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I have just returned from my weekly Pilates lesson. I am feeling pretty virtuous. On Friday I had an excursion during which I ran an errand to the bank for Eldest, purchased Seville oranges for marmalade from the farm shop (while resisting the temptation to pop into the café for a latte) and swam 30 lengths in the local pool. I’ve also been working harder than usual to eat my five a day.
Those of you who know me will be staggered to hear I even went for a run a couple of weeks ago and ‘hoped’ to go again yesterday. (In fact we walked as he’s hurt his knee: phew!) I accompanied Husband who could also do with the exercise. I went for a run once before, about 10 years ago, and strained a calf muscle as I apparently had the wrong sort of trainers. It put me off, though I did get some proper footwear. Oddly they don’t improve your fitness unless you go running in them! Since Husband’s at his most unfit since I’ve known him, now is the moment to join him: I just about kept up with him and he seemed to enjoy beasting me and felt better for being at least fitter than I am!
Perhaps if I tell the blogosphere that I’ve given up my sedentary ways it’ll be true?
Access to the internet continues to be an issue in this house. We’re still on the old computer for all but war games and uploading photos, so no new pictures possible at present despite the gift of my father’s old camera due to his upgrade. Hey ho!
I can take photos on my mobile (also a hand me down), and my girls have recorded a number of videos on it (very silly, and, if I ever work out how to download they will be saved for future embarrassment!) however it would seem it is not something I have understood.
At a very early hour on Sunday morning I found myself awaiting arrivals in Terminal 3. There were a number of journalists and a battery of cameras buzzing somewhat despite the hour. It transpired that Alastair Cooke was on the plane. Normally I would simply have watched with interest, but for some reason I decided that I would film the event. Dear Reader, may I suggest that you should live your life, and join in, rather than record it? I watched them through a tiny screen unable to make out which cricketers were with him, and then failed to save the recording so couldn’t even watch it back. It might have been better if I’d photographed the rush past, but really: I just should have been there.
No doubt my first post of the New Year should be about my resolutions: outlining them and then talking about just how bad I am at keeping them. But Woman’s Hour this morning provided an alternative subject. There was a woman on talking about her uniform project in which she had worn a little black dress every day for a year. The trick was in accessorising we were told, though during the interview it became clear that it was a pretty unique LBD that could be worn inside out and back to front... Still, a pretty neat idea!
And it got me thinking about uniform and how useful it is. I have other things to do than think of something to wear every day and generally get by accessorising a pair of jeans. This is not new: I’ve been in my current job for eighteen years and my wardrobe has changed little. There were times when leggings were appropriate either because of fashion or pregnancy but they are no longer an item I can imagine myself wearing, so jeans it is. The waist has risen and fallen; the leg has got wider and narrower; and they’ve moved from Levi to Gap, but they’re still jeans, and I wear them most of the time.
I have been out of work longer than I was in paid employment. Back in the day I wore a skirt suit (the boss didn’t like women in trousers) and high heels. As a military wife I found occasion to use my work wardrobe for various functions, but these ‘opportunities’ continue to dwindle. I have a rare one tomorrow evening when Husband and I will be supporting Eldest collecting her GCSE certificate at a ceremony in the Abbey. The invitation states that ‘this is a semi-formal occasion, so we would be grateful if you could dress accordingly’. The wardrobe may contain classics from my former life but sadly the 18 years have played havoc with my waistline making many items too uncomfortable. The newer items have been to weddings and dinner nights so are not what you might call ‘semi-formal’. I have already let Eldest down by accepting the invitation – apparently she didn’t plan to go – so I can’t afford for her to disapprove of my style of dress. I wonder if I could accessorise one of my LBDs?
And perhaps I’d better make a resolution after all: shall it be to lose weight, get fit or to revitalise my wardrobe?!
