Latest Doings In Langley Mill Oct/Nov 2012

As observed by my fellow grumpy ALI ... I don't want anyone to miss these:

1. I see not many local motorists are prepared to pay the new charges on the former AVBC car park (free). We now get idiots parking anywhere they like on the road and side streets causing a hazard to other drivers ! ... on - Cromford Road Car Park 
2. Just noticed we know have 2 illegal car washes in Langley Mill, the one that opened up on Dean Street months ago has only just applied for 'retrospective planning approval' for their 'car valet business' 5 days ago (11th Oct.) according to AVBC Planning Dept. website. So much for following the legal rules and regs. ... on - The Real Pictorial Langley Mill 
3. Well one high street shop has been sold at auction and we ALL await what delights it will offer to us over the coming Christmas period, that's if it opens by then. I refer to what I still call Sutcliffes newsagents, over the road from the Railway Tavern on Station Road. It was a pleasure to see the smiles on the faces of both of the mature ladies who used to serve in his shop (John Sutcliffe) many years ago when I used to say 'good morning girls' as I popped in to pay my paper bill back when 'papers were delivered, happy days ! ! ! ... on - Latest Doings in Langley Mill 
4. The date that I heard regarding the opening of McDonalds was early in the New year, maybe February, but all this bad weather we are having could have an effect on that, we shall see! ... on -  Bad Manners Maketh The Post Office 
5. I've heard the rumour by a few people locally that the access to the new McDonalds will be over a new bridge crossing the river from the rear of Lidl on the Access 26 site. Looked on the Borough Planning website but unable to spot any details, all I could see was the additional erection of 'pedestrian barriers' on the 3 approaches to the Asda racetrack and adjustment to road markings. I keep my eyes peeled to see if any trees suddenly get felled, to give us more proof of this rumour becoming fact! ... on - McDonalds Gets Go Ahead for Langley Mill - Again 
6. Keep your eye on the car park on Saturday 1st December 2012 for new developments ! ! ! ... on - Cromford Road Car Park
7. Now I believe that Asda made a large donation for the upgrading of the Pottery Lane footpath when the store was granted planning permission. We are now entering the twilight months of 2012 and STILL no sign of an ounce of tarmac being deposited on that sorry path. Now perhaps some Councillors might think that the peasants of this parish will have short memories and forgot all about the £50K+ that is sitting in some bank account and hoping they could put it to better use elsewhere. Well I have news for them, my memory is a damn site better than that and will be keeping a close eye on what, if anything, happens in the New Year ! ! ! ... on - Pottery Lane And Another Moan About Slurry Corner ...

Alternate Day Fasting Three Months On.

Well, if you've been following my blog other than the 'dieting' posts, you'll know that I've been a busy bee preparing for our wedding ... getting married ... then going on a family honeymoon.

I even managed to do 5 up 2 down for the honeymoon (Mon-Fri) by making the Sunday before a down day and the same for the Saturday after we came home. So only having Wednesday as an extra up day. I'm surprised at my determination and commitment. Three months ago I thought by the time I'd got the wedding out of the way, I'd be hiding the bathroom scales and pulling faces at the mention of that dirty, dirty word DIET ... this was all assuming I even made it that far.

Not a bit of it. Being able to eat a normal diet four days a week and only being ultra-strict for three days - and always knowing that if ever I'm hungry then tomorrow is a munch day - has made this so easy ... too easy in fact to ever give up.

I've now lost a total of 31lb (gained 1lb last week eating fast food at Center Parcs) and have set a realistic target for a further loss of another 26lb by next summer. I won't stress over little gains or no losses here and there, it happens even on a regular diet regime.

More pleasing than the weight loss is the inch loss:

1. Chest 3"
2. Waist 6"
3. Hips 4"
4. Both upper arms and each thigh 2"

There are lots more bits I measured but I'm sure we've seen enough now :)

I still feel great, especially on the down days. Anyone would logically think that being hungry would make you weak, dizzy or faint - or at least grumpy - I've felt none of those but I do now drink an awful lot of concentrate low calorie squash and plenty of fruit/herbal teas to combat hunger which in all probability is actually thirst anyway ... and I don't actually fast in the literal term.

I don't have breakfast, my first meal is about 1.30pm. These days because I'm at home, I have a warm salad from t'shop across t'road for lunch (approx 250 cals), then one of my amazing home made vegetable soups out of the freezer at about 7.00pm. Or I have 'Skinny Soup' from the same shop and occasionally tinned chopped tomatoes on toast.

I still see no reason to vary it over-much, I like soup and can flavour it to suit myself. Plus I eat a far wider variety of foods on my up days, so no chance of becoming bored. I no longer count the calories in my drinks but estimate that I take in approx 550 cals now on the down days ... and it's still working for me.

