Day Ten : What We Live For!

Date : Friday 10th January 2014

Time : 17.05

Location : Wyatt International, Birmingham (Work)

WEEKEND!

Firstly. No - I haven't made a typo. This photo actually was taken at 17.05 - our phone clocks at work are 5 minutes slow - forgive me - this blog's an image thing, right? 

This is what we all live for, right? The weekend? I rarely have any actual plans! But it's nice to just chill and relax! 

Rather annoyingly, on the 2 days of the week where I am actually allowed a lie-in... I'm up at the crack of dawn. In actual fact, I always feel more alert on a weekend than a weekday. I'd like that to flip-reverse if possible!  

I'm going to make a comment now that is going to make me sound like a bit of a nutcase. Brace yourselves.

When I woke up this morning, it wasn't the weekend I was specifically excited for. It was going to the gym this evening. What is happening to me?! Am I actually becoming ... dare I say it ... Healthy?! Surely not. 

Something else that is a little bit annoying - the one thing I'm most looking forward to around this weekend is on MONDAY night. I feel like this is just a bit of a waste of a weekend! Oh well! After a long week back at work it's nice just to chill! 

Lesson of the day : Live for the weekend (even if you're only excited about going to the gym on Friday night, and a football match on Monday!)

Day Nine : Look Out! Andy's Coming!!

Date : Thursday 9th January 2014

Time : 13.46

Location : Wyatt International, Birmingham (Work)

Buzzfeed ....

When on my 'lunch break' (there's hardly time for one of those!) I like to wind down for a bit, flick through the Daily Mail like any other normal person - at least, that's what we do in my office! 

In recent times, though, I properly discovered Buzzfeed - I strongly recommend to check it out, there's some really cool / funny stuff on there.

The thing I was looking at today was '33 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Disney Parks' (again - strongly recommend you check it out!). 

Number 17. Toy Story characters used to drop to the ground when guests yelled, "Andy's coming!" but the practice has been discontinued for safety reasons...... 

Apparently, back in the old days (before Andy went to college in TS3 and health & safety wasn't such a concern) if you shouted "Look out - Andy's coming" around the Toy Story characters at Disneyland, they would all drop and 'play dead' like in the film. 

HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE. 

I suppose so many people caught wind of it that they just couldn't keep it up any more, but seriously - so cool. I read that the costumes are too delicate for it to be done any more. 

Immediately after reading this I went straight to YouTube to see if there are any videos .... There aren't :( 

Lesson of the day - Live and enjoy things while you're young (or before all the HR nerds ruin everyone's fun!) 

Day Eight : Breakfast?!

Date : Wednesday 8th January 2014

Time : 08.00

Location : Millennium Apartments, Birmingham

What is this?!

I have been reliably informed that in my quest to live a happy, healthy life - I need to start eating three, solid meals a day, starting - of course - with breakfast. 

I can't recall ever really eating breakfast (apart from a beautifully mastered Sunday fry-up from time to time - these are a thing of the past!) - so deciding on a cereal of choice wasn't an easy task! I went for Sultana Bran (not really sure why), but hell, it tastes so good! 

Also note, I would NORMALLY still be in bed at the time this picture was taken! But this morning, I'd already accomplished a shower, and shave. That's impressive for me - I've never claimed to be a morning person!

In my past - non breakfast eating - life, I could quite easily go through the morning without eating, and have my first food of the day at 1pm. Today, however, after eating breakfast, I felt quite peckish at around 11am! That's weird. Can someone explain?

I'm finding my new quest to be healthy easier than I thought - I'm enjoying cooking food and going to the gym and really want to see progress. We'll see if I feel the same 2 months down the line!

Lesson of the day - The word 'Breakfast' is used because you're 'breaking' the evenings 'fast'. Breakfast .

Day Seven : White Shoes....

Date : Tuesday 7th January 2014

Time : 08.44

Location : Broad Street, Birmingham

GRRRRR....

It is very rare, an occasion where I am not wearing white shoes*. I think it's probably time to change that.

This morning, on my walk into work (after a terrible nights sleep thanks to the rain) I made the criminal error of stepping on an uneven brick. The result - dirty, muddy rain water spewed all over my nice white shoes. 

This annoyed me because - 

(a) I was already in a bad mood as the rain kept me awake from 5.30am (that's a rant for another time!)

