BBQ's, Build-A-Bear and Birthdays................

Well today has been quite chaotic all in all. I managed to go to work for 4 hours, take Ryan out, visit my Mum and go to near Romsey for a BBQ in the past 14 hours.

To start at the beginning. I work Saturday mornings because it more or less brings me up to the money I was on before. So I did 9 til 1 as normal. Then Tim dropped Ryan off to me as I promised him some 'Mum and me' time today. We went to Build-a-Bear in the town centre. How crazy is that shop. Ryan chose a dog to make and had a barking squeaker put in it. (I drew the line at a beating heart) the process is really quite intriguing. The way they stuff the bears and sew up the backs and they get you to put a heart in and make a wish. Then you can 'fluff up' your bear and brush it and then on top of that there are loads of outfits to choose from. anything from football kits to fancy dress to surf dude costumes. Oh and the accessories you can get like shoes, sunglasses and roller skates not to mention surfboards. Not bad for a tenner for the dog. He is going to be accessorised later. My sister also went there earlier in the day. But then she is a bear fanatic and bought the surf dude outfit and surf board for her Koala and bought a new bear too.

Then we had to get my Mum a birthday present. Now what the heck do you get for the woman who collects anything and everything. The kids got her a Grandma Mug and a Me to You bear in the shape of a fairy cake. We got her a book about Poole Park. Mainly because she spent a lot of time there as a child and there were loads of old and up to date pictures in it. Very different and she likes things like that. Thinking about it she never told me what Dad bought for her which she normally does.

Then Dad brought us home and we got ready to go to the Marquis BBQ. There have been a lot of people changes but still a few familiar faces and got to know a few new people. One person said the last time they saw me Ryan was really tiny so that must be 9 years ago being the last time I went. Someone also said that they remember me from a Christmas do at Autosleepers a few years ago, but I cannot remember them at all. Then I realised that I did remember but must have had a Gin and Tonic head on at the time. Food was nice and drank masses of diet coke even though Kris tried to persuade me to have a beer or wine. He is a star is Kris, he did my character reference for this job that I have now. He is a genuine all round nice person.

Think I deserve a lie in tomorrow after a really busy day.................zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mini's???????????? What Mini's

Picture will follow when they are downloaded but we went down to Poole Quay earlier for the Quay to my Car night. Basically what happens is that every Friday they choose a type of vehicle such as in this weeks case the Mini in all its forms and dedicate the evening to it. It was great seeing the really old ones right through to the BMW versions and including pick up's, Mokes, Marcos' and also some really odd ones like shortened (think cut and shut) and really souped up ones. It was quite fascinating. They close the whole of the Quay off from the High Street by Corkers restaurant right down to the roundabout just past the Quay hotel. They do the same on a Tuesday for the motorbikes and also they have a sort of party night on a Thursday in the summer for firework displays and other activities.

I have also been told that I am going out again tomorrow night. Twice in one week is unheard of you know. This is to the BBQ that him indoors works is having at their open weekend at Paultons Park. Not in the park its self but next to it. Tim used to end up working the weekend there til he took over the IT but he went to set up the laptops up there today and they invited us along. Not seen a lot of the Marquis crew for ages as they have not had a chirstmas do for a few years and a lot of people have moved on as well so it will all be very different.

I am feeling bloated again due to a late tea. After the Quay we went food shopping and ended up getting a half price hot chicken which although nice has left me feeling very full indeed. I shall not eat much during the day tomorrow as I am at work in the morning anyway and then out to Build a Bear and getting my mother a birthday present and card. What do I buy for her though? I have no ideas so going to take pot luck and hope we find something. When you get to her age they have everything they want and its difficult to know what to do.

Waiting for Kristie to come in and then I can go to bed............zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Indian meal and a nice surprise

I have just come in from the most amazing Indian meal which him indoors took me out for tonight. It was absolutely amazing and I am so bloated that I feel like I am going to explode. I had a nice starter with egg and minced lamb in a coconut and tomato sauce, Chicken Sally which has straw potato and onion, tomato and a rich spicy sauce followed by a hazelnut ice cream. Not surprised I feel bloated. But it is well worth it. Back on the diet in the morning and as for lunch you might as well write that off.

Had a card off Jenna at work which was a nice surprise but an even bigger one was that the boss called me over and gave me a card signed by the whole team. I had only told Jenna it was my birthday but as I took some cakes in everyone found out. I was also told that I am doing well with the job and only have a handful of minor errors to my name which is not bad for 4 weeks in. And I am doing overtime on Saturday again. Might as well while the work is there.

I have sussed out that my mother has bought me a snack maker which can make all sorts of things but its going to take some getting used to using it. I also got a diet cook book (not SW related) and a set of Maeve Binchey books as well as the tickets for Cardiff. Is it me or do people think less of you when you get older. I wish I knew. As for being 47? Age is just a number my friends and some mornings when I wake up I feel about 104. I also had some lovely homemade cards from the family.

Not a lot else has happened today so I think I will leave it there...................

I was sat at work thinking............

What would I do if life was different. I mean if I had not married him indoors and had the kids. What would I have done? I suppose the one big thing would have been to travel all over the world. I wanted to work in travel when I left school. I even did a diploma in travel and tourism, but when I went into the real world of it, it was very different. Much harder than the course had lead us to believe. Places I would like to visit are New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Brazil, Scandinavia, go on safari in Africa somewhere and all over Europe. Not keen on the idea of Russia, could tolerate the USA and would like to see some of the lesser known places.

