I'm actually embarrassed to see that it's been more than a year since my last blog entry. A lot has happened in 12 months.

This past summer, DH and I decided that this would be my last year teaching. It's actually been a tough year at our site; we transitioned to a new superintendent, budget cuts meant 17 teachers were laid off, and I was set to move out of middle school science and into an elementary classroom. The District offered an Early Retirement Incentive and i jumped on it. After nearly 30 years of teaching, this Friday marks my last day in the classroom! Wahoo!

In April we bought a new home in WA state, came home to San Diego and put our home here on the market, sold it with a 14 day escrow, maniacally packed and shipped everything to a storage unit up north, found a place to rent until school is out, and on May 18 settled into a rental. This Saturday we tow my Jeep up behind our truck, and plan on getting to our new place by Monday afternoon.

Unfortunately we also shipped our home gym, I've been sick, DH has been sick, our dog was bitten by a rattlesnake (and is on the mend) and I haven't worked out a day since March. I feel like I have gained 10 lbs, but my clothes fit. I'm not happy about how they fit, but I know that once the stress of these last few months is behind me, and with the support of the 5% Summer Challenge, I will lose what weight I have gained (ha! we conveniently packed the scale and shipped it with everything else so it could easily be +/- 10 lbs!). I am truly looking forward to the challenge and reconnecting here on SP where I have always found success.
With this move come many more changes. I started journaling again last week, we bought a new keyboard so that I can take up piano again (after a 30 year hiatus), we will be building chicken coops and bee boxes, and I plan on having a daily schedule that includes all of this plus reading, working out, and cooking in my new kitchen! Who says retirement means sleeping in and eating bon-bons?! Keep an eye out folks, I am in it to lose weight, feel strong again, and enjoy the heck out of the days ahead!