Just. Breathe.

I've got approximately 47 blog posts running around in my head. There's no telling what I'm about to write. Maybe a numbered list for now, then I'll come back later and actually write them. Yay! That sounds like a plan. 1. I'm back from my conference in Orlando. It was an excellent conference, as usual, and I love seeing my colleagues. We all work remotely, so actually being face to face is rare. They're funny, and irreverent, and curmudgeonly, and smart, and it's so easy to forget that when you only talk on IM or phone. 2. General Colin Powell was the keynote speaker on Monday. What an amazing, dynamic man. He's 76 and could easily pass for 56. He used no notes or prompter, and spoke for about 45 minutes. His resume alone is enough to blow your mind, and then he speaks and you realize he has earned absolutely every accolade he's ever been given. My favorite quote: "Being a leader is all about the followers." What a transforming thought...

Over the weekend, I went through my closet. I have a business conference next week, and I have no idea what I'm going to wear. Since I work from home, my usual wardrobe is shorts or yoga pants (depending on the weather), t-shirts, and flip flops. I dress on the weekends for errands or church, but that's about it. I have good clothes, but there's a serious problem - I'm short and I refuse to pay someone to hem my dress pants. That means all my pants require heels. I love heels. I love shoes, period. What I don't love is hiking around a Disney resort conference center in said heels. Been there, done that, had the blisters to prove it. So on Saturday, I thought I'd better figure out what I even have to choose from in the wardrobe department and then decide if new shoes (or pant alterations) would be necessary. I spent most of the summer in skirts and shorts, so I pulled out pants I haven't worn since spring. None. of. them. fit. And that's in a good ...

How fun is this? Bug found one of these on Pinterest and hounded me until we made one. I have such a newfound respect for those people who create entire months' worth of menus at once -- I feel completely accomplished if I get one week done! This is actually what we're doing this week. I've gotten chicken and beef out of the freezer in time to thaw without the microwave! Win! The cards are mostly color-coded -- red for beef, blue for fish...pretty much like those flexible cutting boards sold in a pack. The orange circle means I need to do some prework -- in the case of Monday's menu item, it was actually the side dish that needed to start early. Gray circle means grill -- R Dub is involved, requires preheating the grill. The little boxes hold blank cards, and the ones with other items to choose. For this week, R Dub picked through for his preferences, Bug added her input, then I made the decision -- total democracy. I do so much better when I have a plan -- w...

I'm so embarrassed I only had four posts in September! What is wrong with me? Work has been crazy busy, so maybe that's my excuse. I think it's more about not feeling I had anything new to share. People with toddlers are way funnier bloggers. Anyway, today I start again with the weekly weigh ins. Last week was actually the end of my 30-day (abandoned) experiment, but I did manage to (mostly) stay off the scale. Right now, I feel fat -- but that's temporary, I'm sure. Here's the deal. I'm not counting calories or points, so I can't report on how I've done with that. I eat Paleo -- that's either a do or a not-do thing. I need to reset my expectations - for this blog, for what I measure -- because otherwise I'll never have anything to write about. What I have done: Tried some awesome new recipes -- Paleo baked apples, zucchini noodles, salmon patties, bacon-wrapped meatloaves, butternut squash,  and homemade creamer for my coffee, ...