Lundi

 We get into a rhythm of our own in France. We go to bed at nine and get up at nine. I sleep incredibly well in the holidays, no deadlines, no work has been brought with me, there's no housework to think of and I can actually, and totally rest. The photo above is of the campsite, here, I've spent many an evening with FM and MW over a bbq and it's eerie and yet lovely to see it empty. The trees have been cut back, and as ever, the site is immaculate.

 Carnac Plage itself is mainly closed. La Poste must have a short round at this time of year. Yesterday we cycled into Carnac itself (as we're staying in Beaumer) and noticed most of the houses are shut up, shuttered and street after street is deserted. There does though, seem to be no sign of the recession here! Luxury houses are still being thrown up every where, and, even though the place is empty, a house can not be had for less than 400K if you want to be near the sea! We walked around, along the sea front and rode our bikes. Just us.

 I then found the 'people'. Whereas Cornwall will now be swimming with children on half term holiday, Carnac seems to be frequented by older people at this time of year. I found them on the 'petit train'. I get quite excited when I see it, where ever I used to go, I used to cough up a few euros and take a ride. It was always disappointing, the  commentary was always dreadful. If you ever go to Roscoff, you will not believe how bad it is. The driver boasted 'no tape' and that he gave the commentary himself. He pointed out the children's home for delinquent children, and several fields of carrots and to be honest, that was about it. Nonetheless, it's some times worth it, just to experience how bad it is.

 There also seems to be no sign of the recession in the harbour. No fewer dinghies than usual, no fewer aquatic activities and the water sports business is booming in Carnac.

 Now food!!!!!! There are so many things that they get right here in France. At home, we buy scallops individually and they can cost 75p each! Here! about ten euros a kilo! the same with oysters! Meat is extraordinarily expensive so, eat fish! Meat at home is cheaper than veggies, whilst fish is expensive, here it's the other way round. The other thing they seem to have mastered here is fat free cheese and yoghurts with no sugar and deserts with no fat and no sugar. My diet is suffering a bit of a lapse because I'm eating veg and protein every day. I'm also having a glass of wine a day. My exercise is a bit adrift but I am cycling every day and walking a few miles along the sea front every evening.

In total, on Monday, we walked to the shop, home and ate. Walked around Carnac and then came home to sleep on the veranda. In between the eating and sleeping I've read Nick Hornby's 'About a boy' and Kathy Reichs' 'Death de jour' and I'm halfway through Carlos Ruiz Zafon's 'The angel's game'. As you can tell, I'm taking 'doing nothing' very seriously.

Travelling is all part of the fun.

 Hi everyone!

Well you didn't think I would go a week without blogging? We travelled over on a newish ferry, the 'Armorique'. We've only been to France before in the summer holiday, when travellers are packed in so it was a nice suprise to be on a half full boat. We were up late on Saturday night and left Liskeard at 6 am, so we bought a cabin on the boat and slept all the way there.

 The car decks always amaze me. The precision parking, no room to get in or out, the pole position exit when the ferry company get every body off and on and the boat turned round and back the other way in one hour. It's easy for us, but I feel for families with young children, there are usually tears and parents looking quite frayed around the edges.

 We love to take Laurent home, he's sunbathing with DB as I type!!!!

 We arrived at the campsite in three hours! I was the fastest vehicle on the road!!!!! DB co-pilots for me as I can't read maps and I just drive. We are the only people here; other than a few touring caravans, and no surprise, mainly Neds! A few mobile homes are rented out, but other than that, there's no one here. I feel a bit selfish saying it, but I'm quite happy to have the place to myself. Every other time we've stayed her, the place has been packed. The ferry was full of Brits, but most of them on package holidays and off to Eurocamp, Keycamp for the all in holiday. I can't blame them, fun for all the family at a reasonable cost. We're the lone Brits on this campsite.....and I like it that way!

 This photo was taken at 8pm in the evening by the deserted Men du beach. I love being here; get off the ferry and set your watch back by thirty years! The shops shut for lunch and most shops and restaurants seem to be closed here, others are being prepared for the summer season. Houses are shuttered and no one is here. We usually go to a busy bar for the free wi-fi and were surprised to see it only opens from jeudi - dimanche. We're  using the wif-fi on the campsite.

Lastly, here I am with the big guy! It's Tuesday and, other than lolling around in the mild weather and reading, we've not been up to much. I'll get you all up to speed on the 'not much' as the week goes by.

