Iowa still stands ;)

Winter has arrived. While I love a good snowstorm, I am very saddened by the car wrecks on our highways. The entire state of Iowa was '100% snow/ice covered, do not drive' on Thursday, yet people still drove. Some were injured, a few died, and for what? There's nowhere you need to be during a blizzard that's worth risking your life - and the lives of rescue personnel - for.

Pretty sure I mentioned this last winter, but it's worth mentioning again. White out conditions, 50+ mph winds, icy pavement under 8" inches of snow... just stay home.

There are still folks in the Des Moines area without power. We're thankful, though, for the snow. We've been so, so dry, it's welcome moisture. We stayed home and took it easy. Bill even took Friday off work to get us shoveled out, so all good there!

Okay, enough of winter, onto the list!!

The Good:

• My regular Weight Watchers meeting was cancelled due to snow, so I went to this morning's meeting and am officially down 19.4 lbs! Woot!
• Since I'd planned on a 'baby steps' approach to Weight Watchers instead of 'leap in all the way and flounder' method I usually prefer, I'd prepared to begin officially exercising at the 3 month mark. Since that was at this week's weigh in, I bought one of their Time Crunch Training DVDs and did the time-crunch upper body workout. I'm going to do a minimum of three of these mini workouts a week all this next month then reassess and expand/lengthen exercise as needed.
• Sinus infection/cold/allergy/brain clog is lifting. Finally. I think because with the snow we've finally had a really hard, fast freeze and allergens have been knocked down. Woot for that, too!
• Christmas shopping and wrapping is done. Yay!
• Bill interviewed for a job that could potentially take him from the posty office into something much more stable. The interview went well, but he's not sure if he'd want the job should they offer it, so we'll see.
• I'm getting better at cooking 'on plan' and pre-tracking so that's really quite helpful as I plan out meals and cook supper.
• Bill got me a really nice pan. I know that sounds boring, but it's heavy brushed stainless, 4 quarts with a draining lid and I am giddy over it.
• I'm wearing jeans I haven't worn in probably a decade and am shrinking out of shirts at a worrisome rate. Not sure how I'm gonna replace my wardrobe, but I'll find a way.
• Thank you, Wendy, for the card!!  {{huggs}}

The Meh:

• Grocery prices are really getting me aggravated. It's getting crazy expensive out there and it's only gonna get worse.
• Christmas is almost over. I've actually managed this one better than usual - I do NOT like Christmas. At. All. - and I only had one implosion, but it'll be done on Monday and I'll be quite thankful for that. Not much longer to go.
• My sewing is stalled due to my head cold issues. I'm making two baby quilts and I don't want the babies to get my illness so I haven't worked on them since right after Thanksgiving, but I'll be back on the sewing machine today.
• Hubby is a grump butt. I am a grump butt. Bah humbug. (it's almost Monday and we'll be DONE!!  Whew!)
• Been sleeping too much - sinuses and generalized depression - but it's getting better.
• Haven't written anything, but haven't really had the brain power or physical energy to write.
• In an effort to get a better handle on characters and conditions I haven't had to write in a long time, I read Ghosts in the Snow, cover to cover, no skimming, for the first time since I did my printer proofs back on 2004. It was a pretty good read, but I kept wanting to fix my lazy grammar.

The Bad:

• Never did get my Christmas cards done. Bought them. And that's about as far as I got. I blame a combination of bah-humbug and sinuses.
• Sewing area looks like a fabric store exploded. Must clean it up. Somehow.
• Eyes have taken another slight step toward old age and I've had to increase my reading glasses strength.
• I have Too. Much. Stuff. Really getting tired of it.
• Need a haircut. Need the gray toned back. Must budget for this.
• No ideas for a new novel other than back to faithful ol' Dubric and Stain of Corruption, but... blargh. I don't wanna. Sigh.

To do for the remainder of this year:

• Gonna trim out excess 'stuff' on my desk, in the kitchen, and in my sewing room.
• Finish the two baby quilts and get them shipped to their appropriate peoples.
• Go through my clothes and take anything I've shrunk out of to either my sister or Goodwill.
• Try not to gripe too much about Christmas. Maybe even bake some cookies.
• Continue to track and exercise.

Looking ahead to next year:

• New agent to rep Spore and subsequent mainstream thrillers
• Sell Spore and get it through production.
• Write at least one more mainstream novel.
• Finish Stain. 
• 50lb weight loss by my birthday in June.
• Sew regularly to keep my happiness up.
• Get back on the Flylady wagon.
• Spread happiness and hope!

{{huggs}} and Happy Christmas, everyone!!