I'm laundering money!

What a packed weekend, not only have I been involved with laundering money but I have had issues at speed!

 

This weekend started early, I took friday off to clean and wait in for Dan, the boiler service man!! More a boy actually. There goes another £50 that I could have done without parting with. But sadly this is what it boils down to, Motorcycle service and boiler service all in the same month. LIFE I'M NOT MADE OF MONEY!

 

 I do have to say a friend threw me a bit of a life line when sheasked me to walk her dogs. I am not sure if I impressed my friend with the state of her dogs on our return but I do have to say its great therapy to end up this dirty.........

 

So having been paid very handsomely for the epic walk, I placed the foldy stuff in my rear pocket. I walked home to get the hose out and clean off the boots, as soon as the front door was closed, I stripped off and started the weekend washing ritual. BUGGER I'M LAUNDERING MONEY. That sort of thing is illegal! Funny really how money feels when you take it out of the wet pocket of your jeans. At least it drys quicker than the pair of jeans that I had on!

 

The walk was so satisfying it was the fresh air workout that I had so long for over the winter months. It helps so much with my truly lacking vitamin D that causes such things as SAD, it made me feel that little bit more chipper.  

 

Friday night, and my nephew came to stay. Which is great for me cause I cook the most amazing meals. Well proper meals, amazing might be slightly over exaggerating my talents. So the plan of action was to be up early to head to the new pool for 8am. Sadly we were late because we had to take my sisters dog back to her house and I woefully underestimated the time it would take to do that. So we waited till 10am for the generally opening hours.....

 

I was look forward to teaching my nephew how to swim, I didn't realise how much work it was going to be. Firstly I had to deal with the huge disappointment that we couldn't go in at 8.20.  Getting changed was uneventful there was a certain excitement with getting in the little training pool, but  then there was the loo incident. Having been in the pool for five minutes the little man piped up that he needed the loo again! so that was fine off we went, now as my nephew is only 3 he was having difficulties with taking his trunks off, so he ask for some help which I dutifully did, but I noticed he hadn't lifted the seat so I started to lift it, the thing was just as I lifted he lowered his head - yes you can tell his head met loo seat and it resulted in tears (and guilt on my part).

 

After that little piece of excitement, the rest of our time at the pool just a bit of fun...... when he started to turn blue I thought it would be a good idea to go!

 

When we got back to my house the idea was he's help me cook pie! Within minutes he was......

 

 

 

So I made a pie..... a weird curry pie! Chicken, bacon, onions, mushroons and a secret sauce..... with a pie top. It was wonderful.

 

Sunday, mothers day and as a dutiful daughter I popped over for lovely lunch at my mum and dads. I had a wonderful time, until I returned home on my motorcycle. It had started raining, and it was cold. Not a good combination, rain I can deal with, cold I can deal with, both together. Lets just say the results just ain't pretty.  A long a particularly fast piece of my return journey I was hit by, what seemed to be, a ninja of a rain drop.... I wouldn't usually complain but it hit head on my pierced nipple. The resulting pain would knock any normal individual out. However after a few choice words I managed to shake it off! 

 

 

Tomorrow back to work......

Therapeutic weekend, what's gone well..........

Funny old weekend, yesterday Friday 1st March, I had to go to hospital. I was experiencing some weird sharp pain on the right hand side of my head, which had actually started the afternoon before. As it was something I had never before experienced I was getting a little concerned, it could have been a stroke. Thing was I was doing all the tests, smiling lifting my arms above my head, talking to myself.... Which I do quite regularly! So I wouldn't have been about to say if I was having issues talking because my brain would have just thought it I was being normal. So any way, wanting to play it on the safe side, I decided to seek medical advice. But first thing first, I took my motorcycle to be serviced. Not the best call in the world when you think you may have some kind of physical head issue. Well got the bike to the garage. Pat Watts in Bridgwater and walked to the minor injuries unit.... This gave me the opportunity to assess the situation fully. Why I had not previously been able to take this sensible approach to the situation, I am unable to say. Shakes, fuzzy head, weird sharp pain to the right hand side of my head. A migraine, I haven't had one in the last twelve months.

My Motorcycle, her name is Moo!

After having my self-diagnoses concurred with a fellow medical expert (Can I say that as a qualified First Aider?) I was able to carry on with my day, with a mammoth sense of relief, and popping the pain killers like smarties. I was even able to work and play badminton... Weird migraine! Just need to eliminate the cause to stop it happening again!

