Octoberthon Results

Well as I said previously i felt my resolve was weakening a bit and I was right. I did well right up to 28th October when Isobel made a cake for Erin's birthday the next day. I didn't hav any of the cake but I did have some of the mixture before it was cooked and I did nick a few of the chocolate buttons that were being used to decorate it.

I forgot to say the previous week I had put a pound ON despite denying all the goodies at the Derby comp day and being good when we went out for a meal from work. Oh well!

Last Friday we went to a Halloween inspired event at Bolling Hall called Dark Gatherings. It's a fun evening that is free in an old haunted manor house not far from us. We have been for the last few years. It wasn't as good this year as Health and Safety seem to have killed the atmosphere. There were too many lights on around the place so you could see the scary bits before you got there. Isobel dressed up as a gorgeous Goth. All in black with a white face and she did her own makeup and hair and she looked really good.


Isobel as a Goth

Me and my Goth


Sunday was the day we put the clocks back but at 1.45am I got a phone call from my stepson Simon asking if I could pick him up from the next town. I agreed so was out about an hour then went to bed. I was up again at 6.30am and took the dogs for a walk even though it was dark when we set off.

Then about 9.30am we met up with members of the canoe club and we went and did the River Calder. The worst thing about this river is the rubbish. The water had obviously been much much higher at times and the rubbish and debris was hanging from the trees. There was literally, bed sheets, tents, clothes, toys and loads of plastic bags hanging like some macabre Halloween decorations from the trees.
At the start of the paddle





Other parts of the river didn't seem too bad and were quite pretty. It was the first time that I didn't feel nervous before we went down the weirs and I even did the slalom bit in Sowerby Bridge which previously I have got out and avoided.

One of the weirs


A pretty view of the Calder


Anyway the net result of the Octoberthon was that I gained another pound in the fourth week but altogether I had lost 6lbs in the month. Which, as you will aprreciate, is nearly half a stone. Result!

Octoberthon

I have challenged myself to get a kickstart on things again. Decided that for the month of October I am going to try not to eat sweet and rubbishy stuff. I am also going to do some kind of exercise each day.

Yesterday was DAY ONE. Even though it was bouncing down with rain so hard that it literally bounced of my eyeballs I was out walking with the dogs.

It was nothing exciting but it definitely was WET. We still played ball despite the rain coming down so hard that we could hardly see it at times. We were out walking for about 45 minutes in all.

When we got back the dogs were so wet I had to throw them straight in the utility room and run upstairs and get towels. Poor little Evie was happy for me to dry her off and then snuggled up in her bed. Bear wasn't as happy for me to dry him off but it was more necessary as he is big and long-haired. He did let me sort him out though thankfully. He was still damp in the evening and we had been out walking in the morning.

Anyway we are off to Blackpool today so there should be some walking involved there too will report back later.