Sunday 30 September 2012

dietdevil: Heavenly spuds.........Tuesday is another week.

dietdevil: Heavenly spuds.........Tuesday is another week.: So today I have pottered about and have finally got round to making the delicious potatoes dauphinoise that I have been hankering after all...

Heavenly spuds.........Tuesday is another week.

So today I have pottered about and have finally got round to making the delicious potatoes dauphinoise that I have been hankering after all week. I could have gone for low fat - a friend of a friend found me a recipe but I was weak and caved in and I have to say the aroma of thinly sliced potatoes simmering in warm cream and garlic and topped with gruyere cheese is just too too lovely.
 
There is just something wickedly indulgent about cream and garlic and I know I had every intention of eating super healthily this week and I know that I will probably need a pint of Gaviscon before bed but I just want those potatoes and I feel it may do me more harm in the long run to deny myself and that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
 
Last night was a good night out - starting at The Sloop on the harbour front. I love this pub - everyone always seems to be in such a good mood down there and it's got the beautiful view of course. By the time we got to the restaurant we were all a little tipsy - some more than others! - and I was starving. I had my usual food but stuck to vodka and diet cokes so today I had no hangover and managed to get all the things done that needed doing.
 
And tomorrow is the start of yet another week and on Tuesday I will go to fat club and be a bit more motivated.
 
The only potatoes I will eat will be jacket ones.
 
There will be no cream at all on them.

Saturday 29 September 2012

dietdevil: Life's too short to say no to a STP!

dietdevil: Life's too short to say no to a STP!: So another mad day in St Ives. I managed to survive without bursting into tears and shouting at too many prople so I would call it a succes...

Life's too short to say no to a STP!

So another mad day in St Ives. I managed to survive without bursting into tears and shouting at too many prople so I would call it a success. It started off cold but the afternoon turned into a proper scorcher. I wish I was on holiday right here in this town.
 
Tonight I am going out for a meal for a friend's birthday to my favourite restaurant! - I love it there and I particularly love their sticky toffee puddings. I know I am meant to be behaving myself this week but after the weekend I have just had I think I deserve a treat and I honestly don't think I can sit there and not order one. I browsed the menu earlier on in the week when I was being ultra angelic and I thought ''oh yes, I can have grilled fish with mash and water'' - now I am thinking ''pass me the wine and get that duck filo parcel, sirloin steak and stp in my belly''.
I have an issue with paying for a meal that I could have cooked myself and anybody can grill fish so I am going to forget I am following Slimming World and follow my hunger instead.
 
We have had a bit of an incident with the spaniels today. I left the room for a couple of minutes and came back to the usual bedlam.
 
Freddy had eaten the end off an umbrella and Mutley had eaten at least a couple of sudafeds. He has slept all afternoon and oddly enough he didn't snore once - he seems to have very clear sinuses. My spaniels will eat absolutely anything but even I was surprised at their choice of snack today.
 
It's also X Factor tonight and I am recording it to watch later if I haven't had too much wine.
 
Martha has her friends coming round to watch a dvd.
 
Hattie is probably going out to hit the town in Cheltenham.
 
Hubby is glad that he's got some peace and quiet.
 
I am deliberating as to whether to have clotted cream or ice cream with my pud .......................it will most probably be  both!

Friday 28 September 2012

dietdevil: Friday flowers

dietdevil: Friday flowers: So today is Friday and the first day of my working week. Have I mentioned before how much I hate Fridays? Everything goes wrong and I still...

Friday flowers

So today is Friday and the first day of my working week. Have I mentioned before how much I hate Fridays? Everything goes wrong and I still have to organise myself and others for tomorrow. It technically wasn't that busy today and should have been easy but as seems to happen every single week, someone will let me down.
They may only have a small flat or cottage to clean but by texting in sick - or worse than that, just not turning up it means that I have to rearrange everything at the last minute in between answering the phone, answering the door, handing out keys, giving directions and generally having a little nervous breakdown.
Today was no exception and I had had enough! Every single Friday throughout September I have had people unable to work at the very last minute. I do acknowledge that holiday property cleaning is at the lower end of the scale when it comes to a career choice, but in Cornwall when most jobs rely on the tourist industry there isn't a lot of options.  I often wonder if they would be like this if they worked in an office or Tescos and I do quite get cross that as it's 'only cleaning' it seems to be the first thing to be dropped when people tot up their list of priorities for the week.
 
Julia witnessed my meltdown - the tears flowed and in between gulps and snot I managed to convey why I was so upset. I do hope that this hasn't clouded her perception of me as a calm and cool person.............
 
Martha did her last day of work experience at the flower shop over the road and brought me home a beautiful boquet that she had made herself.
 
 
 She doesn't particularly want to be a florist but is quite creative and has really enjoyed working there this week. The fact that the shop is literally about ten paces from where we live was a deal breaker in choosing her work placement but she has had a great time. Lizzie the owner of the shop is a realy success story - she took over the running of the shop and bought it when she was , I think only 20 and has built it into one of the town's most thriving independent businesses.
 
Hattie is off to visit 2 of her friends at Cheltenham Uni this weekend and has also been job hunting. The novelty of having gone out every single night since she returned to Cardiff seems to have worn off a bit now and it's time to knuckle back down to her studies. It's 9 days since we took her up there and I am counting the days until I see her again.
 
I too must knuckle down to the joyous task of sorting out my end of month invoices and  wages and then it will be October ...............and another 4 Fridays.

Thursday 27 September 2012

dietdevil: Hormones and hotpots.

dietdevil: Hormones and hotpots.: So today I am feeling very hormonal - am not quite sure I am ready for the menoapuse ( I hope not anyway) but my feelings today are up and ...

Hormones and hotpots.

So today I am feeling very hormonal - am not quite sure I am ready for the menoapuse ( I hope not anyway) but my feelings today are up and down like a yo yo.
 
I was left alone with the spaniels this morning and they couldn't have been naughtier or noisier - I was a nervous wreck at the end of it and even took a couple of Kalms tablets. They know how to play me - big time. Of course by the time hubby returned they were sitting looking at him with wide eyed innocence and were at their cutest. I read out my list of bad deeds - cat chasing, the odd wee from Freddy, a banana stolen from the fruit bowl, growling at an old lady outside etc etc. They only ever do it when I am in charge and I wasn't impressed.
 
 I am nearly finished our current book group read 'The Kashmir Shawl' by Rosie Thomas. It's a story set in India before , during and after the war and I have already welled up a couple of times and I think the floodgates may open later when I come to the end of it. I love books set in India and the far east but the poverty  and seemingly nonchalant attitude to death is hard to comprehend.
 
I do think however that it's a reflection on how well a book is written if it can evoke such feelings.
 It's easier watching a film because when you can see something, a reaction is fairly understandable but to read a book and to cry or laugh at it means that the author has done their job.
 
 Lots of books have made me laugh ( all the Adrian Mole stories, Starter for Ten, Bridget Jones ) but not many have made me cry - the last one that did was Atonement by Ian Mckewon but when it was made into a film the emotion sadly  just wasn't there for me.
And this is  why I urge all readers, to read it first before seeing the film version!
 