I've got a new way of doing my vegetable soup now, but this is because I can't stand certain vegetables either in soup or stew but they add bulk without too many calories. These include turnips, carrots and parsnips (yuk). So instead of cooking everything together, I cook these with only a little of the stuff I do like - potatoes, leeks, celery, peppers, mushrooms, red onions, then zzzzzz it down to a purée and do all the rest in the slow cooker and keep it moderately chunky, before mixing together and freezing it. Yum yum yum.

I can't recommend enough the Alternate Day Fasting group on Facebook for support and encouragement. Anyone wishing to embark on this particular journey to a slimmer body and hopefully healthier way of life ... with no hang-ups about 'oh, no I shouldn't have eaten that - oh bugger it, I've ruined the diet, I may as well pig out' ... would do well to join us there, I even contribute words of wisdom occasionally - well, I admitted weighing myself while holding my boobs up in case there was a chance I'd weigh less  ...

.....

1. Me and Alternate Day Fasting
2. Me and Alternate Day Fasting ... Three Weeks On
3. Five Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
4. Eight Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
5. Ten Weeks of Alternate Day Fasting
6. Alternate Day Fasting Three Months On
7. Alternate Day Fasting in Winter
8. Alternate Day Fasting Over Christmas
9. Me and Zumba
10. Saying Goodbye To My Curves 
11. Eight Months Of Alternate Day Fasting And Me
12. Growing Up 
13. A Year Of Alternate Day Fasting 
14. 60 Pounds Of Blubber - Vanished
15. The Perils of Alternate Day Fasting 
16. Mr Grumpy Is Losing It
17. Mr Grumpy Has Lost It
18. Fasting For Maintenance
19. Tweaking Maintenance
20. Weight Gain 
21. Still Maintaining
22. Four Years Of Intermittent Fasting

  .....

• ADF Facebook Group ... come and join us :)

The Day I Tied The Knot ... Literally

Yes, this is my chunky little thigh, the stockings went all the way up!

Well, we did it ... At last!

After almost a mere thirteen years of living together, I've finally made an honest man of my grumpy old man.

Of course the date 10.11.12 was significant to me because I've got a 'thing' about numbers. If my family hadn't insisted they were coming - whether I liked it or not - I'd have picked 12.12.12 (a Wednesday). This would have made it awkward for them as they'd all need a day off work ... I am soooooo considerate.

It would also have meant I'd probably have lost the services of our wonderful photographer ... I say wonderful, I haven't seen any photos yet and if he hasn't airbrushed at least 2" off my curves, and removed my remaining extra chin, then I'm not paying him! ... Hmmm, I'd better hope he doesn't see this or he may harbour bizarre notions about actually getting paid.

Right now for a recap on my The Nightmares Have Begun post:

1. We were early and there were plenty of parking spaces.
2. We didn't forget the rings although grumpy had to search frantically through his pockets until I told him which one they were in.
3. We remembered to take our choice of words.
4. He took the cheque - boy am I cheap, is that all I cost!?
5. We still went ahead with the music - Annie's Song by John Denver - that we'd chosen, even though talktalk had recently nicked it for an advert - grrrr.
6. The speakers on the CD player were fine and didn't require hitting with a big stick (I omitted that bit last time didn't I?)
7. Yippee it didn't rain - although the Radley umbrella I bought just in case the skies weren't smiling on us, arrived with a bent and broken handle - so the delicious shade of orange I had about my person, didn't dribble all over Ripley Market place.
8. My stay up stockings stayed all the way up and didn't budge. The same can't be said for my garter, it was silky ribbon on silky stocking, it travelled south frequently.
9. My dress didn't split.
10. No beads fell off it.
11. It fitted perfect with plenty of breathing room by the 4th November, talk about cutting it fine! So although I'd bought a little ivory lacy number as a backup (took the pressure off me) I got to wear the dress I'd bought all those years ago especially for the event.
12. No idea what my make-up looked like, I was hampered by suddenly finding I couldn't see to do it without the glasses that would be covering most of it anyway ... I may have looked a bit panto dame for all I know. The hair ... well that deserves its own paragraph.
13. My bouquet was wearing so much hot glue, it wouldn't dare fall apart (I may do a post about the making of the bouquet and buttonholes in the near future).
14. I didn't lose it or my engagement ring.
15. Even though I'd already done my hair I still had to fasten grumpy's tie around my neck and take it over my head ... hair ... and sparkly fascinator jobby ... for him to then put over his bonce, oddly he struggled, he must have a really big head.

The hair ... well I had to have nail extensions seeing as I'd broken four nails in the last few days before the wedding. These were a jolly good idea and a treat from my youngest sister and niece. What was NOT a good idea for someone who does creative things with their own hair, was having a nail charm on the wedding ring finger.

The ever so charming nail charm ... and still going strong

As fast as I was plaiting/weaving (whatever) my hair, this charm was undoing it. Something I'd previously got down to one attempt, taking a maximum eight minutes now took five attempts (from the left side) and half an hour! It was fortunate that Asda woke me up so early.

