Setting Goals; The Help

Saturday Feb. 25

I spent the greater part of today sending and reading emails, and thinking about a couple of goals I would like to achieve, seeing as how I have just a little over a month remaining here. First, I would like to write and complete a watch article for the NAWCC. I know it will not be long before Diana, the editor of the association's magazine, will be contacting me and asking about an article for the May/June issue of the magaine. I sloughed off for the March/April issue, so I want to write an article for the next issue. I start formulating an outline in my head, do a little searching on the Internet, and make a few notes.

The other goal is that I would like to lose an additional 10 pounds before coming back home, hitting an "honest" 220 pounds that I can maintain. By honest, I mean the scale reading 220 fully fed and hydrated, not just 220 on an empty stomach and after a workout when I've sweated off three pounds. If I can do this, that will be 55 pounds lost from my high of 275 when Gwen died. And that's just an estimate; I may have even weighed more, but I was in such denial that I wasn't even weighing myself any more. But I think at that point I want to have a serious talk with my doctor and see if I can't get off some of these meds I'm taking. I am hopeful.

I go to the Redbox in the afternoon and pick up "The Help" which I have reserved yesterday, and I learn something about Redbox: When you reserve a movie, you have up to 48 hours to pick it up, but here's the catch: If you don't pick it up the same day you reserve it, you are charged an extra day. And of course you are charged for every day that you don't bring it back, which I can understand. But the fee for NOT picking it up was a new one on me. If after the second day  you don't pick it up, the movie goes back into the general inventory, and your credit card on file is charged for two day's rental. So just be aware if any readers out there are thinking of setting up a Redbox account: if you reserve a movie online, don't reserve it until you're ready to pick it up the same day!

Anyway, the movie is wonderful, and pretty true to the book. Viola Davis is wonderful, but Octavia Spencer, who plays "Minnie," steals the show. The "terrible awful" she plays on her evil boss, Miss Hilly, is funny in the book, but utterly hilarious in the movie. I don't want to give it away. Rent the movie, or read the book.

I am now ready for the Oscars tomorrow night. With the exception of Hugo, I've seen every movie that's up for one of the major awards, at least the ones that are favored to win. The exception is "Iron Lady," with Meryl Streep up for best actress against Viola Davis. But Davis is favored to win. We'll see.

Expenses: $2.50 movie

Bruce