Wednesday 20th December..
Ok, I know, it's already gone 11am and I have been on the site for over 2 hours already and only now getting 'round to doing me diary.. lol
The Co-op had run out of olive branches (see comment re "Eric" ) and, as I still have not heard from him I have a feeling that the whole country is out of stock!... anyway..
I have done another 2 loads of washing though so that's good... lol (final load in now - until Sarah unpacks her case (she told me she has brought some washing home)...and releases all her stuff).
House is all quiet,.. Sarah is fast asleep in her room, the dog is curled up next to her, she has really missed him and I know he is going to love having her home, she plays with him all the time (doesn't walk him or feed him, lol, just plays, lol) and she lets him on her bed (I banned him from my room as soon as we got him!) lol Zoe and her fella are fast asleep in her room and all I can hear is the sound of the washing machine, tumble dryer and the radio in here.. there's a hard frost outside so the garden looks attractive.. I love frosty mornings (when tucked up warm indoors!).. lol
So.. anyway.. it's Wednesday and I need to backtrack a bit..
Sunday morning... I woke up at 9.15am and decided to dash down to Luton to meet up with my sister and take Christmas presents to my mum's with her. I got to meet my sisters latest fella (sorry, but I am a real cynic when it comes to men!).. he seems ok, not my kind of man, but then, I'm not her so it's ok! We chatted all the way to mums and when we got there she was SO shocked to see me! She loved it! Her face was a picture! We had a lovely time with her and my stepdad, bless him, he is such a darling. He has alzheimers so every time there was a silence he asked the same question "how's life me darling"... or "where is it you're living these days"? It is a horrible illness... he has virtually no short term memory now and for one who is so intelligent, multi-lingual, well travelled, well read... could discuss all matters, trivial and intellectual alike.. sometimes I catch a glimpse of the old Edward, it is so hard to equate this man who sat before me, with the vibrant man who swept my mum off her feet and who has been such a fabulous grandfather to my daughters and the best dad ever to me for the last 20 years too... he is such a lovely lovely man... I hope he doesn't realise how he is (bladder control problems., major temper issues, no memory, unable to converse or follow a tv programme or even read a book.. he just sits all day...) as I know he would be appalled. I love seeing him but hate leaving him.. anyway, enough or I shall start crying!
So... mum and I had a really good chat and I told her about the new sparkly top and I put it on to show her... she just stood open-mouthed and told me I was a stunner.. LOL.. yeah, ok mum.. lol... but she really, for the first time in oh so many years, was happy and proud of me.. and she told me so too! It was a very special moment.
Sis said it was a lovely top and mumbled that she needs to lose some weight.. her man didn't make a comment,. I know he likes her as she is.. but I also know that she won't like it if I ever get smaller than her! (I would LOVE it though! - is that bad! Well, if it is so what.. lol.. I mean it... I would LOVE to be in a smaller size of clothes than my sis.. she has always been smaller than me, despite being older, not by much, but still... lol).
We headed back to Luton with our presents and having said goodbye to mum and Edward... I'm so glad I went, it was worth the mad dash just to see them both
Back in Luton and we headed for Asda.. not sure why exactly, but glad we did as I bought some new pillows (2 for £2.97)!! I was well chuffed! lol, then I went to my wonderful friend Daryl's house. I was stunned to find her son Ben there - he is 23 and in the army (having served in iraq , twice, and Poland, and Afghanistan) and is stationed in Germany , I haven't seen him for a couple of years and last time I did he was terribly damaged by his experiences.. this time he is a confident and calm young man. He is a lovely person and we had a fantastic chat.. I've known him since he was 3 years old.. so we are old friends.. when he was a youngster he used to come across the road and tell me his worries... sound off about his parents.. (I know my girls did the same with his mum, lol)... and as he grew up I feel more like an auntie than a friend of his mums... know what I mean? I've always loved him, and his brothers.. and it was So good to see this fine young man he has become. His younger brother was home too.. I am always amazed at how grown up he is! His voice is as deep as the ocean!! lol I remember the night he was born... so you can see... visiting my friend brought back lots of great memories.
