Tuesday 31 January 2012

10 Things You Really Didn't Need To Know About Me

Chantelle posted this the other day ages ago and I decided to take up the challenge  request, as well as telling fellow bloggers more about myself !

1.  I love my feet
I know so many people who dislike or even hate their feet.  As a reflexologist, I come across people who are not happy with their feet for one reason or another and I can't tell you how many people don't look after their feet.  It is almost like they are at the end of their legs and they just forget about them.  I try to cream them up every night (although probably more so in winter than in summer) and I love them !

2.  I don't drink tea or coffee I do drink Coke Zero/Pepsi Max
I can remember as a little girl drinking tea with my downstairs gran one day but I didn't like it and while I love the smell of coffee beans, I hate the smell of coffee.  A keeps asking when we can go to a cafe for a cup of coffee together - sorry Love, not going to happen (but he never stops asking !!!)  I have been told that I drink Coke Zero/Pepsi Max in copious amounts and, even though I know that it is probably killing me, I cannot see my way to giving it up just yet !!!!!!!

3.  Born in South Africa, now totally Australian
We moved our family to Australia in January 2000 - it was one of the best decisions we ever made (even though it took me about 2 years to come around to the idea of packing up and moving half way around the world and leaving my parents behind)  Thankfully they came to visit regularly and then 6 years ago applied for a parent contributory visa (cost of ~$65k) and they now live a 5 min drive away from us.  We are so grateful to have them close by.

4.  I would love to travel more
We have travelled around USA for 9 weeks when A played in the softball world series in 1996, we have been to NZ one year when my parents came to visit from SA and we have travelled for 5 weeks around Spain - I would love to travel locally and overseas - anywhere really - I am not fussy.  Here's to our trip to Cananda this year happening - need to get those pennies saved and the accommodation sorted out.

5.  I have aritificial lens' in my eyes
Just over two years ago I had artificial lens' put in my eyes.  I have been short sighted since I was about 11 or 12 and have worn glasses or contacts since then.  Before the operation I was 0.15 off being classified as legally blind - now I have vision of -1.5 in both eyes - it is amazing not having to grope around for glasses just to be able to get out of bed.  If you have good eye sight - value it and look after it - it is so precious.

6.  I would rather eat dessert than dinner
I really don't care for 'good' food.  If I had a choice (well I guess I do, I just know that I can't always make this choice), I would rather have biscuits / nice cake / chocolates / grainwaves / cheese & biscuits than dinner (or breakfast or lunch).  One year when we went out for our Christmas lunch with work, I started off with dessert (much to everyone's horror), then I had another helping of dessert, then I had some seafood, and then I had my dessert.  I believe that life is too short not to have fun occasionally !!!!!  (Footnote - I have only ever done this once although I have been tempted to do this on so many more occasions !)

7.  Putting on shoes and socks
When I put on shoes and socks I put on my left sock and left shoe, then right sock and right shoe.  Then I tie the laces on my left shoe and then the laces on my right shoe.

8.  I am an avid bookworm
I LOVE reading - I would rather read than do anything else (well almost anything else) - there is no past time I would rather partake in than sitting on the swing chair with some to drink and / or eat and a book.  I can read for hours at a time and can be a total pain if the book is one that I am really in to - I have it open at every single opportunity - waiting for the toaster to pop, on the loo, waiting for programs to load on the computer, while stirring when I am cooking - any time really when I have more than a minute or two of spare time.

9.  I hate having water on my face
I would love to swim lengths up and down the pool and clock up miles in the pool the way I can clock them up on the bicycle - but alas, I can't, because I cannot stand the feeling of water on my face.  It is all I can do to wash my face with water and it is a task that I get over and done with quicker than you can say Jack Flash.

10. I hate chipped nail polish
I guess this is one of the times when just how anal I am comes out !!!!   Before I became a reflexologist and massage therapist, I had long nails and they were always painted and if one nail got one little chip in it - it all had to come off and be done again.  This did sometimes make for strange timing of nail painting as I would have to juggle it in between my day job, seeing to the family and my night job - so would sometimes only do them at 2am or 3am but they would be done before I left the house (not that I didn't go to work because they hadn't been done - they just had to be done before I went to sleep so that I could go to work the next day / later that day !!).  My toe nails are the same - one chip and it all comes off.  I am never without nail polish on my toes.

So there you have it, 10 things you really didn't need to know about me but now you do !

Have the best Tuesday ever !

TFTD : Success means having the courage, the determination and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be - George Sheehan


Sunday 29 January 2012

The Daily 11

I have been tagged by Sammy at Happy Family, Healthy Family so here goes - hope you enjoy this!


