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Well, this morning I finally mustered up all of my courage and hopped on the dreaded weighing scales of doom after the annual Christmas blow out.   I stupidly thought that if I made myself anxious enough that I might burn off a few extra calories. But alas that was not to be the case.

It’s presence in my bathroom had been menacing since the day after St. Stephen’s day. I hopped on and hopped off again quite swiftly. I forgot that the best way to weigh myself is to suspend myself slowly from the shower curtain until I reach my desired weight.

 

Afterwards I was greeted by Buzz doing a dance on my bed which was unusual behavior for him at the best of times. He is normally quite chilled unless food, his favorite toy or a walk are on the cards.  He was merely trying to cheer me up. Bless. Or at least that is my analysis of the situation and I am sticking to it.

I eventually figured out that he had become accustomed to this apparatus that I stood on weekly and that it was obviously some kind of mood machine. No shit Sherlock.  He could tell that when I stepped off it, I was either elated or deflated (or inflated if weight had been put on).  The latter being the case this morning.  Anyhoo, here’s to next week when the mood machine will put a smile on my face.

 

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

Image from

www.bored panda.com

 

There has been much talk of late surrounding celebrities that use photo shopping on their images.   There appears to be a very active group of photo shopping police who can ascertain whether an image has been altered by examining the angles surrounding the person in the image.  Are they using spirit levels? Who knows?  One of the male reality stars was not happy with the shape of his nostrils in his photo and apparently altered them to such a degree that they were practically erased.

The photo shopping police likened him to Voldemort from Harry Potter.   Poor ole Voldemort must have had an awful time of it when he had a cold.

I get how it can be misleading when images have been altered to such a degree where the actual person is almost recognizable.  Mingled with the popularity of cosmetic surgery it is always interesting for me to see the ‘before’ and ‘after’ images.

I must admit that I am a sucker for these.  When cosmetic surgery has been done well and the celebrity still looks like themselves only a younger version, I can only admire the surgeon who performed the work.

I had my sea swim today and my friend took a photo of me coming out of the sea.  I decide to try photo shopping.  And here is the result. They say I looked like Ursula Andress.

What do you think? I may have gone overboard? I am not sure if I have quite got the hang of this photo shopping?

That’s all for now

Stay fab

Adele

 

 

 

I tried a new technique on my hair last night called ‘heatless overnight curls’.    I had seen it on YouTube and was delighted to be able to try something that did not require appliances other than a few clips.

https://youtu.be/zqOLhDXLQAc

Being a bit overzealous with the curling mousse meant that some of the curls had set so fast that I was unable to unpin them. I tend to always go for the more is better rule. Which never really works yet I still persist.

The attached, is a picture of me this morning, without my lipstick. I realize that tight curls are very much a first world problem. However, on one hand I was simultaneously alarmed and thrilled at the tightness of the curls and on the other I knew that I had gone seriously overboard.

 

I eventually managed to unknot the curls and began to attack my unruly mane with a hairbrush and too much hair oil.  Buzz and Finn were giving me funny looks as if to say ‘Who has taken our human away and replaced her with a fuzzy oily head’. I am showing my age here when I can compare myself to one of the characters in the cartoon ‘The Hair Bear bunch’.                                                                                                                                                   

In the end I put my fuzzy head beneath my hat to brave the cold weather today. But on removing it after my walk I still looked like I had been electrocuted.

 

Have a great day.

Stay fab.

Adele

 

Upon venturing to the local shop earlier today I noticed that the bread shelves were empty. I could only surmise that everyone was tucking into their turkey and ham sandwiches. And that they may have sold their granny for a batch loaf if they were too late to buy one.

Everyone was out and about blowing the cobwebs off. Gale force winds were beckoning and I nearly did a Mary Poppins by getting blown off the beach.  Storm Francis is in full force making staying in and being cozy all the more pleasurable.

We are all gearing ourselves up for the next lock down. But at least we can travel within our own county and not be limited to 2 or 5kms as we have been in the past.

I will hazard a guess that the new year’s resolutions for 2021 will be less exhaustive and elaborate as in previous years. Most of us will aim to not get Covid and stay safe, or in my case to not get it again. I was one of the lucky ones as I got a mild dose.  Plenty of ‘Wim Hoff guided breathing’ ensured that the wheeze I was left with soon subsided.

Minding those that are vulnerable is probably a major priority as we have lost so many. Practicing being more mindful is one of my goals. Perhaps I shall practice being more like a cow, and stay in the Moooment  (That’s pretty bad, even for me.) Or maybe I ‘ll give up the pun therapy as it really doesn’t seem to be working very well. I could have done an udder pun but I didn’t. I managed to resist. That’s progress for you.

 

Happy St. Stephen’s Day.

Stay fab.

Adele

What is your Irish Christmas Elf name?

Mine is Aloysius MacBrussel sprouts. Thank you. Don’t mind if I do have another Sprout.

I have had a massive glorious meal after a Christmas morning swim, beach walk and Howth walk. Maybe it’s just as well that we are going back into lockdown as my love of sprouts turns my apartment into Grand Central flatulence station. For once, Buzz and Finn are not to blame.

Buzz and Finn wore their Christmas outfits well although Buzz was a little peeved with his at first. He stood still staring at me for a few moments as if to say ‘Seriously? really? You expect me to wear this?’

Finn tried to reef it off him yesterday on the beach. I think Buzz may have asked him to in exchange for some of his Christmas treats. He got the elf hat off which they both decided to have a tug of war with. Until what was left was a doggy spit/sea drenched felt rag.

Lots of folk had Christmas themed outfits on their pet pooches and just as many had not. I began to think that those that had not probably wouldn’t be caught dead dressing their pooch up. But whatevs, it’s just as well that we are all different.

