Seasider in the City…food, drink, toys, laughter & golf!
The Gallery – Landscapes
Feb 22nd
I have not taken part in many Gallery linkies lately but I’m not really sure why! This week Tara has made the theme landscapes and I knew the exact photo I wanted to use. As always it’s not the best photo in the world but it’s a place I love.
No prizes for guessing that it’s on a golf course, Costessey Park Golf Course. These remains sit alongside the 18th fairway and are all that is left of Costessey Hall, there are many historical stories about the hall and the rest of the grand buildings that were once part of the estate.
As a child I went to the primary school in the village that was once part of the estate, and from the school playing field we could see these remains of the belfry tower. Back then they were covered in ivory and there was always a tale of the green tower being haunted by a lady, these stories always raised a few worries when we went to do our cycling proficiency lessons in the little close alongside the course.
In all weathers it really is a beautiful sight and I hope it remains standing for many years to come. Sadly it does fall victim to the odd stray drive, but I am improving!
The Jenny Craig Diet – Day Zero
Feb 19th
Over the last 14 years I have tried many diets, including drink shakes, using meal replacement bars, cutting out carbs, just eating fish and on more than one occasion counting points. I always lose weight but rarely stick to it, or in some cases do it so many times that I become too complacent.
Tomorrow I start a new plan, the Jenny Craig one involving diet food delivered to your door. I have been sent a 2 week supply of food and to this I will need to add dairy, fruit, vegetables and differing amounts of protein, starches and fats. Based on my BMI and how much I wish to lose it has been calculated that I need to eat 1200 calories per day, these have all been provided for me in the form of breakfast, dinner, tea and a snack. I have a menu for each day and have been told to make sure I eat it all – I’m pretty sure this won’t be a problem!
Here’s how I’m feeling about it…
Now I’m not daft (I know I may look it) and I do actually know quite a bit about the body, metabolism and losing weight, but knowing is not the same as doing! I know I need to eat less and exercise more, but the next 2 weeks are always the hardest of the month for me – my husband is on night shifts and then lates, so I am only cooking for myself and tend to not bother. I end up eating a manwich and soup and snacking on all kinds of crap throughout the night.
I’m quite looking forward to it, although I am gutted that it’s pancake day on Tuesday so I’ll be missing out and also I had a box of chocolates from Hotel Chocolat arrive to review, so they may have to wait!
I am full of optimism 
Project 366 : Week 7
Feb 19th
Don’t forget you can follow my daily entries at Blipfoto
This week we have been cooking a yummy chicken tea, driving a long way home, breaking the boredom of treadmill running, stumbled onto a football pitch when leaving the spa, looking super-cool in spy glasses, dinosaur hunting at the Natural History Museum and celebrating the snow disappearing with a round of golf!
Don’t forget to check out the others in the weekly linky by clicking on the logo below:
Mumblings from the Monkey – Going to London-Baby!
Feb 17th
Sat on the train to London talking about the things we are going to do today:
J: I can’t wait to see the dinosaur bones!
Me: I don’t think you’ll be able to touch them though
J: Why not? I can’t hurt them, they are already dead! Aren’t they?
J: I think we might see Killer Whale bones
V: We might see a big blue whale! It’s mahoosive!
J: Erm, I think you mean massive Daddy!
V: No mahoosive, it’s even bigger than massive!
J: What is a museum?
Me: It’s where you can see things from a long time ago.
J:Before we had electricity?
Me: Yep!
J:So were the televisions like on Peppa Pig when they had a power cut and Peppa got inside?
Me: Not quite!
J: What about the washing machines? Did someone sit inside it and clean the clothes?
Me: There weren’t any machines people just washed their clothes with their hands!
J: That’s a bit rubbish! I like our super washing machine!
The generic mp3 shuffle game – round 2
Feb 16th
About a month ago I started this little game based entirely on the work of the Chris Moyles Show. I have been amazed by the number of people who have joined in – it’s really made me smile. The great thing is it’s so quick and easy to play and so as the team on the radio are playing it every week and Nickie mentioned she may do another I thought it was time for round 2.
Same as before, stick your mp3 on shuffle and share with us the first 5 songs that come up. If you want you can find the YouTube clips to match your songs, but that is not necessary. I’m very sorry for those of you who don’t have an mp3 player or indeed know what one is, in your case do a lucky dip into your LPs and see what you find!
Here are mine:
- Spitting Games – Snow Patrol
- Sandstorm – Darude (you’d know it if you heard it, it’s on a workout mix!)
- Suddenly I see – KT Tunstall
- When love takes over – David Guetta
- Ordinary world – Duran Duran
So they weren’t too bad this time…although the last is the live version!
Off you go – no cheating! No need to tag anyone, just join in! If you want you can grab the badge too
Reasons to be Cheerful – Week 7 #R2BC
Feb 16th
Well the first thing to be happy about has got to be Mich letting me loose with her baby again! Traditionally when I host #R2BC it isn’t that well supported so please make sure you let your readers know where to find it this week!
