It’s been an “interesting” 8 months.

As some people will know, we got back from Macau last November and were almost immediately hit with the news that Tony, my father-in-law had had a stroke. Cue lots of desperate rushing back and forth from the Midlands to Bristol, visiting the hospital, fighting the solicitors to get power of attorney sorted, fighting social services to get mother in law (a Parkinson’s sufferer) into a nursing home, visiting her, etc. That dragged on, and on.

As did the ramifications of my ankle reconstruction surgery last August (I’d just come out of the air cast before all this kicked off, but didn’t manage to do anywhere near the amount of physio/rehab exercise I’d planned). Into the bargain in March this year I got a new boss, and then two of my team of three left, leaving me to do three people’s work for over two months (and I’m still doing two people’s work because we haven’t managed to fill the second vacancy yet).

And then, and then… I went back to hospital to get the metalwork holding my ankle together removed. Cue another six weeks of no exercise.

And then, and then, and then… Mother-in-law became increasingly unwell, finally dying at the end of June. Cue more rushing around to get the funeral organised, a work trip to the Netherlands, the actual funeral, a work trip to Dusseldorf, a weekend away at a 50th birthday party, a work trip to Belgium, and here we are, a year almost since I stopped serious training, finally discharged by the orthopaedic surgeon (though not the physio or the podiatrist) and I’ve annoyingly gained 2 stone. 2 stone? 28lbs?! 98000 calories too many!?

Very annoying, very, very annoying. No one to blame but myself, though.

The amount of exercise I’ve done until recently has been almost non-existent (might as well not have wasted 6 months of my gym membership, frankly), the amount of food I’ve eaten has crept up (and has been of the “grab whatever’s there, especially at the in-laws house” nature) and the alcohol has been more nights of the week than not (after 7 years of it only being Friday-Sunday) and I’m paying for it at present. Hardly anything fits, I’m getting occasional acid reflux, and I feel uncomfortable in my own skin.

So… as of last week (Monday) it stopped! No making excuses, no prioritising other things. I’m already feeling much better for counting and knowing my calorie intake again, and for getting some relatively hard swims in, and a long cycle ride last Friday (longer than I’d intended actually, but hey, so what).

Oh, and now father-in-law is back at home, and coping reasonably well, visits to him can now include time for myself to go to the local pool, or the gym and not simply run round like a blue-arsed fly doing errands, taking people here, there and everywhere, and generally being able to take care of ME again (*heaves giant sigh of relief!*).

And now, after 10 days back on the case and not just grabbing any old food, and the scales didn’t show 14 stone 7lbs (202.5lbs, 92kg) this morning, no they showed 13 stone 12.5 lbs (194.5lbs, 88k), which is still too much, but obviously better… Now to convert that 13 back to a 12, and a weight I feel comfortable at. Just goes to show what ten days of sensible calorie counted eating and getting back squarely on the exercise wagon can do for a woman.

Also, and this oddly is keeping me focused too, I went shopping at the weekend because I knew I needed a couple of summer tops and maybe a couple of pairs of lighter weight trousers that I could do up, just for now at least. And just in our tiny little town centre, between the four charity shops, three dress agencies, and two “proper” dress shops, I came home with this little lot: http://www.flickr.com/photos/smtfhw/sets/72157634948471203/! Guess what I spent? Go on? You’ll never guess… Total cost £141.95! Bargain, or what?

And finally, and I didn’t find this out until my salary slip arrived in the post, I have been awarded a totally unexpected pay rise or 3.04%. It’s a merit award and I’m not really sure I deserve it (in fact I’m pretty certain I don’t after the debacle of the latter part of last year), but I’ll not be turning it down, that I can guarantee.