Saturday, July 04, 2009

Happy Fourth, everybody. As a general rule of life, I much prefer it not to be a holiday, but as holidays go, the 4th of July is a good one. You don’t have to love anybody, or buy them anything, or even cook for them. And there are fireworks.

Tennis

That was disappointing. I had been looking forward to sipping tomorrow’s cider as I watched him lose to Federer. I wonder again, as I did when he went out to Nadal last year, whether he’ll ever get quite to the top. He’s very, very good – but, great?

Rachel’s younger son Joe is working at Wimbledon – a rich source of temporary employment for the young of south London. (Joe is third from the left, in the bright blue sweatshirt, in the Grandchildren picture in my sidebar. He has just finished his first year at Nottingham University reading politics.) His job, as far as I understand it, is handing out champagne and canapés in one of the hospitality suites. He phoned in some excitement last night to say that he had met Virginia Wade, and she’s very nice.

Next time I see him, we'll be in CT. Joe is to be a groomsman at the wedding.

My blameless life

A new landmark at this morning’s weigh-in. I started off, you will remember, at x stone 12. This morning, I reached w and one-half stone: w stone 6 ¾, to be precise. (There are 14 pounds in a stone.) I think it is now permissible to say that I’ve lost 20 pounds, especially as the regime began on Ash Wednesday, a week before the weigh-ins started. No-one seems to have noticed, but the results are beginning to be very slightly perceptible.

The profile view in the bedroom mirror remains unappetising, but no longer terrifying. Waistbands have eased. There’s less of an obstacle between me and my shoelaces.

If I can continue to live blamelessly (lo-cider, no sugar, careful with the fat) forever, and I don’t see why not, really, I might hope to dispatch another 10 pounds. Below that looms scrawniness.

I wonder how QueerJoe is getting on? He reported a 10-pound loss in early April, using McKenna’s book and an MP3 player, but hasn’t mentioned the subject since.

Knitting

Interesting what you say about the Kinloch Anderson jabot, Tamar. I must get out there and have a look. I went ahead and ordered a skein of Cashsilk yesterday – if I can’t knit with it (cf Franklin and that DMC cotton) I can revert to the leftover Gossamer Merino from the Princess.

I’m halfway through the penultimate edging repeat. I could finish today, I suppose. I don’t want to.

I also got a cardigan sleeve started during yesterday’s tennis. I mean to take it along when we go to Strathardle next week, and this time I mean to knit.

4 comments:

  1. Carry on with that blameless living regime - slow and steady - not too hard is it? Sounds as if you have had good results - congratulations.

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  2. I really like the cheerful look of the child's cardigan!
    I am sure I am not alone in looking forward to the photos of the finished Princess.
    Glad your moderate path is showing the results you wanted to achieve.
    Lisa in Toronto

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  3. Blameless living is tough. Good for you--shows character! My parents-in-law used to live on Lansdowne Crescent in Edinbutgh. I think that isn't far from you. Happy Fourth of July!

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  4. Oh you can't stop now on the Princess!

    Congrats on the weight loss. Now to balance it so that you keep it off. That's the tough part.

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