The Rules :

1. Post the rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in this post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their  blog and tell them you have tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about are you are tagged if you are reading this - you legitimately have to tag 11 people

11  Random Things About Me :

1.  Today is the twelth anniversary of when I arrived in Australia
2.  I have been married for more than half my life.  We got married on a public holiday so that we could have our anniversary off every year - then we moved countries and John Howard wouldn't oblige !
3.  Amarula is my most favourite alcoholic drink
4.  I hate getting my face wet
5.  I used to change my hair style every time I went to the hair dresser
6.  I used to sew all my own clothes
7.  I love jewellery
8.  I used to exercise because it was something I could do with A - now I exercise because I love the feeling I get from doing it
9.  I would rather eat dessert / biscuits / cheese and crackers than have a proper meal
10. If I had a $ for every kilo I have lost and regained I would be close to being a millionaire (well not exactly sure about this but I am sure I must be close !!!)
11. I do a lot of knitting and crocheting for various charities

Now to answer the questions from Sammy :

1.  Favourite veg out activity ? Reading of course
2.  Fav food ? Only one ?????  If I have to choose a food - fajitas / pizza
3.  Place you would most like to visit - Russia
4.  Person you would most like to meet - Nelson Mandela / Roger Federer
5.  Worst job ? Contracting as accountant at OneLife
6.  Favourite group class - Yoga
7.  Rich and lonely or poor and loved ? I have been poor and loved - wouldn't mind giving rich and lonely a bash !!!!!!
8.  Secret crush - How can I only pick one ?????
9.  Scruncher or folder - Folder
10. Measure of a good workout - miles (because I can only measure calories if I wear my Nikes that instigated my knee injury)
11. Addiction - Coke Zero or Pepsi Max

My Tagees :

1.  Colours at Colours Of Sunset
2.  Lyndal at Family of Killers
3.  Chantelle at FatMumSlim
4.  Diane at It's All Good Until You Burn Dinner
5.  Charlie at Hotly Spiced
6.  Kellie at The Good, The Bad & The Unnecessary
7.  Jodie at Jodies Journal
8.  Tiff at It's A Warped View From Here
9.  Nicole at TheSportyMummy
10. Julie at Julies Journey
11. Rihanna at A Parenting Life

Questions for my tagees :

1.  Sedan, 4x4 or sports car ?
2.  Fruit or veg ?
3.  Gold or silver ?
4.  Inland or the coast ?
5.  Picnic or restaurant ?
6.  Diamonds or pearls ?
7.  Wear a watch or not ?
8.  Walking or running ?
9.  Cadbury or Nestle chocolate ?
10. Caravan or hotel ?
11. Dogs or cats ?

Have fun !!!!

TFTD :  When I am happy, I see the happiness in others.  When I am depressed, I notice that people's eyes look sad.  When I am weary, I see the world as boring and unattractive - Steve Chandler

Saturday 28 January 2012

The Sandstone Letterbox

About 3 or 4 years ago we started off doing a $6,000 pool renovation which turned into a $30,000 complete outside renovation which, I might add, we are extremely happy with. It has made our outdoor entertaining area much more user friendly and we have certainly got our money's worth out of what we did.


The pool from our dining room door

BUT, when you drive up to our driveway, we still have the cr*ppy black iron postbox that was here when we bought the house except that instead of being in the ground, it has been cemented not a plant pot. We have been looking for a sandstone postbox since then to replace this eyesore outside our garden.

A few weeks ago we went up to Eumundi one Saturday. It was a long day and on our way home, A decided that we should come home via the Logan Road as he knew that the sandstone place was 'somewhere along there - I'll recognise it when I see it' ! Add an extra 40 mins to our journey home and by the time we get to the Springwood turn off, he says 'I can't find it here - maybe it is on the Ipswich road'. OK but we are not looking for it now - let's just get home. So we go home.

On 2nd January, he suggests we take a drive up to Ipswich to see if we can see the sandstone place. Do you know where it is? Not exactly but when we are on the road I am sure I will recognise it. OK so off we go. I land up falling asleep and a few hours later wake up when we are filling up with petrol - still no sign of the sandstone place.

Move forward to Saturday of the same week, and I have a client booked in and then a catch up coffee afterwards so A takes himself off to see if he can find the sandstone place again - he comes home later - no luck !!!

This morning he wakes up and says "Let's go to look at letterboxes today". My first question (as you can expect) is "Do you know where we are going ?". "Yes I do". So off we go - AND WE FIND IT !! And the post boxes they have are just what we want only bigger. We talk to the guy and they can pretty much make them any size - sooooooooo we are going to measure up to see what size we need and find out how much it will cost. He also said they do kitchen benches and splash backs - decisions, decisions - do we go to Canada for our 25th wedding anniversary or get the kitchen redone ??? OK not really a choice - the holiday it is BUT when we win Lotto, one of the first phone calls will be to this guy to come and measure up my kitchen !

This is very similar to the letterbox that we want

These are the sandstone letterboxes they currently have in their yard

Have you had an experience of not being able to find something / somewhere (technically this wasn't me who couldn't't find this place but I still haven't found K's Christmas present that I hid in a really safe place a couple of weeks before Christmas !!)

