TGIF !!

I know that I am definitely glad it's Friday - even though it's been a short week, it's been a long week.

I know that it seems like I am wishing my life away but I'm not, promise, I'm not - I just enjoy the weekend more than week days.

I know that I only have 6 address labels left which will all get used up today so the universe will definitely know that it's time for us to move on and send a buyer to our home for the open house tomorrow.

I know that Project Brighten Someone's Day has probably brightened my days more than it's brightened anyone else !!

I know that catching up with a friend I haven't seen in forever is a great thing happening tonight.

I know that if K's plans for the next 18 months come together, I'm going to miss her heaps BUT it may also be a good excuse for us to travel to see her.

I know that I am so pleased I don't have to do the whole school uniforms, book lists, shoe shopping thing anymore and want to wish all those children out there a happy year at school.

I know that I am very different from a lot of Moms whose blogs I read - I didn't cry when K started school but that may have had something to do with the fact that I was back working full time from when she was about a month old.  Now, our nanny, wasn't quite the same - she wouldn't come out of her room on K's first day of school - never mind that she had been going to kindy for 2 years !!  When we finally got her to come downstairs to have her photo taken with K, she had puffy eyes and tears running down her cheeks - poor thing !  I wish we had stayed in touch with her.

I know that I am not looking forward to Mt Washmore on Sunday.

I know that if I don't tackle Mt Washmore on Sunday, I'm going to be playing detective next week trying to find some clean clothes.

I know that I could put my head down right now and nap for a couple of hours.

I know that this isn't possible given where I am right now.

I know that it's Friday which means it's time to link in with Miss Cinders for TIK - the easiest linky on the planet.

Have the best day !

What do you have planned for the weekend ?

Is the weather cr*p where you live ?

TFTD : There are far, far better things up ahead than any we leave behind.

Things I Know

Today I know that I am grateful for the small amount of rain we had yesterday which helped to bring the temperatures down to a more livable level.

Today I know that I am grateful to K who found out everything there is to know about theme park passes for BIL and SIL for when they arrive on the coast on Saturday - it saved me having to do it !!

Today I know that one of the best decisions we made, as a family, was to immigrate to Australia.

Today I know that we will be celebrating Australia Day just as passionately as anyone born in Australia.

Today I know that it will be difficult to know what to watch on TV tonight - Federer plays Nadal (IMHO this should have been the finals) and Australia plays England in the 4th ODI (yes, it's a dead rubber but that won't stop me watching it).

Today I know that I am seriously contemplating going to the league 9's in Auckland next week seeing as we won't be moving that weekend.

As it's Friday, I'm joining in with Miss Cinders for the Things I Know linky which is always such an easy linky to join in with !!

Have a great Australia Day long weekend if you live in Australia - and have a great weekend if you don't !

What do you know today ?

Who do you think will win the

tennis tonight ?

TFTD :  Your life isn't perfect, but it does have perfect moments.

What Do I Know ?

It's Friday which means it's time for us all to tell each other what we know - because as MC always says, we all know sh*t.

This week I know that :

- I have been stressed and so eaten more junk food that is good for me and definitely a sh*tload more than I wanted to - it was like I couldn't help myself at times - which is really a sucky excuse because it wasn't as though anyone had a gun to my head forcing me to eat the junk !

- I will be back in the gym next week

- I will plan my weeks better in future so that I can get to the gym as well as go and look at houses

- A may not be going away on Monday because, apparently, now they have realised that sending guys from the Gold Coast up to Mt Isa when they don't have the equipment to actually install is probably not the smartest move they could make

- I think I may have mentioned the words -  A's company, p*ss up and brewery in a previous post

- I am looking forward to catching up with BIL and SIL for dinner tonight.  There is a lovely little place, good food, reasonably priced, just around the corner from us and we all walk there for dinner every couple of weeks - it's great

 

What do you know this week ? 

Have you joined in ? 

Why not share your knowledge for the week ?

 

Have a fantastic Friday and a great weekend !

 

TFTD : Integrity is choosing your actions based on moral values rather than personal gain.

