Oh hey social life.. I've missed you!

So last Tuesday I promised an abundance of interesting blog posts coming your way. But let's face it; I failed miserably. However, this week I actually have some plans! Yes, plans! My social life seems to have made a reappearance, even if it is just for a few days.

This past week has been pretty boring on all accounts. I've been looking after my mother-in-law's plant stall most days, which has meant sitting in an office and running down to the stall whenever I see a customer (which have been few and far between might I add!). I've been doing this for about 3 or 4 hours each morning, depending on the weather. But it's not been a total waste of time, as I've managed to make a start on my public admin revision - for my followers who aren't on my course, this is possibly the most boring, mind-numbingly dull subject you can imagine, and revising for it literally makes me contemplate suicide! But like many things it's just something you have to crack on with, and I've certainly done that.

I've managed to get to the gym every day, except yesterday, when the weather was so horrific I just couldn't face leaving the house. I also started my 30 Day Shred DVD last Wednesday, which I've been doing daily. For those of you who don't know who Jillian Michaels is; Google her. She is by her own admission "TV's toughest trainer". And she has been training me in my front from for the past 5 days. It's pretty tough going, as she promises, but it is only 20 minutes a day, and I'm actually starting to enjoy it! I haven't done it yet today, as I'm currently in the office minding the stall, but I plan to do it when I get back to this house before lunch.

On the weight loss front I dropped 1lb on Thursday, but managed to regain it over the weekend - I blame the impromptu cinema trip on Friday (to see Avengers - AMAZING!) Pretty gutted about this as I had worked hard to get it off, and it took me down into the next stone bracket! But anyway, this week is a brand new week, and depsite dveouring half an easter egg between me and Rob in bed last night, I am determined to lose 2lbs this week! I'm making a few changes in the hope of achieving this too: I've upped my calories to 1540 from 1290, according to my BMR, and I'm NOT going to eat back my exercise which I have been doing for the last few weeks. Hoping these small changes might kickstart my weight loss again, since I seem to have been gaining and losing the same 1 or 2lbs for the last few months. I'm also trying to cut back on my carbs and upping my protein intake! Let's do this ;-)

Anywayyyyy.. As for this week, tomorrow I'm heading back to Lincoln for law revision and a long-needed catch up with the best one Aimee. Soo looking forward to this, feel like I haven't seen her for months! Then tomorrow night we're off to Damon's for Rob's birthday, about 10 us all together I think. I'm so excited! I haven't been in ages, and I ADORE their ribs!! It's Aimee's first time too, can't wait to introduce her to one of my fave restaurants.

Wednesday will be a pretty lazy day until the evening, when we're going out for Aimee's belated birthday. Literally not had a drink in months so I will probably be pissed as a fart within approximately 3 minutes of starting predrinks. Massive bottle of raspberry vodka at the ready!Thursday will see more law revision - possibly nursing a dire hangover - then home and gymming with Rob.

So excited to actually have plans this week other than gym sessions and food shopping. YAYYY!

Blog block: why my home town isn't coming up trumps

As I've been a bit lacking with the old blog posts recently, it got me thinking why I suddenly feel as though I have nothing to write about. Blog block, as I like to call it.

I recently finished uni for the summer (aside from 2 exams at the end of May which I'm supposed to be revising for) and thus have moved back to my home town of Retford. Being an unemployed student, I've found myself at a loss most days, aside from helping out around the house or my daily trip to the gym I've done absolutely nothing. And I think that's the problem.

Being back in Retford and away from Lincoln is much less awe-inspiring, and therefore I have found myself with much less to say than usual. I did think about posting about the seemingly never-ending rain, but then again I think the less said about that the better.

So doing nothing much most days, coupled with the fairly lacking farming town that I call my home, I've been rather uninspired. Having not seen the best friend Aimee Nash in a few weeks doesn't help either, seen as most of my blog posts stem from our rather strange conversations.

As of today though I am determined to seek the good within the bad and find something (every day if at all possible) that interests me and therefore may in fact be of some sort of interest to my followers. Starting tomorrow. Or maybe even tonight?

Watch this space.

Who would've thought the gym could be so entertaining?

Another great place to people watch is the gym. I've just joined my boyfriend's gym for 6 months since I found myself going with him most weeks and paying a tenner anyway. The gym is great for people watching. You get a whole variety of people in there. 

First and foremost (and also the most frequent) are the posers. The big, muscly guys (whose physique must be down to steroids since they don't do a damn thing in the gym!) who saunter in, perm-tanned and clad in the likes of Ralph Lauren jersey shorts and Toms. Not suitable gym attire. But then again, they haven't come in to work out, so I suppose it doesn't really matter what they're wearing! They tend to hang about in packs, leaning against bits of equipment and machinery, making it awkward for those of us who actually come to the gym to EXERCISE to make full use of everything. They'll occasionally do a bicep curl or two, before glugging down a totally unnecessary protein shake, to replace the energy they've lost during their hardcore sesh of chatting and pouting in the mirror.

