Journal Entries
Ballet workout
Posted Jan 11, 2004
After the Christmas holidays, I'm feeling de distinctly overweight. I don't think it was just Christmas, it had been building up for a bit before that.
So I've decided to do something about it. I've bought some exercise videos and I started with the New York Ballet Workshop yesterday and I've done the programme for two days running so far. 
It's graceful as well as effective. I haven't done the programme to the end, however I'm really pleased with being able to do it as far as I have. I've no problem with the plies and stretches. Some of the crunch type exercises are a bit hard.
Trouble is, doing it in the bedroom, I'm a bit short of room for the floor exercises. The proof of the pudding is going to be in the eating, so it remains to be seen whether I can have the discipline to keep it up and to see what effect it has on me.
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Latest reply: Jan 11, 2004
A Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all!
Posted Jan 1, 2004
Here's wishing for a wonderous, joyous and fulfilling year ahead and I wish you enough:
I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright.
I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more.
I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive.
I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger.
I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting,
I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess.
I wish you enough 'Hello's' to get you through the final 'Good-bye. 
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Latest reply: Jan 1, 2004
Rats!
Posted Dec 16, 2003
Went to see little 's school play this evening, Rats! (The Pied Piper of Hamelin, by another name). I think it's the first time they've done a play - it's always been a carol concert before.
Little is in Year 3, who played the children, who were taken away and never came back.
The play was so good, I would happily have seen it without any personal involvement. The kids were brilliant. The pied piper was not fazed even when her radio mike fell off - she just carried on - a real trouper. The Mayor (Alderman Greedy) had a lovely singing voice and he was very confident with his lines.
There were a few glitches, apart from the radio mike falling off. The piper missed he queue and had to be fetched after having taken the rats to the river Weser and the little girl who was left after the children were taken away burst into tears 
- 
. Bless her, she stayed and tried to sing through her tears.
They're making a video of it for us to buy in the New Year. Technology!
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Latest reply: Dec 16, 2003
Hate Mail
Posted Dec 10, 2003
Had a piece of hate mail today addressed to me, thanks to that Mail on Sunday piece. From a 72 year old living in Essex. Genererally a piece of vitriol airing his prejudices against 'left wingers'. 'Dog sh*t and shi*thouses seemed to feature a lot. I gave it to someone else to answer, in case he got my details and I became a focus for all his hatred.
Seems to blame me for the universities taking in too many students, nationalisation of industry (
actually it's going the other way at the moment!!!), the fact that he lost his job and got a pittance for severance, and some rather racist stuff.
Intellectually, I thought it was some sad old git finding a focus for his feeling a failure. My body felt a bit wobbly. Did some releasing and used the qigong breathing.
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Latest reply: Dec 10, 2003
My week
Posted Dec 6, 2003
It's been one of those weeks.
Started by being told my name was in one of the national Sunday newspapers. I didn't believe it. However, it was true. A journalist had posed as a candidate for a post I was advertising, hoping to expose wasteful spending and 'jobs for the boys'. He didn't find either (the job was to help save children's lives on the road and we appointed externally). He admitted to feeling guilty in the interview of stringing us along until he was asked about how he would operate the scheme in a population with a rich cultural diversity. He didn't get the job 
because he couldn't remember his fabricated experience and he couldn't demonstrate how how would do the nuts and bolts of the job when we pushed him. He also smelled of alcohol.
It got better. I heard we had definite funding for one of my posts for another year! 
Then I had a member of staff resign. Good for her, as she has a brilliant permanent job out of it, which she wouldn't have got if she hadn't gained the experience with us. For me, it means going through another recruitment. 
We put up our Christmas tree and external twinkly lights (for the first time - but no plastic Santa!). Still to decorate the tree. The lights don't work and I need to find replacement bulbs (or buy another set if I can't find them).
We were going to go to the Dome today - there's a great event going on there: http://www.winterwonderlanduk.com/, however little pinched and lost the key to the food cupboard, so we're now not going. Shame as I had two free tickets which only operate today.
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Latest reply: Dec 6, 2003
Zarquon's Singing Fish!
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