News from Updateland

My, how time flies. As of last Thursday, August 6, I've been divorced for one year. That also, coincidentally, seems to be the date my ex chose to marry his latest wife. The man has a whole lot of class. Unfortunately, it's all low.

I knew it was coming. I've asked those who know him well if he was planning wedding three, and nothing pointed to it, but it is his pattern, so it had to be in the works. Turns out, it was pretty much a secret from everyone. Most of his near and dear found out because his status on Facebook changed from "in a relationship" to "married," and his paramour's name changed from Cindy Deering to Cindy Deering-Rathunde. (Never fear; she will always be Judy the Ho to me.)

I thought I'd be more emotional when I heard the news, but what I felt was a sweet sense of relief. He is now well and truly gone from my life. He's someone else's problem now. And hopefully he's found the person who can bring him true happiness, someone who will never change from this moment on, because heaven forbid that life change a person. I'm reminded of the lyrics from Nickel Creek's song "Somebody More Like You," which seems to be what he's been looking for all along - someone more like him. My favorite passage goes like this:

I hope you meet someone your height
so you can see eye to eye
with someone as small as you

That's my wish for the man I once loved. Really ... I wish him all the happiness he deserves.

The care and feeding of the North American Maggie. Nail down the delicious food, folks, because if it's within my reach, I'm eating it. Swear to heaven, over the last three weeks I've been eating all the food that made me sick before I had the gallbladder out. If it comes dredged in butter, or in a cream sauce, or smothered in cheese or all three, I would like it, please. If it tastes good with hot fudge and whipped cream, I'll take a double scoop. So it's a damn good thing I'm back at the gym!

Hard to believe how quickly the body loses it's memory. After two weeks away, returning for the simplest cardio HURT! But it's not painful, really. It's just my body talking to me, telling me it's good to be moving again. And really, it is so good to have myself back. Now I need to lose the four pounds I've gained and get back on track!

Budgetary constraints. There's a certain amount of freedom that comes from knowing what's coming in, what's going out, and what I'm doing with what's left. I don't have an abundance of money, but I have enough. I will be able to meet my needs, and even some of my wants. I won't be buying any new fun stuff for awhile - I'll be knitting from my overflowing stash of yarn (but only after I finally finish Izzy's sweater!) and scrapbooking from my bottomless supply closet and mending or taking in the clothes that are already hanging in my closet.

I've pretty much resigned myself to a tough year, financially speaking. Just 12 months of very strict monitoring. 12 months to build good habits and become confident in my ability to manage my money. 12 months to begin anew. I'll keep you posted on my progress, in case you're interested or curious, and I look forward to seeing my financial health improve, much like my physical health has over the past two years.

That's about it from Maggie's World. Nothing else new or exciting, just the day-to-day ramblings of a girl who learns a little more every day, struggles sometimes and values her friends and family above all else. Except maybe a giant slab of cheesecake ...