wagwaan?

Sad day

It's a sad day today, because it was my lovely colleague R's last day with us.  She only started a few months ago and we got on so well with my other new colleague L (remember, I was at R's 30th birthday only last week).  Unfortunately for us, but happily for her, her husband was offered a 3-year stint building up a new business in India and it seems it was one of those opportunities you just don't turn down.   I made a card and L and I bought her a present each, and we circulated a card around the office so that people could sign it. The bosses gave her a Vuitton clutch and a book (on India I think!), and el jefe actually hugged her, said there was a job for her if/when she wanted to come back, and told us to go out to lunch on his account!   We'd already booked a table at Dim T (with view over Tower Bridge) so we were ecstatic that the company was paying. We had the best time, chatting and laughing, and we spent 2 hours over lunch for the first time ever. We got fortune cookies with the bill, and mine said "Love lights up your world", which it certainly does. They all had lottery numbers on them too, so I'm off to play the lottery in a minute. Fingers crossed, eh?
This afternoon people kept coming by to wish her good luck etc, and when we left we had a bit of a group hug outside and R said some very nice things to me, and we went our separate ways :(    On the plus side, we have been invited over for a girlie holiday in India, including a trip to Goa, so it ain't all bad! Oh, and R gave me a beautiful necklace that I've had my eye on - a karma  necklace from Dogeared Jewellery, which has an accompanying card saying "what goes around comes around".  I love it and the girls said it suits me. Oh they ARE sweet! Needless to say, this is not me in the picture - I do not have such generous lips and my neck is not as slender... apart from that, she's a dead ringer for me!

So, now I'm off to look after my little girlie who's got a migraine and feels sick due to that time of the month. Poor thing.  Hugs all round. Don't get too excited about my weight loss on Monday because this week I've been a bad, bad girl. If I can just stick to "free" foods this weekend and run around a lot, I'll be happy if I can avoid a gain....

Inspiration for when the going gets tough...

Because life's like that - sometimes it's not as easy as you think. So for those times, here is a little visual inspiration from my member's area of the website:

Playing catch up

I've had all these photos on my camera for ages, so here's a catch up post! First of all, some of the things I bought last month. Nothing exciting, but I like taking pictures ha ha.  In no particular order, here are some tea towels from Primark (I have a bit of a thing for vintage and polka dots at the moment), some socks that are SOOO soft, and my new Skechers which are also the most comfortable shoes I've had in a long while. I walk to and from the station every day, so comfy shoes are a must.


I also forgot to upload the pictures of the paper bag book I made for my mama's birthday... but I haven't resized them so they'll have to wait for a bit longer.  Last but not least, this is what happens when you put a can of Coke in the freezer "just for a minute" to chill it - and then forget it:
  The amount of cola ice in the freezer is quite astounding, as is the fact that you come downstairs in the morning to find the door of the freezer OPEN due to the explosion that has taken place overnight. Ho hum!
Oh, and as it's Monday night, you can toast our success. I lost a further 2lbs, taking me to 29lbs in total (13kgs) which means I got my 2 stone award tonight *yay!*, and DD lost a further 2lbs also, taking her loss to 6lbs in 3 weeks. We are happy bunnies here tonight!

Party time

I can't believe how time flies!  I've been feeling rather under the weather recently, and that's why I haven't posted. About 2 weeks ago I started with a sore throat, runny nose etc and the doctor just said I had a cold and to keep using my Ventolin inhaler.  Unfortunately, it got pretty bad and my colleagues got rather fed up of my coughing (as did I, I might add!) but it was Board Meeting week and things get very busy then so it was hard to take time off.  Anyway, on Saturday I got fed up with the cough and the wheezing so I made an appointment with the out of hours doctor at the hospital. For once, there was no waiting and I went straight through to see her - and the result is I am now on antibiotics and I have the steroid inhaler morning and evening. I think I'm in denial; I've never considered myself asthmatic, but I do get better on the inhalers, so the doctors say I am!  This morning, I feel better already...
On Friday, the other half and I were invited to my colleague's 30th birthday party at a bar in the City. I can't remember the last time we went out like that, and I'm such a lightweight I was ready to go home at 9.30pm!  I had one glass of champers, but then went on to the soft drinks. I do not know how people can go out and drink on a regular basis: although I enjoyed myself I certainly wasn't in my element. Never was, not even in my twenties...  I took plenty of pictures with the point and shoot, which I expect the birthday girl will put on her Facebook page.  I didn't get one of me and W, as he hates having his picture taken, but here's one of me and L, my other colleague who was also invited, and a rather blurry one of the party girl in green and her best friend.  Everyone had a blast, and I expect there were some sore heads on Saturday morning...


