I am spending WAY too much time on the PC at the moment, more than is probably healthy, but much needed. I HAVE to finish my NVQ (National Vocational Qualification) in Health and Social Care level 3. I am quite fed up with answering theory and practice questions. I have got two more units to answer, and a few witness statements to write before I can send it off to my assessor to look at, ring me to fill in any gaps and then send off to be verified! My brain hurts!! Anyone wanna take over?! I’m just glad I am quite fast as typing, and am familiar with copy and paste shortcuts. I am so fed up with typing the word “Individual”, it keeps coming out “Indivdual” or “Indiviual”…! I’ve started copying the word and pasting it as needed!
OK time out… I’m off to pick up Andy from work, and then we’re going to the pub to celebrate a friends last day at her old job (and new job start of next week)!
Oh as a lil side note, I gained half a pound! Doh! Shame I don’t gain 50p to make me feel better!
Thanks to Dave Walker for these links on Twitter.
Next day up early (8am) for full English breakfast, and then into town. The end of Tuesday, one lad had lost his wallet, I was so pleased when it turned out the taxi driver had picked it up off the floor of the minibus! I was glad that there was not much money in it, but the hassle of reordering bus and train passes would be annoying. So glad it was dropped (in the taxi) and not pick pocketted as I feared!
Taxi into town, wandered around, the usual TOO long choosing records, drink in coffee shop, bit of walking, shopping in Primark (so busy), walking, photos, walking, lunch in Wetherspoons (once I’d got my bearings), walked to train station. I thought we could use the 1st class lounge, but no it’s Virgin train customers only - grr, the South West only has “Cross Country” trains, but still uses the old Virgin trains repainted! We had a drink, sat around for a bit waiting for a platform.
We got on the train. Phew! By this point, everyone was feeling tired. The one niggle was the knowledge that it wasn’t a through train, we had to change at Birmingham New St. Heads up for those who’ve never been there: it’s a BIG station, all the platforms are downstairs. There is a corridor that goes over them, a LONG corridor, with the main station in the middle. I’ve been here many times, and with a 14 min change over, I know not to go to the main part of the station, there isn’t time. The way to do it is, get off train, find departure screen, take note of platform next train is going from (and if delayed), run upstairs, go down corridor to platform number, run downstairs, jump on train! This was not so possible for us:
1. Our train was delayed 10mins
2. There were tons of people on the platform
3. People didn’t want to run up stairs (one chap isn’t too fast, esp on stairs, another won’t use esculators)
4. We couldn’t get to the screen to find next platform!
We jumped in the lift, went up, ran along and hoped for the best! We found a screen, checked platform, and ran for the lift going down to that one! A bit of a headless chicken moment where we tried to work out which bit of the platform the train was on…then we realised it wasn’t there yet, it had been delayed too! Woo! The only annoyance was that we needed to get to the other side of the train, and there was tons of people waiting/getting on the train. We jumped on a carriage before ours, and walked through. We found our seats, and collapsed happy to be on the final leg home! Unfortunately we hadn’t eaten a “meal” on the first train, and this second train was out of both “meal” options!! They managed to scrape together two bacon rolls. We painfully split the HOT rolls between the 3, and then one said he didn’t want it!! Laura could have screamed at him! Back at St Davids, we got a taxi back to the house, and check they were all ok, and escaped home!
It was a funny two days, our fears never materialised, and all the problems we faced were solved. It was a prayer answered trips for sure! We prayed to see Take That, we did (all be it from outside), we prayed to find the wallet and did, we prayed for the next train to be delayed and it was! We prayed for good relations between the lads, and everyone got on really well, even when tired and cranky.
I am SO thankful for Laura, she was such a blessing. She kept the lads entertained, and laughing. Anyone looked like they might get irritable she got them smiling. It was a silly-filled trip, but they seemed to love it, and that is what is important! Through the whole two days, there was many poking “fights” had, and caps turned round, removed, pulled down, move to someone elses head…! It’s a bit like youthwork again really!
I was quite nervous about this trip to Manchester, with the three men from work. Two staff and three men with learning disabilities. I am so glad it was that ratio and not just me or Laura on our own - we would have refused, through practicalities and appropriateness.