TFTD : It ain't what they call you, it's what you answer to - Unknown

Friday 27 January 2012

Things I Know



Kellie from The Good, The Bad and The Unnecessary is back today for Things I Know and I am linking in again because I love this concept !

Following on from my post yesterday - these are the things that I know :

  • I am EXTREMELY proud to be Australian
  • I have Australian flags flying from my car windows, not because I am racist but because I love the Australian flag.  I come from country torn apart by racism and it is not something I support - on the other hand I live in a country which I love and totally support, hence the flags out my car windows for this week or until I lose them on the freeway !
  • I don't attend any Australia Day parties - I celebrate at home having a relaxing day watching sport and doing whatever I please
  • Most people don't realise just what a fantastic country this is because they have never lived anywhere else - I am sure that if they tried another country they would be back here quick smart - it is a great place to live and bring up your family
  • People who come here and then whinge about how bad it is should go back to where they came from - you live here now people - support the country which supports you
  • Today the weather is starting to get me down - enough with the rain please !!!  Torrentail rain for 2.5 days - then one day of overcast and a little bit of sun - then again back to the rain - and not just a drizzle - a really hard downpour that just doesn't seem to let up
  • That I am very happy to have taken today off work to make a lovely long Australia Day weekend
Have the best Friday possible and an even better weekend !

TFTD : Think highly of yourself because the world takes you at your own estimate - Unknown

Thursday 26 January 2012

Proud To Be Australian !

While I wasn't made or born in Australia - I am no less proud to be Australian than anyone who was made or born here !  I chose to move to this country because it was no longer safe to stay in the country where I was born and I have thoroughly enjoyed the move and the lift style that we have here.  It is very similar to where we are from - the main difference is that it is safer.  I can go for a walk, by myself, when it is dark without fear of whether I will make it home or not.  I could leave my daughter at home by herself without fear of what might happen to her.  I can let my daughter drive around at night, knowing that she is relatively safe compared to what she would have been had we not made the move.

Since arriving here, We have embraced most things Australian - we follow league, we are members of the Gold Coast Suns AFL side, we eat lamingtons, we obey the rules of the road and we vote when the elections arre called.  I haven't managed to get into the habit of calling people mate and I cannot bring myself to eat veggiemite - I have tried but I just can't.

I have never been back to the country we left - I have no desire to go there - I am too scared that I will not make it home.  I have to laugh when people ask "Have you been home ?" and then look at me funny when I say "Yes, I was there this morning."  To me this is home - it may not be where I was born - but it is home.  I love living here - I love the freedom to do what I want when I want without being dictated to by the time of the day.

I get upset when I hear people talking about 'how good it was in another country' - if it was that good why did you leave - why do you stay here - why not go back there if it is that good ? But I think people forget about why they left in the first place.  Before we came over we put together a file of horrific things that happened, so that when we got here and we wondered if we had made the right decision, we could look at that file and remember how bad things were and why we left in the first place.  About 5 years ago we threw that file out - it had been in a cupboard for over 7 years and we had never looked at it !!

While I don't have an Australian accent, I AM PROUD TO BE AN AUSSIE !!!

Have a great Australia Day wherever you are and whoever you are with.

TFTD : People forget how fast you did a job, but they remember how well you did it - Howard Newton

Wednesday 25 January 2012

I Suck At This !

I suck at losing weight - I am no good at this right now.  Why ?  Is it the pill talking or is this me talking ? I am hoping that it is the pill because if this is how I am going to be, I will be the size of a house in no time at all.  I was doing so well until I lost the plot yesterday afternoon when A couldn't make a stupid decision !  It wasn't hard - did he want to pick up the microwave which had been taken in for repairs or did he want me to pick it up ? Not difficult A !!!!  Anyway after saying he would do it and me getting to my exit off the freeway he decides that maybe it would be better for me to pick it up.  So I turn around to go back down past where I have already come from.  They have moved so I go to the wrong place.  Call A to find out where to go because now that I have got to the wrong place and I can see that the road name is not the one he mentioned - no referdex in the car - why - I have no bloody idea because it should be there - and the GPS has karked it and isn't working - finally get there and it is absolutely p*ssing down with rain.

Sheltered parking - of course not ?  Get saturated running into the shop front.  Get the microwave and get even more wet getting it onto the backseat of the car.  Not happy Jan - now I am wet and I have to have the aircon on because the windscreen is fogging up so now I am cold as well.  Add to this a touch of anger and I stop at the shop and buy a Pixie Caramel and a Dairy Milk bar - because those will really help me feel better - NOT !!!!!!  But I ate them anyway - the worst part was I didn't enjoy them nearly as much as I thought I would.

Go to my folks to drop of the bloody L&E eskies so I am not stuck at work until 5.30 again this week - they want me to sit and chat - I want to get home because I am angry and wet and cold.  Get home just in time to get changed to go to training.  Poor trainer had he cr*p boxed out of his hands last night - I did feel a bit better afterwards.

