Cycling, Swimming and Chocolate Cola Cake

Since I last wrote my blog, sitting at the dreaded car boot things have been busy. The car boot went OK, I made about £35 which paid for some shopping and a few beers and the pub quiz. Well at least I can avoid the car boot for a couple of weeks. Anyway Since my last entry I have sort of finished Beth's new room. It is very pink as you will have seen from the picture I posted on Facebook. I really don't like pink but I hate to admit I am quite happy with the colour scheme. It is very girly but she is my little princess and if she doesn't like it then I will repaint it. As she is only 1 it will be a while before she has a big enough vocabulary to say 'Daddy, I don't like my room can you paint it bright green please.'



I still have some work to do, the ceiling needs repainting, as do the skirting boards, but it will do for now. Next big job inside is to sort out the loft. I have already made one trip to the tip with a load of junk but I think I will have a few more. Once I get paid I will buy a few floor boards to help with the storage space and really start going through all the junk. Unfortunately I am a bit of a hoarder and don't like throwing things away but this will have to change.



Outside things are coming along very slowly indeed. I did get out and do some weeding out the front today, however I always feel it is a drop in the ocean. After a three month leave I finally start to get on top of things but it only takes a few weeks of neglect and we are back to square one. I think I am going to have to bite the bullet and try to find a cheep gardener to come in a couple of hours a week. I might actually be able to enjoy the garden then and crack on with some of my plans for it rather than just constantly battle the weeds. Talking of weeds I am going to have to do battle with the Devon bank once more. So Far I have chopped about 25% of it back. I had a huge bonfire to get rid of the stuff, otherwise I would have had about fifteen or more trips to the tip. Unfortunatley one of my neighbours had a moan about the fire so I will have to look at getting rid of the cuttings another way. The recycle van comes next Wednesday so I think if I get out there Monday and Tuesday I can make a huge pile of cuttings by the front gate and then the recycle men will take it.

My fitness regime is going OK. I have made a conscious effort to do some form of exercise each day. This is paying off as the weight is continuing to drop, if slowly. I have now lost 9lbs since coming home which is good, I just have to keep it up. If I could loose two or three pounds per week for the next few months I would be really happy.

I actually managed to go for a bike ride yesterday, although I started wishing I had moved to Norfolk and not North Devon. There are too many hills here and although they are wonderful to look at they are horrid to cycle up. As I live on top of a hill (a future investment. When the ice caps melt I will have a beach front property) whenever I go for a bike ride the first bit is great, well it's down hill and as long as I remember to wear glasses it is great fun. I forgot yesterday and every few seconds as I sped down the hill I was blinded by bugs flying into my eyes. On a good day it will take me about 5 minutes to cycle down to the tarka trail and about 35 minutes to walk back. However I have found a new route which isn't to bad. The first quarter is down hill, then it is a slug all the way back up to Stibb with the final quarter being down hill. My next challenge will be to find a way of getting Brenin and the bike down to the Tarka Trail (well it is flat with a Pub after 5 miles) and teaching him to walk/run nicely by the bike as I cycle. The only problem being is I need to get a roof rack and they are quite pricey.

So that's the cycling covered. Now to witter on about swimming. We are quite lucky, (or unlucky as Diamond/sunterra are thieving B*%!ards.) We are a 10min drive (20 min Cycle) from a place call Woodford Bridge which is a holiday complex. As we are members of the Holiday club we get to use the facilities which include gym, squash court and swimming pool. More often than not the swimming pool is empty which is really nice and makes it more enjoyable than having to traipse all the way into Bideford to use the community pool. I have made a conscious effort to go down to the pool at least every other day since I have been home. I really enjoy just vegging in the Sauna, even if it does get a little toastie. I do some exercise though and am now up to 20 lengths. Next week I will push this up to 30 lengths and I really must start using the gym again. The gym is in the old squash court but they still have one court available, I just need to find someone who fancies playing squash with me. I am really pretty crap but I did used to enjoy it and I always got a good run around. I had thought of trying to have a knock around by myself but it wouldn't be much fun.

