And here is the hard part…what do you take with you? I don’t honestly think anything is going to happen to our house, but what if it does? So what do I take?

Well, I know for sure I’m taking:

-my cat

-my computer

-most of my photo albums

-a framed picture from March of 1998 of my sister, my dad and I

-the only video I have of my dad

-my autographed copy of Bill Bryson’s Notes from A Small Island

-marathon medals

-my bridesmaid’s dress for my sister’s wedding

-my bathroom scale (hey, look, I will always weigh in on the same scale, hurricane or no…)

-various bits & pieces like cell phone charger, etc.

and of course some clothes and medicine and toiletries and makeup (well, some of it is fancy!)

But what about

-my books?

-my favorite purse (a Paul Frank handbag with the Union Jack on one side. I never use it, but I love it.)

-my shoes? (eh, forget the shoes. It’s not like I have any Manolo Blahniks. I think I can live without my Payless collection.)

-all of my London souvenirs?

But you know, as I make this list out, I realize there aren’t many things on the “what about…” list. I can live without my knicknacks, my CDs, my favorite clock, my extensive collection of old running shoes. At least I’ll have the important things. George, Stinky, and Bill Bryson.

I still don’t know if I’m supposed to be going to work today. I reckon I’d better go take a shower, though, and head over there. Don’t want to get fired after three weeks!

Okay, just heard from work people. Don’t have to go in. Woo! And as it turns out, we’re going to Baton Rouge, not Arkansas. At least at first. I really don’t think I could handle Stinky mewing for 8-20 hours, however long it would take to get up there. As it is, the 2 hour trip (I hope hope hope) to Baton Rouge will be bad enough.

Must go pack now…

So now the downstairs windows are boarded up and our plan is to take off for Arkansas (woo boy! Arkansas!) in the morning. Yes, it’s exciting. But the thought of being in gridlocked traffic all the way to Arkansas (that is as close as George’s mom could get hotel reservations. Don’t ask why we’re not just going to Baton Rouge.) does not really appeal to me.

I’m going to have a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger from Wendy’s. Maybe a small order of fries too. Don’t worry, I have enough points!

Well, today George and I went to Wal-Mart to stock up on supplies just in case Ivan comes our way. Yes, it’s a scary thought, but I don’t stress about it because we certainly can’t stop a hurricane from heading towards us and putting our entire city under many feet of water. So we’ll probably head to Dallas if it looks like we’re in the path.

Yesterday was the four mile race over the Mississippi River bridge. I did it with Polly and Tee’s sister Larissa, who I spied just as the race was starting. It was fun, but it took me three minutes longer than two years ago. Ah well. I didn’t train for it, so I can’t complain. But if the hurricane goes somewhere else, I’ll be doing a 5K at Audubon Park on Friday night. It’s the Symphony Run, and afterwards you get to hear a performance outside at the park by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Kind of exciting, because when I lived with Kristina, our neighbors were in the orchestra.

After the race, we went to the pub where I played this dice game called Greed that this girl Allee showed us. Apparently, she always wins, but not this time! Yes, I’d like to thank beginner’s luck for allowing me to walk away with over twenty bucks. Yeah!

Just got back from massage…ahhhhh…it was niiice. And right now, my back doesn’t hurt. I’m a bit slimy from the massage oil, but it’s okay. I am fiiine with that. Thanks to everyone for telling me it was going to be okay. Fortunately, my masseuse was a nice woman without hairy arms. I just felt slightly guilty for not having shaved my legs. But then I kept reminding myself that she sees all kinds.

Ah, the Joey. He is so funny. Am glad new show is good so far. Warms the cockles of my heart.

I still don’t know what Ren’s baby looks like. Am I going to have to go up to Virginia myself to see the little rugrat? Pam is not happy! Okay, perhaps I should cut the new parents some slack. But please! I was in their wedding, don’t you think I should see their baby? Yeesh. (Also people not in their wedding should get to see the baby.)

Am having major lower back pain. Okay, not major. But annoying. It’s a weird kind of pain that bothers me most when I’m trying to sleep. I am trying to decide whether I should try a chiropractor, a massage, a physical therapist, or just do the stretches I found on the internet. Because my new insurance is very confusing, I’m leaning towards just getting a friggin massage. However, am nervous about nekkid part. Am v. self conscious. But a friend who shall remain nameless is getting her first bikini wax today so perhaps I should just get over it.

