The Friday Weigh-in

This week was the famine after the feast. Whilst on holiday in France I really let go and ate and drank like a modern day Bacchus. These days I just can't get away with that behaviour so this week my diet has returned to normal and I have been training almost every day. My weight has more or less stayed the same but I think that my waist size has expanded a little so I need to get that back to where it was.
I also decided to give my body a break from alcohol for a while and I said to my wife that I was thinking of giving myself a 20 day challenge to stay off alcohol for that length of time. She came up with a counter-suggestion that maybe I should go for a 37 day challenge to match my next birthday age and so it has begun. I am currently on Day 8, it's not like I go in to any kind of craving mode except at the weekends when it is always nice to have a few beers in front of the television. Anyway, I think that my body will appreciate the time in detox so I can easily manage 37 days.
I am reading a French book called "Je m'appelle Élisabeth" right now which is going very well. In fact I am considering if I should start reading two French (or Dutch) books for every one in English. Although I still prefer reading in English I have to say that I am quite comfortable with French and the best way by far to increase you vocabulary in a language is to read and watch as much television as you can in that language. Furthermore, I have my application form filled out to begin a BA in French through the University of London external program next year, I still have to make the final decision but putting French at the centre of my life can only help if I do make that choice.
I have been keeping up the Japanese podcasts but I feel that I am starting to drift so I am changing things about a bit. I have relearned the Hiragana character set in as far as possible and I am going to work on my Katakana next week. Once I can read these characters I can stop only looking at romanized (romaji) texts. I want to buy some children's books in Japan in June. I am also going to go back to my Teach Yourself Japanese book so that I can start to follow a more linear approach again.
We are going to Poland for three weeks in the summer, ten days at a holiday house at the lake resort of Lagow and the rest of the time at the in-laws in Zielona Gora. It ain't exactly my ideal holiday but summers in Poland tend to be sunny and the children will appreciate being around their Polish family and using their mother tongue. Daddy's challenge will definitely not go beyond 37 days since my ideal holiday involves a water, books and beer and there will be much of all three when we get to Poland.