Month: April 2017

Moments*

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Push self quite hard at Spin but mainly concentrate on keeping up with The Boss’s pace.  Here is graph:


Also work on keeping-my-clothes-on, as you can see in photo above, which is a part of Project Balanced Personality.

After lunch sit with the fluffy monster in the garden, drinking lemon squash and listening to The Kinks.  It’s cold, so wear my dressing gown, pyjama trousers and slippers. Here is the fluffy monster chewing the eucalyptus tree:

Settle down for Body Scan meditation but can’t sleep so now am listening to The Kinks again, drinking coffee and writing this.  The parentals are at Costco.

Listen to my German CD for a bit earlier and will do more German later.  Have forewarned New Chap about my feather allergy so he can find some appropriate bedding for my visit.

Need to pack up what am taking back to the flat tomorrow as we’ll be setting off for a family event straight after the 90 Minute Bank Holiday Spin class in the morning.  Will have to get changed in the car.

Need to have a bath and wash hair soon.

Happy Sunday everyone!
*1971.  Song by The Kinks.  By Ray Davies.  From the soundtrack to the film Percy.

Got To Be Free*

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Mum’s garden is looking wonderful. Look at the tulips:


And the pansies:

More of the tulips:

And this clematis which climbs above Furry’s grave:

Push myself hard at Spin, whilst also keeping up with my instructor (see attached photo).  Am improving my posture and of course am working on my Balanced Personality.

Here is graph:


See my psychiatrist Dr Stein today.  He is pleased that mood has remained up for six months, which is the longest time ever since have been seeing him – which has been about seventeen years.  So it seems that new drug combination of Lurasidone and Venlafaxine is working.  He is also encouraged that holiday went well and that am planning to visit New Chap.  And he is pleased for me about my future Spin Instructor Course.  So, all in all, a good session.

Go with Mum to the garden centre and we buy three globe artichoke plants and a new red azalea to live where the dead ceanothus was at the front of the house.

Have booked my Minx toes and lash tint for just before my trip to Abroad.  So that’s done.

The parentals are going out tonight so will be looking after my fluffy monster and watching Midsomer Murders with him whilst knitting.

Am listening to The Kinks still – the CDs that my Uncle sent from abroad.  Am drinking coffee and lemon squash with fizzy water and thinking about my bath that will run in a minute.

Happy Saturday everyone!
*1970.  Song by The Kinks.  Written and produced by Ray Davies.  Appears on the album Lola Versus Powerman And The Moneygoround, Part One.  The song was also used in the First of the BBC’s Play For Today series The Long Distance Piano Player (1970) which features Ray Davies, the song’s writer, in the lead role.

Where Did My Spring Go*

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It’s ridiculously cold and it rains this morning on my walk to the station.  On the plus side: the house martins are back from Africa: swooping and diving above me as I walk down the road. See them for the first time this year this morning when am walking back to the parental home after training.  They return to the same house and they nest under the eaves there every spring.  Then they fly back to Africa: taking the fledglings with them on the perilous journey.  Every April it’s a miracle when they are back.  Wonder exactly where they go in Africa…

Also see this lilac:

And this blossom:

And this lilac:

And this blossom:

And this lilac:

Push myself hard at training and trainer is pleased with me.  Have put the arm extension up to 40kg and the pulley up to 25kg.  Even put the chest press up to 15kg which is a bit heavy so put it back down to 12.5kg for the next three sets.  Do four sets of everything.

Here I am at training:


See also attached photo.

Cuddle my fluffy monster on my return to the parentals and my aunt pops in for lunch.  It’s lovely to see her.  Then go shopping with Mum to purchase some more food for the fluffy monster.

Also buy these for my trip to visit New Chap which will give you a clue to where am going:


With my natural facility for Foreign Languages am sure will pick it up in no time at all 😂😂😂.

Now am drinking coffee and lemon squash with fizzy water and listening to The Kinks.  Need to book new Minx foil wraps for toes and lash tint for my trip.  And must continue to work on my Balanced Personality.

Right: need a bath before supper.

Happy Friday everyone!
*1968.  Song by The Kinks.  Appears on the album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society.  

Mindless Child Of Motherhood*

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So, it seems that I have some Work to do if I’m going to pass the Spin Instructor Course.  The Master says I need to:

  1. Put my resistance down.
  2. Push my pace up – keeping to the instructor’s pace.
  3. Work on my posture.
  4. Develop a “balanced” personality.

“Does he know what’s wrong with you?” Mum says when I tell her this. We’re in the framing shop, picking up my now-framed Pet First Aid Certificate.

