RIP Winston

Oh Hi! Yes, I am still alive! Apologies for the complete lack of GGGoL posts over the past few weeks, last night was the first time I’ve had really to write my blog (now I’ll struggle to remember what I’ve been up to – Old age and all)

Now do you recall I mentioned my car failed its MOT and was booked in at the garage? Well sadly Winston didn’t make it, his life support was switched off on Saturday 14th May, aged 10 years. We had some good times together, lots of fun journeys, my first trip to Cornwall, numerous drives to airports for my many holidays, lots of visits to Silverstone for the Motogp (my parking permit was still stuck on the windscreen). As one life ends another begins and I’m pleased to announce the safe arrival of my shinny Night Blue new Golf. He (yes my car is male) hasn’t officially been named yet, but I’m leaning towards Boris.

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What else have I been up to over the past few weeks. Well I’ve been rather naughty and I’ve been shopping (more than once) buying new outfits for my holibobs and I think I’m just about kitted out, I’ve got some new pairs of shorts, playsuit, shirt, vest top, dresses. I like to look stylish when I’m on holiday – Look good, feel good, and I am going away with my gorgeous little sister so I need all the help I can get from my outfits.  I’ve also bought a few new pieces for work (I’m telling you this gym malarkey is costing me a blimin’ fortune). Last Monday I debuted a gorgeous new H&M dress to co-inside with my first drive to the office in my new brum. I love new things.

So Florence is less than 4 weeks away now and I’m sooooo excited!! I’m usually really good at planning and organising holiday things (I’ve been on quite a few solo vacations over the past couple of years) but I think I’m almost too excited that I just haven’t been able to plan – Anything! So my usually not so organised sister has taken control and we have a vintage Fiat 500 self drive Tuscan wine experience booked – Perfect! We have a rough idea of what we want to see and do so things are coming together. I have also been informed that we will be eating at least one gelato a day, and will be eating the Italian way with our antipasto followed by primo, then secondo finished with dolce, all washed down with copious amounts of Prosecco and Chianti – I seriously can not wait; although I’m not looking forward to coming back the size of a casa.

Now, gym. I have been going, perhaps not as often as I should or I planned to this month and I do seem to have lost my gym mojo a bit; which is actually really sodding annoying! I’ve been having my usual PT’s with Phil and I’ve been working out with my fellow Moany Bitch, we’ve been to a couple more Spin classes, and I’ve been attending the Healthy Weight Programme (we did a core workout session last week – I feel like I should have abs like old school Peter Andre). At the moment I feel like I’m actually becoming less fit and fatter, although I know this isn’t the case when the clothes I’ve been buying are smaller than I used to wear (I even had to treat myself to a new pink VS Sports Bra on Saturday due to my shrinking bust!) It was lush shopping with my friend Saturday and being able to pick up smaller clothes off the rails, try them on in the changing room and for them to fit my body perfectly and flatter my ever changing shape. I think I might need to channel those feelings when I’m having my fat days at the gym, to encourage me to work my Kim K that bit harder – Bring the A game as Phil is forever telling me to do.

Dates! Now the cute Italian went home for a week at the beginning of the month, he’s back but we haven’t had a chance to see each other yet, we’ve been messaging and I might be seeing him Sunday.  I had been hoping I’d have another date lined up with someone else, but I’m obviously not in favour at moment – silence speaks volumes right!

It’s bank holiday weekend approaching and so far the only date I have set in in stone is catching up with one of my closest friends on Friday with her new bubba; well she’s five months old, but I haven’t met her yet. I’m so looking forward to snatching some cuddles. Other than that, I will naturally spend time with my mum and sister; we’ll probably go on another afternoon stroll ( we went to Snelsmore again weekend before last – No bog issues this time!).

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I think that’s me done for another week. Who knows when I’ll type again, I’m just so shoddy at the moment aren’t I? Shocking!

Enjoy the rest of your week and the bank holiday weekend (I do appreciate those few Mondays that I actually don’t hate and kinda love).

L x

No Ed, my legs don’t work like the used to before!

So here we are again another week has come and gone and I survived PT last Monday and my second Spin class yesterday – Yay me!

