How I spend my holiday

I have a 4-day vacation right now. We got yesterday off at work as a holiday and I'm taking Monday off. How am I spending it?

Well, I'm getting caught up on some things: prepping for a class I'm teaching in the fall, organizing notes, weeding through files. Yesterday I went to the Mall of America and walked and gawked, something I do 3x a year or so. It's right in my backyard but I seldom get there, so it's always amusing when I go. I finished page-proofs on a book releasing next year and started my newsletter for July.

Today I'm going to the local casino to drop $20 in a slot machine. I love playing slots and I never go to the casino near me. I thought, hey, that might be amusing. I'll go in an hour or so since mornings are absolutely the best time to go to a casino. There aren't many people up and around at 6 in the morning. I'll play for a couple of hours then hit the stores early, come back and write. I'm working on my ghost story now and I figured out a way to incorporate Facebook into it. I'm anxious to get going on it.

Tomorrow -- nothing planned. I may go to a nearby town and do a bit of antique shopping and hit a couple of tiny gift stores. We may do some grilling or maybe go out to eat. I may just write all day. Not sure yet.

On Monday I'm going to Northfield, a nearby town which is about 30 miles away. It's a nice shopping experience with unique stores, and it's a very, very cute town -- very small town. And I'll write, of course.

The main theme of the weekend: relax. This is the only weekend in a month and a half where I don't have events planned, some of which involve traveling. So I'm going to take advantage of being in town and just hang out and relax before the craziness begins.

I hope you have as much fun as I plan to have!

Attitude is paramount

As you know, I've been on a weight-loss journey since February 1 and have currently lost 35 pounds. I'd love to love 6 more, but if I don't, I'm happy.

It's been an interesting experience and I'm amazed that all the cliches apply:

• it's not about dieting, it's about changing your attitude toward food
• it's not about rearranging your life to exercise, it's about fitting exercise into your life
• it's not about the goal, it's about the process

I still eat what I want but I don't eat as much, nor do I eat it as often. Yep, I have fast food now and again, but it's very seldom. Yes, I added more fruit & veggies to my diet, but it was a gradual process. I still love my little treats here & there. That's where the 100-calorie snack packs come into play -- lifesavers!

In terms of exercise, I fit in my walking throughout the course of the day. I usually try to get in a half-hour sometime of walking, either at the mall or outside, but if I can't, I know I can get in 7000 steps a day easily by just taking the 'long' way: walk a few extra steps here & there. The pedometer is key to this, of course.

But more than anything, it's been about my attitude. It all boils down to this: I was sick of thinking about my weight. It was worth it to me to 'give up' some things in order to lose the weight.

The same thing happened when I quit smoking: I was sick of thinking about quitting. I just quit. And you know what? I do the same thing with my writing: I procrastinate, I dither, I think about tweaking this plot point or that. And at some point, I just sit down and WRITE THE DAMN BOOK.

I was speaking with friends yesterday about weight loss and I said, "You've got to find what works for you -- my way isn't the right way for everyone. But it works for me." Know yourself and find what works. Then just do it. That applies to diet, exercise, health, life, love, writing, and work. You can certainly look to others for examples, but in the end, it's up to you to figure it out. Once you do ... it all starts to fall into place.

So excuse me. Enough procrastinating. I need to do some writing.

As predicted ...

Yep, I'm pain-free now after those 2 cortisone shots. I was struggling Monday-Wednesday, but Wednesday night was my first pain-free sleeping in months.

Of course, I still don't sleep a lot -- I have 2 kittens in the house, one of whom believes my pillow is her spot and she PURRS to let me know it. And another cat, Mr. Houdini, who sleeps pressed against my legs as protection against the Tiny Evils who torment him. But all in all, it's great to feel flexible & good again. And more good news: my Mia cat, Diva kitty, does not have cancer but some bizarre growth (the vet said he's never seen anything like it in 24 years of vetting) which may come back but if it does and it doesn't bother her, we can ignore.

Life Is Good.

Today I'm off to a play ("Singin' in the Rain", so apt because it's raining, FINALLY, we needed rain so bad), then to a town festival with balloon rides, brauts, and polka dancing in the park. The weather is supposed to clear in time for it, so I say, Bring it on! Summer! Enjoy!

My diet resumes tomorrow....

The Big Owie

I had 2 shots of cortisone in my hips yesterday and man, oh man, does it hurt today. I can barely move without pain. Advil, here I come.

I know in a week or so I'll be pain-free. I haven't been pain-free since May, so I'm looking forward to it. I have chronic bursitis in both hips and some nights, I have to sleep in a chair because between the arthritis in my back and the bursitis in my hips ...

Of course, it could be SO much worse that it doesn't bear thinking about. I was at the hospital today having a mammogram (my philosophy is: get the icky things done in threes then you're done with them for months. The third icky thing I did today was take my cat, kicking & struggling, to the vet for a surgical procedure). While at the hospital I saw some REALLY sick people. And the squishing wasn't as bad as it's been in the past. Everything is digital now, so it goes faster and it's not as painful.

All in all: good. Now I'm settling in to work at home and will try to move very little (those of you who know me: all laugh together at the notion). And if I'm lucky, I'll carve out some time to WRITE.

A fun event not sanctioned by RWA

I had a book signing today in a flower shop.

I grew up in a small town with no bookstore so the flower shop stocks my books. Because I'm with a small press (I don't call them an e-pub) I'm able to work with my publisher to get the books in unusual locations like gift shops, etc.

I sold a few dozen books, had press interviews with local papers and had a great time.

If I followed RWA guidelines I'd be poorer financially and in terms of experience. Thank heavens I started ignoring them years ago!

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