Writers block

I am sorry for being away so long. Have missed you all as have not even been reading blogs. No idea why I dipped away from it all for so long. I think because I have no true aim with this blog atm that it faded away from me. Sometimes I  would compose a blog in the day in my mind but never physically type it out. No reason not to read the blogs though.
I seem to be floating through my days at the moment with no clear aim other than keeping going. Not in an unhappy way just an undefined way. Plans will be made eventually but not yet. I will know when.
Also on a practical point I do not like typing up my blog on this tablet much but my poor old laptop needs a healthcheck.
Hope everything is going well I should know soon as will try and read up on the blogs soon. All is meandering along here. Few health probs but we are trying to sort them out. School will be at an end in a few months and new beginnings will follow for son. Exciting and sad all at the same time. Work is good but decisions are needed. More money is needed and so more hours of work will need to be found. I am beginning to keep an eye out for a second job. I need to think about some study maybe as well. I am not a planner but I  think plans are needed, eventually.

My little darling is still well if not a little plumper after Christmas. So we both diet and both keep forgetting we are dieting.
Take care, will try and catch up with my reading now. X

Am still here

Hello

Sorry it's been so long. I took a break and never got back in the habit of blogging. I have dropped in to read a few blogs but just not as much as I normally would.
I can be dreadful at keeping in touch generally in life as well. But I don't switch off.

Hope you are all well? Things are rubbing along nicely. As usual my little car is broken and in the garage so it's buses for Monday morning. Not done that for a while. Unfortunately she decided to break on one of the coldest and wetest nights we had had for a while. I was at work and dressed like it was still summer -the office is hot and I am not keen on coats. I resigned myself to a wet and cold walk home but my brilliant boss braved the Friday night traffic to take me home.
Work is well although I really hope I can extend my hours soon so that I am not at the mercy of the tax credit chopping George. I had intended to look for a 2nd job but my days and hours do need to be flexible for this job, so makes it hard to commit to another. Will be wonderful to be self reliant eventually.
Uni is a bigger reality now. Place is chosen and accepted so just need the hard work to pay off with good results. ABB grades are needed and predicted. Not bad for a home educator ha.

Personally I have been quite happy as I lost quite a few kilos in weight. Potentially because I have stuck rigidly to the gluten free. I have more to go to feel I am where i want to be weight wise. It's a slow progress as I don't let myself go without treats I am just cutting back on the the junk most days. I have been exercising at home with some weights but a fortnight ago I had the mother of migraines that has put me back. It affected my eyesight and I have not felt properly well since. It spurred me on to find a decent optician as mine has gone downhill in the last few years. My new one is brill and am even going for a contact lens trial in a fortnight.

Actually in a fortnight it's all happening as the council are going to fit a combi boiler. Although it will be chaos for a few days I am so excited as I have never lived in a property where hot water is on tap (do you see what I did there). Will also be going to a hospital apt to hopefully sort out my poor gluey ears.

Been so nice chatting again. Will catch up on everyone news now.

Take care. X

PS a few shots of my autumn

Back to it

Hello all. I've been neglecting blogging again. I am finding that I don't always feel like I have much to say and am more content to read others. Even the comments drop off. But I am often lurking.

I have been trying out a martial art called Wing Chun, it's  a form of kung fu. A friend from work is well into it and suggested the taster sessions. I have always had trouble with coordination and it has not improved with age. As a child I would tap perfectly with my right foot but my left could not join in and would regularly trip me up. I soon hung up my tap shoes. In adulthood the step aerobic teacher seemed to think I  was clowning about when I fell of the step. I wasn't I  just could not coordinate stepping and arm exercises. Wing chun has been no different so far. Still it's a different sort of exercise and it's not every day you can legitimately punch a work colleague.
It is a form of close range combat and is very alien to me. I wondered if that is because I am female and have been programmed into non aggression. Not that anyone is aggressive, it is very contained and disciplined. But I think you know what I  mean. I have never seen a martial art film, I've not even seen a James Bond or Rambo film. The attacks and blocks do hurt and that may be the undoing of me rather than the lack of coordination. Also I see a steely glint in the mens eyes and a look of determination that is totally lacking in mine.
Although week 3 of this little martial art adventure saw me punching the pads with a degree of accuracy and pleasure that was lacking before...so who knows.