Things I Know

Today the Things I Know linky is back with Miss Cinders at The Miss Cinders - thank you to Rhianna from A Parenting Life who has been hosting this while MC had a break.

This week I know :

- that I have still been wishing my days away so that the weekend can be here

- that I shouldn't wish my life away

- that I am happy that today is Friday

- that One Republic are playing in Brisbane at The Tivoli on Monday night and I REALLY REALLY want to go (Finally managed to get through and got two tickets - YAY !!!!)

- that I got a gold star from the dentist yesterday

- that I managed to get home after the dentist in time to make it to my fourth gym class this week

- that I liked this lady more than I like the lady who does spin class on a Thursday so I may change and add another pump class to my schedule and pick up a spin class on a Wednesday

- that I plan on being kind to myself this weekend

- that I am loving having a Blackberry phone again even if I can't load photos into Instagram (yet)

- that I am loving having the features back that made me fall in love with Blackberry in the first place

We all know sh*t so

why not join in with

the easier linky of the week ?

 

Have the best weekend e.v.e.r. !!!

 

TFTD : It is more important to know where you are going, than to get there quickly. Don’t not mistake activity for achievement.

What Do I Know ?

What do I know today ?  Sometimes I think I know nothing - other times I realise I do know nothing and then, on very rare occasions, I realise that actually, I do know a lot of stuff - it's just stuff that is not worth blogging about !!!!

So, here goes for what I do know this week that I can blog about :

- I know that last week while looking for a 21st birthday present, I found that Pandora make a unicorn charm - so now I have to buy another bracelet because how can I not have the unicorn charm ?

- I know that I found the BEST (well I hope it is !!!) Christmas present for K (but I can't mention it on here just in case she reads this !!!)

- I know that my foot is heaps better and I will be back exercising next week

- I know that I feel bad about wishing my weeks away so that the weekend will get here

- I know that even though I had a day off this week, it seems to have been the l-o-n-g-e-s-t week ever

- I know that I don't like not having my posts scheduled

- I know that I haven't been commenting as much as I would like

- I know that I am waiting to hear from Optus today as to whether my new phone has arrived

- I know that I am grateful to K for letting me get a new phone on her contract because she is happy with her phone and doesn't mind waiting another three months until my contract expires

- I know that Christmas is just around the corner and I don't give a rats butt for it

- I know that I feel like the Grinch of Christmas - and honestly, I would be more than happy to spend money on presents if someone would just tell me what to buy - I HATE having to think of what to buy - I am no good at present shopping - unless it/s for me, in which case I am absolutely fantastic at present shopping !

What do you know today ?
Have you linked in with Rhianna

at A Parenting Life ?

If not, why not ?



Have the best weekend and take care - the silly season is nearly upon us and I want you all to be here, safe, sound and healthy next year !

TFTD : You are far from what you once were, but not yet what you are going to be.

Thankful Thursday

So, Thursday has come around again, funny how that happens once a week, and I am totally unprepared for Thankful Thursday !  Last week I didn't even get to  post other than my #IBOT post which I didn't even get to post this week !  Basically - I've been a bit slack, and, unless my writers block disappears, this is how it's going to stay !!!

TT has moved ! 

Thank you to Francesca for the wonderful job that she did of hosting TT while it was hers.  It now resides with the lovely Rhianna over at A Parenting Life.

So, without further waffle, this week (in no particular order) I am thankful for :

- the rain that came (although it wasn't nearly enough) - it was certainly better than nothing

- clients who come back for massages because they were happy with the treatment they received

- a sore foot which appears to not be as serious as we first thought

- sharing birthday's with my folks 'cos I know that they won't be here forever

- it being Thursday which means the weekend is just around the corner

Have the best Thursday that you can.

What are you thankful for ?

Have you linked in with Rhianna ?

What are you waiting for ?

 

TFTD : Life is not fair; but it is still wonderful.

Things I Know

What do I know today ???

It's time to join in with Rhianna from A Parenting Life for Things I Know.