It is also day 3 of being 'good'. I really wanted to make potatoes dauphinoise but despite trawling the internet for various takes on the recipe, there was no way I could do it and stick to my healthy eating intentions. That delicious potato dish required a LOT of double cream and although I suppose I could have used yogurt or egg yolks it would have not tasted how I imagined it would. It would have tasted like potatoes with yogurt and egg.
 
So I stuck with thinly sliced potatoes and made a sausage, bacon and bean hotpot.
 
 My hubby and Martha were dubious and I saw a couple of worried glances exchange between them. I think I even heard a whispered comment and a giggle. I then caught my hubby slipping an emergency pie into the oven too - oh him of little faith! He was also very crafty and had shoved it right to the back of the oven  hoping that I wouldn't notice but he really should know me and my eagle eyes by now.
 
Well the outcome was - Martha is on her second plate and  hubby said ''I take it back, it's top nosh''. I liked it but I am now having a bit of a meat sweat.
 
Oh and Mr Cynical still ate the bloody emergency pie...........................


Wednesday 26 September 2012

dietdevil: Look. it's cake, ok?

dietdevil: Look. it's cake, ok?: So today I think I have more than compensated for the whole non milk/stale bread fiasco , or 'breakfastgate' as it's known in our house. I ...

Look. it's cake, ok?

So today I think I have more than compensated for the whole non milk/stale bread fiasco , or 'breakfastgate' as it's known in our house. I made soup - normally I am rubbish at soup but this was delicious, I warmed and buttered baguettes ( not for me obviously ) and I am about to tackle something creative with salmon and rice.
I also made cake.
When I say 'cake' I mean couscous cake which is a sort of Slimming World friendly delicacy that after a while does taste quite nice. Don't get me wrong, it will never be a belgian bun but it's quite nice for a quick nibble of an afternoon. I have just had a slab with a nectarine and a banana and it will hopefully keep any cravings at bay.
The strange thing is that if I didn't need or want to lose weight and I could be one of those enviable prople that could eat everything then I don't think cake would come top of the list. It certainly wouldn't come above wine or chocolate but when dieting there is something extra comforting about having supposedly illegal foods that are allowed with a few nips and tweaks. Wine is wine and chocolate is chocolate and no amount of nipping and tweaking is going to allow me to have a huge chunk of Cadbury's or lots of wine on a regular basis.
 
Winter has well and truly arrived in St Ives and I have been cold all day. One of the spaniels has chewed a hole in one of my slippers and I am fed up with having a cold right foot. I had a wander through town today but the only slippers for sale cost £25 and I refuse to spend that amount of money on something I could buy in Primark for a fiver.
 
The sea was rough and I had a drink with a couple of friends in a restaurant right on the harbour and the waves were huge - one even splashed against the window  (which was luckily shut) and the remaining tourists were loving it. I was a little concerned with a couple of parents perched right against the railings on the harbour with a toddler in a buggy - they may have been laughing about it but I'm sure that the baby wasn't.
 
I keep thinking that it's a week ago that we took Hattie back to Cardiff. It was a lovely sunny day then - how things change in 7 days.
 
We presume she is well as she appears to be enjoying Freshers Week 2 - we haven't heard much from her but the photos on Facebook show her happy and loving life....which is good.
 
I am now going to do things with salmon, find a fluffy right sock to make up for the slipper and fill my hot water bottle.
 
I will not have any more cake .

Tuesday 25 September 2012

dietdevil: Day one and no belgian buns.....

dietdevil: Day one and no belgian buns.....: So I returned to fat club and I had gained 4.5 pounds.    In the grand scheme of things this is acceptable. I reckon if it hadn't been ...

Day one and no belgian buns.....

So I returned to fat club and I had gained 4.5 pounds.
 
 In the grand scheme of things this is acceptable. I reckon if it hadn't been for that flipping belgian bun yesterday I would have lost a couple.....it was the size of a small European principality - speaking of which - if anyone in Monaco is reading this, then please follow me.
 
I weighed and then made a hasty exit.
 Basically we had no food in our house this morning so I had to do a dreaded Tesco shop. We had enough milk for one cup of coffee each and the couple of slices of bread we had left had gone stale. We also had no shampoo or shower gel.
Martha was not happy .
I am lucky that social services haven't been alerted to her plight.
 
So off we went - have I mentioned before how much I despise supermarket shopping? I'm an online gal through and through as I figure I spend less, ie, no subliminal freshly baked bread smells to entice me and no special offer doughnuts at every corner.....but I had left it too late to shop online so I had to man up and do it the old fashioned way.
 
I was ruthless - sort of.............there was a couple of packets of cakes for ( the very slender ) Martha thrown into my trolley but the rest of it was healthy healthy healthy!
 
I think I did really well bearing in mind I had committed the cardinal 'syn' of dieters and shopped whilst hungry. I had missed dinner last night as I had to dash off to do a quiz up at Morvah and the slab of coffee cake and then lemon meringue pie I had in the interval had not filled me up. I had gone to bed hungry, woken up hungry, grabbed a quick bacon toastie after weigh in and then had shopped hungry. It's a wonder I didn't rip open a tube of Pringles on my way round but I made do with a few slurps on a diet coke.
 
So a big pat on the back for me today - I had  a salad with yogurt and fruit for lunch and this delicious steak in a chilli and mushroom sauce with baby new potatoes roasted in their skins with garlic and green beans....
 
I have also had a cheeky glass of wine with it but
no
belgian buns
have
passed
my lips
today!
 
My next hurdle today is to watch The Great British Bake Off tonight - after watching it last week all I wanted to do was eat puddings.
 
Help!

Monday 24 September 2012

dietdevil: A shaggy dog story.......

dietdevil: A shaggy dog story.......: So I decidded to go to the deli for a nice sandwich for lunch and I banged into Ellie, one of Hattie's friends and she had this gigantic flu...

A shaggy dog story.......

So I decidded to go to the deli for a nice sandwich for lunch and I banged into Ellie, one of Hattie's friends and she had this gigantic fluffy dog with her - called Ticky.
 
She looked like a husky but wasn't a husky and I can't actually remember what breed she was but she was gorgeous! She has the most amazing fluffy coat and brilliant markings on her head and she loved being made a fuss of, which I'm sure must happen wherever she goes.
 
Obviously when I came back the 3 spaniels could smell her on my hands and their eyes were bulging with jealousy and intrigue. They haven't left me alone since and I have had to do much assuring that they're still the number one canines in my life.
 
Back to Slimming World tomorrow and I am half dreading it and half looking forward to it. I have had the lovely sandwich as mentioned above and a Belgian bun to settle my nerves . I will do a Tesco shop later to ensure that I have healthy food in the house and will try and avoid any buns, Belgian or otherwise from tomorrow and onwards.
 
Tonight I have written a quiz to raise funds for Morvah ( a nearby ish village in the middle of the Cornish countryside) art gallery and I am hoping there will be a good turnout. I love writing quizzes and am much better at writing them than playing them. My friend Debbie has done an excellent round for me to use but I can't divulge any more information incase any Morvah-ites are reading this blog - I'm sure they have the internet up there so it's a definite possibility.
 
I love the spirit of goodwill in a small community like Morvah - last time I went there was to a Young Farmers carol service at the church where both my girls were doing a reading. It was dark when I parked my car and I did wonder at the time why on earth everybody was carrying torches.
 
