Another day in paradise

Another day goes by so quickly!

I stayed up until 1.30am yesterday trying to buy the new release rubber stamps from Lili of the Valley and the site kept crashing. Total nightmare and I was so excited too. So in the end I went to bed with nothing bought..... gutted!!

The alarm went off at 7am and I usually stay in bed for a little longer. Yesterday I was up at 7am, downstairs and at my pc ordering (successfully) the stamps I wanted. So hopefully my order will be with me very soon. I can't wait to start playing!!!

No wonder I was shattered last night.

After my successful online shopping I had to go to work of course. Our receptionist phoned in sick - well her mum did and told me she would be off for the rest of the week probably - she has flu! Having said that I told her last week it might be an idea to go home because she wasn't well - but she stayed and spread her germs and I think I am getting it now - nightmare. Saying that I too am sat at work coughing, also spreading my germs!

After I got home from work I did 20 minutes Zumba Fitness on the xbox kinect before preparing dinner and eating. I had a little rest then I went back on the kinect and did Dance Central and Adventures - totalling about another hour. Then it was off up the stairs to do the card I have been putting off for ages.

Ta da! I am happy with the results and I hope Alan likes it.

After that it was time to have a shower and relax - it certainly was a busy day!

Today was meetings day - my favourite day of the week - NOT. But on the bright side I was leaving at half 12 on a half day because I was going to the parent/teacher thing at my son's school. Of course I didn't take his report did I? - oh no that would be the sensible thing to do and totally out of character for me! To be honest I didn't really need it apart from the C grade he was given for Learning for Life and Work was changed to a B because the teacher said it was a mistake giving the lower grade - I am pleased because Jay was disappointed in that grade, he said he works hard in class, which his teacher agreed with. In fact all his teachers told me that he is a quiet, hard working, young man and a pleasure to teach - what more can a parent ask for? So final results from his school report is 5 A's, 2 B's and 1 C - to say I am very happy is an understatement.

Also this evening was Fat Club - I went to the 5.30pm class as I was home early. So after being weighed, my first weeks weight loss is........................ 3 1/2 lbs - yay - I am happy with that! I stayed to class and got home just after 7pm, lovely hubby had already got the SW chips in the actifry and all I had to do was prepare the gammon steaks.

All in all it's been a very good day I will be going to bed a very happy person!

I'm waiting!

Before I say anything I would like to point out that this is NOT a card I have made (I wish!) - it was made by a designer for a company called Lili of the Valley Ltd. I am using this image because at midnight tonight I am hoping to buy their new design rubber stamps to use on my cards. So I am patiently, or not so patiently as the case may be, waiting for midnight to strike so I can order my new toys..... Ok I still haven't done the 2 cards I need for this months birthdays - men are so hard to make for! The word is procrastination! Big word I know but it describes me perfectly today!

I am hoping to have a really good tidy out in the spare room aka the craft room - I have lots of stuff already that I know I won't use so I am hoping there is a charity somewhere who would love to have some craft items. I have started the tidying but that 'p' word has crept in and I am a bit fed up with it now - so much craft stash and so little time!

So the diet/eating plan/Slimming World........it seems to be going ok - its not been a week yet and I am hoping it is working - yes I have been bad (not food bad) and I stepped onto the scales last night before I went to bed and it did show I have lost around 2lbs - but I soooo want to lose about 5 or 6lbs in the first week! I really will have to do some exercise. Well hubby is out at work tomorrow evening so I might try Zumba fitness or Dance Central on xbox kinect - as long as I raise my heart-rate its exercise!

I made Wild West burgers tonight, even though I hate touching raw meat (I wore surgical gloves) and I have to say they were very, very tasty. They even stayed together in a burger shape while I was cooking them. Jay didn't want one but he tried some of mine and he said it was nice - praise indeed considering both hubby and son think I burn everything I try to cook! I have told them on more than one occasion that I used to cook all the time pre-moving to Belfast and the ex didn't die from my cooking and Jay is still here so therefore it can't be that bad. My problem of course is that if I leave the kitchen for the allure of my pc then inevitably, yes I forget I am cooking and something gets a little well cooked. Oh well they do say that burnt food makes your hair curl and my hair is dead straight so what does that prove?

