I was a skinny kid when we got married, but have gained a bit less than two pounds a year since then. That doesn't sound like much, but it adds up to eighty-five pounds in the years we've been together. Fatso indeed.

We've often joked that when we walked down the aisle in 1956, there were two of us, but now if one counts the weight gains, it's like there are three of us pressing on planet earth. Weighty stuff indeed.

So we joined the local YMCA and began our exercise and healthy-eating program. She started right away, but I asked for a few days of grace-going cold turkey on the diet gig was too much to handle. That gave me time to shake the craving for Mexican food, Twinkies, popcorn, Milk Duds, Pinwheels, chocolate cake, key lime pie, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and beer. I've assumed sushi is still allowed-life without sushi would be very stressful.

Now that we are on our new regimen of diet and exercise, I'm beginning to feel like a new old man. The weight is coming down and the blood pressure is where it should be. But I must admit every once in a while, I grab an enchilada or buy some Pinwheels and hide them in the trunk of the car. So nobody's perfect. Life is beautiful.

One other thing worth mentioning: She reminds me that if I kick the bucket because I haven't taken care of myself, she will kill me. The logic escapes me, but I get the message and it's a message that applies to many of us: the young and the not-so-young.

Promise yourself and your loved ones that 2002 is the year you will take care of yourself, eat healthy, exercise and think kind thoughts. So you'll continue to be there for the people who matter most. Good advice indeed.

When Frank isn't searching for a low-carb enchilada and nonalcoholic Dos Equis, he can be reached at fburge@cmp.com.