I know :

- that being alone doesn't mean I am lonely and that being in a crowd doesn't mean I'm not

- that joining a gym is a step in the right direction for my health and fitness

- that I am going to miss A & K while they are away

- that I am going to enjoy having some times to myself

- that I am going to enjoy being in sole charge of the remote and what DVD's I hire

- that I was tickled pink to receive an invitation to K's best friends 21st

- that I am looking forward to catching up with my friend who makes my stomach hurt because I laugh so much when we are together

- that I am prepared to watch a recording of the Grand Final in order to be able to spend the time with her

- that mailing my dietician and making a plan about how I am going to deal with food while I am living by myself was a great thing to do - planning, as always, is everything !

What do you know today ?

Have you linked in the easiest

linky over at Rhianna's ?

 

Have a great weekend and take care !

 

TFTD : Anyone who is indifferent to the wellbeing of other people and the causes of their future happiness, can only be laying the ground for their own misfortune - Dalai Lama

Things I Know

YAY - Friday is finally here so it must be time for Things I Know with Miss Cinders 'cos, as she will remind us, we all know sh*t.

In no particular order, because I do random so well :

- I know that I love being happy.

- I know that it is sooooooooooooooo much better than being sad and moody and all those other horrible things I have been feeling for the past I don't know how long.

- I know that A will be sorry that he isn't here to share in the happiness given he put up with my sh*t for so long (but hey, it happens like that sometimes !!)

- I know that running out of coconut rough IS NOT COOL and I need to make some more pronto !!!!!!

- I know that trying to crochet blankets while crying is not the best idea I have ever come up with.

- I know that I will cry during a show even when I know what is going to happen / who is going to win.

- I know that I loved the voices of Harrison, Luke and Celia and I have no idea how Danny got to the finals.

- I know that when I told K that Mom's know everything there would be times when she would call me on it. 

- I know that when she called me on it and I got the order of the top 4 finalists of The Voice (as well as something else very similar which I just can't remember right now), I went up in her estimation of my right to call myself Mom.

- I know that she is in for a rude awakening when she finally moves out of home (and that day will come because she sure as hell isn't going to be staying at home for too many more years - I'd like to say months but I think realistically it is going to be at least another year before she moves out !!)

- I know that she has the ability to make me laugh to the bottom of my belly.

Source Credit

- I know that K and I are off to see Slava's Snow Show on Wednesday night - at the expense of missing Origin 2 (which we are going to tape and watch when we get home).  I am looking forward to a fun evening even though I am a little bit nervous about why I shouldn't leave my seat during interval !!!!

- I know that thinking of the times when A has really really really annoyed me is a great way to get through periods when I am really really really missing him (yes, it sounds strange and yes it probably is but hey, don't change something that works !!!)

- I know that I am loving having my own laptop to work on every night (thank you A for getting the old one working for me when you were home)

- I know that I am looking forward to my hot stone and kahuna massage on Saturday and then meeting Judy.

- I know that it is Kylie from A Study In Contradictions' birthday today so why not pop over and wish her happy birthday ?

- I know that I can't wait to have some quiet time to read on Sunday - I have a heap of books that I need to read so I can return them to the library (the upside of reading paper books instead of e-books - they can't take them away until I drop them off at the library !!)

- I know that I shouldn't feel guilty because I don't have little children running around in my life and because I have so much time to myself - but I still do - a little bit - but I am working on it.  I've had my time with little babies and now it is time for myself  (having said that I sure am spending heaps of time with my little baby anyway - it's just a lot less tiring than when she was younger !!!)

- I know that it is time for me to go to bed and read for a while.

- I know that I may be just a little tempted to let the dogs sleep inside tonight so that I am not in the house all by myself.  Yes, I am a big wuss.  Some nights it is really hard for me to sleep in the bed by myself never mind the house by myself !!!!!



What do you know today ?  Why not join in at Miss Cinders ?

 

TFTD : Always look at the positives and don't dwell on the negatives. If you keep your head down, you'll miss life's goodness.
 

Want A Laugh ?

OK - don't fall over everyone - I know that it is Wednesday and I don't normally post on a Wednesday but there was no way I couldn't post this.

