Two days without posting

I've officially broken my trend.  I had blogged pretty much everyday since I began, until this weekend... and there's not even a proper reason for it.  I went to Bristol, and finished the socks as documented in my previous post.  And then I made Harry's hat, the only model for which was me:

Another delightful pic of me taken (mainly due to laziness) with my webcam

I crocheted the hat.  It look about a day - I'd forgotten how absolutely simple this pattern was and how quickly it came together.  So I was really happy about that.  I've made this pattern for Harry about 4 or 5 times before, and I think that he's managed to loose them all along the way - not sure if he'll ever learn, or me for that matter, I do keep on making them!  I had to be a bit inventive this time.  He wanted a thinner wool (pattern calls for bulky/chunky) so I went for an aran weight and increased the pattern repeats, and actually managed to get it right, first time!  So yay for me, about adventurous as I've ever gotten with modifying patterns!

And now I'm on to making the wristwarmers for Ru.  I haven't got very far, the pattern uses a chart, something I've never done before, and I had a few queries about it, and obviously had to trawl the net for answers as I didn't bother bringing The Knitter's Bible.  Looking forward to the challenge.

Work on Saturday was about as exciting as I was expecting.  I was bored out of my wits, and got glared at and made to do menial, non-essential things when I dared get the crochet out (despite the fact they were all surfing the net and checking hotmail!).  So I took the hint and sat around staring off into space instead.  Oh well, I was at work after all, so it's bordering on being cheeky to sit there crocheting.  The times I've knitted have all be night shifts, so I obviously can get away with it more then!

Sunday was a bit of a write off.  I really wanted to get up and go to one of the local churches, but switched my alarm off and promptly feel asleep again... oops.  But I've been so tired, I've not been getting amazing sleep in here at Cheltenham, so it was definintely a case of catching up on it all!  When I did eventually get out of bed, I decided I'd go have breakfast (well, brunch!) at the local cafe, so I could sit with the free wi-fi and focus on finishing ranking my jobs.  Which I'd almost done when my laptop run out of juice and I didn't have anywhere near my table to plug in, and changing tables wasn't an option since they were packed (in fact people were kinda glaring at me for taking up a four seater table!).  So I ambled home and finished ranking there.  So glad to get it out of the way.  Now it's just a case of waiting about three weeks and I find out what jobs I have.

Then following having Harry and Claire round briefly so he could pick up the hat (and very generously pay for the yarn - yay, so it was guilt free wool shopping!), I decided to follow up on an idea that Sarah gave me last week.  I roasted a chicken, and had a lovely roast dinner, something I generally don't get round to doing as it's such a waste when I live alone.  And now I've got loads of leftovers to do stuff with.  I had a jacket potato with lemon-mayo chicken, I'm going to do a salad with the other breast, and then make up some soup with whatever's left over.  I may yet be able to get another meal out of whatever other meat is left over before I make the soup.  It was a really good idea - it works out quite cheaply (even splashed out on an organic/free range chicken), I have meal plans for most of the week, and I had a nice easy to think up shopping list.  So it really ticks a lot of the food rules boxes.  So thanks very much Sarah.

And then a quick dish wash and back to Cheltenham.  Had a really busy day today - 9 to 6.  So absolutely knackered right now.  It was a fairly good day.  I was with the consultant who had lead our ethics teaching last week and pretty much the first thing he said to me was that I had had a lot to say last week... I guess I was memorable!  Lol!  Not that I had several arguements or anything like that during ethics!  Lol!  He's quite a nice consultant and made sure I got to see lots and get a bit involved with the team.  In the afternoon, we spent time in the radiotherapy session, which was cool, as it's something I hadn't done before, and I was able to see all the stages.  I like to do things like that, then if I'm ever asked by patients, then at least I can have some grasp of what goes on. 

The most exciting thing to happen this weekend was when I got "chatting" to someone on Ravelry about the socks, and I had a look at her stash, and man did it make me lust.  She's got this huge stash of absolutely gorgeous yarns.  So I complemented her a bit and then we got chatting a bit about where to get wool.  And then she randomly asked for my postal address so she could send me some of her hand-dyed alpaca.  I'm so touched by the kindness of strangers.  She was so gracious about it, and wants absolutely nothing in return.  Can't wait to get back to Bristol and see what it is that she'll send. :)

And here I am... ready for bed.  Not a very exciting weekend, so I'm hoping for a better week!

Deja Snow-Vu

It's just like a few days ago, this being the sight to great me on this chilly morning.  I swear it's a new photo (you can tell, there's less snow this morning, honest!)

Well, in terms of time management today, I think I more or less stuck to it.  Alarm at nine, and up and about by 9.15.  Although, technically, I got back into bed, but mainly because it was cold, and I could grab my laptop and do some reading and be a little pro-active.  And then, as I had to go to a meeting I had pre-arranged with a GP to discuss my project that I'll be doing in a few weeks.  I had looked up buses, nasty winter weather stopping me from doing the easy thing and driving.  And also taking into account the bad weather, I gave myself extra time.  I ended up getting there twenty minutes early, even after taking a leisurely walk through the local park to admire the falling snow and the beautiful calm. 

 

 

How can something so bleak, so harsh, so cold, so extreme be so beautiful and awe inspiring?

And then it was back to the hospital for some teaching then home in the slush.  It may have snowed for about 16hours nearly non-stop, but it was much warmer than last week, so really didn't last.  So the journey home was slushy, dirty, slippery and completely unmagical.  The bad side of snow!

So todays action plan setting is for food.  I know that this one, in a way will be harder to implement, especially as from Monday I'm no longer in one place.  I'm off to Cheltenham on placement, and I know from experience that being somewhere strange, with unknown, unpredictable facilities always make it much harder.  But here are the aims, for what it's worth!

• Plan meals for at least a whole week at a time and stick to it.
  
• Create a shopping list, stick to it and do only one food shop a week.
• Eat healthier (I'm not talking about being a food Nazi, just better than I have been recently!)
• Cook proper meals, not just throw it in the oven and remove thirty minutes later.
• Shop local, especially fresh produce, and get more locally sourced and organic food, thus doing my thing for the world I live in.
• Less snacking, less junk, less chocolate, fewer sweats.
• Prepare (and take in!) my own lunches for most days (say 4 days a week) - I'm spending too much money buying unhealthy junk.

And that's it.  I know what will be more difficult, especially when just cooking for one, when I spend half the week in one place and the other half in Bristol, is the planning and buying of food.  I always end up buying fresh produce that ends up going off because I can't eat it in time.  The answer to this will mainly lie in the careful planning.  Which I suppose makes my excuse just pure laziness!  Lol, oh dear!  It really shouldn't just boil down to that, should it?

Anyhows, must head off to bed, I'm already slightly over my 11pm bedtime, so must head off.  Nighty-night everyone.