I walked for a half-hour with Malinda this morning. I walked for 20 minutes tonight with Sadie. I am religiously recording food on weightwatchers.com. I ate pizza for dinner tonight and that was too many points. Otherwise I am doing OK with that system.

I am taking it seriously. I do not want to die young. Or at this point, to die middle-aged! The death of one of my dearest friends, Kit, at age 52 from a heart attack saddened me, but it also shocked me into action, more serious action.

Although I have a sore throat, coughing, chills and aches all over, I have done a couple of things to get the New Year started right. (Jordie had to work today taking care of his elderly clients and left a very kind message this morning on the charming little ceramic message board that the Bensons gave to us: "Sadie is walked and fed.") It was great of him to take care of the morning dog routine, because that is my job...so I wrote a note for the front door and sent email messages to several mom friends, asking that they not take their daughters home (from the New Year's Eve overnight with several girls) until the downstairs was cleaned up...I also loaded and ran the dishwasher and cleaned out the sink, made myself breakfast. THEN I went to the computer and signed up for Weightwatchers. I am also going to join Ann Smith's support group for losing weight. This is the semester for getting it together on this weight thing. I am heavier right now than I have ever been, and I think that accountibility is the answer. It is all too easy for me to fool myself. Time to change!