I suggested to grumpy - and this is a polite way of putting it - that he went back to bed while I was - literally - tearing my hair out, this is because he was hovering behind me and sighing ... and it was getting right on me nerves, I was fffffizzzzing with expletives. I got on so much better after I plonked down the mirror I should never have attempted to use in the first place - you need not to see what you're doing and just feel your way - on the other side of the room.

.....

The registrar who married us was lovely, he put grumpy at ease lest he should muddle the order of his lines (I am ... I will ... I do ... and not necessarily in that order).

Me? ... not a nerve in sight, I'd used 'em all up on the hair!
 

When he asked the bit about anyone knowing any reason why we couldn't legally marry blah blah blah, my (18 months old) great niece who had already eaten half of her flower girl wand/posy doodah, decided this was a good time to ramp up her volume and tell us all what she thought ... Oh dear. He said he wouldn't take that as a response, cleared his throat and tried to drown her out ... wasn't happening! She just went a notch louder.

The beads that didn't drop off or indeed flirt in anyone's eye

We had a really wonderful day - that we'll treasure for always - with our friends and my/our family ... my lot have long since adopted grumpy. My niece did an impromptu little speech where she said that she'd have liked to welcome him to the family but he was already well cemented in.

I'd like to thank everyone who joined us for making it a really happy event. And the same thanks to those who couldn't come but wished us well anyway - my neighbour fell in the latter category but she was with us in spirit and the item I borrowed was her hanky - and more importantly ... many thanks to them all for being happy for us.

I'd just like to finish with this little observation. Contrary to popular belief that having lived together for so long - not to mention the few years seeing each other before living ovver t'brush - that everything would be just the same ... this isn't so. It's totally weird and unexpected - but for both of us, it feels like starting out anew - and we're loving it!! ...

Heanor Haulage Bonfire Night Treat

I know it's mostly out of date but bear with me:

I was enjoying my Christmas break (27th December]) looking on t'Interweb at what books I can buy for my soon-to-be Kindle - I've got the app on the android jobby, plus on the laptop and computer.

Then - because I was in a spiffing mood - I was about to write a pleasant little post on my Christmas presents (done that now). My grumpy old man came up to tell me he was off out to do what grumpys do, when he went over and looked through the bedroom window.

There were two men rooting around Heanor Haulage's yard for bits of wood, one of them saw us watching him and did some strange eye pointing gestures, I took this to mean that he'd seen us watching him, I don't know why he should think we care.

They had a pick up truck full of recently cut tree-stuff, it was emptied onto the corner where they seem to think it's a good idea to burn their rubbish.

Then they disappeared, it turned out that they were zzzzzzzzzzzing trees at the top of Dean Street - out of my view - they can't even leave folk in peace at Christmas. I suspect there may be a repeat performance of the last time they had a big bonfire, because they're bound to annoy more than me and grumpy.

Which makes me ask the question ... Why don't they burn their rubbish on their own back yard? ... Oh, you think it may upset the neighbours ... Too damn right, it'll upset the neighbours ... I'm one of the neighbours it's really pi****g off!

Anyway, someone ... and I don't know who (not me), went and had a little word with the police, they were aware of other complaints from their last bonfire - I'm impressed, they keep records - they were going to speak to HH.

Hmm, since then, they've been and gone several times, moved the long, tubular, wheeled object that had been spoiling our view of the back of Asda for eleven weeks. Left the crane running for hours on end to pollute my atmosphere and still not had their fire.

And if Heanor Haulage don't stop annoying me, they may find the next bonfire on their yard will be under their effing crane - oops - did I just put that in writing? ...

November 5th:
The above was mostly written last December, it got delayed because the fire had been put on hold. I predicted with it being bonfire night, that today would be the day they lit it, and they did (I'm sh*t hot at predicting stuff).

Not only did they light it, they used a minimum of six buckets of diesel to:

1. Get it started.
2. Keep it going.

The bonfire mostly having been built so long meant it was very wet and in all likelihood harbouring hibernating wildlife. But this IS Heanor Haulage we're talking about so they don't give a stuff.

The majority of houses up here had in fact got washing out as it's a lovely sunny day, the diesel soaked ash is landing on the aforementioned washing plus the parked cars. Fortunately I was still in when they started the fire (as my tweets can attest) so I dashed outside - I can do dash now I'm thinner, although my jeans tried to fall down twice on the way - and retrieved all my IVORY coloured washing.

Since the big early blaze of relatively dry wood burnt out, it all sort of fizzled down. Meaning the moron had to throw more diesel on to stoke it up, this achieved a huge pong, a few brief flares and lots more smoke. I'd had enough and phoned 101 to see if they could be stopped from polluting my lungs. I've not heard back and still the fire is smoking ...

Update 16.50:
The fire is still burning and the fumes are disgusting. It was started at 9.30am. Mr Heanor Haulage doesn't give a toss. I'll no doubt still be coughing until next year with the irritants I've breathed in today :'(