Take care x

Hopeful post

Hello

Overheard in asda today a mum saying to her toddler
'No darling you can't  marry me because I'm  married to daddy you have to find a girl or boy of your own to marry one day'.
Cool.

Almost helped block out the couple on the right handside till to me having a domestic and the kid on the left one having a melt down cos her ma said no.

X

Short post

I may have to rethink the cushion blockade to keep her off the sofa.

X

One of those days post

Hello

Such a cliche but a true one. Tues after a bank holiday is busy because wages must be paid. On a Monday the pressure is lessened by knowing Tuesday is the fallback day. So the software decided it needed to update this morning which often spells disaster. Right on cue it crashed. Support then remotely take over the pc and resurrected it...eventually. It took them a few attempts to log on. But they got there and the wage run began. Next stumbling block the contract I have to assign the work to was not set up. My weak spot and my main boss was still on hols. Boss no 2 and I stumbled through it eventually. Getting on for midday  and still no one was paid. The hope was the bank didnt let us down and that boss no 2 could log on...his weak spot. Phew by lunch all were paid.

I breathed a sigh of relief until poor son texted "the toilet has gone odd again".

Booking the afternoon off I set off home ready to glove up and plunge. It happens every few months and we are getting adept at spotting it before as opposed to after...which can be messy. My diy plunging has failed this time so we are now cross leggedly waiting for the plumber. I have been assured it was put to a high priority but 3 hours later my bladder is losing faith. May have to go on a hunt for the camping bucket. Bet ya that I just get started when they turn up. I really wish I did not have that beaker of ribena at work.

Wonder when I can go to bed?

Take care x

Beware: Holiday Post

Hello.

I hope you are not all fatigued by another holiday post. It is the season for them though and I am still too excited by mine to not mention it...endlessly to anyone who might listen.

When I first got back into work one of the first things I did was order passports, one a month. Then I thought about booking a city break somewhere for poor son and myself. Many years ago when he was little I had promised him a trip on Eurostar as we would see it each time we arrived back in London for a visit. But he mentioned he had been on loads of trains but never a plane. He said no more. But that widened the field of travel and I got to planning. The only problem was I love everywhere and could not narrow it down. Asking him he chose Moscow but we didn't time to get visas so his next choice was Berlin. 

It all ended up being rushed because my brother suddenly became free to dog sit the following weekend. So the plane tickets where quite dear but the hotel price made up for it. And the fact that I didn't have to worry about Susie was priceless.  

So with bags packed and measured...Ryanair is so picky...we were off. I felt totally out of my comfort zone probably due to the fact that the last time I flew my son had no teeth. In fact the last time I flew I booked it at a travel agents and did not even own a mobile phone. 

Berlin was amazing. 

Although it was extremely hot and crowded we enjoyed every minute. So much history to see in such a small time so we cherry picked our choices and worked through them. It only included one museum, the DDR museum gives a great overview of live in the communist state. It gradually gets darker as you go round and you learn about the inequalities and the Stasi.
So much is free to see and as you wander round you find pieces of the wall and checkpoints packed with info. I was very impressed in the way they do not cover the past up and are openly educating.

My son and I discovered a mutual love of just mingling into the city. Mooching around streets and shops, catching a bus and hoping it took us somewhere vaguely near the intended destination, using the U and S bahn, people watching whilst sheltering from the heat. Food played a big part especially with a teen boy in tow. Oh my excitement at shopping in a real German Aldi, sad I know. Kaiser was a great supermarket and encouraged healthy eating - my, did we have to search for the chocolate...found it though.

By the evening the temp dropped from the high 30's to a much more manageable heat and it was very relaxing sitting out at tables or benches at restaurants with a cold drink. It was much cheaper than I expected, I think our dearest meal was about 25 euros.

 



 

We especially enjoyed the Turkish quarter for walking and eating in. The canal area seems to attract quite a bohemian crowd but also families. In fact with the weather it put me in mind of a Mediterranean country especially with the unhurried manner the restaurateurs had. Especially when the accordion player turned up.



Look Rachel Bundesliga on the TV

 

I had better stop now but I'll be back with more if you don't mind as it has been a wonderful experience. Next stop Moscow hopefully, well maybe for his 18th next year - best get saving.

Take care x