Jobs and Jogs and Barking Dogs.

"Expect the unexpected", who said that? The original author being the Greek, Heraclitus in 1500 BC. Then it seems, blatantly nicked by the incorrigible Oscar Wilde in 1895.

I’ve never really followed this rule; it’s far too vague a sentiment for my sometimes latent, yet often flagrant control freak. I thrive on the regular and regimented. Most of you are aware of my ongoing struggle to find a new job, to finally free myself of this snakepit of inefficiency, backstabbiness and excuses and well, just leave, really. I was beginning to despair. Having tweaked and dumbed down my cv, given it a modern new format and even added a picture (perhaps not the best of decisions) ..I was still not getting any significant bites.  Sending off a slew of “open” applications to English speaking companies here in Leiden. Still reacting to vacancies on the online sites, receiving replies like “We’ve filled the vacancy internally” left me flabbergasted and demoralised. Why on earth advertise then?

Slowly becoming resigned to disappointment, imagine my surprise last Thursday to receive a phone call about a job possibility. Especially one I’d applied for 2 months ago. I’d already written this off, with much regret because I really wanted this job and my qualifications and experience seemed designed for their criteria. It was my day off, deciding on a bit of a pamper, I’d just put dye in my ever greying hair. Amidst the shock and surprise, I nearly forgot to rinse it off. Possibly not the interview look I’d be going for. 40+ year old Goths might not fit their expectations.

I’m thrilled, whoo hooo - I have an interview soon.

Already mentally wording my resignation letter, I hope I get it. Please keep everything crossed and if you’re passing a church…well, it can’t do any harm can it ??

Weight watchers is going quite well, I think. I’ve dropped a whopping 4 kilos in six weeks. That’s about 9 pounds. Maybe not the kilo a week target I’d set myself but if it means I can still enjoy a glass of wine in the weekend..well, who cares. Anyway, it’s dead hard . Although, the lack of crisps is still the absolute worst. I’m craving baked and salty goodness akin to an addiction. When will this poison leave my system, when will I be able to walk past the crisps aisle without drooling and wailing…when?…*sigh* listeing to other people’s difficulties helps. Some of them are just desperate…*snigger*. Mind you, I’ve started to notice a behavioral pattern amongst the longer standing members of WW. Some of them can be a bit mean to newcomers. Especially if you’re not a ginormous newcomer (<--- requisite bitchy comment there). I find myself quite surprised by how some members behave; I had thought there’d be solidarity amongst us dieters. Well, looking at the bigger picture (no pun intended) there’s a sort of group mentality amongst some members that shuts out the rest of us. You’d think it’d be the younger members who behave so childishly, but no, there are a couple of sexagenarians in there too and a few very flirty 30 and forty somethings, which is just a bit wrong..you know? Last night our coach was sick, her replacement was a lovely young woman in her 30’s who had herself lost a shedload of weight. She passed around the photos of her former self and told everyone how she’d done it..twice! Within minutes the murmurs started and the atmosphere became charged with challenge. Something this clique seems to have in common is a defeatist attitude and a lot of them proudly stage whispered that it wasn't that easy and they needed to lose loads more than she had. One by one they started bombarding her with questions like “why is salmon more points than white fish”…”Why is avocado more points than a carrot”….all this from people who’ve been going to WW longer than I’ve had grey hairs (read: ages). Really people, really? This might go some way to explaining why you’re not actually losing weight, you fatheads …hehe…um, sorry.  She laughingly dismissed my query that crisps actually being of potato origin should mean I can eat as many under the “free points” veggies rule.

 I was blydi serious too!!

Cheek!

Anyway, once again I digress.. this pint sized and feisty young lady had obviously dealt with fatties of a much higher bitch caliber than this lot. She effectively parried every witless comment, in the manner of a primary school teacher taking control of an unruly class. Breaking off her intro monologue to sternly stare at the two older ladies obliviously chatting away, until blushing, they stopped. Following this she loudly clicked her fingers at the student branche of the group, who seemed to be in their own private meeting. When a younger chap in the group boastingly stated he’d learned to drink Bacardi neat, to avoid coca cola points, she told him this was WW not AA.

I think I might love her!

I have however, decided it’s not coming off fast enough and it’s time to up the tempo. Yeah, I’m stupid like that. So I’ve started to jog and do some sit-ups in the mornings. Just about 10-15 minutes a day but hopefully if I do it every day I’ll see a result soon. Yesterday I kind of overdid it, I’m not bragging at all…no really, purely because it only happened while I was running away from an unruly dog. It was rampaging in the park and decided I was breakfast. Well, that was my interpretation of the barking and drooling, so I ran and ran as fast as I can…and almost gave myself a stroke in the process. This morning’s run went better, mostly because I avoided the park. Of course, the teenage critic sitting on the couch eating his breakie had a comment about the length of my run. It went something like “eh, you back already?” accompanied by smirking and “yeah yeahs” as I attempted to explain my methods. Apparently, according to Gareth, I should jog for 30 minutes every morning, even if it means getting up 30 minutes earlier “easy peasy, Mam”.

This from the child I’m considering testing for narcolepsy.

Ah well, onwards, upwards and hopefully straight into my bikini by July.

“I have to exercise in the morning

before my brain figures out what I'm doing.”

-Marsha Doble