Got home, showered and went to bed with The Hunger Games which K has borrowed from a friend because when she went to put a hold on it at the library she was 88th in the queue !!!  Then the eating continued - did I eat dinner - no why eat dinner when I can have chocolate covered muesli bars and take pieces of Australian cake out the freezer and wait for them to thaw before eating those ?


Then this morning I take out another two pieces of Australian cake to eat at work because it is going to be a cr*p day anyway !  I am in the office by myself - the one director who was in today has gone out - not sure when he will be back so at least it is nice and peaceful for now - no tradies - just me !  Wallowing at my own little pity party - should have brough some of my #janphotoaday guilty pleasure with me although would have hated to see how I drove home if I had had that here today !!!!
On top of all of this I am trying to pay for some advertising with a credit card that I know has got enough credit limit on it and it won't go through !!!!!  UUUUUUUURGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH universe - what karma is coming back to bite me on the butt ???????

Have a wonderful Australia Day everyone !!!!!  To those people in the Qld flooding areas - take care.

TFTD (courtesy of Lyndaal) To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe - Anatole France


Monday 23 January 2012

Some Good Choices and Some Not So Good Choices


This weekend I made some good choices and I made some not so good choices.  What I was happy with was that there was no mindless eating - even when I was by myself for the whole of Saturday. 

I did get my cycle in on Saturday morning before I did anything else.  I am loving using DailyMile to record my exercise - I love being able to see it all listed there for me.

I loved having time to myself on Saturday to just mosey around as and when I wanted.  I didn't buy anything to eat that I shouldn't have.  I was tempted at the shopping centres but I managed to be strong.  I did have Nando's for dinner but I only had a couple of chips and threw the rest away.

A arrived home at about 10.45 on Saturday night - tired as anything in a ute that was just disgustingly dirty from the dirt roads that he had been travelling on during the time he was away.  It is so good to have him home again.

My eating yesterday was a little tardy - we were going to have breakfast at Harbourtown but by the time we were organised and ready to go - washing machine issues held us up - we decided to have brunch instead.  I had a chicken, cheese and avo toasted sandwich which looked exactly like the picture - I was amazed !!!!  After doing what we needed to we went home to repack the ute and I had some of the Australian Cake that A had bought after Christmas which I had cut up and frozen.  I also had a bite of A's chocolate which was better than the alternative which was to have my whole own chocolate !!!!

We watched some tennis and some cricket and had wedges with sour cream and sweet chilli sauce for dinner and I had one slice of home made sweet chilli and basil pizza that had waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too much cheese on.  This meal was my not so good choice BUT I made a conscious decision to have it and, as the poster says, choices have consequences and I will deal with those, if they arise, during this week !!!

I am very excited to be part of the Fat Sisters team for the 1 million kilo challenge - here's to lots of success Thelma and Louise !!!!

The TFTD today is just so relevant to me - and all of us I think - how many times do we concentrate on what we still need to do instead of looking at what we have already accomplished ???

Have a fantastic week !

TFTD : One never notices what has been done, one can only see what remains to be done - Marie Curie

Sunday 22 January 2012

YAY !

A just reminded me that we have only 3 days of work this week ! What a great way to wake up tomorrow - knowing that only two more early starts and then 4 days off.

I have just seen Sass has loaded the threaded comments - am going to love being able to reply to each comment individually !

Friday 20 January 2012

So Many Choices

I eventually left work at 1.30pm - I just couldn't take the noise anymore !!

Got home and put my walking clothes on, plugged the new earphones into my phone and hit the streets. Had a great walk but didn't know how far I had walked as I went a different route, so when I got home I got on my bike and cycled the route. 4.4kms which I didn't think was to shabby - the cycle wasn't that easy even though it wasn't far because of the wind. I was going to cycle further but my knee was starting to ache so thought I wouldn't push it and stopped cycling and came and paid sme accounts and then spent a couple of hours doing proof reading for a dear friend, Kathy, who is writing a book.

On Wednesday I had thought I would have Nando's for dinner on Thursday night. Then K wound me up so much I didn't want Nando's and had L&E thinking that I would have Nando's tonight. Well after the walk and the cycle, I wondered if I really wanted to make the choice of Nando's - mainly because I know how difficult the weekends are for me food wise and I thought that if I could make a better choice tonight it might really help me get through the weekend with better food choices - especially as I am anticipating being on my own for most of the weekend - always a dangerous time for me but unaccompanied, it is almost a disaster waiting to happen.

So, despite my longing / craving for Baskin & Robbins tonight, I have stayed glued to the TV watching a youngster I can't stand play tennis - all in an effort not to eat - and it has worked !! YAY !

I have also signed up for the 1 million kilo challenge - hopefully I can contribute towards that total ver 10 weeks. I have also signed up at daily mile to track my exercise - I LOVE seeing what I do in graph format

Just now I will go and shower and read for a while before hitting the sack. Here's to a sleep in tomorrow.

