6 months to go...

In 6 months time, I will be boarding a plane to Vietnam to cycle 400km for charity.

VV Scared at the mo, I nearly pulled out when the headaches were bad, now they are easing I am determined to do it! I do believe in making it hard for myself. While I was off I have not been exercising, eating the wrong food and generally undoing all the hard work that I had done.

So here we are 6 months to go and a lot of hard slog ahead.

Tomorrow I start back on the global corporate challenge.

The GCC lasts for 16 week's and you have to walk at least 10000 step's per day. You track your steps walked, miles cycled and distance swum. Every day for 16 weeks!!!

its such a good motivator, You are in a team of 7 and you compete, not just against other team's in your workplace but against other team's around the world. It helps that I am horribly competitive! Last year the team I was in came top of our organisation, This year I am a team captain and it is my job to set a good example to my team and to motivate them!!! today I was handing out pack's and demonstrating the pedometer's. I have a new pedometer and cyclometer and will put them on in the morning!

The great thing is being able to find new places to walk and cycle. its exciting and I will keep you all updated.

A complete workout.

I am sitting here completely and utterly shattered.

No I have not been for a session at the gym, we did another car boot sale today.

I know that a car boot sale does not normally tire people out However, we have now converted OD's room into a car boot storage room. We had ended up with bits and pieces in to many different places. So everything is on shelves and boxes so we can just load and unload the car. Still cant see why I am tired?

We live in an old house, which means no parking, parking is further up the road, so... boxes carried downstairs, loaded onto trolley, manoeuvred out of the door, taken 200yards up the road and loaded into car. repeat this 10 times. Go to car boot sale, sell some stuff, come home, unpack car, take boxes on trolley 200 yards, take into house take up the stairs, put in corner of room, repeat this 8 times!

Boot sale was a bit disappointing, cold, windy with intermittent rain shower's. Also was held in field full of cow pats!!! not ideal. However some more money for the charity.

Once home, started sorting and clearing cupboards to restock the boxes for the next car boot. This gave me the opportunity to to tidy up the china cabinet.

Sad I know but I love our china cabinet. Apart from the Polish ware its all vintage, some bought some inherited. This is all of our best china, our everyday china is portmerrion, ideal china for a family as if a plate get's dropped onto the slate floor its easy to buy 1 to replace and you do not have to buy a whole new dinner service as it will go on forever.

Yesterday I dent some time in the garden. The early Alium's are in bloom now. The shruberry is looking a bit wild! however I spent long enough attacking the shrub's at the top of the garden, these will get my attention this week.

Last week we went to the churchyard to lay some flower's. It was so pretty and peaceful.

Its now Sunday evening and we are all dog tired, I just need to get some room on the sofa......

Have a happy week. x.

What a week...

Have you ever had one of those day's, have you ever had one of those day's, where nothing goes right from morning to night, have you ever had one of those day's...........

Well I have had one of those week's. 

Saturday:

I forgot the pin number to the joint account. not once but 3 times and locked myself out of the account. Stood in the supermarket feeling a fool. Ironically I can remember LSP's pin number to the account. LSP is not so bothered that I do not have access to the joint account (funny that). 

Sunday:

 Car boot sale! hurrah.... Held on the first rainy weekend for a whole month. very few people there and having to dodge rain shower's. Also no shopping. the idea of having a car boot sale is to raise money for the charity and empty the junk from the loft. Not spend money and fill the house with more new old stuff. 

Monday:

 Mum's birthday anniversary, Children go away on a city break (I miss them when they are not here) and MIL is mugged. 

Tuesday:

 I cannot log into my computer not sure why? lots of time spent talking to IT, finally get it sorted. I was supposed to take in some paperwork to HR and left it at home........ very long day and get home tired. (and a bit grumpy)

Wednesday:

 Ok so I cant log into my PC again, same problem, again talk to IT and discover its my phone falling out with my computer, oh the wonder's of modern technology! Then I forget my password to log into one of the applications, have to phone another IT department to get them to reset that password! (it may sound like I am very forget full however, I need to remember 8 different codes and password's at work. log in codes, pin codes, unlock codes, door codes etc). 

Thursday:

 Charity Quiz night..... Have you ever planned a party and worried that no one will turn up? well this is what happened to us. Despite advertising it all over our work place only 1 team turned up (we were hoping for 20). So we brushed ourselves down and went to the pub! I was sat at the edge of a long table next to a step, apart from I did not see the step when I got up. It was one of those confusing moments when  I could not realise why my  right leg was not moving and then as I was tumbling through the air I realised about the step. I was very embarrassed especially as the barman came over to help me up! (I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me). Children return from trip to Paris and YD announces she is planning to go to north Africa for a month to volunteer at a museum and gallery cataloguing aftifacts and work's of local art. I could barely cope with the her being in Paris for 4 day's not Africa for a month I will crumble.   

