Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts

By Alyce Wilson

It just occurred to me that I forgot to write about New Year's Day and there was some pretty exciting news I got on that day.

On New Year's morning, a group of us met in the hotel lobby to go get breakfast together. Well, to be more exact, brunch. It was, after all, noon.

We were initially going to go to a chain restaurant which thankfully was closed, so we went to a Chicago style pizza place nearby, with terrific food and a quirky decor, including a photograph of a place called the New Idea Store.

Everybody seemed a little tired, a little worn out, but we were all in great spirits.

I was a little nervous, and I couldn't figure out why. I hadn't slept well the previous night. Then it occurred to me that I still didn't know the answer to a very important question.

My sister had told me ahead of time that she was going to propose to her boyfriend on New Year's Eve, and she'd called my cell phone that night, a call which I'd missed. When I called back, I hadn't managed to get her on the phone.

As soon as I got home, I tried but to no avail. I only got her answering machine. While The Gryphon and I were out, I got a message from her that she would be at work until 8 p.m.

When it came time for the final round of phone tag, I think I was almost as excited as she herself must have been. I could tell right away from the cheery sound in her voice that it was going to be good news.

"He said yes," she said. She also asked me to be in her wedding, which will actually be my first time as a bridesmaid. I could have been one before, for one of my best friends from college, but I had just moved out from an abusive relationship, and he wasn't forwarding my calls.

I joked with my sister that I knew she wouldn't make me wear any strange designs or hideous colors. She promised she wouldn't and suggested red. That sounds good to me. I look great in red.

After I hung up, I felt relieved. I knew that was what had been hanging over my head for the last 18 hours.

Her boyfriend is a great guy, and I absolutely approve. They're also well-matched. A good example of this is from last spring, when the three of us went to a used book sale. They threw all their books together in one box and split the cost. When we got back to his apartment and they were dividing up the books, I could not figure out ahead of time whose book was whose. I figure that's a darn good sign of compatibility.

News about this wedding, which my sister is tentatively planning for 2005, gives me even more incentive to get back on track with my weight loss. I'm in a frustrating bind right now, having acquired a mysterious pectoral injury just before the holidays. This makes me unable to do any of my regular exercises -- kick boxing, yoga/Pilates -- all of which involve upper body. But my sister, a massage therapist, recommended giving the muscle a rest until it heals.

So now my only real exercise comes from giving my dog long walks. She seems to enjoy this, but then again, she has a fur coat. Winter has returned with a vengeance in the Philadelphia area, which is not nearly as much fun for me.

Still, the image of me looking svelt in a tasteful red dress (nothing else, for my sister) is enough to inspire me, despite the cold. It will also fuel my resolve to quit the bad snacking habits I fell into around the holidays. Now the only snacks available in my apartment are apples and carrot sticks.

I'm excited for my sister and excited to help her plan her wedding. What a great way to start the new year.

Copyright 2004 by Alyce Wilson

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