Buzz has left the room as my sprouts parped hello. He is somewhat indignant and smug in his swagger; in that it wasn’t him. Just as well that sprouts are just for Christmas……

Happy Christmas.

Stay fab.

Adele

As the song ‘And so this is Christmas’ by John Lennon goes

 

And so, this is Christmas

And what have you done?

Another year over

A New one just begun

 

So, what have I done? Like a lot of people, not an awful lot. Just trying to stay safe and keep others safe too. I have done a lot of reflection, and self-analysis. Mindful of the phrase ‘analysis leads to paralysis ‘.

Back in Christmas 2018, if anyone had said that the world would come to a screeching halt by the end of 2019, I am pretty sure no one would have believed them. I wonder if Nostradamus or the psychics predicted this? If anything, ‘The Simpsons’ seem to be the greatest predictors of the future. So far, they have predicted

 

1. Donald Trump’s presidency.
2. Lady Gaga flying into the super bowl.
3. Holmstrom and Oliver Hart winning a Nobel prize in 2016 in economics.
4. Siegfried and Roy being attacked by their tiger.
5. The UK horse meat scandal.
6. The virtual reality game ‘Farmville’.
7. Two Beatles fans receiving replies to their letters 50 years after sending them.
8. Smart watches featured in 1995.
9. Disney buying Fox was predicted in 1998.
10. US winning an Olympic medal in curling.
11. In 1993 the ‘Osaka Flu’

 

Perhaps we need to look to The Simpsons for 2021?

 

Happy Christmas Eve and have a great day tomorrow.

Stay fab.

Adele

 

I love this cartoon.  Although some part of me says ‘Well’, and what if she was female? what of it? .

I was rather pensive this morning and wrote the following in anticipation of the upcoming lockdown.

 

 

2020

We are the masked crusaders

Struggling to be cheerleaders

Masking our tears

Masking our fears

Grieving those departed

Lost, heavy hearted

Longing to touch

Missing them so much

Trying to keep active

In remembering how to live

We honor their memory

By living to be free

Exercising resilience

Defying defiance

Being helpful and kind

Minding our minds

We will overcome this plight

With our will and our might

And be stronger still

Emanating good will

By Adele Leahy

 

http://www.raesidecartoon.com/

What a year?  Apparently after this year if you have a bucket list it can now be officially called a fuckit list. In adopting this philosophy my list has been amended to include the following.

 

1.    ‘Travelling the world’ has now become ‘travelling to the local shop’. And if I manage to not step in dog poop there is a cause for a celebratory cup of tea upon my return. It’s all about the small wins.
2.    ‘Go white water rafting’ has now become ‘having a bath after a very hot curry’.
3. ‘Read Dostoyevsky’ has become ‘reading my Viz magazines’ again.
4. ‘Go Shark cage diving ‘has become ‘wearing a mask outside and washing my hands continuously’.
5.    ‘Go to an Airport and book a random flight anywhere’ has become ‘Close my eyes and press a button on my remote control whilst in Netflix, and watch whatever I press’.  Also known as ‘Netflix roulette’.  I know. I am soooo living on the edge.
6.    ‘Learn to fly’ has become ‘Chase a butterfly’.
7.    ‘Say yes to everything for a day’ has become ‘Yes, I will wash my hands repeatedly and wear my mask, and try to complete a random act of kindness without the person knowing’.

Well. Now. I am off to have a curry and a bath.  It’s never too late to take action.  Afterwards I may play ‘Netflix Roulette’.

Have a great day.

Stay fab.

Adele

 

I was so excited last night going to bed and imagining this morning’s swim.   I got there at 7.10 this morning having first walked Buzz and Finn. There were a few of the organizers there setting up as one of the girls in the group was celebrating their birthday. Sunrise came around pretty quick and we all started stripping off to head into the sea.

The sky was grey and drizzling us with rain but everyone’s spirits were high. It was freezing walking into the sea and freezing in the sea. The waves were great fun and I swallowed a gallon of sea water as I tried (unsuccessfully) to swim through them.

I had a lovely chat with a girl who loves walking but was not too keen on sea swimming.  Trying to convince her of the benefits of sea swimming was futile. It is certainly not for everyone,

Regardless of the cold my icy upper lip prevailed.  I remind myself that my favorite pastime is not all starfish and gentle playful waves and that I must not be a fair-weather swimmer.  Coming to think of it, it is never starfish and playful gentle waves. More like hydro masochism but I still love it.

That’s all for now.

Have a great day.

Stay fab.

Adele

 

It was a glorious day to day. regardless of the cold wind. The sky was blue and the rain was nowhere in sight even though the weather report had mentioned a 50%   chance of it.  Tomorrow is the solstice and I am looking forward to it.  I marked it last year with a lovely group of people in the Dublin mountains at a Celtic ceremony where Liam ‘O Maonlai was in attendance and treated us to some music and dancing.

https://www.thetrailblazery.com/blog/ritesofwinter

Tomorrow I am heading to Portmarnock beach for a sunrise swim. Apparently, it will be raining but as we will be in the sea it will not really matter.  I will make my intentions for the coming year and attempt to emerge from the sea with a modicum of grace.  However, it is more likely that I will resemble a shivering Grinch crossed with a hypothermic Shrek.

To be honest the best thing about swimming in the freezing cold sea is that how you look no longer becomes an issue as it is overcome by the sheer exhilaration of completing the act. I have wanted to sea swim for so many years and am so pleased that I am finally doing it.  I cannot wait for the Christmas morning swim as again this is something that has been on my to do list each year.

 

Have a great day.

Stay fab.

Adele