The grand total

Well, it is NOT so grand, but it is OK.
I started WeightWatchers with a weigh-in on October 22, 2007. Here are the ups and downs that followed:
Oct. 29 -3.2
Nov. 5 +.6
Nov. 12 -2.2
Nov. 19 -.6
Nov. 26 -1.4
Dec. 3 -.4
Dec. 17 -4.0
Jan. 7 +1.4
Jan. 14 -2.2
Jan. 21 -.4
Jan. 28 +.6

Total weight lost = 11.8 pounds.

I have 4.2 pounds to go to meet my goal, so I am signing up for the next WeightWatchers at Work session. It is really convenient since we meet on campus. I doubt if I would go otherwise.

Favorite YouTube

If I knew what I was doing I would be able to embed this favorite YouTube video, but I have not figured it out so you will have to click on this to see the Evolution of Dance. I can't even take credit for finding it myself--I saw it on Julie's blog. I met Julie at a knitting group in Lincoln. I don't get to see her very often, but I read her blog several times each week.

Another blog I read a lot belongs to Christy. She also is a Lincoln knitter. A recent blog featured this from YouTube, human tetris. Pretty funny.

Both these gals are very creative and they both have young children. I love to read what they are doing with their kids and I get great ideas of things to do, books, movies, crafts, as well as knitting and sewing ideas.

Exercise

I was not going to exercise today. After all, I gave blood this morning and I was told I should "take it easy" and drink a lot of water--four eight-ounce glasses, I think. But at 4:30 this afternoon I just felt like moving. I think exercise may becoming a habit for me! That would be good. Adding movement to my day, one of the healthy lifestyle tips from Weight Watchers, was a New Year's resolution. What a surprise! I wonder if ever there was a year when that was not one of my resolutions.

I have two options if I want to get an aerobic workout. One is the stationary bike in our basement and the other is to walk. I thought I would walk while I was at work, you know, during my coffee break, or before I go home. But it is so blasted cold outside, and for a while there was just too much ice everywhere, so I have not done that. I am looking forward to some warmer weather and the chance to do that. So, my solution is to set up a walking course in my house. It takes 3 to 4 minutes for me to walk through half the rooms in the basement, up the stairs, through the living room and kitchen, down the stairs, through the other half of the basement, up the stairs, through the living room and kitchen, down the stairs and back through the first half of my route in the basement. Repeat about 9 or 10 times and I have a 30 minute walk. The stairs help raise my pulse, so I actually get a pretty good workout.

Weight Watchers has been a good choice for me. Our last "Weight Watchers at Work" meeting is next Monday. I will reveal my official weight loss!

The Birthday

My daughter celebrated her 30th birthday last week. We had a family party at our house which was attended by the birthday girl, her two sons, her parents, her grandmother and her great-aunt. Unfortunately her husband had the flu and was at home, close to the bathroom.

While we were waiting for Liz to get home from work we picked up Sam and Austin from daycare. We were getting things ready for supper and Sam thought it would be a good idea to have party hats. Grandpa complied and made several really great ones out of paper. We took turns wearing them, but Liz wore hers all evening.

Liz picked a coconut cake for her birthday cake. My daughter-in-law made it for Christmas and it was delicious. We had just gotten the recipe from her (thanks, Jill) so I offered to make it. Mine didn't look as good as Jill's but it tasted great.

Here is the recipe for the cake. Jill's recipe used 2 white cake mixes instead of making the cake from scratch. Otherwise I think it was pretty much the same.

On Saturday night the fun continued with a party at the Gallery Nightclub in Seward. This is a pretty cool place that opened last Spring. I guess there were about 45-50 people there and it was a lot of fun. Liz's best friend, Bev, drove in from Denver, so that helped make it special. Most people complied with the invitation's request to wear a crazy hat. Liz and Bev borrowed Sammy's pirate hats. . . argh.

Sweater

Here is the most recent knitting project I have finished, yesterday, as a matter of fact. Sammy loves Santa Claus and I did try to have the sweater done before Christmas but I couldn't get it done. I don't know if he will ever wear it. He was happy to see the sweater but pronounced it "itchy" when his mom tried to get it on him. That is OK. I think he will just like having it even if he doesn't wear it. I don't know that I would wear it either. I followed the pattern suggestions and got Red Heart yarn, and that stuff is itchy!