Have the best weekend ever - love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : The rare individual who unselfishly tries to serve others has an enormous advantage - he has little competition - Andrew Carnegie

Things I Know

Even though Kellie isn't able to host TIL today, I thought I would post things I know anyway (Mainly because I am battling to think of anything else to post about !!!!!)

  • That I had a nice loss on the scales this week (1.2kgs) which proves to me (once again) that when I am careful about what I eat and when I do the exercise that I set out to do, the losses will come.
  • That I am stronger than I thought - I have had two incidents in the past couple of days that have wound me up like you won't believe and on both occasions I have managed to find other ways to take my mind off what was going on without turning to food to ease the pain.
  • That I really miss A when he is away and I can't wait for him to be home again.
  • That I really really really want to get back into running but if I don't do the rehab work on my knee I won't be able to run - ever - and that would make me really sad.
  • That I hate working in a noisy office.  We are busy with building additional floor space on a mezzanine level and the workmen are driving me nuts with the banging and drilling and nail gunning and sawing - for Pete's sake - a little bit of peace and quiet !!!!!!!!
  • That K is making a name for herself as a reliable baby sitter and is increasing the family base that she regularly baby sits for.  This makes me happy because on other levels she drives me to drink but I take heart from the fact that she is a lovely girl who parents are happy to leave their children with knowing that she is taking care of them.
  • That I am looking forward to redeeming a Christmas gift voucher for a facial tomorrow afternoon - bliss !!!!
I hope that you all have the best weekend ever - take care and go safely !

TFTD : One of the most difficult things everyone has to learn is that for your entire life you must keep fighting and adjusting if you hope to survive.  No matter who you are or what your position, you must keep fighting for whatever it is you desire to achieve - George Allen

Wednesday 18 January 2012

A Slab of Chocolate and a Packet of Biscuits Angry !

I have been on Lite n Easy for a while now. Two years ago the whole family did LnE and all did really well on it. Unfortunately, I did not manage to maintain my loss and put back about 15kgs which is what I am trying to lose now - plus a little more for insurance !

There have been some issues with incorrect meals delivered or items missed but I have worked with it because this really is the program that works for me. It allows me to eat healthy food and allows me the time I need to do the exercising that I want.

Initially, our food was delivered by midday. Then it was delivered by 2pm. Then it was delivered between 3.30 and 4pm - this was starting to cut it a bit fine as I finish work at 4pm. Today it arrived at 5.20pm - and I had to hang around at work until then or else cancel my order for the week which meant I would have had to go to the shops tonight to buy food so that I had something to eat tomorrow.

What really p*ssed me off was when I called at 4pm to ask where my food was I was told that they couldn't tell me when it would be delivered and then got a little shirty with me when I told them that wasn't acceptable and to please get hold of the driver and find out. After holding for ages, they said it would be delivered between 5 and 5.30. What could I do ?

I called back a couple of minutes later and asked to speak to a supervisor - I was basically told that they understood the issue but there was nothing they could do. Eventually they said that they would get a supervisor to call me back (I reckon it was just another lady in the office) because when she called she said that she understood how difficult it was but there was absolutely nothing they could do. I asked if I could drive and meet the driver somewhere - absolutely not ! Clearly their "we will do whatever we can" didn't extend to actually doing anything more than saying they understand my predicament. She asked why I didn't get it delivered to my home - because my dogs would have it eaten within 5 mins and there is nowhere to leave it without it being visible to anyone walking past in the road - plus it would be in the sun from when it was delivered to when we got home. She said, as did the other lady, that they would mention it to their manager and my response was that they didn't give a rats butt about the problems of any of their customers and that if there was ANYONE who offered a similar service I would move in a minute. She didn't seem in the least bit worried about it - probably because they have the monopoly - and she didn't give a rats butt !!

My food eventually arrived at 5.20pm, the driver was really apologetic - but at the end of the day it isn't his fault - he is only delivering it. But he did say that he normall does 100-110 deliveries in a day and that today he had 135 to do. He said that the annoying thing was that they (the drivers) have told the office before to schedule deliveries to business' to be done during office hours - clearly they don't listen to their drivers or their customers !!!

I was so angry - all I could think about was what I could eat to make me feel better, on another level I KNEW that nothing I ate would make me feel better and that not eating anything was the answer. Actually, the answer was to come home, unpack my food, get changed and power walk 5kms in 45 mins - I still felt angry about what had happened but I didn't resort to stuffing my face to make me feel better - have I finally accepted that eating does not make my problems an easier to deal with ? Losing weight doesn't mean my problems are resolved, it just means I am thinner when I am resolving them just as stuffing my face doesn't make my problems disappear it just means I have to deal with the self loathing on top of resolving the problem at hand.

(A definite plus was not having a slab of chocolate or a packet of biscuits in the house and I didn't even consider stopping at the shop to buy said evil things !)

