First entry of 2013, and I think I'll recycle the title with which I began in 2012, referencing a top 10 favorite album, "A Pleasant Shade of Gray", by Fates Warning.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=
1dyoPdOHy78

So where do we begin?
And what else can we say?
When the lines are all drawn,
What should we do today?

And so 2013 begins, as the ashes against the grain of 2012 blow away, leaving behind...what, exactly? Hope?

I might not go that far...but I have to say, a peek back to that first blog of the year past did provide a couple of surprises for me, and cause for some optimism. For example, I thought I'd gotten off to a far more explosive start on the spark journey, and was under the impression that I'd lost 10 or less pounds in 2012. Instead, that look back tells me I started the year at 198 pounds, which makes the 183 I weighed in at after midnight on 1/1/13 a loss of 15 pounds.

That's not bad. Ain't spectacular, but a solid figure, and a decent goal to shoot for again, one that if I can make happen, would fulfill my not resolution of peeking under the 170 mark.

I think I can. Actually, belay that...I think I will.

(And for the record, I know that being literal in this case is both denying myself some credit, as well as cheating a tiny bit, since I'm actually up 5 pounds in the past 2 weeks, since moving. That means that I actually did, for a short time, achieve a 20 lb decrease. Also means that the initial 5 pounds of the 15 lb goal *should* be relatively easy)

January 1, 2012: 198 lb
January 1, 2013: 183 lb
January 1, 2014: ??? lb