Pleasantly Plump

No longer pleasantly plump but officially porky! I’ve been reading about the consolarium team’s #wiifitweightlosschallenge on twitter. Decided to get myself organised for a fitter me in new year. Unfortunately it took me two evenings to find enough batteries in the flat for my wii to get going, however this gave me the chance to stock up on additional bouts of crisp and cheese binging prior to the weigh in, also stuffed in a few special puddings and chocolates. Now I’m not publishing my weight like some…However suffice to say I was still hanging in there on the overweight bit (just…) not yet into obese, so was mighty relieved! My plot is to to continue with the no smoking – I’m now several weeks in and the world smells a much brighter place. I’ve rejoined the gym at Hamilton Water Palace and will need to shift the blubber with bouts of that in addition to the wii fit. Not yet brave enought to get the no1 son to get me out running (that’ll come later when I’m less lardy, don’t want to scare people in the street). I plan to invest in a new bike at the end of the month as my previous one got stolen last year. The one bright light on the wii was I’m four years younger in wii fitness than my real age (which is of course still 21) and apparently a bit of a muscle builder! I will keep the blog updated with progress, pitfalls and weight loss (hopefully)

Relaxing Saturdays..

Where did they go? Did I imagine them? How come despite cleaning and washing all week everything breeds and mutliplies in time for Saturday? Ah well. Onwards and upwards. Everything has been  moved kitchenward. Can’t get in the kitchen door but another push and it’ll be sorted. For another week…

Stuart and Henrietta

Pictured here after their wedding. The wedding took place in a small town called Szentendre just outside Budapest. This is in the town square after the church wedding. We tottered about in our heels on cobbles with great difficulty so were glad to get seats in the centre at a cafe and chill for a couple of hours.

Uncle George, father of the groom,  in Panama hat…. with best man.

And one roasted son in the heat, after a boat ride up the Danube from Budapest. He ended up later in the evening after a traditional Hungarian game at the reception with the bride’s garter, which caused him great consternation.

My favourite game was the dancing with the bride game when the master of ceremonies held a huge mixing bowl and wooden spoon with a cloth over it. Banged on it for at least half an hour while Henrietta danced with everyone who paid money into the bowl. Sometimes one person, sometimes a wee group, this wasn’t my shuffle around slowly dancing, but fast exhausting stuff, a pretty hefty work out. Luckily before this dance she’d changed out of her wedding dress and into a traditional red dress which looked at least a bit cooler for dancing in.

School’s back

Thursday and Friday were Inset days. Most of the schools re-open on Monday apart from those who may be unpacking for a day in their new builds. Enjoyed doing a vision and values session at Loch Primary, who are awaiting a visit from HMIe over the next couple of months. They’ve been doing lots of really good work from introducing VCOP strategies in writing, to working on Games Based Learning, to some really interesting work in the early stages using new planning formats to enhance their active learning. The staff area always really up for it. Spent a morning working with the extended team in the area (Specialist Support Teachers, Behaviour Support, Home School Partnership etc) and staff from David Livingstone Behaviour Base also attended. We spent time looking at JTE materials (a sore head was had by all with a JTE quiz I made up) and how CfE planning materials linking in with IEPs could be further developed this session. Enjoyed a visit to Cathkin Community Nursery’s Fashion Show. It was well supported by parents, the children and others from the community such as the Head of Education and the Provost. 10 Mums had been working with a variety of workers for 10 weeks on cofidence, health and well being etc and it was entitled Look Good Feel Great. To finish the course off they all had a mini make over and paraded the results with the help of Camglen Radio. It was great, loads of cheers, smiles and tears. Next week I have a busy couple of days at a pre area committee agenda meeting, HT Staff Development Reviews in a couple of schools and catching up with improvement planning then I’m going to Budapest from Wednesday to Sunday and back to work next Monday when we have a few sessions after school – Ollie Bray on developing technologies one evening at Cathkin Primary and a preparing for HMIe session with SMTs where we have some talking head guests who are associate inspectors, have recently been through inspection etc.

In the meantime I’ve been spending the weekend mostly cooking… After 23 years of marriage I’m ashamed to say that I could count on one hand the amount of times I cooked a meal as hubby did it… So in our house over the past year we started with the little plastic bags you heat up in the microwave, with noodles and bits of chicken and whatnought in them from Asda. We moved on to a variety of one pot type things – stew, soups, spag bol etc. But I’m getting a bit better, I’ve noticed the boys are going through less snacks now as they eat more of the meals I produce. So I’m feeling pretty proud of myself. There has been a concern raised in the house however that once I discover how to make something I tend to make it for several nights in a row… The suggestion has been made that I vary this more regularly. For instance in recent weeks we have been mostly eating a variety of Thai curries which I vary from green to red, sometimes with noodles and sometimes without….

I’ve been enjoying a couple of Christopher Brookmyre books this week and am reading a nice wee novel by another Scottish writer called BuddhaDa. Bruce’s show has been going well, although he tells me he’s drained. I’m contemplating a hobby…. Now I spend time thinking about them, but tend to be a bit slow on the moving forward, I’ve narrowed it down to three things I’d like to take up – horse riding(because I’ve never done it for ages), kayaking or belly dancing. I’m thinking my age and body shape may be most suitable for the third option. I’m watching the movie Factotum tonight which I’m looking forward to after my weekend of cooking, packing and cleaning!