I found out why on the way out of the church when I fell from the top to the bottom of the church steps. I was extremely embarrassed, my kids were trying their hardest not to cry with laughter and apparently as I hobbled off to my car I wailed ''THE COUNTRYSIDE SUCKS''.
 
I am hoping tonight that I manage to remain vertical but I will be tucking a discreet little torch in my handbag just incase.............

Sunday 23 September 2012

dietdevil: Lots of sleep and a proper job roast

dietdevil: Lots of sleep and a proper job roast: So today I had the rare indulgence of no work so decided to go back to bed with my kindle.  I am nearly halfway through our book group bo...

Lots of sleep and a proper job roast

So today I had the rare indulgence of no work so decided to go back to bed with my kindle.
 I am nearly halfway through our book group book and I need to finish before the next meeting as I won't be allowed to attend - it was a rule that I imposed due to non readers so I have to adhere to it! I managed to read quite a bit more but then I succumbed to a lovely little nap and when I woke up I thought 'hmmmmm, sod it, I'm not cooking dinner'. So I rang our local pub and a table was booked at The Sheaf of Wheat.
 
I adore Eric's carveries - they are just totally lush and indulgent ..................and the wine isn't bad either! I think it's a reflection as to how good a pub /restaurant is by the amount of local people eating there and the place was packed at 6 pm and it would also be packed any other sunday of the year which is good.
 I had roast pork and all the trimmings and I also had a strawberry gateau ( Slimming World - please don't judge - I am coming back on Tuesday ) with ice cream which Martha helped me to eat and it  was like angels dancing on my tongue. 
 
My next dilemma 'diet' wise is when I return to fat club on Tuesdayis -  do I carry on and take my inevitable gain on my chins or should I go and be a mid west baptist teenager born again virgin and reaffirm my Slimming World vows?
 
Any sensible suggestions would be grateful.......................I am drinking a diet coke whilst weighing up my options - it will be the only weighing that goes on in this house until Tuesday morning - ''sob''
 
 

Saturday 22 September 2012

dietdevil: Crackle Crackle Roar.........

dietdevil: Crackle Crackle Roar.........: So I don't know about anybody else but today I have been absolutley freezing.  I noticed an autumnal smell yesterday and although the sun w...

Crackle Crackle Roar.........

So I don't know about anybody else but today I have been absolutley freezing.
 I noticed an autumnal smell yesterday and although the sun was out the air was definitely crisp. I love Autumn and the smell that I usually associate with it is fire.

When I was a little girl in Alnwick my Dad used to take me to the Guy Fawkes night every year at the local rugby club and I loved it. We would buy cardboard torches and there would be a procession through town with them all blazing. There would be a sense of great anticipation in the air and the odd rogue banger being let off along the way. Once there, I would spend most of the evening hidden underneath my Dad's coat as the noisy fireworks used to actually really scare me but I would always come out for a cup of warming country vegetable soup or a toffee apple, sold by the local Round Table.
 Without meaning to sound like I am 80, back then fireworks were a once a year event - and created a real sense of occassion which was relished  by the whole community. They are a regular occurrence down here now - often at weddings etc and maybe it's just because I'm not 8 and hiding behind my Dad, but these days I don't like them at all.

What I do like however, is a roaring log fire.......................just like the one I have this evening.
 
Back in the  1970's everyone had a coal fire - central heating wasn't that common and every morning my Mum would rake out the grate and set the fire for that evening. In Northumberland I'm sure we must have been very cold through the day as the fire was never lit until teatime so I guess that's why our Mums were always knitting lots of sweaters and tank tops to keep us warm.
 
When we moved into this house 3 years ago one of the first things that we did was get the chimney swept. The sweeps these days are very hi-tec and as much as I would have loved a Dick van Dyke look-a-likey to turn up singing 'chim chimanee' , it was quite a young man with a large vacuum cleaner type contraption with a huge long hose that he shoved upwards and it was all over in a few minutes.
 
Disappointing I know, but we LOVE our fire .
 
My hubby in particular loves it. ......infact he is quite obsessed by it. So much so that his caveman instinct  ( ME MAN, ME LIGHT FIRE ) comes out. Noobody else is allowed to light it and woe betide any of us that places a mere twig on in the wrong position................He has quite a collection of intricate and useful fire  tools on the hearth and spends ages rearranging the coal and twisted newspaper until it's just right while we sit and shiver in silence.
 
So with a nip in the air and a fire on the go, we are having a much deserved Chinese tonight ( sorry Slimming World!) and while my hubby goes to collect it..........dare I throw another log on?

Friday 21 September 2012

dietdevil: It's oh so quiet...........

dietdevil: It's oh so quiet...........: So today is Friday and the first weekend with us as a 3 again. We are getting used to Hattie being back at uni and judging by the photos on...

It's oh so quiet...........

So today is Friday and the first weekend with us as a 3 again. We are getting used to Hattie being back at uni and judging by the photos on Facebook she is enjoying being where she is.
 
This time next week we will be a 2 as Martha is going off to visit her big sister in Cardiff. I think it's lovely that they get on well enough to do this, despite the fact that my house was a war zone for most of the summer holidays.
The memories of scavenged clothes, borrowed hair straighteners, mascara thefts and general sisterly hatred seemed to have faded into oblivion and Martha is looking forward to going to see her in Wales - oh and the shopping!
 
I think it's weird how quickly the dynamics of a house can change just by one person no longer being there. For me, it's less washing, a 25% better chance of getting into the shower, a tidier kitchen and a 50% decrease in the likelihood of 'Muuuuuummm' being shouted.
 
The fact that Martha brought home prospectuses for 6th form college today also made me think that soon we will be a permanent 2 again. I'm not sure what to think about this - we are so used to having a houseful of kids and their friends that it will be strange to say the least.
 
And while I'm on the subject of 6th form - how times have changed. Kids actually seem to enjoy further education these days! The high school I went to had an extra 2 years for 'a' level students and I can honestly say it was the most mind numbing 2 years of my life. We had to wear a uniform right up until we were 18, I did English ( yawn ), RE ( double yawn ) and History ( just shoot me now) and I loathed every minute. History in particular was the killer - we studied 17th and 18th century European and British history and honest to god, it made me want to stab myself in the baltics.
 
My girls both love history so it must be a dormant gene that's skipped a couple of generations. I am glad that they both find it so interesting and I often wonder if it's me or if it was the teachers or just Brandenburg Prussia etc that made me despise it so much.
 
And at this precise moment I am on my own - all I can hear is the sound of sleepy spaniels snoring - and it's lovely.



Thursday 20 September 2012

dietdevil: I really AM a diet devil - hence the title of this...

dietdevil: I really AM a diet devil - hence the title of this...: So I've kept it quiet and any avid blog readers will notice that I haven't mentioned what I have been eating for the last couple of weeks. ...

I really AM a diet devil - hence the title of this blog!

So I've kept it quiet and any avid blog readers will notice that I haven't mentioned what I have been eating for the last couple of weeks.
 This is because I have only got so much space to write my blog and it would take up a LOT of room to list it all.
 
