Back from Monday morning Pilates.

Oh how I don't want to go as I trudge out the door, but I'm always glad I did.

I've been working hard with my one-on-one teacher (aka, my friend Rachael that I went to the Edwardian ball tea with), to regain my core strength which had languished over the holiday breaks.

(My actual instruction to her is "I want you to fucking kill my abs." And she happily obliges.)

One thing I love about my group classes is the diversity, equality and inclusivity on display.

My regular Monday and Friday teacher, Angela, is a black woman in her thirties. The owner, Rae, (who taught this morning) is a black woman in her 40s. The woman I'm paired with in most exercises because we're at the same level is a black woman in her 30s. Of the other three women this morning two were Asian and the other white gal is lesbian.

It's a very San Francisco mix. Typically there's been one other guy in the class but I haven't seen Alexis or Kevon since the new year. Jesse and ita would love the classes because they play a lot of 90s/00s R&B.

I love that it's a seven minute walk from my house. I love that it starts my week off on Monday morning. I love doing three classes a week. And I love how much core strength and flexibility I've gained.

On the Ozempic journey, I stalled out on weight loss over the holidays but I've upped my dosage, cleared out the holiday treats, sent Matilda back to school with her snacks and I've got a tight rotation for breakfast: One poached egg on a piece of toast, or yogurt with fruit and nuts, or small cereal with fruit. And that's all I eat between waking and lunch. With coffee of course!

So I've been dropping again and I'm now at 206 with my goal weight of 190. Down from 247.

Losing the weight has taken a lot of pressure off my back, hips and knees and I'm consciously working on creating a leaner physique to get older with as I'm turning 65 this year.

I always try to use this period of the winter to be focused and disciplined because ain't shit going on. Might as well aim for spring.

I'm up to the last episode of The Peripheral and I know it ends on cliffhanger and does not complete the book. I don't mind. I've enjoyed the show and I'll just go read the book now.

Two interesting casting notes: there's an Asian woman with a Scottish accent in it and I immediately twigged, "Oh, shit, it's the actress that played Cho in the Harry Potter movies!" And indeed it was Katie Leung with a futuristic asymmetric haircut. And there's a very cool character that has an androgynous Sherlock Holmes vibe, and I looked her up: Alexandra Billings - a pioneering Transwoman actress who's been working for a long time.

Went SuperBowling (actual bowling) during the game. Of course, the game was displayed on the screen at the end of the alley, so we caught half-time. Most enjoyable.

There were twelve of us, which is the biggest group we've had in decades. Super fun. And, strangely, the best barbacoa nachos... perhaps the best nachps, generally... that I've ordered out. Seriously delicious. Who knew Lucky Strike had the lock on nachos? Unexpected!

Oh, Katie Leung is on this season of Bridgerton as the evil stepmother

Mmm, bowling alley nachos

My brother and his girlfriend came down for a few days to visit my folks and apparently tell us they are engaged. I guess my brother planned on telling us all after the Superbowl, but sometime in the first half gf was checking her phone and says "oh, I forgot to tell my sister we're engaged" so my brother just calls out (from the kitchen where he is washing dishes) "oh, yeah, we're engaged" and the rest of us hardly reacted because, are we supposed to know know or not? Is this a real thing that is happening? Unclear. But official statement was, in fact, made later. I hope my brother is actually divorced from his first wife, he is quite the foot dragger when it comes to paper work (long term readers may remember that was a very messy situation when that marriage ended in a real if not legal sense so I don't blame him too much for taking a long time to clean it up, but I do hope he did). They are actually planning a wedding with a ceremony and reception and everything approximately a week after he turns 60. His first marriage he just went to the courthouse and told us afterwards by email. Anyway, they are pretty cute together, I hope they are happy. And she has adult children, so I may get some nephews out of the deal.