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Well that is what this week has felt like………..

The job that I loved has fallen through………failed probation which to be honest I am quite shocked at because I had no idea it was going to happen in a sense………..I believed it would be extended to take into account the health issues I have had since Christmas but alas it was not to be……………..so most of this week has been spent searching for a new job………….had one interview and got a call back to go again for a days assessment but when I sat down and worked out the pay against the hours it was completely naff and would not have given me quality time with my family and I have to put them first……………but working a 50 hour week for less than what I was on is completely crap……………so it is back to the drawing board……………I have applied for loads of jobs online………..two rejections because people are better qualified than me so will just keep at it and going out and about searching…………

Went for a long bike ride yesterday again……….found it hard work because of the wet ground in places and the new chain Tim put on kept slipping some of the time………….the solid tracks were good though and the target of a hot chocolate at the end of it was worth waiting for………………

Not long now til the Speedway season starts…………will be following the local team as usual but have been reading about one of my past heroes who has been unwell recently…………..Kelly Moran, an American who rode in the UK in the late 70′s/early 80′s who was absolutely brilliant in his day…………and it took me back to when all the American’s rode over here and we had all the test matches and America dominating the World Team Cup which was in a different format then………………..oh how things have changed with hardly any Americans riding in the UK these days but there are loads of young Aussie’s coming through the ranks……………Poole having both Chris Holder and Darcy Ward in their team is going to be good…………must try and get down there this year for a change……………..

Diet has gone out of the window this week because of what has happened…………..I hate not eating sensibly but things have got better as the week went on…………….got a nice Gammon joint today which is one of my favorites…………pity the rest of them are not that keen on it………………..

Off to see what else needs doing………………..

For some reason I have not really talked about my love of music……….it all stems back to the 70′s when I started listening to people like Donny Osmond and David Cassidy and it went on from there to bands like The Bay City Rollers and Mud though these days I prefer Rock music……….bands like The Foo Fighters and Kings Of Leon along with people like Paloma Faith and Paolo Nutini……….I even have some Jazz and Classical in there too…………really though I will listen to anything except Country……………I cannot stand it……….my current favorite is believe it or not Take That though I do like Snow Patrol and The Ting Tings as well………….currently downloading loads of music…………….the only trouble is everyone moans when I sing along as they reckon I can’t sing………….I can but not as well as I used to…………it comes from too many throat infections and bouts of laryngitis as a teenager……………….now the family say I sound like the cat has been strangled…………

Lost 3 pound in weight this week………..very pleased with that…….especially considering the amount of Toffee Pecan cookies I had at the weekend…………….though for the most part this last week or so the eating has been fairly sensible…………and cycling helps…………going out again at the weekend…………Moors Valley again I think as there is all sorts over there to look at and lots of paths we did not try last weekend with Ryan……….I just want to keep losing as I want to be a size 16 for my cousins wedding in June………….

Now that is going to be a very busy weekend as it is my birthday in the Friday, Matthew and Charlene get married on the Saturday and my Mum’s birthday on the Sunday…………..Party on I say……………never had so much going on on the same weekend ever in my life…………..

Apart from that still busy at work though it has been quieter this week…………started late but finished early as had some flex time due……….short day when you start at ten was wonderful………..even did the school run this morning for the first time in ages………….fresh air in the mornings is good…………..even if its only for ten minutes…………it worked wonders for my headache……………still waiting to hear when I have to go for my scan………….sooner they eliminate the potential serious causes the better………………..

Off to see what else is being downloaded and amend the menu plan………..

Not exactly the best of weekends cycling wise due to a problem with Tim’s rebuilt bike and the fact that I managed to fall off and twist my ankle a bit yesterday but the good thing was we took Ryan out and had a look round the cycle trails at Moors Valley Country Park…………..not the sort of off road stuff we are used to doing these days but the sort of thing that does not cause a problem for Ryan as he is still getting used to riding on two wheels………….did not fall off but Ryan did……….mainly trying to go through a gap that was too small I think………….

