Clouds in my Coffee

I'm not exactly sure why Carly Simon had clouds in her coffee, but I've made the decision not to have anything in mine and I'm regretting my decision already, and it's only Day Two.

One of the things I am determined to do in 2013 is change to a more healthy eating and drinking regime. Nothing too limiting, I can stand all those cravings again, but it definitely has to be Fat Free at least for a while. I don't have butter on bread, in sandwiches, although I did use it for frying and have now swapped it for a low fat alternative. I have cut out cheese, and I don't use a lot of milk, as I don't have cereals etc. I tend to use it for a chesse sauce, (got to go), and in coffee. Boy, do I like a milky coffee. I'm a real Latte fan, but I have decided to try and drink my coffee black. We do use Semi-skimmed milk, having tried the Skimmed and found it just too watery the boys just can't tolerate it. However, for health reasons I really do want to go dairy free for a bit, and I don't really want to try a different type of milk, as that's just something else to buy and I would have to go through just as much, to try and get used to the taste of that, just for extra expense.

No I'd rather try and get used to it without, but I can't get over how different the coffee tastes without milk.

I do vaguely remember though, when I first started to have my coffee without sugar, more than 20 years ago. I know I stopped because a schoolfriend (Hayley, I wonder whatever happened to her?), was told by her dentist to cut out sugar and I wanted to support her. I also remember it was equally as difficult at first and I had to persevere through several horrible cups until my taste changed. Now putting sugar in it tastes disgusting. I do hope I don't have to suffer too long before my tastebuds change this time, as I do love my coffee. It's not because of the caffiene as I have mine Decaff, my heart objects otherwise, so there must just be something comforting about hugging a mug of coffee, and maybe I can see clouds in it after all.........

Lots of Love Arwedd xx

Coffee, Cake, Saucers and Grading

Had a lovely morning with the very beautiful FosterMummy in our very favourite Community Cafe.

Nice latte

and a lovely piece of lemon cake.

Oops, it's not looking good for weigh in again tomorrow, but I absolutely promise it has been my only treat this week.

My lovely latte, led me on to a very vocal discussion (aren't all discussions vocal?, but you know what I mean!), this afternoon about that age old dilemma whether to Saucer or Not Saucer?

Now I'm firmly in the NOT to saucer camp and I'll tell you, for why:-

Ben Terrett summed it up beautifully for me, when he said, it's because William Morris famously said, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful”. The modern day Useless Saucer is neither useful nor beautiful.

Here's the worst modern day offender, the Conference Useless Saucer.

Ever tried to stand chatting, at a conference, holding a cup of coffee in one hand, a saucer in another, an agenda and then trying to drink the coffee? It's hard isn't it? Especially when the point of a conference break is to stand chatting!

Another one that annoys me is the Table Too Small Useless Saucer. This is especially annoying when you've got kids. Waiters have a habit of putting the most dangerous part of eating right in front of the kids, boiling hot coffee, sharp knifes or open bottles of wine. This problem is exasperated by the fact that the table is short of space. This problem is exasperated by the bloomin' useless saucers. Look I found an infographic!

I just don't see the point of these saucers.

The point isn't to hold the tea bag, you should take that out beforehand. Obviously! And the point isn't to look good either. If I went round my Gran's house I would expect a cup and saucer like this.

But in yer modern day coffee houses you get this hideous hybrid.

Or worse, one where the base of the cup doesn't fit in the dip of the saucer, but wobbles about precariously.

It's like they've used a trendy coffee glass and then thought, "Bloomin' 'eck! We forgot the saucers! The Englishmen will be revolting!"
But no one cares anymore. David Cameron doesn't wear a tie. Traditions change. And anyway, my Gran doesn't go to Costalotta Coffee.
I also know that saucers used to have a point. People used to pour tea into the saucer and drink it from there. That way it was cooler, quicker and you could slurp at it which aerated it and made it taste better. My Mum told me.

Until then. Unless you're a Grandparent ditch the Useless Saucers. 

As you can see from the glass at the top, my favourite Cafe does not "do" saucers, unless by special request and I like it that way.

Grading was also a thorny issue for me today. This is grading for my next Taekwondo belt. As I am worse than useless at this lovely Martial Art, I am but a mere White Belt, the lowest of the low, but my Instructor has been pushing me for the last two months to do my first grading for my next belt. She had another go for 20 minutes tonight aswell. However, there are two reasons why this will not be happening in the near future, well three actually, well actually four.

Number One - I can't do Press-Ups. No matter how hard I try, I just do not have the upper body strength to lower my sizeable lump to the ground, without smashing my face into the floor. To pass my first grading I must do 10 full Press-ups. Hahahahahahahaha, don't make me wet myself!!

Number Two - For Training sessions I am allowed to wear a black training kit. Below - me in my Blacks.

Blacks - Back

Blacks - Front

However, for grading sessions you have to wear your "proper" set of Whites, the Dobok! Here are my Whites.

Whites - Front

Whites - Back

There's a reason my Whites are still on the hangar. The largest size trousers in the Whites (which is the one I own) is not as large a size, as the Black trousers I own. I can just about fit in them, as long as I don't breathe out, not great if you need to jump around doing the "moves". I just don't have the skills to make them bigger.

Number 3 - No. 2 Son, being only 8, has to do all the Little Puma grades, which means 3 extra belts between his White and Yellow. He has done 2 of these, but not the 3rd. That means if we both grade at the next session, I will go from White to Yellow, he will go from White with an Orange Stripe to White with a Yellow Stripe and then Yellow at his next grading. Effectively, therefore, I jump ahead of him in one fell swoop. Now we first started going to Taekwondo for him, not me, and he likes being effectively 2 belts ahead of me at the moment. He likes to "teach" me things and it's good for him. I think he should stay ahead of me!!

Number 4 - It's very SCARY!! You have to stand in front of a panel of 9 Black Belts, the main examiner is a Master Black Belt and there are very few adults who do it in amongst the youngsters in each grade. To be honest, I've watched No. 2 Son's last two grading sessions, and the 5 year olds are wiping the floor with the few low grade adults, let alone the 10 - 15 year olds, who make it all look so easy. To make matters worse all the Mums and Dads of all those youngsters, are sat around the edge, watching the one lone adult trying to get their kick above waist height, while the kids are at shoulder height. It's humiliating.

I'm quite happy to give it a miss for quite a while to come, if it's all the same to you, Ma'am.

Hope you had a good day.

Lots of Love Arwedd xx