Friday 19 November 2010
Aaaargh!!!!(2)
More awful things that people do in public....this morning there was a woman who walked up to the bus stop, sat down and pulled a cotton bud out of her coat pocket and proceeded to poke about in her ears! Yuuuuck!! Not in public....please!!!
Thursday 18 November 2010
Why is it.....?
...that when I need to get to work early London Transport conspire to make me late!!?
I left home three quarters of an hour early to get to work half an hour early....and I was still late!!! Grrrr!!
I left home three quarters of an hour early to get to work half an hour early....and I was still late!!! Grrrr!!
Wednesday 27 October 2010
Aaaargh!!!
Don't some people have horrible habits? Was just on the bus coming to work and had to sit next a woman who was picking at her ear, and then examining her fingernails and cleaning it out and then going back to some more picking.....yuuuck!!! I know we probably all do something like this occasionally....but not in public...please!!
Then she got off and another woman came and sat next to me and she was....sniff, sniff....pause....sniff, sniff....pause....sniff, sniff...get the picture? Every so often the sniffing would be interspersed with a weird little hiccuping sound! Aaargh!! Can you tell I'm not in a very good mood this morning?
The train was delayed because of a faulty train ahead of us...same thing yesterday evening....same thing at least twice last week as well, without the other ad hoc delays during the week. I'm so sick of it!!
OK rant over! Sorry about that!
Then she got off and another woman came and sat next to me and she was....sniff, sniff....pause....sniff, sniff....pause....sniff, sniff...get the picture? Every so often the sniffing would be interspersed with a weird little hiccuping sound! Aaargh!! Can you tell I'm not in a very good mood this morning?
The train was delayed because of a faulty train ahead of us...same thing yesterday evening....same thing at least twice last week as well, without the other ad hoc delays during the week. I'm so sick of it!!
OK rant over! Sorry about that!
Friday 24 September 2010
Thursday 22 July 2010
Apropos of nothing in particular....
I just thought I would record here my recent health (!) discovery and what I'm doing about it...
I have recently been told that I am diabetic (type 2). I have fairly regular blood tests because I have an underactive thyroid, and had one back in June which showed that my blood glucose was high-ish. Not a huge amount compared with some I'm sure, but what annoyed me was that I have been told in the past that my bg was on the high side of normal, and also my cholesterol as a matter or fact, but no one had suggested doing anything about it...so I didn't. Wish I had now! I had a blood test back in about Oct/Now 09 too which apparently had come back showing the my bg was high but the doctor who had looked at it hadn't followed it up. Unfortunately I didn't ask for the figures (I will next time I go), but I'm guessing that they weren't as high in 09 as they were this time!
Anyway, luckily my result wasn't so high that I have to go on any medication as yet, but I have been told to lose weight and basically to stay away from sugary drinks and a couple of other useless bits of information! (well probably not useless, but things that I will need to know some time down the line, not very helpful at the outset) The only good thing to come out of this was that I was given a little blood glucose monitor by the surgery. So off I went to do some research on what I should eat to reduce my bg.
That was on Friday Jun 18th (almost 5 weeks to the day) I have to confess I had a final fling (as it were) that weekend, and ate everything in sight! But went shopping still without any clear idea as to what I should eat and not having had access to the internet to look anything up as yet. I had a vague notion about avoiding bread and potatoes (starchy carbs generally) as well as sugar, so I bought loads of veg and some fruit, plus obviously a protein element for my meals (all of which I normally eat anyway, by the way).
After being able to do some research I have decided that I should go the low carb route, as I've done low carb in the past and it has worked for me. I would stress here that I am not a die hard Atkins fan....I don't agree with the very strict induction period that they advocate, and what I usually do is cut out starchy carbs and sugars, but I still eat fruit (couldn't live without it especially at this time of year!) So for the first week I lived on salads as it was extremely hot and there was no way I was cooking veggies when I got home from work. But I've gradually learnt more and more and I now occasionally have about 3 ryvita crackers with some pate or cheese, and once a week I've been having a few new potatoes. I have had a couple of slips....usually when I go out to lunch with friends at work or see friends at the weekend, but if I have carby meal or afternoon (if it involves tea and cakes!) I try not to eat anymore carb laden items that day and that seems to be working, but I'm aware that that can only be on an occasional basis.
