ME

Here we are at 11:39 Monday morning, and so far so good. Still getting up 30 minutes before dawn, this morning that was 5:17. But right now I am very hungry.

Interesting thing on Saturday along the Prairie Path. On the north side, all is wild prairie, lovely and unkempt, as nature tends to be. On the south side, McMansions with a place for every plant, and every plant in its place. Neat and tidy to the nth degree. Such a contrast. I wonder if the homeowners are even aware of it. I don't much care for that style of landscaping myself.

Sunday I got up early and did the exercise routine and stretching, and was rather surprised at my lack of flexibility now, especially in my back and the back of my thighs. Those exercises were damn hard! But I already know that in the long run, they're worth it.

And sometime before lunch I did dance around the basement to Beethoven's Ritterballet - and loved it. I have two versions, and it is so interesting to hear how different conductors interpret the same music. It is 12 minutes long, and I did both versions, with a break in between. I enjoyed that almost more than the walking at dawn. I remember my father telling me that if he had had the voice, which he didn't, he would have been an opera singer. I grew up with opera, and hearing him sing "Figaro" in the shower. If I had had the body, and the chance, I would have been a dancer.

I am surprised at how easily I gave up sugar in my coffee. I always had one tablespoon of the stuff in the 7 cups (marker on the pot, works out to 2 /12 12 ounce mugs) every morning and 1/2 tablespoon at lunch. With 2% milk. Now I just use skim with no sugar, and it isn't hard at all. I had thought it would be horrible.

And I have discovered strawberries dipped in no-fat chocolate pudding. Really nummy.

There are tips in the book that I am reading, a zillion, but I am going to read one each day. The first is to drink a glass of water before each meal. Not hard. In the evening I drink sparkling mineral water, some Polish brand. Maybe with lemon or lime in it. Second tip is to eat from dark-colored plates. I had bought some navy blue ones back in 2002 so I pulled those out. No wonder I was having trouble all these years. We use very brightly colored plates, which apparently stimulate your appetite. Tell that to my thin husband. Third tip - eat in rooms that are blue or gray. Well, I'd have to eat in the bedroom to do that. Every other room in the house is a warm color. The back porch, where we eat all our meals is yellow, a color to avoid. Great. So maybe I'll try the formal dining room. That at least is cream.

This morning, when I went for a bowl for my cereal and half a banana, I had two choices, a large one and a small one. Now in the past that would have been a no-brainer, and you can guess which one. Even today, I thought the small one couldn't possibly hold 3/4 cup of All-Bran, that banana, and some milk. But I did try it, and of course it was perfect. Now I know what size to use in the future, even if I don't always weigh the cereal.
This morning I trotted down the Prairie Path, east this time. Won't do that again, however. I run into the underpass for both 290 and the North-South tollway, and the booming noise and creaking is not enjoyable. I was hoping to go west one day and east another, just to keep boredom at bay, but now I guess not. Tons of joggers again. Even two women, one jogging and a taller one walking, keeping together.

I'm also going to switch tapes from the Sargeant to a classical walking tape at 3 mph. Perhaps I can keep up with that, although as I remember the beat is not as good. We'll see on Wednesday. Work back up to the marching ones, which I do prefer. I was 189 this morning.

This morning's Trib has a front page article on OCD. I read the whole thing, and now wonder if I have it at all. I am certainly never anxious about my behavior in any way. I do have, to some extent, a need for perfection, but I have certainly had to make allowances for that with the man I live with, now over 40 years. One of my favorite things to do in fact is to arrange and/or organize stuff. And I do feel the need to follow the diet plan exactly, but I haven't always done that, like having more than 1/2 cup of broccoli and red boiled potatoes. It doesn't bother me a whole lot. I do like exactness, but don't get in a knot if I can't find it. You should see my house and garden! So maybe I don't have OCD at all, or if so, a very mild version. My sons say they have never seen one that takes the form of an alpha-omega obsession. But I'm not sure if iti s an obsession now, or just an easy and fun way to make unimportant decisions. Not every aspect of my life is dictated by that.

2nd day down.