So close ....

I promised myself that when I lost 30 pounds I could have a hot fudge sundae.

I'm at 29.4 pounds lost.

Don't get me wrong: I'm happy to have lost so much weight since the first of the year. I feel like I'm retraining my thinking and my body to follow eating habits like those I used to have: eat when hungry, don't overeat, exercise regularly -- all those common sense things that kept my weight constant for years. Until I quit smoking, that is. Then everything went goofy and I started gaining.

Well, I'm losing now. I do 2 weigh-ins a week, one on Wednesday and the 'official' one on Saturday. I work out at the gym on Wed., Sat., and Sunday so those are my days to check weight. On Wednesday, at my preliminary weigh-in, I was 2 pounds lighter than I am today. I'll lay you odds I'll be at least a half-pound lighter tomorrow when I weigh myself. You see, on Friday evening I meet a friend after dinner for coffee and a cookie (and lots of talking), and I think that always pads me a bit for my Saturday weigh-in.

It's tempting to forego that cookie or use Sunday as my 'official' day, but I won't. I've tried to be scrupulously honest throughout this process, and I'm not going to fudge (excuse the expression) now. I'll earn that hot fudge sundae honorably.

It's going to taste soooooooo good when I get it!

Okay, here they are!

We still don't have firm names for them. I'm leaning toward Lara (for the stripey girl) and Kirby (for orange boy), but am not quite sold on those names yet. For now they're, "get out of that!" or "watch out!" or "who's that?"

How about MacGyver for him (because he always manages to get himself out of tough spots) and Dora (the Explorer) for her?

Time will tell!

More tomorrow

We've got new 8-week old kittens in the house. Pictures tomorrow (if they ever stop chasing our adult cats long enough for me to grab a picture!)

The joys of airports

I had 3 hours to kill at the Denver airport (long story). So I walked all the terminals: A, B & C. I also people-watched and made notes as I did so, garnering several good possible characters for a book.

I also saw a plot unfold: I eavesdropped on an arguing couple. They were in one row of seats in the waiting area and I saw behind them. They were low-voiced, but I caught the gist of the argument. It was a doozy and I didn't envy them the opportunity to sit next to each other on a long flight first to Florida then from there to Europe. It was going to be a long, long trip.

When life hands you long waits in strange airports, gather your plots while you can. I now have an idea for a murder on a plane and people who have all kinds of motive. Why do these mystery plots keep falling in my lap? I'm jotting down the ideas so I don't lose them as I work on my other 2 books, which are going surprisingly good. I have 2 full weeks in town and I hope to make considerable progress before my next trip (a road trip this time).

But who knows? An airport mystery might be in my near future....

On the road again

I'm in Denver with family again. Totally surprised my niece who didn't know I was coming to her bridal shower.

Back on Monday to the regular routine ... Kind of ...

Sent from the Berry gadget

Ready, set, walk!

I'm on a 'step' program, where I count my steps every day. I try to get 10K in, and most days I do it and more.

Yesterday I did 13K steps. 13K. And I was sitting in a training room most of the day. The secret? I went for a long walk before my day officially started, so I was at 8K by 8:30 a.m. The rest of the day was just walking to the elevator, mingling with people, walking to the restaurant for lunch.

It's amazing how these tiny things add up. It's like writing a book: a scene at a time, a thought at a time, a chapter at a time. While walking yesterday morning (very early, just at dawn) I had a great idea for the 2nd book I'm working on. It is now going to called not "the 2nd book" but The Ghost Story, like the first book is called The Nail Gun Murder. I had a great idea for TGS that works in a book I always wanted to write (a ghost story) + a mystery (the first draft of this book) + an inheritance (an old book I wanted to rewrite). I'll moosh them all together into this new thing.

Of course, I have to do it, not just talk about it. But I think it's doable. I see a thread of daylight outside. Off to walk again before another day of sitting in training. Let's see what other ideas I can come up with!

Juggling, juggling, juggling

It's amazing but the busier I am, the more creative I am. Today I was at the gym, working out, and my mind was buzzing with my latest book. I had my digital recorder with me, so I managed to 'finish' chapter 2 AND set up a big red herring for the murder.

Hubby and I were at a play this afternoon (Legally Blonde: truly funny play, especially seeing it with a man who just Doesn't Get It sometimes) and I had a great idea for a scene later in the book. At intermission I jotted some notes on my I-thing to keep the idea fresh.

Next week I'm in training all week for work: 9-5 of probably annoyingly boring stuff. I plan to take some notepads with me so I can jot ideas as the class progresses. I always find that a change of scenery really gets my brain moving. I have a day tomorrow when I can write (just a few morning errands to run) and I hope to really kick-start Chapter 3 and beyond in one book, and get the plot blocked out in the other. I'll be traveling again next weekend so will have limited writing time. But I think that's when I do my best writing, when I'm forced into a time crunch and have little time to agonize over words.

For now, though, I'm going to go back and transcribe my notes and see where it takes me. This murder is taking a twist I didn't plan on. We'll see where it goes!

This is a test

.. Sort of.

I got a new gadget so I think I can blog from afar. I'm in IA, getting ready to go with Mom to the doctor.

My Deep Thought for the day? Good health can make your life SO much happier and chronic bad health is miserable. My daily exercise vow is renewed!

Making good progress on 2 books and will be on the road again tomorrow, so can plot as I drive. More on that later ....
Sent from the Berry gadget

A day of cultural oddities

I have a busy day scheduled today. At 9:00 I'm picking up a dear friend who is also a movie reviewer. She and I are going to see the new Star Trek film. Wendy called me as soon as she got tickets because she knows I'm such a Trekkie. I'm looking forward to it, I've heard the FX are fantastic and I've read a bit of the plot, and it sounds intriguing and convoluted -- my kind of Sci Fi.

We should be out of there by noon, so I'll drop Wendy off at her house, swing by and get the Spouse and he & I will go to St. Paul for a play (we have season tix at one of the two major playhouses in town). It's Grey Garden, which I know very little about. I believe it's about two eccentric old ladies but that's about it.

We'll be in St. Paul until about 4:30 then we'll head back home where the VFW is having their annual Fish Fry -- an event not to be missed. So we'll go from swanky theater matrons to the more down-to-earth atmosphere of the outdoor beer garden, downtown near my home.

Of course, before I start all this I have to run a few errands (thank goodness some stores open at 8:00). Then it's off for a day of Klingons & popcorn, high society & wine, then home boys and beer.

Looking forward to it!