2011

Happy New Year!

I know. Late again. If anybody read this, they might be disappointed. The lack of an audience is very liberating.

I think that bloggers traditionally review a year, and then write their New Year's resolutions. As I appear to be struggling for content (an illusion! I am struggling for the motivation to write about the content), and it is always useful to record one's resolutions somewhere (not logical, I know. But I've started now), I shall write them down here. Not that I have any resolutions per se, but there is a list of things I must accomplish:

1. Set up a pension. I promised myself I would do that this month.
   
2. Buy a subscription to the tunnel so that I don't have to find change every morning, and so that it cannot mistake another 20p for 5p or 10p and thus steal my money.
3. Become stronger and more flexible, through attending Pilates and yoga sessions, and through going climbing.
4. Become more fit, through doing actual aerobic exercise.
5. Lose three stone. This should be achieved by next March at the latest. It will be achieved by a combination of diet, exercise and drinking less wine.
   
6. Buy a corset. Probably when I have lost 2 stone, or so.
7. Learn how to play the alto and tenor parts of a hymn in 4-part harmony in the left hand, leaving the right hand free to solo the melody on a different stop.
8. Stop biting my nails completely. It is not a good idea when working with lead, even if I wash my hands thoroughly and leave a gap of at least a day between working and biting.
9. Be a good sister.
10. Make more of an effort to get to bed on time.
    

So far, nothing is going badly except the pension thing. Actually, I achieved item 2 while in the process of composing this e-mail. Number 3 is well underway, and number 4 starts on Sunday evening. Number 5 will be very difficult indeed. Number 6 will be fine if I have the money. Number 7 is like learning to play the organ all over again. I do not like it. It will be very good for me. (It is not going badly because I am not doing it at all at the moment. If I were trying, it would be going badly.) Number 8 is fine if I keep a nail file on my person at all times. Number 9 will involve a lot of patience with the teenager, and being more thoughtful with the other two. I should visit them, and stuff. Number 10 is being broken as I type. Suggestions? "Just go to bed; it's not that difficult" will not be considered to be a helpful suggestion.

Another Post

Today I have been taking my car to be fixed, shopping and tidying. Apparently I am good at making a mess. You will no doubt be pleased to hear, however, that two of my cupboards are looking much better. As is a large corner of the living room. Alas, the main bit of the living room is still horrid, but the heavy tidying has been accomplished.

I have discovered that I need a new bookcase for the books I have borrowed from people and from the library. Something really accessible would be useful, as the ones I borrow are the ones in which I am the most interested at the time. I also need a place to put it. Perhaps I should clear the crap off the top shelf of my big bookcase - I could then use that shelf: a novel solution to a pressing problem.

I am also re-distributing my silicone and ice cube moulds (sorry to mix classification systems there) and storing them on top of my kitchen cupboards, rather than in the nasty damp cupboard in the corner; they tend to be hard to clean completely and have a thin film of fat left on them, which then goes mouldy. Lovely. Mind you, the rice doesn't smell too good. If I don't blog again after this happens, place bets on bad rice!

Dinner today will be king prawn curry (king prawns on offer; curry paste re-discovered in cupboard; rice already discovered but apparently needs using quickly), and should be quite hot. Alas, I am without yoghurt to cool it down. We will just have to deal with it, I suppose. HWSNBN will have to demonstrate his manliness.

I still have no New Year plans; no invitations and I'm certainly not having people round here again. Last time, it took weeks to get the carpets clean. Actually, no; it was quite the opposite: they started complaining of tiredness at about 9pm. I have never attended such a non-wild party before, nor since. I did it a second year with similar results (although with fewer people - only one was complaining at 9pm this time), but shall not do it again. Apparently my party powers are limited and can only be revived by Vlad, our non-Russian who doesn't live round here any more, but can drink most effectively. I believe he will be around again tomorrow, and that we will go out drinking. Must wrap his vodka...

Enough stream-of-consciousness blogging; must add prawns to curry! Later!