It's no secret that life is looking up for me right now.  Even though A is away, I am coping, and coping well.  In years gone by, when A has been away, I have not been happy.  It's not that I am happy that he is away, because I'm not, but I am happy that I have not let him being away get me down. (Have I confused you yet ?)

Before, i.e. in past years, I would have really shrunk into myself, probably curled up into a ball on the couch and waited for A to come home.  I didn't have the courage to do more than go to the local shopping centre to get the groceries, the library and come home again.  I certainly wouldn't have gone out to meet people I had only met online.  This has changed.  Partly because K has given me the courage to do this but also because, as I have gotten older, I have worked really hard on worrying about the things I can change and leaving alone the things I can't.  Sometimes I get it right - sometimes I don't - but I'm working on it none the less.

So - I got a little off track here (what's new I hear you say !!).  Anyway, I landed up staying a bit late at work tonight because I had a hair appointment at 6pm and there wasn't much point in going home only to have to turn around not long after getting home to leave for the hairdresser.  I stopped in at Target to get some more knickers (as you do) and then was sitting at the cafe outside, pretty much wasting time until 6pm. 

I tweeted -

kal20m : Hanging around waiting for 6pm hair appointment - what colour to choose ??? Red, caramel, blue ? (K's choice is blue !!) #toooldforbluehair
thebumpiestpath : polkadots :)
kal20m : I will ask and see what she could do
thebumpiestpath : double dare

I had been sitting at the hairdresser for a while - she chats a lot and it takes her a while to get started - and my phone beeped.  Normally I wouldn't check it but as she was then looking up some charts - I checked it - this is what I found :

thebumpiestpath : Check out kal20m she has a new look!

 

 

thebumpiestpath has given me my own cover page on Celebrity magazine !!!!!

Well, I absolutely cracked up - my hairdresser nearly wet her pants she laughed so much - 5 hours later it is still making me smile !!!!  K laughed heaps when I showed her this when she got home from SES.

Thank you Jules - you made my night !!!!!  (Also made the choice of not going blonde easier - I'm thinking that it doesn't really suit my skin tone - LOL !!!)

I don't want to turn into one of those really happy people that can be so annoying - because they do annoy me sometimes when I come across them - people who I think - gosh, is there nothing wrong in your life, but, having said that, life is really good for me right now.   Yes, A is away, but it is teaching me to be more independent.  Do I miss him ? Absolutely - but I don't feel quite so much like I am missing an arm or a leg, like I used to when he was away.  Does it mean I wish he didn't work away from home ?   Absolutely - I can't wait for the work he is doing to be closer to home.  I believe that when the work up Northern Queensland is finished, they are moving down to Coffs Harbour - but I can live with that - it is certainly a lot closer than bloody Townsville !!!  Do I believe that they will work in Coffs Harbour after Northern Queensland ?  Not bloody likely - because, as we all know, the company he works for couldn't organise blah blah blah..........

We are planning a holiday to Tasmania in August - work is going well - my health is certainly on the right track - there is heaps that we have to work on for A's health but I know that we will get there, provided he is prepared to work at getting healthy.  I am going to start working on my exercise because that is the next step for me - and I am going to set realistic exercise goals.  What I used to achieve will not be used to measure what I am achieving now because this is a new exercise regime and I am going to treat it as such.

On Saturday I am meeting Judy from Australian Inspirational Women and, while we haven't met before, I just know that we are going to have a great evening.

This has been more of a rambling post that I intended it to be - what I really wanted to say was a HUGE THANK YOU to Jules from The Bumpiest Path for such a wonderful present - it really made my week !

Have the best week that YOU can !

TFTD : Life becomes a lot more fun-filled when you remove negative people from it.
(YAY for all the positive people in my life - THANK YOU !!!!)