TFTD : Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter - Martin Luther King

Tuesday 17 January 2012

What I Can Achieve

Life has been cruising along without too much fuss one way or the other - a bit like my weight and my effort at exercising. It's been too hot, then too rainy, then too little time, then too much time OK there is never too much time - but for one reason or another there have been a lot of excuses lately. Why I don't really know because my eating has been really good so why I decided to drop the ball on my exercise is anyone's guess.

But that all stops - today. I had said we wouldn't be going to training as we were going to watch the 20/20 game at the Gabba tonight. Then K forgot and was rostered to work, then A called yesterday with the news that, while, yes, he was only supposed to go to Grafton on Thursday, they were now leaving this morning. As I wasn't about to go all the way to the Gabba to watch a 20/20 game by myself, I went to training instead. I have my exercise planned for the rest of the week and I aim to stick to that plan and, where I can, increase it.

Today is the first day in I don't know how long that I have not had back ache - it has been amazing. I need to get back to that place again. I LOVE having a day where I am pain free.

Sorry, got a little side tracked there, back to the point of this post !! (And one of the reasons excuses for not exercising last night.) I'd like to say it was because A was going away and I wanted to spend as much time with him as I could, but if I am totally honest, it was because I was fiddling around trying to get the books from my eReader loaded on to my iPad !

Throw an accounting package at me and I will find my way around it. Throw excel or word and I will produce documents which the general public would accept. Give me some operating system (or whatever the bloody hell it's called) where I have to try to move things or copy things or find things and I am bloody hopeless. In fact I am more than hopeless - I am as much good as tits on a bull !! Needless to say, A did not have a lot of time to be trying to help me in my quest to get these books moved but he was extremely patient and, in between trying to pack clothes for an indeterminate length of time away as well as decide what tools / equipment he may need to use to get the job done, he would sit down beside me between our old desktop our new desktop and the iPad and say "Have you tried this?" to which my reply would generally be along the lines of "are you speaking English because I have absolutely no idea what you just said?" !!! I got extremely excited at one point as I had all my books on the iPad except that I couldn't open any of them !! Eventually I had to admit defeat for the night because I knew that we had an early start to the morning and I wasn't sure how much he was going to snore thereby cutting my sleeping time even shorter !

After our quarterly audit by the bank this morning, I went back to the office to my trusty computer literate friend, K and explained my dilemma. She didn't know how to help me with it but she did google it and came up with the fact that I needed to download Bluefire on the old computer where the books are saved, sync the iPad and the upload the books and all would be good. I got home and treated a client, went to training and then sat down and began the mind blowing process of trying to get these bloody books saved/moved. At one point I did wonder if they were worth it but I kept at it. What I did find out (by reading the Bluefire manual) was that I could download Dropbox and do everything through that whatever you call it - system, file, program, whatever. I thought that sounded like something I could do so off I went. Our old desktop is EXTREMELY slow so a lot of patience is required and not so much mouse clicking !! (I am a little short on patience at the best of times -and even more so when I don't know what I am doing - yes, I know that is when I should have more but I don't !).

I managed to finally get the 20 odd books copied into Dropbox but when I opened them on the iPad I got the same message as before "These files are not in a readable format" (or words to that effect). By this stage K was home from work. I had done the happy dance when I had seen the books there only to do the upset stomp when I couldn't open them. She came along and said, "Mom, you need to open them in Bluefire" and walked off !! So I tried that, AND IT WORKED, so I now have all my books, in a readable format, on my iPad.

This got me thinking about my weight loss and exercising, both things that I know heaps more about than what I know about computers where, because I just kept on persevering, I managed to do what I had to do. I want to put the same perseverance into my weight loss journey and just do what I have to do to achieve what I want to achieve.

I managed to do this this morning when I got to work !
On Saturday we went to the travel agent to start to plan our holiday so this is becoming more real and I want to use the planning of this holiday to motivate me to do what I need to do so that I don't look like a hefalump in our holiday snaps ! Thanks to those lovely people out there who have provided me with motivation recently - I promise to listen to your little voice inside my head more than I have been !

On that note, I am off to read for a while before switching my light off thereby finding myself in the dilemma of having to sleep alone in the quiet - I really only like sleeping next to A but still want the quiet every night - I suppose I can't have it both ways so if I had to choose I would rather have him here and snoring than not here and it be quiet ! As he is in Casino tonight, I guess I am going to have to make do with the peace and quiet.

(I am being challenged further and this time I have to admit defeat - I was tring to get a photo to insert in this long rambling post but am unable to do it - clearly my brain is in dumba*se mode now and just wants to read !)

TFTD : Frustration and conflict are messages from the universe that it is time to back off. When you find your centre again, act - Alan Cohen

Saturday 14 January 2012

A Fantastic Day !

A big thanks to Sass from MooZooDesigns for the new look of my blog. She has also designed my webpage if you would like to hop over using the link on the side of my blog. I love the fee of both of them - she really 'got' what I wanted.

