Easter Weekend

Posted on April 12, 2012 by nicdempsey

Friday

Walk around Richmond Park – that’s a 12km walk in the sunshine…I was rocking a hangover and 5 hours sleep and I really didn’t think that I’d manage it, although I felt so much better at the end of it.

Saturday

A cold and grey day. Got up, went for a run and afterwards met Ma for lunch in Richmond, we also bought Lu’s birthday presents. (no photos)

Sunday

Ran first thing and family lunch for Laura’s birthday. I spend quite a bit of it following Oli around and finding ‘the moneys’ so we could try and get a teddy bear from the machine (although I think Ol just likes pressing buttons). He also showed us how well he could use Mummy and Aunty Nic’s iPhones…

Ma and I came home, slightly shell shocked from the very chatty cab driver, and drank Manhattans and watched The Princess Bride, which she’d never seen before and loved (as all right thinking people should!!)

Monday

Ma and I went out for breakfast, she went home and so did I to a lovely day of pottering around the house.

It wasn’t the most exciting of weekends but it was absolutely what I needed, some time with no major obligations or hassle or patience. The most difficult thing about having been so stressed at work is that it’s been really difficult for me to see other people and it was nice not to have to think about that and just to be.

I came out of this weekend feeling saner and more stable, which has really shown this week at work and with exercise where I have rocked. Since last Friday I’ve done 31km of walking or running outside of walks to and from the station or the shops. This can only be a good thing.

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A walk

Posted on April 11, 2012 by nicdempsey

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I had physio this morning (to help my poor creaky knees!) after the appointment, I got to Parsons Green to discover that the District Line was part suspended (I don’t know why, it’s more creaky than my knees!). So new plan, walk to Barons Court and pick up the Piccadilly Line.

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It was a lovely walk but strange to be back where I grew up, noticing the changes. I took some photos and enjoyed the sunshine and the extra walk in my day. I was almost too relaxed when I finally got to work.

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What I’ve Read – February and March 2012

Posted on April 10, 2012 by nicdempsey

I didn’t recap this in February and am nine days late for March. Thanks to the lovely 4 days not at work (thank you Easter Bank Holiday!) I’ve been able to catch up and for what it’s worth this is what I read in those two months. There’s a little bit more ‘fibre’ in there but not lots, I haven’t had the energy to read anything that required extra thinking, as my brain has been a little taxed.

February

10. In the Shadow of the Workhouse – Jennifer Worth

I’ve raced through all three of Jennifer Worth’s books about the East End and if you can get over the style (she is a wee bit patronising) they give a real sense of time and place.

11. Fire and Thorns – Rae Carson

This was great. Loved that the heroine, was and wasn’t. That she overcame the obstacles in spite of herself and that everyone was allowed to be good and bad and that none of the major characters was totally evil, weak perhaps but not evil.  This is a series and I’m looking forward to the next and the next teenager I know that has a birthday will probably get this as a present.

12. A Night to Surrender – Tessa Dare

Oh man.  I picked this up thinking that it was Georgette Heyer-ish. It wasn’t, it was a romance. Ok, I can deal with that, I can’t deal with the ‘hero’ of the book, set in the Regency period, saying “and you love it” in reply to our heroine complaining about him. Or for that matter, sex before marriage. Sex after marriage in the Ton, I could cope with but I just can’t suspend my disbelief.  No, no, no…never again and that is all I have to say in the matter.

13. Flat Out Love – Jessica Love

Erm, I read this, but I can’t remember much about it.  Not a recommendation is it?

14. Wither – Lauren DeStefano

Dystopia, but believable. This didn’t feel like world creating, this felt like it could happen.  All children dying at 21 and 25. I enjoyed it while I read it but not enough to read the next one or really to care about any of the characters.

15. Under the Never Sky – Veronica Rossi

Also dystopia and I did enjoy it and the way Rossi, showed the language changing. Again one to give to the teenagers in my life.