We all sat and talked and talked.. the older lad, when I sat down on the sofa to chat with him, told me I looked fantastic
![Big Grin :D :D](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
and his brother said he couldn't believe how different I looked now... lol Bless the pair of 'em! They have seen me yoyo with my weight for years!
Daryl and I went off to chat in her kitchen.. we did the dishes while we talked and she cooked a spaghetti bolognese.. it smelt scrummy and looked delicious! She offered me fruit juice and said she couldn't understand why I couldn't even have fruit juice.. and just how healthy was this diet? lol I explained it to her as best as I could and she seemed happy enough.. lol When I told her I still had over 9 stone to lose she shook her head and said no way... you will have to stop before then! LOL... I forgot to say... my sister sat at the table at my mums and looked at me and said.. "I'll tell you when you have to stop losing this weight!" LMAO... yeah right.. like she has ANY power over me! lololololololol
Anyway.,, Daryl and I talked and talked (I know what you're thinking...not like me at ALL eh? lol
![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
) and then realised we had to start getting ready so I began to straighten my hair whilst she went to have a shower... well, an hour later and we were off! We went to her church carol service first... it was lovely. A beautiful service and candle-lit carol singing.. wonderful sermon and such warm and friendly people.. it was quite emotional at one point and we both exchanged glances.. it was so uplifting and moving.. been a long time since I have experienced that at church..
Carols sung, candles out and it was a mad dash to the car and off to the folk club.. she assured me she knew where it was, lol, well... we agreed when we got to Hitchin and parked the car that no, actually, neither of us had a bloomin' clue where we were going! LOL Thankfully there was one person in the car park and he DID know.. lol so off we trotted through the pitch black car park and found our way to The Sun, in Hitchin.
We joined the queue and looked around us... we were (at 43 and 46) by far the youngest in the queue!! Lots of lovely silver-haired folkies champing at the bit to get in.. I bumped into someone I knew from going to the Bedford music venue I love and we all had a nice little chinwag about the evening.. we couldn't recall who was performing nor what.. lol how bad is that! lol Once in we sat down and waited.. well.. it was a magical evening! There was a group called Voices At the Door who were performing... they were from Yorkshire and sang acappello.. (sp) (unaccompanied).. and wow., we sat there, jaws in laps... it was the most amazing and moving sound... they sang very old traditional Christmas songs and carols..told stories... gave us some history... but the sounds.. oh my goodness... beautiful, absolutely stunning... I was mesmorised...as were the rest of the audience... it was an incredible experience. It was also lovely that one of the male singers was very attractive and kept looking my way.. LOL (probably trying to avoid the glare of the stagelights.. ) hee hee.. but was nice anyhow
The evening flew by and I got home around 1am.. absolutely shattered but so happy. I'm definitely going to go again, the venue was great (but a bit drafty.. damn this diet makes me chilly.. lol) and I know the couple who run the club so it was extra bonus to see them again so close to Christmas!
Monday arrived far too quickly.. and, as you all know... I was looking forward to my daughter Sarah coming home from Uni.. all was set.. then I got a call from my sister asking me to call Sarah urgently, which I did.. and.. as I said before.. she missed her coach so we got it sorted out for her.. I was fuming but when I heard how distressed she was I calmed down.. then that elderly lady called in and gave me the "about time you did something about your weight" talk.. cheeky mare asked how my love life was and when I said I don't have a love life, she sort of snorted and said.. "ah well, that'll be why you are losing the weight then!".. so I put her straight and said NO it isn't! grrrrrr... I was NOT impressed.. but I have known her for ages.. and I know her ways... it doesn't excuse her rudeness..but it makes it understandable.. I got home and made a start on the tree and decorations.. and other housework... I rang my nana (which I already mentioned).. in the course of our chat I dropped into the conversation that I had lost about 4 stone now.. she was very shocked (my mother had clearly not mentioned it to her - which did surprise me - ) and I have to say, surprisingly complimentary... she told me that she was so pleased as the last time she had seen me (September '06) she had been very worried about me as I was so big (I had actually lost a little already by then... not of the 4 stones I lost with Cambridge...) and that she was very glad to hear such good news! I was stunned... this is my nana.. she is normally a right fiesty old yorkshire woman with a mouth that has about as much control as an IBS sufferer eating battered sausage and chips!!!!
