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This sounds very similar to our story.  We originally were goin g to have only 1, but then decided to get another so Wraith could have a playmate to keep her from being bored all the time.  We intentionally got a Tom because Ghostess wanted Wraith to "enjoy her reproductive rights"*  The implication being that she would have a litter of which we would keep one for a total of 3.    It turns out that Wraith hated the cat we got for her and we had to keep them separated for long periods of time to keep them from fighting.  Eventually Wraith got pregnant (with a little help from a surrogate) but only one of the litter survived.**   As an interesting aside, the surrogate cat that we suspect is Lich's biological dad is also Wight's biological dad, making them half brothers.  Not sure if that is why they hit it off so well, but whatever the reason I will take it over the outright hostility we were expecting.   As with you, the joke is on Ghostess because all of the cats like me best   * I suspect this is a cultural thing driven as a subconscious push back against the one child policy   ** It turns out that although the agreement was to re-home all but one of the littler, I don't think Ghostess would have had the heart to go through with it and we would have been a 6 cat household had they all survived   That's the real danger with cats.  Once they get into the house, it is really hard to get them out again     --------------------------------   This week Ghostess and I decided to put our restricted meal plan into action (for realsies this time) so I have been really trying to cut back on food intake.  So far I have been pretty successful, but not eating is really less enjoyable than eating so this is going to take some real will power.  I have managed to stay away from all sugary snacks so far, which is a vast improvement from the last few months.  So far this week my scale is showing me as being down 1kg and 1% body fat.  Off to a good start     Piano practice is going well, and I think I am on track to be able to have something to share by the end of the challenge   The university had planned a sports day and I am signed up to participate in the 100 meter dash, the shot put and a pushup competition.  I didn't read the notice carefully enough and thought it was this last Wednesday (turns out it isn't until next month) so I drove all the way out to the new campus (1 hour outside of town) for nothing.  Since I was there in my workout kit anyway, I stayed and exercised using their equipment, but it was so much nicer than what we have at the park I wasn't used to it and had a hard time doing my normal routines.   The last couple of days have been mid terms for my students and most of them did really well.  I was really disappointed in a few of them that thought it would be better for them to cheat.    I am still trying to decide how to deal with them.  The "cheating" wasn't necessarily anything ultimately serious (asking students who had already taken the test what the question would be even though I had already told them in advance) but it shows a serious lack of ethics.  The most egregious response I got was from a student who has never attended a single class telling me his feedback on a classroom discussion that I had done with a different class as if he had been there participating.  I mean, I take roll  and know who is answering questions in class so I don't know who he thought he was fooling, but here we are.   We have a long holiday coming up for the May Day holiday, which means that we have to have make up classes because China doesn't give long holidays for free.  This means that I have class again on Sunday.

I found that if instead of "how was school?" I ask "Did anything interesting happen at school today?" I am more likely to get a thoughtful response.  Often nothing interesting happened, but sometimes I hit a gold mine

Hello, morning.    How is everyone?   Life still feels full on and stuff. I will do a brief update.    - The gel helps a little on my foot. It also helps my tight calfs which is good!   - I have had quite a few zoom chats with people who are enquiring about applying for funding. One person has submitted the request for me to be their access support. So in a week we will find out if it was accepted. Another person is currently writing it out to send over the weekend.  I have 3 more meetings today with potential clients. (i get £900 per person so fingers crossed)   - I am working hard...on this SPARK stuff, but also on an exhibition that is due to open next month, a small 2 week pop up really, to show some work with the guy im collaborating with. We find out next week if our funding bid was successful or not... fingers crossed   - I found out yesterday - i got an interview for that perfect job  from 55 applications, i got to the last 8 !! Interview is over zoom on May 1st. AAGHHHHH if i pass this, then it will be an in person meeting at the gallery. I am anxious but trying to focus.    - The house is coming together, feeling settled here. It warms up quickly which is so amazing haha   - Not walked Bronze much this week due to my foot issues, but she has been out with her friends. Today she has an extra walk booked to help me out. And will be going on a normal walk. 6 dogs, all off lead, walk. (not in the secure field like usual) eeeek   - EVERTON BEAT OUR RIVALS AND IT WAS AMAAAAAAZING. First time since 2010 hahahah so bloody great. I cried.    - STILL SOBER. 311 days currently.    - Things feel ok today - tired but ok.        How is everyone? Aiming to be back on track and more present here from next challenge ❤️ xx

