first steps

 As always, the first week dieting is the easiest - and I shredded 2kg (4.5lbs) relatively easily (I even went out for drinks with the kids at work).

On top of the upcoming wedding, I'll have to go to Dubai for work in 10 days and then it'll be Monte Carlo (again - it's a project that already occurred 3 years ago, see the first two posts here). The main difference is that this time, I'll be carrying around 15/20kg more than the other girls. Shit.

At least going back to those posts made me remember that the hotel I'll be staying at in Dubai provides a scale in the room. And to be honest their gym is pretty awesome.

New year, old goals

 Happy new year bloggers!

My weight is at its highest, and a good friend just invited me to her (very fancy) wedding in Sicily in June.

I need to go back to old methods, also bcs I need to lose weight for medical reasons:

- I'm getting a new Nexplanon implant as dealing with periods has become unmanageable

- my back hurts

- my knees are better than last year but they'd still benefit from less weight to carry.

The good news is our friends who come over for excessive dinners every Sunday are having a baby tomorrow so I expect they won't be so keen about going out for a few weeks at least.

140 days to lose at least 10kg (22lbs). I need to to this, and needless to say, 15kg would be better but I don't think I can do it. 

Today menu is:

breakfast (half cup of cereals with skimmed milk, same as usual)

raw salmon and salad for lunch

baked broccoli, baked pumpkin and 1 kiwi for dinner

On different news, while Loki the cat is potty trained by now, this morning he was in a bad mood and he tried to piss on the bathroom mat. I'm going home after lunch and work from home, hopefully that will raise his spirits.

If you want to know more about Loki, you can follow him on Instagram @loki.the_siberian_cat

A long December

 One more drink he said,

and baby you got me tripping

though we're face to face

'bout to do it again, again, again and again

One more drink she said

I think I'm losing my head now

tonight we'll make

bad memories

(Meduza, Bad memories)

Last night there was the annual Christmas party, and no I did not attend. I have 0 intentions to attend a no-mask event with 2500+ people bumping into each other - meaning, I have 0 intentions to spoend Christmas break with covid.

Additionally, more than half of my time feels the same way about it, and this is lucky for me (as the only thing nearly as bad as getting covid would be having half of the team down with covid and needing to cover for them, which already happened in the past..)

Besides that, things are mostly okay, although we finally had to put down the black cat at my parents' place (the one who lived with us in 2020 during the lock downs). He had cancer and had gotten to a point that he was suffering so it was the right thing to do - yet a sad affair. That cat gave a lot of emotional support to husband when his dad passed during the first lock down in spring 2020. We will always remember him fondly.

Loki instead is doing well, growing up (I think he's going to be a big cat, my boy!). He's a very loyal cat, always running to me whenever I come home, wanting to be petted for a while, purring and so on. We're trying to potty-train him and, although it's a slow process, I think it's going well - we also spent two days with him at my parents' place and two at my sister in law's last week, and he behaved super well.

Blogging has been slow as I have a lot going on but it's some work related matters I can't really write about so, it is what it is. I'm confident there'll e enough family drama over Christmas to make for a good post or two :-)

Loki

I'm wide awake
Wide awake
I'm not sleeping
Oh, no, no, no

If you should ask then maybe they'd
Tell you what I would say
True colors fly in blue and black
Bruised silken sky and burning flag
Colors crash, collide in bloodshot eyes

Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
If I could, you know I would, if I could, I would
Let it go

(Bad, U2)

How long have I been listening to this song? Must be 20 years at least.

I'm actually quite happy. Not about my weight, nor my looks, nor my back which aches like hell 25 days a month.

But overall, I am happy. I believe that the new family member has a good deal to do with it, despite the trouble of scooping up all his poop.

Meet Loki, the Brad Pitt of cats)

He is still very scared of being outdoor, but I keep trying and he's starting to be more comfortable as long as he can stay on my shoulder or in my arms. Hopefully we can train him to feel safe in a backpack where he can peek out.

On top, we're having a lovely autumn with long and dry days, pleasant temperature outside. My team is doing great at work and I always have a good time with them. This pretty much carries through work on a daily basis.

So the only thing is, I'm still fat.

Random things from vacation

 For the first time in the last 5 years or so, we managed to spend amazing vacation without work bothering us. And we had such a great time!

We spent three days in Bourgogne, visiting around some historical sites (Cluny and Beaune mostly) and relaxing by the pool and drinking fabulous wine. I had booked a room in this place, which turned out to be awesome

Then we went to Amorgos, my dream island. Although it's quite different in August with the summer crowd, it was still awesome and lovely. One day a local fisherman took us to a uninhabited small island and we managed to spend the day alone and naked at a beach, laying in sun, snorkeling and reading. What an amazing time!

We're back at work, but honestly we both feel so.. recharged if that makes sense!

Finally, Husband went on all summer saying that he really really wants a cat, so we're going to go and chose it on Saturday and then it will come home with us at the end of September once it's old enough. We're picking one from a litter of Siberians, they's mostly white although some have a grayish tail. I'm so excited about this!