If today were weigh in day, I’d be at a New Lowest Weight Ever. That is very exciting.

I think maybe it’d also be the day I drop down to 22 points a day, instead of 24. That, however, is very frightening.

I suppose it’d be more frightening if I were as fastidious at counting points as I was six months ago. Alas. I think I’m going to have to get better at it. After all, Hershey’s kisses aren’t really zero points. And yes, points do count on weekends. (So I think we can attribute the current weight loss to the gym – can you even imagine how well I’d do if I – gasp! – counted points and exercised? Amazing. Well, don’t want to drop the weight too fast. Ha!

Last night went to look at a house with Regan and Jeff. It was so cute I wanted to move in right then. George is lucky this house wasn’t for sale when we were looking – it’s about 800 square feet smaller than our house. But it’s so cute, so cozy, a perfect little cottage. With an adorable little back garden. If it were in England, it’d be the cottage of my dreams. Except even at 100+ years old, it’d be about 100 years too new. And not stone. But you get the idea. I always wanted a tiny snug little ancient cottage with low ceilings. Not very practical for a 5’10” girl.

Off to work! There’s going to be an ice cream party today. Ah well, there goes the NLW! (Kidding. Will only have a dab. Yeah right.)

Yay, yay, lost 2 lbs! Now my body figures out where I’ve been going nearly every day after work. The gym. Yes indeedy. Or maybe it’s because I ate better. Who knows, who cares? (I guess I should, eh?)

Anyway, off to work now, but 2 lbs lighter!

(And the best part? This is typically the week of the month that I weigh more. So that means next week…a possible NLW^TM?

My sister, the cutest angel in the world, and baby Alison. Ha ha! Okay, Alison’s in the middle.

 

Yay! We got her! See the tears glistening? That is the sign of true surprise.

 

Look at everyone who came to surprise Kristina…Julie, Bill, Alison, Ren, Gary, Chris, Shelby, Ann, me, and Jenny. Fun!

Am decidedly unthrilled about my less-than-a-pound loss this week, particularly since I’ve been pretty good as far as eating goes, and particularly, I think, as far as exercise goes. Well. Fat lot of good that did. Pun intended.

Well, I’ve made the decision to join a gym this afternoon after work. Curves just ain’t cuttin’ it anymore for me (though I did go yesterday – funny story about that) and dance class (which I also went to yesterday) is more fun than exercise. Well, it’s definitely exercise. But right now, with the recital coming up, I’m kind of superfluous to the whole class. So I’m going to stop dance class until August and join a gym. By the time the new “school year” for dance starts, my Curves membership will be over. And I can still go to Curves once a week or so, just so I don’t feel like I’m tossing $30 a month into the trash.

Oh yeah, the funny story about Curves – every month they have a t-shirt drawing for the people who had birthdays that month. So at the end of January, they picked my name out of the basket, but yesterday was the first time I’d been since mid-January or so, so they were about to send me a “where are you?” postcard. When I walked in, it was like the long-lost sister being greeted. Nice.

It’s unbelievable, yes it is. The girl, she has a voice like an angel! (Why do I hear that in my head with an Irish accent? Can anyone tell me?) Yesterday, I went to see my dimpled, gorgeous cousin Sara, my baby cousin, who was the cutest, most sarcastic child you’d ever meet, (she asked my dad once when his baby was due – though I don’t think she realized he wasn’t pregnant) star in her school’s production of Oklahoma. Oy, the girl can sing. I am hoping she’ll sing in the wedding. (Okay, okay, I know she’s probably reading this, but I meant every word up there!)

Oh, the blankie and the baby who punishes it:

Daddy and Alison nap with Blankie:

Ohhh, isn’t the Monday after Thanksgiving the worst? It’s that lovely long weekend, where you get the holiday bit out of the way first and then you have three days to just do nothing if you want. That’s what makes it the best holiday. Hardly any stress (don’t tell my mom or anyone who actually cooks that I said that) and no gift-giving anxiety, just hanging out with your family and eating a lot of delicious food. And not counting points. You can’t count points on Thanksgiving!

Of course, today is the first day since Wednesday that I have counted points, and I might have gone a bit longer without counting points than I should have, but so far the scale really hasn’t shown much of the fallout from Thursday (, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.) So maybe it’s okay. Fingers crossed.

George and I had a lovely Friday. I shopped in the morning, got some presents out of the way, and then we took the ferry across the river, got on the streetcar to City Park and then walked to Whole Foods to get food for our picnic. Yummy, messy sandwiches and salt and vinegar chips. We spread out a blanket and ate and watched the ducks. Then we wandered around the new sculpture garden (it’s huge!) while I made fun of the pretentious people.

(Come on, woman, is it necessary to wear a fedora with a feather and pointy toed stilettos to a park? And does your boyfriend have to wear a fur hat? It’s Louisiana, not Milan, for god’s sake.)

Anyway, back on the streetcar with a brief interlude at an Italian ice cream parlor. Yum.

The rest of the weekend wasn’t nearly as exciting. I saw Finding Neverland (and cried like a baby.) Kristie came in (oh, that was exciting) and we had drinks at the pub and she talked Boston to our friend Matt for a while. Sunday I worked in the yard. Finally mowed it. Way overdue. I’m sure our neighbors are happy.

On Thursday I go to Durham, North Carolina for a work thing. Exciting!