It's just so wonderful to be back here. The whole place has a comfortable familiarity about it. We know where everything is, how it works, where to shop, have a coffee or get the best views. It might be odd to some people to return to the same place year after year, but it almost feels like a second home. We'll, we've slipped off our shoes, put our feet up, breathed a deep sigh of relaxation and we're enjoying every moment of doing nothing.

Until tomorrow,

Froogs xxxxxx

Laurent le lapin en vacances!!!!

Laurent is going home!!! He hasn't been to the land of his birth in quite a while and he's very excited! He will let you know about his trip very soon....au revoir et a bientot!

Frugal Spa

 I'm distracting myself this morning whilst Dearly Beloved transports our doggies to their 'home boarding'. It's heart breaking to go away and leave the little fellows behind, but they are hard work and they will enjoy their holiday with Christine and Gary and they will receive the very best of care. This morning, I've been indulging in my £1 beauty treatment!

In my time, I've had my upper lip and brow waxed - £12, a deep moisturising facial £15 and manicure £7.50. OK! Admittedly, it was a huge expense, but it was a treat at the time. I'm also acutely aware of the aging process and pay particular attention to looking after my skin. Here's how I look after my skin and my pennies.

I now wax my own eyes brows and upper lip and the waxing kit costs £5.50 and there are twenty wax strips in there and two of them does my lip and brows - 55p!

The cold cream is just delicious at £2.42 and, even though I use it daily, it lasts almost a month, so that means a deep moisturing cleanse for 8p! I then cleanse it all off with a warm damp flannel and then rinse and splash with cold water. I've used Aldi's Q10 anti-wrinkle cream for years now and at £1.99, there is nothing cheaper out there and as I'm not lined with wrinkles, I'll assume it's working.

So, here's Froogs, trying to keep young and beautiful! With one of my 'where's Wally' socks being used as a headband, with my moisturising mask! And, doing it all on the cheap!

Froogs xxxxx

Off to the hairdressers??

I'm back on my feet today. By the time I arrived at work I was resigned just to pull myself together and get on with it! It's slow going tonight as I've masses to get ready, to pack as we're self catering and we need to take a lot with us. The cat sent me to hell and back by crying, as if he was being sent to his death, all the way to the cattery! The dogs haven't twigged yet and I'm not telling them if you don't! I have a chest cold and moving quickly requires more oxygen that I'm struggling to get in; everything will get done.....just slowly. The first part of the preparation was getting me ready.

Tonight was my hair dressing night. I use 'Castings' which is water soluble and fades over the month so I don't have tide lines. It's cost around £5 forever! It's quite an expense and I spend £60 a year on my hair. Foster Mummy cuts it for me and other than two washes a week, that's it!

I'm off to start to get ready for my trip and I'll tell you more about that tomorrow......p.s lost another pound in weight, so that 1 stone and 2lbs so far!

Until tomorrow,

Still not spending any money.......Froogs xxxxxx

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!!!!!

So shattered right now. Sleep is the cheapest cure to not feeling 100%. I'm off to bed with Radio 4, the paper and a herby tea. Normal service will resume shortly.

Love Froogs xxxx

Message to Foster Mummy

My wonderful, beautiful friend,

You may have retreated, or just taken a break, or locked yourself away or, for a multitude of reasons, have removed your blog. People are missing you. I always miss you and it's a total joy when we get together, for a plate of spicy dal and your wonderful flatbreads or just a cuppa and a natter. The fun of a rummage around the charity shops or just sitting, knitting, a dog each and talking or sometimes, just not talking at all.

I was looking through photos this evening, of times we shared together, in another country and I so wish that we'll do that again one day. Evenings under the trees, with the bbq, Dearly Beloved and Man Wonderful with a beer, you and me draining the contents of one of your funky teapots. Beach towels slung over string between trees, bare foot and sandy and watching the sun slip behind the trees, whilst you lit candles.

I have shared some of the most magical moments of my life and your life. I nearly burst with pride when you and Man Wonderful got married, no bride could ever ever look that beautiful. Our daughters in the same school uniform. Living in the same neighbourhood and being able to walk to each other. House hunting with you and Man Wonderful.

You have been there, in a heart beat, when I couldn't go any lower, when no one would understand, when no one would care, when no one would come. You understood, you cared and you came, stayed and saw me through it.

You've also been there until we've laughed so much I have actually pee'd myself!!!