“Yes,” I say, gazing at my Certificate.  Well done me.  “He does, but I need to do less jumping up and down and squealing and singing along and more…”

“Did he say he’ll give you a job?” Mum says.  “When you’ve passed the course and…”

“I need to concentrate on passing the course first,” I say, as we enter the greengrocer to pick up some English Asparagus – yay.  “And balance my personality and…”

“How are you meant to do that?” Mum says, picking up some broccoli and mushrooms and placing them in the basket.  “That sounds like a job for your psychologist, if you ask me.”

So, Project Balance begins from Now.  Whilst we work on that, here’s a photo of the fluffy monster from last night:


Isn’t he the most beautiful person in the world.

In Exciting News, have booked my flights to see New Chap.  Am going 25th to 30th May: to Abroad.  Alone.  Can’t wait!

Listening to The Kinks.  Will have a bath in a bit.

The attached photo is from this morning’s Spin class with my lovely instructor.

Happy Thursday everyone!
*1969.  Song by The Kinks.  Written by Dave Davies.  Appears on the studio album Arthur (Or the Decline and Fall of the British Empire).

Phenomenal Cat*

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It’s 6.33pm.  Have achieved a successful afternoon sleep.  Am back at the parental home.  Look what has arrived – all these CDs of The Kinks from my Uncle in Abroad:

See this ceanothus on my forty minute walk to see my psychologist this morning:

She is pleased with me about signing up for the Spin Instructor course and is also pleased that mood remains up, and that enjoyed holiday.

The fluffy monster is sleeping in the playroom.  The parentals are watching Homeland.

When am waiting for the train here at about 2pm there is a hailstorm!  Get soaked.

Soon it will be suppertime.  Next task is to book flights to see New Chap.  Am excited about this.

There are a few good things happening at the moment: it’s proper Spring now, I have a New Chap who is looking forward to seeing me, I’m reunited with my fluffy monster.  Feel cheerful about the immediate future.  

May even achieve a bath before supper.

Happy Wednesday everyone!
*1968.  Song by The Kinks.  Written and produced by Ray Davies.  Appears on the album The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society.

The Adventure Of Wisteria Lodge*

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Achievements Of The Day:

  1. Wake up at nine o’clock just before the alarm.  Can’t get to sleep for ages last night so need the rare lie-in.
  2. Walk to Dolly’s – 75 minutes or so – wearing coat, leggings, boots and gloves.  It’s freezing!
  3. She is So Happy to see me after my two weeks away from her.
  4. It’s cold but sunny for our walk.  Show you:
  5. We see this Mini:
  7. And this horse chestnut tree with pink flowers:
  9. Have just booked to do the Schwinn Cycling Bronze Certificate so can be a Spin Instructor!  It’s 2nd – 3rd July.  Excited!
  10. Listening to Various Positions and thinking about what to make for supper.
  11. Probably The Omelette.
  12. Chat to the decorators who are painting the outside of the building.  Say “I hope you don’t mind Leonard Cohen.”
  13. “I prefer Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen,” the older one says.  He is holding the ladder.
  14. “What about The Kinks?” I say.
  15. “Oh, I like them,” he says.
  16. This is excellent as my CDs of The Kinks are on their way from my Uncle in Abroad.  So soon can play them to the decorators.
  17. Am So So Excited about my Schwinn Cycling Course.
  18. Seeing psychologist tomorrow. Can see her locally again, now that don’t have to work at the Book Shop on Wednesdays.
  19. Have chats with MadFatRunner and Hannah, which is nice.
  20. The wisteria photo is a house on the way to Dolly’s home.

Happy Tuesday everyone!
*1908.  By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Sherlock Holmes detective story that appears in the collection His Last Bow.  Was originally published in the Strand magazine as “A Reminiscence Of Mr Sherlock Holmes.”

Everything’s Gone Green*

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It’s 5.11pm.  Lying in bed after another unsuccessful afternoon sleep, know that need to tidy up a bit and achieve bath before Suzy arrives in an hour.  

Push self very hard at training today and put up some of my weights: now lifting 15kg on the pectoral machine, 25kg on the pulley and 40kg on the arm pulldown one.  Trainer is pleased with me.  Also have lost a bit of weight I think, or maybe it’s that have gained a bit of a tan.  You can see my gym outfit in the attached photo.  Am seeing trainer again on Friday…

Anyway: enjoy watching last night’s Grantchester at lunchtime whilst knitting.