Work - now there is a bad word today! I was late because of the stupid buses. Why can't they be on time and not early? Oh I know, coz if they were on time then it's no fun when people miss them! I was only 10 mins late but I knew I was on my own so I wanted to get a running start. Oh little miss efficient! Anyway of course the usual Mrs Moan was sat in my office and her first words were - where is Leaine? Lucky so and so was at an interview so wasn't in. I have to say good luck although I would hate to see her leave. So I told Mrs Moan that I was on my own today, listened to the answer machine and then turned it off - wow BIG mistake - the nightmare began. I have to say it was a very, very busy day and it was very hard work to get work done but there is no procrastination at work and I worked through everything I wanted to do today despite being the only admin in the building. There was one call today that made me smile - a young person was having difficulty so his mum was on the phone to me, lets just say, more than once! Anyway she said 'is that Karen, the wee English girl?' (oh I love been called a wee English girl - when I reality I am not wee, yes I am English, and was a girl a long long time ago - bless you R for making my day!) - I digress - anyway I said yes that's me. She said 'oh R told me to phone you because you will sort things out, he says you are such a nice girl' awwwww what a nice thing to say!!!! I would kiss him tomorrow for those comments but knowing my luck I would get done for sexual harassment! So 20 appointment letters and a letter to the Police later, numerous phone calls and quick lunch and a long long afternoon 5pm finally came around and I ran out of that office faster than a greyhound out of a trap!

I really must get that card started - oh and finished because the first birthday of the year is only 8 days away and it needs to be posted to England........ I wonder if there is any inspiration on the Lili of the Valley site.................. oh oh the 'p' word again. P R O C R A S T I N A T I O N!!!!!

Back to the real world?

Well it was back to work on Tuesday - why did I even consider that things could be different? Same complaints, same way of dealing with them - go behind your back and complain to your manager. The sad thing is that if we were asked why there are 2 dirty great big boxes on the floor of the office I could actually say why! Complaining behind my back to my manager is just a pain in the ass to be honest and means I am emailing my manager instead of getting on with work that needs to be done! The boxes are being dealt with - until someone from head office collects them and gives me the proper paperwork they are going nowhere..... live with it - anyway its my office and it doesn't annoy me so why does it annoy you?

Having said that it was good to be back and back into a routine. Work may be crap sometimes but you know where you are with it. Plus the Consultants I work for are great - it's other management that is the problem. So my resolution for this year is not to let the ignorant so and so's get me down - so far so good but its only been a 3 day week!

I took a days leave on Wednesday as hubby had a hospital appointment and because its an eye thing he can't see to drive afterwards. We parked at my office then got the free shuttle bus between hospitals for NHS staff - finally we have a perk of the job! We arrived for the appointment early and hubby was taken for his eye test straight away. We had to wait a little while to see the SHO who did all the testing and was happy with the results. She told the consultant her findings and he was happy enough not to have to see hubby so we were sent on our way with an appointment for 6 months time. I have to say that the SHO was very nice, she answered our questions and actually had time for us. We haven't met this Consultant yet, the last Consultant hubby had had retired since we were there last.

Because we used the shuttle service we had to wait for another bus so we treated ourselves to a breakfast from the hospital restaurant. It was very nice and came to a huge £6 for the two of us. So it was back on the shuttle bus and back to my office to collect the car. Home and hubby went to bed as his eyes were sore.

While hubby was in bed I completed a workout on Sports Active 2 for the xbox kinect. It was very good and I only hope I can keep exercising with it - the only problem for me is there isn't enough hours in the day to get everything done! I know I need to make time.

I re-joined Slimming World on Wednesday evening - I really had to because even though I had lost 42lbs with them before and kept it off for over a year, bad eating habits had slipped back in and most of the weight was back again. The plan is different this time around and much easier. I can't believe how much I am enjoying the plan and the food. I am really positive and looking forward to stepping on the scales next week.

