January Progress
Posted: Mon 4 February, 2013 Filed under: 2012/13, D4D™, Diet Coke, Domestic, Five Year Plan (now Ten), Getting Organised, Health, Weigh Less, Weight Loss, Write More, Writing Leave a comment »Back at the end of 2012, I said I’d got two main plans for this year,
- Weigh less
- Write more
So, one month in, where do we stand?
On Point One, I’ve lost half a stone. Obviously that’s not insignificant, but there’s a long way to go still.
As part of it, I’ve been keeping a food diary for the last month, which has been interesting. It’s allowed me to keep track of what I’m eating and illustrate any bad foods (or even bad days) although it’s shown more that the intake side is lower than it should be. (I’m averaging about 1600 a day, from current evidence)
As I’ve written before, I’ve also had the health MOT this month : blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, blood sugar, the lot. It’s all come through OK, so that’s another thing.
And, of course, I’ve cut down my intake of Diet Coke significantly. It’s still got a small way to go if I’m to cut it out completely, but it’s still massively reduced from where it was.
Now it’s a case of upping the exercise levels as part of that project point.
For Point Two, I’ve managed to do some writing, although not as much as I’d hoped. I’ve got a short story mostly done, which I want to get completed in the next few days. I’ve also been writing a new idea, and that’s currently about a fifth of the way through it. Again, it’s something I’m working on, and it’s already better than it was last year, but there’s a long way to go.
Still though, it’s been a good start to the year.
Apostrophes
Posted: Wed 26 December, 2012 Filed under: Charm School, D4D™, Education, Literacy, Writing 1 Comment »One of the better explanations I’ve seen for using apostrophes and abbreviations. (And I didn’t write this originally, honest)
Maybe if it were taught like this in schools, people would remember it better.
Getting Back in the Saddle
Posted: Tue 26 June, 2012 Filed under: D4D™, Domestic, Writing Leave a comment »As things change chez Lyle, I’m trying to get back into the regular writing here. I’ve slacked off a lot here of late, and definitely fallen out of the habit of writing.
At the same time, in a lot of ways I haven’t felt I’ve got a lot to write about – there’s been a lot of stuff going on, but it’s not anything I’ve actually wanted to write about, so I haven’t.
So yeah, see how it all goes. I won’t guarantee daily posts or anything – but I’m going to keep on trying. Some (most) of it will be shite, but at least it’s written shite.
Overall there’s a lot I want to write about – not just here, but in other media as well – but first and foremost I need to get back into the habit of writing, and that’s always what was at the core of D4D. So I’m going to try and get back into it again, and we’ll see where things go from there.
World Book Day
Posted: Thu 3 March, 2011 Filed under: Creativity, Domestic, Literacy, Writing 1 Comment »
Today is World Book Day. If you’re not reading something, why not?
Black Swan
Posted: Thu 17 February, 2011 Filed under: Domestic, Thoughts, Writing 1 Comment »Last night we went to see Black Swan. I’d heard lots of good reviews about it, that it was a really dark, clever film and so on, so thought we’d go and see it. Of course it’s also getting loads of awards and nominations – that should’ve been my clue, really.
You see, I’ve got to admit that while it was OK, I really wasn’t blown away by it, the way I’d expected to be. Maybe that’s the problem – the expectactions were high, so it was likely to be a disappointment. In my experience, the films that get highly rated and rewarded by the various awards organisations (Bafta, Oscars, SWG, etc. etc.) tend to turn out to be utter garbage. I don’t know why, but it’s a generalisation that seems to apply. In fairness, Bafta awards seem to be somewhat more ‘tuned in’ than the Oscars etc., but there’s still a fair number of remarkably dull films in that list of winners.
As for Black Swan, it was OK. It just wasn’t anywhere near as clever, dark, or disturbing as it wanted to be – or indeed as it could’ve been.
I liked a number of the ideas in it, but you know what? If the film had just been about the ballerinas in the run-up to a production of Swan Lake, about their obsessions, the physical and mental exercises they undertake, and everything they go through, I’d have watched it and been fascinated. Indeed the shots of the impressive muscle development in the ballet performer’s backs and shoulders, and the physical torture their feet go through were (for me at least) the most memorable scenes in the entire film.
Worth watching? Yes. Worth watching if you’re expecting a lot from it? Probably not.
The Girl’s Hand
Posted: Tue 21 December, 2010 Filed under: Domestic, Memory, Writing 5 Comments »I’ve got a book in my head, and I can’t remember the name, the author, or anything. It’s incredibly annoying, because I want to re-read it, but there’s nothing I can do to trip my memory.
It’s a book about a killer, and starts off with the killer walking out of the woods, holding a girl’s hand.
It’s only at the end of the chapter that you realise the hand is all he has of the girl, as he puts the hand in his pocket.
And that’s it, that’s all I can clearly remember of this book. It would’ve been late eighties, early nineties, and probably by an American author (or at least set in America)
So – any ideas?