Wednesday 30 November 2011

All Is Good !


Won't waste your time with a whole bunch of waffle !  All is good in the world for me.  K is cycling to work and getting a lift home with her bike in the afternoon.  Car is getting fixed.  My knee is not good - have to get x-rays at some point - in the meantime I am looking after it and not doing anything that makes it sore or stopping what I am doing when it gets sore.  Did the eccentric exercises last night - not as easy as I thought so clearly my quads are not working like they should and I need to develop them.

Off to see Breaking Dawn tonight - hope I enjoy it as I am a Twilight diehard - having read all the books three times over.

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Don't wait until everything is just right.  It will never be perfect.  There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions.  So what.  Get started now.  With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful - Mark Victor Hansen

Monday 28 November 2011

Bugger, Poo, Bum

Clearly the universe wasn't too keen on my happiness over the weekend because today I was brought right down to earth - yip, could have been worse, but also could have been a whole lot better.

Called the osteo this morning - he can only see me Thursday.  Called the dr - he can see me tomorrow so I book the appointment.  Then at about 11.15am I get a call from the osteo, he has had a cancellation for 12, can I get there - yes thanks I can.  Off I got - he is amazed at the change in my body shape - I can't see it.  He tells me about three times he can't believe the change in my body shape.  I start to feel good because I really haven't been able to see it myself but start to believe him.

The long and the short of my knee issue - I have tendinosis - chronic tendinitis.  Thanks so much for that Mrs Knee !!!!!!  Apparently I have put too much strain on it too quickly i.e. I have upped my training quicker than this old body can cope with it and so it is breaking down - once again, excellent work and thank you Mrs Knee !!!!  Treatment ? Take it easy and if I am doing something that makes it sore, stop and if it isn't sore - honestly - I can carry on.  I also need to do some eccentric loading of my quads.  He has recommended that I still see the dr tomorrow and maybe have a scan just to make sure that everything else is OK as it also looks like there is cartilage degeneration (thanks to my age for this one !!!).  So, I am going to have to start looking after myself just a tad more than I do at the moment otherwise I am going to be very sorry !!!!!!

Then, on the way back to work from the osteo, I got one of those heart stopping phone calls from K "Hi Mom, I've just had an accident.  I'm OK but the car isn't that good."  K, my dearly beloved, thinks she is totally invincible, know it all, 19 year old.  So, I tell her to call A to sort out where to be towed to etc.  Anyway, long story short, he goes to see what has happened and they get the car to the preferred repairer for the insurance company we are with.  Then she had to go to Caboolture with him because someone broke an antenna and he had to take one up there to replace it - they are still not home - not sure when they will be.  I was fine until I stopped to see my folks on my way home from work and then I lost the plot a little when my Mom came out and opened my door and she was crying !!!  Anyway, stayed there about an hour (no point in dashing home) and then came home after that.  Unfortunately I stopped to fill up and landed up buying 2 x Curly Wurly's and 1 x Chomp - because they were on special - and then got home and ate them and some grainwaves.  So figure in terms of calories my dinner is done - not so good from a nutritional value but figure sometimes things happen and I need to just accept what has happened and move on.  On the up side, I nearly bought a whole thing of Darrel Lee rocky road which was in the servo !!!! So maybe the CW and C weren't so bad after all !!!!!

Needless to say, no training tonight - I am sitting here icing my knee currently (this is to keep A happy more than anything else - I haven't noticed that it makes any difference and the osteo said that it may or may not help - I don't think it is helping but it makes A happy so I will continue to do it for a few nights) and balancing K's laptop on my other leg.  I was just thinking the other day about what I wished for - and one of the things I wanted was to start getting out of my comfort zones ?  It has just struck me that maybe this is me getting my wish - I wondered how I would deal with it if I was injured and couldn't train - what would I do ?  Well, that is sort of true - I haven't been told I can't train but I have been told that I have to slow my training down because my body is not changing as fast as I am expecting it to and this is the result.  How do I slow down when all I want to do is speed it up ?  I guess I am going to find out over the next couple of weeks. 

Any advice from anyone who has been really into their training and then had to pull back because of injury ?

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Love does not require analysis, just appreciation.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Introducing .....

   Alfie

We have had Alfie for just over two years and he is a source of great joy to all of us.  He keeps us laughing with his antics and is so very different from .............
   Rosie

not only in colour but in nature as well.  We have had Rosie just under two years.  They are both staffies although Alfie seems to have more bull terrier in him than Rosie does.

He is street smart whereas she is more learned smart.  She will ring the bell hanging from the door frame so that we will open up the sliding door and let her out.  He will lie in front of the door for as long as it takes someone to notice he is there when they are walking past and open the door to let him out !  It is so funny how different they are.

Rosie had to have a knee operation in July this year which cost us $1,500 - thank goodness it fixed the problem that she had.

Do you have any animals that add flavour to your family ?

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Only those who dare to go too far can possibly find out how far one can go - TS Eliot

Saturday 26 November 2011

Another Great Exercise Day !

Last night I stopped and chatted to my folks on my way home from work and then came home and I went for a run while A cycled with me.  I couldn't believe it - I did a 4.88km at an average pace of 6'29"/km.  How did I manage to do that ?  It was only on 7th November that I was bemoaning the fact that I couldn't seem to break the 7'/km - now I am breaking 6'30"/km !!!!  How did that happen ?  Maybe the regular exercise that I am doing ?

Got home from that and hopped on the bike and did a quick 12km ride - landed up doing that a little slower than normal 19.57kph but that is OK - I was so happy at breaking my running time, I gave me legs a bit of a rest during the ride.

We landed up watching Kung Fu Panda 2 and Transformer 3 (I think that was which one it was) - didn't particularly enjoy either of them but I did manage to get my blanket finished and have started a scarf with the leftover yarn that I have.  Hopefully that will be finished soon so that I can get started on my next blanket.

