Day Five Hundred Fifty-Six

Being sick stinks. I'm speaking in the figurative sense, of course, because I can't really smell a thing. I'd be fine with all of this involuntary rest if I hadn't just gotten over a really nasty cold (laryngitis and all) a couple weeks ago. And if Jon, Z and I could put a stop to this round robin of hack 'n' wheeze that we've been so generously sharing with each other.

I went into work today for a couple of hours to get things rolling for the day. I think partially my motivation for going to work was to let my scratchy throat speak for itself, so I wouldn't lay in bed at home wondering if the rest of the staff was spending the day standing around the answering machine replaying my call-in-sick message, rolling their eyes to each other and asking, "Didn't she just miss seven days of work?"

The rest of my day has consisted of sleep, drinking tea and watching Pippi Longstocking with Z, my son who is apparently obsessed with crazy red-braided Scandinavian women that wear boots that are eight sizes too big (don't get too excited, G). Sitting down and actually watching one of these movies, instead of plopping Z down in front of the TV so I can get a load of laundry done and feed the dog, has raised some concerns. I mean, the girl throws the dishes out the window after every meal, runs around town buying off neighbors and friends with her big bag of gold coins, lifts horses over her head and lets her monkey cook dinner. Let's just say first order of business around here is making sure Z understands the concept of "imagination."

Being sick isn't all bad. The extra sleep and having the day not speed by is nice. But then when you've got a sore throat, body aches, runny nose and your head feels like it could implode at any moment, you kinda want the day to be over.

Guess it's time to go. Z just climbed the wall in his room to take down the Disney road signs so he can skate around on the hard wood floor. I wish I were kidding.

Thanks, Pippi.

Day Five Hundred Fifty-Six

Revelation and stupidity. Those are the two things that typically inspire me to blog. In this case, it's both. With 2008 being well underway and following an abundantly love-filled holiday season, it's the perfect time to reflect and ponder the things I've learned. And with this world being what it is and people being who they are, stupidity is never lacking.

Let's start with the positives. While I only lost half of the weight in 2007 that I lost in 2006, I had a lot less to lose. Fitness and health were a bigger focus for me, which will hopefully continue this year. Heck, I've already put my Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVD to good use, so I'm off and running. Literal running hasn't happened as much recently, but I intend to establish a new post-holiday routine of outdoor running and treadmill use. I even pursued my interest in Pilates and visited a local studio that just opened a few months ago. After a very pleasant conversation with the owner, I decided this is definitely something I want to try.

In terms of lost pounds, Christmas always poses a challenge. But in 2007 I made a conscious decision to not only ALLOW myself to splurge, but to ENJOY every aspect of the season. And I can honestly say I did. Being educated about food and very aware of my choices made all the difference. When we had our typical daily meals, I would usually stick to healthier food with low-point values. But then there were the events like the Tree Festival where Z and I decorated gingerbread cookies together, or the family Christmas party where the spread included cheesy potatoes and spinach-artichoke dip. Not to mention my birthday trip to Disneyland for the one gooey cinnamon roll I allow myself to have each year (which in this case took the shape of french toast! Yes, including the butter and syrup.). I think not going overboard is what allowed me to continue losing or at least maintain my weight most weeks.

So I'm starting off the new year feeling pretty darn good. And I feel even better about myself when I'm reminded that choosing a healthier lifestyle is apparently equivalent to rocket science. I say this because as I read this morning's Yahoo headline boldly stating "Four Health Changes Can Prolong Life 14 Years," I expected to learn about some grand new health related discovery. But in fact, what the article had to offer was the same wisdom we all gained as kindergartners exploring the food pyramid for the first time. And I quote:

"People who drink moderately, exercise, quit
smoking and eat five servings of fruit and vegetables each day live years longer
than people who adopt none of these behaviors."

How's that for a scientific breakthrough. My immediate question was, "Who didn't know this already?" But it took a team of British researchers (PAID British researchers, I might add) four years questioning 20,000 people to come up with what we've all known all along...if you eat good stuff and get off your butt on occasion, it's better for you. GENIUS!!! That's almost like saying you have a better chance of living longer if you don't make it a practice to jump in front of moving buses.

Ready or not, 2008 is here. And while each year has it's share of curve balls, we still have the ability to make the best of things. Do something good for yourself this year. For your mental, emotional or physical health. It's far from easy, but it's well worth the effort.