Woken by dawn chorus at 5.15 & got up for wee.  Couldn't get back to sleep.  Decided that if I was still awake at 6, I'd get up.   So - here I am.........


Done 5 loads washing; cleaned bathroom; stripped beds and made cauliflower soup for lunch.  MIL walked over from her house.  We walked up to the cemetery with her so she could put flowers on her DH's grave.  Back to our hjouse with her & had the aforementioned cauliflower soup for lunch before I drove her back home - she didn't want to walk both ways. 

Have promised myself that I will start drinking more water - hard when it's cold, but I'm not drinking enough, especially in the evening. 

Bank & shopping at lunchtime.  Mothers Day on Sunday so have to get something for the mums.  Not sure what to get......

On the radio they've been advertising a concert by Dennis Locorriere (ex Dr Hook) & Andy Fairweather Low at Tunbridge Wells on Weds next week - Mark's getting me tickets for Mums Day!!!

Managed to walk a bit this evening while watching them decide who will be our entry for Eurovision.  A reasonable song for a change.....

Manged to drink plenty of water.  Shame about the choccie snacks, but without them my calories would have been half what they should be.

Keeping Johnny off school again today - coughing like a seasoned smoker!  Hopefully the antib's will kick in today.  He knows that if he doesn't go to school tomorrow, he doesn't go out at the weekend.  May be a good thing - keep him in the warm for a few days to really shake it off.

Weather's not helping his recovery - still perishingly cold!  Weatherman said no chance of it getting warmer any time yet......gee, thanks.

Johnny still feeling like **** today so have made Dr appointment for this morning.  Told him if he didn't feel well enough to go to school, he had to go to the doc.  Chest infection - given antibiotics.  Old enough now to fill in prescription form & pick up his own meds - free as he's still in full-time education.

Continuing my walk across America (started 1st Oct. 2009):
Congratulations!  Your total mileage of 1071.0 mi now puts you in the state of IL on the TransAmerica trail.
http://exercise.lbl.gov./index.html;jsessionid=DB17BEE3F6D5F92E281F78BACDBFD4B0

Not a lot to report - I'll think of something for later.....

Johnny off school yet again today.  Can't seem to shake off this cough & cold - had it for nearly 2 weeks now.  Don't want to be too neurotic & whisk him to Dr unnecessarily, but may have to if it's not cleared by weekend.

Cold & frosty again....but sunny!!!

Usual Monday morning mania at work. 

So, Sandra Bullock gets 2 awards on 2 consecutive nights - Golden Raspberry (Razzie) for worst performance of the year (All About Steve). Then she wins Best Actress at the Oscars (The Blind Side).  She's the sort of gal who'll find that *very* funny!

Believe it or not - DH has just received a tax demand for.....wait for it......12p!

Up & breakfasted.  Now to tackle ironing - without burning myself this time!  Off to parents later this morning - DH wants me to pick up McD's for lunch from drive thru on way back.  That's really going to mess up my eating plan unless I can get away with just ordering salad for me.  DH had a big moan up last night about eating 'separate meals'.  I don't eat meat so last night they had spag bol & I finished off pasta salad from the night before.  What's the problem?  he doesn't do the cooking & we all eat together.  I ignored it & didn't rise to the bait.  No point arguing over such a trivial thing.  He was spoiling for a row - definitely a man thing.

Mum's been a bit unwell since returning from Madeira - stomach bug; earache & mark on lip which has suddenly appeared.  Went to Dr who told her she was run down & needed a holiday!!  They've been back less than 2 weeks!  Wish my doc would tell me that....

Feeling less heady after a decent night's sleep. only to be woken by bladder calling.  Brighter day - have even put some washing out.

Johhny off to school today.  They're offering extra tuition in Maths & English ahead of the exams in June - every Saturday morning until end of March.  Didn't go last Saturday because of birthday.  They're promised a trip of some sort at the end to act as an incentive to attend.  Wenever had this sort of extra help when we were at school.  We either did GCE (result based on exam only) or CSE (based on coursework & exam) depending on whether or not you went to a grammar school.  I went to grammar & did GCEs - so the result was based on just the exam - unfair if you were having a off day on exam day, but tough luck.....  Now all the exams are based partly on coursework and partly on the exam and have been renamed GCSEs.  Grade A, B, C in English & Maths is generally a minimum requirement for most jobs or courses on leaving school.

Considering I did 6 miles with Leslie last night, I was a little disappointed with yesterday's steps.  Just shows how little I was able to walk durung the day yesterday - too deskbound!  More of the same today.....Monday morning feeling on a Friday?  Not good.....

Temp got down to -5 last night - severe frost this morning.  DH de-iced the van while I spent a few extra minutes indoors in the warm.

Free to any takers........1 headache.  PM me if interested.......

One of my customers made me smile - she said that when she was working, Friday was known as POETS Day........Piss Off Early, Tomorrow's Saturday!!  Love it!

Wasn't able to POE as a customer rang just before 5 to say his boiler wasn't working.  Can't leave O people with no heating especially over the weekend, so off they went on a boiler-mending mission....Down to MIL after work for usual Friday evening visit.  then home.....unload washing machine & get stuff in dryer; make pasta salad for dinner; after dinner, wash up; unload dryer & fold washing; make bed; 3 miles with Leslie, then shower.  So here I am, all ready for bed.....!

How nice it is to see a (sort of) blue sky!!!!

Another very busy day at work, but am sneaking an hour off later this afternoon.  Johnny coming up to town after school for eye test and to open his first bank account with £s he got for his birthday.

20/20 vision - obviously didn't inherit his eyesight from his squinty-eyed, myopia-suffering mother.

