The FastDay Forum

Oho so you are vbf, wonderful. I am happy you keep an eye on each other so over-zealousness is contained and all shall be well :0)

So that's my cover well blown, no more nicking your recipies and posting them up on my journal. Drats!

Great you have levelled out again FatDog, I am so pleased.

So Saturday is Sunday aha! that is all to the good! Hugs and waves across the city to FatDog.

Waves going out to @izzy and @Silverdarling and @Azureblue I am VBF and you can all claim your £5. As my uni computer lecturer used to say - all it takes is a troublemaker and an instigator. Oh well!

Xx

... truth be told, I think the channa daal recipe was derived from "The World in Your Kitchen" anyway

Monday, low-carb day two-hundred and twenty-five, repair day

Weigh-in at start of day wt. 112.0lbs (analogue scales corrected ~109.5lbs); 1.4lbs gain
... t.measures - ub. 28.5, w. 25.5, t. 30.25, h. 34.25 inches

Report at the end-of-week 32 of low-carb : total low-carb weight loss 25.8lbs, and weight loss for the week 0.2lbs. No shrinkage / expansion (though underbust is, mysteriously, up a tad again - not recorded yet)

That report doesn't reflect the fact that I hit a stratospheric 113lbs on Tuesday, courtesy of an indulgent Sunday and no repair on Monday. But the week overall seems to demonstrate that my 4:3 repair plan *is* holding me in maintenance (but only just; and the average is higher than I'd like). Thinking about it, I'm not sure that this report form is suitable for maintenance? I'll ponder it, but maybe a target +/- lbs would be more appropriate?

My log "phobia" is, genuinely, becoming somewhat distressing / alarming - each day I now dread approaching my log (nooo, worry not kind reader, the recipe work-up stuff is fine(ish)). I'm wondering if it is to do with holding myself to account? If the numbers are only on paper, in my notebook, I have an "excuse" - albeit a pathetic excuse, but greedy FatDogs might well be in for a bit of self-deception - for exceeding my allowances as the totals aren't so very obvious. However, if I log stuff on the computer, in real-time - as I did quite happily whilst I was still trying hard to lose weight - I cannot avoid seeing exactly "how I'm doing" so far for that day - there are no "I didn't realise" excuses for excess.

Frankly, I'm really p*ssing myself off! Creating a back-log (no pun intended) makes recording things *so* much more painful than it needs be. Darn. I think this is a maintenance "disease", and I need to sort it *pronto*! Probably helps that I've perhaps identified the psychology behind it (naughty FatDog). All / any ideas welcome. I'm thinking that it might *just* give me the excuse I need to get one of those android thingies - then I could set up a myfitnesspal account and get a crude total instanter! There's a thought... What? Rewarding bad behaviour? Can't have that!

Anyway, I must now shackle myself to my corner of the kitchen table (metaphorically, that is) and get this "new" back-log fixed *now*! No running away - no dinner for the FatDog until it's done. Howl! Well - that nearly worked. FatDog computing telephone support services called upon just at the same time I was hit with acute lower abs pain. Dealt with the call, then I conceded and fed, and then tried to read a little to relax / distract (pain was faintworthy). Still, the bare bones of the logs are done - much guestimating for eating at friends' yesterday and still need to work up the recipe. I'm going to be mortified posting the numbers (which, in a strange warp of time / posting, you will have seen already).

Tender finally arrived. I'm heart-broken... here's my mail to the vendor

The book, just arrived today (3rd February), was described as in "very good" condition. It is not even in "good" condition:
1) there is no dust cover at all, probably because -
2) liquid has been spilt over the front cover, which is significantly stained, and more than the first hundred and fifty pages have been buckled by the wet (decreasingly)
3) top left of the front cover deeply scored (~ 2 inches)
4) bottom right of the front cover and pages under slightly bent in

We wouldn't sell a book in this condition in the charity book store that I volunteer in - it would go to pulp.

Not acceptable. I look forward to your urgent suggestions for resolution.

I await their response with bated breath...

Not the very worst of repair days, but not exactly exemplary either.