I love you loads, miss you masses and can only imagine why you've pulled up the drawbridge. Keep safe, stuff cotton wool up the taps, plasticine over the air vents and cover the windows in tin foil. Do what ever you have to do to look after yourself.

See you soon?

All my love and you know we love you loads,

Frugal Queen (and Dearly Beloved, and Scruffy and Bobby Dazzler xxxx!!!!)

Mapometer!!! I love free fun things!!!

Here's my frugal keep fit route! Click to see where I went/go!

I'm so excited after finding this 'app', which is free and trying it and making it work!!! Thanks very much to everyone who left such encouraging comments and to Angela, who told me about mapometer. According to mapometer, I walked 3.88 miles and used 371 calories. You can click on the link and see where I walk each night! If you want, you can then see where I walked on google maps. My start and finish point, has purposefully not been exactly pinpointed, not to give too much away!!!

I'm now going to plot some cycle routes for my holiday! I'll be able to show you those in a few days!

Until I get back later,

Froogs xxx

Spending nothing at all, but enjoying it anyway!

Now, most decent self respecting women would only put their very best face on public display. Not Froogs! Here's me, sweaty and looking shocking after the four mile circuit!!! I'm noticing lots of people, who just like me, hit the pavements and seem to do the same route as me. I alternate between the anti-clockwise route that takes me down a reasonable hill and then up a killer hill, with slight inclines and a couple of miles of flat here and there. On the other night, which included tonight, I take the clock-wise route and go down the killer hill and up the reasonable hill and then hit another long flat loop before I head up the last two hills for home.

On the way, I pass the Lux Park Leisure Centre. People drive there in posh sporting gear, looking groomed!!! I looked up how much it was to use the gym and it's £5 a time! I won't be going there!!! Another 'thing' that caught my eye this morning was the sight of a lady on our school field, with her personal trainer!!! I noticed a shiny Mercedes in the car park and wondered who on earth it belonged to. Parked next to it was a van advertising  Sweaty Betty's personal training services (not the actual name!) and the woman  who was being 'trained' looked about a size 8!!! She didn't look a mess like I do, she had blond hair in a pony tail, a tiny bum, that unlike mine, stayed where God put it when she was running around!!! Mine seems to try to get away from me!!!!

Now there's me!!!! Sally Army shop trainers! Sale rail tracky bottoms, ebay i-pod and looking shocking!!!! Not paying for a personal trainer, not paying £5 to go to the gym, not wearing flashy sports clothes but doing it any way. It's another day of not putting it off! Not saying, I can't exercise because I can't afford the gym, I don't have the compression leggings to wear and I look a mess in public. As I said earlier, I've noticed lots of folk in an old pair of trainers, a pair of grey joggers, a warm jumper and they just get out and run or walk. I was passed by the local 'harriers' who ranged from nimble looking elderly people to children of primary school age, I've seen people out running with their dogs, I've noticed groups of ladies who go out and walk and chat at the same time. I'm not the only one who feels no need at all to make this expensive!!!!

I've tried to take as many people on my frugal journey as I possibly can. I try to spread the frugal word of living simply, not spending and doing what we can with what we've got! Well come with me, on a scruffy, just as you are, no need for fancy clobber, just get out and walk, frugal foray into fitness! We've paid off debts together, we've home cooked food and grown beans, we were there, side by side when we made our own soap and jam, when we knitted and carbooted, we saved the odd quid here and there and may be together, we can step out together......any takers?

Oh just get on with it!!!!

 This weekend has all been about work, preparing for my work, getting the housework done, getting the work done in the garden and the poly tunnel and there has been hours of it. Nonetheless, I'm feeling really good. This blog is where I come when I feel beat up, down hearted or chewed up and spat out. It's also where I come when I've had to push through and just get on with things. Today, and tonight in particular is about pushing through and coming out feeling fantastic!

I'm feeling pissed off about losing a stone in weight and then not losing any more. I've gone back to protein only days and upped my exercise to an hour a day, increased my water, cut out any salt and yet, the needle on the bathroom scales does not move from 12 stone 13lbs!!!! How am I coping with the disappointment? I'm just pushing through

 Having been a thinnish person for most of my life, the first time I went on a 'diet', I lost two and a half stone and kept it off for three years! I then slipped into, what I can only look back on as a parallel universe and ate and ate and ate! It was delicious but it was also avoidance of  healthy options. For two more years, I ate and knew I wanted to stop, I wanted to lose weight and kept putting it off for another day. When I booked my holiday, I knew I was imminently going to the land of the tiny, trim and skinny people, who seem to walk, cycle or run everywhere and eat portions the size of baby meals and I knew, I would feel gross in comparison!!!

