I'm going to make a million dollars by becoming the next Diet Guru.

As you all know, I have been a part of the Queen's Hippo Diet from the beginning. I've lost around 13 lbs (actually, I started dieting a week or two before the Hippo Diet began... I'm always ahead of my time). For the last two weeks, I've done abysmally. With an original goal of 130 lbs (I later dropped the goal to 125, stupid me), I've crapped out at 132.4. There's a moral in there somewhere, but I'm not delving for it today.

Since last Monday, I've been hovering in the 132 range. I have one of those neat digital scales that calculates each fatty ounce, so it's fun to weigh about 6 times a day. Anyway, I've been dieting for the first half of each day, then not so much dieting for the rest of the day. Much as I imagine a smoker who's trying to quit would do each day.

Maybe I should preface the rest of my story with how much we love all things taco here in Slushville. I believe the extent of our problem can be demonstrated in two quick stories for you:

First, we frequent a little taco stand run by Mexican immigrants. And when I say stand, I mean it started out as a chrome trailer no bigger than my half-bath, with a flashing red light on top. It has since seen great economic growth, and moved into part of the detail shop which is also owned by the immigrants. It even has a fancy garage door that closes over the entire restaurant when it's closed! We are usually the only gringos to be seen, but we are well known to all the staff (they even remember that I like Hatchling's quesadilla cut into extra small pieces, and always have it cut up before our basket is brought to us). One night, the owner even took our picture! He said it was for the memories, but I suspect that in fact, our picture is currently being run on the cable company's Latino package, and that it shows our happy, taco stuffed faces with an arrow pointing at us and saying something like "happy gringos", while a Spanish speaker says "Even stupid gringos are smart enough to eat at Little Johnny's Taco Stand! Surely you're smarter than gringos! Come on down and get some tacos today!"

Second, last week when we were driving home from the grocery store, we passed Taco Bueno and Hatchling pointed and yelled "Mommy! EAT TACOS! Mommy- Tacos!!!" Yes, my son doesn't know yellow from blue, but he knows where to get tacos. Suspect I am less than fabulous mother, but there you have it.

Back to my new diet. Tuesday night, L offered to take me out for tacos. We'd been running around all afternoon, and it seemed like the perfect end to our day. We headed on over to Taco Bueno, where I ingested two tacos, a muchaco, and two big glasses of Coke (that's a whopping 24 WW points without the Cokes) . Ahhhh... yummy. Imagine my surprise when I stepped on the scale Wednesday morning and was down to 131.4 lbs! Delight! I knew I loved Taco Bueno!

Yesterday, L and I had to meet an electrician at our new house so that L can have it all macked out and home networked and such, and afterwards he suggested more tacos. We headed to the Bueno and this time, I had a chicken quesadilla, a taco, and two big glasses of Coke (that's 23 points, again without the Cokes). This morning- 131.2. Oh yes, the Bueno is moi bueno.

Now, all I have to do is write a book and get it published. Maybe Taco Bueno will let me be in all their commercials! I'm much less annoying than Jarred, I promise.