Last time you may recall I said that Phil had a HIIT workout planned for me. Well a HIIT session did take place, moany bitch Laura was on form, constantly whinging as Phil attempted to kill me. He has this obsession with making me run on the treadmill without turning it on! It’s just ridiculous – The belt is not long enough for starters for my legs to get up any form of speed and 45 seconds is too long to attempt it; 45 seconds honestly feels like 5 minutes. I was a sweaty disgusting mess by the end of my hour. Numerous expletives were used and I felt half dead, as luck would have it Phil will not be charged with manslaughter as I did survive and surprisingly I didn’t ache on Tuesday – Bonus. I did however suffer a broken nail, which I wasn’t best pleased with.

My PT started an hour later last week, so to kill a bit of time, I did what I do best and hit the shops for a spot of retail therapy. I thought I’d start having a little look around for holiday clothes (only 6 1/2 of weeks to go) and I left Next with two new pairs of shorts and a vest top. The shorts are actually already a little on the big size; I mentioned this to Phil

Me – I’ve bought some shorts ready for holiday, they’re a size 14 and they are already feeling a little loose – They’ll be ok for Florence though, I mean I probably wont lose any more weight before I go will I?

Phil – Well if you carry on the way you’re going and keep up with your gym visits, then yes, you could quite possibly drop a dress size.

Me – But I’ve NEVER been a size 12!

Phil – Well if you keep it up you might well be.

Me – Hmmm well perhaps I’ll keep hold of my new shorts for a few more weeks, I’ve got 28 days after all, but then maybe I’ll change them for a smaller size – Eek!!!

Now don’t get me wrong I’m loving the fact that my body is starting to change and take shape, and I love to shop, but the thought of having to buy a whole new wardrobe is actually a little daunting and stressful (not to mention expensive). With the weight and inch loss my feet do not want to be out done by and also appear to be shrinking. I normally wear a size 5, Monday evening I tried on a pair of 4 1/2 shoes in Next and they were a little big! So not only will I need to buy new work attire, casual and going out clothes, it looks like I’ll be needing a mass of new shoes too! I suppose on positive with the shoes is I’ll be able to buy from the kids range and save a few pennies on VAT.

Tuesday I went to the gym and did a sesh on the trusty bike – I lasted an hour and leisurely cycled just under 23km. Wednesday was my usual rest day, no gym, I did however get a bit of a lecture from my sister re dating. We’ve decided to agree to disagree.  Thursday was the third HWP class where we discussed emotional eating. When I think of emotional eating I feel like this is done when we are feel down and low, but of course that’s not always the case as when we are happy we also find ourselves eating (and drinking) perhaps in excess.

After the previous Fridays food and drink downfall, I had intending on being good, I failed. Friday lunch I went to the pub and had a scrummy goats cheese roll with chips and a cheeky glass of wine. Then my sister asked if I’d like to go round hers for a naughty dinner, so I ended up having a chicken korma – Massive OOPS! I did however go to the gym before consuming the curry so hopefully I’d burnt of a mouthful or two before I started eating.

Saturday my car was in the garage for its MOT – It’s failed. This lead to a rather angry, annoyed Laura who subsequently had a lazy day dossing around the house.   I caught up on some programmes recorded, which was good as I needed to free some space in preparation for this weeks MotoGP in Le Mans.

On Sunday we had another girlie Mummy and daughter afternoon stroll. We went to Snelsmore Common this week. Again another beautiful spot right on my doorstep that I’ve only been two a few times before (I was put off going there as a child as there are snakes slivering around up there). There are pathways to follow, which we used for most of our walk, but we did go off track slightly, which wasn’t the best idea for my sister who was wearing some white converses (these ended up very muddy as we trekked through some bogs)

Sunday evening I had another date with the cute Italian. We had a lovely dinner and then went back to his to watch a film – Overall an enjoyable night and end to a fab day.

Yesterday was Bank Holiday Monday so I didn’t have a PT session booked in with Phil. Knowing this you may be impressed to read that I went to my second Spin class! I didn’t get in from my date till gone 1am and when I got home I had a cup of tea for bed, so it was probably around 2am before I went to sleep. I’d set my alarm for 8am but actually woke up around 7:30am. I got up, had some breakfast (something I rarely do) and got dressed in my gym clothes ready for the 9:30am class. I went with my new gym buddy, fellow HWP attendee and moany bitch and we sat at the back of the room like naughty school girls. We didn’t however go unnoticed as Sam (who took the class) is my friends Personal Trainer, plus there were only 7 of us in the class. So normally my moany on a Monday is reserved for Phil, but yesterday Phil was off the hook and Sam witnessed my moody ‘Are you kidding me’ face as he kept telling us to increase the resistance. One of the tracks played was Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud – Jeez it’s no wonder Ed’s a millionaire, that song goes on for flippin’ ever! “When your legs don’t work like they used to before” No they don’t, they don’t work because Sam is outright mean (not a one off, he’s always mean apparently) and Mr Sheeran composes songs that last about 10 minutes!