16. The Cocktailian Chronicles: Life with The Professor – Gary Regan & Stuffy Shmitt

If you’ve read any of the Friday night cocktail posts, you’ll know I loved this. It was easy to read and informative and go and buy this, if you like cocktails and want to learn a bit more about them.

17. Gospel of Luke

The Message translation for one of the Grace Lenten meals. Interesting to read it all in one sitting.

March

18. Farewell to the East End – Jennifer Worth

I’ve raced through all three of Jennifer Worth’s books about the East End and if you can get over the style (she is a wee bit patronising) they give a real sense of time and place.

19. Between Here and Forever – Elizabeth Scott

I’ve enjoyed all of Elizabeth Scott’s books that I’ve read and this was no different. One to give as a present to the teenage girls I know.

20. At Home: A Short History of Private Life – Bill Bryson

A book off the TBR pile. This was great, interesting and going off on tangents every couple of pages. Although I know far more than I ever wanted to about rats and other pests….yuck.

21. A Storm of Swords: Part 2 Blood and Gold – George R.R. Martin

I love all of the Song of Fire and Ice books. After a gap of nearly a year, I’m back to being anxious to see what happens next.

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Sunday Music

Posted on April 8, 2012 by nicdempsey

It’s Easter Sunday and what could I have except the Hallelujah Chorus..

This is the first Easter in 27 years that Ma and I haven’t been to the Royal Albert Hall to see Handel’s Messiah sung.

For me, today marks the beginning of Easter. It marks a promise kept and a life renewed. Christ is Risen, He is Risen Indeed….

And because it’s a joyous day, this is so brilliant (Les Freres de St. Francis de la Sissies….)

 

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Confession Time

Posted on April 7, 2012 by nicdempsey

Yesterday, I read this post. Go ahead and read it, it’s a great post.

Been there. After Stef died, I lost nearly 3 stone (I lived in the gym cause it helped me sleep and I didn’t really eat much ’cause I was sad.) I held at that weight for about 18 months but it slowly crept back up and I’m pretty much back to the weight I was when Stef died. I’m probably a bit fitter now but I talk about it like I used weigh this and I don’t anymore. But I do. I weigh a lot and clothes that used to fit, don’t anymore.

I’ve talked about my weight and about what I’d like to do this year in terms of dropping it. We are now into April, 4 months into the year and I’ve done exactly nothing about it.

Nothing, I’ve not been careful about my eating or drinking and I’ve not done much about exercise. I can point to work being stressful being the reason I’ve done nothing, I can point out that I have dodgy knees and they hurt when I exercise. All of this is true, none of it is good enough. It stops now.

Cassie at Back to Her Roots, seems (from what I know of her from her blog) like a lovely person and I like her blog, I like the way she writes and I loved the Guinness Chocolate Pudding but I don’t know her.  However, I needed to admit I’ve been rubbish and get back on the horse and do something about my weight and my eating. Cassie’s very honest post gave me an additional push and sometimes need that…

I did.

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April Goals

Posted on April 4, 2012 by nicdempsey

First things first, March was a bad month, actually most of February was bad and the badness continued into March. Work was so busy and stressful (I’m doing the work of 3 people, having had 5 weeks training). That feeling of being overwhelmed and overcommitted coloured every aspect of my life. I stopped bootcamp, spent some time with a counselor and slowly started to pull myself out of the hole. I did have an end date to the chaos at work, as a new person was due to start in the middle of March. I figured by the end of March, things would be easier at work, despite the added task of having to train someone. It was all going to be ok, until the new person left last week (no notice and the only feedback was that she had been offered another job) and I caught a cold, not fun. So I’m back to square one.

This is what I’ve learnt, not achieving anything outside of work is as disheartening as the stress at work. Despite the office world of crazy, I’m need to find a way to make my life balance a bit better.

With all that in mind, March’s goals were:

1) 5k a day. I walk roughly 2.5k on an average weekday, I’m going to increase my mileage by upping it to 5k. That could be 3k on the treadmill or even outside during a lunch hour, it could be a run, I’m not fussed. I got this done 50% of the month. 

