h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

>> 'Dreaming in Stone' <<


I love it already.
Seriously.
Can we see a bit, please.

And have you considered LULU.
The h2g2 calendar is published by them
and I was very impressed by the service
and the quality of the printed product.
http://www.lulu.com
Having been in the old fashioned publishing business
I was sceptical of what looked like a classic 'vanity press'
but they actually seem to have created a system that has
evolved the print-publishing industry in a very positive way
that will allow aspiring authors to find readers.


~jwf~

Sho, we went to Cologne for the Christmas markets again last year. The sat-nav took us straight to our hotel. The only problem came because of road works that closed off the autobahn junction we needed when we were going home. Other than that, it was fine - much easier than in 2009.

ah yes - the roadworks. They have been there for ever. I hate them. My satnav totally can't cope with them. But for Cologne I either go by train or park & ride. I seriously hate driving there, and I actually know my way around.

Week 1 Report card.

1. Signed up for Lisburn half-marathon on 19 June, and downloaded training plan.
2. Did 2 runs of over 3 miles.
3. Had eggs florentine for dinner.
4. Attended a Warrior Workout yoga workshop
5. Had 3 booze-free nights
6. Weight down to 146 lbs.

I'm doing well so far, on points 10 and 12 (I think) on my list or, at least, as I've only been home since yesterday afternoon, am making inroads into both and maybe I might change point 12, to one new one per month... variety and spice of life... depending of course if I can find enough new ones
Not yet done my post-Christmas/New year weigh in, so that is the main one to start on very soon

Thanks for the advice jwf.

I've been working on 'Dreaming in Stone' for 2 years now, but it's growing at a snail's pace - largely because I make so many changes.

I will consider Lulu if I can come up with a reasonable draft. I suppose I'd better and do some more writing.

Partially done number 6. I've chosen my next OU course, but I won't be able to register until later in the year (I'll be starting it in October). I've chosen E301 The art of English. It only has two set books, unlike some other courses I considered that had twelve or more. Having said that, the two books cost over £40 altogether, which still beats £70+. One is available on Kindle, which I may go for in preference to yet another tree book.

One month in:

1. Choir - joined (although health, weather and car breakdown mean I've only actually been once so far)
2. Embroidery - not yet
3. Mirror - got muddled and started wearing make-up to the office
4. Woodwork - not yet
5. Reading diary - yes
6. Bank accounts - no. Will start this weekend as we've just been paid so it's not so scary.
7. Birthday card/letter - not yet, because there weren't any in January.
8. Soup - 3/52
9. Art - 3/52
10. Blog - 3/52
11. Won't measure for a while yet, but have used the Wii, even if just for 5 minutes of tummy toning, almost every day.
12. Kitchen sink 3/52, hob 2/52 (including 1/12 polish), cupboard fronts 1/12. Also cleaned *out* a cupboard, *twice*, but only because a mouse got into it. (Have you ever opened a box of cereal to find a live mouse inside it?). Insisted Osh did his weekly chores this evening before taking him out, and feel generally the house is slowly getting cleaner, which was the point of this challenge.
13. 1/12 (the easy one - but, again, weather, health and car breakdown have conspired against me).

So - I've only really let myself down on the banking, so far.

Mol

. Run an average of a mile a day - has been hampered by the snow, but...
2. Run a half marathon - have signed up for the Lisburn one in June, so I know that average will be met
3. Eat one vegetarian meal a week - slacking on this one!
4. Have 2 nights a week alcohol free. Minimum. Yup, am doing a 5:2 eating plan, so 2 days a week is only 500 calories, no room for alcohol in that.
5. Spend 10 minutes a day training my little dog - Yup, but I think we're a way off the gold award yet!
6. Say I love you every day. Yup
7. Visit the Ulster Museum. Not yet
8. Go see Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty (Grand Opera House March) - tickets on my desk!
9. Join a yoga class. - found a "first sunday of the month" warrior workshop about 400 yards from my house. Second class is tomorrow.
10. Cross the Peace bridge in Derry Not yet.
11. Tidy my desk. (My home desk, the work one's fairly good) I did this....and it needs doing again.
12. Enjoy any holidays I take - write a blog with plenty of photos.
13. Get back under 140 pounds - and stay there! Down to 142 with the assistance of 5:2ing.


So, quite a few ticked off already, still a couple to look forward to.

How am I doing? Well, not addressed them all:
2.) Spend more time with old friends
- I invited friends over, but they couldn't get a ferry. Had planned to visit another old friend on Saturday, but he is ill.
3.) Get out and enjoy the countryside more.
- Had a couple of walks in the nearby woods
4.) Go on a walking holiday.
- Been planning to walk the Ridgeway and have bought new hiking boots, just hope to convince my mate Ben to come too.
5.) Lose weight
- Probably hasn't happened yet...
8.) Actually sort out the vast number of boxes of bits and bobs in the roof - and THROW SOME THINGS AWAY.
- I've sorted out a few boxes and given a full box worth of books to charity

<BB<

I've only just discovered this thread. I make vows to myself like this every day. Perhaps I should be more far-sighted and plan to improve gradually over a year.

Anyway, Woodpigeon, I am hoping you will come our way on your trip to Germany - we have plenty of spare rooms now the kids have left home.

Bouquets and kudos to all who have dared to post
their good intentions here and, it being early Feb,
for continuing to inspire others with positive results.


~jwf~

And .... it's March!

I'm behind on my soup, because I didn't have as much in the freezer as I thought I did, but I've thawed some chicken stock and bought some parsnips now, so that's under control.

All the things I had started to do I am still doing, except for the blogs and the artwork, because I hadn't fully appreciated that I need to make a note of what inspires me *at the time inspiration strikes* rather than sitting there later with a pencil and blank paper trying to remember what it was I was going to write about/create.

All the things I hadn't yet started, I still haven't, but that's because it isn't time to start them yet

Mol

I'll have to restart next year, my mother's illness has taken priority

March and I've done me #7 - decorated the lounge. I started it about three weeks ago, just needed some more gloss on the door frames which I've just finished.

From my list the first 2 are spending more time with family and old friends. I'm certainly spending time with them, not sure whether it's actually more or not.
Not been out in the countryside much (other than cycling to and from work) but have organised a walking holiday for the end of the month along the Ridgeway.
I've not eaten a biscuit, crisps, chocolate or drunk any fizzy drinks since Shrove Tuesday, so hopefully that's helped me lose weight, but I've not stood on any scales.

<BB<

Weight's been under 10 stone for the last 3 weigh-ins.

And I went to Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty last night!

Stunning performance, very inventive, sumptuous costumes and scenery, loved the puppet baby Aurora, but the recorded music let it down badly. No spoilers for those who might still get to see it, but the husband agreed that ballet was much improved with the addition of vampires.

My #11 - find a partner - has been cracked.

And I wasn't even trying. I met Ian at the respite home where my mother got sent when she was discharged from hospital, his Mum was also in there although now she's been moved into residential care, Ian asked me out and we're now a couple