I am down to the wire. I have focused on myself for the first four months of this year. I have concentrated my efforts on eating healthy and getting fit. I wanted to lose the 15 extra pounds that found their way onto my body when I wasn’t looking. It coulda been the wine, but Dr Oz says red wine is healthy, so I wont go there. I blame work. While I was working, I didn’t go to the gym.

I am almost at my goal weight. This one last week I hope will take me down to my goal. Score one for me. (fingers crossed) My fitness test comes on May 1. The day of the walking half marathon. I was able to do one last training walk today. I managed just over 17 km and could have gone further, but reached home. I will go to the gym this week for some weight training. I will go for a few short walks, max 5 km.

I feel really good about what I have been able to do. My problem is that I feel I have concentrated so much on my body that I have neglected my mind and my soul. I feel an emptiness. I have filled the void with idle pursuits. I spend a lot of time on the computer playing solitaire. I spend a lot of time in front of TV watching nothing.  I have not been reading.  Not that I read great intellectual works, you understand, but I have a few novels I want to read, they are sitting on the shelf by my bedside. Unopened. Then there is the matter of my writing; I have come to a standstill there as well. I want to continue. what is holding me back?

I am afraid that I am developing a pattern. This cannot continue. I refuse to spend my retirement playing solitaire. I am glad that we have the trip coming up. I need that kind of shake up in my routine. I am planning on writing about our travels across Canada and some of the Northern States. I will be taking photographs and I am promising myself that I will read. Any suggestions?