The upshot of all this is that I have lost 7lbs in weight, as of today, which I'm pleased about, even though I'm sure it won't be enough for the quack next time I see him. I haven't even actually tried to lose weight as yet, the main thing I was thinking about was eating to lower my bg, and the weight loss is a side effect of that....I haven't been buying low fat yogurt or half fat cheese or mayo or anyting like that....I always dislike the idea of what they put into products when they take out the fat element, I'd rather eat smaller amounts of the real thing, if you know what I mean. A real life saver has been Total Greek Yoghurt, mixed with some chopped up fruit which I crush a little bit to release the juices and a little artificial sweetener (my only concession to chemicals!).
I won't say I haven't had cravings, for bread and butter particularly.....my lunches in the past have generally consisted of a bought sandwich and a bar of chocolate (not everyday!) or a salad bought in M&S on my way to work (which by the way all have pasta, or rice, or cous cous in them, unless you buy a bog standard green salad which doesn't have any protein in it!)
Well this turned out longer than I anticipated, but if you're still with me.....Congratulations! and thanks for reading!
I have recently been told that I am diabetic (type 2). I have fairly regular blood tests because I have an underactive thyroid, and had one back in June which showed that my blood glucose was high-ish. Not a huge amount compared with some I'm sure, but what annoyed me was that I have been told in the past that my bg was on the high side of normal, and also my cholesterol as a matter or fact, but no one had suggested doing anything about it...so I didn't. Wish I had now! I had a blood test back in about Oct/Now 09 too which apparently had come back showing the my bg was high but the doctor who had looked at it hadn't followed it up. Unfortunately I didn't ask for the figures (I will next time I go), but I'm guessing that they weren't as high in 09 as they were this time!
Anyway, luckily my result wasn't so high that I have to go on any medication as yet, but I have been told to lose weight and basically to stay away from sugary drinks and a couple of other useless bits of information! (well probably not useless, but things that I will need to know some time down the line, not very helpful at the outset) The only good thing to come out of this was that I was given a little blood glucose monitor by the surgery. So off I went to do some research on what I should eat to reduce my bg.
That was on Friday Jun 18th (almost 5 weeks to the day) I have to confess I had a final fling (as it were) that weekend, and ate everything in sight! But went shopping still without any clear idea as to what I should eat and not having had access to the internet to look anything up as yet. I had a vague notion about avoiding bread and potatoes (starchy carbs generally) as well as sugar, so I bought loads of veg and some fruit, plus obviously a protein element for my meals (all of which I normally eat anyway, by the way).
After being able to do some research I have decided that I should go the low carb route, as I've done low carb in the past and it has worked for me. I would stress here that I am not a die hard Atkins fan....I don't agree with the very strict induction period that they advocate, and what I usually do is cut out starchy carbs and sugars, but I still eat fruit (couldn't live without it especially at this time of year!) So for the first week I lived on salads as it was extremely hot and there was no way I was cooking veggies when I got home from work. But I've gradually learnt more and more and I now occasionally have about 3 ryvita crackers with some pate or cheese, and once a week I've been having a few new potatoes. I have had a couple of slips....usually when I go out to lunch with friends at work or see friends at the weekend, but if I have carby meal or afternoon (if it involves tea and cakes!) I try not to eat anymore carb laden items that day and that seems to be working, but I'm aware that that can only be on an occasional basis.
The upshot of all this is that I have lost 7lbs in weight, as of today, which I'm pleased about, even though I'm sure it won't be enough for the quack next time I see him. I haven't even actually tried to lose weight as yet, the main thing I was thinking about was eating to lower my bg, and the weight loss is a side effect of that....I haven't been buying low fat yogurt or half fat cheese or mayo or anyting like that....I always dislike the idea of what they put into products when they take out the fat element, I'd rather eat smaller amounts of the real thing, if you know what I mean. A real life saver has been Total Greek Yoghurt, mixed with some chopped up fruit which I crush a little bit to release the juices and a little artificial sweetener (my only concession to chemicals!).
I won't say I haven't had cravings, for bread and butter particularly.....my lunches in the past have generally consisted of a bought sandwich and a bar of chocolate (not everyday!) or a salad bought in M&S on my way to work (which by the way all have pasta, or rice, or cous cous in them, unless you buy a bog standard green salad which doesn't have any protein in it!)
Well this turned out longer than I anticipated, but if you're still with me.....Congratulations! and thanks for reading!
Thursday 27 May 2010
Do you know what suddenly popped into my head today....?
A Coke Float!
Hands up who remembers them! Does anyone still have them?/buy them?/make them?
I can remember my first....it was about 1964, and although we weren't rich, we weren't badly off... and I was on holiday in Italy with my mum and dad. Looking back I know that was very luxurious in those days....considering up to then the only holidays I remember were to Butlins in Clacton. Now that's bringing back memories too....to me and to you I'm guessing...mmm, now I'm going to have to go home and dig out the old photos!