This morning we went to look at more bloody taps - hopefully we have found the ones we want - and then I caught up with a friend whom I haven't seen for ages which was just great - we talked and talked and talked.  Then I went to KMart to see if I could find some running tops.  I had bought two ($10) tops recently and A wanted to buy me more but I said no because I have heaps of T-shirts that I can run in.  The other night I ran in a T-shirt rather than one of these tops - man it was awful !!!!  So I went to see if I could find any more and I managed to get another 2 so that should last and give me enough so that I don't have to wash every day.

My sister has given me some great info about training and rest days so I am going to have a look at changing the days I train and rest to take advantage of her knowledge.  Well, I say I am going to change the days I train but right now I may not be training if I can't get my knee sorted out - it is doing the dodgy on me and I am extremely unhappy about it.  Last night when I was running, I walked so that I could blow my nose - my left knee was so sore while I walked but then when I was running, it was fine - very strange.  It was fine on the cycle.  I iced it during the evening when we were watching TV.  I have it iced now as I am sitting here typing this because when I was walking around the centre it was starting to get painful.  I don't want to have to try to explain what it is to anyone because I don't really know how to describe it - will see how I go tomorrow and then see if I can get an appointment with the osteo on Monday.

This is pretty much what my leg looks like except
it is on an ottoman and not up on a table.


K is baby sitting today - not sure when she will be home.  A is off on a brewery tour - not sure what state he will be in when he gets home !!!  I am having a wonderful 'me' day today - and I am loving it !!!!

We have had a couple of responses for the street BBQ and drinks so looks like it will be a go - I have got my bottle of Amarula chilled and waiting - I am going to make the most of the evening !!!!!

Have the best weekend ever !

Love, hugs and positive energy !

Friday 25 November 2011

Baskin & Robbins

Last night K piked on going to training so I went by myself - and I felt it !!!!  When there is only one of us to concentrate on H keeps an eagle eye as to form and what I am doing and corrects me so much more than when there are two of us to share between him. On one level I am grateful for this because it does make me more aware of how I actually perform the exercises but on another level it nearly kills me - but that is OK - I can feel this morning that I worked out last night and I like that feeling !


After I got home I cooled down and then had a shower before having some dinner.  A and I were sitting watching The Big Bang Theory (man that show makes me laugh) and I was busy trying to finish the blanket I am crocheting (because I want to get on and start the next one !) and I had a thought - wouldn't a B&R ice-cream go down really well right now ?  It was so hot and so humid after the rain all day.  I asked A if he was interested (Is the Pope a Catholic ?) and so off we went - me driving in my jarmmies (who were we likely to bump into anyway ?) because I wasn't going to get changed just to go down the road to get an ice-cream at 8.45 at night  and A doing the hop out, go in and buy and then hop in the car and off we went home.  I only had one scoop (very proud for saying Only One, Only One when I really wanted to say - Thanks Love, I'll have two scoops tonight !) and I savoured every single little morsel of it - it was delicious !  I figure I may have to go for a 10km run tonight to run it off but I thoroughly enjoyed it and do, to a certain extent, feel that life is not about complete abstinence.  I am still doing L&E and feel in control which is why I suggested having the ice-cream last night - because I knew I could say I'll only have one scoop and I knew that today I wouldn't stop at the shop and buy any extras to have at work seeing as I am alone in the office for most of the day.


Life is good !  We aren't going to the 7's rugby today - figure we have enough expenses to cover if we go ahead with the bathroom so will watch it at home on TV instead.  The sun is trying to come out this morning which is good because I dislike the gloom of rainy days but it also means that the humidity is going to go through the roof.  Tomorrow A is off on a brewery tour and I am catching up with a friend I haven't seen for ages, then I am going to have some 'Me' time - sitting and reading my book or watching some DVDs.  K and I are looking at going to see Breaking Dawn next week so that should be good.  I have heard mixed reviews about the movie so don't really know what to expect - whatever it is it will be good to spend the evening together.  I figure there aren't going to be too many more evenings together now that she is nearly 20 - it really isn't all that cool to spend the evening out with your Mom !!!!!!

Have a fantastic day and an even better weekend !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : Character is the ability to win an argument without saying a word - Chard

Thursday 24 November 2011

Another Loss and Feeling So Much Better !

Yesterday afternoon I started to feel so much better - and I am so grateful for this because I hated feeling so down - especially when there was no rhyme or reason for it (all I can think is that it is medication related so am going to see what I can find out about changing it).  But I am feeling on top of the world today - and not just because of losing another 0.5kgs this week (although that did help !)

Last night I went for a 4.85km run and did it in 6'43"/km - sooooooooooooooo happy about that.  Then A got home and we went and delivered invites for street party that we are looking at holding on 9th December.  Not sure how well it is going to go down as we have never done anything like this before but figured it is time for me to start stepping leaping out of my comfort zones and meeting new people is a big HUGE thing for me - A and I are both really shy and don't do 'new people' well so this will be an interesting exercise.  The neighbours that we are friendly with already are free on the same night so if nobody else is interested, we will have the party at either their place or ours and we KNOW it will be a good one - even if it is just the four of us as we always have a great time when we get together. (A bottle of Amarula will definitely feature high on the list of items required for said party !!)

After delivering the invites, we took the dogs for a walk and did a 4.5km walk - so by 8pm last night I was ready for bed.  Not that I got to bed then !!!  It was all good from about 11pm until the rain started at about 3am and then it was just toss and turn - between the rain and the spurts of snoring, I didn't get a huge amount of rest !

Sonia, we don't have a spare room (well we do but it is my therapy room and as much as clients seem to fall asleep reasonably easily on the therapy table, I can't sleep on it) but we do have a 7 seater corner couch which is REALLY comfy so I normally drag my doona/sheet and pillow down the passage, through the diningroom and kitchen and into the lounge room and sleep there.

Lady Daa Doo, that may be a really good reason to get an iPhone although I do love my Blackberry !!!!!

