Songs That Sometimes Bring A Tear Or Two To My Eyes

You raise me up by Josh Groban - one of my favourite songs and the first dance at my wedding, can't help but be inspired whenever I hear it and now reminded of standing on a dance floor in my wifes arms surrounded by family and friends on the most amazing day of my life.

Always by Switchfoot - tis a close run thing between this and Dare You To Move but Always just takes it. I first heard it in a tent in a field in Somerset and was blown apart and put back together again.

Hands down by Dashboard Confessional - the moment I heard this song I fell in love with it and it has been a favourite ever since. The line 'and you kissed me like you meant it' was something I dreamed about for years, I'm blessed to have found that now, nothing quite comes close to being kissed back by someone who wants you.

Only one by Yellowcard - I can't help but lean back and sing at the top of my lungs to this song. Nothing like being at a gig and with hundreds of others sing your guts out, it's like heaven and how church should be sometimes.

Mountains high by Delirious? - this song reminds me of my dear friend Peter Scott, even as I write this my eyes well up. He died a few years ago and we miss him terribly; but this song reminds of the sadness of this, the hope of the better place he is right now and The One who helps us through this life.

What songs get you?

The Other Thomas Brother...

...is taller than me.
Fitter than me.
Nicer than me.
Clever than me.
Does a far better job than me for a far greater cause.

And he brings a great deal of joy to my life.

I am, very proud of him. He turned out properly good which isn't surprising considering his parents, school, friendships, place of work etc.

The Sacrifices We Make For Charity

So the diet went to pieces today BUT it was in aid of nay in honour of, no wait it was to help save the world, it was possibly the greatest sacrifice since a certain someone gave up donuts. Ok I exaggerate in a hopefully vainless attempt at a laugh.

The glee club at work decided to partake in the Macmillan Coffee Morning, they enticed unsuspecting* workers to bake cakes and then buy tickets for a raffle/pay a pound for a slice of cake.

Three pounds later and my good intentions were blown away by the collective good intentions. So I have sacrificed my waistline for the greater good of humanity. Someone bake me a cake as I didn't win anything in the raffle!

*unsuspecting as only a handful of people at work know about the diet and I don't have the profile or clout to arrange a 'eat healthy and give money to charity' event!

Oh What A Martyr I Am

Not really...

Or perhaps maybe...

No, definitely not; although I do need to be careful that I don't turn into a broken record with my 'I'm not snacking between meals so I can't eat chocolate' schtick. I suspect that it might quickly become tres annoying to those nearest and dearest too me!

My darling wife amusingly said to me last night, 'ignore what I'm about to do'. This is quite difficult for me at the best of times, and in this instance I failed quite badly and stared at her with the gawky look of an awkward teenager meeting a supermodel in the flesh. Anyways, the long and short of it was that I ignored my wife's plea and engaged in the illicit activity of eating a single white chocolate coffee truffle thing.

I shall make amends this evening by attempting to run a little bit more at football. My brother in law; not inaccurately, suggested that us Thomas boys are not known for our defending. My father in law took it one step further and suggested I was a goal hanger.

They may have a legitimate claim, however as last week's game finished in a draw and I scored half my team's goals I thought it was probably an ok thing. And for the record the other Thomas brother is significantly better and fitter than me and probably defends better too. He certainly scores more goals at the moment - this may be down to the fact that my stomach is holding me back!

Is It Better To Be Proved Right Or For People To Actually Change/Good Things Happen?

Been pondering for a while now about my attitude to various things and the inequalities in my little world. Am I more concerned about being proved right or do I want to see people grow and change? Do I want to be proved right or can good things happen?

Maybe I'm just a bit grouchy because of the diet... Maybe my happiness has been judged in relation to the number of donuts or twixs I've eaten

Which thinking about it is pretty dumb.

And maybe this semi-detox of the body will serve to remind me that detoxing my soul is very necessary too.

Hate what is evil, cling to what is good... Don't think of yourself more highly than you ought... Encourage one another... Love one another... Love covers a multitude of sins...

So here's hoping and praying that I turn out to be wrong about a number of things; and that instead some people will surprise me... that some good things will happen... that these cravings for chocolate/being proved right will lessen... and that Arsenal will please learn how to defend...

(for the record on Sunday I snacked on two mars mini rolls in the afternoon)

Is This Cheating?

So yesterday the 'diet' was a bit of a struggle.

I had a donut at lunch, now strictly speaking this is allowed in my diet plan, however it felt like cheating. And then after dinner I ate some chocolate. Technically it was a part of my evening meal but yada yada yada you get my drift and hopefully feel my pain!

So I thought I would aid the losing weight process.

I had a hair cut.

I reckon I must have lost a few pounds!

I have tripped and fallen on some M&Ms

Not literally of course but not figuratively either.

So the diet thing had its first stumble. I say the diet, really I mean I gave in and succumbed to the seductive overture of red, white and blue M&Ms this morning.

Forgive me?!

The good thing out of this was firstly that I didn't eat tons of them and secondly it still made me feel bloated. This is a good thing I think, hopefully means my capacity to consume chocolate is diminishing. This used to be a source of great pride, a skill if you will. However my views have changed slightly as has my metabolism. Who says it isn't possible to change eh!

One Week In And Not A Snack In Sight...

So the new 'diet' has been going for a week...

I can happily report that I have not had a snack. Ok in the strictest sense this isn't true - I've eaten a punnet of grapes.

I'm not sure if I've lost any weight; I'm caught between not wanting to weigh myself in case I haven't and not being able to weigh myself due to a lack of scales!

Also unsure as to how quickly one should see a loss in weight. So many unknowns. Sadly I can't eat some chocolate while pondering this...

Diet

Black Monday. For that is what Monday 29th August 2011 shall be known.

Why I hear you stammer, well let me tell you.

I weighed myself, 13 stone and 4 pounds. Not good...

Now before you get cross a few points. A. Five years ago when I started my current job I weighed maybe 11 stone. B. Thinking about it A is the only point.

Some subpoints though:
A.1 running around is much harder these days because I'm carrying this food baby which is over 2 stone (no wonder I can't do chin ups anymore!).
A.2 I will fit comfortably into those jeans again(this is a very important issue!).

Ok a point b. B. I checked that body mass index thingy, I'm still within it but I'm literally on the edge, I'd kinda like to be in the middle.

So three days in and it is going well, I think. My new diet is called 'the no snacking and eating chocolate/pastries/donuts all day long diet'. Or The NSAECPDADL Diet. Good name huh. Will update you with my progress or lack thereof.