Thursday and Friday were the usual routine for work and even though it was a short week I looked forward to 5pm on Friday!

Jay and I went into Belfast on Saturday, Jay to buy some games, I wanted my craft magazine and hubby wanted me to get him a game and some dual layer dvd's that I can only get in 1 shop in the city! So we got the bus to the city centre. 1st stop the craft shop where I bought the magazine and I also bought a border punch - I love border punches for some reason! I only have male birthdays coming up so won't be using it for them! 2nd stop was mplex where I got the discs, 3rd stop was Game where we managed to get everything else that was wanted and then we headed home. So a very quick, successful trip which considering I hate shopping was very good indeed!

Everyone went their own separate ways for the afternoon. Hubby should have been referee at a football match but the pitch was frozen so he called it off at the pitch inspection. My step-son always comes up on a Saturday so hubby and TJ played xbox all afternoon, Jay was on his xbox with his mates playing his new games and I was messing on my pc trying to make my own crossword puzzle to use for the topper for a birthday card. I have it done but have yet to print it! I am quite pleased with the results and the pic will be here later this week once I have made the card up. Once TJ went home we did the usual Saturday night thing - watch TV - I know, I know, how can life be so exciting?

Today we headed to town again as hubby heard that a game he wanted was only £12.98. It was just a quick in and out although I bagged a couple of bargains on the way out! Including a casserole dish for the oven as I didn't have one and I needed one for todays dinner! Hubby is enjoying his new games, I prepared dinner and that's it - weekend nearly over!

So the Slimming World thing.

So far so good. Yesterday I seemed to eat masses of food so I really can't see how you lose weight but I know you do - my jeans actually fastened today without me lying on the bed and stopping breathing! Thats only on the 4th day of the eating plan - the great thing is you are never hungry - or at least if you are you are doing it wrong!

I am loving the recipes in the SW magazine I bought the other day and there are masses I want to try out of the book I bought at the class. Also, now we have the Tefal Actifry, SW chips are a doddle to make and as tasty as ever.

On Saturday I treated myself to a full English breakfast (well brunch by the time I got around to cooking!) I had toast, bacon, egg, mushrooms, tomatoes and beans. For dinner I made Classic Chicken Curry and rice out of the magazine and later on when I felt I needed a nibble I did cold meats, pickled onions, beetroot and cucumber. I really fancied something sweet later on so I had a Muller Light yogurt which is free to eat anytime on the plan. I felt really pleased with myself because I didn't eat 1 syn all day (even though I am allowed up to 15 a day). Why use them if there is nothing you want?

Today I had scrambled egg on toast for breakfast, for my lunch I had the cold meat thing again (well it needed to be used up) and for dinner I have made SW Beef Bourguignon which we are having with boiled potato and mixed veg (one of the bargains I bagged today at B&M - its the only place I have seen that brand of mixed veg in Northern Ireland and they are my favourites, so I bought 4 tins!) No syns so far but if I fancy something later I know I can have something. That is what I like so much about this eating plan!

Mmmm I'm hungry now - not long to wait for dinner.....

New Year - New Fad?

With it being a new year and all that I didn't bother with a resolution. I know I won't keep one so what's the point in torturing yourself?

But I am starting back at Slimming World on Wednesday. I got all my excess weight off with it before and kept it off for over a year - I could blame putting weight back on on Tommy getting sick, and it didn't help eating take-aways between hospital visits, but the only thing I can realistically blame is myself and my lack of will power - and the only person who can fix it is me! I would like to lose at least 2 stone by the time we go to Florida in August - if I could manage to lose 3 I would be even happier! I would weigh less than my target weight the first time around!

To this end I splashed out on EA Sports Active 2 with heart monitor and resistance band for the xbox Kinect - a bargain in Argos, £46 instead of £60 in Game. I thought I would have a go this evening but it took that long to set up that our dinner was ready before I'd started to exercise. The good news is my resting heartbeat (well setting up the stupid game not sat on my ass) is 68 bpm which is pretty good for an overweight, 40-something woman. I must remember to wear a sports bra when I go to exercise though..........................