It was a long two days, but it was good! We had first class seats on the train, which was really nice, even if we might have been a bit annoying for the business people!! Oh well! We got free food on the train, and were quite amused when Mr “I can eat a horse and still have room for pudding” said that a egg and cress roll had filled him up!! He turned down biscuits and crisps and wasn’t hungry for a while!!
We experienced a Manchester bus and tram (and lots of bored closed off people). We had a bit of a walk to the hotel - which they didn’t appreciate too much! The hotel was nice enough, it certainly fitted the “gay friendly” comment I’d read before I went. We went into negotiations over rooms: one chap wouldn’t sleep alone in a room (and almost didn’t go altogether), so had to persuade another to share with him - he wasn’t too keen, but with both of the staff being female and the other two not getting on so well, there wasn’t much choice!
After talking to the owner of the hotel he suggested going down to see if it was possible to get any concert tickets. We got a taxi down. We told our sad story to the box office, but they couldn’t help. We didn’t bought programmes and realised we didn’t have enough cash on us to buy 5 tickets anyway - one chap left his money behind! We could hear the music really well from outside, so we decided to go and have something to eat, and come back and listen from outside. We ended up at Harry Ramsdens, had a good nosh and drink, and made our way back in good spirits!
We ended up standing outside the cricket ground looking in through the side entrance! There was a small crowd of people there and various stewards/security about. We may not have been able to get in, but we managed to get a pretty good show, without being squashed, hot and sweaty… and they get a full refund plus 25%, so they’ve gained in effect! Even though I’m not really a Take That fan, I must say that they put on a good show. There was a huge inflatable with what looked like a projection onto it - a bit freaky, but pretty impressive! One chap was pleased at the end that there were fireworks!
We then pushed our way through the crowd back to our friendly minibus taxi driver. Back to the hotel, and off to bed!
Tomorrow I’m going to Manchester with my friend and colleague Laura, and three men that we support. We’re supposed to be going up to see Take That in concert at the cricket ground, BUT there’s been a big problem with tickets. We’ll find out tomorrow morning if there is any chance that we’ll be able to get tickets, if not…well we need an alternative plan!
We getting the train up, and sitting in first class! The bed and breakfast is booked and non-refundable. It sounds like if tickets can’t be sorted, then they get a full refund and then 25%!
Personally not seeing Take That in concert is not much of a worry for me, I’m not a fan, but it’s a shame, because that was the purpose of going up! My alternative at the moment is to go to the IMAX cinema to watch a film on a HUGE screen, have food out and a few drinks somewhere closer to the B&B perhaps.
We’ll see. I’m nabbing Andy’s Ipod touch, so if there’s wireless internet that I can access (e.g. Wetherspoons) then I can pop online.
I do find it hard these days eating out. I am so much more aware these days of what I can or cannot eat - it’s quite simple really, avoid most of the menu!!
Yesterday we took my in-laws out for Mums birthday/Fathers Day lunch. We went to Wetherspoons. I sat there looking at the menu, thinking hmm, what’s low on carbs (cos the points soon add up on them), has veg/salad, has lean meat, avoids fat and sugar - aka cheese & sweet sauce. It’s a challenge. I decided in the end to go for a roast, cos well it’s Sunday, roasts and Sunday go together in my mind. As we waited at the bar, I decided I’d go for a childrens meal, it’s cheaper it’s smaller therefore better for me - never can eat a whole adults one anyway. So I got the children chicken meal. I considered the veggie option, but it turns out I made the best choice. On my way to my seat I picked up a sheet on the nutritional values of their meals - when I read it, I realised that the veggie option was higher on cals and sat fat! Yey lean meat not so bad!
When it arrived I was very happy, just the amount I needed, I only really missed out on the yorkshire pudding and stuffing. There was also no peas, but restaurant peas are often over cooked, and add points! I only had one small roast potato, and half the chicken. When I got home I worked out the points, and apparently the childrens roast = 8.5 points!! Really?!? How much can I deduct for not eating half the chicken and leaving the large roast potato?!
