Friday

Well I slipped a little today and didn't get tea in the oven before going to the gym, but I have an excuse,,,,,,, we had to leave early to drop daughter off for one of the gardens she does and if I'd put the chicken in the oven then it would have been cooking for over 4 hours - pizza night was a good alternative and with 40mins swimming along with a serious weights session at the gym, I reckoned I'd get away with it lol!
I can finally say that my dumbell weights are now 7kg for all exercises which isn't too bad considering I started on 4kgs in Jan and had a very inconsistent record for a while but even with the holidays I'm managing 4 sessions a week, 2 are weights ones and the other 2 are cardio, along with lots of swimming with the youngest when the older 2 are in the gym.
It's been a different summer but we've managed to have quite a lot of fun and I've kept track of my eating and exercise. It'll be very tricky next week when Al's in hospital but I can only do my best with such a worry - rhinoplastic surgery isn't very pleasant or pain-free so lots of TLC will be needed but I'll be doing lots of special cooking which actually means not much eating - I often find that by the time everything's ready I've gone off the idea!!

Wednesday and Thursday

Had a great day y/day, spent it at a friends house with the children helping to clear the monoblock driveway of weeds. We took our garden hose and extention cable so we could get the powerwasher going as it's a long driveway but we hit a snag, the hose attachment for the outside tap didn't fit, awwwww, so they had to do it the old-fashioned way with a stiff brush and little gardening fork. But they rose to the challenge and got half of it done, which was pretty good going in amongst the showers and daughter got some more of the wall she's biuulding done - so all in all we got lots done and had a great blether at the same time!
Today's task was to get them all down to the hairdressers for serious levels of tidying up, youngest was 'tidied up' by his sister with our hair clippers last week but it was needing some help as our clippers are pretty knackered and she struggled, Daughter's and eldest's hair was needing a decent chop but the instructions for daughter was feminine short with soft edges as the last time it was far too boyish and as she's very slim and nearly 6ft tall it didn't really flatter her at all - this time was much more sucessful and she got exactly what she wanted befoire she goes off on her holiday. Eldest is fairly straighforward - much shorter than it is now, thanks and you've guessed it, he's happy with his cut too.
So I have lovely, smart children who are willingly doing chores as I actually remembered to get real cash out and pay them for their efforts at the weekend - now they've got actual cash to count and want more, bless them:)

Tuesday :)

Well things are going well today too, started off a bit late and had tow tiny petit filous for brekky before running out to the hairdressers where I was much more relaxed for a change, something I'm not famous for!
After that it was lunch and then kids to the gym for a workout and swim, youngest sat with me for 30mins until the older ones were ready for swimming and they didn't appear for another hour, longest swim session ever. My ankle's still very achey so last day of rest for it, looking forward to getting some rowing done tomorrow when youngest's at mini-cirkids, and showing eldest some weights exercises that I can do now always a good boost for my confidence and for his when he realises he can do them too!!
So the list is complete for today, I even remembered to take the meter readings for the gas and electric as we're changing suppliers, an extra to tick off the list yay!!

Monday!

How I love Mondays now, used to dread them with a passion as it would be the first day of dealing with tricky adults, then trying to teach children that had somehow lost the rule book on civility never mind reasonable behaviour and finding that break and lunchtimes didn't come quick enough or last long enough. I recently spent an afternoon with some kids and really, really enjoyed myself and I really think I need to get back to the positive relationship I used to have before it all got ruined but not yet, might see what I can do volunteer-wise after the holidays.
Today's tasks were to have a long lie reading a Jodi Picoult, then a leisurely breakfast, followed by a mammoth ironing session that's been put off for weeks, shower, lunch and off to the gym. Quick stop at Tesco for milk and bits, then home, eldest making tea, and watch something good on telly - actually *Galaxy Quest*. (www.traileraddict.com/trailer/galaxy-quest/trailer)
I can safely say I did everthing on my list, yay, and I just love that film 'never give up, never surrender', lovely escapism!!!!

Who owns BP??

Who owns BP??? Just watched Barrack Obama blethering on telly and decided to check why the British are getting this in the neck. Innocent or guilty, the company have been skating on thin ice for years with health and safety issues but I took a dim view of the british % being made the bogyman when the american % is only 1point less!
UK investors 40%, US investors (inc JPMorgan) 39%, Rest of Europe 10%, Rest of World 7%,
Miscellaneousc 4%
Feel free to criticise the company BP but it's a mistake to think the letters stand for British Petroleum!

My apologies for the mini-rant but one gets tired of listening to others aportioning blame where it should be shared.
Oh and just as an aside, very few people I know think the Lockerbie bomber should have been released but would be very interested in seeing the documents from both UK and US govts on that one, ours for all the use they were, have been published already!
Need to get to the gym later, far too grumpy today, grrrr!