Well better get on with my day - listening to the rain falling outside and seeing it slide down the windows - it is good to have the rain after so much heat.  Here's hoping that it isn't raining tomorrow as we want to go to the rugby 7's which are being played at Skilled Stadium tomorrow from lunch time.


This is pretty much what I can see when I look out my window.

Have a terrific Thursday - the weekend is nearly here and we are only a month away from Christmas Eve - how scary is that ??????

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, it's at the end of your arm.  As you get older, remember you have another hand : the first is to help yourself, the second is to help others - Audrey Hepburn

Wednesday 23 November 2011

Snoring ?

I would LOVE to have this sign in our bedroom !


Does anyone else suffer with a snoring partner ?  It is enough to drive me INSANE some nights.  As he suffers from asthma, when he gets sick, he snores, and I am very accommodating in this instance. I don't like it, but I understand the reason for it.

When he has a few beers, he snores.  I am not so accommodating in this instance because it is self inflicted.



Some nights he snores for no reason - and not only if he is lying on his back - he can snore on his side, he can snore on his stomach, as long as his eyes are closed, he can snore - AND IT DRIVES ME NUTS !  No amount of pushing, prodding, rolling, tapping, kneeing or touching not so gently with my foot will get him to stop.  Maybe that is a little harsh because I am sure that in most instances he wouldn't snore if he could help it but nonetheless, he can't help it (except when he has had a few beers) and, after nearly 24 years, I guess I don't have much option but to put up with it.  It does make me very cranky - if I could just get to sleep before him, it would help because then he could snore to his hearts content and it doesn't worry me - but he has the gift of lying down, closing his eyes and within 5 secs - literally - he is asleep.  He can fall asleep in the middle of a conversation - when he is the one talking !!!! 

I cannot do that - I lie this way, I turn over, I lie that way, I turn back, I lie on my stomach, I turn over onto my side - I would have to lie in about 6 or 8 different positions before I come even close to falling asleep.  I have very bad sleeping habits which I am working on improving but, man it is hard work and so slow to change !

Any suggestions on getting him to stop snoring ?

Have a fantastic day - love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn.



Tuesday 22 November 2011

Still Feeling Blue !

So, I won't bring anyone down to my level.  I will be back to post when I have something positive to say !

Love, hugs and positive energy !

Monday 21 November 2011

Why So Blue ?

I wish I knew why I was feeling so blue today - in the past 2 days 3 people have commented on the fact that I am losing weight.  On Saturday I bought some size 14 togs - that fit me !!! And I have some size 12 pants that I am fitting into - why on why do I feel like it is all too hard and everything is getting too much for me ??????  Could it be just Mondayitis ?

This is just how I feel - blue and alone
 and I shouldn't, because I have so much going for me.


Update at 8pm : Went for a run when I got home - 3.4km at 6'29" per km - broke the 6'30" but still feel like cr*p - was really hoping that the run would help to get me out the funk and clear my head - it didn't.  I have had a shower and am going to go to bed very soon.

Sunday 20 November 2011

What Happens To Socks ?

Why oh why can I never find my socks ?  I have heard that washing machines and dryers eat one sock each time they are used.  Why do mine seem to eat at least one or two PAIRS of socks each time they are used ?



Now that I am exercising at least 5 out of 7 days, that is 5 pairs of socks that go into the washer and dryer.  At the beginning of the next week, I am lucky if I can find 2 pairs of socks.  Scavenging through A's and K's drawers has yet to net me any more pairs.  I don't know how many pairs of socks I have bought so that I have always got some in the drawer and I have to be honest, I am tired of spending my hard earn money on socks so that I can exercise - especially as I don't like wearing cheap and nasty socks - they have to be good, comfortable socks otherwise I might as well not exercise as all.  There is NOTHING (well maybe there are some things worse) worse than uncomfortable socks when you are exercising - actually, there is nothing worse than anything you are wearing being uncomfortable when you are exercising !!  I would love some help in finding the missing pairs of socks - if anyone has any ideas - please feel free to let me know !

I went and bought 5 pairs of Nike socks - so far three pairs have lasted one week.  Two pairs I am keeping up my sleeve for an emergency situation when I can find no pairs and I am ready to exercise.

Have the best week ever !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

Quiten The Mind
Quiten your mnd to listen to your heart.
With a quiet mind you will hear the truth
in your heart.
Feel your truth and let your true
feelings guide you.
Universal Symbols by Ken Dowling

Friday 18 November 2011

A Sad Day and A Great Day !

Today has been a really mixed day for me.  Today I spent a lot of my day reading about domestic violence and abuse as a result of the Speak Out campaign organised by Kristin of Wanderlust - so much of it happens - and I had no idea that this happened in so many homes.  I knew that I had lead a very sheltered life but I didn't realise just how sheltered it had been. My Dad never abused my Mom in any way, shape or form - I never even heard him raise his voice to her or us kids.  We did get a good couple of smacks as kids but to me, there is a difference between discipline and abuse, and he never crossed that line.  My Mom would shout at us - as Mom's do - and she would smack us - as Mom's do.  I had a rule when K was little that I would not hit her with my hands because my hands were for loving and wooden spoons were for smacking - and it never did her any harm - well not that I can see.  Now when we talk she knows that we mean what we say and we don't have to use the wooden spoon anymore which is good because now she is 19 yo she is probably too old for a smack !!!!

I am going to be thinking about what I can do to help victims of domestic violence and will hopefully come up with a plan in the next week or so.