The other advantage of childrens meal….I got a snack bag of fruit! I didn’t get a activity sheet, as I was quite obviously over 12 years old!!
I’ve just had a yummy salad, and thought it might be nice to share it with…well anyone that is interested/reads this blog!
I spotted a bag called “British Summer Salad Mix” in veg section of Sainsburys, which has chives, mint and coriander in it. At the time I thought it sounded interesting, so I bought it. I made a salad for lunch and decided to try them. Wow, good move! I chopped them up over the salad and didn’t add any salad dressing. Normally I add a small drizzle of dressing (Italian or Honey and mustard), but I thought I should try it without, and I’m glad I did.
My salad was:
Lettuce (Mums home grown - minus all the bugs!)
Cucumber
Cherry tomatoes
Spinach (used less today, as had plenty of lettuce)
1/4 normal size tin of tuna
5g Pine nuts (adds another texture and different crunch)
One good sized mint leaf chopped (scissors) finely
A bit of fresh coriander chopped finely
2 stalks of chives chopped finely.
Yum yum yum! In terms of weight watchers it’s great only 1point and lots of “filling foods”.
This week I lost 1.5Ibs. Wii fit was being silly this morning (again) it told me I’d lost 6Ibs, then I thought I’d weigh again after breakfast and it said I’d gained 6Ibs! Yeah right! Take the Wii fits measurements with a bucket of salt!
I’m off to the swimming pool this afternoon, with yet another friend! Better get myself sorted.
Work has been a bit crazy recently. Next week me and Laura are taking the three men we support, up to Manchester and going to see a Take That concert. The choice of band is not mine, but I’m kind enough to go with Laura! One of the lads started saying yesterday that he didn’t want to go!! I found out yesterday when I had a phonecall from one of his housemates after I’d gone home (I finished at 8pm)! Today I went to work, NO comment until late afternoon - once again the housemate was told first. The shift went down hill from there… some unkind (unjustified) words later, and my repeated attempts to fill in the support notes being interrupted, I ended up needing to stay on another hour at work to make sure everyone was calm and being nice to each other.
I am so glad that everything seems to have ended up ok. It did feel a bit like a soap ending before I left, but glad things seem to be “sorted” and everyone is going to Manchester. I can’t guarrantee this won’t change over the weekend, but it’s more hopeful.
I need so much prayer for next week, if the third lad definitely goes, there may be some issues to deal with, and will probably require some patience! I am glad there’s two staff - shame I’m the one who’ll be stuck in the music store for an hour or so while a certain man chooses his purchases…while I try to keep an eye on mounting cost, as he doesn’t understand money enough!
Off to sleep. Much needed!
I was just trying to work out what my 10% goal should be, and realised that actually I have hit the 5% goal! I wanted to check this, so I went online and entered my details there, and yes it confirmed it - great.
The problem then came because I’d set my goal as 5%, so it told me congrats, and it click to change it, but the page it took me to was not for changing it, and after a lot of searching, it told me “now you are maintaining”… NO, I want to loose more, I need to loose more! In the end I had to change my current weight, so I hadn’t reached my goal, and then change the goal, and then change the weight again! PHEW!
It now has my ULTIMATE goal, which is 9st 7Ibs which is more than my 10% landmark!
I’m now scoffing down a salad before I go swimming - doh! All this sorting out weight stuff make my meal late.
Yey, I’ve lost 4Ibs in weight over the last 2 weeks! I just need to loose half a pound and I’ll have reached my 5% goal - which is 5% of my original weight. I’m going to need to go further than 10% really though, because 10% still is a bit higher than where my BMI should be. Well my total weigh loss so far is 8.5Ibs, so I got a “silver 7″ today for achieving half a stone in total loss!
I picked up some nice but healthier snacks today at the meeting - the Chocolate Caramel Whip bars (which I got before, have run out of and had a £1 off voucher for) and the Black Forest bars (because they look yum for same points).
I also had a voucher for another oil sprayer (when I got the new monthly pass through) so I thought I’d get one to either give to either my Mum, or Andy’s Dad!