I have been a regular member of Slimming World since December 2010 and have barely missed a single week. I originally had the Take That concert in June of last year to spur me on but since then I have been up and down more than the proverbial yo yo. I have also got into naughty habits where I will succumb to a biscuit and then think to myself ''oh sod it, I'll have some wine and chocolate'' which I know is stupid and has done me no favours so this needs to stop as from now!
 
If you're overweight and manage to lose weight, one of the negative aspects to it is the pressure that you find yourself under.
 
Pressure from yourself - I am my own worst critic and feel that I have to be 'all or nothing' - this is totally stupid really - so what if I have a biscuit? It will NOT make me put on 3 pounds but the crap that I follow it with will.
 
Pressure from other people - I lost quite a bit of weight a few years ago when my kids were little and I was still doing the schoolyard stint at 3.15. I remember one of the kids' grandads ( incidentally he was a lovely fella and I know he meant no harm ) used to stand and chat to me and used to say how well I was doing. If I ever mentioned that I had eaten a pasty or had some wine he would always say ''ere - you don't wanna be doin' that my robin - you'll put on all that they weight again'' . Also, if you're out in thin company and eat anything ( quiz night for example ) there is always someone there to ask if you're not on your diet anymore or to remind you how many calories are in a cheese butty.
 
People that are following any form of diet do not need to be reminded by thin people that they are on a diet or that chips and sausage rolls aren't healthy. We already know this!
 
So back to my point - a couple of weeks ago I felt that I needed a break from 'dieting' - I had got into a bad pattern of 'all or nothing' which wasn't doing me any good at all so have had 2 weeks holiday from going. I have eaten what I wanted when I wanted , have even attempted to count calories and 'fast' a couple of times - and it just aint working. My body is used to the foods that have helped it to lose weight and I dont think my body wants to change.
 
I have now decided to go back to the group so that is where I will be on Tuesday. If I lose 'only' half a pound a week then it's still a loss and I need to try and come to terms with that. I have still lost loads of weight and as nice as it would be to lose 2, 3 or 4 pounds every week, then this is no longer going to happen. My current dilemma is should I go back and continue or go back as a new person? If I do that then my weight loss so far will be erased but the thought of a fresh start does appeal to me.......
 
So what if I take the scenic route to target?
 
So what if I have the odd 'bad' day?
 
So how much wine can I drink before Tuesday?

Wednesday 19 September 2012

dietdevil: A new home with old friends..........

dietdevil: A new home with old friends..........: So we're back from Cardiff and exhausted! Straight there first thing, an hour or so to unpack the car and then home again to Cornwall. The h...

A new home with old friends..........

So we're back from Cardiff and exhausted! Straight there first thing, an hour or so to unpack the car and then home again to Cornwall. The house Hattie has moved into is certainly not palatial as I had been informed but is a million times better than last year - and guess what? her bedroom is a decent size!
 
This is a pic of Nicolle, Hattie, Carla, Kelly and Kristen stood outside their new abode and obviously very happy to be back together.
 
When we got there the other girls were out so Hattie took a few moments to sit on her bed in her new room and survey the surroundings. I told her to look glum for this picture because she was going to miss me and her Dad so much - and she obliged, but I think once her friends turned up she just wanted us to go and get on with being a second year!
 
The area that she is living in is certainly a lively community - her house is on a proper high street with proper thriving shops that sell a variety of goods that ordinary people will need and use. As much as I love St Ives, most of the shops here are geared for the tourists and any essential shopping has to be done elsewhere. There is 2 Co-ops, a Spar, a fruit and veg shop called 'your 5 a day', a poundland, a gentlemen's outfitters, some furniture shops, a pharmacy, a mosque, several kebab shops ( good job I don't live there). a chippy, a Subway, a tattoo parlour, loads of  hairdressers, a pub on the corner - and these are only the things that I noticed whilst driving past. It's totally multicultural and has a great vibe to it - this I am glad about - I think she'll be happy there and I am happy knowing this
 
. My hubby and I talked on the way back about kids leaving home and the only way that we can settle is knowing exactly where  they are living so we can picture it in our heads and know they are safe.We also talked about doing the same thing again in 3 years with Martha........
 
Hattie is off out tonight to a club where the drinks are only 90p each so reckons that she can go out and have a good time on a tenner.
 
I am recovering from a long hot journey with a glass of wine.
 
The house is quieter already.
 
Yes, I did cry - but waited until we were out of sight.
 
 

Tuesday 18 September 2012

dietdevil: All ready for the off.........

dietdevil: All ready for the off.........: So tomorrow's the day - Cardiff  here we come. Hattie has spent the morning packing all her wordly goods - this didn't take too long becaus...

All ready for the off.........

So tomorrow's the day - Cardiff  here we come. Hattie has spent the morning packing all her wordly goods - this didn't take too long because most of it was still packed from when she came back in June. I don't have a big kitchen and there was no room to put another slow cooker and another kettle and another toaster etc so they have remained in boxes on top of her wardrobe and underneath her bed.
 
The house she is moving into is apparently 'palatial' and I can't wait to see it. Anything can be an improvement on last year and it will be nice to have a proper lounge to sit in all together instead of trying to squeeze into a cell. It makes me think back to when I was a student at Leeds Poly in the late 80's and some of the houses and flats that were for rent there.There was an accommodation office called Unipol which dealt with all the rentals and they had a wall of shame - ie, pictures of mushrooms growing out of walls and black mould infested kitchens etc. How things have progressed now though - her new place is all laminate floors and granite worktops and I can't wait to see it tomorrow.
 
I am not looking forward to the journey though - it's possibly the most boring journey in the world after you manage to get off the A30. I have got my £6  to cross 'that' bridge into another country and am ready to start trying to pronounce all the Welsh road signs.
 
When we took her last year we went the wrong way on the return journey and ended up in Swansea. I remember Hattie ringing me an hour after we left asking where we were , to which I replied ''errmm not that far away''. Living in Cornwall where there are no motorways,  neither I nor my hubby are especially savvy when it comes to leaving or returning to the South West. We do know the way now and if we leave at the wrong junction then I'm sure my iphone's satnav will put us right.......hopefully.
 
I have got a dogsitter lined up for the spaniels, someone coming in to sort the cat out, Martha being fed at Granny's and a friend meeting the farrier with the horses ( very bad timing ) so all that remains is to get going as early as possible.
 
A new term and new home for Hattie and back to us being a 3 again until Christmas.
 
Hwyl Fawr Cernyw - Helo Caerdydd!

Monday 17 September 2012

dietdevil: What a difference a year makes

dietdevil: What a difference a year makes: So it's only 2 more days until we take Hattie back to Cardiff for her second year at uni. She has been home for 3 months but has been worki...

What a difference a year makes

So it's only 2 more days until we take Hattie back to Cardiff for her second year at uni. She has been home for 3 months but has been working so much that I haven't really seen that much of her. There is evidence of her habitation - extra wet towels in the bathroom, the use of every pan in the cupboard to make beans on toast etc and even if I can't see her, I can always hear her.
 
As we prepare to pack I can't help thinking to this time a year ago and how I felt.
 
I was dreading it!
 
The worst thing wasn't the actual taking her there, but coming home to find a huge empty space in the dining room where all her wordly goods had been for the previous few days was hard - very hard.
 