Had pizza for lunch today. Yum.

And now must comment on comments left in today’s earlier post. I’m not entirely convinced the current slow down in weight loss has to do with muscle building. I’ve heard the arguments and I know about the whole muscle-taking-up-less-space issue, but I don’t think that really applies to me right now. I’ve been running for so long, I already have a lot of muscle, I just don’t think I’ve built that much more. Ohh, who knows. I think the real issue is that I have been having difficult weekends, eating (and drinking)-wise, lately. So must be more diligent about counting points. So far so good.

It is freezing. I am cold. (not really.)

Yesterday I discovered that on July 14 I weighed in at 3.4 lbs more than I do now. That means in 8 weeks, I have lost 3.4 lbs. That is not very good. Is this considered a plateau? This irritates me because on July 19 I started Curves and I started working out 4 times a week consistently. One would think this would help get me off a plateau, not on one.

Must…work…harder…(on counting points.)

Oh, dance class! Forgot to mention dance class. Even though I’m the worst person there (erm, I mean least experienced), I still had fun. Even though there were only six people in class last night and my crappiness was extremely apparent, I still had fun. I think my problem is I think too much. If I don’t think about it, I’m okay. Oh yeah, and also I can’t turn without tripping over my feet. But other than that…

Anyway, we learned the beginning of a dance from Chicago. I’m gonna have to rent the movie so I can dance like Renee Zellweger. But really I dance more like Bridget Jones, probably, than Roxy. Hmm.

Lost 1 lb this week. Not bad, considering the amount of eating and drinking that went on last weekend. That makes 28.6 lbs lost total. Only 29 lbs to go. Oooh, almost halfway there!

My goal this week is to be brutally honest. No more “hmmm, maybe that’s only 3/4 of a cup of milk instead of a whole cup, therefore it’s fewer points.” Nope, none of that. (Well, perhaps I should start measuring everything again.)

From now until the wedding, i don’t have any more excuses like people in town, holidays, etc to get me off track. Plus i’m going to start running again, beginning with the 4 mile bridge race on Saturday which will kick off my fall running. It’s a fun race, half uphill and half downhill. Well, the second half is more fun, obviously.

Am considering the Austin marathon in February as my next one. Would have to start seriously training right around the wedding. So that gives me about a month to build up again. I know it’s risky, but I think I can do it.

Am still waiting to see pictures of Ren’s baby. Dying to see pictures. Sigh.

Yaaay! Ren had her baby!!! It was funny, actually, because when I talked to her on the phone yesterday I told her to call me when she went into labor. However, when the phone rang at 4 this morning, all I thought was “who the &#*@ is calling me in the middle of the @*#&* night?” Boy, am I glad I didn’t answer the way I wanted to!

Anyway, little Allison (Alison? Not sure yet) was born at around 7 this morning and weighed 7 lbs and was 19 inches long and I wish I could tell you what she looks like but Gary has not sent me photos as I explicitly told him to!

Okay, maybe I’ll go a little more into what we did this weekend:

Saturday, after I picked my sister up from the airport, and while we waited for her friend Timi to make it to town, we got our nails done. She got her fingernails done while I got a pedicure. Or, shall I say, while I got my right big toe butchered? They cut the crap out of my toe and blood was everywhere. They did use lots of disinfectant (ow, stinging pain) so I reckon there’s little chance of it falling off.

Worse, the nail painting job wasn’t even good. Though I suppose the pedicurist was somewhat wary after the near-amputation. And to add insult to injury, they charged me for it! Well, my sister paid. I would’ve refused. But what can you do?

Timi is funny. She makes me laugh. We watched Dr. Doolittle on Sunday because she could not stop quoting lines from it. Hmm. Yes, she is 33 years old. But I have to admit, it was pretty good. (Go on, rent it. It’s true!)

Last night George and I went to see Vanity Fair. It was long, a bit too long, but interesting. I dreamed in Indian colors last night. It was definitely a gorgeous film, at least.