New year, new me

I haven't updated this journal since Christmas. I felt the need for a short hiatus from the internet in order to get my act together. This hiatus enabled me to focus on a couple of goals I set down for myself for the new year.

GOAL #1: Quit smoking. Like many others, I started smoking in my early teens. I enjoyed it. Cigarettes were like good friends. I often thought of quitting but kept putting it off, maybe because I didn't think I could do it after being addicted for so many years.

Almost 2 years ago I found myself puffing away like a friggin' chimney while glued to my pc every evening rapidly adding posts to my now defunct yaoi role-playing board. That soon led to a horrid hacking cough that embarrassed the bejeezus out of me whenever it gripped me in a public place. I was becoming rather anti social because of it.
GOOD NEWS: I have been cigarette free for 30 days now. And that nasty cough is gone. Yeah! Quitting was very hard. I did it cold turkey after preparing for the quit day for a couple of weeks. The first 3 days were the worst. I still crave a cigarette now and then, but I hope I never go back to the habit of lighting up.

GOAL #2: Healthier eating and exercise. I've always had a weight problem. I mean I was measured for a size 22 dress for my brother's wedding, and that took place when I was in 7th grade! I managed to get down to a reasonable weight by high school then gained it all back when I got pregnant. The roller coaster ride of weight loss/weight gain has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.

Several years ago, I got into a health kick. I gave up fried foods, limited my intake of red meat, and started walking, A LOT. I walked to work each morning and home from work each afternoon. (I worked part-time) 2 and a half miles each way. When the company closed down and I started working at home (beautician) I kept up my walking routine for over 8 years, sometimes managing 8-10 miles a day. Whoa, it's hard for me to believe I actually walked so much in a single day. I didn't overeat at this time either so I managed to stay at a healthy weight.

Things changed 4 years ago when my mother passed away. She lived with us and since she was the overbearing type I was always eager to get out of the house. That really kept me walking each day. Anyway, once I had the house to myself I started spending more time on the computer. The walking went right out the window and eventually so did the healthy eating.

Recently, I discovered "Fit TV" and reconnected with Gilad. I love that guy! I used to work out to his Step tapes years ago. For the past 2 weeks I've been working out for 30 minutes every morning, rotating days with aerobics and weight lifting. Sometimes I follow my own routine but I keep Gilad playing on the tv for inspiration. It felt great to pull out the old hand weights again. I'm using 4 pound weights now. Once the weather warms up I plan to start a daily walking routine again. I no longer have the desire to become a skinny minnie, but I do want to get rid of the excess weight. A 10-15 pound loss would be excellent.

In other news: My husband was supposed to have surgery today to remove a tumor growing on a nerve in his leg. Yesterday afternoon I got a call from the hospital saying the surgery is cancelled because the doctor scheduled to perform it is no longer going to be doing that kind of surgery. WTF?? So now, my hubby has to wait until his primary physician refers him to someone else, blah, blah, blah. I hate HMO with its numerous referrals and the other shit they put the patients through.

Art Update: I'm still practicing and will toss up some drawings soon.

Reading: Brother Odd by Dean Koontz

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. :)

PS: I would be remiss if I didn't mention the tragedy that occurred at NIU in DeKalb, Il. My heart goes out to those gunned down in another senseless act of violence. My prayers are with them.