I was very surprised... you know.. for years all I have heard (and I'm NOT saying that it is all they have been saying!) is critcisim and condemnation from my family... always the constant nagging to "do something" about my weight.. they tried bribery, blackmail.. insults.. compliments... the lot.. but always, I had felt, there was an underlying judgement and condemnation going on... little snidey comments... digs at fat people (ironic when you consider we have ALL been grossly obese in our lives!)... and comments about what food I eat.. even in public.. big humiliation.. put downs...
![Frown :( :(](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
but now... now it is so VERY different.. and I'm a bit confused to be honest... it seems so alien to me.... (mum just rang me to say that she couldn't get over the difference in me).. see now.. THAT is bizarre! lol I'm not complaining... I'm just a bit dazed to be honest.. what on earth are they going to be like when I get to goal! lol
Anyway.. my nana is sounding very weary and to be honest I'm a bit worried about her... might have to drive up there soon to see her.... no idea when though! I've asked Zoe if she will come too and she said yes, but I just realised she can't - we have the dog! argh!
Where was I .. sorry.. phone call completely distracted me.. what else has happened.. oh yes! So, that was Monday night.. yesterday arrived and I wrote a teensy bit.. lol... what I forgot was that I went for my initial meeting with the guy at the gym!! I have my first proper session tomorrow!!!
He weighed me.. took all my medical info.. had a general chinwag and is going to draw up an exercise plan for me that will fit in with my aims and goals and my diet! He tried to tell me that I will need to take glucose tablets if I exercise!!! OR to have food in the mornings I will be going there! I have explained the diet to him!!!!! Not sure how this is going to work.. no way do I want to break the diet so I need to ask Ailsa about the glucose tablets... there's no way I'm breaking this diet!
I am looking forward to getting stuck in though - it seems like forever since I first asked my GP!! I will only be getting the one session in before they shut the gym for Christmas! Still I have my future sessions booked in my diary now and am looking forward to seeing and feeling the benefits of it all in due course. It is a 12 week plan... 2 sessions a week for those 12 weeks.. so hopefully it will help me get kick-started on the exercise route... I used to exercise years ago.. loved the feeling I got... did box-aerobics and circuits.. and exercise classes.. gave up for years... rejoined the gym last year and stopped going when I met Colin.. and piled on the weight.. not his fault, my choice absolutely! Made a pathetic attempt to rejoin early in the year and paid, went once and gave up! So... you see... whilst I am keen I need to grab at this chance and get on with it!
So that was yesterday.. you already know the rest of my evening.. lol.. oh, except that I sat and watche Memoirs of a Geisha with Sarah until some awfully early time of the morning!! lol
Today -
Wednesday 20th December...
Woke up feeling dog rough... rang my boss so stayed home. Horrible feeling that all this rushing around is catching up with me.. due to go and be waxed and polished this afternoon but thinking of cancelling... not like me at all!! Hmm...
Done ALL the washing now, cleared up kitchen (Zoe made breakfast for the 3 of them).. debating with myself whether to keep 2pm appointment or not... also not sure about wearing dress NYE now.. I put it on in front of Ailsa last night and to be honest.. think she's right.. I would have to wear a corset to deal with my belly..
![Frown :( :(](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
disappointed but at least it will still be there (the dress) when the belly has reduced/toned up! Will have to rethink the New years Eve outfit now... hmmmm....
Very tired and lethargic today.. perhaps now Sarah's home my body is having a bit of a kick at me.. lol. We shall see..
A MASSIVE surprise arrived today!!! A box with some fabby clothes in!! 2 lush pairs of jeans, 2 tops and a pair of trousers! YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU , THANK YOU!! I'll be trying them all on later
Right, off to get ready for waxing.. it will perk me up.. will be back later to see how you all are doing! (Sorry it's been such a long waffly post!)...
![Roll Eyes :rolleyes: :rolleyes:](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)