........ Calories 644.97 Carbs 23.19 Fat 48.24 Protein 27.84 Fibre 15.83

Dreading tomorrow's scales, as I fear the worst of Sunday's carbocalypse is yet to be revealed. I wonder if there's a straight line relationship between extra carbs and extra pounds? Hoping it's not exponential, eek!

=====================

Tuesday, low-carb day two-hundred and twenty-six, feed day

Weigh-in at start of day wt. 111.6lbs (analogue scales corrected ~108.75lbs); 0.4lbs loss
... t.measures - ub. 28.5, w. 25.5, t. 30.25, h. 34.25 inches

Thank goodness for the efficacy of repair days - I was expecting no loss at the very best. Thank-you V&P vary-fairy for forgiving my carb-transgressions.

Dental appointment way out at the Royal Infirmary, so with 40 minutes on the bus there, and the same back, I managed to make a reasonable dent in John Yudkin's Pure, White and Deadly. It's an excellent and readable exposition of sugar and its ill effects. Highly recommend, will buy my own copy as soon as I spot a penny one on Amazon.

My recent self-neglect re. my teeth (not doing interdental brushing as religiously as before - don't know why *everything* seems to be going to pot) was confessed to the dental hygienist and has, apparently, had little ill effect. Phew.

Bookshop was enjoyable as usual. In spare moments I was trying to work out what to do for dinner, given that OH was expecting a dairy and gluten free guest. Plumped for broccoli and chickpea patties with a rich tomato and fennel (bulb) sauce. Transpired such cogitations were unnecessary as guest wasn't staying for dinner. So, treated OH and me to a cheat's dinner of co-op open mushroom ravioli (again) with salad. Went somewhat off the rails with the red wine. And had a pudding too. Wouldn't have happened if I'd been logging properly. FatDog needs to get act together, or I'll be yoyo-ing in the wrong place for ever...

Tender's vendor doesn't have another copy for a replacement so I can either a) return it or b) accept a partial refund (amount unknown). Reply that, given a new copy would only be six quid more than the scabby one they sent me, I'd return it unless the refund was exceeding generous

I'm rather ashamed of the accounts.

........ Calories 2015.75 Carbs 91.36 Fat 88.36 Protein 41.73 Fibre 20.86

Fatdog stop over-fretting, down girl, sit! There seems to be general winter malaise across the board, we need to gang together and ride it out, possibly until equinox, and then all shall be well.
{{{+}}} hugs anyway :0)

... And we have a new word, hopefully will appear in next OED update, year's most used new words, gone viral ??? That's if we all keep falling off the wagon...

I mean, of course (tadaaaah!)

Carbocalypse



Thanks for that one @Fatdog !

Wednesday, low-carb day two-hundred and twenty-seven, repair day

Weigh-in at start of day wt. 111.2lbs (analogue scales corrected ~108.25lbs); 0.4lbs loss
... t.measures - ub. 28.5, w. 25.5, t. 30.25, h. 34.25 inches

Well, there's a mercy - as I was certainly an indulgent FatDog yesterday.

OH's shamanic friend was by to pick up a recycled bicycle and, incidentally, let's me know of a part-time admin job going at a lovely meditation centre up town - that would be wonderful. Had planned to work on other job applications in the library (bestest neighbour has pointed me to a website with lots of care-worker jobs and I'm looking to apply for a couple of them) after dealing with another neighbour's computer problem.

But first, I simply *had* to get the copy of Karen Barnaby's "Low-Carb Gourmet" that I saw the other day in the charity shop next to where I work (can't for the life of me remember why this became imperative, but it did). And, of course, I can't resist popping into the odd shop on my way there. And even more on my way back, as the book's not there. Argh! I *know* that saw it somewhere... Finally locate it in Oxfam. That's after, on the way, getting all sorts of other random stuff that I can't truly say that I need (lovely washbags and a beautiful velvet handbag) and some, slightly more useful, leggings and tights. And a hardback copy of the Constant Gardener from the bookshop I work in. I remember now why I stopped doing my "up and down the high street" wanderings. Puggled by the time I get home, and not in the least inclined to cook. So salad, OLS bread and Linda sausages it is for dins; OH has preserved remnants from the other day (which smell yummy).

