Day 31

Thought that now we have sailed on by the half-way mark of my journey, and autumn is coming to a close, it is a good time to reflect on progress. I present to you, my report card. *runs and hides in room*

1. Making my bed every day. Grade: A. The only day this didn't get done, was the same day I wanted someone to drop the bed - the whole actual frame - on my head, to put me out of my sick misery.

2. Blogging. Daily. Likewise Grade: A. Ever striving for new heights of inappropriateness and controversy.

3. Takeaway crackdown. Grade: A. Only one very slight aberration - a single drive through - involving chicken nuggets for hungry children, and also a Sunday park meal involving a bucket filled with chicken. Chicken in a bucket is so glamorous, don't you think? This is so much an improvement on our previous habits that I'm pretty sure my gall bladder thinks it's been accidentally transplanted into another body.

4. About that sushi... Pass. Gone. Gone forever, never to return. Not a single craving in a week now. I'm as cured as if I went to a Benny Hinn meet.

5. Feed the dog. Grade: B. Dog is slightly fatter, and has been desexed, to boot. He is an icon of responsible dog ownership - apart from the fact that he is wearing a dog tag with another dog's name on, and has not yet been vaccinated.

6. Stop buying Black Milk. Grade A +++. I even sold things. It's been a dark time, and I don't really wish to speak of it...

7. Brush teeth - twice daily. Grade: B+. Only a couple of genuine forgettings, and those have been of a night-time, usually when Harvey decides to have a late night session of Jimmy Barnes-esque yelling.

8. Wash make-up off before bed. Grade: B+. Skin is not yet reflecting the great lengths of effort I have gone to, and seems to be making one hell of an attempt to cling to adolescence in all it's glory.

9. Not checking Facebook at work. Grade: C.

10. Getting up with the daisies. Grade: D. *hangs head*

11. Going to bed sensibly. Grade: C. Haven't been falling asleep on the couch, at least.

12. Water the plants every day. Grade: B +. And... I doubled the number of plants in my care. There have been no visits from concerned Plant Welfare Officers, which is promising.

13. Use that flipping gym membership - three times a week min. Grade: D. It's the 'three' bit that's really tripping me up. But I've managed twice most weeks - even if one of those visits is spent primarily chatting and watching vids on Facebook while taking advantage of the free creche.

14. Return missed calls / text messages. Grade: B+.

15. Stop talking about people behind their back. Grade: C. Can I get a better grade for this if I tell you that it definitely wasn't YOU I was talking about??

16. Read Bible each day. Grade: D. I'm pretty sure I qualify as a hypocrite, now. Do text messages or Facebook statuses with Bible verses in them count?

17. Taking my tablet. Grade: A. Only missed a few while sick, and I'm pretty sure I would have seen those ones again anyway...

18. Hanging washing outside to dry. Non-attempt.

19. Drinking more water. Grade: C. I think my biggest issue here is just forgetting. I get to like, 9.30pm and then think "Should I scull the 600ml, or just start fresh in the morning?" And decide that it's probably defeating the purpose to flood the system so late, only to get up and pee all night long.

20. Planning the night before. Grade: C.

21. No chocolate bingeing. Grade: B.

22. Pelvic floor exercises. Oops. I'd forgotten this one was even on the list.

23. Pay off the credit card. Grade: - . Can I have an extension, please? :(

24. Quit hoarding. Grade: B. While I haven't hoarded anything new, I haven't been terribly proactive in getting rid of stuff either. Maybe time to attack this on the weekend.

25. Maximum of one sugar in cups of tea/coffee. Grade: F. Forgot this was on the list also.

26. Stomach crunches, thirty-six, daily. Grade: B.

27. No picking spots. Grade: C. *points finger at face* They started it. *pouts*

28. Grocery shopping with a list only. Haven't actually grocery shopped, since adding this one on. We are pretty much subsisting on Weetbix and leftover dining hall food.

29. Write to the sponsor kids. Well, I did make one attempt, but apparently it's no good to send. Talk about discouraging, guys. Someone needs to tell that kid that I'm trying really hard, so if there's something in the letter he doesn't like, he'll just have to suck it up.

30. Mystery List Item. Grade: A +++ ;)


A very wise sage who follows this blog suggested that it would be good if I answered some questions. So! If you have a question, write it as a comment on the Facebook link, or on the blog, and I promise to answer as honestly as I can without dishonouring my family and my country. I also promise to make up an awesome answer if I don't know something. If I get enough questions, tomorrow's blog post will be a 'Q&A'. And... go.