Rain, rain ... go away !

It has now been raining on and off since Tuesday, it is currently lashing it down. Of course, this is all because there is washing hanging on the line. Seriously .... I reckon if I rescue the washing, the sun will automatically come out !

The trip to London last Friday was a blast, if a little wearing on the feet ... we went to the British Museum, concentrated on the Ancient Greeks and the Egyptians .... with a preview of the Sutton Hoo exhibition which is coming in the Autumn. All of these periods pertinent to what DD is or has studied recently.

Then we trundled across town to the Natural History Museum and we saw the dinosaurs ! A far bigger display than I remember of a mere 2 decades ago .... well worth a visit if you're in the vicinity.

I am absolutely frazzled this week, and I know it's all my own doing. I need to go to bed earlier. Last night, for example, I finally sat down at 21:00 and was ready for bed then. But did I go, no of course not. Why not ? Well, because DH was busy painting the living room and I thought it unfair to go to bed whilst he was working so hard on it. Consequently, bedtime was around the one o'clock mark. Bleurgh.

Tonight, I am going to go to bed pre-midnight. Well, that's my aim.

Friday 13th .....

Now, do you view Friday 13th as a day for bad luck ? My jury is out, although in fairness, I'm favouring on the "bunkum" theory, as in 40yrs, I've never had a bad experience ... but .... let's not tempt fate until tomorrow is over, eh ?!

Especially, as tomorrow, I have the day off. It is DD's last day of Easter hols (yes, hols, not vacation ... ), and we're planning a visit to London.

On the agenda currently is the British Museum in the morning, with the Natural History Museum in the afternoon .... and I think I am way more excited than DD. However, that is understandable, given that she's 8 and has never been to either !

Her topic for history next term is Ancient Greece, so hopefully the British Museum will have some fun and interesting artefacts / exhibits, failing that the Natural History Museum ought to excite with a rather large dinosaur or two (this is where I hope the dinosaur is still there ... after all, I last saw it, ahem, about, cough ... a couple of decades ago!)

I also want to fit a trip into Kings Cross station ... especially Platform 9 3/4 as she's a HP addict (both movies and books)

Right, best find the camera and charge the batteries ... !

Easter 2012 - death.

Well, that was a cheering title wasn't it ?

I am 40, and as I get older other people seem to disappear off the mortal coil (die) and we're left to deal with the consequences in whatever form.

This is not a blog post about those that have passed, but is way more personal and those that haven't.

The way I live my life, is about planning for us, for the future, with the understanding, that I will be the person left, and therefore the person picking up the pieces. However, with that, I have ensured it's all documented "just in case", but the reality in my thinking is that I am going to be the responsible one.

But, what happens if I'm the one who gets struck down with a brain tumour, runover by a bus .. whatever?

I've set myself up in the knowledge that when DH dies, I will be lonely, but I will manage. But, how do I ensure DH is AOK if I trip off this mortal coil ?  How do I ensure that DD has the opportunities I have planned for her ? How do I ... how do I ... when I am no longer in control, cos I'm just not here ... ?

Basis Periods...

Revision time folks ....

Year 1:

From commencement of trade to end of tax year.

Year 2:

a) If the "accounting date" is in the tax year and is 12 months or less, then it is the first 12 months of trading

b) If the "accounting date" in the tax years and is more than 12 months, then the period is the accounting date less 12 mths

ie. 01/07/2010 - 30/06/2011

c) If the "accounting date" does not fall in the 2nd tax year, then it is:

06/04/x1 - 05/04/x2

Year 3:

Actual dates of the "accounting period"

Overlap profits can only be deducted when the business cessates

Cessation period is from the beginning of the previous basis period to the end date.

So...

Tonight (this morning) ...

I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself, not majorly, but somewhat.

I have what I think is commonly known as a "Spring cold" .... my ears are ringing, lying down is not a good look and generally I really need sleep although I know it's not going to come easily.

Also, my iPhone is refusing to charge, I have run out of water, and I've lost my handkerchief ... seriously folks what could be worse ?

...................... bleurgh .... go on, you compete, what was worse about your day ?!

Half Term is almost over ...

So, I had a great long list of things to do / achieve, let's see how I did first:

• Take DD to the "ThinkTank" Did and had great fun
• Make 3 sets of fully lined curtains - Well, I ordered a book on curtain making, but that's as far as it went
• Buy 5 Roman Blind kits - Hmm, well, I went to the shop, but still couldn't make my mind up - ongoing
• Look for material for the above Roman blinds - I looked, I failed.
• Menu plan for the following 2 weeks (if not month) - Nope
• Shop for said menu plan - Nope
• Make outfit for DD's "World Book Day" (apparently she wants to go as Katie Morag) This was going to be so simple, it wasn't, but I have made her a skirt and we've bought a jumper which we're going to adapt, so 80% there.
• Do draft of my project done, and sent to tutor for appraisal - tomorrow, is the plan
• Discover where the gym is and use it - Nope
• Take DD swimming _ Well, DH took her, so that counts right ?
• Sleep - Yep, I got some naps in :)
• Bake bread - Nope, still 3 loaves in the freezer
• Make biscuits for the tin, and biscuit dough for the freezer - Nope
• Scrub downstairs cloakroom floor - Nope
• Seal the downstairs cloakroom floor (which apparently takes up to 8 days to dry) - Nope, but did find the tile sealant

So, a mixed bag of results. My overall impression of half term was that, I really  need more time off, and less time in "paid work", it's just a pity that unfortunately the mortgage company prefers it otherwise !!

I have also, come to the brutal realisation, that in order to lose weight, I need to move more. I've pretty much stopped moving, but eating hasn't been mega increased (it's just "bad", not awful) ... but I am so sedentary it is awful.

So, my plan for this week, is that whilst I'm manically busy, I need to fit in an hours worth of walking per day (i.e. 500 calories), this is going to be a challenge, I acknowledge this, but other people manage to hold down a full time job, parenthood and exercising ... it just needs planning.

Also, I have managed to fit in a little batch cooking, with more to be done tomorrow.

We now have a portion of lamb and apricot meatballs with sauce in the freezer, and 6 individual chicken kiev's, made with homemade breadcrumbs with organic chicken, so good ready meals !!

I have 4lbs of mince, ready to be transformed tomorrow ... I rather fancy a cottage pie and maybe a good chilli.

And a month later...

I am sure that time is sucked and spat out somewhere else, otherwise how can I account for the fact that it's been exactly one month since I last blogged.

This week, I am off work, and have so many plans. Whether I achieve them will be another matter altogether, but it's good to have plans.

So, herewith my "plan list":

• Take DD to the "ThinkTank"
• Make 3 sets of fully lined curtains
• Buy 5 Roman Blind kits
• Look for material for the above Roman blinds
• Menu plan for the following 2 weeks (if not month)
• Shop for said menu plan
• Make outfit for DD's "World Book Day" (apparently she wants to go as Katie Morag)
• Do draft of my project done, and sent to tutor for appraisal
• Discover where the gym is and use it
• Take DD swimming
• Sleep
• Bake bread
• Make biscuits for the tin, and biscuit dough for the freezer
• Scrub downstairs cloakroom floor
• Seal the downstairs cloakroom floor (which apparently takes up to 8 days to dry !!!)

Let's see how I get on !!!