Gosh, I'm so PURE (snicker)

All righty gang. Let's hear it for Tami. For 23 days now, she has been sugar free, dairy free, wheat free, alcohol free and (shudder) coffee free. I'd love to tell you that makes me vice free, but alas, I still collect too many books and too much paper and still swear on a regular basis and don't even attempt to keep up on housework, so NOPE, no chance of being vice free.

Since I know you have been staying up nights frantically waiting for a report on how I am doing, here it is. My 23 day report.

The first week was AWFUL. Anger, resentment, bitterness, old feelings about dormant topics dredged up and brought back to light. Not a good time. Second week . . . resignation. Depression. Frustration. (I sound like the lyrics to an old Moody Blues song . . . . ) Now, third week. Surprising acceptance. Comfort. Even, dare I say it, appreciation? My BP is staying down and I am sleeping better with less pain. Best of all, every single day, my weight drops. 17 pounds in 23 days. Not too shabby. And my tastes are changing. I can actually drink tea without sweetening now and not shudder. My occasional burst of emotion because I can't eat a sandwich (the main thing I crave) is mitigated by digging down further in the jeans pile to the next size smaller (am I the only one out here who has four sizes of jeans in her closet?) and they actually fit--and I can still breathe. I feel . . . in control and while this ain't easy, I LOVE that feeling.

So, there you go. We've saved at least a billion dollars by not eating out and not going on daily coffee runs (which turned into coffee/donut/pastry/stop at a thrift store on the way home runs). We walked into Starbuck's today for the first time in 23 days and the staff stopped and said WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? (a sure sign you've been going there a lot). We got hot cups of tea, read our newspaper (mostly the comics) and came home. Go me.

Work is hanging in there. Money hasn't started to flow yet but it will. I'm in a better place than I was. On the other hand, I have two friends who could use your extra thoughts. One is facing her fourth surgery in about 18 months and she is way too nice a person to deserve this much pain. So send good thoughts her way. The other is a someone I don't know well but who recently confided in me that through a bizarre set of circumstances, she and her teenage daughter are homeless and desperate. My heart hurts for her as well and I am going to do what I can to help. I've already offered our couch and shower when needed.

So, give a little cheer for Tami's determination and now wish better luck for my friends. They deserve far better than what they are dealing with now.