So other than twisting my ankle yesterday and getting a huge bruise on my knee where the handlebars dug in, I have also managed to fall down stairs and turn the same one and the headache is still there…………..so all in all not a good weekend health wise………………..

Been thinking about why this keeps happening………….may be I am just clumsy or may be there is an underlying problem…………….its not related to the headaches because I have always been like this to a degree though not as much in recent years………………..my balance is fine though I feel lop-sided because of only being able to see out of one eye and hear out of one ear properly………………whatever it is its driving me mad……………..

On a more positive note when it starts getting lighter I want to go out on the bike more to try and lose more weight and get more exercise……….I need to get on the Wii Fit more again………….in a sense I wish I could cycle to work because it would be good for me…………..except it is uphill all the way home more or less…………….

Off to get weighed tomorrow…………….more random mutterings after that…………….

Went for my ENT appointment this afternoon………..and had another hearing test……….they are trying to say that they are not sure what is causing the evil headaches I have been having but they do not think it is related to the Tinnitus……………..not impressed at all with that comment as I am sure there is some form of connection between the two………..the thing is that I now have to go for a scan and that I also need to have Tinnitus management……………Now can I have the scan at the hospital that is nearest to work?????? Can I heck………………Wanted to have it done at Poole but because of where I went for the appointment I have to go to Bournemouth Hospital which I do not like at all…………….

Hope to go out on the bike at the weekend…………if my head does not hurt too much…………I am also going to take the camera out………as I want to get some pictures while we are out………..might be doing part of Wareham Forest for a change………….not done over there before so it could be fun………….as long as there are not too many hills………….well steep ones that is…………..long slight inclines are fine but I hate steep hills especially going down them………….

I really cannot think of anything else to write at the moment………..more musings to follow…………..

Now sometimes I forget that I need to update this but apart from Tim’s birthday and me being ill nothing has really happened……………

Tim’s Birthday was good……….he liked what we bought him being the important thing and at least he no longer has to bend down to do bike maintenance…………..we did go on what he thought was a 15 mile ride but was actually an 18 mile ride on his birthday on the snow and ice which was fun…………and best of all I did not fall off…………….did have a couple of slightly messy moments when I put my foot down on the ice and nearly went sliding all over the place but managed to stay upright in the end…………..it was better than riding in the mud or sand……….mud is my least favorite surface to ride on especially wet mud as it is so hard to ride through but then dry mud is easy to get caught in the ruts…………………but the more I do it the more I enjoy going out on the bikes………….and hopefully when the weather improves we may venture a bit further afield……………

Being ill has not helped…………I have been to the doctors 4 times in the last two weeks with a headache problem which is driving me completely mad…………and before you guys say anything I know I am more than a little mad…………I have been diagnosed with Tinnitus (ringing in the ears) and have to see the ENT people………….this has contributed to the headaches which I now have decent pain killers for…………..they also checked my vision today which is not affecting the problem as is normal…………..well normal for me………..those of you who know me well know that I can only see out of one eye……………I don’t see it as a disability because it is all I have ever known………….anyway I have been told to rest this weekend so will not be cycling but might take the camera out somewhere for a bit………….

The diet is starting to get back on track now that Tim’s birthday is out of the way……….back on the menu planning and other odds and ends that seem to fit in with it all………….though somehow I don’t think cream cakes should figure in it at all…………….and for some reason at the moment I crave chocolate……………I am trying to work out why though…………..and no I am not pregnant……………too old for all that……………

That’s all for now………………back soon with more words of wisdom………………

Yep that is the plan for this year………………..I need to change certain things in my life and for the better so that is my goal…………..

By the end of the year I would like to be……….

At least another 3 stone lighter

Be on a lower dose of anti depressants

Be more calm and rational about things

and do exactly what I say I am going to do and then do it instead of delaying it

I have had a few tough times trying to come to terms with things……….some of which I prefer to forget ever happened, some of which I am glad happened even though it should have been done differently and some of which should have happened but for whatever reason did not…………..well not in the way they were planned anyway………….