When kids come for tea,,,,

Youngest's friend was invited over so they could both go to football at the gym, then he came for tea and a play and ended up staying over night - his mother was in shock as he never stays anywhere - she can never get rid of him, lol, but he's really comfy and relaxed here. I think it's because everybody's older than him and nobody hassles anybody, it was Friday which is a pretty relaxed day esp in the hols but I don't mind why, just pleased he enjoyed himself. His mum came round this morning to get him, as he requested, at 10.40am - safely missed his swimming training that started at 10.30 - very smart but in time for us to leave for youngest's karate so not annoying me!!
We had a good time there, youngest was really sweaty when he was finished so his work out was a tough as mine, then we had lunch and came home to chill. I really enjoy having him all to myself, with the youngest it's always tricky getting time just with them but we've got it sussed just now - he likes cooking so the twice weekly cooking sessions are proving popular, with all three of them actually, and another opportunity for one on one with all sorts of subjects coming up for discussion!!

It's a family thing!

We have got a temporary membership going for eldest so he can come to our gym with us and it's given us all a new level of enthusiasm for our exercise there. Youngest's pal is coming to one of his classes tomorrow too so we're making full use of the facilities with our dodgy weather!!
Oh and I've finally made it into the stone below - been stuck for a long time but the weight's finally going down properly and *I feel good, nana, nanah*:)
Only another week or so before Al's back but daughter might go off to Islay with a pal now we can't go as a family - it'll be a first but I'm gently encouraging her, spreading wings is what being a teenager is all about and she definitley needs to get hers flapping, lol!

This week's progress so far.....

Well the hall is nearly done, just need to dig out the sewing machine to get the curtains sorted and hang some pictures and it'll be completely finished, yay! I still managed my session at the gym this eveining with the wee guy and survived th cold shower afterwards too, something's wrong with the water in that place the spa was off limits and the pool was freezing, then the cold showers - not amused but I did mention it s, supposed to be o at least they might have a chance of getting fixed. Lots of people on their way out tonight and nobody but me mentioned it, strange!
Did a good shop y/day £61, supposed to be £60 for the week but I've got stores in for this and next week so still on track for my TMS challenge!!

That was a surprise that wasn't!

Hubby was told on Friday that he was being sent home early to get his broken nose fixed and because he wasn't needed on the ship in dry dock, but somebody has changed the rules and they need him now, :(
I have a to-do list that was getting too long for one week so I'm trying not to be too pleased he's staying aboard. The other thing is that he needs to stay out of the country for more than 6months each year to keep his tax money, so although it would have been good to see him, he would have had to stay out of the country at another time to make the right percentages
We were frantically painting the hall a light, supposed cream colour but it's pretty white, to give him a surprise but the steam's gone out of that now, no panic but I've a few ideas on new curtains that used to be in the lounge for the front door and to line the bathroom and bedroom doors as the frosted glass is a bit too see-through, oops!
So I've ended up with plenty of time to get these things done, must dig the sewing machine out of it's box and see how it actually works!!
I felt really pleased when I could tick off several items at once on my to-do list, yay:):)

What's $200 in £????

Over on the motivation station they're trying to see how far $200 will get you buying groceries, some posters hope to make it last 5 weeks, but I'll need tofind a currency converter to try this out- maybe about £300, need to check that but it's a challenge I can't resist!
Our second holiday over to Islay has had to be cancelled because after hubby's run in with head-butting thug, he needs rhinoplastic surgery and it has to be done when he's next home - so the ferry has been cancelled and all arrangements scrapped :(
The police have got nowhere finding the guy who did it and we're left with hubby needing surgery and a nasty taste in our mouths - not been back to Asda since it happened but should go to see if they've removed the sail-boards on the ceiling so the CCTV could be used to help others! So frustrating, grrrrr!!!!
Onto better thoughts, I've binned formal dieting and am using controlled eating, which mainly means thinking about what I'm doing *do I really want this?* *do I really need this?* and so far have lost another 2lbs in 2 weeks so having more success at the moment but still weighing snacks and carbs, eating loads of veg but less fruit - don't think the fructose was helping my quest for a fitter bod!
Oh and I've taken up running, only on the treadmill but I can sustain 11.5kms for minute bursts, I know I'm better at rowing but I can do 1km in 7.58mins which is mince but can only get better, 6months ago it took me 22.35mins to do 2kms so it's improving slowly but took my eye off the ball whilst concentrating on other things and have decided to work on improving my speed and style to speed up my weightloss too!
Right off to find a currency converter to see how far $200 will take me in Scotland, lol!!!

£303.03, I was pretty close so off to work out some menus:)