I Don't Feel Guilty

The other night I was lying in bed and thinking about how I have changed over the past 20 odd years.  Actually, it's probably the last 10-15 yrs that I have really changed but whatever, it's been a while.  Here goes with the list of things I no longer feel guilty about :

- sleeping during the day

- running water to clean a glass and not waiting for a sink full of dishes before washing them

- chopping up veggies and not saving the tops and tails / skins to make some strange concoction, which may or may not, be of use to anyone

- not spending 1/2 hr trying to pick ever single piece of chicken off the carcass

- not believing I am late if I am only 5 mins early

- not making my bed every day

- not washing my sheets every. single. week - it's OK to wash them in a fort-night on occasions

- not opening the post every. single. day

- using the dryer because it makes more sense for me to wash in the evening when I get home from work

- buying good quality food when we can afford it

- planning me time so that I can be the best wife, mother, daughter and friend the rest of the time

- making sure I have some relaxing time most weekends - I do not have to be super busy all the time that I am not at work

- about spending money on myself/my family - we work hard and deserve to spoil ourselves at times.  I don't believe we are frivolous with our money and we don't spend money we don't have.  We save every month and I am really happy with where we are financially in our lives.

- about donating money to those less fortunate than ourselves.  I currently have some loans with Kiva - two have started repaying - it's a great way to help others.

- not doing things the way my parents did

- missing joining in with some blog linkies - I do the best I can with the time I have - sometimes I join in and sometimes I don't - it doesn't mean that I don't think of you guys every day !!

Joining in with Essentially Jess because it is Tuesday and #IBOT - why not pop over and see who else has joined in ?

What do you no longer feel guilty about ?

TFTD : Don't listen to those who tell you exactly what to do.  Listen to those who encourage you to do what you already know in your heart is right.

Bed Etiquette

For those of you who have been following my blog for a while, you will know the issues that I have with sleep (or lack of sleep) depending on how A's snoring is going (or not going) !  Now I have a new dilemma and I am hoping that someone out there will be able to help me with this - how do you know when you have taken up too much of the bed ?

For 24.75 yrs we had two single beds pushed together to make a king size bed (I like my space especially in the summer when it is just too hot to be lying skin to skin).  This meant that I always knew where my bed stopped and his bed started so when I was being greedy, I knew because clearly I was 'over the line' !  We would often play the 'cutting off body parts' game i.e. any bodyparts over 'the line' were fair game to the other person to cut off using their hand as an imaginary saw.

We have always had two doonas because I CANNOT stand the gap that resulted when we tried to use one doona/blanket.  A few years ago we bought two double doonas to replace the single doonas we had always had and they are even better - some nights we use one doona for both of us and some nights we each use our own depending on how hot or cold I am feeling.

When we were in NZ on holiday recently we stayed at Radfords Motel in Te Anau and the bed was one of the best we have ever slept in outside of our own.  I meant to ask the owner what type of bed it was before we left but I completely forgot so had to email her.  It was a Sleepyhead bed so we went and had a look at them over here.  We couldn't find the specific one that we had slept on as it was a commercial model but we did find one that we both liked that had separate pockets (can't remember the technical name they used) but basically when I move A doesn't feel it and when he moves I don't feel it which is great because I have often wondered about my tossing and turning being disruptive for him (stupidly given he continues to snore anyway so clearly it doesn't keep him awake when I toss and turn !!!)

This is the mattress we bought

Our new mattress was delivered a couple of weeks ago and it really is very comfy BUT the predicament I find myself in now is that I don't know where the middle of the bed is - so where does my half finish and his half start.  Now I am sure I take up more than half the bed even though he is bigger than me.  I even find that I move my pillow over and we land up both sleeping on the same side of the bed with my legs stretched out to the end of my side of the bed (sort of right angles to my body).

Does anyone else do this ?  Or am I the only one who worries about how much of the bed I am taking up ?  I guess it isn't an issue for him because he hasn't complained about it.  When we had the two single mattresses there were a few occasions when I lay so far across on his bed he got up, walked around the beds and went and slept on my bed but he hasn't done that as yet with the new mattress.

Do you share your bed equally or does one of you hog the bulk of the bed ?

TFTD : When you begin to value yourself, others will also.  How you treat yourself teaches others how to treat you.

Quick Hullo

I just had a look at my blog and see that I haven't posted since 28th September - how did that happen ?  How did two weeks go by without a post ?  How did I not realise that it was two weeks ?

Quite easily I guess given that is what happened !!!!