Her first year room in halls of residence was like a tiny prison cell. I waited until Al and Martha were downstairs and remember grabbing Hattie and saying ''I can't leave you here'' but she insisted she was going to be fine, which of course she was and so was I. No matter how old they are, no matter how many arguments you have with them , they are always your babies. I know when she was first born that people used to say to me to make the most of her because in a blink of an eye she would be grown up and away....and never was a truer word spoken.  I therefore would urge all my friends with younger kids to do the same - time certainly does fly and this last year seems to have flown extra quickly.
 
She obviously can't wait to go back. In this year she has made some fantastic friends up there and has genuinely missed them all so much. She knows that now she is no longer a fresher that she may have to curb her nights out a bit and there will probably be more coursework to do but she knows the score by now.
 
I also know that she can live without her Mum and Dad, that although she may make a mess she can also cook a meal without burning a kitchen down, she does remember to turn her hair straighteners off without me reminding her and that despite growing up in Cornwall where everyone knows each other and you can leave your back door open etc etc , she can survive urban life.
 
She also now has some idea as to what she wants to do after uni ( speech therapy ) and is very focussed.
 
And me a year on? Yes, I will miss her loads but I am as proud of her today as I have always been.

Sunday 16 September 2012

dietdevil: The last 24 hours....

dietdevil: The last 24 hours....: So last night I finally started to knit my cushion cover and I have to say I was very excited about the masterpiece in progress. I had no ...

The last 24 hours....

So last night I finally started to knit my cushion cover and I have to say I was very excited about the masterpiece in progress. I had no pattern, all I had to do was knit a 17'' square throwing in a few different colours - how difficult could this be?
 
Well firstly - it probably is easy if there are no animals involved, namely my cat. Finn is a 2 year old apricot creme type moggy and doesn't normally come near me but last night  - well as soon as he spied my wool he was stuck to me like a magnet. He tried to chew my needles and then got hold of some of the lovely moss coloured wool that will blend so nicely with the beige and rust that I had also chosen. He ran off with the end of it and when I tried to pull it out of his mouth there seemed to be quite a lot of it in his mouth/ down his throat/ in his belly etc etc. As I pulled he started to make some very strange noises and his face started to twitch a bit but I wanted my wool back! I did  eventually retrieve it but seeing as it was covered in cat dribble and I had dropped at least 3 stitches in the process my first cushion has gone in the bin. When I say 'cushion' it was actually only about 3 inches worth but I was very disappointed that my creativity had been thwarted in such a grilsy way.
 
Eldest child was out on the lash and came back with her friend ( who shall remain nameless) and let's just say that they had overindulged a little. So between the sounds and smells of their dinner and drinks coming back up to say hello and the cat / wool incident, I too wasn't feeling great by bedtime. I woke this morning feeling even worse - surely that bottle of shiraz 3 NIGHTS AGO can't still be making me feel so ill??? I have still not dared drink alcohol so am now virtually teetotal.
 
After a quiet day of more paracetomol and a sneaky nap we decided to go out for a cheeky carvery. It was only Hattie and myself as Martha is babysitting and as we knew X Factor was on at 8pm our eating time was limited. My roast pork and all the trimmings was very nice, but we were literally in and out within half an hour. I did explain to the waitress that we 'had to be somewhere' that was why we were so quick but Hattie said ''yeah at home for X Factor'' straight afterwards. So that is where I am now, all warm and comfy.
 
I will try and do a bit more knitting 'dreckly' as they say down here. The cat is out and I reckon I can get at least 4 inches done before he returns.
 
Oh and by the way, I had no pudding tonight - but the nameless phantom puker has dropped off a delicious raspberry and custard cake...........so...............we'll see.

Saturday 15 September 2012

dietdevil: My 2 bathtime visitors

dietdevil: My 2 bathtime visitors: So another busy day and I am so glad it's all over. I am sat in my favourite attire ( my jammies ) waiting for dinner and for X factor - pa...

My 2 bathtime visitors

So another busy day and I am so glad it's all over. I am sat in my favourite attire ( my jammies ) waiting for dinner and for X factor - party on! I am now on  day 2 of my hangover from the wine I drank almost 48 hours ago and I just want to feel better. I love red wine but this will be the first Saturday night in a long long time that I wont be having any. I find this fact very sad because I only every really enjoy X Factor because of the wine.......
 
For anyone that knows me they will confirm that my house is always very 'busy' - the phone never stops ringing, the door never stops being knocked and there is always somebody wanting a piece of me. Without trying to sound like a drama queen, most of the time I just want to be left alone.
 
This never happens!
Not even when I am the only human in the house and I want to bathe in a product that is promising me 'relief from my stress and anxieties'. I want that purple gooey gel that I pour into the water and froth with my hand to bring me inner piece and eternal contentment like what it says on the bottle.........no chance, no chance at all!
 
 
Maddie and Mutley decided to keep me company and because their Daddy was out they were keeping a vigilant eye on the door and their big floppy brown ears open. He is the bringer of dog treats and the scratcher of bellies and his absence is always noted and missed.  You will notice Freddy isn't in this photo - he thought it would be more fun to drag some bubble wrap from the bin and pop it and bark at it than to sit by a foaming tub. The foaming tub by the way, is the bath, and not me having some sort of fit....
 
I find it quite endearing that the spaniels follow me wherever I go - they are very rarely left alone and when they are,  neighbours from miles around have reported their howlings and sad faces at the window that would not be out of place on an RSPCA poster. They can certainly pull on the heart strings and sometimes when I tell them to 'go away' their faces make me feel so guilty that I end up giving them even more fuss than they were after in the first place.
 
So it's an alcohol free quiet few hours for me tonight - we have established that I am no longer fit to party like its 1999 or 2012 or whenever and I am rather quite excited that I am going to start KNITTING MY CUSHION COVER!
 
Am I officially old? - yes probably
Have I stuck to my diet today? - next question
Will I ever drink wine again? - Ask me tomorrow - X Factor is on then too!
 
Happy Saturday evening everyone xxx
 
 


Friday 14 September 2012

dietdevil: Ouch - I need comfort food.

dietdevil: Ouch - I need comfort food.: So last night we decided to go out for a farewell dinner as Hattie is going back to uni soon. We wanted to go to The Seafood Cafe but they ...

Ouch - I need comfort food.

So last night we decided to go out for a farewell dinner as Hattie is going back to uni soon. We wanted to go to The Seafood Cafe but they were fully booked so instead we went to a place that I walk past dozens of times a week but have never eaten in - The Wave - All I can say is 'WOW' - the food was amazing and so was the wine..........the whole bottle of wine that I drunk on my own!
 
I knew when I was quaffing and glugging that I shouldn't have been and I know I should have maybe drunk some water but hey ho, I didn't - and so this morning I was feeling as rough as a badger's a**e.
 
No amount of headache tablets , water and bananas would get rid of the stampede of elephants in my skull so I just growled and carried on. It was probably made worse by a couple of 'blips' at work - I don't wish to go into details as I have now calmed down and my headache has gone but all I can say is 'AAAARRRRRRRGHHHH'.
 