My dreams for this year are to be fit and well for as much time as possible………….to get out on the bike more……….to get more other exercise…………to still be happily married to my wonderful husband………..and for the kids to be happy in what they are doing……………

Today has been good……..a nice long walk and now puddle paddling for a change but there was a lot of ice around…………..I just hope that if we get snow I can get to work……………Can’t ride the bike as my knee is playing up and driving me and I still have this headache which will not go away…………….may be I need to get it checked……………

I need to stop eating crap as well…………just as well nearly all the Christmas goodies are gone………..the sweet stuff has been my downfall this year………..Stollen, mince pies, chocolate…………..the serious diet starts again now………….I have Tim’s birthday on Saturday coming and want to do a nice low fat meal for him……….a really diet friendly one…………..so I’m off to look at recipes for the day…………….could be fun trying to find something that we both like…………

I have been watching what is going on for the Speedway season too………..looks like Poole’s team is almost complete…..what with signing Darcy Ward and bringing Davey Watt back in to go with Chris Holder things are shaping up nicely……………..I hope to get down there a few times this year and would not mind doing some photo’s……………as the collection needs a bit of variation in it now…………..

Oh well back to the meal planning……………….

As I said before this year I was really enthusiastic about Christmas……………and I was not disappointed……..

There was the usual chaos in the run up hampered by the bad weather which of course did not turn to snow……………was fun and I was very well organised for a change…………all the presents wrapped by 9 on Christmas Eve………..everything delivered and collected Christmas Eve…………big food shop done on the Wednesday…………along with some hand delivery cards……………and the great waterproof sock hunt…………………

The day its self was amazing…………….a nice leisurely start to the morning with the kids opening their ‘Santa’ stuff………a beautiful watch and bracelet from him indoors along with some of my favorite music………..Tim did well as did the kids…………..they had loads of stuff and the lounge still looks like a bomb has gone off in it…………Dinner was good though a little late due to the roast potatoes taking longer than planned……………..all very diet friendly…………….and then to my Mum’s for Boxing Day tea…………again all very diet friendly and loads of it…………

Been out for a Bike Ride on Boxing Day too and fell off again…………..and got wet feet……….but it was a route we had not done before and will do again when it has dried out properly………………total ridden 15.1 miles……………also did a 5 mile walk this morning from Burley down the old railway line to Holmsley and stopped at the Old Station House Tea Rooms for Tea and Dorset Apple cake………………

Have been very good with food and not gone too mad with the snacky stuff…………..I prefer savoury to sweet snacks any way……………Pretzels and Twiglets rock and are not bad calorie wise…………..off to be weighed again tonight………

More random mutterings soon…………..

Been through all the stuff we have bought for the kids tonight…………..they have got quite a lot from us again this year………….but then we only really spoil them on Christmas and Birthdays any way………….I can’t say what we have got them in case one of them reads this but lets just say it will be a battle over what is on TV…………….or either of the games consoles……………..thought I had lost one of Tim’s presents but I found it again thank goodness……………

I am so looking forward to having a decent amount of time off over Christmas for a change…………8 whole days………..woo hoo…………………Time to get stuff done including teaching the 9 year old to cook………..well that is what he says he wants to do…………will have to try and teach him even though I am not the worlds best cook myself………….not sure what he wants to make but we will see…………….other things will include getting out on the bikes a few times………hopefully for a fly as well if the weather is not too bad and Baiter is not too wet………….you never know……………also try and get the tidying up to scratch as well…………

Not been cycling today………..too cold and I feel a bit bunged up but might try tomorrow……………I am still struggling with hills though…………..I hate going down and struggle going up sometimes especially when I feel bunged up or my knee pops………..still tomorrow should be a fairly flat run if we go over Hurn Forest………..I want to try some other places with not too many hills in them………….sort of off road routes but not too off road………..I think I prefer the trails anyway………..

