I had just typed up a brilliant post...and then clicked on something and it vanished. Sigh.

We met with our attorney today. The bankruptcy proceedings have begun. March 1 is when we're officially turning a new leaf and can start over with a clean slate.

I saw a few local part-time positions in the paper and on Craig's List today. I will go apply to those places and more on Saturday when I have some free time. Work gets in the way of me finding more work. LOL I already checked into putting more hours in where I currently am, and there's nothing available.

DH seems optimistic after we've left the lawyer. I'm glad. He's been stressing for over a year and I hope he is able to find a job that is less stressful for him. One that doesn't require any paperwork to come home would be nice too!

I gotta get my weight under control. I have no desire to exercise, no desire to change my eating habits, but can't stand how I look and feel. I know I must do something.

I'm an emotional eater, and with the recent stress from DH closing the business, work issues, and life in general, I know that's the reason why I've been overeating. I like to feel full. Feeling full makes me content. It is also making me fat.

I read an article that explained you need to train yourself to desire other ways to make yourself feel content. I know exactly what I need to do - get back to sewing. I always love sewing and needlework, but just haven't had the time. It's like yoga to me - I feel serene and at peace. But whenever I think about going to sew...then the other things come up (stuff to do around the house, bills to pay, other places to go rather than be home). The same with exercise. I know I should get up early to exercise, but I can't get up early. Why? I end up staying up late and sleep is at a premium for me. So, I get up as late as I possibly can before I have to go to work. What a vicious cycle I've entered!

I think what I will do is schedule in my calandar exercise time and sewing time, like they're a regular appointment I need to keep. I will start this tomorrow. I will be going out to eat with my dad and step-mother tomorrow (their treat - for my birthday) so I will be sure to exercise in the morning.

I always function best with structure and sticking to a schedule. I've been off schedule for a while now, so this is long overdue!

Thanks for your prayers. My friend's daughter was found and is returning home. The entire community is overjoyed with this news! She is injured, and will recover.

Please send prayers for my friends who have a daughter in Haiti. She was with a group that arrived on the island hours before the earthquake struck, and although some members of her group have been found and are safe, we have had no word yet of her survival.

Also please send prayers to the people of Haiti, so that they may once again have hope after having faced such disparity in their lives.

DH brought the rest of the paperwork to the lawyer today. We hope that's the last pieces of information we need to put together. Now to wait to hear when our court date is to file bankruptcy and start over.

For the past week DH has been the head dishwasher and cook...though I can tell it's not as easy to do as he thought it was. "What should we have for dinner tomorrow?" is a question I get asked nightly. He's also used up a few items in the pantry and hasn't written them on the grocery list (I still shop, because the store is on the way home from work). I already got the "hey, how come you didn't buy X?" Gotta write it on the list! He's learning slowly. Keeping house isn't necessary an easy job, he's finding out. He's learning that quickly and I think he's getting a new appreciation for those who can smoothly run a household.

Boy, I've been suffering from a cold, and all I want to do is sleep! It certainly seems like that alarm goes off earlier and earlier every day. I'm planning on heading to bed earlier than normal tonight to see if I can catch up on some much needed sleep.

DH has been working steadily on getting the paperwork done for the bankruptcy. His goal is to have it all done by this Friday.

He's trying to do his best with being the head cook and dishwasher. I did have to teach him how to make mashed potatoes tonight. I was taken aback when he asked me how to do it. I always thought that was something "everyone" knew how to do...it's been fun anyway. Now it's like we're cooking together (we didn't do that too much in recent history - it was usually just me cooking). I tell him how to do it and he does it. It is kinda weird not doing it, but I'll adjust.

I have to work on Saturday, and we have plans to go to a friend's home on Saturday night to play cards. Sunday my sister wants to take me to lunch for my birthday. Nice that all of it will only cost the gas to get there.

I ran some errands for DH on the way home from work so he didn't need to make the trip and waste gas (as he put it). He's really been careful watching where the money goes since he's been home. He did call unemployment today; it won't be much, but it'll be enough for now. I may pick up a part-time job, but it seem like he'll only need to get something for around $11.50 an hour/$24,000 a year. If he gets more than that, then I won't need to work part-time. Though I still might do that...just to get some money in the bank and/or pay off the lower amount we owe to family.

We've been keeping a positive attitude, and I think that's helping tremendously.

Boy oh boy. I don't think it will ever stop snowing. I live in the northeast, and it's been snowing since last year! But seriously, it began with one storm on New Years Eve, and there's been storm after storm coming through...and it's still snowing now. At least I've had the last few days off from work, so I didn't have to be concerned about road conditions, but I'll need to get back to work tomorrow. That means setting the alarm again! I get fond of sleeping in.

The home office is shaping up and getting back into a room that we can use for us. A friend has a desk to give us; they have a new one (still in the box) and once they get their desk assembled we can come get a "new" desk for us. It's in great shape, and has many more storage options that ours. I should go to their house and help them get their new desk together. It would speed up my office situation!

I'm looking at some Restaurant.com gift certificates I have hanging on the bulletin board...a year or so ago I got the dinner of the month club for some insane price of like $24! I think that one of them would be a great idea for birthday dinner for me. I've got 2 $25 off of $40 for one restaurant (they sell out quick so I had purchased 2) and 2 others for $25 off, but you need to get 2/$35 entrees. I'll talk to DH about going to one of these. Or maybe not go out at all. That would be the cheapest, right?

I've let DH sit on the couch and play video games for the last 2 days. To let him destress, enjoy himself and relax. I know it's been difficult for him the past year, so I'm fine that he's doing that.

Come Monday...he's the house husband. He knows this already! He has already asked how to do laundry. I think I'll keep that chore for myself, because I'm rather particular with laundry. But I hate doing dishes...so that's all his!

I was "gifted" a turkey carcass, and made a huge pot of turkey rice soup and canned up 7 quarts of it. That's DH's favorite, so he can have that as a lunch option while he's home. He got me a pressure canner/cooker a few years ago (probably more like 10-15 years ago!) for my birthday, and we both say it was the best $100 ever spent. We both enjoy making and eating soup, but if you want a variety you need to either make small batches or have a freezer full of soup. Canning it has been a blessing. I also use it for canning homemade chili, veggies from the garden, stocks, etc. There are always canning jars to be found somewhere, so this isn't an expensive venture.

Off to make the week's dinner menu. We will be having leftovers today (waste not, want not) and I'll review what we have on hand to figure out what we're having the rest of the week. It'll help the house husband get be more organized. LOL