Well, I did make the change and although I feel as if I've come to a grinding halt, the best part of this whole process has got to be exercise. How can I have missed out on this for so long??? I've taken fluoxetine in the past and it never made me feel as good as I feel now. The endorphin lift is incredible. Tonight, I made it to four miles and walked for well over an hour. I turned corners and headed up every hill I could find, sipped water if I got tired and just pushed through. I could feel myself walking faster, my stride lengthening and my heart pounding. I walk in time with the music and had Fleetwood Mac's greatest hits on shuffle and I would speed up or slow down to catch my breath. I arrived home, sweaty, red faced, with my hair all over the place and I haven't felt this good in years!

I may not be losing weight in the way I would like to, but I'm a bigger person now and I'm not going to give up. I will get there in the end but just for now, I'm enjoying every footstep, feeling great and loving the journey.

Thanks for stopping by,

Until tomorrow,

Froogs xxxxxxxxxxx

Preparing not to spend any money!

HI everyone,

As I've excitedly told you all, I'm off on a holiday for the first time in years. In the past, I joined the rest of the sheep and used my holiday time to rip up the common sense rule book. This time, I've not only consulted it, but I'm taking it with me. In other words, I'll be frugal on holiday too. At the ferry terminal, leaflets are pushed through car windows, explaining, on pain of a hefty fine, what you must carry with you, in case of an emergency in France. We've always been well prepared on this: the car has been serviced, the spare wheel and jack has been checked, and we've also prepared all the onboard necessities for the car. Many of the ferry customers don't do this and there's a long queue in the onboard shop to buy beam deflectors, warning triangles, hi-vi jackets etc. They also pay through the nose for first aid kits, that they probably have in their cupboards at home. We take everything, bring most of it back unused and will not be spending anything.

Yes, that is a dishwash tablet container and I've cleaned it out and stacked it with first aid and a few minor medical supplies. I noticed, on my last trip, that I couldn't find a version of Boots or Superdrug, where you could just walk in, work out what you needed and just buy certain medications, such as for a migraine or stomach upset. You had to ask the pharmacist. It was also a lot more expensive that we pay. Here, we can buy 6 loperamide tablets for £1.60 and 16 paracetamols for 16p. Plasters, burn spray, and first aid requirements are pennies here. They are sealed, they don't 'go off' and they can save you a trip to A&E by just having the basics in first aid. Both Dearly Beloved and I have both had first aid training at some time. Did you know, for example, that panty liners, or sanitary pads, are sterile and make really good wound dressings, which you can secure with micropore tape? I've burnt myself in the past and know now, it's always important to have burn dressings in the house. They are a gel pad, with adhesive edges that completely seal the burn and usually no further assistance is needed if it's just minor.

I'll blog more this week, about how everything we need is coming with us!!! I'm quietly confident that I can afford this holiday and if I'm really careful. I won't spend any more than my usual week's budget for food and will still have the best of times.

Watch this spaces.

Until tomorrow,

Love Froogs xxxx

I'll admit; I'm a cheap date!

Take a chicken breast per person, cut almost in half and flatten out, cover in a plastic bag and then gently use a rolling pin as a mallet to flatten it out even further.

 Our supper was not cheap! It shouldn't have been. This May marks the fifteen years we've been together and part of the reason that we've just about got enough money together to go for a week's really quite plush holiday. Anything is plush when you can't afford it. We've worked like troopers today. The whole house is clean, all the down stairs floors have been washed, all the windows have been cleaned, so has the car and the drive and paths are all swept and tidy. Careful shopping, after a bit of research has been split between Asda and Lidl this week. Our shopping bill has almost doubled, due to the high protein content and we can't get away without spending around £50 - £60 a week!

We don't eat out, I've given up drinking and Dearly Beloved drinks one bottle of beer a week! Good food keeps us going. I was having a coffee this morning, whilst watching Gino D'Acampo cooking and I've tried to do something similar. He stuffed chicken with minced wild mushroom and other yummy stuff, which I haven't used, but I've used his cooking method.

I used Quark, which I had drained over night to thicken, added a clove of crushed garlic and a two finely chopped shallots, a sprinkle of parsley and mixed together before stuffing the chicken.

