Weight Loss
Posted: Sat 26 March, 2005 Filed under: Health, Resolutions, Thoughts 3 Comments »One of my semi-resolutions that didn’t really get listed was the intention to lose some weight. At the start of this year I was at 21 stone (133Kg, for the metric among us) which really was too much, even for my height/frame.
So we started off on the weight-loss plan, aided and abetted by WeightWatchers, and a plan to go to the gym more. The gym’s happening, and I’m getting back into enjoying going, and there’s also the plan to buy a bike, although I’ve been whittling on about that one for a while now, so don’t hold your breath.
However, the weight hasn’t really come off the way I expected it to. Yeah, I’ve lost a stone, but that’s not really a lot, all things considered, for three month’s work. I’d wanted to lose more than that in this time. Don’t get me wrong, my body shape has changed, and I’ve lost an amount of fat, but the weight hasn’t changed as much as I’d expected hoped. I suspect that some of it has changed to muscle – which, in true Sod’s Law style, weighs more than fat, of course – or maybe I’ve just redistributed my lard a bit.
I’m not going to give up though – I still want to lose more, and there’s a few more ways I can think of to do it, but we’ll just have to see how it all works out, I suppose.
Testing Times
Posted: Mon 14 March, 2005 Filed under: Resolutions 1 Comment »Ah, just what I needed – a reminder from the BBC that other people can make epic fuck-ups on their driving tests. In fairness, I’ve never forgotten where I’ve parked the car, but apparently some people have.
See, I’ve a whole new world of things to chuff up this time next month…
Naming of the Shrew
Posted: Thu 10 March, 2005 Filed under: Geeky, Resolutions 1 Comment »About a year ago, I bought the domain name Twadge.com, round about the same time I was having some fun designing mugs with the same word on. It’s not really been used since then – more as a data-space than as a website, if I’m honest.
However, one of my resolutions for ’05 was to fold up my old company and ring in the changes of lifestyle etc. by doing other stuff instead. That’s all continuing apace, and is going quite well so far.
But – and this is where life could get interesting – I’m still going to be doing website-y stuff for small clients and the like. So, should I fold up my existing company’s website as well, and go for total reinvention of website stuff as Twadge webdesign (which appeals in SO many ways – all of ’em wrong!) or keep the old company name active, but simply be me trading as that business name ?
Both ways are doable, and keeping the business name, although not as a limited company, means I don’t have to start completely from scratch.
Hmmm, decisions, decisions.
Driving On
Posted: Wed 9 March, 2005 Filed under: Resolutions 1 Comment »The driving lessons continue apace. The last two have been done in snow – two weeks ago it was more “snow showers”, but last week it was (pardon the pun) driving snow – which has been interesting, to say the least.
Tonight’s one will – hopefully – not have any snow, but is two hours instead of one. The test’s on the horizon, so this’ll be a longer one, which should be fun.
A Bureaucracy that works
Posted: Mon 28 February, 2005 Filed under: General, Resolutions Leave a comment »Yes, you’re reading that title correctly. And no-one’s more surprised than I am – particularly when you realise that I’m talking about the DVLA. (Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency)
Part of my resolutions for this year is to sort out the driving test, and that’s progressing nicely. However, because I’ve moved, I needed to get my provisional licence updated with the new address, and all that gubbins. Then once I’d booked the test I thought “Oh fock”, and knew I needed to sort out the address change as soon as poss in time for the test.
Now, knowing most governmental bureaucracies, that was going to be an issue. After all, only six weeks to sort it? Never going to happen. I sent it off with fingers crossed. And it’s now back – all in all it took about a week to ten days. New licence with correct address, and new photocard with correct address. Same manky photo, mind. But there we go, nothing’s perfect.
But yes, I’m impressed – particularly when you think of the farce around the theory test, and finding the test centre…
Changing Times
Posted: Tue 22 February, 2005 Filed under: Resolutions Leave a comment »Back at the start of the year, I was thinking about whether the company I’ve had for the best part of seven years should fold. I’ve been self-employed for a lot of that, doing the IT contracting etc., but I’m wondering if that contracting era has come to an end – or is, at the very least, in need of a change.
So today I’ve started off the process of closing down my old company. It shouldn’t take too long, but the first step is to close the bank account, and the business insurance. No bad thing, the insurance was setting me back about £110 per month, but it’s a necessary business expense for a limited company. Once the bank has confirmed that the account’s closed I get to play with Companies House, the taxman, and VATman. VAT shouldn’t be an issue either, and tax has been taken care of through the year.
So – and I know I’m going to regret saying this – it should be a fairly painless process. But it’s definitely the right time to do it.
I’m currently undecided which way I’ll go next. I could form up a new limited company – and indeed would have to were I to start contracting again – or for the moment I could stick with simply “trading as”. I could even continue to use the same company name, it simply wouldn’t be a limited company any more. Or I could close the chapter entirely, and let some new idea rise, phoenix-like.
We’ll see – but for now I’m closing one door, and letting several others slide slightly open in its place. And that’s a good place to be.