Devlins Daily Link

Daily show is here on the stv player. I’m very proud of him, particularly as I remember him well as a small boy. To keep him occupied we gave him a tambourine to play with our band, it was the only way to keep him quiet as he did enjoy getting some attention…. Some things never change… He was a wee trial but he’s turned out fine!

Ironing and Inset and Devlin’s Daily

I hate ironing… 12 shirts today and various other items. Vile. Apart from that I’ve had a pleasant couple of days – went to see my friend’s festival show launch Devlin’s Daily. It will be streamed daily on STV. He’s very funny live and this show gives a flavour of lots of acts that are on with them guesting during lunch time daily. It’s getting on for a year now since my husband died and Bruce has been a particularly good friend during this time, keeping me occupied by phone calls and texts, and raucous nights out, when I’ve needed some cheering up. Sometimes you really need a friend like that who doesn’t dole out advice or try to help – just let’s you be, and has a damned good gossip with you. Saw a couple of DVDs – Midnight Meat Train and Tigerland. Bought my Jonathan Richman tickets for Oran Mhor in October – I love going to see him live, he’s always good value. Signed up for a couple of classes at the gym.Anyway next week is busy – a few establishments due HMIe follow throughs over the next couple of months, so catching up with that, a couple of sessions at Inset Days on CfE and Vision and Values Development, and then the following week I’m taking the last of my annual leave for a while  from the Wed to the Fri and going to a family wedding near Budapest in Visegrad.

Boys are good for…

Further to the sons… They do have some redeeming points. This past month they have introduced me to an, Its always sunny in Philadelphia, boxset, reminded me that they already had some of the holiday books I bought in Fopp, in their rooms (I’ve trained them well in book, CD and DVD purchasing)… which saved me some money on returns – Self Yann Martel, The Wind Up Bird Chronicle  and What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami and Love In The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Unfortunately I have to admit they’ve developed my love of comedy movies, kung fu films and anything with blood and gore, car chases and shoot me ups. My guiltiest secret of all, they’ve got me just loving Seth Rogin.

Drains

Preparing for a holiday when leaving two grown boys at home alone is wearing, now they’re not little, one is 18 and one is 22, but….. They are old enough to cope but…..The main concern was the cats’ survival (I reckoned boys would be ok for a week they could always visit a friend’s for food) … So one litter locker later, extra cat food, new toys, scratch posts etc (for the cats)and I thought I had it sorted. Trip to Asda to find unpleasant, “boys who can’t cook” food – pot noodles, pizzas, .pork pies, orange juice and spinnach (their only nod to good health) and plenty loo rolls. Money left behind. Emergency numbers inserted on their phones….Eight page spreadsheet of daily tasks seemed to make everything clear e.g. “do not empty cereal bowls directly into bin, empty into sink then use sink drain to get the leftover cereal bits and put in bin” or “when removing bin bag, put inside another bin bag just in case you emptied cereal bowls directly into bin, this stops drips of sour milk landing throughout house when taking bin bag out..” or “when cooking chicken, defrost first, after your last cooking debacle”.  Spreadsheets stuck on fridge and in bedrooms and in hall. Anyway so it went on. A week later I return from Portugal to find the kitchen sink blocked, cats are ok, but dishwasher has flooded and 40 wet towels are over the floor. The party clear up had been very impressive as all I found was one bottle top down the back of the couch and a cigarette end in a bedroom, not bad, but probably a pretty poor party!. Dynorod visit, £150 lighter and I spend two days washing and drying towels, redoing the whole spreadsheet thing, more nasty food to leave, cat litter clear up etc and off I go to see my Dad in Chester. On arrival back home all appears well, but no…. I arrive back from work today to discover they’ve now blocked the toilet. Duh!!!! I’ve tried a plunger, an untangled metal coat hanger and rubber gloves to no avail. Back to dynorod who will come tomorrow, in the meantime we’re visiting the neighbour. …..

Anyway the holidays went fine, but I’m glad to be back at work for a rest from this keeping my boys right carry on. I’m taking a day off to go to Edinburgh for the day on Friday, I hate to think what they’ll block, burn or destroy.

Visegrad

Booked a wee jaunt today to Visegrad outside Budapest for a family wedding. Looks lovely. That visit to Hong Kong has spurred me into action, time I did some more travelling!

Holiday Fever…

You can feel the build up in the air gearing up as you visit schools as we near the end of May, and best of all this Saturday is apparently going to be scorchio! Poor Ollie Bray was marathoned out by his visit to some of the area establishments the other day. Not only that but he’d to put up with my driving. I’m sure his eyes were tight shut on occasion. My driving style is like an elderly uncle of mine who used to talk, point etc whilst driving and put the fear of death in me every time I was in his car. I’m off now to read some stuff related to what we saw in Hong Kong by F Marton.