And I have another logging backlog to deal with.

The "Tender" tragedy might have been resolved - the vendor will let me have it for £3.00 plus the £2.80 p&p. It is a lot for a badly damaged (albeit readable) book that we wouldn't even put on the shelf in the charity shop (it would go straight to pulp). But I'm really wanting the thing, and second-hand copies seem to sell for a premium. So I accept their offer...

And I've done my logs for this week (still the previous gaps to fill) and I still owe my good readers several recipes. They're on my list. As is applying for those jobs! Should give it all a good doing on Friday.

........ Calories 619.17 Carbs 25.58 Fat 36.16 Protein 45.95 Fibre 12.58

Finally "out of the red" for my week's deficit deficit, albeit only by 150 odd calories.

=====================

Thursday, low-carb day two-hundred and twenty-eight, feed day

Weigh-in at start of day wt. 111.2lbs (analogue scales corrected ~108.0lbs); 0lbs loss
... t.measures - ub. 28.5, w. 25.5, t. 30.25, h. 34.25 inches

The analogues looked lower... but it's probably Tuesday's carbs taking their revenge I suspect (rather than the eeeevil scales-fairy), and lack of transit since Sunday. Gawd bless repair days - they truly save me from myself. Need to knock myself back into behaving with the carbs except for the one (optional) day at the weekend and I might expect the bumpiness to level off a little.

Two book "accidents". In the charity store next to work, pick up a copy of Madison's "The Greens Cookbook" (still there since I spotted it at Christmas) for our artist friend to inspire her with veggies for her allotment. Bother - it uses USian cup measurements, hopefully that won't be too off-putting. T'other book was "swap" for the paperback Constant Gardener (plus another two quid) - the most delightful illustrated Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (illus. Robert Stewart Sherriffs), which I only saw as our Duke of Edinburgh volunteer wasn't sure where to shelve it, and asked me! OH and I were talking about it the other evening (can't remember the context) and I had the urge to read it again - last reading was probably when I was in my teens!

Not too bad an effort with the accounts:

........ Calories 1551.32 Carbs 50.07 Fat 89.63 Protein 40.83 Fibre 17.19

This was meant to get made a few days back. Shouldn't take long to 'knock-up' but I was in slowmo so we didn't eat until late. But it was worth it for the flavours.

asparagus & shiitakes with orange ginger sauce & pancakes, a FatDog bargains concoction
asparagus tips, co-op, 25c/C2.0/F0.6/P2.9/Fi1.7/100g
......... 100g 25.00 2.00 0.60 2.90 1.70
shiitake mushrooms, medium sliced, co-op, 15c/C0.8/F0.5/P2.2/Fi2.5/100g
......... 105g 15.75 0.84 0.53 2.31 2.63
butter, 720c/C0.6/F80.0/P0.5/Fi0/100g
......... 16g 115.20 0.10 12.80 0.08 0.00
crème fraîche, "healthy choice", co-op, 165c/C5.4/F14.5/P3.2/Fi0.5/100g
......... 155g 255.75 8.37 22.48 4.96 0.78
fennel, bulb, fine sliced across the grain, tesco, 17c/C1.8/F0.2/P0.9/Fi2.4/100g
......... 116g 19.72 2.09 0.23 1.04 2.78
ginger, fine sliced across grain, 90c/C17.8/F0.8/P1.8/Fi2.0/100g
......... 20g 18.00 3.56 0.16 0.36 0.40
orange zest, fine grated, 97c/C14.4/F0.2/P1.5/Fi10.6/100g
......... 10g 9.70 1.44 0.02 0.15 1.06
orange, innards, 49c/C10.34/F0.15/P0.91/Fi2.2/100g
......... 112g 54.88 11.58 0.17 1.02 2.46
gram flour, 352c/C55.9/F5.3/P20.1/Fi4.7/100g
......... 30g 105.60 16.77 1.59 6.03 1.41
soya flour, 424c/C16.0/F20.0/P39.0/Fi12.0/100g
......... 30g 127.20 4.80 6.00 11.70 3.60
baking powder
......... 5ml 0.00
eggs, brown, organic, 151c/C0.0/F11.2/P12.5/Fi0.0/100g
......... 46g 69.46 0.00 5.15 5.75 0.00
water, warm
......... 75ml 0.00
olive oil, 824c/C0.0/F91.6/P0.0/Fi0.0/100ml
......... 3ml 24.72 0.00 2.75 0.00 0.00
total for asparagus & shiitakes with orange ginger sauce & pancakes 840.98 51.54 52.47 36.30 16.82
FD's ½ portion of asparagus & shiitakes with orange ginger sauce & pancakes 420.49 25.77 26.24 18.15 8.41

