Right, well I’m starting this a bit later than usual – and not because everything’s an hour later than it was yesterday, thanks to Daylight Saving! 😉 We’ve had quite a busy Sunday, for a change, because of course we got up an hour later than usual – we’d slept in properly yesterday, but of course eight o’clock this morning was seven o’clock yesterday morning, so we got up when the alarm went off, called it a “Clayton’s Sleep-In (the sleep-in you have when you’re not having a sleep-in)” and re-set all our clocks and watches – the computers do it automatically and on their own, the clever little beasties, so we didn’t have to do them! 🙂 After breakfast, we unpacked seven more boxes, and I have a lot of things to find homes for this evening! Luckily I have enough space in the bottom of my bedroom chest of drawers for a lot of it, and some of it can go in one of the cupboards in here – there were three sewing boxes, and a big box of buttons – I vetoed tossing out the box of buttons – I used to play with them when I was little, and I can remember the fun I had with them (and the headaches I gave my mother, who had to tidy them all up again after I’d finished merrily strewing them all across the floor!) There were bundles of letters from my mother to various people, photos! Lots and lots of photos! Exercise books, many of which were unused and which will go to live in the Office; about a dozen or so small, pretty items that were purchased (again by my mother!) as stocking fillers, no doubt, and will go into a spare box, so that they can finally be used as what they were presumably purchased for! Two big “vanilla” folders full of printouts of cartoons, jokes, funny newspaper articles, etc., which I’ll tuck safely away under something heavy in a bottom drawer somewhere. More things were placed on the “St. Vinnie’s” shelf, and a couple went on to the “Auction” shelf, and we have two, top quality, even by today’s standards, identical sets of opera glasses, which we don’t know what to do with – they’re far too good to “donate” to St. Vincent’s, so I suppose they’ll either end up tucked back into a “I don’t know what to do with these” drawer somewhere, to become a headache for my two favourite daughters, later on down the track…
After lunch, and my lunchtime stroll, which I’ve now lengthened to 800 steps (about 15 minutes worth of walking at 3.2kmph) and I’m still not walking a whole kilometer! I’ll just have to walk faster I guess, because I’m not, I refuse point-blank, to cross the 15 minute line, and walk for longer than that! Even 15 minutes is pushing it a bit… but wouldn’t it be wonderful, if you could exercise as much as you wanted, but for it not to take up any actual, physical time! I had trouble this morning trying to find a light casual top that didn’t fall off me, and I thought: ‘You know, everyone rubbishes fat people, sneers at them, and make disparaging remarks, etc., etc… and when someone actually does do something about it, and loses a lot of weight, everyone says how wonderful it is, and how hard it must have been, and all the usual platitudes – but then, woe betide that newly thin person if they dare to wear sleeveless or short-sleeved tops – or even worse! Shorts! or two piece bathers! *gasp, shock, horror!* if their skin hasn’t shrunk back into place and is hanging loose! We’ve been so conditioned since early childhood – all of us – to admire and covert the body beautiful, and to regard with shame, revulsion, or distaste, any “body” that doesn’t fit the dictates of this year’s fashion imperative. I’m one of those people whose skin hasn’t shrunk back, and even I myself am so conditioned that I wouldn’t dream of going out wearing anything that exposed even a tiny bit of my excess, un-shrunk skin! What really gets me though, is that the people looking at or seeing this unlovely sight must know – have got to realise, if they have even half a brain in their head, that this person that they’re looking at with distaste has either been in a terrible accident, or had been terribly fat, but has made the effort to become “un-fat” – in either case, surely this poor, saggy-baggy person deserves their support, their admiration, and their approval – not their distaste or disgust, because their body doesn’t happen to look the way that they think a body ought to look? We’re all so judgmental – myself included, though I do try not to be. What brings out this sort of reaction in me though, is not because of something that can’t be changed, but if it’s very obvious that the person just hasn’t bothered to make an effort – like not doing their hair for a week – everyone can make an effort to neaten their hair a bit, even if they comb it with their fingers! I saw a guy once, many years ago now, whose hair not only looked dirty and matted, but would you believe? there was an old, faded price sticker stuck in his hair – not on the top, as if it was accidental and had happened when he was putting on his shirt or something, but deep down in his hair, close to the scalp, and looked as though it had been there for some time -how could he have walked out his front door, looking like that? Anyway, rest assured that none of you will be seeing my very unlovely sagging skin any time in the near or distant future – tomorrow I’m going to get some long-sleeved, or three-quarter sleeved tops, and as soon as possible, I’m going to have as much excess skin removed as I safely can. What a horrible topic! 
Sorry about that…
This afternoon we played Rift – we had quite a good bash, actually, and we both went up several levels! 🙂 My only problem was that (a) it’s still nighttime, and it was terribly dark, and (b) it’s Gloamwood, and it’s always dark, dank, and gloomy in Gloamwood! But we managed to finish off a fair few quests, and as I said, we both went up about three levels, without the benefit of experience enhancing potions! Hopefully we’ll be able to get a bit more Rifting in during the week – this new arrangement of spending half the day unpacking boxes, and half the day Rifting, or amusing ourselves, seems to be working out better than I’d hoped! 🙂
Weigh-in this morning. Was horrible, but I knew it was going to happen! I went up a point 😦 from 73.1kg to 73.2kg 😦 I hate these pills! When I see Dr. Y. I think I’ll break down in tears or something – anything, if he’ll put me back on the old ones (though they were pretty terrible, too!) 😦 *sigh*) four days down, six more to go…
So tomorrow morning – early – we’re off to The Glen to get some new tops for me. I’ll look in Target too – they’ll be a bit cheaper than Autograph and My Size – so by the time I’ve finished, I should be able to go out looking presentable again! The top I’m wearing today is another of my favourites – I had it in an XL (extra-large) first, and when that got too big for me, I got it in a Medium… which I then had to donate to St. Vinnies and get a Small one – this one – and now this Small one keeps slipping off one shoulder, which it’s not supposed to do, and the sleeves are too loose and wide, which they’re not supposed to do either, so I might just pop into My Size to see if they have one in an Extra Small! Well, we shall see… I’ll fill you all in tomorrow night! My favourite youngest daughter will be over in the afternoon, which I’m looking forward to! She works full-time, so I don’t get to see her as often as I get to see my favourite eldest daughter – perhaps over the Christmas break the three of us can go out for lunch, or just to go window-shopping or something – I hope so! 🙂 On Tuesday, my new mountain climbing treadmill is being delivered, and I can’t wait for that! 🙂 Listen to me! I’m getting excited about getting a harder exercise machine? I’m starting to wonder who I am, and where the old me has got to! Anyway, once again that’s about it from me for tonight – drop by again tomorrow night and find out how my shopping spree went, what Kate and I chattered about, and what’s the latest that my weight has tortured me with! Until then, though – please continue to bee good, remember that the greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one, and don’t forget to look after yourselves, to drive carefully, and to keep warm – but most importantly, don’t forget to stay safe! 🙂 ciao, all! 🙂
My Word! 