2) Sit ups, press ups, squats. 5 times a week I will do 3 sets of 10 of each. This isn’t going to be my only exercise but I really need a kick up the bum so little and often. Fail, fail big fat fail..

3) Sewing, this weekend I picked up the cross stitch for the first time in months and I need to finish this thing before this young lady turns one. So 2 hours a week. Pass.

4) All the Friday Night Cocktails (that’s 5 in March) will come from this book about which I will talk at length later on. Pass, with thanks to Michael for coming round and helping me make, taste and badly photograph them.

It’s still Lent, I haven’t had flowers in the house and have found it strange how much I’ve missed them, however, I also have £20 to go to Shelter. I haven’t read the book as planned and I’ve tried to ‘choose joy’ and see the good.

On to April goals.

1) Money. In the chaotic last few weeks, I’ve been over spending. That stops now. I did a big grocery shop on Saturday so the freezer is full, for the rest of the month I will not spend more that £100. (£10 on food per week and the rest is to account for exciting things like dry cleaning!)

2) Exercise. I’ve sucked at almost every exercise goal I’ve set this year but I feel better when I do it. So I’m going to commit to the C210K programme, I did it last year and loved it.

3) Exercise 2. Fit in a person training session with Jem. It helps, he’s a pain in the arse sometimes, but he’s also quite inspiring.

4) The demon drink. After Easter, no booze until my holiday on May 12th. This means that all Friday Night Cocktail posts have to be done this weekend or they will be non-alcoholic.

5) Personal care. It’s not going to get less busy so I need to look after myself. Bed by 10pm on a school night and taking my vitamins and supplements every day.

That will most definitely do!

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Comic Sans defends itself…

Posted on April 3, 2012 by nicdempsey

via @purpleclaire on Twitter

I’m so sending this to Grace.

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“I’m not just a font. I am a force of motherfucking nature and I will not rest until every uptight armchair typographer cock-hat like you is surrounded by my lovable, comic-book inspired, sans-serif badassery”

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Ready for another week..

Posted on April 2, 2012 by nicdempsey

So it’s Sunday night and things got done this weekend. Not everything but the bathroom is much cleaner than it was and the kitchen is immaculate. I am sitting at my kitchen table waiting for my fingernails (or more to the point the nail varnish on them) to dry before I go to bed. I’ve manged to break myself, after a personal training session with Jem, that involved the throwing of kettlebells and some boxing, I had some soreness underneath my collarbone on my left side, after the housework today, I have pain underneath all of my collarbone and I can’t move my arms too much or I start to cry….

Tomorrow is another week and it’s only a four-day week, followed by the Easter weekend. The 4 four-day weekday is lovely (and we get another in June for the Royal Jubilee, even though I don’t approve of the monarchy, an extra day off is an extra day off) and such plans I have. Seeing Christelle and Mike on Thursday night, a long walk with Ma on Friday, Easter Communion on Sunday morning followed by lunch with the family in Watford as a belated birthday celebration for Lu’s birthday and some serious sleeping.

I am going to be busy at work and I have lots of things to do. Being a grown up is not what I expected, who knew how happy the concept of a tidy kitchen and being in bed with a book would make me?

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Birthdays Galore

Posted on April 1, 2012 by nicdempsey

It’s April Fool’s Day more importantly, it’s Laura and Sarah’s birthday.

Sarah is part of the family I chose (one of the founding members)..she’s one of my favourite people and the mother of another of them.

Laura is the family my brother chose (and the mother of another of my favourite people). All I can say is that Ben chose well and I couldn’t think of anyone I’d like to have as a sister more!

Happy Birthday both of you and many more..

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Sunday Music

Posted on April 1, 2012 by nicdempsey

Old Crow Medicine Show, again. (They’re the gift that keeps on giving…)

I spent most of the day in a car with the Parent and OCMS was the soundtrack..

This is from Big Iron World and I love it. I didn’t know until today that it’s a Coasters song and The Rolling Stones covered it too.  I love this version the most..

Down Home Girl

 

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