Miles

Miles ... bet I made you think of me trekking many steps, right? Not true ... Yesterday I spent forty-five minutes talking to my sister and we booked a flight for four people from south Florida to Myrtle Beach for less than $300 roundtrip! I did an analysis of the time in the car, the miles driven and cost of gasoline (not to mention the wear and tear on the car PLUS the presence of two teenage boys who've suffered through 12 hours each direction) and it was way cheaper to fly. This positive news led her to comment on the fact that her son, a rising college junior, has dropped close to twenty pounds since May 1 by reviewing the new Healthy Eating Pyramid developed by Harvard.

Of course, you know me well enough to predict my incredulous reaction! What! Let me go check it out! So I did ... here it is for you ... nothing new or surprising, just a very straightforward recommendation regarding intake and outtake. I was very disheartened until Lorey reminded me that teenage boys (and males in general) have a much higher metabolism and ability to lose weight quickly. Props to my nephew ... but I am still jealous.

After hearing Lorey's opinion, I remembered about the family dog. You see, my nephew is a huge dog lover and REALLY wanted one when he was a bit younger ... since he inherited some of the lovely Roach genes that place the pudge on quickly, and especially in adolescense, his Mom required that he run 100 miles first. This was a lofty target meant to show that he could commit to something (and hence, later the dog) ... but also to ensure that he was staying active now that he had dropped out of youth sports. Well, after encouragement (including being accompanied on runs around the neighborhood by family members on bikes) he succeeded ... the dog arrived, and what else could they name the dog, but Miles!