Then the great side of my day was coming home and exercising.  I was talking to a client the other night and he said that after 21 days things become a habit and I realised that that was what had happened to me - I am now in the habit of exercising - AND I LOVE IT !!!  I love the endorphins that it produces.  I love how they make me feel.  Tonight I did a mini bi-athlon (it took me a while to come up with the right word - actually I never even came up with the bi-athlon - I was thinking du-athlon and couldn't think of anything else until I asked A while we were cycling !!) I ran 3.38km at - wait for it - drum roll please - 6'32"/km - with no walking - go me !!!!  And then we got home and I changed into cycling pants and we cycled 14.4km at 20.6kph.  I feel so good.  I said if only competitions were in those sort of lengths - I don't think I will find any race that is only 3km run and 15km cycle - no way I can do a tri-athlon because if I had to swim anything further than the 8m of our swimming pool, I wouldn't be able to run or cycle - and they always have the swim first so I would be stuffed before I even started the other segments.  But, definitely something that I think I might look into - it would be so cool to train for an event rather than just running and cycling because I need to exercise.  (Quick question - if I run and cycle on the same night does that count as two exercise sessions ?)

When I uploaded my run from tonight - I saw the following statistics on my Nike+ site :
- I have had 20 recorded runs
- I have run for 8 hrs and 22 mins
- I have run 72.38kms in total
- I have run at an average of 6'56" per km
- I have burnt 6,019 calories

Yesterday I went to see a naturopath at the recommendation of the osteopath that I see.  She was amazing (and not just because of the nice things she told me !!!).  She took a sample of blood - I thought that I might be dead because my red blood cells were not moving - they are supposed to move - but it appears that I must be dehydrated which means they slow down stop moving altogether.  BUT I have great white blood cells and my omegas are great.  Then she took photos of my eyes - I have a strong constitution - don't get sick but watch out if I do get sick (absolutely me), like processes and lists and doing the right thing (killed myself laughing at this one as it is a joke at work that I don't want to know about things that they do that aren't right because I won't sleep knowing that we have done the wrong thing !!!).  I also have stress rings - not because I am stressed but because I find it difficult to say no and I internalise things rather than talk about them (never thought I would hear anyone say I don't talk enouhg !!!) - maybe it is just that I am talking about the wrong things !!!  She pretty much wanted to know how come I had gone to see her because clearly I was extremely healthy.  Well I made the appointment to get my metabolism, liver function etc checked out - turns out it is probably the Pill that is stopping my weight loss - bloody oath - definitely going to have to find a way around that.  I don't want to find that I am doing all this hard work and it is being negated by the means I am using to make sure I have no more cherubs !  That is something that we are going to investigate moving forward.  I can't wait to work that one out so that this weight can move - I am too motivated to let a little thing like the Pill stop me from achieving what I want to achieve.

I have so much more to say but figure if you have made it this far you deserve to have a chance to do something more beneficial like have a drink or a soak in the bath or possibly just time to veg out !

Have the best weekend ever !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : The hardest work you will have to do is to learn to depend on your inner self  because you have been taught to look always to someone else - Venice Bloodworth

Speak Out Against Domestic Violence

I had NO idea that domestic violence and abuse was so prevalent.  Through blogs that I have been reading I have come across so many women and children who have been exposed to domestic violence and abuse and it is just heart breaking to know that this was happening and I had no idea.

Kristin from Wanderlust has organised for 18th November to be Speak Out day for people to tell their stories of domestic violence and abuse and not keep them hidden in places where nobody else can see them.  Like illnesses which can't be seen, this type of abuse is, more often than not, unseen too.  Hence the reason I hadn't realised just how much of an epidemic it was.

While I have no experience of this type of behaviour, I am totally sympathetic to women and children who are in this type of situation and feel awful that someone can inflict this type of behaviour on another human being.

Please, seek help if you are in this situation and don't ever believe that you are worthless and useless - YOU ARE NOT - we all have different talents and just because someone doesn't appreciate what you have to offer, does not lessen what you do have to offer.

In order to honour and show my appreciation for the fact that I married the most wonderful man in the whole world, who does not abuse me in any way, I am going to go home and tell him how much I love and appreciate how special I am to him and how I love and appreciate that he treats me as I deserve to be treated (or if truth be told, he probably treats me better than I deserve to be treated at times !!).

Thursday 17 November 2011

Finally - a 70's Girl !

I knew that if I just stuck with the program I would see the results and this morning I did - a loss of 1.3kgs to take me well and truly into the 70's - YAY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This would definitely help show the numbers I want to see
although probably not so good at helping me fit into smaller clothes !

Hopefully there will be some good losses before I reach the next plateau.  I just LOVE being so motivated that I can cycle and walk in the same evening - they both helped my legs but not as much as my Epsom salts soak last night !

Off to see the naturopath today so will be interested to see what she has to say.

Have a FANTASTIC day !

Love, hugs and positive energy.
Release Potential
When you realise and accept who you are,
you will release this potential and yor gifts for all
to enjoy.
Discover your uniqueness and share your gift with
all on your path.
Universal Symbols by Ken Dowling

Wednesday 16 November 2011

A Great Evening !

I got home from work and A wasn't home yet but that was OK - unpacked the latest L&E delivery and the dog food that had finally arrived (long story about Rosie and her operation - AWL recommended she have this special food - $153/12kgs - better bloody be worth it !!)  Anyway, A got home and got the bikes out and off we went.  You know how sometimes within about 5 mins you just know it is going to be hard doing ANY exercise - well I was like that on the bike - I really struggled the first 1-2kms - into a dreadful head wind (again !!!) and battling to stay at 17-18kph.  Anyway, kept at it and then got my second wind - plus I was trying the breathing that the osteo recommended - instead of in for two steps / pedals and out for two steps / pedals - to go 3 and 2 so that I am using alternate feet with my breathing.  I tried this when I was running and felt so unco and bloody awkward that I went back to the 2/2 that I was comfortable with.  Spoke to the trainer about it last night and he said to keep at it and it will feel right eventually.  So I did that with my cycling today and it was definitely easier than with the running - hopefully it will become a habit that will fit with my running as well.  Had a good cycle - 14.3km at 20.6kph - slower than the ride on Saturday morning - maybe a harder head wind (wish I could measure it somehow) and maybe my legs are a little fatigued after training last night.  Last Thursday H (trainer) really worked my arms - so much so that on Friday and more so on Saturday I battled to do my bra up and lift my arms much at all.  Last night he worked our legs - and I felt that today at work up and down the stairs - man I love that I can feel DOMS and know that I have had a good workout.