Saturday morning, new pool opens for the first time, so me and my gym buddy head off 10 minutes early to join the gathering masses at 7.50 for the first early bird session.... Guess what, we were the first ones there. Result. So anyway, we commence our swimming session, my buddy setting herself a goal of 40 lengths of the pool. A task which at the time I think is a really good idea. Until I have completed one length..... I come to the conclusion that I must work on my technique rather that quantitative I'm going to work on qualitative. I had a really wonderful coach when I was at Primary School. All I needed to do was remember what he said..... but  lets face it, I find it difficult to remember what happened yesterday let alone 30 odd years ago. The results of my swimming are as follows

• Front crawl - Successfully executed 1 length = out of breath.
• Back crawl - Successfully executed 3/4 length = out of breath.
• Breast stroke - EPIC FAIL.
• Doggy Paddle - EPIC FAIL..... surprise result.

So the conclusions that have been reached so far are after most exercises that have been completed, jogging was EPIC FAIL thanks to my Achilles heel. Pilates successful but must work on my technique. CORE I will have to come back to at some point but the first and only time almost killed me, issues were sweat, ability and my glasses sliding down my nose at every possible opportunity! Yoga, is booked for Thursday, I will be expecting at least one black eye if not two. I have no balance so I anticipate falling flat on my face a few times. Working out in the gym is getting easier, although I still think the machines in there are so form of mordern torture. Badminton I'm making great headway, wonderful success really and I'm remembering some of the old tricks. Overall, I'm doing well, But my stamina is just non-existent, unless its hitting a shuttlecock!

The best thing about this weekend, My motorcycle is now running very smoothly and not sounding like a tactor before the service.

My body is a temple...... no its a work in progress!

I walked out of the house this morning ready to take on the next challenge - Core class at the gym. I was really keen and really looking forward to it. The five minute walk even though it was fraught with danger (trees being dismantled rather close to the footpath) didn't deter me. The wonderful feeling didn't dissipate until 2 minutes into the start of the class itself, when my heart rate shot through the roof, and the lactic acid had managed to hijacked my entire body. Breathing had become a labour intensive act that if I wasn't being reminded to do I would have forgotten. And this is just the start of the class.

Well as you'd imagine the class contained some outstanding moves to help you with your core..... Thing is, as it transpires, I DONT HAVE A CORE! The holding and repetitive moves I just couldn't complete. I started missing my Pilates instructor, Hugo. I feel the need to make I LOVE HUGO T-Shirts. Oh I digress.

Anyway we get to the end of the class, and its time for stretching, which as I could barley move at this point, was almost impossible. the colour of my face is now the same colour as someone that has an alcohol problem. Which then brings me to the walk home, I had to maintain a composure that didn't make me look like I needed someone to call an ambulance. This task was successfully executed, all the way to my front door. Upon managing to unlock and open, I fell flat on my face. Hopefully out of shot of my neighbours! I crawled to the kitchen where I opened a can of cherry coke, two packets of onion rings and a chunky kitkat.

I should have had breakfast before I left this morning! Note to self get up earlier.

I love the fact that I have managed to make an early exercise class, I don't like the fact that compared to the others that attend I look like this...... See below

 

Anyway I will stick with it, one day I will have the body that I want..... mind you I might have to go out and nick it!!!

 

Have a good day one and all

 

FARTes and friendship

What a week. Life affirming really. Too much time spent at the gym and taking part in exercise classes that I'm punching a little (a lot) above my weight in! A well respected colleague has managed to explain something to me that I should have realised myself. Some people are just under developed! Blongs are wonderful therapy for venting as long as they are done in a healthy way.

 

 



Yesterday during Pilates I was focusing on my core, my pelvic floor and controlling the most powerful of all my body parts, containing my wind/gas! I'm not entirely sure why this bodily function is so prolific. May be its just my increasing age. 

 

Anyway I have come up with a new range on t-shirts for people like me to wear to the gym.. "Intimidated gym member" this can work on many levels. For those, like myself you will be placed close to the speakers to hopefully drown out the noise of what your body may produce during the workout. I find myself going more and more in the hope that I'll find this six pack that everyone goes on about!

