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As I am away for a few days I am checking in with my monthly weigh in now (I know you are incredibly interested). I am down to 89.2kg, which is 2.1 kg on my weight at the end of January and 6.3kg since the start of the year. I am pleased with this steady progress of about three quarters of a kilo (1.65 pounds) a week. It hasn't been a struggle at all, thus far, and I am feeling very energetic and not getting tired despite my heavy workload. Obviously it will get harder, but my resolve remains strong. You can see from this graph of my (almost) daily weight that some days there were leaps upwards and these rarely correlated with having done anything wrong. It's important not to let that freak you out or get complacent because a week of dieting has had no effect on your weight. I seem to have overcome that natural but illogical reaction to this of "Well if I've put in all that work and nothing has happened then I might as well forget it." Of course, if anything, a setback should make you redouble your efforts rather than conclude you might as well eat what you like. And it's important not to obsess over your weight from one day to the next. As the graph shows, over time the results will begin to show. If you've got two months into your diet without cracking (I've only gone over my proscribed calories on about three occasions - if you don't count my holiday) then keep it up. If you've cracked then give it another go. I can't really explain why sometimes my diets founder straight away and why on others I commit so completely, but I am definitely in the latter camp this time. Not even the stress of deadlines or touring has made me snap.
There is some way to go before I can start patting myself on the back though.
The free versions of RHMOL and RHLSTP went up today, with a nice plug from Chortle. You can watch RHMOL on Vimeo (quality slightly better) or on Youtube. We'd had a combination of about 1000 views by the end of the day, which isn't too bad, but hopefully it can get more (please spread the word if you enjoy it). The audio versions are also out with RHMOL going to #1 on iTunes and RHLSTP with Adam Buxton heading back up the charts. You can subscribe to RHMOL here or get it at the British Comedy Guide. And RHLSTP is here on iTunes or on the British Comedy Guide. It's good to see a few of you subscribing to the paid versions and the donations are slowly racking up. We still a way off being able to finance a video series of AIOTM, but the numbers of monthly subscribers is growing steadily. For the price of half a cup of coffee a month you can help make that happen. But any help is appreciated and helps. It's your choice. Telling your friends about this stuff would be a help as always.
It was the day of my now annual trip to the King's Theatre in Cheddar to again shock the sheltered inhabitants of this town with my offensive comedy. The same people keep coming back, so they must secretly enjoy it. Though a couple on the front row did were stony-faced through the first half and weren't back for the second. Congratulations to Alex Hoskins of the Cheddar Valley Gazette who came in with what must be the fastest review I have ever had for a show. The piece was up before midnight (and luckily it was also a nice write-up). You can read it here. I hope you don't mind me posting it, but the Cheddar Valley Gazette is the one that all the comedians are waiting for. It can make or break an act within a four mile radius of the Cheddar Market Cross.
The school has changed a lot in the three decades since I was doing my O levels here, but I got a little bit of a jolt as I drove past the chemistry labs, which look more or less the same. I clearly remember walking past them and out of the gates on my last ever day at the school. I was not really looking forward to leaving this place behind. In spite of everything (the weirdness of my dad being my headmaster mainly) I did really love it here and I hadn't wanted to leave. But maybe even that nervous young man would have been surprised to see me still (occasionally) coming here in 30 years time. The grandchildren of some of my classmates might be at this school now. Given it's Somerset, maybe the great-grandchildren. There were a few familiar though for some reason older faces in the audience. Thanks God I still look exactly the same. I don't think anyone could deny that.
I saw another rainbow on my way here. Maybe it's not actually that big a deal. It just rains a lot in England. I should have realised by now.