With my fitness streak I make sure I weigh myself every morning. We have a WII fit which is great as it measures weight and BMI and shows a graph so you can track progress. There is something nice waking up every morning to see that you have lost a little more weight. Anyway the programme has a way of recording activities undertaken. So I have started recording the time I do exercise for. The list of activities also includes housework and cooking as exercise which is great as it gives me an excuse to watch 'Good Food Channel' on sky. I really like cooking and trying new recipes. I made some wonderful ginger cup cakes recently. Beth and I would share one in the morning as I sat down to read my book with a cup of coffee. She would get so excited when I came in with the cake and coffee just after I had hoovered. She would the eat half the cake and get crumbs everywhere. Anyway as the supply of ginger cup cakes dwindled I looked on the good food website and found a recipe from James Martin for a 'Chocolate Cola Cake'. Sounds weird doesn't it, using coca cola in a chocolate cake, but I tell you it tastes really good. It is a real strain limiting myself to a small slice per day but I must loose weight. Anyway I have probably wittered on enough today so until next time....

Time Flies

I really can't believe that I have been home nearly three weeks. It really is good to be home although I feel I haven't stopped. Beths new bedroom is coming on and looking very pink. I should hopefully have it finished very soon. The garden is still a jungle although I have cleared about a quarter of the devon bank. I will get on top of it one day.

Well my diet is going well I have lost 9lbs in three weeks and hopefully I will manage to keep up the trend. My aim is to get below 16stone for Christmas.

I have been out for some really nice walks with the doggies. Beth enjoys them just as much as me as she just giggles the whole time. I just wish she wouldn't smile and wave at all the old grannies when we are shopping as it makes it take longer as they all want to stop and say hello.

My aim for next week is to complete Beths room and to go for at least one bike ride.
Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless device

Time Flies

I can't believe that I have been home for a week already. Rosie seems such a dim a distant memory, thankfully. The last week has been hectic, I arrived home just in time for the little ones birthday and then had a couple of frantic days trying to get the house ready for her party at the weekend. We had planned on doing a BBQ but the weather wasn't up to it so we had a buffet instead. It was great to see everyone. I just hope that everyone had a nice time as I know Beth enjoyed herself.

It is great to be home spending time with Debbie and Beth as I do miss them when I am away and the little one changes so much. I took her to church Sunday Morning and left Debbie home asleep as she hasn't been sleeping well. Beth was reasonably well behaved. She giggled during the hymns, was quiet during the prayers and was unfortunately quite talkative during the sermon. I am pleased we went though as it was peaceful. We are going again this Sunday. It is a later service so it will be Church then the Green Dragon then home so she will have a little mini adventure around Langtree. Then the following Sunday I will have to go to the dreaded Car Boot but hopefully I will manage to sell some more frames.

Things have been busy since I have been home though. I am just pleased that I got so much done today. I cleared a little bit of the Devon Bank. Although why does it only take an hour or so to remove the hedges and yet so long to try and get rid of the cuttings. Well after my little spell of gardening I turned my attention to the jungle room. I have now managed to strip most of the wallpaper off, the remainder I should crack tomorrow and I have revealed the painted jungle below. Thankfully most of the plaster seems reasonable so it shouldn't take me to long to prepare the walls and paint them. I just hope the little one likes her new room when it is finished.

The Sun is Shining

I am now back home, I arrived back on Tuesday night just in time for the little one's first birthday on Wednesday. I really can't believe that she is one already. Where has the last year gone. She is still full of smiles which is wonderful and she is so well behaved, well 99% of the time anyway. I can't believe how lucky were are. I took here with me to Church this morning and she kept smiling at everyone. I just have to teach her that she can be noisy when we sing and that she has to be quiet during the sermon, not the other way around. It is nice to be home though as I am able to read her a bedtime story every night. I know she is a bit young for it but we are on the last chapter of 'The Lion the Witch and The Wardrobe'. When we have finished it I think I will start the Bed Time Stories book.
I will be sitting down later and drafting a job list for next few weeks. There is quite a bit I want to get done, I just hope I find the time to do it all. At least I am just about unpacked now so I can take stock today and start cracking on tomorrow.

Since I have been home I have been thinking about my faith and how week it is at the moment. There are always so many distractions in life and I sometimes find it hard to focus on what is important. I know the basics and I try to lead a good life but we all get distracted at times. I really enjoy reading but find it harder and harder to actually sit down and read the bible, it may be the version I have but I think it is just me being distracted once again. I used to pray every day but now I do it very rarely. I think I need to try and refocus on my faith and I am considering going on an alpha course as I think that would help me find the path again.