My scales in the bathroom were also causing me some anxiety and when I registered the reading on them I was shocked , ashamed and mortified. I hoped that I was still seeing double but unfortunately I think my week of non healthy eating has stuck around - mainly on my hips and tum. I know I have bad days but this took the proverbial ( chocolate ) biscuit and only some tough talking to myself was going to spur me back on track.
 
I had wholemeal toast with marmite ( I love it! ) for breakfast, a chicken salad from the deli for lunch and that leaves the question of what to do for dinner - ie, what do you give a hungover dieter that needs to follow the Slimming World Plan when all they want to do is eat chips? Easy! - anything involving mashed potatoes and gravy that's what!
 
So - it's LOW FAT ( are you reading this my dear hubby? ) sausages, mashed potatoes with cabbage and leeks , lovely thick onion gravy and posh broccoli. Mash and gravy is my ultimate comfort food - I love it. Maybe it's because I am Northern or maybe because it involves virtually no chewing but whatever it is, it hits the spot every time for me.
 
It may not be as fancy as last night's duck and pecan cakes with sweet chilli dressing, Cornish free range chicken on sauteed polenta with balsamic vinegar and apple and stem ginger pudding with toffee sauce and ice cream but I know it's just what I need. There will also be no wine with tonight's dinner. I don't want to see, sniff or slurp red wine again...............or maybe until tomorrow when X Factor is on.
 
 
I would love to hear what everyone else likes to eat when they need a bit of TLC?

Thursday 13 September 2012

dietdevil: Don't laugh but I have a project...

dietdevil: Don't laugh but I have a project...: Ok so as there was nothing on telly last night apart some old episodes of Friends ( the one with Bruce Willis being a 'neat guy' and very v...

Don't laugh but I have a project...

Ok so as there was nothing on telly last night apart some old episodes of Friends ( the one with Bruce Willis being a 'neat guy' and very very funny) so I decided to look at some other blogs. There's a lot of them out there, and loads of them seem to be about people making things. From cakes to furniture the blog world has it all - but one in particular caught my eye..... a lady who has started knitting cushion covers. She was in turn inspired by Lauren Saunders an American lady who seems to be doing very well with  her needles , yarns and designs.
 
Now back in the 1980's lots of people knitted - I remember a very fetching glittery dusky pink batwing effort that took me ages to make and was admired all across Northumberland! In those days, it was cheaper to knit and sew and my Mum was an excellent dressmaker and my Granny and Aunties always had a pair of needles on the go. I remember Christmas 1983 ish I knitted loads of pairs of fingerless gloves - they were the thing to wear on your hands that year darling and for a while those gloves really were the new black.
 
I haven't the patience or the skill ( or my Mum nearby ) to do any batwings or gloves but even I can knit a square and make a wavy pattern can't I???? All I have to do then is to sew the square onto some backing material and then stuff it .....or alternatively get a cheap cushion from RJ Supplies over the road from me and just sew the knitted square onto the front. That's what the lady in the wool shop told me to do and I reckon she knows best.
 
And while I'm on the subject of wool shops - what a lovely place it is - I fingered lots of yarns, bought some needles and a tape measure and met a very nice lady called Pauline who knits cute little animal toys. I came away inspired and figure that it will be fairly easy - it may also keep me away from eating naughty things.
 
If my finished product smells of Cadbury's chocolate - it is purely coincidental - honest!
 
Clickety click - I'm off to cast on!

Wednesday 12 September 2012

dietdevil: Aye Aye!

dietdevil: Aye Aye!: I feel better today after a sort of 'me' day yesterday. I missed being at fat club but I also enjoyed having fish and chips and wine for din...

Aye Aye!

I feel better today after a sort of 'me' day yesterday. I missed being at fat club but I also enjoyed having fish and chips and wine for dinner last night. Very yummy and very illegal but sometimes you just have to break the rules..........

First thing this morning my ( a bit better but still milking it ) husband noticed that Freddy seemed to have something stuck to his eye. It was white so he thought it was a bit of paper or perhaps some foam from the sofa that him and Mutley are enjoying ripping to pieces. We managed to pin him down and on closer inspection, it wasn't anything stuck to it - it was a bit of his fur missing.
 
Freddy and Mutley love to 'play fight' and I think that the missing patch could be forensically linked to one of Mutley's teeth - I reckon it's just the right size and shape. A while ago I thought that Mutley had a piece of triangular shaped white paper stuck to the bottom of his ear but when I looked again it was infact a piece of fur missing so I think Mutley was only getting his  own back. The plusses of having 2 puppies is that they play with each other all the time but the downside is that bits of them does get removed by the other. Maddie does not partake in any of these games , she just sits and watches with disdain and growls every so often.
 
Knowing that I was a bit down in the dumps, my blog buddy Leanne dropped a lovely bunch of her homegrown flowers down to me along with a card in which she had written a poem referring to when I lived in Leeds. The words 'seeds' and 'weeds' ( obviously ) and 'bum' were used in this poem - so I shall leave you to make your own assumptions as to where the seeds went and what happened next. They are now on my mantlepiece and looking very pretty.
 
I think here in St Ives, it is such a close knit community that we do all look out for each other which I think is wonderful. I have friends at fat club, book group, quiz friends, work friends and friends that are just friends and it's nice to think that we all have each other's interests at heart. As they would say in the U S of A ''yo sista, I got ya back''. Am not quite sure what the Cornish equivalent of this phrase would be, but as Leanne is from Bristol, she would probably say ''ere mucker - cheer up''.............which you'll all be glad to know that I have!
 
 

Tuesday 11 September 2012

dietdevil: Poorly people and cheap as chips - literally!

dietdevil: Poorly people and cheap as chips - literally!: This morning I woke up after a better night's sleep - Monday's are quiet in St Ives so no frollocking outside my window in the early hours....

Poorly people and cheap as chips - literally!

This morning I woke up after a better night's sleep - Monday's are quiet in St Ives so no frollocking outside my window in the early hours. I did decide however, to give fat club a miss this week for a couple of reasons - I had tons to do at home and I basically wanted a day to myself. Oh, and also last night, I hit an all time culinary low - we decided to dine out and wanted to keep it cheap so we went to..................J D Wetherspoons - or Spoons as Hattie affectionately calls it.
 
Now, I'm all for a bargain, but 3 main courses and 3 drinks for £23? I pride myself on having a fairly educated and discerning palate but I have to say that I certainly got what I paid for! I plumped ( ha ha ) for the burger and chips and as I was hungry, I ate it - but oh dear, it was pretty naff. As I am generally quite well behaved food wise I could taste the fat that they had fried it in - and almost 24 hours later.............I can still taste it. It served a purpose though and the place was packed but I don't think I will be knocking people over on  the way to go back there.
 
St Ives has loads of wonderful restaurants and although they may be a bit more expensive there are bargains to be had - 2 for the price of one, earlybird and lunchtime specials etc and to be honest, these other restaurants are just downright nicer! Hattie likes Spoons because I think you can get a jug of Pimms for 30p or something like that and in all fairness your average hungover and hungry uni student is no Nigella or Hugh but I still struggle with big chain companies masking crap food behind cheap prices and getting away with it.............oooh hark at me -  I am Jamie Oliver - apart from the fact that I don't have a lisp and I'm not a man and I'm not quite as annoying - well I hope I'm not.
 