It's back to work tomorrow for me - I am not unhappy about going back but it's always a chore the first day back. Jack goes back to school too. I will have the car because Tommy is off until Thursday. He has a hospital appointment on Wednesday so I will be on leave to drive him as it's his last eye appointment since he was ill - hopefully. So back to work for a whole day, then a day off and back for 2 days so not a bad start to 2011 workwise.

I went to Hillmount Garden Centre this afternoon - without hubby and son because they can't stand going there. I was hoping to get a couple of bargains in the craft section but there was nothing that was in the sale - even the Christmas stuff was still the original prices - so didn't get much, just some nice paper flowers. I was hoping to get the new Docraft Creativity magazine which came out on 1st January, but of course it wasn't there! Talk about a wasted journey. Oh well I am sure I can make a detour on Wednesday and get it at the craft shop on the way home from the hospital. The sooner they start selling that magazine in shops the happier I will be!

I put my new calender up today - since I took the old one down and put it back up again my mistake - DOH!!!

I only have 2 male birthday cards to make for January and the first is 2 weeks away so I still have time to tidy the spare room aka the craft room. I did start sorting it out but I ran out of enthusiasm for it...... I will try again at the weekend!

Wish me luck for my first day back at work tomorrow.

2011 - New Beginnings?

Happy New Year!

2011 already - It doesn't seem 5 minutes since the last new year started.

So a new year - time for a new start?

I promised myself I would keep this blog going and what do you know? Yep I stopped doing it - story of my life! I kept a diary for about 12 years, faithfully every night. You would think it was even easier with a pc to record everything with ease but in typical Karen style I stopped bothering - although life did get a little frantic for a while........

It's a long one!

Jan 2010
My lovely cousin Ian, who was only 4 years older than me and was one of my best friends phoned to say goodbye. His illness had taken it's toll and he was near the end. The phonecall was one of the most emotional of my life. We laughed, we cried, we said our I love you's and our final goodbyes. He was going into hospital and wouldn't be coming out and didn't want visitors or phonecalls - he just wanted to go - he had suffered enough.

Sadly things didn't turn out like he planned. Because of the bad weather his quick trip to hospital ended up being a much longer stay and where in their wisdom and against Ian's wishes, the doctors decided to fight the 'big C' even though the battle had already been fought and won by this awful killer.

Mar 2010
My lovely cousin was still struggling, by now he was very ill and was being looked after in a Hospice - it was his birthday the day before mine but I couldn't send a 'Happy Birthday' card so instead I sent a 'Just a note' card and a long letter. He always loved my letters - he said I wrote like I spoke - probably a load of old rubbish - and perhaps he was right!

Apr - May 2010
Ian finally slipped away, 4 months after our goodbyes. Even knowing all that time that he was going to die didn't make it any easier. Because he died at the end of the month it was May when we went home for the funeral. Ian's mum, my Auntie Naggy, asked me to speak at the funeral. I wrote that eulogy at least 5 times but eventually I was sort of happy with it. I was proud of the start of it...... although on reading it to my mum I was asked to change it slightly, so instead of it saying "I was volunteered by my mum who said I have a big gob" I had to change it to "I was actually volunteered by my mum because as she would say, I certainly can talk, a statement which I am sure Ian would agree with!" I preferred the first version because the Ian I remember would have wet himself laughing AND agreed whole-heartedly! The vicar at St Leonards was lovely and we had a chat the day before the funeral so I knew where I would stand etc. I know the Church anyway as I lived in the town for the first 21 years of my life and it was the Church I had my 1st wedding in - and went to nearly all the family funerals, including my dads! In fact I think the last time I was in the Church was for that reason. The funeral went well and I did manage to speak clearly - ok there was a lot of sniffing and I really wish I had taken another tissue to the stand because there was snot and lots of it!

