I just spent a half hour on the phone with a woman who calls herself a "life coach" and who guarantees that you will lose weight if you follow her program. I am very skeptical, and now that I have spoken with her, I am even more skeptical. I didn't get much concrete information from her -- more of a touchy-feely thing. I don't think I am going to do her program, but she did suggest that maybe I had some kind of emotional block and that was what was inhibiting my weight loss. As many of you know, I have been working hard to lose some weight for a long time and over this past year or so, since joining the Tucson TriGirls, I have been working out and exercising so much and I haven't lost an ounce --- and it doesn't seem to matter if I am eating well or eating anything that crosses my path. I still stay the same weight. One of the TriGirls has suggested that because of the transplants and then 4 pregnancies, my body is meant to be this particular weight. Well, that is the most depressing thing I have heard in quite a while. It just isn't fair that I work out every day, and I haven't lost a single pound. (And I know, the fair is what left on Tuesday.)

So the emotional block thing did stop me; another woman had suggested the same thing several months ago. Maybe it is time to examine my own set of baggage and attempt to unpack some of it in pursuit of losing the weight. I don't know how to start that and of course, I don't really want to do that. Exploring the dark underbelly of my subconscious isn't my idea of a good time, you know? Sometimes, leaving the stuff that is living under the rock alone is better (and certainly much easier). It is difficult to disturb that and I think it may be more difficult here, in Arizona, to look at the issues since I haven't really made any friends that I can talk about this stuff with (hence dumping it out on the blog).

I do think I need to do something because at this point I am not even enthusiastic about getting in the pool. I have skipped swim practice for the last two weeks and have absolutely no desire to go back. This may be because the pool is outside and Tucson is having a cold snap and today it is only 40 degrees with a wind that is blowing at about 20mph, but I think there is more to it. I am pretty sure I am going to quit running too. It just hurts too much. I went running last Tuesday morning and ran (well, jogged) for an hour. Wednesday morning, I got out of bed and almost died -- my feet, my knees, ankles, and hips were just killing me. It was difficult to get to the bathroom. You know, if I am hurting that much from running (and it wasn't muscle soreness, it was "something is going to break" pain), I just don't think I should do it..... on the other hand, now I feel like a weenie for quitting. I still want to do the triathlons too, but doing them without running and just walking it seems like a cop-out.
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In other news, Andy brought home a sheet today giving details of the report he is supposed to write on the giant squid. It must be typed and in a 3 hole punch folder. There must be 6 paragraphs (directions for each are given). He must also produce some kind of model of the giant squid. He is totally excited about it and has already made a model of the squid, but I don't think that particular model will make it to February 20, when the report is due. I think we will have to do something else.... wait a minute. HE will have to do something else! While I will help with the organization of the paper, I am not going to help with the model -- that is a jumping off point.

I have signed Andy up for his First Communion classes. He will be receiving his First Communion on May 5, at the 4:30pm Mass. Now I have to decide what he will wear. Things are pretty casual here, but I do think he should dress up a little bit at least. I don't want him to wear sneakers, you know? I will keep you posted about that whole thing.