I'm back. Fully recovered. No more jet lag. Whew! I was pretty dorksville last week, falling asleep at dinner time, waking up refreshed at 3 a.m. I completely forgot about Nathan's parent-teacher conference on Friday morning (even though I'd been up for hours). Ugh. So it feels good - as in less embarrassing - to be back in the game. Yeah, baby!

Which is good, because I'm hosting our neighborhood "women's association" meeting on Thursday evening. It's not a lot of prep, since everyone brings food or drink to share, but still, I'd like to not forget that 50 women are coming to my home. Hey, I'll walk out on my front stoop in my robe, no problemo. I've even been busted watering plants in my robe. But I'm not so keen on hosting a party in my robe. No.

I even managed to successfully continue my "reducing" efforts last week. Got back to, and then below, pre-London weight. Pretty good for me. Weight loss is a slow, slow, painfully slow endeavor for me these almost-40 days, and a trip or even a dinner party can set me back for a week or more. Irritating! But this time the return was reasonable. A good trip during AND after - not bad, huh? Healthiest-possible food + everyday exercise helps too, I'm sure. So does venting to Kim and Suz (how cute are they in their matching jackets?)!!!

I've been doing some inevitable thinking as the big 4-0 approaches (1.5 months, birthday of this blog as well):

Physically: I'm less-than-thrilled with my weight right now, but it's moving. And I feel great, and relatively free from aches and pains, except for my sore piriformis which continues to bother me - and, is completely managable, so no big deal. I still haven't discovered a grey hair (yes!). I've been blessed with good skin - no wrinkles unless I'm smiling, and then there are lots of them, but that's OK, because I'm smiling. My hands are definitely 40 looking, oh well. Teeth - two mini-cavities in my whole life, just last year, so not bad. All-in-all, I'm not going to complain too much, I know I've been given a pretty good genetic base from which to operate. Like anyone, I'd change a little of this and a little of that if I'd been given the choice, but for the most part, it's a good skin to live in.

Mentally: I haven't quite discovered what I want to "be" when I grow up, that's always in the back (and front, and center) of my mind (and John's too, I'm sure, ha). So I'll keep experimenting. Something related to food? That was the plan when I left my job at Park Nicollet Institute three years ago, but now, I don't know. I don't think so. Something creative, that's for sure. We'll see. Having had time the past three years to be at home and take care of Nathan has been amazing. Amazing. I've absolutely loved it. I worked full-time through his baby-and toddler-hood so I really appreciate this time I've had with him, before he's a teenager and gone all the time and then off to college. And then I'll miss him like crazy, but not enough to wish I had another baby. That's what nephews like Cooper are for! There's something else out there for me to do, it's just over the horizon so I can't...quite...see it... But it's getting closer, I can feel it.

As is the big day! I have no idea what I want to do for my birthday. At first I was going to have a big party, invite everyone, rent a room, bring in lots of food and drink, have a DJ, dance my brains out. I even got as far as making out a guest list a few months ago. But, eh, it didn't feel right. Maybe I'll do it this summer instead - ? Something will come to mind, guess I'll just sit on it for a bit more...