Bottom line - work has been chaotic.  Accounts lady at our plant in Inala went on leave - over month end - nice one GM of that plant for authorising that without checking who would do her work when she was away.  So I went up three of the five days the first week - only to get there and find that the receptionist's Mom had had a stroke the day before and so she was off as well.  So between trying to do the accounts and cash sales and cover reception and get home at a reasonable time to be able to exercise, I felt a bit like a headless chook.

The second week was even worse because it was my month end and I have 6 companies to close - all the while trying to get up to Inala to get that work finished so that I could finish my work.  Our management meeting is on Monday morning and luckily I have managed to get those financials all finished - just the last of the tax accounts to balance, 2 BAS statements to be reconciled and I am done for another month - YAY !!!

In the meantime one of the guys who works with us got a phone call to say that his brother had just committed suicide so he took off to go and help his family.  The funeral is tomorrow so will be going up to Toowoomba for that.

Months ago my folks were out and about on their travels and saw some chenille yarn and called me and I got them to buy me 30 balls - I have started making blankets with this yarn and it is soooooooooooooooooo beautiful to crochet.  Last night I stayed up until about 12.45 because I wanted to keep crocheting !!!!!!!  I have asked them to keep an eye out for more when they are out and about - it is so soft.  I know that some baby somewhere is going to be happy to have that keeping them warm.

Today K got an sms to go out on an SES call - she is very excited about going to look for a 57yo in the rain - please let her be safe wherever she is and whatever they are doing to find this poor person who is missing.  I am very proud of her decision to join the SES and help others in times of need / trouble.

We did get a new mattress but that is a whole other post !

To all those bloggers at the ProBlogger Training Event - have the BEST time ever !

TFTD : You were given this life because you are strong enough to live it.

Random Things I Know

I was very sad to see that Dorothy is giving up Things I Know but I totally understand the reason why - it takes a lot to run a linky and when you have as much on your plate as she does, it is totally understandable.  I hope that someone else will be able to pick this up because I do like having to think about what I know each week !

This week (randomly) I know :

- that if I don't get my eating under control no matter how much I run / plank / go to PT sessions, the weight / cms will not move

- Maltese McFlurries are not as nice as Hot Fudge McFlurries (I may or may not have found this out when I had a Maltese McFlurry for dinner last night)

Mine didn't look anything like this !!!!!

 

- snoring can be stopped with a CPAP machine (Hallelujah !!!!)

This is pretty much what the one that A has looks like

 

- the same CPAP machine may, at times, be more annoying than the snoring - which, last night, resulted in A going to sleep in the loungeroom until I woke up at 5am from a horrible horrible dream that I haven't had for many many years and I ran through to the lounge, woke him up and got him to come back to bed and hold me tight

- waking up stiff in the morning is not because of the new mattress but rather because of the exercise that I have done the previous night (sorry mattress for wondering whether to send you back !!!)

- being held accountable through #operationMOVE and #ausplank has got me moving more times this week than I possibly would have moved

- my running times are improving every time I get out there and pound the road - this makes me happy !!

- my Fit Journal would probably work better if I wrote down EVERYTHING I ate instead of only the healthy food I ate (although I did list a Maltese McFlurry for dinner last night - thank goodness nobody other than myself - and my family if they were so inclined - get to see this !!!)

 

- that I am soooooooooooooooo looking forward to this long weekend.  Not that we have anything exciting planned as yet.  A may still have to work tomorrow - not happy Jan - but we are waiting to hear for definite on that sometime today.

- maybe go on a whale watching trip I can convince A that it is a good thing to do, if we do get stuck into the garden and need a break

- sometimes Dads forget what was like to be 20 and 20 year olds have no idea about anything that doesn't involve them or isn't about them.  Sometimes I wonder if there will ever be peace in our family again or will I be constantly playing peacemaker.  At least it isn't as bad as it used to be when the only way to get them to be nice to each other was to threaten to leave !

