Of all the things I have written about, the page I wrote about my Mom has received the most hits on this site by almost double. She would be happy to know how many people were interested to know more about her and that she will never be forgotten. Today would be her 60th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mom! That makes it the perfect day to go to Grandma’s for dinner after work. Grandma always thinks it must be a hassle for me to come over to her house and that I do it just to be nice and keep her company. But in reality she is very entertaining and a delicious cook. I always look forward going over there. Many happy memories at Grandma’s house. I just need to be careful not to get into her candy cabinet. She’s got M&Ms in there, I just know it.

I am almost half way through Destinos. It is amazing how much Spanish you can pick up by watching these episodes. The story itself is pretty bad. A rich family inexplicably hires a lawyer named Raquel Rodriguez to travel the world looking for lost long relatives. Raquel learns about the culture of each country she visits while she constantly encounters drama, death, and romance. Yet she still has time to stop along the way to count fruit and name her articles of clothing. It is like the Spanish version of a really bad soap opera combined with Sesame Street for adults and a special on the Travel Channel. Very bizarre. But still I have learned a lot so I continue on.

Check out a few minutes of an episode if you want to see what I am enduring:
http://www.learner.org/resources/series75.html

Today is the service for Dave Inskeep.

Rest in peace, Dave.

The setback last week definitely cost me but I am back on track this week with the fitness goals. Today I am half way through the first 12 weeks. There is still a lot left to do so I really need to make every day count.

WEEKLY WEIGH-IN:
Last week: 149
This week: 146
Goal: 137

Nancy Stutesman never climbed the Seven Summits or cured the blind. What she did do was work full time and attend school full time while raising two tiny girls…

 http://blog.changemyselfchangetheworld.com/?page_id=1288

Yesterday I found out someone I knew died suddenly this week. He was not a close friend, a mere acquaintance and colleague. I had friendly conversations with him from time to time but never knew him much outside work. Why then do I feel so devastated? I had friends lose a parent long before I did and I remember feeling sorry for them. But it was at a distance. I didn’t understand the impact the death of someone can have. When I suddenly lost my mother my eyes were opened. The loss of a life that is close to you burns your insides. And they say the pain of losing a child is exponentially worse. I cannot even imagine that level of suffering. The thought of people having to go through it is almost unbearable. It doesn’t seem fair that the world won’t slow down for a little while after losing something so valuable. It just keeps going like nothing happened. I will still go to the gym today. I will still work on my basement. I will still get together with my family. But I will be thinking of Dave and of those he left behind for a long long time. I am so deeply sorry for their loss. He seemed like a great and talented guy.

Anyone remember Destinos? Destinos is a 52 episode saga told entirely in Spanish. We were required to watch it in school. For me, Destinos was naptime. I don’t think I watched a single episode. I could recall a boy losing his dog and some guy trapped in a mine but that was about it. When I set out to learn Spanish I knew I would not be done after 12 weeks but wanted a concrete goal. So I found all the Destinos episodes free online and bought the workbook. Today I am on episode 20. I plan to get through all of it by the end of March.

A very strange thing is happening in my neighborhood. Someone is going out in the freezing cold in the middle of the night and rifling through cars parked in the driveways. But they aren’t taking anything. Who would make all that effort and not take anything? The sad part is that multiple people felt safe enough in our neighborhood to leave their cars unlocked overnight and now everyone must lock their doors and switch on their alarms. Small town to big city overnight. This added a task for the ‘Get organized’ goal. Now that the basement is usable we need to clean out the garage so we can get Todd’s Jeep back inside. Crime is a nuisance.

My neighbor’s adorable daughter delivered Girl Scout Cookies to us last night. Funny timing. If those cookies had arrived last week they would all be in my tummy by now along with the heart candies and cake I ate. But no. I got myself back on track and despite the torture of sending my Samoas and Tagalongs to work with Todd without even a taste, I did the right thing. It was a painful goodbye. Out of site, out of mind – eventually. But my inability to say “no cookies, thank you” to the innocent eyes of my neighbors’ daughters means we have more coming…

Major setback in the diet and exercise department this week. I had a junk food relapse and gained 2 pounds back. Usually this is about the time when I start to realize that life is a lot easier and more fun if I just forget about my New Year’s Resolutions. Thus begins the cycle. Start, get bored, give up, get disappointed for giving up, start over. Well, I set out to achieve something, not to be perfect. No need to dwell on it. I just need to get going again much sooner than normal. Like now. Last night after work I turned my refrigerator into a giant salad bar. Back on track this week.

WEEKLY WEIGH-IN:
Last week: 147
This week: 149
Goal: 137