Still dieting and still slowly losing weight…………..as long as it keeps coming off I don’t mind…………..even going for the low fat Christmas snacks as well this year and very little alcohol………………..I think that is what caused the amount of weight I gained last year………………….so have stopped all together but may have a couple of glasses of wine with Christmas Dinner………………

More ramblings as the week progresses………………..

Ok so for the last two years I have been very Bah Humbug about it but this year I feel so positive and good about Christmas that I want the whole world to know……………..

I have presents done…………non perishable food bought………..Turkey is in my Mum’s freezer…………so all in all I should be in a position on Christmas Eve to only by the fresh stuff we need………….and to top it all I have the most time off over Christmas this year that I think I have ever had in all my years of working…………….I finish on 22/12 and go back for just one day between then and 04/01……………I am so looking forward to it……………

What I love about Christmas is the sights and the smells………….now they have got rid of that awful cone in Poole town centre and got a real tree I think that Christmas is really almost here………….I love cooking the dinner……….seeing the kids open their presents………..watching TV as a family and there are loads of other things I love as well…………in fact the only thing I hate is wrapping presents because I am not very good at it…………..

On the subject of presents we did our Secret Santa at work today……………..I got a cook book that was written by the spy author Len Deighton……………….who used to be a food writer for the Observer a while back…………..whoever got it knows that although I am on a diet I am very much a foodie……………

Been out cycling at the weekend…………only once though cos the other time Tim let me have a lie in……….only to be disturbed by Ryan telling me where he had gone and Kristie telling me the same but also that she was going to work…………………grrrrr I love lie ins but hate being disturbed………..I managed to surface at about 9.45 about 5 minutes before Tim got back………….

Not a lot else to tell right now………….more soon……………..with Christmas musings…………..

I am not the best when it comes to writing on a regular basis but having realised it is almost a month since I wrote anything I thought it was about time I did something about it………..

Still cycling found it hard going last weekend but that could be because I felt rough………..still enjoying it and I am not falling off as much but still have big problems with hills which I must overcome………..I just don’t seem to like going down anything too steep…………it scares the living daylights out of me watching Tim go down them sometimes and it really puts me off………….think I have mastered most of the uphill runs we do but do struggle sometimes…………we have a couple of books on cycle routes, one for this area and one that is UK wide…………………..

Still working hard at losing weight………..and it is sort of working……………finding low calorie warm lunches has been fun……….although we have a microwave at work I prefer not to use it so have found some noodle/pasta/cous cous snacks you make in a mug………..and very nice they are too……………I am also planning a Slimming World Christmas menu full of no syn goodies and low syn snacks to have……………….

Still working hard but did take a network day yesterday to finish my pressie shopping………..well almost……….just three secret santa pressies and a big thing for him indoors to get………….the kids stuff is either here or on its way and they are in for a treat…………..I love looking for ideas for them all the time and hopefully they will like what we have chosen……………..

I have a lot more enthusiasm for Christmas this year than I have had for the past few years………….I love cooking dinner on the big day………I love when the tree goes up which happens in the couple of days after the kids break up from school…………..in fact the only thing I hate about Christmas is wrapping the presents……………….it does my head in as I can never do them tidily……………there always seems to be too much paper and one end is always longer than the other…………how can anyone wrap stuff neatly……………Need to get started on the cards this weekend too………Ryan designed one at school and we have had that printed and we now have them to send out..he did say that he thought Santa looked like a devil but I think it looks sweet……………

And I shall leave you with a comment that Ryan made the other day…………

Ryan…Mum I know why we have presents at Christmas…………

Me……Ok and how do you know why………….

Ryan…Because when the Three Kings visited baby Jesus they took him Gold, Frankenstein and Myrrh………….

Cue me collapsing in a fit of hysterics……………….

And on that note………….Good Night…………..