Friday:

Woke up with sore leg and sore ankle from falling up the step! Also left my mobile phone at home so a whole day of no facebook or twitter (on my breaks of course) Feeling Sad and moody over last night. got stuck in the worlds longest traffic jam... I could have walked quicker that the traffic was moving and it went on for miles. So I arrived back in town hot and irritated! busy afternoon so I went to the shop for some retail therapy. All the time on the sofa without exercise mean's I have put all the weight back on again that I lost. There is nothing like 3 mirror's in a tiny cubicle to make you feel huge! then try putting on clothes that do not quite fit. There was I  trying to squeeze into a dress and  heard a ripping noise .........luckily it was only a few stitches not a seam... I did end up with a nice new top that hides the lump's and bump's. I then nipped into the supermarket and picked up a takeaway curry and a banoffee pie. 

So here I am, sat in front of EastEnders, lap top on my lap writing a blog about my miserable week.

This has been a week of misshapps but nothing to serious. I have my health, a partner who loves me, 2 great kids, 2 fab sister's, a lovely grandmother, my job, a nice home,  2 crazy but irreplaceable dogs, a mad gerbil, good friends, a rampant garden, lovely hobbies and a whole weekend ahead of me.  Thinking about all of the way's that I can make next week better. 

Have a Happy Weekend everyone. 

Highlights of Glasgow.

Just a few more pictures from our weekend in Glasgow!

If you ever get the chance...go its amazing!

Feeling Sad :(

Felling sad today..... today would have been my mum's 74th Birthday.  

Its horrid, because mother's day, her birthday and the anniversary of her death come in a short space of time. So I spend a few month's being perpetually miserable.

Both YD and OD have gone to France for a few day's. It is great for them to have a few day's in Paris, drawing, sketching, photographing and visiting galleries (they are both art students) great for them, miserable for me as I miss them.

 So I started this morning in a Sad mood. I encountered more sad during the day and to top off the day my MIL was mugged. How low can you get stealing the handbag of a woman in her 70's! Luckily she was not physically hurt but is shaken up......it makes me feel angry and sad. 

Apologies to anyone who is waiting for a package from me. I have been so busy...I will get round to it soon I promise. 

Last week was was very busy- hence the lack of blogging. 

So tonight I will drown my sorrow's with some ice cream and be back on top again tomorrow. 

Hen Weekend Part 2.

Wow, what a bad blogger I have been! I have been so tired this week I have been getting in from work, making dinner and flopping. My headaches are easier but still there every day! I live my life in sunglasses and a sunhat, but it gets me through the day and means I can work!

So the hen weekend! A Hen Party (for those who don't know) is a party for the bride to be before their wedding.  In America it is sometimes called a batchelorette  party.

Hen party's can be very different, for some it is the chance to get very drunk and silly, wear stupid outfits and be very rowdy. For other's it can be a tea party at home. The Hen party we went to was a nice and sedate (if not a bit decadent affair).

Here are the highlights from the first venue! The Corinthium club in Glasgow!

Absolutely amazing, place The Corinthium Club! This is only a small part of the place it was huge! Lovely cocktails, amazing interior and great staff!

We then went onto a lovely Italian called Amore!

(yes there were men at the hen)

(here is a hen in the middle of her flock) 

After the meal we strolled to an amazing club...

Then it was time for the hens to rest and head for bed.....

Can't wait till the wedding.....

Hen Weekend Part 1.

Well, what an amazing weekend... there is far to much to put into just one blog.

We set off nice and early to get to the Airport in time for the flight. Unfortunately the week before I had set the sat nav to avoid motorway's and we had forgotten to change it back. It was a lovely trip, if not a little slow.....

Yes we admired the back of this lorry for many miles..........
Ok so we got to the airport, got the car parked and got ready to get through security. This is an ordeal in itself. getting the fluids out of the bag's, emptying, pockets, taking off shoes etc. Why is it that I am always the one who gets frisked? I guess I did look a bit dodgy It was a gloomy morning in Bristol and there was me in my shades and black trilby hat. (which I had placed in the tray).  I was then thoroughly  patted down.

Once we finally got past security, It was time to settle in for a well deserved cup of hot chocolate.

I then bought myself some reading material for the plane...

This book is really good and deserves a blog of its own.

As I was going to be spending the night with 40 Scottish folk I decided that this might me useful......

Ok I have a confession to make......I don't like flying! The up in the air bit is fine but the getting there and back is a different matter. I cant stand the feeling of taking off and Landing. I have to close my eye's as if I look out of the window my tummy makes a big lurch. If I had my way we would take the train. It causes LSP to laugh as I am holding onto the seat in front with my eye's tightly closed, trying to breath deeply and relax. We arrived safely.

I was blown away by the beauty and architecture of Glasgow.

more to follow!