We got home after cycling and chatted for a while then A suggested taking the dogs for a walk so we got them and off we went - 5,5km later we were home and my legs could REALLY feel it.  Luckily A had a techie who had gone up to Toowoomba to the horse feed store there and bought me 2 x 5kg bags of Epsom salts - I ran out ages ago and won't pay $7/500g from the supermarket - so I was really glad to get the 10kgs for $40 !!!  Man, I loved my soak in the bath with a whole bunch of Epsom salts in it - and my legs loved it even more - they feel so much better now.  (If I cycled and then walked does that count as 2 execise sessions in the week ????)

K is out baby sitting and I am off to have an early night.  I still can't believe how I have got out of the habit of going to work from 8-12pm and only getting to sleep close to 1am most nights - it is SOOOOO good !!!

Pulled out some dresses tonight to see just how many cms I still need to lose before I can fit into them for A's Christmas party - if I can lose another 5-6kgs before 10 Dec it would be great but I don't think that will happen so will have to see what sort of corrective underwear I can find to hold all the wobbly bits in.  Any suggestions ????

Have a fantastic evening !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

Life Is Good !


Things have been a tad hectic in the M household BUT I have managed to keep up with my exercise, good eating and good drinking.  I am even managing to get through at least 1L of water a day !

Tomorrow I am hoping to be a 70's girl but have decided that if I am not, all will not be lost (no pun intended), because if it doesn't show this week, it will show next week or the week after or the week after that (geez, I hope it doesn't take that long !!!)

The good thing is that I have noticed how much fitter I am.  We cycled the other day and managed a good 22.5kph and my legs didn't feel nearly as fatigued as they used to when we cycled and we would never have maintained that sort of speed given the head wind we were cycling into.  So it is all good !!!!

And for that I am grateful.  (Plus K managed to sell her car last night - and I am EXTREMELY grateful for that !!!)

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : The first step to waking up is the discovery that you have been asleep - Alan Cohen

Tuesday 15 November 2011

Kill the Friggin' Bird !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I woke (for no apparent reason) at 2.11am.  This bird, in the trees at the back of our home, was calling for it's Mom, Dad, brother, sister, aunty, uncle, cousin - NOBODY is coming you stupid bloody bird.  After nearly 2 hrs of calling - YOU ARE ALONE IN THIS WORLD and if you continue the way you are, you may not be of this world for much longer.

Nobody loves you - go to sleep - properly.  Don't lull me into a false sense of thinking that you have finally given your last call for someone to come and stay with you.  If I did love you at the beginning of the night, I friggin' HATE you now.  At 2.11am, I had had approximately 90 mins of sleep - it is now 4.10am and I have still only had 90 mins of sleep.

If we were still in South Africa, I would have taken our 38 Special and shot you, but we no longer own a gun so I have to make do with putting the pillow over my head but somehow you manage to penetrate that with your call of desparation.

I NEED TO SLEEP - can you please, pretty please, SHUT UP !!  I really would appreciate it - especially at 2 or 3pm this afternoon when I am trying very hard to stay awake at work.  Or even worse, at 8.30 when I trying to keep my eyes open to finish with my last client.

(Maybe the bird can read - I haven't heard a call for a couple of minutes so I am going to sneak back to bed and hopefully get another 90 mins of sleep before I have to get up and face the day !)

Update :   That stupid bird went to sleep but as, by that time of the day, dawn was breaking, all his 'friends' who had completely ignored him fron 2am - 4am, decided that they would get up and whistle us into a new day - BLOODY STUPID BIRDS - don't they know that some of us have to get some sleep so that we can work to put food on the tables for our little cherubs !

Today should be a fun day - not !!!

Monday 14 November 2011

I Did It !

This evening I ran 4.88km at 6'48" per KM - I was so EXCITED when I ran onto the driveway, switched the run off and checked the time.  I am sure that my smile cut my face in half !!!  Now that I have broken that 7'00" hoodoo - I am REALLY HAPPY !

Just waiting for some friends to come over for a Swiss beauty workshop - should be fun.

Have a fantastic evening !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : When you accept 100% responsibility for your experience, you gain 100% of the power to create the experience you would choose - Alan Cohen

Saturday 12 November 2011

The Weight Loss Gods Are Looking After Me !

Last night A and I went to see Moneyball.  We are a HUGE baseball fan family.  A started playing baseball when he was 3 and only gave up about 5 or 6 years ago.  He has played baseball and softball just about all his life and played softball for South Africa in the World Series in Michigan, USA in 1996 - it was an amazing experience.  I went over for the second week of the tournament and they made it through to the final 8 which was unbelievable given it was the first time they had played in the World Series.  Anyway, I digress.  It was a great movie which I think would be enjoyable even for people who didn't follow baseball.

After a lousy nights sleep the night before I had thought I would leave work at about 3pm so that I could either (a) have a nana nap or (b) go for a run or cycle.  I did neither.  My boss went out at about 2.15 and only got back at 3.15 so I was just packing up when he asked me to do a couple of things for him before I left so I landed up working until about 4.20 - so, no nana nap and no exercise.  Got home in time to get changed and leave to go to the movies.  We decided to have dinner at the movies - so I ordered the chicken wrap which came with some chips AND I ordered sticky date pudding with ice-cream as well.  On top of that we got complimentary popcorn and cold drink.  So, I had about 20 pieces of popcorn and left the rest.  I had the chicken wrap and most of the chips.  And then I waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And my dessert never arrived.  So after the movie we went to get a refund on the dessert that didn't arrive only to find out that they had delivered it to the wrong table !!!!  How lucky was that because as much as I would have enjoyed it, I probably would have regretted it once I had eaten it.  So now when I go for a run or cycle later this morning, I will be burning off calories that I have already eaten and not my dessert from last night !