 I haven't eaten much today and I must saying not being with all my fat club chums has been odd and today hasn't felt like  a Tuesday should feel. I did all the things at home I hoped to and have recharged my batteries a bit so am glad about that.
 
Now on to poorly people - my dear hubby has had a very nasty tummy bug. he didn't come to Spoons so I can't even blame it on that , but he is genuinely not very well. He got up this morning - had some breakfast and then went straight back to bed. I left him to sleep - he needs to be well to drive to Cardiff on Sunday as me and motorways aren't a good combo. It was only when he wasn't around today that I realised just how naughty my dogs are without the stern discipline of their human Daddy.
 
 They completely took advantage of me - every single one of them. I can't even blame Freddy as Maddie and Mutley were just as bad. If I left the room for one minute they howled, I had to go out to the garden several times to retrieve various shoes and I went for a bath and was gone for 15 minutes and came back downstairs to utter bedlam. The waste paper bin had been dragged around the front room, stuffing had been ripped out of my already tatty but comfy sofa and there was a half chewed pen and pencil in about 100 pieces.
 
Thank God Alastair felt well enough to feed the horses and walk the dogs - and fingers crossed he is well enough for a bit of canine control tomorrow.

Monday 10 September 2012

dietdevil: The Boomtown Rats were right!

dietdevil: The Boomtown Rats were right!: Does anyone else remember The Boomtown Rats circa 1979? They had a massive number one hit called 'I don't like Mondays' - it was about a hi...

The Boomtown Rats were right!

Does anyone else remember The Boomtown Rats circa 1979? They had a massive number one hit called 'I don't like Mondays' - it was about a high school in America and when the culprit was asked why they had done it the reason that they gave is the title of the song.
 
Now today I haven't been on a shooting rampage but I have had a headache from start to finish. To start with, I am still not sleeping particularly well and yes, you've guessed it, noisy people outside late at night - at the risk of sounding like a broken record it has now started to have a very negative effect on my life. I slipped into blissful slumbers around 11pm last night only to be woken a couple of hours later by car door bangers, a few jolly drunks and a couple having a heart to heart on the wall right under my window. It is quite warm at night at the moment so sleeping with the window closed is not an option for me and some friends have suggested ear plugs but I don't know if I  could handle things being stuck in my ears all night. I have also tried Nytol tablets but they didn't work and as I'm not a fan of pills and potions I am not going to the doctor. I really don't know what to do and I know that I moan about this a lot - but hey, everyone needs something to moan about!
 
So, this morning I was not feeling as fresh as a daisy and my mood gradually worsened when I was plagued with the usual day to day trivialities of a Monday morning. I think if I wasn't so tired then I would have dealt with things differently - maybe a few strong merlots tonight may help the zeds be a bit more forthcoming.
 
 
 
Martha had her first day back of her last year of school today - I tried to take a photo of her to put on here but she was having none of it. I have loads of pictures of them both when they were sweet little girls with frilly socks, pigtails and ribbons that matched their school jumpers, all looking excited and eager for their first day in a new class or school. How times have changed - Hattie is bursting to get back to Cardiff - 3 months at home is a long time when you've technically left -  and all Martha wants to do is turn 16 , get riding Cinderella ( the trusty moped she has inherited from Hattie) and leave school!
 
So instead of listening to reading, looking in homework diaries, early baths, ribbons and bows, I now have sixth form college open evenings, revision for her remaining gcse's and the terror of knowing that she is out on the roads of West Cornwall - on her own!
 
Do I wish that I could turn back the clock?
 
No of course not - I love my girls being grown up.
 
The only time that I wish I could turn back the clock is when I wake up from 2 hours sleep on a Monday morning!

Sunday 9 September 2012

dietdevil: 'Proper' sausages and burning my meatballs.....

dietdevil: 'Proper' sausages and burning my meatballs.....: As it's Sunday that can only mean one thing food wise.............a fry up! or in the land of Slimming World people, a grill up! Hooray! I h...

'Proper' sausages and burning my meatballs.....

As it's Sunday that can only mean one thing food wise.............a fry up! or in the land of Slimming World people, a grill up! Hooray! I had to pop out for half an hour at 9am and then go to Tescos and when I arrived home I was presented with this......................




and very tasty it was too. My sausages however didn't taste as they should and I initially thought they were undercooked. It was only on closer inspection of the contents of my fridge and then my kitchen bin ( move over Sherlock Holmes ) that I realised that my dodgy snags were infact full fat thrusters and not my ever so good half fat cumberlands. This potentially has ruined my whole week of being good ( apart from book group) so I shall blame any weight gain or stay the same on my husband, who pretended that he thought I could have the naughty snags. He knows fine well that I can't...........and he almost got away with it if it hadn't been for that meddling Liz.

I like Sundays because it's a great excuse to do very little and to lie around in my pyjamas. I pottered about here and there, did a few invoices, did a bit of washing, Martha watched a film on her ipad and did some last minute homework, Al watched something sporty on telly and the dogs hid one of my slippers, which I'm glad to say has been retrieved from behind one of the sofa cushions. As I hadn't done much else I thought I would make something nice for dinner and as much as a full roast dinner never fails to appeal to me I chose an easier option - spaghetti with meatballs - all homemade and SW friendly of course. I added lots of garlic, herbs , onions etc to the mince, made the balls and then whacked them in the oven. I then got so engrossed in my kindle that I forgot they were there so this was the result..............



I reckoned that if I opened the kitchen window wide and made a really nice sauce then nobody would be able to tell the difference. Hattie is out for dinner, Al doesn't eat pasta , so that only leaves Martha and out of everyone in the house she is the one most likely to rumble me. I have made a lovely tomato sauce to go with them and have dropped the balls in and simmered them a bit longer so fingers crossed with a bit of cheese sprinkled over the top my secret will be safe. I am having a glass of wine and am really hungry so am personally not bothered if they are a little 'well done' - anything will taste better than those sausages which I don't think I have digested yet. Cheers everyone!


Saturday 8 September 2012

dietdevil: Hairy jumpers...................

dietdevil: Hairy jumpers...................: And yet another scorchio day down here - lots of happy people but not that many on the beach as most seem to have gone home now. I saw lots...

Hairy jumpers...................

And yet another scorchio day down here - lots of happy people but not that many on the beach as most seem to have gone home now. I saw lots of locals going off with picnics and barbecues and it was nice to see everyone in such a good mood. I took a photo of The Island today (with St Nicholas Chapel on top) from the wall next to  Porthmeor beach and there was hardly a soul down there. Sunny Septembers are simply the best.
 
What does puzzle me is what some folks choose to wear - when we parked on the harbour we sat behind 2 women unloading strawberries from a van and for some strange reason they were both wearing hairy mohair jumpers. I started to sweat and scratch just looking at them - I had on a vest top and it was lovely to feel the sun on my skin.
 So far today, as well as the jumpers,  we have seen an array of ugg boots, a duffel coat, several wooly hats and a few ponchos. WHY???? The weather is beautiful! Maybe they are all from countries near the equator or maybe they're just mad. As they say - there's nowt as queer as folk.
 