Unlike the posers, next there's the meatheads. A group of middle aged men who are slaves to free weights and baby oil. They're normally instantly recognisable in their string vests (often nipples on show) and ginormous biceps. Triangular shaped springs to mind - spend all their time training their upper body, and thus have 2 tiny chicken legs. You can usually hear them grunting from across the gym floor.

Next you get the Madges. These are a group of 60+ year old women whose abs could rival the likes of Nicole Sherzinger, named the 'Madges' on account of their uncanny resemblance to Madge off Benidorm. They wander around the gym in inappropriately tight leggings and crop tops, usually sporting a camel toe. There is usually at least 1 or 2 Madges in the gym at any one time, and you do have to wonder, do they ever go home? 

Pre-pubescent boys can be found sheepishly wandering around the gym too. Recognisable by their football strips and inability to keep their mouths shut when they see a hot blonde trotting away on the treadmill. Like the posers, they don't tend to do much real exercise, and use the gym as a bit of a social occasion.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm not really sure which category I fall into, certainly none of the above. I guess there's another group too, but because they're nothing out of the ordinary, I don't tend to notice them. They're the people who come in, work out, then leave. The 'normals'.

And although I may take the piss out of these beauties who grace the gym floor, I certainly wouldn't wish they were elsewhere; what else would get me through my workout if it wasn't for laughing at all these unfortunates?!

Muddy shoes, sore calves and an aching bum

Drove down to my Dad's last Thursday for Easter. After battling with numerous inconsiderate arse hole lorry drivers on the A1, I managed to arrive in one piece.

Did a 16 mile ride on Saturday round Milton Keynes with my Dad and two of his friends. Lagged a bit to begin with and hung around at the back (as I usually do) but as we got going I had a second wind of energy and sort of ended up setting the pace.

Really enjoying my getting out on my bike lately, whether it be a quick pre-breakfast 5 miler round the local lake, or a more all-terrain, technical 20 miles round the woods.

Biking has been a big part of my life since I was a babba; wearing a helmet two sizes too big for me and sitting in my baby seat on the back of my papa's bike.

I love it more now than I ever have. I thoroughly look forward to being able to get my gear on (sufficiently girly in pink and white, may I add) and get out on my beloved two wheels. Has to be the cliche of the century, but feeling the wind rushing through my hair really is one of the best feelings.

Getting out in the fresh air, burning a fuck load of calories, and giving both my legs and lungs a really good workout aren't the only benefits I reap from my favourite hobby. A nice long bike ride is one of the best ways to clear my head and give me time to think. You may not think hurtling down a sandy track at 20mph, avoiding muddy puddles and tree stumps, could be a nice relaxing activity, but it really is.

The only thing that comes close to the feeling of completing an exhausting ride, is the well-earned pint in the pub afterwards. And even though I may be a bit of a girly girl, I'd choose an andrenaline-fuelled ride over a candlelit bath any day.

Samantha Brick: Why I'm God's gift...

Logging onto Twitter this morning, I glanced at what was trending as usual, and - as I so often do - clicked on one of the random names that appeared in the side bar. This morning was Samantha Brick.

Twitter promptly informed me that it was taking too long to load the tweets about this woman, and clicking on the link to a Daily Mail article provided, I can see why. This is the article.

Reading the headline and studying the photo, I genuinely thought it was some sort of joke. But April Fools Day was yesterday. No, this is a genuine article. Ms Brick describes the generous gifts she has received over the years from men, including cab fares and bottles of champagne, putting them down to 'my pleasing appearance and pretty smile'.

Don't get me wrong, I know I'm no Kate Moss myself, but is this woman for real?! The photo heading up the article reveals a rather large looking forehead and a blatantly forced smile. She's not ugly, but she's certainly not as beautiful as she has made herself out to be in this article.

She admits to being "no Elle Macpherson" but adds:  "I’m tall, slim, blonde and, so I’m often told, a good-looking woman. I know how lucky I am." I don't get it. I am genuinely baffled.

As the article goes on, she talks about the problems of holding down female friends, having had to leave countless jobs, and never being asked to be a bridesmaid because of the "fear of being overshadowed by her looks". Excuse my french, but what a load of complete bullshit.

And it only takes one look at her rather awkward looking husband to see that she is clearly not as gorgeous as she thinks she is.

I mean, I know newspapers can be guilty of twisting things to form a shocking, hard-hitting article. But I don't think this it what has happened here. You only have to look at some of her quotes to realise that this woman clearly sees herself as some sort of goddess, above each and every other female out there: "Insecure female bosses have also barred me from promotions at work," "You’d think we women would applaud each other for taking pride in our appearances" and "I find that older women are the most hostile to beautiful women — perhaps because they feel their own bloom fading" are classic examples of her sheer big-headedness.

I'm still waiting for Twitter to load the tweets relating to this head-in-the-clouds woman, but I'd put money on the fact that they reflect what this post has had to say.

So lock up your husbands ladies, Samantha Brick is about.