Walked with Leslie tonight - The Big Burn 2 miles; Walk Your Belly Flat 3 miles; 5-mile walk - managed 1; total 6 miles in just over 90 minutes - not bad!  Now my legs are knackered!

Need a big kick up the backside to get back on the healthy food trail - slipped up badly over the last few days & it's beginning to show!  Not helped by the fact that DH wants Chinese tonight - I'll stick to mixed veg & mushrooms in gravy.  Guess who'll be walking to the shop to get it.....

Work over for the day - downhill til Friday!!!!  Loads of accounts stuff to do.......

Chinese eaten, now off to do some steps while watching footie - England v Egypt.  3-1 England!!  Yes!

Another very cold and frosty morning - roll on Summer, we miss you!

Johnny still full of cold but sent him back to school - he has important exams coming up & he needs to get all his coursework finished.  Never mind, tonight's curry will make him feel better - kill or cure food!

Happy St Davids Day!! http://sucs.org/~rhys/stdavid.html

Not a good weekend eatingwise - Johnny's birthday, so had loads of cake & things I shouldn't have.Comfort ate on Sunday bigtime - what else is there to do when it's pouring & you can't get out?  But it's a new month & time to get back on track.

New month = new comps.

Johnny off school today - sore throat, cold, coughing......started Friday evening & is progressively getting worse.  He'll spend the day sleeping.....as teenagers do.

The sun is shining & it looks bright out - but it's SO cold!!!!!  Added to which, someone messed around with the heating timer at work, so came into a cold office - not good for a Monday!

In honour of the Walk at Home during March competition I walked 4 miles with Leslie.


Pic - If you burn yourself, take care not to rub off top layer when in shower - it's sore!  Luckily, it wasn't very deep....

Absolutely pouring!!!!  May have to be boys' taxi service later.....

My 3rd anniversary on WT!!  Thank you to all the new friends I've made here - you're all terrific!!  And this site is awesome!

The boys are up & gone - they even stripped their beds & bought their dirty glasses down!!  Johnny knows that if there was any trouble, there would be no more sleepovers. They're not babies any more.......

Congratulations! you're 85,934 steps over your monthly   goal of 16000 per day.

Up early to await delivery of new mattress for Johnny - his birthday pressie!  lol  Not sure what time it's coming, but that will help solve sleeping problem for tonight - Johnny in his bed, 1 friend on futon & other friend on old mattress on floor - a tight squeeze in Johnny's room, but doable!

Johnny's plan of action for today, when he eventually gets up - Tunbridge Wells with mates for shopping, cinema and bowling; then back home for burgers & playing on XBox until they finally crash out at goodness-knows-what-time.  As long as they're good, quiet and don't disturb us too much, I don't mind what they do.....

Pic: Johnny - 16 today!!!!

Yesterday's bit of sun didn't last long - turned to rain & it's still raining now....well, it was......
But at least it's Friday & that's a good thing!

Loads to do at lunch - 2 bank jobs, Post Office, stationers, hand deliver local invoices - all in the space of an hour.  Hope Post Offce queue isn't too long - no time to wait.  Will have to eat lunch while working this afternoon - nothing unusual there.....

Lunchtime missions accomplished, apart from one invoice cos I ran out of time - I'll drop that through the letterbox on way home.  Over 8000 steps already today - shame I can't carry excess over to March.....

Confession time - broke my 'no unhealthy Lent snack regime and I'm blaming it on my sister!!  She bought me a box of chocs into the office - I had 3 & left the restt of the box in the office for the men to help themselves.

Left work just after 4 - everyone was back & all the jobs were done.  Early finish to make up for working lunch.

Have met February goal!!  And the sun is out.  Logged in first thing to see if @Vista's grandchild has arrived - not yet.   We're all still waiting.......

On his way back from a job, DH popped into McDonalds Drive Thru & bought 2 burgers & kiddie's portion chips - I had half the chips for snack. 

Nice walk out at lunch - spent most of the time trying to avoid charity collectors who seem to accost you at every
opportunity.  I give to various charities close to my heart - I resent having a collection box shoved under my nose or my pathway being blocked so I can take part in their 'survey'.

Tesco after work with Johnny to buy stuff for Saturday. He'll be 16 & is having friends for a sleepover. Chose a Thomas the Tank Engine cake - obviously a throwback to his toddler days.

Rang Mum last night - they didn't understand the full extent of the flood damage until Sunday as they were stuck in the hotel all day Saturday and the hotel was away from the main flooding area.  Little sis is doing well too after her op - off work until week after next, so plenty of time to recoup.

As for me - 8927 steps to reach February goal - easy!!
Fitting comfortably into my size 12s I bought on Saturday; am so close to goal, I can almost touch it - 2.8 to go!!  Life is good......would be even better if we had sun instead of this continual rain!

Parents are home safe and well - thank goodness!  Will catch up with them properly later.

On Saturday when the floods came, they were stuck in the hotel as the weather was too bad to go anywhere. Their hotel was high up so escaped completely undamaged.  They were told that 2 people had died down by the harbour, but were not aware of much else until my sister texted them after she had seen it on the news!  Ignorance is bliss.....They did not know the extent of the floods until next morning when the rain had died down.  Devastation everywhere......

Got the Wii Fit out this evening - did some jogging & walking.  Tried rhythm Parade but found it hard to walk in time and to do the actions as well - definitely a co-ordination thing, something I'm lacking.

Raining yet again - and it's Monday yet again!!

How's this for beginner's luck?  Decided to buy lottery tickets online using same numbers each draw & automatically checked online - won £10 on Weds and another tenner on Saturday!!  Just waiting for the big one now!