annual heating fight

This morning when I left the house it felt decidedly cooler, infact so much that you could see your breath.

While taking me to the train station James asked me the question (just as I was thinking it - how spooky is that - LOL we are more on the same wavelength than he would like) "When can we put the heating on?" So I replied "I would like to leave it until we come back from holiday". Then he said all hurt "but thats in x amount of weeks".

it must have been a rescan day

We went and did the food shopping this morning (James came with me after I "threw my toys out of the pram" in protest at the trolley being difficult to push), we used fast track (you scan the shopping and pack as you go along).

We got to the checkout and the bloke in front had a full rescan (luckily he only had 3 bags of shopping so it was no big deal), it was our turn next and I just knew we were going to have a rescan too...

...sure enough the cashier said "its a rescan Im afraid" so I loaded all of the bags from my trolley (James had a trolley too as he went and darted off so he could stock up on cereal while I got the other groceries), and then James loaded the bags from his.

I asked the cashier when she had finished rescanning our shopping if there were any problems and she said that there wasnt, my only concern is the bananas because I handed those over as a "problem" item (in so far as I didnt weigh them to get a barcode for the scanner to read), if the system decided that I was trying to diddle them out of 67 pence then they will be making me have a rescan for the next 3 weeks! Oh well only time will tell...

Those of you who are interested in the 8 week challenge I lost the 300 grammes that I put on last week and am down a further 100 grammes ;o). I dont think that my one stone goal is achievable now but I will still carry on ;o).

I have another lunch coming up this week (it was almost two but a friend had decided to take the day off that we were to meet because it is her anniversary weekend - and so the lunch has been put back to the next week)...

I was thinking "so how can I still be good and have lunch?" then the thought struck me to just have some veggies for my dinner the days that I have a naughty lunch ;o) The next question is - why didnt I have this pearl of wisdom earlier? ;o)

a wasp nearly flew in my mouth

I was walking from the train station to get picked up by James last night, and I was a aware of a wasp flying around.

Before I knew I felt it land on my lip (so trying my hardest not to panic) I lent forward and gently bushed the wasp off - I am so lucky that I didnt get stung - although it would have made an awesome picture ;o)

cross internet buddies

I already knew about a couple of friends who read both my blog and look/comment on my flickr photos, namely Al & Kelly. Not forgetting family too (before you get all shirty) ;o)

Today one of my flickr buddies Lucydavey75 commented that she reads my blog...

...so hello Lucy ;o)

overhead wire trouble

I got to Chelmsford station this morning and saw an inordinate number of people looking up at the screens and I thought "oh more train troubles" :o(

Oh well at least as this is the morning it isnt going to effect MY time ;o)

Anyhow there were over head wire problems in Ingatestone (why is it that every train problem involves Ingatestone in some way?) I lived in Ingatestone when I was younger so I dont hate the place in anyway (in case you wondered ;o)).

The trains started running again just before 7am...

...at which point there was to be a train that would start at Chelmsford leaving from platform 2 and a train that started from Witham leaving from platform 1 (Chelmsford station only has 2 platforms).

So loads of the passengers (or customers as they like to call us) went over to platform 2 (I stayed on platform 1). The train pulled in empty on platform 1 and the train from Witham (which was packed) pulled into platform 2 simultaneously.

Just about as I was to get on the train I spied and empty seat (my first thought when I see an empty seat on a packed train is "whats wrong with it?). I had a look and the only problem seemed to be that the lady sitting opposite had a smallish trolley suitcase - I wasnt going to let this put me off so I grabbed the seat ;o)

Luckily the seat wasnt wet or anything so I was well chuffed ;o).

I ended up being just 40 minutes later than I normally am so no big deal - and I still had a chance to do this post ;o)

Drive thru supermarket

I was reading through Metro on the train last night and came across an article about Tesco trialling its first drive thru store.

I do hope this does get rolled out across the country and that other stores look to do it too?

It will make food shopping so much easier

clean & dry socks

It has been raining constantly since last night - I swear that God has got the date wrong because the bank holiday weekend isnt until next week!

I was ok walking from the train station to work until I got to St Mary Axe, the change of direction then meant that I was walking directly into the rain :o(.

I have managed to do something about my wet socks (from a previous encounter - I find it hard to believe that I didnt think to blog about it!), the wet ones are hanging on the fire proof tape box ;o), I just need to pop out to buy some new work trousers now.

I can just hear my Mum saying "you will get rheumatism" ;o)

I will blame it on the scrambled egg on toast

This weekend Chelmsford has been overrun with festival goers for V, we have only seen a few people walking about, so they havent been too much of a problem (which is good), I will have to see how many people are lurking at the train station tomorrow morning waiting for the first cheap day return train ;o).

We were coming back from going into town today and was casually looking in the window of the The Old Court Theatre, and I saw in the window a sign for a show that I thought said Transvestites, it actually said Travesties (LOL I would hate to think what this says about me as a person!).

I weighed myself this morning as part of my 8 week challenge, and I have put on 300 grammes, I felt really gutted then I remembered that I had met a friend for lunch on Thursday and I had scrambled egg on toast! I felt better after I had rationalised it ;o).

Anyway Im doing things slightly different this week. Last week I had some roast potatoes and split them over 2 days (thus still having the same amount of calories) and this week I will be making James eat the other half of them (force feeding them up his nose if he refuses to open his mouth hasnt been ruled out) ;o)

Christmas chocolate box

I have just ordered my Christmas chocolate tasting box ;o)

Would you really want a marmite wedding cake?

