The little things

I went to my first post-sign-up Weight Watchers meeting today. I managed to lose 1.4 lbs. despite the fact that the moms at the bus stop have had 2 impromptu happy hours since I signed up. I also faced Mexican night at Bunko, the Panthers play-off game post-tailgate gathering, dinner out at a burger joint, and a lunch with some friends. Not bad, if I do say so myself.

As to the happy hours, I am now officially the weirdo at happy hour (we cook these up spur of the moment when we are waiting for the kids to come home in the afternoons--ah, the life of a stay-at-home-mom!) since I arrive with a tray of veggies under my arm. Everyone else rummages around and find crackers and dips. Not me. I drag out healthy stuff. Here's hoping they don't kick me out of happy hour!

Apparently I can talk myself into doing something. During today's run, I started out by telling myself that I wasn't going to walk. Then remembering how all the experts and quasi-experts say you should frame things in a positive way rather than a negative way (and since both groups are in agreement, it must be true), I changed the annoying refrain in my head to "I will run the whole way." I'm not sure there's really any difference, but I didn't walk. (See, my natural inclination is to the negative. I even had a swim coach when I was younger who told my mom that I needed to go to the doctor because I was complaining differently than usual. Not that I was all of a sudden complaining. I was complaining differently. And as an aside, it turned out I was justified because I had a broken sternum.)

I've managed to do something catastrophic to my iPod. Before my run I was wondering if it would be horribly greedy to want more than one iPod so I could have one for running and one to leave in the iPod stereo thingie. But given that I can no longer adjust the volume on the one I own (and thanks to the stereo thingie it's set at a volume for broadcasting intergalactically), I really think I need a new one. D., are you reading this? Skip the roses. Just bring home a new iPod!

Also on the running front, as I've mentioned, I left my running shoes at my parents. And rather than take that as a sign (I'm sure it was, I'm just ignoring it, which will probably cause me to come back as a beetle in my next life or something), I have gotten out in a spare pair I had laying around here. Actually, it was a brand new pair I had never worn so I was hardly slumming it. But my mom had my dad send my shoes even though I said it wasn't a big deal (although I do like the brand and the yankz laces in the set I left at their house better). They arried by Fed Ex the other day. They arrived labelled express or urgent or whatever term it is Fed Ex uses. Should I be offended that my parents thought it was urgent I get the shoes back? I mean I realize I've gained some weight recently, but... In any case, I really wish the universe would quit sending me mixed messages. Someone up there is getting malicious glee out of my confusion. Either that, or they think I'll make a great looking beetle.

One last note on moving (or at least you all hope, I'm sure). In addition to all the other places I had to change my address, I forgot to change my address with the publishers and websites that are kind enough to send me books for review. Of course, given that I still don't have NC license plates, this lack of awareness and/or lack of action is probably not a surprise. But I only realized this oversight when I received notification that I should be seeing a book in the mail for review. It never arrived. A second book (from a different publisher) was also supposed to appear and didn't. How odd, I thought. And then I twigged to why. They are probably baffling the heck out of the people who bought our house in MI, unless by some quirk of fate those folks review the occasional book as well. So I duly sent my new address along to all concerned and because I felt terrible for not reviewing the books I was supposed to review, I waited until they were released and have now gone out and bought the books. Yes, the books were supposed to be free in return for my review. Now I've bought them and the publishers will still get a review. I probably haven't learned my lesson either. But with any luck, we won't move for many years so I won't have to re-learn this for some time. In the meantime, I've read one and have the second up next. Reviews to follow shortly!