Thank you to the Weight Loss Gods for delivering the dessert I ordered to the kids in front of us !!!!

Nothing too exciting planned for the weekend.  I am hoping to make a final decision on the bathroom renovation (or not) and we have someone coming around to see K's car which she is trying to sell.  As much as I love her, if there is anyone who would like to have a sassy 19yo living in their home, please mail me and I will arrange postage of said teenager post haste !!!!!!!  At what age do teenagers actually realise that THEY DON'T KNOW IT ALL - no matter how much they think they do ?????

Looks like I will make my 5/7 days of exercise again this week - gotta love being this motivated.

Have a fantastic weekend everyone and take care !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : You do not know the weight of this self you are carrying until you put it down - Zen

Friday 11 November 2011

R.I.P (Downstairs) Gran 11/11/1974

I hope that you see that I married a wonderful man and we have a (most of the time) wonderful daughter who is growing up quicker than Jack Flash.  I hope that you see that we live in a lovely home in a wonderful country, so different from where we were born and grew up.  I hope that you see that I have your engagement stone, Mom's engagement stone and my engagement stone made into a new improve engagement ring and that you know that I think of you every day when I look at it.  I hope you see all the crocheting and knitting that I do and remember when you were teaching me how to crochet and knit and all the 'extra legs' and 'button holes' that I made.

I love and miss you so much Gran and hope that you see that you are still important in my life !

My Attempt Not to Have a Midnight Snack

OK, technically it isn't midnight yet but it is close enough.  I went to bed angry with K for not doing the chores I asked her to do today and putting up with some cheek that a 19 yo daughter can come up with and now I can't sleep - because I am fuming - and what I really want to do is stuff my face with the junk food that A and K appear to have purchased recently - peanut M&M's, mini Oreo's, black pepper and lime chips, ched biscuits and cheese - all the really good things to eat, especially at close to midnight - when nobody is around to see how much I can stuff in my face.  Instead I am going to sit here and waffle give a recount of my day to keep me away from the food !

This is what my face might have looked like had I not blogged now !


Tonight I went to training (we missed training on Tuesday night because of the KoL concert - well worth missing training for I have to say !!!!) and instead of walking the block before going to train, I decided to run it.  Luckily it is only a 1.15km block because I am not sure I could have run for much longer and then still trained for 30-40 mins after that.  I was really pleased with running 6'12"/km although it is obviously a lot shorter than my other runs - oh how I wish I could run a 5km route at that pace !!!!!  One day !  K piked on me so I went by myself - man do I notice it when K isn't there and the trainer can concentrate on just me !!!!!  But it was good although my arms and legs did feel a little weak the rest of the night.

My arms felt like the arm on the left looks !


That makes it 4/4 and I am hoping to finish work at about 3pm tomorrow so that I can come home and have a run before A and I are off to the Gold Class Lounge at Harbourtown to see Moneyball (I think that is the name of the movie) - it is the movie about the Oakland Athletics baseball side (many years ago).  I have heard that it is a great movie (even if you aren't a baseball fan - but we are HUGE baseball fans) so looking forward to that.



Up until recently I have never really been an exercise person - I would often do it because I knew that it was good for me but I never enjoyed it.  Now I am finding that I am really enjoying it and have to make sure that I give myself a rest day on the weekend so as not to over do it.  I think that is so cool - I am exercising because I enjoy the feeling that I get from doing it not because I feel like I have to.

After training tonight, I came home and ate and showered and then we went to Australia Fair as I had recently bought a light little jacket to wear over sleeveless tops because I feel that I am at the age where I would prefer to cover up my arms rather than not.  It is so comfy and so light and I got a $10 discount voucher from Katie's so thought I would go and see what other colours they have (I have a black one - of course !!!) - anyway, the Katie's at AF didn't have any so think I will try the one at Robina tomorrow to see if they have any. After that we went to KMart to get A a luminous long sleeve shirt for work as his work ones are so hot.  We got him one of these the other day and he said that it was much cooler, so for $9 we bought him another one.  While we were there we saw some sleeveless running tops for me for $10 and he found me a pair of running 3/4 pants for $15.  I wasn't going to try them on (I absolutely loathe clothes shopping and having to try clothes on) but eventually I did and we landed up buying them.  I used to run in some pants that I bought from Target and they were good (at least that is what I thought) until we went on a Nike shopping expedition a few weeks/months - can't remember when - ago, and I bought a pair of their 3/4 running pants - $40 marked down from $50 as we got discount for buying 3 pairs of running shoes and a whole heap of clothes between us.  Man, they are so comfortable, I land up washing nearly every night just so that they can get washed and be dry, ready for me to use the next night !!!!!!  So will try the new pants and tops out tomorrow night unless A finishes work early too in which case we will probably go for a cycle and I won't get to try them out until next week ! (Tried to find some pics on the KMart website but they don't have any pics of women's clothing !!!)

This is the top that I want to buy another one of from Katies

On that note I am off to bed (again) - hopefully I will get to sleep this time.  Thank you for making it possible for me NOT to eat anything !

Have a fantastic Friday !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

Thursday 10 November 2011

Some Losses !

I stepped on the scale this morning so wishing, hoping, really really expecting to be in the 70's but I wasn't - I was only down 0.1kg from last week.  I was disappointed but A suggested that I measure myself even though I don't feel like my clothes are getting looser at all.  I wasn't keen to measure myself because my clothes aren't any looser on me but I did.  What a LOVELY surprise - I have lost 21cm in 6 weeks !!!!!  I suppose I can't be upset or disappointed with THAT !!!


The only thing is that I have lost 17cm above my hips and only 4cm from my hips down. I never really look at my top - only how my pants fit and clearly they aren't fitting any differently because I have only lost 2cm on my hips, and 1cm on each of my calves and nothing on my thighs.  I have been thinking about it since I measured myself and when I think back, I am sure that this is how I have lost weight previously.  I start losing from my top which is where I am not fussed about and then eventually it starts to move from my lower half which is where I really want it to move from.