On to hairy jumpers of another variety - my 3 dogs! Maddie, Multey and Freddy adore the weekends as most of the people that work for me and come to the house adore my spaniels. They get fussed, loved, tickled, kissed and cooed at and they positively bask in the extra attention.
 
One of their favourite fussers is Sophie - she is as daft as they are and loves nothing better than a hard day working than to come back and be mauled and 'spanielled' as we call it. Sometimes she has the odd doggy private part slapped against her head, but it's all good clean fun and it is now part of both Sophie and the dog's Saturday!

 
 
I'm not sure that everyone would like to do this but as I keep saying ''oh they're just being friendly''
 

Friday 7 September 2012

dietdevil: Is it rude to peep?

dietdevil: Is it rude to peep?:   As today's picture shows September is a proper scorcher down here - the best month to visit in my humble opinion, when the weather ge...

Is it rude to peep?

 
As today's picture shows September is a proper scorcher down here - the best month to visit in my humble opinion, when the weather gets it right. Driving along the harbour front is still a nightmare though - tourists down here seem to forget there are pavements and prefer to amble up the middle of the road. Now this is all well and good if you drive a diesel car, a bus, a lorry or a motorbike, but my quiet little Berlingo purrs as quietly as a shy pussycat and we seem to spend a lot of time hovering behind people waiting for them to click that there's a vehicle about to bash their bums. I do urge my hubby to 'peep' but he refuses to and as I was blessed with neither  patience or tolerance, it can really wind me up especially when I'm in a hurry.
 
One such incident today - driving down Lifeboat Hill and there was an old fella walking right down the middle of the road in front of us. A chap on the pavement tried to tell him to move but the road walker didn't hear so hubby assumed he was deaf.
 
Me - oh just peep!
Al - No, cos I'll probably give him a heart attack
Me - Grrrrr ( then to a woman passing my car) - Hello- would you mind asking that chap to move....we need to get going and don't want to peep ( I was lying at this point  - I have never wanted to peep more in my whole life)
Smug woman by car - NO!............you could just try waiting.
 
So that was me told good and proper! I wanted to tell her to get lost but as my ultra patient hubby was grumbling beside me, I bit my tongue. A major problem we have down here is that anyone who is working in a job that involves driving is almost met with hostility and lots of loud comments like ''oh they should pedestrianise it'' or ''look out here comes another nutter - how dare they drive on the road'' etc etc . It's not only me that gets annoyed - we are trying to work and invariably it's in jobs that are trying to ensure these moaners have a good holiday and our jobs are made even harder by buggies, wheelchairs and old grannies being thrust in fornt of a moving car!
 
Anyway, that's my rant over for today - maybe I shall look at my photo of the glistening sea and sandy beach again to calm me down. Alternatively I could just bring wine o clock forward by a few hours................

Thursday 6 September 2012

dietdevil: Bacon butties, canelloni and hotpots.

dietdevil: Bacon butties, canelloni and hotpots.: The weather is beautiful down here at the moment - I had planned on having a wander around town today but got no further than my office as ...

Bacon butties, canelloni and hotpots.

The weather is beautiful down here at the moment - I had planned on having a wander around town today but got no further than my office as it turned out to be a lot busier than I initially expected. I could see hoards of people trooping past my window armed with buckets, spades, windbreaks etc while I battled on the phone with people that if they had another brain cell it would be lonely.
 
My vegetarianism is no more - well not for today anyway. I had the best bacon butty ever for breakfast, cooked by my husband and I have to say, it was like angels dancing on my tongue. My mother and mother in law have not touched meat for over 40 years but they both admit to salivating over the smell of bacon - I just can't resist it, and like I have already mentioned, the fact that my neighbour Gill runs a bed and breakfast and I wake up to the smell of grilled bacon and home baked bread every day is torture when I think I can't have any.
 
My fellow fat clubber Beccy brought me down some lovely canelloni for lunch and I gave her some of my chicken and cauliflower curry from last night. It's good to share - especially when the food is as nice as the meals that  Beccy and I cook.
 
And for dinner? Well..............Hattie and Martha are off out somewhere to eat and I REALLY WANT TO  GO  - but if I do go I just know that I will tuck into naughty stuff and the inevitable STP with clotted cream so am staying put. I have taken a leaf out of Betty from The Rovers and have made a hotpot for hubby and I - it's not quite as exciting as what I could have in a restaurant, but any form of meat, potatoes and gravy is always good. Maybe it's my Northern roots but it gets me every time.
 
And tomorrow is the start of another weekend - it's still quite busy, but in a nice way and it will get busier as The St Ives September Festival is about to start and that usually pulls the crowds in. Every year I say that I will go along to one of the many shows on offer and every year I get sidetracked but I am determined this year to do it.
 
St Ives is a lovely town and apart from August, I love living here......maybe I now might have a bit of time to enjoy it.

Wednesday 5 September 2012

dietdevil: For the last time ever!

dietdevil: For the last time ever!: I went shopping today to buy my last school uniform ever! Martha goes into her final year and as much as she assured me that  the frayed cuf...

For the last time ever!

I went shopping today to buy my last school uniform ever! Martha goes into her final year and as much as she assured me that  the frayed cuffs and holey pockets in her blazer would be fine I knew I had to buy her a new one.....so off we trooped to Camborne.

For any non Cornwall readers, this will mean nothing to any of you, but let's just say Camborne is no Knightsbridge but bizarrely the only place that sells the allocated clothing for our local school.

The 'sales assistant' belonged in a Little Britain sketch or on a Jeremy Kyle show, I can't decide which and she was having no nonsense from Martha or any other kid in the area. There was an incident involving a tape measure which I feel would be tactless to go into at the risk of being disowned by my own child, but we had shopped and gone within 10 minutes! I should also add that Hattie was there too and as she is 20 in a month's time was downright chuffed that they asked which child I was buying the uniform for.

We then trooped off to Tesco Extra, can I just shout I HATE TESCO EXTRA  - I normally shop online for our groceries as I am less tempted by bargains ( ie, things I don't really need) and the wafting aromas of the bakery etc etc but I struggle with any supa sized store that entices you to fill your trolley up with throws, scented candles and kitchen gadgetry and therefore leaving you nowhere to balance your potatoes.

We were all hungry so had lunch there - my dry jacket potato with some even drier tuna mayo filled me up but did not tantalise my taste buds. I am eating meat today as there was nothing other than a tuna jacket spud that I could eat and I am doing something inventive with chicken for dinner so vegetarianism will have to take a back seat until tomorrow.

Hattie bought some bits for her new palatial student house in Cardiff and Martha bought lots of stationery. As much as I hate Tesco Extra, even my hardened heart melted when I saw their array of pens, paper and multi coloured binders that just shriek 'it's a new term - buy me buy me'.

We did not buy shoes and the skirts looked like something an evacuee would have worn in 1940 so it's back to online shopping for the final few bits. We also have no idea where her p.e kit is but I think if I plunge my hand into the bottom of the laundry basket I may just be able to retrieve it before Monday.

The younger kids schools in St Ives all went back yesterday and Tuesday and all my younger friends posted pictures all over Facebook of their very very sweet looking offspring posing obligingly in crisp shirts and starched skirts. It made me feel a bit glum that this is the last back to school time ever for us all but also quite relieved that I wont have to go back to 'that' shop up Camborne.