Method: 1. mix the flours, gradually add in the water mixing like mad to obliterate the lumps, season with s&p as desired, beat in the egg - the batter should be like thick double cream in consistency - then set aside for at least half an hour, any remaining lumps tend to disappear in this time; 2. meantimes, prepare and blitz all the ingredients from the crème fraîche to the orange innards in a food processor, set aside; 3. mix the baking powder *very* thoroughly into to the pancake batter (oooh, it bubbles!); 4. heat a smidgen (~1ml) of oil in a non-stick frying pan, then spoon about 40ml of the batter into the hot pan - tilt to spread it to desired thickness - cook for about three minutes until golden then flip and do likewise to the other side, then remove and keep warm under a low grill; 5. do the same for the rest of the batter, mixing it well before each use (you should get four pancakes in total); 6. put the asparagus in a pan with enough boiling water to well cover and hard-boil for four to five minutes; 7. drain the asparagus, put it back in the pan and lob in the butter and the shiitakes and cook until the mushrooms have softened; 8. a couple of minutes before the mushrooms are done, ping the sauce to heat it; 9. serve with most of the sauce over the veggies and the pancakes somewhat to the side.

I suspect cooking asparagus like this is sacrilege - I'd steam it next time. I'd maybe up the ginger and fennel quantities, put the fennel in with the shiitakes rather than the sauce, and blitz the sauce in the blender rather than the food processor for a smoother finish. Baking powder in the pancake mix was inspired - they were lovely, thick and bouncy - a wee bit yoghurt or cream in place of water and they'd be irresistible.

Best of luck with the job applications FatDog!

Good luck for a good job honey, they'll snap you up I'm sure x

Thank you @callyanna and @Azureblue - I'll need more than luck if I get to interview. My last one (at the bookshop) was, I think, the most diabolical that I've *ever* done - I wouldn't have employed me! Indeed, I'm amazed that they didn't sack me as a volunteer after it.

Good luck Fatdog with the interview. Let us know how it goes!

Fatdog - would have loved to be a fly on the wall in your interview, if it was that diabolical - but I'm sure it wasn't. Good luck in getting one this time

Friday, low-carb day two-hundred and twenty-nine, repair day

Weigh-in at start of day wt. 109.8lbs (analogue scales corrected ~107.0lbs); 1.4lbs loss
... t.measures - ub. 28.5, w. 25.5, t. 30.25, h. 34.25 inches

Well that's made a slightly incredulous FatDog rather happy. I was good yesterday, but not that good, so - apart from the generosity of the V&P vary-fairy coming into the picture (thank-you, thank-you) - methinks that much of the loss might be attributed to the massive relief of a 'transit back-log'.

Best laid plans of heading to the library just didn't come off. But I did make a solid start on the job hunting stuff, updated my CV, did one covering letter and sent it off... There are three (possibly four) care-worker posts that I might do for. One is looking for a very multi-talented individual who can tackle all home DIY needs as well as alter clothing, do the book-keeping, and cook, sweep and clean - all at minimal notice, if needs be, and minimum wage. It is local (quite) but I'm not sure whether they're looking for an indentured slave, automaton, or a human employee - so I have my doubts as to whether I'll go for it.

