Got to keep concentrating

Me and D enjoying the sunshine while we waited for Brucie at the Hard Rock Calling Festival a couple of weekends ago.

Bruce singing with Bryan from Gaslight Anthem on No Surrender.

Bruce with members of the E Street Band

The crowd - quite a few white haired chaps in there...

Bruce and Clarence. I wish I had tried harder with my photos as I haven't got many decent ones but you want to enjoy the show too. Some people seemed to spend the whole time taking photos - I'm not that bad....yet!

Clarence in the spotlight - he was in a bit of a bad way - seemed to be struggling walking. Hope he's okay. His sax playing ws still brilliant though.

As with anything, when you reach the end of a programme, it's very easy to think that this IS the end and get demob happy. Well, I'm nearly there with this TV show and I'm getting that "racing towards the finish" feeling but I must remind myself that just because the TV thing is ending, the diet and exercising it NOT. It's also summertime and my social life is really busy at the moment with loads of events on most of which potentially involving food and drink or reduce my available time for exercise.

I realise that I haven't been putting in the time to work on my relationship with my chimp. And I need to because she is a sneaky, pseudo-rational, intelligent chimp who doesn't just throw a tantrum but goes around fooling me into thinking everything is alright while she works on getting her own way, namely me eating and not exercising.

What I mean by all this is, that I've had a really good weekend and, while I didn't go mad and don't seem to have done any damage on the scales, it was touch and go for a while. I need to rein it back hard now as I don't want to ruin this TV experience by not losing any weight in my final 4 weeks!!

We were recording a dinner with the 4 of us in Manchester on Friday night. That was fun but a bit like hard work as it was for the show rather than for real if you know what I mean. We all get on really well but you're constantly aware that you're being filmed and watched. It was much better once the film crew left and we could have a good old gossip.

Then Saturday I went up to Leeds to join my pals for a hen weekend. It was a real laugh. A bit of an old fashioned night - dressing up in pink boas and tiaras, the whole 9 yards and then out for a nice meal and on to a cheesy club. The club was really tacky but played 80's music on this one floor all night so we had a ball! I haven't danced so much for ages, probably not since last year some time! One of Angela's old school mates was her gay friend from school and it was heartening to note that he fulfilled every one of those gay stereotypes by dancing like a demon all night to the cheesiest choons. It was great to have an ally on the dance floor and along with another girl , the 3 of us got the rest of them up dancing too so we had a great time.

I did have a few drinks too but think all the dancing minimised the damage. Yesterday was the danger time - knackered from little sleep and a bit hungover - it's caaarb time! So I managed to say no a few times but I also said yes a few times too! You win some you lose some eh? Having slept a little in the afternoon once I got home, I hoisted my carcass off the sofa and took the dogs for a walk and ended up at the Rec for the cricket match between our 2 local pubs. It's a somewhat shambolic occasion but really good fun. Loads of people milling around and much beer and cakes on offer.

One friend, Demelza, who is frantically nesting as her baby is due in September, had baked all afternoon (having not previously done any!) and had produced a fabbie picnic so I'm afraid I just sat there and sampled every one of her creations: quiche - tick, gingerbread cricketers (short and fat!) - tick, scones - tick, flapjack - tick; victoria sponge - tick!! Still, I didn't have supper so not too bad and only small samples!

Anyway - I'm working from home today so I'm going to go for a run at lunchtime and I have training this evening so all will be back on track. Hope you're having a good time too.