Photograph all the trees on the way home from the gym.  Their leaves are new and shocking in their greenness:

Look at the ballerinas on the horse chestnuts flagrantly displaying themselves:

Wonderful blossom:


Sadly Mum’s ceanothus at the front of the house has committed suicide. They are out in force round here though:


All these leaves are new since my return from holiday.  It seemed that winter would last forever, but it didn’t and now it’s Spring.  Yay!

Have unpacked suitcase, hung up all my dresses and put everything away.  Suitcase now back under my bed.

Happy Monday everyone!
*1981.  Song by New Order from the album Movement.  Released as a single.  Written by Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner.  Produced by Martin Hannett and New Order.  Reached Number 3 in the U.K. Independent Singles Chart.  

Why Don’t You Try*

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It’s six o’clock in the evening.  Am listening to New Skin For The Old Ceremony.  It’s good to be reunited with my Leonard Cohen box set.  Am drinking lemon squash and thinking about all the things that need to do around the flat:

  1. Unpack suitcase and put clothes away.
  2. Unload dishwasher.
  3. Make supper.
  4. Have bath.

Afternoon sleep was unsuccessful: couldn’t sleep, so am exhausted.  Maybe am still recovering from all-day-Spinathon.  Somehow have run out of coffee.  Will buy some after training at gym tomorrow morning.

It’s a beautiful day: London Marathon Day and St George’s Day.  A couple of my purple tulips are flowering in the garden.  It is sunny but cold outside.

Push self hard at Spin this morning. Here is graph:


Spin outfit is in the attached photo.  Am thinking about training to be a Spin Instructor.  There’s a course in July…

This morning meet a fourteen-week-old St Bernard in the village.  He is so soft and fluffy.  Ask his owner if he needs any help with him but he declines my offer, which is a shame.

Think will just post this and then watch Born To Kill? whilst knitting.  A new series of The Durrells starts tonight at eight o’clock so will watch that.  Will record new Grantchester at nine o’clock as will be asleep by then and watch that tomorrow.  

Suzy is coming to see me tomorrow evening and maybe she will talk to me whilst I unpack suitcase.

Happy Sunday everyone!
*1974.  Song by Leonard Cohen.  Appears on the album New Skin For The Old Ceremony.

The Winner Takes It All*

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Just this minute have arrived home from the Eight Hour Spinathon.  Achieve Six Hours of Spin.  Am so pleased with self.  Wasn’t expecting to manage more than four hours, but start at 11am and just keep going.  For Six Whole Hours.

Here are some photos from the brilliant event:

Can’t remember the last time had such fun.  Instructors came from all over the world to lead the sessions.

Apart from Sore Feet, feel surprisingly fine.  Don’t even feel tired.

It will be suppertime soon so just want to post this and then have a well-deserved rest and cuddle my fluffy monster.

Happy Saturday everyone!
*1980.  Single by ABBA from the Super Trouper album.  Written and produced by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.  A major hit for the band, it was Number 1 in Belgium, the U.K., Ireland, the Netherlands and South Africa.

On And On And On*

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Wake up in my bed at the parental home.  It’s good to be home, although there is no sea view, no brother and no sunshine.

There is a parcel waiting for me on my return and it’s this, sent by the lovely author herself:


So that’s something to look forward to reading once have finished We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson, which started on the plane yesterday.  It’s brilliant so far…

Push self hard at first Spin class for almost two weeks.  Here is graph:


One of my lovely Spin chums is taking me to the all-day event tomorrow and bringing me home.  Am charging my MyZone belt as it will have a lot of work to do tomorrow.

Have unpacked a bit although have to take some things back to the flat on Sunday, so suitcase still seems full.

On the not-plus side: pop into the Bookshop for a coffee and it turns out they don’t need me anymore, due to circumstances outside my control.  So that is a shame.  Have a little cry but it will be OK.

Here is new puppy client who will be looking after for Daycare from the end of May: 


She is a Bear Coated Shar Pei.  Isn’t she gorgeous.  Am looking forward to getting to know her and to cuddling her.

The fluffy monster enjoyed his holiday and seems happy to be home.  Here he is, back on his office chair, getting on with some Important Work:


Now that am home, Headache has returned.  It was absent throughout Holiday.  Wonder what that means…

Am scribbling this lying on my bed listening to ABBA’s Super Trouper album and looking forward to supper which will contain either artichoke or English Asparagus – yay!

So, just have to Keep Buggering On and hope that mood doesn’t crash.  It hasn’t done so yet, which is good.

Have been chatting to New Chap and am planning to visit him soon, so that’s something to look forward to.

Happy Friday everyone!
*1980.  Single by ABBA from their Super Trouper album.  Written and produced by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.