Or eating two whole French baguettes. Or a one and a half Peanut Buster Parfaits.

So, the Twizzler jar is gone. And now that I'm paying attention to what I eat and am consciously exercising. I've lost six pounds in the last two weeks. Only twenty more to go.

And the State Fair started yesterday. How many points is a steak sandwich?