Friday 3 October 2008

Procrastination, Flash Cards & Hideous Photos

Did you know that on this day in 1952 it was announced that tea rationing would be stopped. Tea had been rationed for twelve long years. I can't imagine not being able to consume the copious amounts that I get through each day. Also on this day, but in 1959, postcodes were introduced in Britain. Right, that's enough procrastination for me for the time being. I've put off writing for long enough and need to get on with it.

Today, I need to finally sub a short story that I've been working on and faffing about with rather a lot, then I have to finish my fifth assignment that I intended sending out last Saturday. After all that I need to go through HH&S and write up a flash card for each chapter in order to figure out exactly what I need to rework. This little project has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks and although I've made notes and thought about it many times, I haven't actually sat my bum down on the chair and DONE anything about it.

I've been an entire week without crisps and Midget Gems (replaced by almonds, not quite the same, but healthier). I've only had the odd cube of Bourneville chocolate to stop any sweet craving for the milkier sort that passes my lips far too often and I'm building a good relationship with Ryvita Muesli crispbreads.

All this virtuous eating is thanks to my mother and sister who recently sent me hideous photos of me that they'd taken this summer, well photos that they took with me looking pretty hideous in them, they didn't intentionally take ghastly ones of me, it just couldn't be helped. Now unless the camera puts on several stones in a photo and ages your face, then I'm looking pretty shocking. So it was definately time to take action.

Much as I love my husband (and I do, he's wonderful) it doesn't help being married to someone who thinks you're 'gorgeous' despite the fact that I weigh ???? stones more than when we first dated nine years ago. Well ???? stones, less the three pounds that I've lost this week.

30 comments:

Lane Mathias said...

Debs you look lovely and I'd love to have known what you were laughing at:-)

Funny I can remember having a postcode as a kid. They must have taken a few years to filter down to the sticks:-)

Amanda said...

What a great photo, Debs!

Good luck with the short story you are going to sub today! x

Jayne said...

That's a lovely photo of you and I certainly know what it's like to want to lose x amount of weight!!! Good luck with that - and with the story too!

HelenMWalters said...

Hmmm, muesli crispbread and almonds ... or crisps, midget gems and chocolate? It's a tough choice.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

lane - S was taking the photo and had stepped back into the flowerbed, she was rather cross and it made me laugh.

I don't know when we started having post codes over here, but it wasn't when I was young, I'm sure.

annie bright - thanks, I've never had such a fat face.

I've just send the short story, so relieved it's actually gone now.

mummy - thanks very much. I'm hoping to keep going with the diet at least until Christmas (that's the idea anyway).

helenmh - I agree with you. I know which I'd rather be having, but it's having too much of all that in the first place that's made me the podge I am now.

Beth said...

Thanks for dropping into my blogs!

Well done for submitting your story, I should come back and say once I've sent mine off :)

Karen said...

I was going to say how much I LIKED that picture of you chortling away, you look lovely :o)

The thought of a world where tea has to be rationed has made me come over all peculiar...

Kaye Manro said...

I think the photo is cute. And I must say good luck with the diet. I know how that can be. It is so hard. I guess if it were easy, we'd all be quite trim and in shape!

Tamsyn Murray said...

Awwww, it's lovely pic. Most impressed with the choc abstinence. Keep up the good work but personally I thin your husband is right :-)

Jenny Beattie said...

I think the picture is lovely too.

TEA RATIONING? NoOOOOoooooooOO.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

b - I'm glad it's gone, now I just need to finish this assignment work and send that off.

karen - thanks, that's so kind of you.

I adore drinking tea and can't imagine having to do without it.

kaye manro - that's very lovely of you to say so. I'm not minding the diet TOO much, but if I stop seeing results I'll find it a bit harder.

tam - thank you, I'm going to keep looking at it to inspire me to stick with the healthy eating plan!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

jj - oops, I think our comments crossed in the post (as it were).

Thanks, that's very kind.

I think I need another cup of tea now I've thought about it.

Pat Posner said...

It's a lovely photo, Debs.
Good luck for the short story.

Cranberries covered in dark chocolate are good - and quite healthy, too!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

pat posner - thanks.

Ooh they sound lovely, I'll have to try that.

Melissa Amateis said...

I think you look lovely! And I hear ya on the whole losing weight thing - I lost 30 pounds a year and a half ago and gained 15 of it back. Talk about frustrating! But I plan to rejoin Curves, a ladies-only work-out place that I just love.

Pat Posner said...

Does anyone remember actress, Cathy Shipton - Duffy in Casualty?

I think Debs is keeping something from us! She either is Cathy Shipton, related to her, or her double.

