Austerity roolz!

A pre-Christmas walk with D in the snow on Surprise View. It was a strange day - a mixture of murk and sunshine and very, very cold.

I've already posted one of these of Minty but it's such a lovely shot I'm going to put it up again! She looks like this a lot - interested, alert and slightly stroppy!

Brrrrr.....icicles.

D on the phone in the middle of nowhere like some saddo. Actually he was trying to hook up with his brother stuck in Paris due to snow but that doesn't stop me taking the piss!

Me standing on the Salt Pot rock formation - freezing wind and D faffing around with the camera.....brrrr again

View towards Hathersage and the Hope Valley beyond.

View towards Stanage Edge

How clever of Peridot to pick up on what I said in my last post about being excited about the upcoming month of austerity. I truly am.

But I often feel like this after Christmas, as though I want to "cleanse my palate", eat plain clean foods, fruit and veg and not much fat or sugar. And the exercise too, I want to be out of doors and sweating rather than indoors and stuffy with loads of people around. I'm a bit of a hermit really, quite like a dose of solitude here and there.

So, it's going well so far (albeit it only 3 days in). Did my long walk and gym yesterday and set a date with Vicky for another visit to the gym this evening. Which is just as well because it's filthy here today. There's no way I would have managed a run, long walk or bike ride today - sleety, icy rain/snow and freezing cold. The roads are treacherous and the dogs could not get indoors fast enough so no support there!

Despite that, there are loads of people out running or cycling. I think I'm mad but they must be certifiable! I drove into Sheffield this morning to buy my outfit for New Year's Eve (of which more later) and there was thick snow on the tops (the higher ground betwen here and Sheffield) and I was having to pass not one but several cyclists or runners! Who in their right mind would head out over Moscar Top in this weather??

So, back to NYE. The fancy dress theme in my local is the 80's. Not very original perhaps but entertaining and easy and fun for the likes of me who turned 10 in 1979!! I remember it all folks....

I went into town today to try and put together some sort of outfit. I wanted a proper Dynasty/Dallas type dress and all the trimmings. There are loads of vintage shops in Sheffield aiming at the student market but I was worried that I might be a bit big, erm...fat, for the gear. I needn't have worried!! I tried on 2 LBDs a la 80's - you know the ones - black velvet bodice with ra ra taffeta skirt in black shot with gold or silver lurex! They were both slightly on the large side! So that gave me confidence to try the less obvious.

The shop was otherwise empty and I managed to engage the interest of the assistant (who was really nice) so she kept bringing me possibles to try. Stuff that I would NEVER have picked up in a million years. In the end I settled on a daffodil yellow silk power dress. Big shoulders, peplum waist and draped handkerchief skirt. It's horrific in a strangely flattering kind of way. I will team it with black elastic belt, black lacy tights and stilletoes, lacy fingerless gloves, lacy bow in hair and a selection of the most horrific balck and gold jewelry Top Shop could supply me with. The Top Shop thing freaked me out as the worst of their jewelry wasn't even on sale - there was no irony- girls might actually buy this stuff in all seriousness!!!

Anyway, I promise to post the pics. Hope you all have a great NYE - even you Peri - and an even better start to 2010. Mwah!