Perhaps the weight will be influenced positively once the attic's done and dusted? Stress is a perfectly reasonable barrier to weight loss, given the comfort value of good food and drink.

I wouldn't mind trying my paw at German as well, for similar reasons to yourself. Frustratingly, it appears having a German mother passes on no special benefits regarding acquiring German citizenship - it's only the father who counts, though that situation was remedied - not retroactively - a while after I came onto the scene. Still, I'm trudging ahead with trying to pound hiragana into my noggin, as part of the early stages of the rather unfortunately titled Human Japanese. (A very good course nonetheless =:)

You could always try debating the EU with poliphilo - a good sort, and reasonably minded, but on the doubtful side when it comes to the EU.