I got in touch with the ex-husband after my grandmother died, and he was very sympathetic and sweet. He's a nice guy, and it's too bad we just couldn't live together very peacefully.

Anyway, he told me he was researching his family tree and found out that his mother's side of the family first emigrated to California in 1850. His mom's ancestor was the captain of a ship that sailed from Liverpool to San Francisco, and then stayed for the gold rush.

His mom's ancestor sailing captain was one of the founders of the town of Redwood City, which is on the peninsula south of the city of San Francisco. What a trip!

I typed up the "Spooning with My Mother" story from my notes. I was so excited to finish writing it, but as I was typing it up I realized that it needs a ton of work.

I'm good with the plot thing, because at least I have a beginning, a middle and an end. But the story reads like it's too choppy and very disjointed. My character keeps going to back to a memory she had in the past, and I'm not liking the transitions from present to past and back.

I started to get confused reading it, which is bad. If the author is confused, what about the reader?

I need some way to let the reader know the story is now taking place in present time as opposed to the past, and visa versa.

I'm taking a writing class in a couple of weeks which focuses on how to structure your stories better, which should help my short story because it definitely needs it.

No wonder I can't lose weight. Since I got back from vacation, I've spent about $200 on food. The money is leaving my checking account and sitting on my fat tummy forever. I hate that.

I hate this expression but it's so true; "a second on your lips becomes a lifetime on your hips."

I started a new excel spreadsheet to track my calories today. I'll start modestly and eat 1,400 calories per day.

There are daily Weight Watcher's meetings at several different times at a nearby shopping mall. My friends who are doing the program like it because 1) you can add more points if you exercise and 2) you can bank points for special occassions.

I'm going to see how I do with my calories this week, and if I can't hack it I'll go to a Weight Watcher's meeting.

I found a copy of The Economist at the gym, and read it on my train ride home. It's a good magazine, and easy to read. They had some really good information on what's happening in the world from a financial perspective, and I was surprised how fascinating it all was.

I think you can really learn alot about what drives people, companies, organizations and even countries when you study their finances. How neo-marxist of me huh?

I'm trying to decide if I need to subscribe to this mag. I registered at their site, and I'll get a newsletter via email once a week from them on their current articles. If I find myself reading The Economist online constantly, I'll get a subscription.