Shaping up my bottom line

Albert Finney's famous line from Network rings true for all of us at times and for me that time is now.

I've got two nagging problems in my life. I'm lucky to have only two. One is my student loans and the other is my weight, which has become a problem again.

The first problem can be solved with money. And since I've got enough, I decided now is the time to repay my debt. Although my net worth won't change, I will enjoy an extra couple hundred bucks a month from now on.

Sallie Mae, I'm not your whore anymore!

The second problem will take time and money to solve, but I have resolved to so starting today. My approach to weight loss has always been low-key. I consider it a waste of valuable sittin'-around time. My goals this time around are a lot less intense than the last time I did this (I lost nearly 50 pounds then). However, I do take the long view in gauging my results, which helps the process.

With luck, I'll start 2007 with less choleric and monetary debt.