Cheat's dinner (again) - Greek salad and veggie sausages, did the job. I'm rather pre-occupied with what to do tomorrow: veggie patties (will use up the broccoli, though it won't fix the cabbage glut) are calling, with dollops of lovely full fat yoghurt and that fennel and tomato sauce I've been pondering. Though I also fancy re-running a tagine. Or a making some sort of vegetable cake. Hmmmm...

Accounts could have been better, but an almond urge came over me late in the evening. Never mind, almonds are good for you see, for example, "Almonds vs complex carbohydrates in a weight reduction program" http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v27/n ... 2411a.html

And, best of all, I still managed to come out at the end of the week with a slight calorie deficit (1336) despite the dreadful weekend and mad Tuesday (what is it that goes wrong on a Tuesday?).

........ Calories 663.45 Carbs 21.72 Fat 47.29 Protein 36.12 Fibre 11.87

Saturday, low-carb day two-hundred and thirty, weekend feed day

Weigh-in at start of day wt. 109.4lbs (analogue scales corrected ~106.75bs); 0.4lbs loss
... t.measures - ub. 28.5, w. 25.5, t. 30.25, h. 34.25 inches

Report for the end of week 41 on 4.5 : 2.5 - 0.6lb loss this week (total loss 36.6lbs); no shrinkage or expansion.

Slightly disappointed... but for goodness sake FatDog, the fairies gave you an exceedingly generous 1.4lb loss yesterday! Greedy, greedy, greedy! I confess, I was secretly hoping for more as I wanted to see 108.8lbs on the scales as a harbinger of things to come. Well, if I only indulge one day this weekend, rather than both, and manage a good repair day on Monday, maybe my wish will come true come Tuesday morn...

Happy dog with the arrival of the mortar & pestle. But, eek, it is *very* big. There are no rough bits in the base, so I'm wondering if it's alright - will see once we try mashing something tonight!

Still chewing over what tonight's dinner is. Think broccoli, cauliflower, chickpea and tomato stew with mash might be in order. But I really need to shift some cabbage too. So I'm wondering about cabbage mash - it'll be "wetter" than the starchy veg mashes, but with a good swedge of hard goat's cheese, the odd seed to season it (e.g. caraway, coriander or fennel?) and minimal liquid additions to blend it, it might just work. Oooh, and figs, I was going to add dried figs to the goat's cheese in a root veg mash, so why not this? Probably for very good reasons, and it is *rather* notable that I've never seen it suggested before - but then maybe no one has been mad enough to try it.

Just googled "cabbage mash" and it *does* exist... Ahhhh, but, it's not actually mashed cabbage, the recipes all seem to be for potato mash with shredded cabbage run through it. OTOH, "cabbage puree" gets a few hits too, but mostly for red cabbage. Ach, faint heart never won...

Oooh hoo... Well *I* think that worked, so did the OH who gave it 9.9, and the bestest neighbour (though I'm not *quite* certain of what he thought of it - he said the flavours were amazing). VBF was away on another planet, not a scoobie what she thought. Was exceeding strange though - somehow the mash ended up tasting quite strongly of horseradish, or mustard or somesuch. Not a clue why, as there was nothing of the sort in there: must somehow have been a reaction with the combination of cabbage, onion and caraway. *Most* peculiar (but yummy).

Admittedly, things didn't *quite* work out, as I seem to have "killed" the blender trying to get it to mash the cabbage, so the the mash was not the smoothest ever. The demise of the blender meant that everything else ran late (ahha, what's new?) leaving less time to reduce the tomato juice in the "stew". But it was good; actually, very good. Goes on the repeat list, no question - especially the mash-that-wasn't-quite-mashed.

