Sunday Salon: Engulfed in Chores

Happy Sunday friends! Down here in sunny Florida, we have had some truly gorgeous weather, so yet again, I've been a walking fool this week. I logged in another 25 miles, which took me to a year-to-date total of 104 miles! This exercise, along with the Game On Diet, has seriously helped me with my efforts to lose some weight (13 pounds so far).

So what do I think about the Game On Diet? For someone like me, who was having a good old time eating everything within arm's reach during the holidays, it was like hitting a brick wall. Sometimes drastic situations require drastic measures though, and it kick-started a whole laundry list of healthy behaviors, like drinking water, getting enough sleep, limiting the alcohol, and eating small portions five times a day. If you like vegetables (which I do not!) it is perfect because many of the leafy greens are free foods, which you eat until you turn green. I found the key to Game On success, however, was the support system in which you surround yourself. A enthusiastic set of team members will be there when you slipped up and ate a cookie, or are feeling depressed or weak. I did find the food requirements were very restrictive and I was hungry all the time, but I can't really argue with a 13 pound weight loss. Going forward, I will loosely stick to the rules and continue to work towards my fighting weight (aka the weight that allows me to get into a bathing suit for Hawaii and not embarrass myself!).

In the reading department, I've been moving kinda sloooooow. I started My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier, and am finding it deliciously atmospheric, just like Rebecca, but I never get to just sit down and read lately. And at night, probably because of all the walking I've been doing, I fall fast asleep after a page or two. I was able to finish Andre Agassi's Open this week, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then I started David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed in Flames on audio (narrated by Sedaris). I've never read him before, and am having a ball. This guy is freaking hilarious! Is it me, or is his comedic timing and delivery reminiscent of Sarah Vowell? Anyway, I can't imagine how the written word could be any comparison to listening to this guy deliver his sarcastic, one-liners in his high, whiny voice. He's going to make me bust a gut.
I am preparing myself for what is going to be a chaotic February. We are renovating our master bathroom, and the demolition starts this Tuesday and construction will last for a month. Oooh, fun, I get to share a bathroom with my children! I am starting to get my head around the Spring Scholastic Book Fair in late March, the school has a big Grandparents' event tomorrow, my dad and I are going to start hauling dozens (hundreds?) of bags of mulch from Lowe's for my yard, and a few other yard projects on top of that. Sounds like a drag, but I always feel so darned good about life when I accomplish something!

Hope you all have a restful Sunday. I will be fairly occupied this week, but will make my best attempt at making my rounds!