Work was different today in a sense, I actually got masses done in a very short time. It was all going too well when I had a major problem which took me half an hour to sort out but with a bit of help I succeeded. They are a lovely team that I work with. They like to have a laugh and a joke but they all work hard as well. We are all going out one night soon when Jenna is 18 so that should be a good laugh. I have to take in cakes tomorrow as it is my birthday but not many people there know that. I also had to leave a note on my monitor today to ask the person on the evening crew that uses it not to adjust my scanner settings as they are set to the way my eyesight works. The daft person also managed to lock me out of one of my log ons so I had to use the spare one today.

Am I looking forward to being 47? Or as him indoors puts in 21 with 26 years experience. I don't know but life can only get better with age. For example I was 28 when Kristie was born and three weeks short of 38 when Ryan was born and I felt so much fitter at 38 than at 28. I wonder why that is. Even now having restarted Wii Fit last night I feel fitter than I ever have done. I want to start swimming again but have to wait for my eczema to clear up again before I can. I might even start cycling if I can use Kristie's bike. I just want to get completely fit.

Will tomorrow is the big day so lets see what it brings....................

Positive thinking........................

Now as a result of depression I have found that there are a lot of negative thoughts in my head. This reared its head when I decided that I did not want to go down to see the motorbikes on Poole Quay tonight but that him indoors could go on his own. He decided not to for various reasons but mainly because he felt that I should not be here alone. I think this is after last weeks meltdown he is afraid of what I will do if I am left alone. So we have not gone. He is not happy about this but I have promised we will go next week. I just feel a little under the weather today. My head was pounding again this morning but I managed to get through a day at work despite the bus being late and that the can of diet coke that I got in the canteen when I got there decided to split on me going over my jacket. So I am stood there totally unimpressed by this event and all the duty chef could do was laugh and offer me a cloth to try and dry it out. The heat in the office did that anyway as the air con is broken again. It made me smile though.

On the positive side I got through the day with Tim being at Willersey. I struggle badly on those days. But today when I got up there was a lovely email for me reminding me to be positive and telling me he loves me. I felt so good this morning that I wanted to scream it out to the world. Actually I could have quite easily gone back to sleep. But sticking to the positives, I feel good about me for the first time in ages. Later I am going to do my Wii Fit for the first time in ages, going to think about what to do for dinner tomorrow and get the meat out of the freezer, re make the bed (stripped and washed since I got in) and think about what to do for my birthday. Is he taking me out for a meal? I have no idea but if he does I hope we go to Barrollo's in Winton which is where we went last year. And for Kristie's 18th. I love Italian food especially some of the lush pasta dishes they do and it makes good for a green day on the diet.

More of a positive is that they moved me in with the 'pondlife' at work today which means that I have passed the initial training and can be let loose on my own. Woo hoo. Still need some help but not as much as I thought I would.

I am curious to know what my Mum and Dad have got me for my birthday. I know Sally has got me some books (some of which I have but are so well read they are tatty) by Maeve Binchey who is one of my favorite authors. Her books are just so funny. She is a real story teller. I wish I could write like she does. The only other present I know that I have got are the tickets for Cardiff. Other than that I have no idea. Did drop a hint at Kristie that I would like the new Daniel Merriweather CD but whether she took the hint or not I have no idea. We shall wait and see. Two days and counting.....................

The great weight loss campaign

In some of my other posts I have mentioned that I am on a weight loss campaign and have been for over a year. The attached picture is me before I started out on the diet. Since then I have lost 2 stone and still have a long way to go. I don't have a definitive weight to get to but I do have an idea of where I want to be. The same dress size that I was pre having the kids. Tonight's weigh in showed I have lost another half a pound which is all to the greater good. I did omelette's for dinner when we got in and they were nice cos I put some parsley out of the herb tubs in the garden in them. The first time I have used it this year.

I love trying to grow herbs and stuff and for once this has been a success. Even Ryan has grown his own strawberries which he ate tonight. We did try veggies once but they took so much work we ended up giving up on them yet the potatoes are still growing down there. The front looks a bit of a mess at the moment but that is because I really cannot be bothered with weeding it out and trimming the edges. Having said that there are so many bushy and grass plants in the boarders that I cannot tell the weeds from the real stuff.

Apart from that not much has happened today. Its been a quiet day and that is how I like it. Having an early night tonight as him indoors is off to Willersey which is near Evesham which is where their head office is, so he needs to leave early. Except that I have to wait up for Kristie to come in...................

Not what I thought it was going to be.........

Slumdog Millionaire that is. I'm not sure what I expected it to be like, more of a comedy I think. It certainly opened my eyes to the way that some children are forced to live in foreign countries. Sunday nights over dinner is always a movie. Usually the kids choose but we picked this up in Sainsburys this morning so there was no choice. I don't do the cinema as I tend to fall asleep but I like watching films on Sky (occasionally) and wait for stuff to come out on DVD as well. I still want Madagascar 2 but they are showing the penguin cartoons on Nickelodeon at the moment which makes me laugh.

Other things that make me laugh........Shaun The Sheep, My friend Carole and some of the things that we got up to when we were younger, Frank Skinner, Ryan when he tickles me and when fizzy drink bubbles go up your nose. Certain kiting friends of mine make me laugh too but there are too many to mention.

Its been a funny sort of day weather wise what with an almighty thunder storm at one this morning. I was still awake and there were a couple of flashes and then two horrendous bangs as if the storm was overhead. It has rained on and off all day too. Got some washing dry but had to tumble dry some as well. Did the BBQ indoors for a change as we had the stuff for it, and very nice it was too.

Back to work tomorrow. Some people there think I am too quiet, others know I just get my head down and get on with it. I like the people that I work with. Along with Gwyneth I am the eldest one there. Oh and I must remember to get cakes for Thursday as its my birthday. I will be 21 with 26 years experience. Well 47 but that sounds a lot better.

Oh well no need to water the garden tonight..........and as long as there is no more rain I'll be fine.