Wow!!! I haven't blogged here in 10 or so months. I have been walking and have not really decided if I am up to the Jingle Bell Run in a couple weeks. A couple weeks????? It sounds closer when you type it than when you say it. I really, really do think I could handle the 2 mile run/walk. I mean, seriously, who couldn't. I just have some reservations. First, what if I fall. I have this fear running down Maner Road absolutely everyday. No I am not really a clutz but I do have moments when I feel like my feet are not quiet fast enough for my body. It might be because of the spare tire I carry around my middle. I am, however, working on ridding myself of the spare. The walking is helping and the starvation diet (not really. Is hashbrown casserole and a chocolate cookie I had a church this morning part of a starvation diet? Just asking.) appears to be helping too. My family doctor has "requested" that I lose 18 pounds. Yes, 18 pounds. This, on top of the 10 I had already lost before I would face him at my routine appointment, puts me at losing 28 pounds. Oh well, it doesn't sound so scary since I only have about 11 more to go...Woohoo. Oh, but that is not the end. That is just where the doctor wants me to be. I have bigger plans for myself.

Ok, back to my reservations. Second, I haven't a thing to wear. Seriously. What does one wear in a 2 mile run? On my daily excursions I simply wear my capris sweat pants and an over-sized sweat shirt. Not very comfy but I refuse to wear spandex leggings and a sports bra and tight fitting shirt. Spare tire, remember.....Anyway, I must consult my fashion guru, aka Liz Eagle, if I want to step out, or walk/run out, in proper fashion attire. Then there is the shoe issue. I am in desperate need of new running shoes. But $100.00 on a new pair of running shoes for myself this close to Christmas seems selfish. North Carolina lowly paid public school teacher here.

Third issue. The foot thing. Oh, I did have major surgery to remove the culprit last week. (Not really major surgery in a health care sense, but anytime someone comes at me with a sharp object, I consider it major.) But the little bugger is coming back already. I don't know what the next step is. I guess just keep going back. Lane says to go ahead and try the "you didn't fix it right the first time" thing and see how that works. But it did seem to be "fixed" last week. It is probably the spare tire putting too much pressure on the poor thing. You'd think my big eight point fives would be able to hold up all this weight sufficiently. Guess not.

Fourth issue. The 3rd is Catherine's birthday. Since she has moved away and become, as we refer to her, "The Duchess of Sumter", I want to be able to spend the week-end with her. She is supposed to be coming home so I could still do the run but if not, (and you know how kids, especially mine, change their plans at the last minute) I want to go to Sumter. Where the heck is Sumter anyway???? I don't think I have ever been there. I hear it is a beautiful little town. She seems to like it there..

My fifth and final issue is this. How stupid will I look out there. Oh, I know, I really shouldn't care how I look. I mean I am the one who is on the streets with no makeup, hair unkept, stained shirt, etc., but there will be millions of people at this thing. Well, maybe not millions but hundreds anyway. They will all pass me from the beginning when the gun fires. (I will probably jump out of my skin and fall backwards and be trampled to death by the mob anyway.) Seriously though, I walk/run for no other reason than to please myself and make me healthier. I don't really need to have anyone track my run and see how fast or, in my case, how slow I am.

I love, love, love my daily outings about the neighborhood. I'm not really sure how far I am up to these days because most days I just keep going and going...I usually walk about 50 minutes to an hour. My pace does vary and sometimes I stop to chat or look at something on the road or admire someones flowers or pick up some treasure along the way or simply meditate and admire the beauty around me, even on cold or rainy days. Will I be able to do that at the Jingle Bell? On second thought, maybe I don't need the Jingle Bell. Maybe I need to just continue doing what I'm doing. You know, just for me.....