On the day of the funeral my lovely hubby Tommy said he wasn't feeling well. We were too busy that day to think about it much and the next day we were off to Stranraer to catch the ferry back home to Belfast so we didn't really think about him being ill. We got the 8pm ferry home and by the time we were less than halfway home we realised that Tommy was more sick than we first thought. He rang the out of hours doctor and made an appointment to go to the clinic as soon as we got off the ferry.

We got the the clinic and the Dr said it was a chest infection, it was bad, Tommy had to go on a nebuliser twice before his breathing improved but it was his blood pressure the Dr was worried about. Anyway Tommy refused hospital and was sent away with antibiotics and was told to see his own GP.

On the Monday Tommy contacted his own GP and his antibiotics were changed. On the Wednesday evening we were sat watching TV and Tommy said his eyesight had gone all blurred and like a fog had covered his eye, so next day he phoned the GP who gave him another appointment and said he would ring him back. I arranged to leave work and come home to get him to his appointment. In the meantime the GP rang back and told Tommy to get to the Royal Hospital eye casualty immediately! Luckily I was already on my way home so it was a quick turn around back to the hospital where 2 hours later we were still sat. Eventually the consultant saw Tommy and suddenly things started happening. Basically his blood pressure was so high he could have had a massive stroke at any moment. He was admitted to the hospital straight away. The problem with his eye was bad - it was probably permanent but only time would tell. In subsequent appointments his eyesight has almost returned to normal and there is a hopefully final appointment next week.

Basically Tommy has a condition known as 'Super Hypertension' - it is now controlled with medication he will probably have to take for the rest of his life - but he is alive and doing great so that is all that counts.

All in all Tommy was in hospital for 8 days and on sick leave for 4 months before going back to work in September.

Since then he has started being an official IFA football referee and has a match most weekends - apart from the last few weeks with the weather being so bad. We also booked our holiday to Florida as we thought we needed something good to look forward to!

So finally goodbye 2010 - to be honest I am praying this new year is going to be better.

So here we are up to date - you can see why I was a little preoccupied and forgot all about blogging.

Last night we went to a party at Tommy's mums and got a taxi home with his auntie and uncle at 1am - time for bed zzzzzzzzzzzz

New start 2011.

We had a lie in - as you do. I got up first and spent a while on the phone to family back home in England. I spoke to my sis-in -law, my brother, my nephew and my great niece in one phonecall. I spoke to my auntie Naggy in the next call, all the time looking for my mum! Eventually I phoned my brothers house again and found out where my mum was - she was there!! She hadn't been the first time, she was at her friends house collecting him to go to my brothers for dinner.

This time I spoke to my mum, Alan, both my nephews and Tia, my great niece, who ordered her birthday card for March.............. fairies, princesses and castles - I just hope I have a card big enough!

Got a phonecall to say our car was being driven back from the in-laws as we left it there last night.

We have had a lazy day. I took the Christmas Tree down - I need to make a list of Christmas cards because I always forget to send one to someone! I played Monopoly, Wonders of the World, with Jack and he thrashed me by buying a hotel on Angel Falls - an apt name to land on when it bankrupt me! Although it was fun, it has been ages since we played a game together.

Tommy and I watched Wall-e as we had never seen it then we prepared the rest of dinner. Had a lovely dinner of Turkey, roast spuds, loads of veg and gravy - yum yum!

As of next week Slimming World starts again! I have to say I am quite looking forward to it.

I intend to spend the rest of the evening doing as little as possible.

We may have no water from 8pm as over the last few days our water has been on a rotation system, ours gets turned off and others gets turned back on - honestly you would think its a third world country! So the bottles are full of water again and we await 8pm to see if it is us this time as the website says Castlereagh - when ours has been off this week it said Leven Drive..... Although Castlereagh Borough Council did bring us 3 bottles of water yesterday - after the water had been off for around 14 hours but had come back on again..............

So that is my life up to date....... still a secretary, still happy and still making cards - when I can get back into the spare room as I decided to sort out - and I am still sorting!!!!

Happy New Year and welcome to a snapshot of my life...... hopefully a blog about life and my obsession with making cards........