Currently: End of August

Copied from Caroline at Mrs M's Meanderings

Book
A Clash of Kings by George R R Martin. I read Game of Thrones while on holiday and have now moved on to the second book in the Song of Ice and Fire series. I watched the first TV series on DVD after reading comments about the way it reflects 15th century medieval English politics (it isn't difficult to work out that Stark / Lannister was inspired by York / Lancaster). I prefer the books to the TV - the violence is less graphic and I like the way each chapter focuses on one individual character.

Music
I am not listening to much music at the moment, but am enjoying Ed Sheeran on Spotify.

TV
Great British Bake Off - this has been the week of the Great Bake Off Ice Cream Scandal. Really, how can a cookery show manage to create such a national controversy? Smallest daughter is also hooked and has watched each episode of the current series at least three times each on BBC iPlayer! Also watching the new series of Who Do You Think You Are? which has been the best I have seen for a while.

Make-up/Beauty
Not very exciting, but Boots Sun, Swim & Gym 3-in-one body wash and shampoo. It actually does a decent job on my hair and saves carrying multiple bottles in my gym bag for when I swim.

Exercise (I added this category)
I have started doing MAX Workouts by Shin Ohtake, which are essentially high intensity interval training alternating between cardio and weights. My preference is for short, intense bursts of exercise, so anything I can do in 30 minutes a day has to be good. The aim is to do weights three times a week, high intensity cardio twice, light exercise once and have one rest day. I kept up with it for the first week, but have slipped this weekend. Intend to get back into it next week though. I am trying to get into the habit of going to the gym on the way home from work.

Creativity (another addition of mine)
Autumn and winter are my knitting seasons - somehow I rarely feel like knitting in the summer. I have just started a pair of gloves for my 8 year old at her request. She only has mittens and wanted proper gloves with fingers. Nothing very exciting, just plain navy blue ones to go with her new school coat.

Frequently worn items
Skinny jeans. I don't wear jeans so much when the weather is warmer, but this last week or so has felt more like autumn than summer and my jeans are back in regular use. I usually wear them with an oversized shirt and t-shirt or with a long sweater. For work I sometimes wear a black pair with a tunic top or short dress.

Food
Healthy home-made chocolate granola made from this recipe. I had it for breakfast this morning with almond milk and a sliced banana.

Drink
Black coffee. Sometimes I drink my coffee white and sometimes black, but it seems to go in phases. I have just moved back into a black phase.

Bane
Things that break and wear out. Currently one toilet flush is broken and only works thanks to a temporary fix with archive tape (I was using string but it kept breaking), and the lawnmower is on its last legs.

Joy
A new iPad Air. I sold some books through Amazon - mostly academic history books that realistically I am never likely to use again - and the money for the books plus what I could get for my old iPad 3 gave me nearly enough for the new iPad. As my iPad gets heavy use (I treat it as a laptop replacement) I thought it made sense to replace it with a new one before it started to wear out and get less reliable.

Anticipation
New staff starting at work. We have been running short staffed all summer and having extra bodies will be a relief, even though it will take a while for them to get up to speed.

Wishlist
A new sports bag. The one I have is old, tatty, and too small.

Random Thought
Why do piles of clutter seem to grow even though I don't remember adding to them?