Wednesday, 17 September 2008

Citrix Summer Party



This has got to be one of my fave pics ever. Emily in the foreground, and my kid being a nut in the background. (Taken at our company summer party last week.)

Tuesday, 16 September 2008

last one before we go


Some random bits I need to write about (i.e. before they get lost in my foggy mommy brain forever) before we set off on holiday. California, in case you're wondering. Yes. AGAIN. We like it there. It has sunshine.

Random Thing #1

So I accidentally jogged for 4 miles last Friday. I did my lunchtime run at work for a change, and set off to do my usual 2 miles. Paul gave me somewhat vague directions (that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it) on a good 2 mile circuit I could do around the office. I followed the trail, realised I'd followed it too far and doubled back on myself, found myself at a fork in the trail and went the wrong way. I ended up in suburban hell; aimlessly plodding around cul de sacs that all looked identical. There are few landmarks in this village, and I couldn't see any of them. As I jogged along, turning my head in every direction to find something I recognised, I sang "I don't know where the fuck I ammmmm" repeatedly. As an added bonus, I didn't take my mobile with me because I thought I wasn't going far and the trail looked pretty easy to follow. Eventually, I popped out by one of the local schools and thankfully found my way back. "Here," I said to Paul. "Take your GPS thingy, plug it into your computer and have a good laugh and see where I've been."

On the plus side, it means that I can very easily run 5k at the moment and didn't feel (much) pain the next day. When I did the Race for Life, I couldn't walk or climb stairs for three days. So that's nice.

Random Thing #2

I have a stealthmobile. I just got a Toyota Prius, and I'm feeling all green and smug. It's a fantastic car but best of all, you can sneak up on people in it. The electric motor kicks in when you're going slowly, so it moves soundlessly. I scared the life out of the Waitrose car park attendant yesterday as my car silently crept up to his kiosk. Ninja hybrid!

Random Thing #3

Jack decided to pack his own suitcase this morning, which mostly involved emptying the contents of his drawers into a big heap on top of the suitcase. Apparently he needs to take all of his jeans (no underwear or tops, though), three books, five stuffed animals, four toy cars, and several assorted toys for Mia, including a rather large Fisher Price airplane. He stated that he needed his slippers and coat because "It's very cold in the airport." When asked where we're going on holiday he announced, "To the moon!" When asked what he expected to find on the moon, his eyes lit up and he said "Aliens!"

So there you have it. We're off to the moon to visit the aliens. See you in October!

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

gettin' knitty wit' it


Can you knit? Do you enjoy knitting tiny little hats for smoothie bottles? If you answered yes to both (or one) of these questions, then join The Big Knit! The people at Innocent Drinks are adding handmade hats to their smoothie bottles, and for every one sold, they will donate 50p to Age Concern. You don't have to live in the UK to participate, but obviously you'll need to take shipping costs/time into account if you're going to send your hats in.

I think this is a fab way to use up those scraps of yarn, and for a very good cause. I'll try to cobble some together before we go on holiday and will probably do some while we're away. What? Well, what else are you going to do when you're jet lagged and awake at 3am?!

clever bunny


I love this age. I remember it with Jack; suddenly there's an explosion of discovery and milestones and they keep on coming. Mia can now point at body parts when asked, although if you ask her "Where's Mia's nose?" she will shove a finger right up there and grin like a loon. She waves hello and goodbye, claps her hands, and points. At everything. She can say dog, mummy/mama, daddy/dada, Jack, nana (for "banana"), dirty (repeating me when I was telling her not to go rummaging through the dirty nappy bag), no, and mine. The other day, Jack went to play with a toy she had and she shouted out "MAMA! NO! MINE!" Ahhh sweet. I can see where this is heading over the next months and years.

She tries to put her own clothes on, and she does have a general idea of where everything goes. If I ask her if she's done eating, she puts her cup on her plate and hands it over to me. She understands "Give Jack/Jasper his toy back", but doesn't always obey. She understands "Go find your toys" and "Let's go up to Mia's room." If she does something naughty like hit Jack, she will go over and give him a hug if you tell her to say sorry. She's growing up fast, my little bunny.

Little green tractor

i'll soon be borrowing clothes from posh


I've been on the weight loss train for two months now, which for me, is a huge milestone. I love food. I love making food. I love eating food. I love it when other people make me food and when I eat it. I love watching programmes about food. I love going out with friends to eat food, or having people over for food. And wine. Got to have the wine. So yeah, two months of healthy eating and training is nothing short of a miracle.

I've been following the GI Diet, which is really just a sensible eating plan. I avoid anything with added sugar, eat lots of wholegrains and lean proteins, and lower sugar fruits and veggies. My diet hasn't really changed much from before; I'm simply eating a lot less food. I run three times a week, and I'm proud to say that I'm actually clipping along at a somewhat respectable pace. Well, respectable for me - I'm now going faster than the old ladies on scooters who also travel along the sidewalks when I run. I'm doing something called Turbulence Training three times a week, which is a combination of resistance training using body weight (and a bit of free weights) and high intensity cardio intervals. The sessions are quick but incredibly intense. Put it this way, I used to do an hour of cardio at the gym several times a week and never really felt sore afterwards. One TT session had me walking like a cowboy with piles for three days. I love it because most of it can be done at home and you can break it up into 20 minute sessions.

So after month two, I'm very pleased to say that I've now lost just over one stone (14 lbs.) I can now fit into my I'm Not Throwing These Out Because Dammit, They WILL Fit Me One Day jeans and a few other outfits. I feel better...I still have a long way to go, but that's one big chunk down.

Just got to survive the two week holiday in California without succombing to the call of huge American portions. Hellllllp.