Thank you SO much AP. Love you xx     HEY ROOKIE!   hahah yes   this looks GREAT, will have a look into this at the weekend   xx

Thursday 25 April  Cooking: Made my lunch wrap for work and also had another one for breakfast while I was at it. Still counting it as a single point though. Dinner was takeout, since I went straight from work to my therapist appointment and got home just in time for D&d.  Fitness: Had to do file some court papers in the morning, which is usually a case of long queues, but due to Easter next week I was there early and got it done in like half an hour. Thus, I used the extra time to go home, crank out a workout, shower and walk to work.   D&d Netheril campaign report:  

Today is definitely an inside stuff day. Its grey, cold and raining pretty incessantly  out there right now.    saved a decent chunk of money this month, very happy about that. Keeping closer tabs on what I'm spending is definitely paying off. Yes, i know, obvious. But my life has been so chaotic for so long it just wasn't something i thought to do before. All progress though, so endeavouring not to beat myself up about past mistakes and celebrate current wins instead (need to train my brain to think back less and not fixate on long past errors. Not helpful). so in that theme, i decided to reward myself with a few new books i really wanted.  so right now am reading one upon a cave man by cassadra gannon, which is silly and fun and just everything i need in a book right now.  finished    finished the second sophie jordan book. Definitely needed trigger warnings in it. Final 1/4 put me off it slightly, as i was enjoying the plot up til that point. There are interesting story elements but it just didn't follow through with the strong characters seen in book one.    walk was good yesterday, but i didn't get as far as id have liked.  Chucking stuff into the box of things to go out continues. Want to have a concerted whack at my art supplies cupboard next. Ive done it before recently-ish but want to actually go through everything and see what i actually want to keep, instead of hoarding it “because it might be useful at some point” (I'm fighting genetics + upbringing on this one so its always an uphill struggle).  essentially i want to get back into art in a more serious way and a surprising quantity of my art supplies are at least 20+ years old at this point. So i figure i either need to check if they have gone off or if i even want to get serious about working out how to properly use them (I'm looking at you water colours).     

ive definitely had days ive craved sugar, but they've got further apart as ive gone along (i should warn you, ive been at this since jan so it might take a while). I give myself one treat a week (As part of my the wider life/diet reset things im doing) and this can be cake etc. ive found though, the days i screw over my cals, its often becuase i ate something sugary ..and then had something else sweet and something else. (Mince pies where the culprit trigger yesterday. Someone left some out to thaw. …Im sure you can see where this is going)   Things ive found help -fruit (nice fruit, stuff you love and ideally will choose over other snacks, pineapple, grapes, blueberries have all been good for me. Keep some in the fridge at eye heigh. If you have to make yourself a post it note do so) -energy balls (This recepie was awesome. Highly recommend) -Upping my protein intake (as this reduced my temptation to snack) -the mini amaretti biscuits. Becuase i can just have a couple of these and i get something sweet, but i never seem to then inhale a load of other sugar after them.) -very oat based cookies. Small ones (if you think your can resit inhaling them, These are very nice and not too big) -dried fruit can be good, but you need to be careful not to eat lots in one go  (way too easy to eat an entire bunch worth of grapes when they’re raisins) -if you can get family members on board with the “dont leave sweet stuff laying around” plan, also a good call. Much harder to resist the stuff if its sitting on the counter.    ok, hope some of that helps.  if its any consolation at least 3 of us on here are doing the less sugar thing this year. @Everstorm has been tracking hers in her challenge. 

30 side-to-side lunges with toe point - 🐝  (balancing issues, though, had to steady myself against the sofa a couple of times to not fall on my ass) 30 plank crunches - 🐝  (in one go!!!)

Doing better today. Got the cardio in.