Sunday, May 30, 2010

I want to knit something for me.

I'm not really complaining, but I'm not loving all the baby stuff. I'm almost snow-blind from the white hoodie I'm working on at the moment and if I do another one, I'll make it a different colour.

What I really want to do is knit something for me. I want to make this:



Kelmscot

or this:



Que Sera

or this:



Audrey from Unst

There is no point starting something yet - my size and shape is changing too rapidly to justify investing the time and yarn. This time next year, however...

Friday, May 28, 2010

What I will be doing on my holidays:

Emergency baby knitting. I planned this as a gift for my teaching partner's new grandchild, due in 6 weeks. However, another colleague has found out she is to become a grandmother in the next two weeks - it's complicated, and I admire her coping skills. So this will have to be diverted (and knitted!) this week.



I was planning to make this for my neice, but it will have to go into the queue.



And I'm going to put this in the bin and start again. It feels like heresy, but I've had two goes at this and it isn't happening for me. I've also run out of wool with only one sleeve completed. Time to cut my loses, I think.



We survived an inspection at work this week, and did I received some very positive, encouraging personal feedback that should keep me going through the next lot of tough times. So, as half term starts today, I'm going to be putting my feet up a bit, exercising a bit knitting a bit and chilling out.

Currently listening to: The History of Fairport Convention.

Another teenage crush:


Swarb

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

I've lost the world's largest ball of tape

1 pound = a Guinea Pig
1.5 pounds = a dozen Krispy Kreme glazed donuts
2 pounds = a rack of baby back ribs
3 pounds = an average human brain
4 pounds = an ostrich egg
5 pounds = a Chihuahua
6 pounds = a human’s skin
7.5 pounds = an average newborn
8 pounds = a human head
10 pounds= chemical additives an American consumes each year
11 pounds = an average housecat
12 pounds = a Bald Eagle
15 pounds = 10 dozen large eggs
16 pounds = a sperm whale’s brain
20 pounds = an automobile tire
23 pounds = amount of pizza an average American eats in a year
24 pounds = a 3-gallon tub of super premium ice cream
25 pounds = an average 2 year old
30 pounds = amount of cheese an average American eats in a year
33 pounds = a cinder block
36 pounds = a mid-size microwave
40 pounds = a 5-gallon bottle of water or an average human leg
44 pounds = an elephant’s heart
50 pounds = a small bale of hay
55 pounds = a 5000 BTU air conditioner
60 pounds = an elephant’s penis (yep, weights more than his heart!)
66 pounds = fats and oils an average American eats in a year
70 pounds = an Irish Setter
77 pounds = a gold brick
80 pounds = the World’s Largest Ball of Tape
90 pounds = a newborn calf
100 pounds = a 2 month old horse
111 pounds = red meat an average American eats in a year
117 pounds = an average fashion model (and she’s 5’11”)
118 pounds = the complete Encyclopedia Britannica
120 pounds = amount of trash you throw away in a month
130 pounds = a newborn giraffe
138 pounds = potatoes an average American eats in a year
140 pounds = refined sugar an average American eats in a year
144 pounds = an average adult woman (and she’s 5’4”)
150 pounds = the complete Oxford English Dictionary
187 pounds = an average adult man
200 pounds = 2 Bloodhounds
235 pounds = Arnold Schwarzenegger
300 pounds = an average football lineman
400 pounds = a Welsh pony

Saturday, May 08, 2010

Chilly weekend

The weather is still cold and windy. Makes me want to put the heating on and curl up at home.

Ventured out only as far as the supermarket and into town for a much needed haircut this morning - it's been over eight weeks since I had it cut and I have been putting off.
This is because: a)I hate going to any hairdresser (hate staring at myself in the mirror, can't speak the same language as them and have a history of not getting the cut I want) b)My last haircut was horrendous and I've been trying to grow it a bit longer before I get the damage repaired c)I'm having a bit of an image crisis at the moment - my shape is changing, my face is changing and my clothes have had to change too.

Well, I've been now and had the back shaped. I've decided to grow it back into a bob (ish) shape.

&hearts &hearts &hearts


I've beeln experimenting a bit with my diet now that I can eat solid foods. Betty (Betty-the-bypass-pouch) still doesn't like crispy, crunchy foods, but will tolerate a poached egg, toasted WW bread, chicken breast, vegetables, rice in small quantities and salad.

Today I have roasted a pan of veggies with garlic, chilli and olive oil. They smell delicious. I've also tried crustless quiche made from eggs and cottage cheese with a bit of crispy bacon. Might be a good thing for my lunch boxes in order to get some variety from wafer-thin wiltshire cured ham with cottage cheese or chicken breast slivers with green salad.

&hearts &hearts &hearts


I ventured out earlier this morning, when it was brighter, but still cool. The tulips are taking a bit of a battering:





&hearts &hearts &hearts


These are all over the garden. We have been picking them up since we were children:



We always called them Devils' Toenails, for obvious reasons, but they are actually fossilised Gryphaea oysters from the Jurassic period.
Amazing what we take for granted, isn't it?

Friday, May 07, 2010

What happened to Spring?

This week has been freezing! I think we even had a ground frost overnight one day. I suppose I should heed the old adage: Ne're cast a clout 'til May be out! I'm still wearing a vest for work :)

The Spring flowers are trying valiantly:









We got hundreds of new tulip bulbs at Gateshead Flower Show last year and they are coming up really well. I'll try to catch some better pictures over the weekend if the light is better and the wind drops a bit!

Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Slightly off colour

Haven't been too well this week. Yesterday my colleague asked me if I was ok. I had to say 'Not, really.' She smiled and said, 'Thank $%*& for that - you look like death, but I didn't like to say!' That cheered me up.

There's a tendancy to blame every little ill on the surgery at this stage. I'm 5 weeks out so every gastro-intestinal thing must be surgery-related, right? I took today off, sick, and when I rang work to see if everything was ok, there are lots of us ill, all with similar symptoms. I've said it before, but it's a penalty of working in the bacteria soup that is a primary school.

So, taking it easy on the food and drinking more today.

I'm doing well, generally. Managing to tolerate a wider range of food and nearly died in ecstasy when I managed a poached egg on a slice of toasted Weight Watchers malted danish bread Took ages to eat, though...

Struggling with my clothes a bit now. I have shrunk below a lavel where I can wear any of my old suits, and I refuse to spend lots of money on what I think of as interim clothes. So, I'm going to work in wide-legged linen trousers and tops from Asda. I like it, but it's a bit of a departure for me for work. They'll get over it, I guess!

Sunday, May 02, 2010

Progress pictures

This is the bit that makes me feel really uncomfortable:



Picture 1 is summer 2007 - probably my heaviest ever.
Picture 2 is front view at start of pre-op diet.
Picture 3 is front view 1 month post op.
Picture 4 is side view at start of pre-op diet.
Picture 5 is side view 1 month post op.

I'm trying to remember to take monthly comparison pictures, wearing the same clothes.

Must do something with my hair!

&hearts &hearts &hearts


It's a 3 day weekend!
I'm trying to get my work (school prep and marking, plus some studying I am doing for the Masters degree that seemed like a good idea a little while ago...)over with today so that I have a day free to knit, walk (well wrapped-up - it's down to 8 degrees again here)and catch up with Grey's Anatomy on Sky+)