It’s odd how we develop a liking for a particular number, isn’t it?  Most kids do, at some point, and my favourite was always the number eight.  I have no idea why.

Some of us carry that liking into our adult lives too, but I confess I forget about my favourite number for long periods of time until something reminds me – like Petra Michelle tagging me for a meme.  This one’s fairly simple: it consists of lists of eight things. I think I can handle that … but wait!  It seems to me that to do this properly, with my usual amount of waffling commentary on the whys and wherefores, I’m going to have to spread this over several days.  Don’t worry, I’ll try not to bore you too much and it’ll be easier on you all in small bites.

So. Today’s edition of the Eight meme -

Eight things I am looking forward to

I thought this one would be quite difficult, because my life is so unexciting, but having started to think about it, I realise my life is more interesting (at least to me) than I thought!

1 – Learning to use my new phone

Now this is inaccurate. I’m really NOT enjoying learning how to use my new phone. I looking forward to having learned how to use the damn thing.  OH bought me a new Nokia E-series phone yesterday and it is driving me nuts.  Nothing is intuitive and plenty of things are missing from the tutorial.  In addition to this, it doesn’t like talking to my Mac!

Aaaaggghhhh!!

However.  Once I have learned how to use it, I’m sure it will be wonderful. It has internet access and everything!

Supposedly.

2 – Going down to London

On Monday, I’m making the pilgrimage trip down to London to be in Leicester Square for the premiere of Johnny Depp’s new movie, Public Enemies.  It will be a long day in unpredictable weather – suggestions vary from ‘the hottest day of the year’ to ‘showers all day’ – and I haven’t a hope in hell of getting near to the front because I won’t be able to stand being jostled by the many excitable young ladies who will be there all hoping for the same thing: to get near the front and meet Johnny.  Because of this, and the fact that it was a last minute decision, I haven’t even had my hair done, so if I DO get to meet the man, he’ll be confronted by a woman with red hair and a silver streak a mile wide, giving her the appearance of a startled and possibly insane badger.   But he’s a very gracious and sweet man, so he’ll probably betray no surprise at all.

3 – The next Johnny Depp movie

The aforementioned ‘Public Enemies’ – the dramatised story of one John Dillinger: bank robber and media star of the depression era.  And from the clips and trailers I’ve seen, John Dillinger was a very sexy, handsome and charming man, who bore an uncanny resemblance to Johnny Depp at his finest.  Should be fun, then!

4 – Getting Sid home

We’ve been waiting a while now, and it’s all the gardeners’ fault.  But the lawn is growing nicely, the fence is up, and there’s only a little bit left for my tormentors to complete, so Sid will likely be coming home to live with us sometime around next weekend.  To this end, I’ve been busily sorting, cleaning and tidying those doggy items which can be passed along to be used by the new boy.   Then all we’ll have to do is to walk around the house and make sure there’s nothing dangerous lying around – dog-proof it, if you like – which means putting away asthma inhalers,  bars of dark chocolate, and remote controls, cables, leads, cosmetics, medicines and mobile phones.  Although that last item might just benefit from a few tooth marks, it seems to me. Show it who’s boss, you know?

5 – Becoming more involved with greyhound adoption

When I had greyhounds before, there was no local group active around here to do things like Meet and Greets, and charity boot sales, or any kind of fundraising at all.  But now I’ve found two, and Sid has been coming with me to a few things and I’ve had a great time while he’s performed his ambassadorial duties.  So I’m hoping that Sid and I can continue parading ourselves in public to show everyone what a great family pet a greyhound can be.  It’s good training for his future as a therapy dog anyway – he’s met kids and dogs and trolleys and wheelchairs and traffic and loud music and horses and so on, and so far he’s been an absolute star, bless him.

6 – Losing some weight

Ah yes.  Well, you see, I was doing really, really well.  I’d lost over three and a half stone, which is … well, there’s fourteen pounds in a stone, US people, so you do the maths.  Anyway, the various trials and tribulations I’ve had to cope with recently – my shoulder surgery, tearing the second rotator cuff, losing the dogs, health scares, financial crisis, unhappiness, and just lately some serious conflict among some good friends that they’re looking to me to fix – well, suffice it to say that I’m not one of those people who can’t eat when they’re stressed, quite the opposite.  Today had me practically eating the plaster off the walls … but my clothes don’t fit and I feel ugly and huge and I dare not get on the scales, so I’m going to have to do something about that.  And once I start to lose a few pounds again, I will be much happier all round.

7 – My shoulders feeling better

You know, I have a suspicion that losing weight will help my shoulders too.  Shhh!  Don’t say a word.  It’s bloody helpful for me to believe it so shutupshutupshutup!   If you think I’m wrong, just don’t. say. anything.  ‘Kay?  Thanks.

8 – Going to the US

And a trip is planned!  We’ll be travelling to the US in October for the Columbus Day weekend ‘Greyhounds Reach the Beach’ event in Delaware.   It should be a great trip with good friends and lots and lots of lovely dogs and fun events and shopping, and it’s just a shame that Sid can’t be there too, because I think he’d love it.  But he can’t, so he’ll be going back to stay with his trainer again for the duration, and he’ll enjoy that too.

We’ll fit in a few other things as well, just to make it worthwhile, and we hope to see a bit more of the beautiful Utah scenery, and maybe some Tennessee too.  Details have yet to be sorted, but I’m sure we’ll have fun.

So that’s the first little list of eights!  Don’t go away now – there’ll be another one along in a minute.

Well.   A day or two, anyway.