Diet Bore 2 + Debt Management

Four days on the Dukan diet, except that really I was doing Atkins - and I've lost 5lbs... pas mal, of course I cheated like mad, but no one can seriously live in a house with other people and just eat chunks of meat.   So I ate some veg too - and fats, but I eschewed low fat yoghurts, which are probably full of sugar.  I think what I like is the idea I can get to his goal weight for me by 1st March 2012 if I carry on properly.   Then I have to "consolidate" for 5 days for every pound lost - which will be a tremendous amount - over a year!  Oh well, by this time in 2 years time I will be fab and able to eat sensibly - trained to it!   That said the only person I know who's done the Dukan Diet was Anna G and she's given up!

I am typing badly because I have drink taken (3 small glasses of a really excellent Herault - part of our Christmas present) and I have a bad finger (there was a band called that once wasn't there?)

Today has been very difficult and deeply unsatisfying.... I had a last ditch stand in attempting not to go into a Debt Management Scheme - and realised that because our earnings last year were so dire, that we could do nothing.  No one would lend us any money to pay our debts, so we are going to have a very uncomfortable few weeks until the next couple of payments, but I expect we will raid Ned's savings... terrible, but necessary.  Meanwhile I feel much happier about it, I know that we will have adequate money to live a modest life (no holidays, no luxuries, a small amount of booze) - and that the debts will probably be paid off by the time we come to retire - although I am not sure how we are going to manage to get any household repairs done!   And Mark and I will need a bit of a break at some point.  I guess we could go to Wales to stay in Flora's house - or something?  Or I could email our friends with a house swap/house sit offer?   We'll see. 

I see that the DMS is the answer - we will not be living under the lash.  The junior bank manager at the business branch I spoke to today was so much less sympathetic than the one I spoke to in the flesh yesterday.  Apparently our credit rating with the bank is 9 - the lowest... am I surprised?   Apparently we have some terrible black mark against us as well - due to mortgage arrears, but Nationwide were really sweet about it and said they weren't that worried.   On the other hand, last year's finance wasn't good enough to allow us to borrow anything more.... just as well probably.   This is a sort of seminal moment, but I have this curious feeling that once we're in our debt agreement we will probably be flooded with money from every direction. God doesn't fancy paying the usurers either!

And the good news - 2 bookings for the B&B operation, neither of which have come via Bed & Fed - I must write to her next week and talk to her.

Things are looking up - i.e I am lying in the gutter looking at the stars.