Please pardon this interuption...

I have two "a-mouse-ments" to make! Lucky for you, both have good stories that go with them.

Announcement Number One:
My best friend since childhood is Natalie. I was eating mashed bananas when my mom got the call that she had been born. We've been best friends ever since. Well, we really became best friends when we were 4 and in the same preschool class. With the exception of third grade, the school system did everything in their power to keep us in separate classes. She was so shy she never spoke. I was so outgoing I never shut up. We were a good balance for one another. We stayed friends despite the year we were in separate schools. We stayed friends through high school. We stayed friends when we moved to different cities for college. We stayed friends when she moved to Virginia and a jerk wad broke her heart. We stayed friends when she moved back to Texas and we went through the growing pains of becoming adults. I was proud to be the maid of honor in her wedding. Just a year later, she was one of my bridesmaids. As Anne of Green Gables says, we are bosom buddies. Our hearts are connected with an iron bond. In elementary school, we were attached at the hip. We told people we were cousins - and they believed us. We did lots of other things that don't belong on this blog (or any other blog!) so I'll just move onto this announcement! Natalie and her husband just started a new blog! Woo hoo! Surf on over there and take a look. She is my bosom buddy and always will be. I love Natalie - and her new blog: A Tale of Two Skivvies.

Announcement Number Two:
Most of you know that my body doesn't respond to life in a typical way. I'm allergic to the planet and DJ and I have to make lots of accommodations to keep me from dying. :) Last school year, my immune system took a tough blow with mono and whopping cough/pneumonia. I couldn't fight off anything anymore. So my OB/GYN thought it best to put me on a very strong birth control to prevent pregnancy no matter how strong my anti-biotic might be. I gained 17 pounds in three weeks and cried non-stop. It was horrible! So we switched pills and the new one seemed much better. However, when DJ and I changed our eating habits in September, I couldn't lose weight no matter what I did. On top of that, I struggled to be motivated to do anything. It was a rough 6 months! In December, I had the opportunity to switch birth controls once again. In the 6 months at home, my immune system has recovered and my health has improved greatly. So the OB/GYN put me on a much lower dose of estrogen. I now feel fantastic! I have energy and pep again! It's wonderful! And, to top it all off - I found out yesterday that I lost 8 pounds and 7 inches over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Woo hoo! This new pill is fantastic! I can't wait to see how much I can lose when I'm actually working at it! So look out skinny jeans - here I come! I'm off to work out now... (After I hang up the laundry and feed the dogs and wash the work out pants that I spilled ketchup on yesterday at lunch.)