Boyfriend's birthday

It's Joel's birthday today! 29 years old. Sadly, I was in work wih no possible chance of a holiday, so had to make do with counting down the hours till we could celebrate in style. Had the remainder of last nights Chinese for lunch, which - after a reliable parade of boring sandwiches from Greggs on my Sunday shifts - felt like a waterfall in a desert. Still in the habit of taking Hi Fi bars and apples to work, which really, really helps.

After work, was whisked back home with a little help from Dad, where we picked up the birthday boy and took him to Mum and Dad's where we greeted the rest of the family. Mum had made the most AMAZING Free buffet - which everyone enjoyed. The only things with Syns were the pork pies and prawn cocktail, so a solid effort!

Had a whale of a time - as did Joel. For his birthday, Mum, Dad, Sean, Auntie Pam, David and Grandma had all clubbed together and bought us a weekend at a beautiful rustic inn in Northumberland, complete with healthy pub food, surrounded by stunning walks and cycle paths. A little R + R PLUS Body Magic? Winner! Besides, he's been really stressed and knackered from work lately (plus me with my overtime) so a little holiday will do us the world of good. Particularly since we can't afford one this year - as we're doing the bathroom AND trying to save up to go to New York next year. By the way, Mum said something about that tonight, which really put things in perspective...... if I lose a pound - that's a mere POUND - per week, I'll have lost 2 stone by the time I go.

So I've decided my new goals are:

Lose half a stone in a month (which is the 10th of September)

Lose 1 stone before my birthday (which is the 23rd of October)

Lose 1 and a half stone before Christmas (you know when Christmas is)

Lose 2 stone before New York (which is February)

Wow, that's a lot of goals. But then again, I guess the purpose of SW is NOT to limit yourself, so bring on all the goals, I say!

Oh, also managed to nab Mum's extensive back catalogue of SW magazines from last year, which I've promised to return so she can continue using the recipes. Can't wait to read them!