........ Calories 1888.35 Carbs 68.26 Fat 100.66 Protein 56.14 Fibre 22.63

cabbage mash, a FatDog concoction
sweet pointed cabbage, sainsers, narrow strips, 26c/C3.9/F0.4/P1.8/Fi2.4/100g
......... 275g 71.50 10.73 1.10 4.95 6.60
cabbage, savoy, tesco, narrow strips, 32c/C4.1/F0.4/P1.7/Fi2.4/100g
......... 352g 112.64 14.43 1.41 5.98 8.45
onion, white, co-op, medium sliced, 40c/C7.6/F0.2/P1.3/Fi1.4/100g
......... 17162g 68.40 13.00 0.34 2.22 2.39
olive oil, 824c/C0.0/F91.6/P0.0/Fi0.0/100ml
......... 15ml 123.60 0.00 13.74 0.00 0.00
goat's cheese, hard, Village Green, crumbled, 408c/C0.1/F29.5/P23.0/Fi0/100g
......... 97g 395.76 0.10 28.62 22.31 0.00
figs, dried, co-op, 1/8'd, 240c/C48.6/F1.5/P3.3/Fi9.2/100g
......... 67g 160.80 32.56 1.01 2.21 6.16
double cream, coop, 465c/C1.6/F50.5/P1.5/Fi0/100ml
......... 90ml 418.50 1.44 45.45 1.35 0.00
soya milk, co-op org unsw, 30c/C0.1/F1.9/P3.4/Fi0.6/100ml
......... 180ml 54.00 0.18 3.42 6.12 1.08
butter, 720c/C0.6/F80.0/P0.5/Fi0/100g
......... 18g 129.60 0.11 14.40 0.09 0.00
caraway seed, whole
......... 10ml 0.00
water
......... 60ml 0.00
s&p 0.00
total for cabbage mash 1534.80 72.54 109.48 45.24 24.69
FD's 7/32ths portion of cabbage mash 335.74 15.87 23.95 9.90 5.40

Method: 1. gently saute the onion and the cabbage in the olive oil and butter; 2. lob in the caraway seeds after a few minutes and then cook until the cabbage has softened (about five to ten minutes); 3. transfer to your blitz machine, add half the cheese, and all the figs, soya milk, cream and water and blitz until creamy, season to taste. You might want to do the blitzing in two or more batches: I think I've killed my soupmaker by trying to do it in a oner... One doesn't *have* to go for creamy - ours was miniature chunky and was very good. Transfer to a grill-proof dish and distribute the remains of the cheese over the top, then grill until golden brown and bubbling

broccoli, cauliflower, chickpea & tomato stew, another FatDog bottom-of-the-fridge concoction
broccoli, bite-sized florets, sainsers, 29c/C1.1/F0.8/P3.1/Fi2.3/100g
......... 300g 87.00 3.30 2.40 9.30 6.90
broccoli & cauliflower, co-op, floretted, 35c/C2.4/F0.9/P4.0/Fi2.2/100g
......... 230g 80.50 5.52 2.07 9.20 5.06
onion, red, co-op, medium fine diced, 35c/C7.6/F0.2/P1.3/Fi1.4/100g
......... 72g 25.20 5.47 0.14 0.94 1.01
tomatoes, tinned, chopped, KTC, 19c/C3.0/F0.1/P1.1/Fi0.7/100g
......... 800g 152.00 24.00 0.80 8.80 5.60
chickpeas, KTC, 115c/C16.1/F2.9/P7.2/Fi4.1/100g
......... 240g 276.00 38.64 6.96 17.28 9.84
garlic, fine chopped, 149c/C33.06/F0.5/P6.36/Fi2.1/100g
......... 9g 13.41 2.98 0.05 0.57 0.19
chilli, green, fine sliced, 40c/C9.5/F0.2/P2.0/Fi1.5/100g
......... 19g 7.60 1.81 0.04 0.38 0.29
olive oil, 824c/C0.0/F91.6/P0.0/Fi0.0/100ml
......... 15ml 123.60 0.00 13.74 0.00 0.00
fennel seed, fresh ground
......... 10ml 0.00
s&p 0.00
total for broccoli, cauliflower, chickpea & tomato stew 765.31 81.71 26.20 46.46 28.88
FD's 7/32ths portion of broccoli, cauliflower, chickpea & tomato stew 167.41 17.87 5.73 10.16 6.32

Method: 1. heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and gently saute the onion for a couple of minutes; 2. bung in the garlic and chilli and do likewise; 3. next again the broccoli and cauliflower; 4. add the tomatoes and cook gently for at least ten minutes (but mind the broccoli doesn't overdo); 5. add the fennel and the chickpeas and heat through; 6. season to taste and serve with cabbage mash

=====================

Sunday, low-carb day two-hundred and thirty-one, weekend feed day

Weigh-in at start of day wt. 109.6lbs (analogue scales corrected ~106.85bs); 0.2lbs gain
... t.measures - ub. 28.5, w. 25.5, t. 30.25, h. 34.25 inches

Bother. That's all. Bother.