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*disclaimer -Sam is not female, but this pic best represented me at the end of his torturous class yesterday*

So that’s me done, another week (and a bit) covered. Not sure what this week has lined up for me as yet (car’s going to the garage again tomorrow, so I’ll probably be angry at some point). Gym visit done tonight, night off tomorrow. I have decided that May is going to be my month for upping my game again at the gym and working hard to ‘Love Me’ before Florence, so be prepared for whingey Laura!  No dates set up as yet (the Italian is back home for a week, so won’t be seeing him). No other dinner dates planned that I’m aware of, so my next blog might be a little dull (my life is rather Eastenders though so I’m certain that won’t be the case)

Hope you all have a fantabulous week.

L x

Love is in the….correction Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon & Carbon Dioxide is in the air

Obviously there have been an abundance of cards, flowers and gifts sent to me…….not that I’ve actually seen them yet, perhaps the postman couldn’t carry all the cards and Interflora have left all the bouquets outside someone else’s house?!? Tomorrow sees the day that society has labelled the day of love, blah! If you’re with someone you should love them everyday of the year and declare and show this to them too, there shouldn’t be a designated day. I mean us singletons don’t have a dedicated day in the diary for National Singles Day, oh wait apparently there is, S.A.D Single Awareness Day on the 15th February; I guess they’ll be lots of reduced (overpriced just a few days before) stems of roses available in Waitrose on Monday, perhaps I’ll treat myself.

The 14th of February is just a day in between the 13th and 15th – Give me Valentino Rossi over Valentines day.

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I do actually have a date tomorrow, however not in the traditional manner. Affectionately called the ‘Petulant Little Sister’ I’m playing third wheel with my lovely friends who have invited me to join them at The Anvil to see Adam Hills. I did point out that it is Valentines day and I didn’t want to gate crash and was told that it’s no big deal, it’s only a big deal if I make it one. So I’m going and really looking forward to it having fun and a bit of a giggle.

I’ve not had a very good week gym wise. I went Monday for my PT session, and then again Tuesday for slow, painful stint on the bike. Wednesday’s are family night so didn’t go, then I’d forfeited Thursday for an meal out with a friend; but she cancelled which was really annoying as I didn’t bring my gym kit with me so instead of driving home and back into town to Nuffield my sister invited me round for dinner so I had a lovely evening with my sissy. I did go for my regular Friday date and managed to go on the treadmill, bike and rower, but felt completely pathetic at how knackered I felt as I listened to Greg James on Radio One after he’d completed his fifth and final Triathlon or #Gregathlon – Seriously he’s an amazing human being, he ran, swam and cycled 246 miles raising £816,808 for Sports Relief (check out www.sportsrelief.com or you can text GREG to 70703 to donate)

I spent some of today going through my clothes, which is like a workout if I’m honest. I currently can’t actually see my bed under the mound of dresses, skirts, jumpers and bras piled high on there. Good news is that even my pathetic efforts at the gym are paying off and new items of clothing I’ve purchased (but not cut the tags off of) are now zipping up nicely, fitting me perfectly and really flattering my ever changing curves which puts a smile on my usually mardy face. Ooh and I have a confession to make, I ordered a new pair of boots yesterday from River Island (although I’m slimming down, I’m still curvy and curvy girls buy shoes and handbags – its our thing) so I’m excited about picking them up in the week.

My sister and I still haven’t booked our holiday in Florence yet, although we did start browsing the internet on Wednesday evening. We’ve found a few hotels we like the look of, the main issue is our snobby flight requirements – We’d like to fly with BA or Alitalia, preferably from Heathrow, Gatwick if we have to, and we’d ideally like a mid-morning flight to maximise our girlie getaway (not too much to ask really?!?). I’ll continue to search, my sister is leaving it to me to organise (she’s said she’ll provide the credit card though) and hopefully we’ll have something booked in the next week or so. Eek exciting.

That’s me done for tonight; wishing all you loved up folk a fab time tomorrow and fellow singletons remember you’re loved by many people every day of the year.

L x