I'm On a Roll

I've got lots on my mind today, so let's get started:

1. Go here and read the post titled "The post where I finally get sued." (tried to find a permalink and couldn't). I was familiar with Skirt Magazine but only recently heard of sk-rt.com (now kirtsy.com). I met someone with the magazine once and went to their site to investigate the possibilities of doing some freelance writing. This is probably the first time I'm glad my lazy, procrastinating self didn't do something. I'm glad the web girls changed their name. We wouldn't want them to be confused with those jerks.

2. My stepsister Amy is a writer and has been involved in numerous writing projects and writing workshops. She's started a blog for writers called 3 Questions...And Answers, which I've been meaning to add to my blog roll for ages (see: lazy, procrastinating above). Anyhoo, she's having a virtual book tour next Monday with author Paul Kilduff. Go leave a question on this post by Friday, and Paul will answer your question. Kinda' cool!

3. Why am I such a scaredy cat all of a sudden? I went for a walk tonight (more on that later) and every little noise in the bushes had me thinking "rabid dog" or "skulking weirdo." How did this happen to me? The storm we had Saturday night? The one that rocked the foundations of our house (and which somehow miraculously my children slept through?)? It kept me awake. Out of fear. I used to love a good thunderstorm. And climbing a tree? I'd like to think I'd give it the old college try, but I doubt very seriously I'd go too far up. A broken arm or leg is just not in my plans these days. So how did this happen to me? Is it because I'm getting older and more aware of my mortality? Is it because I know that there are rabid dogs and skulking weirdos who do bad things to nice people? Talk amongst yourselves. Dis-cuss!

4. And finally, guess what I did today? I joined Weight Watchers. I've done it before and if you stick to the plan it works. I've tried doing it on my own, but unless I'm accountable to someone by having to step on that scale every week, I just end up letting myself cheat the weight right back on. So, in that light, I'm hereby going to be accountable to YOU GUYS, too. Today, I weighed 157 pounds, which is the heaviest I've ever been if you don't count the weight I gained while pregnant, which we certainly won't! A friend told me today that I don't look like I needed to lose weight and with clothes, I probably don't. But friends, underneath those clothes, it ain't pretty. And truthfully, it's probably never going to be "pretty" again, but let's just go for "acceptable" shall we? I have a new mantra, similar to "I must, I must, I must increase my bust" -- it's "My belly, my belly, it's not made of jelly." Not the best rhyme, but I just came up with it on my walk as I felt my belly bounce. I'll work on it, I promise. What's your mantra?