Best day this week
Saturday, I think.  I was given tickets for my old school Speech Day.  The school has historic links with the City of London so the Lord Mayor and his entourage always attend, and it’s a very formal ceremonial occasion.  We made good time and were turning off the M23 ready to navigate the last few miles from directions, when we realised we were following the Lord Mayor’s Bentley.  So we put the directions away and just tailgated!  Chapel service was the first event, not my favourite activity but the music was glorious and singing the school hymn brought a lump to my throat. After an excellent lunch we had speeches and prizegiving in the school hall.  The head girl’s oration was inspiring and remarkably mature for an eighteen-year old and she put the Headmaster and Lord Mayor to shame by learning it by heart whereas they read from scripts.  I was reaching for my hanky then too, and I wasn’t the only one.  Afternoon tea followed, and then we headed home – though we had also had time to go and take a look at my old house monitresses’ board with my name on it – one of the few mementoes salvaged from the girls’ school when they amalgamated on to the boys’ site some years after I left.

Best decision of the week
To go to Speech Day.  I wasn’t sure whether it was worth the journey and whether I’d enjoy it, but Chris came with me so I had company, and with hindsight I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

Best work activity of the week
Finding the answer to a problem that one of my trusts was having setting some courses up on our system.  I managed to trace it to one field that looked correctly completed but should have been left blank.  We had to wait until the system synchronised, but the trust lead emailed me the next morning absolutely delighted that it had worked.  I often have to ask experts for help so I was particularly pleased to sort this one out for myself.

Best work meeting of the week
Just one meeting this week, in London, which was quite interesting – had to do a presentation and update on our system, and it was interesting to catch up with contacts in other trusts.

Favourite meal of the week
Several to choose from this week – buffet lunch and afternoon tea at school yesterday were delicious, particularly an unusual egg and aubergine dish.  But dinner at the Mediterranean Grill restaurant on Wednesday also was excellent.

Favourite Mensa activity this week
Dinner on Wednesday at the Mediterranean Grill with six or seven other local Mensans, which was a great evening.  The company was good, and the food excellent.  Imam Bayaldi, a sort of Turkish aubergine ratatouille, was pronounced the best dish in the buffet.

Favourite moment of the week
Watching the school band yesterday.  The music at Christ’s Hospital is outstanding, and the band is of professional standard (they are often invited to perform at sports events and are always in the Lord Mayor’s Show). We didn’t have a band at the girls’ school (since the amalgamation the band is of course mixed) but watching them now always fills me with pride.  

Favourite TV programme of the week
Have I got news for you – though Psychoville is still keeping up the standard.

Progress on last week’s objectives
Oh dear – mixed again, I’m afraid.
Catch up with backlog of magazines – am gradually ploughing through them but not up to date yet.  They seem to arrive in batches so sometimes my reading pile is clear, and other times I have a whole stack to get through
Book theatre tickets – have done the easy ones – ie bookable online, but need to visit the theatre for the others in order not to incur a booking fee.
Research ports of call for July cruise – have done some but still need to get a clearer idea of the main attractions in each place.

Key objectives for the coming week
- Finalise Mensa Brilliant venue (I know, that’s been on before but I actually have a real possibility lined up now!)
- Make checkup appointment at the vet’s 
- Get back on the treadmill in preparation for the Race for Life

Mad purchase of the week
Two very different fascinators that I thought weren’t really “me”, but they were all I could find and I couldn’t choose between them.  I took them both with me on Saturday and didn’t decide until the last minute which one to wear – the black and white feathered one, or the big gold flower that matched my jacket.  In the end the gold flower won.

Most unusual activity this week
I visited a kinesiologist, on the recommendation of a couple of friends.  It was a strange experience, though I sort of knew what to expect.  She spent about an hour talking through my diet and suggested completely avoiding carbs and concentrating on protein, which will mean significant changes.  Then she did half an hour of kinesiology, which involves testing muscle strength and reactions to a range of homeopathic remedies to determine which ones are necessary.  It might all be hogwash but I’m prepared to give it a try for a few months and see if it makes any difference.  I’m sure the change in diet will help – as well as carbs I also have to cut out coffee and processed foods, and stop using the microwave.

What have I learned this week
I’ve learned that I am starting to feel an affinity and affection for the site where my school is now based, despite it not being where I actually went to school myself.  I suppose it still represents the institution itself, and it still prompts memories of my own school days.

I also learned quite a lot about kinesiology and homeopathic remedies, and will be interested to see if it all works.