Longer break for me...

Hildi,

Hey. So sorry about the silence! I have to say that I started the year with the very best of intentions and high hopes! I mean it was 2009 after all! I love the number 9. It's very lucky. This was going to be the year I got myself back together. I promised I would work hard and at least get one story published. This was the year I was going to lose weight and feel better. And I had another goal but it completely escapes me at this time. I'm pretty sure I didn't accomplish it though. But alas, the year has started out rough. As you know at least one member and mostly multiple members of my family have been sick since the year began. This has seriously eaten into my "me" time and ability to stick to a schedule. lol. Not to mention the stress level in our house always seems to be at def con 2.

At least after weeks of agony I got my diagnosis. And while a chronic painful condition was not in my "gee I hope I have that list" at least finally having a diagnosis (therefore confirming it's not all in my head and I'm not crazy) gives me treatment options and something to blame my exhaustion on! Being sick however, has not helped with my weight loss plans. Five pounds in 2 months does not strike me as progress. And it's mostly because I keep getting sick and therefore losing my appetite. And exercise? Ha! Does hauling myself from the couch to the bathroom count? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Well things came to a head in our house the other day and I called a family meeting with Larry, Lulu & Jethro. Actually I ended up talking (yelling) with Larry first and then Lulu & Jethro after he left for town. The talk went well. I think I made some progress with the kids at least. Larry is after all a man and therefore pretty much incapable of real change. But at least the other two seem to get it. And Jethro showed real progress yesterday. Let me illustrate the need for this talk of mine...last Thursday Jethro and I went to town to run errands. Our last stop at 4:30 at night was the grocery store. Once inside the store, I became ill and we made a quick trip instead of the super buy we needed. We grabbed some food and headed home. Once home, he & Larry carried in groceries. I put away cold stuff while they were doing this. I went to the pantry to put away the two bags of canned and boxed goods but couldn't get the light to come on. (damned fluorescent bulbs!) I set the bags down on top of the water, told Larry that I HAD to lay down and that the bags still needed to be put away when someone could get the light on. I ended up sick all weekend with pneumonia. Bill was in town so Lulu was pretty much gone most of the weekend. However Larry, Jethro & even Bubba were here all weekend. Fast forward to Tuesday morning. I walk into the pantry to grab a bottle of water (my first trip in there since Thursday night) and those two bags of groceries are still sitting there!!! I kid you not. Not only did nobody bother to put them on the shelves...they had eaten canned goods out of them! Ridiculous!!! These are grown and nearly grown men. I wanted to cry. But instead I yelled. Jiminy Christmas.

Thank god you have girls,
♥gert