DAB said...

You look great. Now go sit on bum, stuff face with brain feeding chocolate and write woman :)TFx

Anonymous said...

it's a gorgeous photo, debs - and R's right - you look young, beautiful, healthy and happy. What more does girl want??? Well, midget gems, obviously, and chocolate... Well done on the 3lbs though. I bet I could have lost three pounds this week if it hadn't been for the Toblerones... oh, and the cream slices... and the pizza...

DJ Kirkby said...

I think you look wonderful! I can see why your husband doesn't mind. I too am on a diet as I now weigh more than Chopper who is 6f3! Sigh...he deosn't care either but I now have high blood pressure so I guess my body is saying it does.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

melissa marsh - You're still 15 pounds less than you were though, which is good. They're just introducing Curves over here funnily enough. My sister used to go to them in South Africa.

pat posner - I remember her, I wonder what happened to her? No she isn't in Jersey, sitting in a shed with a vacant expression on her face that's definately me.

tom foolery - lol, you are so bossy sometimes, but I like the thought of the chocolate. x

chris - you're always so kind. I could do with a Toblerone or three right now.

dj kirkby - thats really sweet of you. It's lovely that they are happy with us the way we are but it doesn't help with the not eating chocs etc does it?

Anonymous said...

Debs you look gorgeous!! lots of luck with story. I havent heard from louise yet with mine. seems to be taking forever!

Fiona Mackenzie. Writer said...

I think it's a lovely photo.

I would be more than happy if they brought back tea rationing but if they did the same to coffee I'd be panicked.

Fingers crossed for short story.

Liane Spicer said...

Your photo is not at all hideous - you radiate happiness and well-being. Congrats on the weight loss (believe me, I know how hard that can be!) and on completing that story. Now send it out into the world!

Christina Phillips said...

Debs, that is a lovely pic of you!! Well done on the diet. I have a total addiction to all things covered in chocolate (except nuts... yuck!) so try to balance it out by going to Curves (not sure it's quite working... I live in hope!)

Lorix said...

Debs I was reading your blog and getting a bit d-duh-d-duh (that's meant to be scary horror film music BTW!)
My husband too thinks I'm fine how I am, though I need to lose about 4-5 stones! - the ones I've put on in the years we've been together!
I am doing a bookkeeping course (up to assignment 3, the words VAT entered the questions and I've been avoiding it!) and I too have just sent off my MS...is it just me or is that weird?

Lori x
http://lorrainepowell.blogspot.com/

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

motherx - thanks, I think I look positively ghastly and only posted it to make me stick to the diet.

Hope you hear from Louise soon, fingers crossed. x

fiona - thanks.

I only really drink coffee at work and they are in cappuccino form, so have had to stop them whilst trying to lose these pounds.

wordtryst - thanks. I really need to get sending work out there. I have sent this piece, so shall wait in hope (not much hope, but one can try).

christina phillips - thanks. I love nuts, but have to remember not to completely over indulge in them.

lori x - lol, it sounds like we're probably living parallel lives somehow.

Best of luck with your VAT question, I can see how that would be a bit of a brick wall to break through. Amazing how something like that can stop a flow of work in our tracks.

It's far too easy to put on weight, and such a bore having to lose it. Dx

Anonymous said...

What a lovely photo. I think you look lively, and unless you are morbidly obese and need a crane to lift you out of a chair then I think you need to appreciate that we all cant look anorexic - what a splendid chap you are partnered with - he sees & loves the real you. I love your shed, I have a fully lined garage newly carpeted with ensuite etc but choose to be in the house because its too quite. Your comment on tea rationing I passed on to my husbands aunt, staying with us at the momemt (shes 70)she said she recalls her mother having vouchers for rationing and how food had to be made to stretch etc (and we live in New Zealand). I couldnt imagine having something so common in my life, rationed. I really should be writing, but I feel guilty not paying attention to our Aunt so Im sneaking the writers life vicariously through your blog. Ryvita is not so bad, and dried apricots are sweet - even nicer covered in dark chocolate. On the writing side of things, are you strictly short story or ss & novel - and do you recommend starting with ss or jumping straight in with novel writing.

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

kiwiscribe - thank you for your comment. I love the sound of your garage, en-suite too, how marvellous, I have to traipse up the pathway to get to my loo.

My father is probably about your aunt's age and remembers being without sweets mainly and his bag of shrapnel (he was in London).

I find writing short stories hard and prefer writing novels, but feel that I need to practise and that's what I'm doing at the moment. In between writing and trying to hone my books.

Jan said...

LOts of lovely friendly stuff here.
Good blog Debs!

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

jan - thanks very much.