Well today has just been fantastic ! Although I didn't manage to catch up with Julie, which was disappointing but totally understandable given how much she was trying to fit into one weekend, I did get to treat two clients - one at 7.30am and one at 11.30am. In between we had an appointment with the travel agent who gave us heaps of ideas about what we could do on our holiday.

Then after my second client was finished her treatment, we went out for lunch and a chin wag. We never say goodbye without us both having sore tummy muscles because we just laugh so much when we are together.

This evening I have been invited by DD to go to see The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo with herself and a friend from work (not sure what I did to deserve an invite - maybe because we are going to the 8.45pm movie so not much chance anyone will see her arriving with her Mom ?) so that should be interesting. I have seen the Swedish version so will be interested to see the English version.

Nothing planned for tomorrow -hoping to have a quiet day around the pool and maybe tackle the washing that has piled up but it won't be dashing around anywhere (well at least there is n dashing around planned - that could all change in a heart beat !)

Have the best Sunday possible !

TFTD : The best way to get what you want is to realise you already have it - Alan Cohen

Friday 13 January 2012

Things I Know !

Kellie has organised 'TIK' and I am linking in there today.
These are the things that I know this week :

1. I know that I am enjoying making new friends via blogging - ladies who have similar interests to me and who are motivating and inspirational.

2. I know that I can do anything I want if I put my mind to it and focus on what I want to achieve.

3. I know that this sometimes takes longer than I originally thought and that is OK because, while I am working on achieving those goals, I am also living.

4. I know that there are no limits.


 
5. I know that sometimes cr*p happens but it doesn't mean that I have to get off track with my healthy eating - stuffing my face with chocolates, biscuits, ice-cream etc will not change the situation. It will just mean that I will have to work harder to have a loss or limit the gain that week.

6. I know that I can sit between my daughter and my husband while they share cookies from Subway and not have any, but delight in the aroma wafting past my nose, not because I had any special powers but because I could remain focused on what I want to achieve.

These a things that I know this week - I hope that I still know them next week !!

Have a fantastic weekend. I am catching up with Julie - I just know that we are going to have a great time together - lots to talking for sure !

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Do not wait for extraordinary circumstances to do good; try to use ordinary situations - Jean Paul Richter

Wednesday 11 January 2012

#janphotoaday

If anyone was following my photos please let me know as I am not going to be loading them up on my blog - I am doing them through FB and Twitter.  If you want to follow me please mail me and I will let you know my name etc on FB and Twitter.

Every home should have flowers in it
My weight is starting to move in the right direction - probably because my eating is back under control and my exercise is happening.  I did try to run the other night - only one lamp post - but it didn't happen !  We were walking really well and I said to A "I think I am going to run to the next lamp post." - I got about 20 steps into a jog and had to pull up.  To say I was disappointed would be a really fair reflection of how I felt.  I was really hoping that it was going to be fine, but it wasn't - so now I really have put the dates of Feb/Mar into my head before I will be running again.  In the meantime I am going to continue with my walking and training and try to increase the amount of cycling that I am doing (which won't be hard to do because I am not doing any at the moment !!!!).

Have a great Wednesday everyone - downhill to the weekend now.

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD :  You see the woman across the room, and you think, she's so poised, she's so together.  But she looks at you and you are the woman across the room for her - Diane von Furstenberg

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Cancer is a BASTARD !!!!

This morning just as I was leaving for work I got the phone call to say that a very dear family friend had just died from cancer.  Granted she had had a good innings BUT she still had so much more to give to her family and friends.

Brian, Sue, Guy and families - you are all in our thoughts as this time.

RIP Ann - you will be sorely missed but never forgotten !

Monday 9 January 2012

Janphotoaday catch up

I am not sure how this is going to work or even if it will work at all but I am going to give it a bash. I am going to try to take photos with my phone and then somehow post them on here or on twitter.

So, the photos that I have taken so far tonight (which means that I have missed the one of my sky as I didn't know what the pic was for today when I was outside messing around) are #6 makes me smile, Alfie and Rosie, they always manage to do something to make me smile, #7 favourite, my engagement ring is made up of the stones from my engagement ring, my mom's engagement ring and my gran's engagement ring - I think of them both when I look at my ring, #8 sky - you get to see our swimming pool instead !

Monday 9th January - well I wasn't able to get this posted last night so having another go this morning and I will include the photo from today.

#6 makes you smile

#7 favourite
#8 sky (or in this case, our pool)

#9 daily routine

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : Love is what enables us to bridge the gap of disappoinment when others don't live up to the expectations we have of them -  Jeanne Phillips

Sunday 8 January 2012

Hey Fatty Boom Boom

Sweet sugar dumpling, hey fatty boom boom, let me tell you something ........

