August is here!

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Yes, it’s a new month complete with a new tropical storm (hi, Bertha).  Kids are heading back to school, tax-free shopping weekend sales are starting,  and the thought of a quiet house between 8 and 3 pm is making parents giddy.

Sorry, kids.  Well, no, not really.

To me, the start of a new month is time to reflect on the gains of the previous month and set new targets for the current month.  Notice I said gains?  It’s my way of focusing on the positive.  In July I increased resistance, speed, and strength.  I hit a smaller size.  I wanted to shop for clothing instead of just grabbing whatever I thought would fit.  It sunk in that I need to eat if I’m going to succeed.  No more drastic cuts to calorie intake.   For August I want to increase my aquatic therapy sessions.  I want to wear a certain top and have it look good.  I want to improve on July’s fitness targets.  See, all positive and also realistic and attainable.   It took years to fall apart and it takes time to fully recover, heal, and thrive.

What are your August targets?  You can reach them.  I’ll be right here, cheering you on.

Long time no update.

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I don’t have much playtime these days, but that will change somewhat after finals next week.

We closed on the house & have started on the makeover. I’ll share pics soon. We’ve picked our paint colors, have kick butt hardwoods that need just a little love (30+ years under a carpet will keep ’em pretty). DD wants a black carpet and lavender walls – we can do that. DS wants royal blue & an area rug. Hubster & I are going with cafe a lait and a reddish accent wall.

We’re packing and cleaning, all excited and just plain happy. I’m fighting through a flareup from hell. ON Tuesday and Wednesday I repeatedly lost my balance while standing still. Joyous. It’s a sign that I need to go back in for another evaluation. Last time I was told that if things didn’t improve that surgery was my only option.

Oh f*ckity f*ck f*ck.

The family knows I’m having a flareup, but don’t know how bad it is yet. I know I should tell them, but summer is almost over, we’re starting a new chapter of our lives, and I don’t want to deal with the same questions and odd behavior thrown my way right after my diagnosis. What I really want is them happy until things slow down a bit.

If there was a time for comfort food, it’s now. I’ve been pretty good about that this past week. We had coconut cake and I didn’t have more the one slice a day and I didn’t have a slice every day. I made a wicked vegetable stew for dinner the other night and wallowed in it’s almost fat free, decadent, old school goodness. I followed the recipe from the winter 2007 issue of Don’t Eat Off the Sidewalk and added celery and green peas. The dumplings I didn’t like much (never have) so I only had the one (about the size of a half dollar coin).

As much as food could be used to comfort me, I won’t use it that way. I’m going to be on crutches soon enough at this rate – I don’t need to use food as one. Or alcohol. I’m so tempted.

I’m probably going to disappear for a day or two while I complete assignments and get more moving stuff out of the way.

Until next time.