getting up wasnt as harsh as yesterday. the painter turned up and i left my house, wondering if there would be any of my possessions when i got home. he seems to stand like a toy soldier, all feet together and bowed head.
its a really hot day and as i am walking to work disaster #1 happens, in my great effort to get thin, i find im too fat for my choice of work skirt. cant go back to the house, as im too late for work and the painter is there so have to think of emergency plan. so after zipping up a few million times i make it to m&s near work and grab a black skirt, size ten in sale for £9. its also 20% of limited collection which makes it a grand total of £7.20. even cheaper than the size 8 primark one i got too fat for.
work is incredibly boring but at least i got some stuff done today. i cant keep inside at lunchtime and take a walk around. i check out woolies, and more importantly the mags for free. i mentally register lace up boots are in and wonder where i can get a pair for less than £450.
out on the street i see probably a monumental image of the uk. a big fat lady sat in a wheelchair pushing it along with her feet so she can spark a fag. class on wheels.
i wander back in to watch load sof geordies turn up to see the new messiah. another class moment. the kiwi liverpool supporter cant believe it. i explain by saying we dont have jobs up north and football comes first.
the rest of the afternoon sails by uneventful, and its time to escape. i quickly walk down to oxford st, am tempted by new look and see they have a few key items in i need. theres a lovely fur hooded gillet, a lacy top thing and gold bags.
i need to get vback on track, dont have much time. i race over to debenhams and surf the homewares section. do i go for the safe wedding pressie option or the slightly risky designer piece? not sure.
i hot foot it over to house of fraser to see if there are any head pieces for me and there are some feathers on a comb for £30. again not sure. might check out john lewis for feathers and comb and i have the superglue at home.
get back chez minnow and chill. the house still has its possessions, and some filling of cracks has gone on. no paint though.
really looking forward to tomorrow, again could turn out to be more painting and less spots, im not going to miss that.

great apple story here and for your baby here

today was one of those days, i knew from the sick feeling in my stomach telling me i didnt want to go to work.
firstly the painter rings to say he cant start today, in a way i am relieved as i dont have to face him. but then again i was hoping for all of the work to be done by the weekend.
i get to work after feeling smelly and sweaty. its a quiet day, i normally have two really busy weeks followed by a couple of quieter weeks. i have a project taken off me so i spend the day smurfing for holiday info. i look at borneo and get really pissed off that the trip round south america i planned for next year is all booked up. highly annoyed.
look in mirror in work bogs. am sure all office loo mirrors are designed to show you as an ugly mug. am spotty and scabby, a highly attractive combo.
i go to post office at lunchtime. huge giro queues. i go to cheapo shop for sparkly slipper shoes. £25 for green/pink pair. i go and have a think about them.
i go back to the post office after work and its still big queues. i wait and post the parcel, its weird how i have to declare whats in the parcel for the yanks. its a baby grow you nosey parkers!
i get home and my beer baby seems to have grown, despite the cup a soup attempts at dieting.
painter arrives to drop off his work gear ready for tomorrow. he needs money for paint. i have to walk back to town to get money out for him. arse.
that completes today, i hope you enjoyed that insight. tomorrow can only bring painting and less scabs. cheerio.

things i have learnt over the last week:
what nigiri and maki are.
that i can eat eel.
what a maiden is.
steve harmisons nickname is gummy.
i dont have gallbladder disease, just bad wind.
oysters are great.
i can find a painter.
what an ellipsoid is.

do something meaningful, support EIA today

after that, buy this now!

woo had a great day today, went to fruitstock in regents park. one of the things that made it a great day was that we had tickets for the VNP area. (very nice people, as its run by innocent, as opposed to very important peeps.)
so we had many many glasses of pimms, lots and lots of flutes of proper champers and then several glasses de vino. all free, as was the very tasty bbq, ice cream, fruit and crisps.
there was plenty to see, including a very good idea for my mams 60th birthday. then i made a plea to return to the dj tent, that earlier in the afternoon had housed the dancing 70s elvis grandads and already 'lost it' crowd, and hed kandi were on and it rocked. there was for some reason, a plaster ornamental dog being held aloft whilst an eight year old kid was astride his dads shoulders, saluting the DJ and conducting the crowd. imagine being 8 and going clubbin.....now thats playground gossip...

yesterday at the pool i went in the deep end, which for me is quite scary. I had to go under the water and try to sink to the bottom which restored my confidence loads. i also learnt a bit about how to swim to the side, and to go from backstroke into treading water. for some of you expert swimmers out there, you dont know how cool this has been for me, overcoming such a big fear and learning how to swim properly.
today we are going to do breaststroke. I am still crap, I just need more practice now i have the right techniques. i still am apprenhensive about deep water, but probably wont be making such a tit of myself in the future either having to ask how deep the pool gets or inching down to where i cant stand to gauge my limits. i blame the government btw for not giving me adequate swimming lessons as a child and therefore they should pay.
good thing is my local pool is literally five minutes walk away. previously i had to walk for twenty five minutes to go the the gym 'lap' pool cos it was only chest height deep. now i can save around £40 per month by having a swim pass for as many goes as i like for £22.
I can remember the days when it was 70p...

ooh just noticed 'recover post' link, about fookin time blogger!!!

yes today i had my first swimming lesson. and i learnt many things. i learnt how to breathe whilst doing front crawl, and the confidence to swim backstroke for the first time in over fifteen years. then i learnt a little bit about treading water. unbeknownst to me its mainly in your hands!!! anyway im going to need more confidence and more practice, but still four more days to go!!
i spent last night revelling and enjoying the natural fibres. i bought some egyptian cotton sheets and they certainly eased my way to sleep, a bargain at half price at rosebys.
another bargain today, botanics shampoo and conditioner half price. i normally write complaint letters but i do feel very strongly that i will have to write a compliment letter to boots about botanics. i have never, and will never have a product so good for my hair. unbelievably good.