This is the song that my brother would taunt me with for ages and ages when we were growing up during the 70's.  I never thought I was a fat child - a fat baby, definitely - but not a fat child.  I guess it was probably just a horrible brother thing more than the reality of the situation.  A post by Tif earlier this week made me stop and think about my weight during my life time.

Many is the time I thought I was horrifically overweight only to look back at photos and wonder what on earth I was smoking at the time - no way could that be considered over weight by any stretch of the imagination.  What I have realised that it was all to do with numbers and not how I looked. 

In my late teens I hovered around the 50-52kg mark  (I am 5'7") so, in all likelihood, I was probably a little under-weight.  When I got married at 22, I weighed 45kgs (that was a 5kg loss in 3 days due to stress I am sure !!).  When I went in to have K, I weighed 97.8kgs - it was not a pretty sight but I had the excuse that I was having a baby but she was only 3kgs when she was born so I couldn't really blame her for the extra 30-40kgs I was carrying around at the time.

For most of my adult life I have sat on the wrong side of 60 - sometimes waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay on the wrong side and sometimes only a little on the wrong side.  When A was working in Taiwan, K and I ate a lot less than what we would have eaten if he was at home.  I rarely cooked so we never had big dinners - scrambled eggs, toast, soup - quick and easy things because that was all I could manage as a single parent working full time and having to do both our chores at home, inside and out !  It wasn't an easy time but we had made the decision for him to go and work there and so I just had to suck it up - as do lots of other people.  Anyway, my weight came down and when we left to go to Taiwan to have a holiday over there and then shoot across to Hong Kong for a couple of days, I was probably weighing in the region of about 62-65kgs.  I thought I was still fat as the number in my head that would see me thin was 50-55kgs. 

We got off the airplane and A had told me to look for some Taiwanese guy who would pick us up because he had to go to a site, but when we walked through he was standing there waiting for us.  I will never forget the look on his face - he was shocked.  He recovered well and was so pleased to see us - as we were to see him.  Later I found out that he thought I had been really really sick and hadn't told him.  To me, I was still fat.  When I look at the photos now of our holiday there, I can see why he got a fright, and I can't see why I would have thought I was still fat EXCEPT for the fact that in my head, I am thin when the scales say I am in the 50-55kg range.  To be honest, I think that I would probably have to lose both legs before I will ever weigh that little again but I have come to the acceptance that it is not about the number, it is about what clothes I can fit into and how I look.  That isn't to say that the number isn't important to me because it is, I still weigh myself every morning and, while I don't live and die by the number that it tells me each day, it does play some role in my mental state of mind with regards to my weight.  I know that weights fluctuate daily and a gazillion times during each day and that is all that it is, a particular number at a particular time on a particular day - that doesn't change the fact that it does go into my head and sometimes mess with me BUT I am working on not letting it change how my day proceeds !!!

 
   1966                                                                                                                          1968/1969 ?
This is A and I at Taroka Gorge in Taiwan (December 2005), and me in Taiwan trying to work out where we are and how to get to where we wanted to be !

Stanthorpe April 2011

Spain September 2007

I don't have any photos that I can find on this computer of when I was at some of my top weights, probably because I try to stay on the other side of the camera but looking for these photos today as really got me thinking about how much I have to change my mind set.  2012 is going to be able losing weight so that I am in a healthy weight range and getting fit so that my body stops breaking down the way it currently is.

My highest weight (other than when I was pregnant) was 95.5kgs - for me that was the turning point.  Since then I have lost and gained so many kgs it just isn't funny but it is life and I have to suck it up and deal with it.  We all make choices - I will choose dessert over dinner, biscuits over fruit, soft drink over water any day of the week - and if I do that, I will live an unhealthy and unproductive life.  So, I will try to make the healthy choices - at least more often than not - so that these pesky kgs that crept on over Christmas will creep away, and I will try to be more objective when I look in the mirror at myself (I try not to do this very often but sometimes it catches me unawares !!).  I am now in the 70's (only just but there none the less) and I promise myself to work towards getting into the 60's - sooner rather than later.  I also promise not to beat myself up as I stumble and fall along the way, but to pick myself up and continue on my journey.

M (a friend of mine in Sydney) has a heap of motivational posters on FB.  My TFTD is taken from one of them.

Love, hugs and positive energy !

TFTD : No matter how slow you go, you are always lapping everyone on the couch

PS - it is funny how posts sometimes don't take the path you think they are going to take when  you sit down to write them.  This was supposed to be about how fat I am feeling at the moment - yesterday when I was getting dresssed the song popped into my head and it really staed there all day.  Reminding me that, no matter when I aim to end up, I am still fat right this minute, right here and right now.  And that is OK because that truly is the reality of me and where I am.  I just hope that I can be as realistic when I get down to the low 70's and upper to mid 60's and be realistic about how I look then - the last thing I want to do is look older than I am because I have lost too much weight.

Have the best rest of your day ever !
PPS - sorry the photos are a little all over the shop, I am having great difficulty in getting them to stay where I put them !
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