 I then, in the financial absence of Parma ham!!! Wrapped each piece in smoky bacon, after firstly cutting off any fat.

 I then tightly wrapped it in cooking paper and formed a kind of Christmas cracker to keep it all together.

 I cooked it in the mini oven for 40 minutes. Check your own oven, every one is different and may need more of less time.

 I then made a dressing to go with the chicken and the salad. I peeled and de-seeded half a cucumber, finely diced it, added a tablespoon of mint sauce (sugar free) to a single portion size of plain fat free yoghurt. I loosened it with lemon juice and then decided, after tasting it, that some dried corriander would liven it up....and it did.

 It certainly tasted better than it looked..

Here's the cooked chicken. The quark in the centre was a bit of a disaster, when yoghurt products are cooked, they tend to seperate and the bottom of the roasting dish was just full of water, but the garlic, parsley and chopped shallots could be tasted in a burst at the centre of the chicken.

Here's the final result! Romantic meal for two. Homemade, frugal, carb free and it was totally delicious!

How's the Dukan diet going?

The Dukan diet recipe book advocates using very small amounts of corn flour to thicken sauces made with skimmed milk. You can of course make your own sauces but if you have a really close look at labels you can find some extremely low calorie, low fat altrnatives.  

If you see the above product any where, it has 26 calories, 1.1g of carbs that sugar and no fat in a reconstituted 100g serving. You can make it with water or soya milk. I just make it with water. I had about 100 calories worth tonight as a bit of a Friday blow out.

You can also buy low fat versions of bacon. Just sift through the bacon on the shelves, turn the packs over to see the bacon and look for the pack with the very least bacon. Dry fry it in a very hot pan and you won't need to buy the 'healthy options' version. Just use your own discretion and cut off any fat.

So what did I do with all this??? I made  bacon and courgette layered with cheeseless sauce. It did, however, have a cheesy flavour and I will buy this product again. My lovely Vegan friend, Foster Mummy gave me some to try and I've been hooked ever since.

I added a layer of the cheese sauce to the mountain of bacon and then layered with courgettes that I had fried in a dry pan with some one cal spray. I made far too much cheese sauce and managed to leave most of it (fed it to dog!) and I will use just one tablespoon and 100mls of water next time.

The end result was amazing! I'm turning into a courgette connoiseur and I use them to bulk out many meals and they are so cheap, plus, my poly tunnel is full of them!

The Dukan diet is going well, although I'm now stuck at 12 stone 13lbs, I'll be happy with a 1lb a week weight loss! I'm easily sticking to the exercise and look forward to plugging in the i-pod, putting it on shuffle and getting out for a brisk walk. It's not long ago, that I would get into my pjs early and 'settle in' for the evening. I now get to around 8 pm and that's my cue to get my trainers on and get walking. It's amazing what just the loss of one stone (and a pound!) does for my mobility, I don't get so puffed and exercising is much easier.

How's it going? It's fine.


Just as an add to the list of 'homemade' - here's the home made tartare sauce I made today for Dearly Beloved to have with his Fish and Chips (one lonely battered fillet left in the freezer, got used up today)

Finely chop two shallots, four small gerkins and a hand full of parsley. Add to virtually fat free mayonaise, add lemon juice and lots of black pepper and you have tartare sauce. Nothing like the lumpless bland stuff you can buy. It's easy peasy to make and because the mayoniase is sugar free and fat free, it's technically Dukan friendly, though I won't be eating any.

Until tomorrow,

Froogsxxxx

Monthly devotions to the calculator

The financial month is coming to an end, or as we all know it, the week before payday. It's time to get out the calculator and look at bills and finances. I've been busily not shopping, not putting the heating on, not buying anything and not spending any money. This time, each month, I log onto all of my internet banking sites, my 0% credit card site and check that the balances have gone down. After I've checked all of the bills, I go back to my bank account and 'round off' anything left over. So, a balance of 3873.29, then becomes a balance of 3970.00. When I've finally done rounding everything off, what ever is left gets 'rounded down' to add to my savings account. I usually add around £10 a month extra to my savings account.

I use my savings account to pay for car tax, tyres, servicing and all home related costs. It does mean that I leave myself hardly anything spare at all but I have the huge sense of relief that everything is paid for! I know I have to pay almost £150 a year for car servicing, so £15 of each month's savings has to go towards that. I know I need about £100 a year for clothes and shoes, so I make sure £10 a month goes into the savings account for that. It all seems a bit pathetic really, it doesn't seem very much. It might seem really ridiculous after a day at work, to sit and shuffle pennies in one direction or the other. I promise, I'm not turning into Silas Marner! I actually like to end the month with no money left in my main bank account and know I've reduced debt and given myself some peace of mind.

