unbelievable

my new husband is in the living room watching an installment of Roots:The Next Generation on our DVR. I'm not mad at him and he's not mad at me but we're just apart for now. I'm just in the next room laying quietly on the bed resting. What has made us separate so early in our wedded bliss?

Well, to put it plainly, we were being our happy newlywed selves. Somewhere in between, an old lower back injury arose like a phoenix, and hubby has been worrying and nursing me ever since. I even missed work over this.

The only good thing out of this so far is that I see that made an excellent choice in a mate because he's living up to the "in health and sickness" part quite well.

"I's married now!"

I'm sure the sherrif's deputies in Fulton County have heard that every week at the free group ceremonies held on Fridays. They definitely heard that classic line from "The Color Purple" as mon amour and I were finally pronounced husband and wife. We flashed rings and smiles after that magical kiss that sealed the deal.

My parents and best friend, Supa Chica, were there to witness the most important step I've taken to date. We went to Paschal's Restaurant afterward to celebrate the nuptials. Sweetie and I were both quite dapper in our suits. I shopped for days and couldn't find anythng new I wanted, so I wore one of my "Sigma Suits" in royal blue. Honey wore a very nice dark grey suit with a Burberry tie. We must have been glowing from the inside out.

But we got back home later, and it felt the same as the day before. I couldn't define what I excpected before, but I guess I was expecting both of us to magically float in the air like Fiona did at the end of "Shrek". We would be aglow because we finally became man and wife. Ehh...didn't quite happen that way, but we're still quite happy togehter. We had been calling one another "husband" and "wife" for some time, so we just literally put in on paper. No glowing. Just making it legal and getting ready for loads of advice and putting our hearts and minds together as we prepare to be together for the long haul.

A box of Ferrero Rocher. A carton of Edy's Mint and Cookies ice cream (the whipped kind with 1/2 the fat). Oatmeal cookies. Reduced sugar Froot Loops (don't really miss the regular sugared ones). Even peanut butter and strawberry jelly.

I opted to have a mango for a late night snack. It may not have been the best fruit choice in the middle of the night, but it was better than the above. I have to give myself a pat on the back for that choice.

All of the right choices haven't been made yet, but I still intend to shed pounds or at least be healthier again. I miss working out, and my clothes are fitting snugger in the unflattering sense. The one thing that will make this difficult is my fiancee. He's not sabotaging me intentionally, but he has twice told me, "I don't want you lose any weight." It floored me the first time he said the words that every fat girl wants to hear a man say about her. But I've embraced the idea that he loves all of my full-figured self with my imperfections that he finds to be beautiful.

But I find myself embracing his words to the point that I'm being a bit of a pig in the sweets department. That's really not acceptable when I know good and well that I want to be healthier.

What's really unacceptable and should be a motivator for all is what I saw on Monday's Oprah. Actually, that's what I was watching late Wednesday night thanks to my Comcastic DVR. Where have you been all my life? The show topic was the obligatory January weight loss discussion. She gave a variety of statistics. One fact is that Goliath Casket, Inc. generates great money for the owners because so many obese people are dying. Goliath Casket said they sold 33 extra-large caskets in their first year; they are well beyond that in these years.

When I saw those caskets that measured up to 54" wide, my heart dropped. Although my weight has stayed in a general area for some time, I could wind up in that same type of coffin if I don't get in control of myself. Knowing that brought tears to my eyes that didn't fall and a sadness that I never recognized. I'm definitely not large enough for such a wide casket today, but something has to change so it won't have to be something for my loved ones to consider in the future.

I know the answers. I just have to follow through. Bottom line. In the meanwhile, I have to plan for my nuptials.

Everything is moved in thanks to my ambitious fiancee and my very, very helpful 17 year old nephew. All that mass and energy came in very handy on Saturday and Sunday, and I'm so glad he was here for me. I'm sure he enjoyed the cash I gave him, too. The cool thing was that he wasn't doing it to make money because money was never discussed. He was just being a nice young man.

So, he's involved for my quality life decisions for the new year. I don't beleive in New Year's resolutions since attending a power Watch Night Service many years ago. We all know that resolutions fall by the wayside usually by February but no later than April. So, I'm making quality life decsions to change how things go in my life. One thing I plan to do is spend more time with said nephew. He's farther away now with the move, but he'll be a HS graduate soon, and he deserves to be taken more and more as an adult by his auntie. I'll give that a shot as he prepares to go off to college in the fall.

This New Years Eve was pretty cool but eventful. My mom, dad, brother NOPI, his girlfriend, her mother, my helpful nephew, my oldest sister with her hubby and three kids, my sis-in-law with the four kids, two family friends, and fiancee and I all gathered at my parents' house to ring in the New Year. We tried to avoid the craziness of drunk drivers and firing guns in drunk revelers hands. Fiancee finally met my eldest sister, and she and hubby approved of their initial meeting.

We started counting down to midnight, and I think I'm the only one that witnesses my brother ask his preggers girlfriend to be his wife. He was shaky as he put the ring on her finger, but he made it happen...while we were screaming, "8! 7!..." Once we calmed down, my sis in law pointed out that NOPI didn't explain the significance of that particular ring. Sis in law composed herself and as she explained that the ring on her finger was the same ring that our eldest brother proposed with many years ago. In honor of his memory and his commitment, NOPI decided to use that same ring. It made NOPI's friend misty, and my eldest sister had to step outside with the emotion, but it was a beautiful sentiment.

This New Year has just been beautiful, and I don't know if I can imagine how much better this year is going to be. After all, I have a great guy that has no shame in preparing a plate of food for me and bringing it to bed for me. What did I do to deserve that?