Anyway, I digress. There we were in Italy, in a cafe, mum and dad were having coffee....and at about 12 years old and not very worldly I didn't know what I wanted. The very nice lady in the cafe asked if I liked Coca Cola.....I'm not sure now if I even knew what Coca Cola was. We didn't really have fizzy drinks or go out as a family to the sorts of places where you would have been able to buy them. Anyway the very nice lady said she would make me a special drink, and presented me with a Coke Float.....gosh it was gorgeous! All that frothy coke which froths even more when you mix in the ice cream....and I'm sure that Italian ice cream must have been good even on it's own. In a tall glass with a long spoon I was in heaven! Of course, I insisted on having one every time we went into that cafe, and even made my mum make them when we got home!
Monday 26 April 2010
Urban birdsong
I live in a very built up area of East London, and although I am on the outskirts of the borough it isn't very far to the edge of Epping Forest. I have cats, so don't often see birds in my little garden, but there is alway the twittering of the dawn chorus....even as early at 3.30 in the morning...a time when, for some unknown reason I often wake up and can't go back to sleep, so I wander downstairs and sometimes have a cup of tea.
The dawn chorus round here always sounds the same, but this year I've noticed a different little twittering, so I've been on the web to see if I can identify it. I found this great web site from the BBC where you can listen to all our different bird songs. (I can't get a clickable link to show up, but this is the address if you want to copy and paste http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/birdsong.shtml )
Well I think the only one that sounds remotely like it is the Bullfinch. Not a bird I would associate with east London!
Pretty isn't he!?
The dawn chorus round here always sounds the same, but this year I've noticed a different little twittering, so I've been on the web to see if I can identify it. I found this great web site from the BBC where you can listen to all our different bird songs. (I can't get a clickable link to show up, but this is the address if you want to copy and paste http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/birdsong.shtml )
Well I think the only one that sounds remotely like it is the Bullfinch. Not a bird I would associate with east London!
Pretty isn't he!?
Wednesday 14 April 2010
So now you know.....
Why one HobNob just
isn’t enough!
Why is it so hard to stop eating just
one biscuit and so easy to finish off
the packet? Speaking to the Daily
Mail, Dr Carel Le Roux (Medicine) says
that fructose,
which is a sugar derived
from fruit, may be to blame. Fructose
is mixed with corn syrup and used in
processed
foods such as fizzy drinks
and biscuits to make
them sweet and last
longer. Fructose gives
us confused messages
about satiety,
explained Dr Le Roux:
“When we eat sugar,
our body releases
insulin
which tells the
brain that we have had enough to eat.
High insulin levels are one of the factors
that dampen the appetite.” He said:
“However, fructose doesn’t trigger
as
much of an insulin response as regular
sugar, so the brain doesn’t get the message
that you are full.”
I've copied this from our staff newsletter (you may or may not know that I work in a university) The quote is from one of our research staff. And there was me thinking that Fructose was "better" than refined sugar. Obviously not! Especially if you have no will power (like me!)
isn’t enough!
Why is it so hard to stop eating just
one biscuit and so easy to finish off
the packet? Speaking to the Daily
Mail, Dr Carel Le Roux (Medicine) says
that fructose,
which is a sugar derived
from fruit, may be to blame. Fructose
is mixed with corn syrup and used in
processed
foods such as fizzy drinks
and biscuits to make
them sweet and last
longer. Fructose gives
us confused messages
about satiety,
explained Dr Le Roux:
“When we eat sugar,
our body releases
insulin
which tells the
brain that we have had enough to eat.
High insulin levels are one of the factors
that dampen the appetite.” He said:
“However, fructose doesn’t trigger
as
much of an insulin response as regular
sugar, so the brain doesn’t get the message
that you are full.”
I've copied this from our staff newsletter (you may or may not know that I work in a university) The quote is from one of our research staff. And there was me thinking that Fructose was "better" than refined sugar. Obviously not! Especially if you have no will power (like me!)
Monday 1 March 2010
I know I haven't posted in an age.....
but I am prompted today by the weekend that I've had. Some of it was good and some of it was bad....it's sort of a tale about people I don't see very often, but who I love very much...I'll start with the good...
On Saturday I met up with a friend that I don't see very often....still had her Christmas present to give her! We went to Olympia for the "Who Do You Think You Are" show. Now bearing in mind that both of us work full time, and have other things going on in our lives neither of us devotes much time to Genealogy....in fact I don't think I've done anything on mine since we went to the show last year! I probably had a spurt of energy when I returned and then it went by the board again. I guess this could be considered another one of my UFOs although it's an ongoing thing as you acquire more information.