Thanks all 2000 of you who clicked 'Frugal Queen' yesterday, who became a follower, or who kindly left a comment. I always look forward to hearing from you all.

Until tomorrow,


Froogs xxxx

Do you shuffle?

I don't know about you; but I love a lucky dip. Also, I love raffles, tombolas and random presents. Some time ago, Dearly Beloved sold off all of his hefty boy's toys (he used to sell expensive audio equipment such as Bang and Olufsen) on ebay and bought, with the money he had made, an ipod. I've always thought it was a silly little thing until I rediscovered getting outside to exercise. He uses it every day for his commute, but he's loaded it up with music that I love and when I go out for my hour long walk..............I put it on shuffle. Today, I felt, as if I shuffled my way around  fragments of my life. Here's today's shuffle.

 Push off with some ACDC and a really rebellious youth!! Late nights, waking up and truly not knowing where are I was or who the **** are you? The Cornwall Colliseum, rock bands, drinking in pubs underage and cider and black!!! Anyone remember the General Wolf? Seven Stars? King of Prussia? I think I threw up and got thrown out of all of them!!!! It's no wonder I flunked my A levels!!!!

 Up the hill, and past the supermarket across the roundabout and a time for Fleetwood!!! Where am I now, oh I remember.......moody, long teenage nights, usually grounded with......if you can remember them.......my record player!!! Bought from Woolies with a clear plastic lid to keep the dust off! Mum banging on the ceiling with a broom because it was always too loud and as 'Second hand news' throbs in my ears, I'm there again with a room full of joss sticks trying to mask the fact that I'm smoking out of the window!!!!

 As I reach the top of the hill, Cara Dillon starts to sing to me. She is a recent part of my history. I love the way that she sings with her Irish accent and as I pound the pavement, 'Bold Jamie' quickens my pace and even now, music is part of my every day life. Cara comes in the car with me to work, she helps me with the houses work and whilst I type, she's singing 'I wish you well'.

 Breathless, and at the top of the hill, I turn the corner to Robbie Williams (I wish!!) and 'hot fudge' spurs me on to pick up the pace. Now Robbie.............you were with me all through my mature student day at Exeter Uni!!!! You would be chatted over with a coffee and a muffin (Oh now I really wish!!!) with the students on my course alongside Marlowe, Lawrence, Austen and Simone De Beauvoir. We had such intellectual chats. On my one trip to the US, I tried to introduce some lovely folk ( well, actually as square as oxo cubes!) to the Robster!!! They found him far too sexual.......... earthy raw. It was good to do NY and PA, but it was good to get home too because I only met the 'quiet' people.

 As I turn the corner to the cricket club and head out along St. Cleer road and I'm there, in Dearly Beloved's shared house, staying over at the weekends and us re-aquainting ourselves with a past that has woven in and out of our lives for the nine years previous to us getting together. We knew each other in Bath. He was a friend of a friend. We socialised in the same group and heady nights were spent in the Salamander (packed, seedy, smoky, dark, barely room to move with sweat dripping down the walls!!). I ran a pub, called the Saracen's Head (nothing like the Salamander may I add!) and my staff and I were no older than twenty five and we drank as hard as we worked! The Salamander, where we drank on nights off, had the word's best juke box! It's official as far as I'm concerned. It's a wonder we didn't all end up and A&E!!! We were literally 'living on a prayer!'

 Just as I'm about to head for the home straight, I'm shuffled onto 'Born Slippy' by Underworld. Something I've never mentioned is my love of film and I have favourites and Trainspotting has to be up in my top one hundred. As I mentioned, Dearly Beloved used to work in an audio electrical store and would buy traded in speakers and amps, so he introduced me to surround sound and a night in with really good film. I have quite a few music sound tracks on the i-pod.

You can keep the gym, expensive zumba classes and anything else on at the leisure centre. Firstly, I haven't got the money and I wouldn't waste it even if I had it! I'm happy with the charity shop trainers, fleece hoody and three mile circuit with hills. I'm getting faster and it's getting easier. Now, a night is not complete without that circuit, music and the way it takes me to a place far, far away!