Right. Bargain acquisitions mean I now have a glut of celery, plus a cabbage, organic carrots, three swedes(!), and a green pepper from the other day. I'm wondering about / fancying a nice Mediterranean themed stew.

Except that the OH collected my "Valentines present" from Waitrose, and I've spent the entire afternoon playing with it. We've been discussing the virtues of tablet computers over the last couple of months, and I've been bewailing the fact that I couldn't conceivably afford / justify buying the Asus Transformer tablet (a really neat hybrid), but was oh so desiring one. Sigh. And, out of the blue, the OH offers to get me one! "That's an exceptionally generous present", says I, "you're an exceptional woman" says he. FatDog was quite blown away, and then some... He's not been so romantic for a decade; I've even had to buy my own flowers for the last few years

So it's salad, quorn ham and cream cheese for the FatDog's dinner (bit too close to repair day fare - will have to compensate with doing a delectable recipe tomorrow), and a portion of one of the FatDog's frozen delights for the OH - probably the HFW cabbage parcels (I can't have these as I've *still* not worked-up the recipe).

Meantimes, SQL Server Express is installing on our Transformer as I type - that's database software which, I'm hoping, will enable me to transform my clunky spreadsheet into a beautiful application that handles my logs and recipes, and thus transform my life! Exciting times ahead.

So much for me doing my job applications today; well, I suppose it is Sunday, and as long as I get them in tomorrow (deadlines are more than a week away) there's nothing lost.

My techie rating, however, has now crashed through the floor: a) SQL server said it needed 1.8GB - jolly dee, thinks the FatDog, that leaves plenty over - what it meant was 1.8GB for the install file, it takes about 7GB (plus the install file) once it has installed... oops; b) I've not a scoobie where to start with it (haven't used it before) and am having to trawl for documentation and youtube 'idiot guides' as to the specifics.

But, oooooh, oooh, ooh, happy, happy, FatDog. 'Tis such fun, and such a *very* lovely little machine. Maybe this is the motivator that I needed? My fleas are ticking to set up a test database and to get my data out of my moribund spreadsheet; though my clunky spreadsheet looks positively beautiful on the new screen, with so much more of it being visible - 'tis positively swoon-worthy. Wish the shift / ctrl / fn keys were in the same place though - I'm getting some jolly strange stuff going on now, on *both* machines! My only frustration so far is that I've not sussed how to do a single finger scroll on Transformer yet. Yay, got it! Didn't take long (it's in the instructions - how helpful). One just slides two fingers up or down *anywhere* on the touchpad. Likesee.

Think I need another square of chocolate to celebrate... I've not "really" had a proper meal, so might head for an OLS with cream cheese and orange spread combo before I go to bed so that I don't feel deprived (or hungry) going into repair tomorrow!

And now I've the initial faffing on the Transformer out the way, I need to transfer my data to something that it can access! The tablet bit only does micro SD cards, so I'll need to acquire one of those, meantimes the keyboard bit takes full size USB connectors, so I could dig out a redundant USB memory stick, if I can remember where they're hiding... Oh, except there's this exciting thing called Asus WebStorage, which, it seems, I have free for my first year. Hmmm... Okay. Plots ahoy / ahead.

Enough already! I'll be up 'til dawn if I keep going - so bed *now*. Tomorrow is another day / play.

........ Calories 1616.40 Carbs 45.93 Fat 93.49 Protein 47.62 Fibre 21.08

Have fun playing with your new 'toy' FatDog! hope it makes life easier for you!