Just skiting

Having promised eight exercise sessions for the week, I have already done six of them - and I have more than three days to go. Plus I did an extra 20 minute run on the treadmill yesterday.

My food promises are going well, too, having only given in to steal a couple of Mark's jelly babies on the walk to the rugby yesterday.

Of course, all the hard work is really just in the hope that the shindig on Wednesday won't result in a gain!

And in other news...

It was lovely to catch up with Karen last week. Pregnancy suits her very well, and whatever weight she has put on certainly doesn't show in her smiling face.

Very nice to have my man home from Fiji. It's funny how much I miss him when he's away, considering how much I travel myself. I think it's got to do with the reassurance of knowing he's always here when I get home.

I broke with tradition for the teenagers' poker game on Saturday afternoon. Instead of the standard 3 dozen sausages and 2 loaves of bread, I served a huge pile of wedges and 2 kilos of cheerios. Only apparently we're not allowed to call them cheerios anymore, because some bloody company has trademarked the name and unless I put the little TM after the word I have to call them cocktail sausages. More undermining of Kiwi institutions. (By the way, offshore readers, these cheerios are not to be confused with the breakfast cereal, which has only just reached our shores).

Jake has the whole week off to 'study' for mock exams. But he only has two exams and they're both on Wednesday, so it's a free week for him. And of course NOW the weather is beautiful.

I feel a frock coming on...I have a VERY posh ball to go to in Auckland in mid-October. Mark can make do with the usual rental tux. I, on the other hand, will go out and spend an outrageous amount of money on something truly splendid. No ideas yet, but it won't be black!