- I’m feeling pretty good! I’ve lost 7 lb in the last 3 weeks through being better about what I eat and using our new treadmill every other day. My husband is loving it too and has lost 10 lb in the same time. I hope this continues and we keep enjoying it. Next week I am starting a trial of the Jenny Craig Diet so watch this space for news of that!
- The snow has gone! Much as I love to look at it and see it falling snow doesn’t half get in the way of everything! Especially golf! I have seen via Facebook that our course is now fully open and so I can finally get out and play again this weekend. It may seem silly but that is the one thing I do, on my own that isn’t work. I am having major withdrawal symptoms!
- Along similar lines the days seem to be getting longer, it gets lighter earlier in the morning and it’s getting dark later. Not only does this mean it won’t be long until I can play golf after work but it also means not getting up in the dark and being able to take J out to play after school, he had only just started to ride his bike before the clocks changed and he hasn’t had chance to get out there since then. I do hope we aren’t back to square 1 with the whole pedalling thing!
It looks like we are forecast some rain over the next few days so let me leave you with one of my favourite quotes from this year’s Celebrity Big Brother
I love the rain… It’s God’s way of letting you know he’s there!
Michael Madsen
Next week it’s back at Mummy from the Heart – now go and link up and spread the word!
Project 366 : Week 6
Feb 12th
Don’t forget to check out my daily entries at Blipfoto
This week we have been trudging through the fresh snow, looking at the most amazing icicles outside my office, winning some fantastic games, witnessing the aftermath of what appeared to be a snowman massacre, rescuing Little Annie from her box, receiving the most beautiful (orange) flowers and enjoying the silence after J got his first pair of headphones!
Don’t forget to check out the others in the weekly linky by clicking on the logo below:
Mumblings from the Monkey – issue 15
Feb 11th
More words of wisdom from the 4 year old! Got any to share?
(Chatting in the car about dinosaurs)
J: Some dinosaurs are a bit naughty aren’t they?
Me: Yes I think so.
J: And do you know, some penguins turn to a life of crime! (he seems to have remembered to the word what Sir David Attenborough said on Frozen Planet!)
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(After I just made him laugh when he had been crying)
J: I’m happy, but I have tears. I think there is going to be a rainbow on my face!
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(Wrapped in a towel after a bath)
J: Mummy, do you think I look like baby Jesus?
Reasons to be Cheerful – Week 6 #R2BC
Feb 9th
I am very much in denial that it can possibly Thursday evening already! I’m struggling to even think of what I’ve done in the last week let alone find things to be cheerful about! That makes it sound like I have had a bad week, I haven’t but it’s just been very busy.
The weekend started with J’s school report. All really good except some concerns about his physical ability and reluctance to do activities like riding bikes etc. At first read this was pretty gutting as we have always been so sporty, but after a reality check we remembered that he is 4 and one of the younger kids in the class. Other than wonky ears there is physically nothing wrong with him and he’ll catch up!
On Saturday we went and collected a treadmill! This is major news for us and we have wanted one for ages. It was obviously second hand! I know running is one of the cheapest things you can do but I so seldom get any time to myself to get out and run with my husband working shifts that it had become impossible. We got it just before the snow arrived and it was nice to be inside running when it was so freezing out! I am not a good runner and I have started off with just a couple of 2 mile sessions but I’m determined to start to increase this over the next weeks and months.
The snow on Saturday night didn’t cause too much disruption and J got to go and and play in it! I was so pleased he got to as he was really upset that it didn’t snow at Christmas! It must be really hard when all the cards and films show it snowing every year. We walked to the party of one of his classmates which meant going across an industrial estate – this was great as it was all untouched snow, my favourite kind! If I was any good at photography I’d have got one of our lone footprints in it!
I’m hosting Reasons to be Cheerful next week – don’t forget! But for now head over and read the fantastic new blogger recommendations Mich has for you and share the love!
You can’t argue with a Northerner
Feb 9th
…and if you try you’ll never win!
Back in 1987, aged 7, 6 of us piled into a Fiat Uno and travelled from Blackpool to our new home in Norwich (luckily Dad was already there and my youngest brother wasn’t born otherwise it would have been a real squeeze). At that point in my life I had no comprehension that I was different to anyone else my age.
The day I started my new school, this changed.
It would seem that I talked differently to my classmates and they thought it was really funny ( I think they were also secretly laughing at my fringe). I spoke really quickly (still do) and they couldn’t understand me. It was horrible.
Instead of changing however I have always done everything I can to keep my accent, it is my connection with my roots and can be a talking point in the pub. I like the fact that it makes me different and I’m so glad I don’t have an awful Norfolk twang like others in “Narrridge”! I have always been teased, but then I have always come back with the same response when being told I’m pronouncing Glass incorrectly – “there is no R in it!”
As J learned to talk he picked up on the different ways my husband and I pronounce bath and has always played along with the joke that if mummy is bathing him it’s a “bath” and if it’s Daddy it’s a “barth”.
But now my time has finally come! There can no longer be any arguments. J is learning to read, and sound out new words
b…a…th, p…a…th, g…l…a…ss
No barth round our way any more!
In your face!
