My Columbus Day Anniversary

It's a beautiful day today. As I recall, Columbus Day 2000 was a beautiful day, too. Not quite as warm, perhaps (it's 80+ degrees today), but still bright & sunny. I remember this because I had a heart attack that day. It's the first (and only) time I've ever been admitted to the hospital. (I'd had a couple trips to the emergency room before, but never needed to stay.)

I knew I was a ticking time bomb. I knew my cholesterol was high, due more to diet that genetics. But I couldn't get my eating under control. Food is my drug of choice. It always has been. I eat to reward myself, I eat to ease my pain, I eat to relax. And I knew that once I entered menopause, there might be hell to pay. I just didn't expect it so early.

That was 8 years ago and I'm still not taking care of myself. Food is still my drug of choice. I just can't seem to get into the habit of cooking, even though I've done so in the past. Nor into the habit of exercising. (Now that, I've always had trouble with.) If I'd lost just 10 pounds a year, I'd be 80 pounds lighter. Well, not really, because I'd most likely stop at 50-60 pounds, which is my ideal weight.

The advantages are enormous. I'd have more energy, I'd look even younger than I do, I'd be able to wear regular pants (the ones without the elastic waist band). But here I sit, with the rolls of fat flopping over my waistband.

I planned 2 meals to cook this weekend, and yet I haven't made either one. One is a seafood scampi and the other is pork chops (one of my favorite foods) with sauerkraut and apples. So the chops have been defrosting in my frig, the seafood (one of those "fake crab" things) is due to expire this week. So it's now or never.

I was going to cook the seafood last night, but yesterday was a total waste of time. I'd loaded a new graphics program on the computer and spent the rest of the day playing with it. And when dinnertime came, I just wasn't in the mood. I seriously need to get out of that thinking. So tonight, it's pork chops. (I don't want them sitting in the frig too long before I cook them) and tomorrow it's scampi. I hope.

I'll let you know if I'm successful.