Last night A and I went for a cycle - into a really strong head wind - and we cycled 13.5kms at an average a smidge under 20kph, which, given the conditions, I was really happy with.  The thing that really annoys me (well annoys probably isn't the right word but I can't think of another word right now because there is too much noise around the office !!!!!!) is that so often we cycle into a head wind when we leave home (in anticipation of cycling with the wind on our way home) except that when we 'turn', the wind either drops, or changes direction and we cycle in the wind again.  It is a good work out for my legs but sometimes it does make them really tired !!!!! Anyhoo, what I am hoping is that if I can mix up the running, cycling and training the weight will HAVE to come off eventually.

My bike is plain old silver - not pretty pink like this one !!

My eating is spot on, I am now doing L&E 7 days per week without any extra snacks or meals of any kind.  What I need to concentrate on (and it won't be today because I am on my way to Richlands to sort out something with a new system they are wanting to put in) is drinking more water.  I am trying to drink at least 1L of water before I have any soft drinks - not always easy because I LOATHE water with an absolute passion and the only water I will drink is filtered water. (Reminder to self - bring new water filter to work as the one at work is shot !)

On that note, while I still didn't make the 70's this week, I am one happy little 'not so large as I was last week' lady !

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Laughing at our own mistakes can lengthen our own life.  Laughing at someone else's can shorten it - Cullen Hightower

Wednesday 9 November 2011

Kings of Leon

What a great concert !!!!  We had an absolutely fantastic evening - on the way home K said that she wasn't that excited about going and was thinking "Well that is $90 I've wasted" but she thoroughly enjoyed the show - just like me !  I don't think that A enjoyed it quite as much but that is how it normally goes - he comes with to drive and keep me company if K doesn't come with !!!

I had a great run last night before we left to go up to the concert - 3.34km at 6"45"/km - I was VERY happy with that time !!!  Tonight I think I am going to cycle instead of run - just to mix it up a little.

Feeling on top of the world today - happy hump day everyone !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

FUN & JOY
Invite fun and joy in your life now.
Play as a child would play, openly and innocently.
Free your adult shackles and create play
without the need for artificial stimulants
to get you there.
Universal Symbols by Ken Dowling

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Disappointed but still Determined !

As I have mentioned before, I am a scale whore.  I live and die (well not literally) by the number that comes up on the scale when I stand on it every single morning.  When I am in denial, I am not a scale whore, I do not step on the scale and, unless you offered to pay me squillions of $, I won't step on the scale.  My eating and exercise regime at the moment is partly to see a number I am happy with on the scale and partly to make sure that I am as healthy as I can be for my age.


Oh what I would give for this to be the number that I saw on the scale when I got on in the morning
(Having said that I don't want to have to lose a leg to see that number !!!!)

I have been doing L&E for nearly 6 weeks and my weight, during the week, is not going the way it is supposed to - it is not going down, it isn't even staying the same, it keeps going up.  I have even changed to 7 days of L&E rather than 5 days of L&E and just watching what I eat on the weekend and on Monday, my weight was up 1.2kgs from Thursday - HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN ?  How can I have 4 days of eating less than 1200 calories and I put on 1.2kg ?  A says - with all the exercise you are building muscle which is heavier than fat - but my clothes aren't any looser than they used to be.   My measurements don't appear to have got less so what is going on ?  I know that if I keep it up, I will see the results eventually but it is so demoralising.  Last year I lost about 27kgs in 6 months doing L&E and less exercise than I am doing now.  This time around I am exercising more and the weight seems to be taking longer to come off.

I spoke to the osteopath when I saw him this morning and he has recommended that I see a naturopath to see if everything is functioning like it should in case there is another reason why I seem to be battling with my weight so will see when I can get an appointment (I have been warned that it will be a while before I can get in to see her).

Yesterday I went for a run on the long loop (4.9km) and felt really good during the run but was absolutely devastated when I uploaded my time to find that it was 7'05"/km.  When I ran the same loop on Friday, I ran it in 7'03"/km.  And, when I ran the 3.3km loop on Wednesday I did it in 6'58"/km.  I was talking to A about it when we were in the car last night and was saying to him that I can't work it out - I would have to be the LEAST competitive person on this earth that I know of and yet I get really upset with myself because my runs are more than the 7'00"/km.  I mean at the end of the day, I am talking about less than 35 secs over just under 5 kms but it is really getting to me.  If I knew why it was so important to me, it would help because at the end of the day, it really isn't a big deal but for some reason it has taken on a life of it's own in my head and it is sitting there like this big black cloud waiting to pour on my parade if I can't get under bloody 7mins !

But, I am determined to stay on track with my food and my exercise because I know that if I keep on with it I will see the results.  I just have to be PATIENT (not a word that is normally found in my vocabulary !!!)  The other night I was up in the middle of the night and I went onto the computer rather than into the pantry to see what I could eat - I did feel like that was a win for me.  I am the worst midnight snack eater although now that my sleeping habits are becoming more normal, I am not awake as much during the night as I used to be which is good because that was when I did a lot of eating - often mindless eating because I was the only one in the family awake and what better time to eat a whole heap of cr*p when nobody is around to see just exactly how much I can shovel into my face !

Tonight there is no training - we are off to see Kings of Leon.  The concert was originally in Jan or Feb this year but due to the drummer having to have an operation on his shoulder, we got bumped to the end of their tour.  And, to make matters worse, they have put on an extra show - on the Gold Coast - instead we get to schlep all the way to the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at Boondall !!!!!  But, I have heard that it is a great concert so hopefully worth the schelp.

Have an absolutely terrific Tuesday !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : Everybody get so much information all day long that they lose their common sense - Gertrude Stein

Thursday 3 November 2011

A Loss is A Loss

Well, 0.4kgs is less than what I was hoping for and less than what the scale said I had lost yesterday morning but I have come to accept that the scales can't rule my life (even though I let them the other day when I lost my mojo after they gave me the most unacceptable number when I got onto them that morning), so long as they are moving in the right direction I will be happy with what they say.