 

It's all her fault!

The things teenagers make you do!   I was enjoying Donna Downey's blog, well video log, and DD was watching with me and said I had to do a video response. I thought I'd humour the child so that's what we did. It's dark in here so the quality isn't that good, but it was fun. And DD knows how to edit so the worst bits got cut out anyway.  If you are curious to see the video, it's on my YouTube account.... here, but I warn you, it's not pretty!
This morning I got up early (on a Saturday!) to go and help out at the hospital for the St George's exams. I'm a case history - sometimes they use my real history of thyroid problems, sometimes I get to "act", like I did today. It's fun, you get free snacks and lunch, AND they pay you LOL.   After that, I took DD shopping with my hard-earned cash to buy her some clothes as she really hasn't had anything new for ages and ages. She got a hoodie, some jeans and a white vest top. Next stop will be the shoe shop... Kids! They don't get cheaper as they grow older, do they??
So - I'm off to bed now. Tomorrow I plan a nice lazy day. I can't work in the garden because the weather has turned cold, wet and grey, and I still have a nasty wheezy cough and sore throat, so it'll be feet up with a magazine I think. Unless I can get motivated to do some scrapping.....
Nite nite!

I nearly forgot our weekly weigh-in results: I lost 1 1/2 lbs and DD lost 2 lbs (her first week), so my total is now 1 stone 11 1/2 lbs off. I need to lose another 1 1/2 to get my "Club 10" award, which means 10% of my total weight, and a further 1lb to get my 2 stone award.  It's going slowly but surely... and I keep focused on my goal to go all the way to target. DD is just eating what she's told, and she's been very good so far about not exceeding her treats quota. I think she just wants to look good in clothes but she knows that as a PCOS sufferer she needs to keep at a healthy weight so as to avoid all the nasty side-effects. I'm cheering her on!

Woe is me

I won't make this too whiney, but I'm at home today, feeling poorly.  I started getting a sore throat at the weekend, and dragged myself to work Monday and Tuesday because I knew there was a lot to do. By last night, though, I was feeling decidedly under par, and after a bad night I decided there was no point in forcing myself this morning. The boss is travelling today anyway, so I croaked down the phone to my colleague that I wasn't coming in, and stayed in bed. The cats joined me, so it was quite cosy there for a while. But then DD got a phone call from a photographer who she'd sent her cv to, and a kind of interview was set up for 12 o'clock, so I had to get up and get presentable...   It went quite well, I think. He came and chatted with her and looked at her hastily put together portfolio, and gave her some advice. He is a one-man show, so he can't employ her, but he would be happy for her to come and shadow him and assist on a wedding, so that's something to think about.   She also got a reply from another (lady) photographer, who also said she can't employ anyone but invited her to shadow her at a wedding, so I think that might be DD's first foray into the grown-up world in the near future.
I've just looked out the window and I must say it's nice to see the garden looking a little less messy - at least from this angle!  I got a phone call from a local gardener, and he's coming to look at the garden and give me a quote to detangle it all this Saturday. At the moment I'd just like to make it possible to sit out there on sunny days, but ultimately I would like to re-landscape it, on a budget.  If this guy is good and not too expensive, maybe this could become a regular thing. I think I could budget for a few hours a month just to keep it under control. I mean, I can do weeding and that, but anything more is just too much for my back and my wrists/shoulders.   For example, the neighbour's sumac, whilst very pretty, especially in Autumn, is just throwing up little junior trees all over my flowerbeds at the moment. I knew this would happen because we had one in our front garden in Pinner when I was little, so I know that'll take some digging up....
Getting a bit tired now, so "peace out" as the other half likes to say!