Anyway, we had a lovely day...as we don't see each other very often, and she lives in Berkshire and I live in London, it's a good excuse to meet up and chat, have coffee, chat, have lunch, chat, have more coffee....are you getting the picture? But we also gleaned some more information about our ancestors, my friend in particular was looking for great grandfather who wasn't appearing on the census for a particular year, she knew he was a soldier, but couldn't figure out why he wasn't on the census even so. She found out that he was in the Gordon Highlanders and now knows where to look for more information. She has traced some of her tree back to the 1700s, but mine is a little more problematic as my family were immigrants around the turn of the 20th Century, and I don't have very much information about where they originated other the country. Much of the problems stemming from the spelling of their surnames. For example I have four documents with 4 different spellings, none of which give me very much information when I search for them. However I also managed to find some info on where to search that I hadn't thought of before so that's another avenue to explore.
Quite a long day...hard on the feet, and all talked out when we left!
Then yesterday, I had to go to the funeral of my favourite cousin. Such a shame, she was 2 years younger than me and had breast cancer about 5 years ago, had a double mastectomy and had been getting on really well then about 6 or 8 months ago it came back elsewhere in her body and last week she lost the fight. So I just wanted to say a few words about the lovely person....she studied and trained as a civil engineer back in the 70s when as you can imagine there were very few women in that industry. She took a lot of stick from builders on the sites that she worked on, but this always turned to admiration. She had a thirst for knowledge, and spoke several languages fluently, and we had something in common in that she was into arts and crafts in a big way. When she took an early retirement from engineering and surveying she really came into her own. She studed interior design, did mosaics among other things and evetually came to stained glass. First at evening classes and then most recently she did a years diploma course at Central St Martins (a very prestigious art college) in Glass and Architecture.
She was also someone I didn't see very often, but at family gatherings she was always the one I was most pleased to see arrive. and she would always make a point to let me know what she was getting up to or to visit any exhibition where there was some of her work showing. The last of these was the end of year show at St Martins last sumnmer.
RIP Jacquie Harris....I shall miss you very much>
On Saturday I met up with a friend that I don't see very often....still had her Christmas present to give her! We went to Olympia for the "Who Do You Think You Are" show. Now bearing in mind that both of us work full time, and have other things going on in our lives neither of us devotes much time to Genealogy....in fact I don't think I've done anything on mine since we went to the show last year! I probably had a spurt of energy when I returned and then it went by the board again. I guess this could be considered another one of my UFOs although it's an ongoing thing as you acquire more information.
Anyway, we had a lovely day...as we don't see each other very often, and she lives in Berkshire and I live in London, it's a good excuse to meet up and chat, have coffee, chat, have lunch, chat, have more coffee....are you getting the picture? But we also gleaned some more information about our ancestors, my friend in particular was looking for great grandfather who wasn't appearing on the census for a particular year, she knew he was a soldier, but couldn't figure out why he wasn't on the census even so. She found out that he was in the Gordon Highlanders and now knows where to look for more information. She has traced some of her tree back to the 1700s, but mine is a little more problematic as my family were immigrants around the turn of the 20th Century, and I don't have very much information about where they originated other the country. Much of the problems stemming from the spelling of their surnames. For example I have four documents with 4 different spellings, none of which give me very much information when I search for them. However I also managed to find some info on where to search that I hadn't thought of before so that's another avenue to explore.
Quite a long day...hard on the feet, and all talked out when we left!
Then yesterday, I had to go to the funeral of my favourite cousin. Such a shame, she was 2 years younger than me and had breast cancer about 5 years ago, had a double mastectomy and had been getting on really well then about 6 or 8 months ago it came back elsewhere in her body and last week she lost the fight. So I just wanted to say a few words about the lovely person....she studied and trained as a civil engineer back in the 70s when as you can imagine there were very few women in that industry. She took a lot of stick from builders on the sites that she worked on, but this always turned to admiration. She had a thirst for knowledge, and spoke several languages fluently, and we had something in common in that she was into arts and crafts in a big way. When she took an early retirement from engineering and surveying she really came into her own. She studed interior design, did mosaics among other things and evetually came to stained glass. First at evening classes and then most recently she did a years diploma course at Central St Martins (a very prestigious art college) in Glass and Architecture.
She was also someone I didn't see very often, but at family gatherings she was always the one I was most pleased to see arrive. and she would always make a point to let me know what she was getting up to or to visit any exhibition where there was some of her work showing. The last of these was the end of year show at St Martins last sumnmer.
RIP Jacquie Harris....I shall miss you very much>
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