I will continue to aim to exercise 5 days out of 7 and give myself at least one rest day per week.

This week I ordered 7 days of L&E in a bid to get to be a 70's girl by next week but promise  hope not to beat myself up if that doesn't happen.

Gotta dash - busy with month end !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : Half an hour's meditation each day is essential, except when you are busy.  Then a full hour is needed. - St Francis de Sales

Wednesday 2 November 2011

Waiting is Frustrating !

On the weekend, A didn't work at all and so we were out and about looking at tiles, baths, toilets, vanities, tapware - pretty much anything that we might want to replace in the bathroom.  So, because I am so anal about finances lots of stuff, we did all the homework about how much (roughly) the bathroom reno was going to cost us except A kept saying, we can get that cheaper through XXX.  On Monday I sent him off with the list of items we had seen - makes, models etc so he could get the 'mates rates' from XXX and we could see what we could really afford to get done.  No luck with him getting there on Monday but he did get there yesterday.

Original comment from XXX - bring us what you want and we will get better prices for you even if we don't deal with them normally.  Not so fast !!!!  They can't get a price on the vanity and basins because they don't deal with them but they did say here, have this brochure from the people we do deal with.  OK, so we look through that - our current vanity is 1620mm long - the longest one in the brochure 1200mm.  Can they make bigger vanities ?  I don't know - will have to ask them.  BUGGER - another day of waiting !!!!  A is really keen on a double basin vanity - why, goodness alone knows ?  We have always shared everything and it is so seldom that we both want to use the basin at the same time, I can't see the point but he hardly ever says "I would really like this" - how can I say we only need one basin ?  Geez, I don't care one way or the other, I just want to know - are we doing the reno or are we going to Canada OR can we do both ?????

Who would have thought that choosing taps and showerheads could be so difficult ?  Who knew that there were so many different ones to choose from ?  Who knew that there were so many different shower heads and combinations of dumpers, rails, out the wall, out the ceiling ?  Do we want taps or mixers ?  If you want taps what tap head would you like ?  If you want a mixer, what style mixer would you like ?  Jeepers, I don't know - I just want something that lets me get the water out the shower or into the basin.  The toilet, I just want something I can sit on and do what I need to do - does it have to be soft close - not really, does it need to do anything else - not really - can I just have some basic model that does what a toilet is supposed to do ? 

Are all renos this difficult ?  Is that why we have done very little renovating since we moved in just over 11 years ago ?  Is it just that I forgot all the hassles from that long ago, otherwise I would never have suggested doing the bathroom reno and would have just not looked at the tiles falling off the wall ?

Hopefully by the end of the week we will know one way or the other whether we are renovating or not and whether we are doing a complete renovation or a 'do what we need to but keep what we can' kind of renovation.  I know I want to do the complete renovation but don't want it to be at the expense of celebrating in Canada.  I have horrible memories of an $8k pool renovation turning into a $30k complete outdoor renovation which added great value and space to our home but one thing just seemed to snowball into another and before we knew it, our budget was blown.  Granted, none of the money was wasted and we have a fantastic entertainment area but it just shows me how one idea can lead to something so much bigger than we ever anticipated.  We have the money, it is just ear marked for something else so I guess I am going to have to play finance policeman to make sure if when we go over budget, it is within an acceptable limit.

Do you have any reno stories that may help me in my quest for making sure that, if this reno goes ahead, it goes smoothly ?

Have a wonderful Wednesday !

Love, hugs and positive energy.

TFTD : Don't use errors as an excuse to beat yourself up.  Use them as an opportunity to lift yourself up.  Forgiveness is the great healer - Alan Cohen

Tuesday 1 November 2011

A Pinch and A Punch ......

And thank goodness my mojo was found over night !

Thanks to Mama Jots for the inspiration for this picture this morning.


Went for a run last night - 4.89km at 7'06"/km which is slower than the 6'50"/km that I ran the other night but also nearly 1.5km further and I ran for longer.  A cycle next to me and was most impressed with the distance that I actually ran (think I only walked 2 short lamp posts).  My right calf hurt a bit while I was running but I got home and iced it before my client arrived and it feels much better this morning.

Then had a client in for a massage - her baby is due next week and I really felt for her in the last week of her pregnancy - she has absolutely NO idea of how much her life is going to change - sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse !!!!  But, no matter what, I hope that she has a relatively very easy delivery and that the baby is happy and healthy and brings them lots of joy (knowing full well that there will be plenty of heartache thrown in for good measure !!!).

My weight was down this morning which is a good an excellent thing because I think that was where I lost my mojo yesterday.  I have been doing so well with my eating and making such good choices (apart from the hiccups on Friday) foodwise, that I couldn't understand how my weight could keep going up.  A asked if I had taken into account that I was building muscle with all the exercise I am doing and losing fat but I said that my clothes weren't any looser than they have been - so really didn't know what to think.  But, the scale showed me where I felt I should be this morning and so all is well in my world !!!!! (Fickle as I am, it doesn't take much to make me happy - or make me sad either !)

To whoever read my blog and referenced back to it from your blog - a BIG THANK YOU !  I don't know if there is a way for me to find out who did this but I do thank you for the traffic you passed my way.  My aim with this blog is not only to keep me accountable but to maybe help someone else on their journey - pretty much the same as The Body and Feet Retreat that I run, my aim is that every client walks out feeling more relaxed and better able to cope with what life may throw at them and in return, I am energised and revitalised by giving the treatment.

Have the best Tuesday ever - take care and go safely !

Love, hugs and positive energy

Release Potential
When you realise and accept who you are,
you will release this potential and your gifts
for all to enjoy.
Discover your uniqueness and share you gift
with all on your path.
Universal Symbols by Ken Dowling
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