Twice in a day

Ooh, I'm bushed!   After posting earlier, I decided it was way too nice out there to sit indoors, and we decided not to walk into town, so I lugged the parasol up from the basement and set it up outside. I sat out there with a book and a cuppa, and just enjoyed the peace and tranquillity (DD and the OH weren't with me) whilst listening to the birds and bell practice going on at a nearby church. It always surprises me how quiet it is out there, you'd never guess we live in a large town.  After a while, though, I couldn't stand how you can't even see the path, so I went and got our very old shears and lopped off some of the bushes and brambles that had got out of hand. I swept up and lo and behold, there was the path!  The grass is still too long, but it certainly looks a lot neater.
I then went online and put out a request for a quote on a local website where people recommend tradespeople. I have asked for help clearing the garden for a couple of hours, which I don't think should cost that much. I'd be there helping too, so I guess it will be quite reasonable to do.  Then I'll think about landscaping, and see how we can get rid of most of the grass and put down paving stones interspersed with gravel, or something of the sort, to cut down on the maintenance. It's not like I need space for little children to run around in!  After that I was shattered, and went and had a nice soothing bath before dinner.
As I type, the other two are watching Hero, a Chinese film with Jet Li and lots of special effects involving flying and twirling people in beautiful robes... and sub-titles.  Me? I'm off to bed early!

Lazing on a Sunday afternoon

I'm sitting here with the windows open and a view onto the straggly looking garden, with the sound of a crowd chanting and cheering at Vicarage Road stadium. I'm not sure what's happening at midday on a Sunday - I thought football matches kicked off at 3pm, but maybe it's rugby today? Anyway, I'm dismayed at the poor state of the garden out there. Yesterday I did scrape lots of moss off the concrete path and pull up some weeds, but my extension lead doesn't work, so I can't get the strimmer to the grass and it's getting above ankle level now. There are some very pretty weeds growing in the flower bed that I can see from here... well, they might not be weeds, they might have been planted by a previous owner, but I don't know what they are. I should take pictures...
The cats are enjoying themselves - they lie out in the sun, blinking and stretching, and every so often they'll get up and go and flop in a patch of shade. They are so sweet and cuddly. I can't believe they are 9 now!
So, the tuna couscous salad recipe at Chrissie's request: nothing fancy, just something I threw together. I used couscous, a tin of tuna in spring water, sweetcorn, cucumber, peppers and hard boiled egg, mixed it all up and put a dribble of home made dressing on it. Easy peasy. And totally nutritious and low fat...  Yesterday we had Quorn bramley apple "bangers" (sausages, Chrissie) with mash (DD) or rice/broccoli/sweetcorn (me); and in the evening I made a Quorn chicken-style curry with basmati rice.  That's a lot of carbs, but we also have cucumber, tomatoes, carrots etc as crudités as well as lots of fruit and yogurts.  I don't actually care for Quorn all that much, but it's protein and it replaces meat on a Green day, so you still have some "healthy options" left that you can take as low-fat cheese or even bread if you really miss it. 
The OH and I are off out to the shops later, which I'm dreading because it'll be hot out there. Luckily I spy a breeze in the trees out the back, so we should be ok!  This weather makes me happy. Blue sky as far as the eye can see, and bright sunshine - what's not to like? After the very wet spring we've had, I was very ready for this weather. Hope you are enjoying it too. I know my mum is - my sister is up there for the weekend and she sent us this yesterday: a picture of the wonderful woman who had a serious stroke just under two years ago.... mowing the lawn!  I can't tell you how happy this makes me!

You can just make out a break in the houses along the sea front - well, just where the house on the left ends, above my mum's head, that's where the beach is. I LOVE going to Normandy and can't wait for our trip there this summer.
On that note - toodle pip and bon dimanche!

Just popping in to say hi

I am so glad it's a short week, thanks to the Bank Holiday. El jefe is back from his  holiday in the South of France and it's all back to normal again at work. DD and I are both being very good on our healthy eating programme. The quiche was DEE-LISH, better even than last time (there's your answer Chrissie!), and I've been taking my lunch to work in my bento every day although I am slightly annoyed that I didn't find time to take photos: everything fits in there so neatly, despite their dinky appearance. We are both taking bentos tomorrow, as DD has a full day in College rather than a half-day like yesterday and today.  I'm making a tuna couscous salad, and I'll pop peppers in mine because they are so sweet and crunchy, but not in DD's as she still doesn't like them. I keep hoping her tastebuds will develop, but so far, no joy.
The OH is waiting to hear about two possible consultancy posts, so fingers crossed there. He needs the extra income, so if you have any spare positive vibes, could you send them our way? Thank you!