I finished Dear John last night...or rather this morning. When will I ever learn that Nicholas Sparks is just a heart-ripper-outer! I know that's poor grammar, but I was fine the entire book until literally the last couple of sentences, then I find myself at 2 AM in the morning just blubbering away. Now, I'll have to go and see the movie.

Couldn't sleep last night which is why I was up past 2 AM reading and crying (over a stupid fictional book and characters that are not real). That's what happens when you are peri-menopausal (or so the doctor says). What exactly does that mean anyway? In my mind you either are or you aren't; and I'm feeling pretty menopausal something these days. Hot flashes, weight gain, hormonal imbalances, headaches, night sweats, insomnia. I don't know but not being able to sleep is what drives me batty the most because my day starts early. Typically I'm awake by 4:30 every day thanks to my husband's alarm clock. I don't use one. I've always been able to just wake up when I need to. I tell myself, I need to wake up at 6 and I'm up at 6. Is that a woman thing? That internal clock just goes ding, ding, ding and I'm up! In reality I'm sure it's just a Donna thing because Frances is NOT a morning person and I practically had to drag her out of bed in the mornings when she was in school. By the middle of day if I've had a long night, I start to run out of energy and I just get so sleepy. I'll have a diet soda, or a coffee late in the day and ZING I'm up till who knows when.

I'm gonna try the exercise part a little more diligently this month. I'll start walking mostly, because the old bones and joints are feeling achy breaky and I can't get too carried away. Ilona wants me to take a Zumba class with her on Saturday mornings. She says it's the new workout craze and "super fun" in her finnish accent. I've got a feeling that all those young 20 year olds will have fun watching a 45 year old fat lady who has no rhythm or grace Zumba-ing away in their class, NOT! I promised Ilona I'd go at least once to see what it's like though, so I'm committed at this point.

The good thing about this week is that we have so much left over food from the weekend that I won't have to cook for a couple of days which means a more relaxing evening when I get home. I can play with my babies and sip a glass of chardonnay while Cris or Frances whisk Erin off to her ballet class tonight. Erin's dance recital is Sunday, June 13 at 7pm at the Santa Clara Convention Center. She only has two more official practices before the show, then dress rehearsal on June 11 and then the show on June 13. It's always fun and entertaining and something I look forward to every year.