I was looking through Metro this morning to look at my horoscope (which incidentally was the same as it was yesterday) and saw this article about a couple having a marmite wedding cake with marmite between the sponge layers!

As much as I love marmite I dont think a marmite wedding cake would work.

I sent a couple of marmite cereal bars to friends in The States and they didnt like them either ;o)

trying to aggravate me

You will recall from here that Tesco decided that despite me having a voucher for a free bottle of glaceau water that they were going to charge me 19 pence!

Well guess what? In todays Metro there is another voucher, and I have read through the voucher and it DOESNT state a value!

So the question is do I go in there and kick up an almighty stink when (and if) they try to charge me again?

8 week challenge

The cruise is getting closer and closer and I have decided that I want to lose some weight before we go, because I just know that I am going to put on loads of weight with all of the food thats on board.

And as every person of size will say "it will be rude not to eat" ;o)

My goal is to lose one stone (14 pounds) in eight weeks

We were just about to go and do the food shopping this morning and James looked at me and said "keep still you have a massive spider on you" (Mum dont look at the link because it will make you scream ;o)). He got the spider off of me and let it go in the grass (he wasnt wrong because it was huge!).

I weighed myself this morning and I had lost another pound since last week ;o)

redistribution of kitchen goods

In the building where I work they supply tea, coffee and milk for free.

First thing (after checking my e-mail and blogs) in the morning I go to make me cup of tea (I have it gnats pee strength), and sometimes there is no milk in the fridge, so I go upto the fourth floor (were on the third) and if they have plenty of milk in their fridge I take one.

This morning I went to make my tea and saw that there were only 2 teabags left and knowing that I will want another one later on I went upto the fourth floor and swiped a handful of teabags ;o)

she looked like how I feel

I was walking in this morning and in the opposite direction I passed a woman (probably late forties/early fifties) and she looked really miserable.

She looked like this might have been her "natural" look anyway...

I know that I sometimes feel miserable but I dont think that I ever look miserable if you get my meaning?

And on a completely different note there is a smell of crumpets in the shared kitchen that is driving me insane ;o)

staged Superman moments

I was watching Undercover Boss the other day, it was the boss of Tower Hamlets Council, he was Kevan Collins but he called himself Colin (something or other), and disguised himself by wearing contact lenses instead of his usual glasses. It got to the end of the show and the colleagues that he had been working with were called into the council offices and he would walk in and tell them who he really was...

Kevan walked in on one of the guys (cant remember what his name was) and he said to him "do you know who I am?" and the guy said "yes, you are the Chief Executive Officer of Tower Hamlets" and Kevan said "do you remember what you were doing yesterday?" and the guy said "yes, I was working with Colin" Kevan then whips off his glasses (not dis-similar to when Clark Kent reveals to Lois Lane that he is in fact Superman) and the Guy realises that Kevan and Colin were *sniggers* the same person.

Either the guy was "put up" by the director to pretend that the "disguise" was so good that he couldnt recognise someone with and without his glasses on, or he is too thick to even have a job.

I am starting to get paranoid that perhaps I am going out in stained clothing because the last few weeks that I have got the shopping I have received vouchers for Ariel Stain Remover.

Im angry

I was just walking back from buying my lunch of half a lamb sandwich (my regular Friday treat), and there was a lady (who can only be best described as morbidly obese), walking with a friend towards me...

...needless to say she was having trouble walking.

There were these three jackasses in front of me and I could see that they were laughing about something as I was walking up behind them, then I noticed that one of them was taking the mickey out of the lady!

As someone who has previously been obese I was very angry, and almost said something to them but wussed out :o(

gotta love free chocolate

I got to the train station last night, and saw a kindly lady handing something out...

...I was curious as to what it was (as people werent really paying her any attention) and she was handing out miniature bars of yummy gorgeous scrummy chocolate ;o)

should James be flattered or furious?

James went to lunch yesterday with one of his workmates and they were looking at the community projects in the atrium outside Chelmsford Library (where the Registry Office happens to be too), and the Registrar pops out and asks "Are you the wedding party?" to which James said "I have affection for him but Im not marrying him" to which the Registrar laughed ;o) He should never have worn that pink shirt and rainbow tie combo ;o)

Since losing all of his weight James is always asking "do I look gay?" to which I normally say "dont worry you dont look neat enough" ;o) I do love backhanded compliments...

I guess this weekend we will be looking for some butch clothing for him ;o)

getting my back up

As you recall from here and here we have been having problems with our back up at work...

...on Friday an engineer turned up to fit a new tape drive (as our previously fitted one wasnt being recognised) , so once it had been fitted I put a tape in and (stupidly) expected to come in this morning and find the tape ejected and an e-mail saying that the back up was successful.

Did I heck?

No I came in and found he tape still in the tape drive and an e-mail saying that the tape drive wasnt being recognised *sigh*.

So I e-mailed our IT company and told them what had happened (as I was in before 8.30 when the help desk officially opens).

I then got an e-mail back saying that the back up had been configured to look for the wrong tape drive!

WTF they were the people who told the engineer what tape drive to bring!

I never ceased to be amazed by some peoples stupidity!

dont expect four mid week posts every week

I cant believe that last week had so much going on that I did four mid week posts!

One thing that I didnt mention was that on Tuesday it was two years to the day until the Olympic torch will be lit in London. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson mentioned that the search is now on for Olympic helpers and ambassadors.

I thought that this was something that James could do until Boris mentioned that they didnt want anyone annoying! I bluntly said to James "this puts you out then" he looked a bit upset, then thought for a while and said "I suppose they dont want perfectionists" ;o).

On a plus point I weighed myself this morning and saw that I have lost two pounds ;o)