 

I found a post  on Facebook full of swearing and insinuating that people were judgemental. The whole thing was so poorly written I had to make a comment and this is my response "If you are going to rant about you affliction, at the very least make sure you do it in an eloquent manner that is worthy of the respect you obviously long for." Swearing when making a statement belittles the point, making it pointless! After I had written this I realised that I am turning into my mother. Scary really

 

When you grow up, someone somewhere always reminds you that daughters always turn into their mothers. But the likehood of this, at the time, that this ever happening is so remote.... then of course there seems to be a critical time. (This time for me was the birth of my nephew.)  It's almost like a switch has been flicked, in the same way teenagers and their "issues" kick off at that age.

 

I am hoping my friends stand by me in this transitional phase of my life and assist with keeping me fully grounded.

 

 



Me at the gym!

 





Early birds don't necessarly get the worm....

I was woken early this morning by the sound of a friend messaging me. We had planned to venture early to the gym to get a circuit down before the masses got there. I managed to throw on some clothes and crawl downstairs to make a cup of tea.... (I really should have made it coffee!) as I thought that I had plenty of time to drink it.

I embarked on sorting out the stuff that I wanted to take to the gym, have a couple of puffs on the old inhalers, in the hope that my lungs would remain fully inflated during our work out. Just as I took a sip of my tea my friend arrived and burst through my door. The sense of calm was broken and it was time to make our way to the gym..... Can I just say that the gym reminds me of a medevil torcher chamber, the only difference being that the equipment has a modern twist and its better lit. Instead of a draft you have air conditioning.

Anyway, we started walking to the gym all keen and very much up for a session of sweating. Its only a 5 minute walk or so. I notice that the car park is empty, jolly good, no one to witness my attepts at keeping fit.





An illustration of my figure!

So we arrive at the gym complex, at 0815, only to find its shut, the doors don't open till 0930. HOW STUPID do we feel! You can imagine our disappointment. But we have learnt a very valuable lesson. CHECK OPENING TIMES. Not everyone is up at the weekend at stupid o'clock as we were.

I have managed to attend the gym everyday this weekend,either workingout or playing badminton and tomorrow I am booked into a Pilates class. Only one thing that is being a rather large hindrance and causing some concern. Cramp and lactic acid build up in my legs. My bodies way of telling me I'm unfit... which is just bloody rude if you ask me.

Anyway on our return the 'keen' feeling had subsided, spoilt by the fact that we should have known better and we felt really silly.

It wasn't a complete EPIC FAIL, just a little one.

The rest of the day has been must more constructive. My assignment is almost finished and I have managed to get some supplies in. A good day all in all.

I hope you have had a good one, and have enjoyed my silly ramblings.



I know I shouldn't but....

Today I was playing badminton with a friend. On the court next to us was a chap that was very obviously trying to revive a trend that went out when John McEnroe retired. Head and wristbands, equipped with new badminton racket. This dude must have been mid forties and he had arrived with three young lads. He started playing a singles match with one lad and the facial features said it all. As this bloke battled to run round after the shuttlecock he's was sticking his tongue out, almost like a panting dog..... As the score was mounting against him, this expression was magnified, what didn't help either were his glasses seemed to be a throw back from a long list era.

I had to request that I change sides because it was getting to the point were I just couldn't compose myself and if I had carried on my Pilates core exercise wouldn't have been able to control a certain part of my anatomy.

A little sleepy........

Sometimes I just see things that I believe are so beautiful I just need to share them....

 

 

I have finally managed to complete 67% of my assignment which is 66% more than I had done this morning... What a relief. I have also managed to eat properly and play 45 minutes of badminton, do all my clothes washing.

 

So calling it a day on the old studying front.

 

Earlier I went off to the gym and on my way back I noticed a white hire van, with three guys sat in it ogling myself and my friend. This begs the question, from a social science point of view, is it just the vehicle that encourages this behaviour or could it be the number of man in close proximity to each other or could it be something else? Just food for thought.

 

So now the creative juices, I have to make plans to do the following in the coming months

1.  Plan a charity event that involves the entire community. This I have called big/little league, on the 6th July I plan to have a large game of baseball, at a location yet to be anounced, and will be in aid of Luke Buckingham http://www.justgiving.com/LukesLeukaemiaSideline
2. Then on the 8th September I will be partaking in a charity event that is called the bra run. http://www.bra-run.co.uk/

Busy busy busy..... shame I have missed my nephew this weekend. He is such a big part of my life now that when my routine of spending time with him is interrupted, just like this weekend I feel like a huge part of me is missing. We geton so well. I put that down to the fact that we are the same mental age.

 

I need to get off this computer. I have spent far too much time on this today.