(b) I had kept these shoes in fairly good condition since I'd got them.

Unfortunately, there's no fair medium when looking at white shoes. They either look embarrassingly ridiculous because they're so white they can blind you. OR, on the flipside (an occurrence I'm all too familiar with) they get to a stage where they're so dirty you wouldn't have even know they were white in the first place. 

THERE IS NO WINNING WITH WHITE SHOES. 

What annoyed me even more, is that the exact same thing happened this afternoon on my walk HOME from work. So now, I have a splat mark on my left shoe, and my right shoe. Great.

Lesson of the day - GET DIFFERENT COLOUR SHOES. 

*White meaning white when I first brought them!

Day Six : NOSH!

Date : Monday 6th January 2014

Time : 19.50

Location : Millennium Apartments, Birmingham (home)

Treats!

Is it actually possible to eat healthily? I think not - but with some willpower, it is possible!

Well, at least I hope so! 

Today's picture shows all the treats my girlfriend ended up with after the Christmas break (apart from the Rhubarb and Custards .... They're all mine!). It's just not possible to stay healthy with this much lovely goodness lounging around the flat (the picture doesn't even show the cheesy bites and chocolate biscuits that are stocked in the bedroom)!

Is it worth holding off my diet plans until this food is all gone? I can't possibly just let it sit there and get cold in the harsh, unforgiving Birmingham winter - why not give it a nice warm home, inside my tummy? 

NO. MUST ... RESIST .... TEMPTATION!!

Even as I write this, I just received an email entitled "SWEETS FOR FREE". It must be a sign, right? 

So how can I eat healthily, without compromising on lovely taste and burning a massive hole in my pocket? 

Lesson of the day - Resist temptation, eat an apple (pink ladies, of course) 

Day Five : New Years Resolutions

Date : Sunday 5th Janurary 2014

Time : 18.39

Location : Millennium Apartments Gym, Birmingham

I've never really been into the whole 'new years resolution' thing. I've always just seen it as a massive waste of time, and something noone actually commits to!

This year is different. I've gone and challenged myself to keep up not one, but two new years resolutions!

The first, to be more committed, and the second, to learn new things.

Today, after what can really only be described as a 'lazy day', I mustered up the courage to don the workout gear and venture down the 9 stories to the basement gym in my city centre apartment complex.

I've tried to commit to serious workouts in the past, magnificently failing after a couple of visits. To ensure I stick at it, I won't hit it too hard, 3 times a week to start with, alternating between cardio and weight training.

Tonight, I stuck to a warm-up on the rowing machine, 30 minutes on the treadmill and 25 minutes on the exercise bike (from which I was rudely interrupted by a chap who didn't know how to open the apartments' garage!).

I always feel good after a workout! Not sure if my muscles will agree with me tomorrow morning though! We'll see!

Lesson of the day - push yourself and you will soon see the benefits. - At least, I hope so, does anyone actually enjoy going to the gym?!

Dinner - Chicken Salad, of course! Health kick. 

Day Four : Classic FM?!

Date : Saturday 4th January 2014

Time : 13.44

Location : Grimsdyke Service Station, Harrow

Classic FM - really?!

Today I was finally (thanks to a very kind uncle and grandmother) able to pick up my car from its MOT. Passing, eventually, with flying colours!

When the thoughts of a garage spring to mind, I think 'lads', grease/oil and loud commercial music.

Imagine my shock when I got in my car, to see someone had been listening to Classic FM. Surely not?! I didn't think Beethoven's 9th Symphony quite fitted with the workman's environment?! Perhaps my perceptions have been wrong all along.



This must be a wind up?!

Today I also had to insure my car. The chap on the phone didn't sound much older than me, and was impressed with my number plate, saying it reminded him of Metal Gear Solid (MGS). What followed, was a 15 minute discussion on Xbox / Playstation games. He was very adamant I play the latest Metal Gear Solid. Perhaps another time.

This afternoon I went to my dads to watch the Arsenal game. In recent times, I've seen Arsenal lose 8-2 and 6-3 whilst watching at his, not good.

Today was different. Arsenal 2 - 0 Tottenham. Very satisfying indeed.

Lesson of the day - Don't judge a book by its cover (Classic FM in a garage - I still can't get over it!!)

PS. North London is red.