- it is good to have lull days at work because I know the storm is going to hit next week and then it is going to be bedlam

Have the best weekend ever - and if you are lucky enough to live in a state celebrating the Queen's Birthday on Monday - ENJOY !!!!  And Happy Birthday to the Queen (even though I know this is nowhere near the date of her actual birthday - it means a holiday for us and I am soooooooooooo totally grateful for that) !!

TFTD : If you settle for just anything, you will never know what you are truly worthy of

Random Things I Know

Linking in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity who this week has some great tips about linky parties (thanks Dorothy - sorry I don't use your button but I have tried with a few linkies but all I get is some letters and no button - I am totally challenged in this department !!!!)

These are things that I know this week :

- if the weather stayed like it is always on the Gold Coast I probably wouldn't appreciate it so I know I am grateful when the cr*ppy weather that we sometimes very occasionally have, arrives (Thanks Badger for the reminder !!!!)

- the man I married will qualify for seniors discount next year but that doesn't make me old

- people can be knuckleheads but that doesn't make me a knucklehead

- I am motivated by being held accountable for my exercise and am more likely to get out there when I don't feel like it because I have made the commitment to someone else

- next week I am going to get my fit journal started

- this weekend A wants to tackle the garage to clean out and tidy up - if he does that I will concentrate on the kitchen and the kitchen cupboards (what I really want to do is go whale watching on Sunday morning !!!!)

- make a cup of coffee using a coffee machine is more trouble than it is worth (imo - but that may be because I don't drink coffee but honestly, can't see the point in taking so long and then just drinking one cup of the stuff.  I hope I haven't bought a white elephant !!!!)

- I love this saying and am thinking that is definitley what I want to be (the unicorn not myself !!!) - especially today !

 



I hope today flys by - I don't know how much of it I can take !!!!

Have the best Friday that you can !

TFTD : Forget it enough to get over it, remember it enough so it doesn't happen again.

Random Things I Know

As usual, linking in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity for {Random} Things I Know this week :

- I will run again.  This morning I ran more than 2/3's of the 4.8km that I was out.  Apart from about 15-20 steps at the transition from walking to running in my left knee, it went really well.  My breathing sucks again - but that is OK, I am working on it and I know that I will get it back to where it was before I stopped running.

- I suck at buying birthday presents for the man who has everything.  Does a coffee machine with a free grinder count ?  Or is that a present for the house ?  Even if it is for the house - he's got it now although he may wish to choose a different one.  Plus a box of 4 different beers - not exciting but man, it isn't like when he is buying for me and can get a Pandora charm or perfume and I'll be happy !!  He really does have everything and every bloody year it gets harder and harder.  I'm thinking maybe I should just put a big bow around myself and give myself to him !!

- Work has been stressful but good this week.  I am really happy where I work - for the first time I truly feel valued as an employee and I feel like my opinions and ideas carry some weight.  I have job hopped reasonably regularly for nearly 30 years and this is the first job where I have felt like I matter !!  It is good.

- Eating and drinking well from Monday breakfast to Friday lunch in not condusive to losing weight if I am going to lose the plot in the food and drink department from Friday lunch to Monday breakfast !!!!  I need to do something to stop the self sabotage in the food department - it is undoing all the good work I am doing with my exercise

- I suck at trying to remember the things that I know - I had a whole heap in my head while I was driving around today doing everything that needed to be done and now that I am sitting down at the laptop I can't think of them - I HATE it when that happens !!!!!!

- I am loving the weather that we are having at the moment.  Days are just glorious and nights are still cool enough to be comfortable to go to sleep.  I love the coolness of the sheets on my skin when I climb into bed (a far cry from having to have them heated before I would get into bed - thank you menopause !!!!)

- I am excited about starting the planking challenge tomorrow - I will be in touch with everyone who said that they would be interested in joining me.  And, if anyone else wants to join in as we are going - you are more than welcome.

Have the best week ever - take care and remember to tell those close to you how much you love and appreciate them !

Have you got a great week planned ?  I am motivated to exercise

so that is what I am going to work on this week.

TFTD : Be so busy loving your life that you have no time for hate and regret.

Random Friday

Tonight I am blogging about random things that have happened recently because that is about all my brain can manage right now as well as linking in with Grace from With Some Grace for FYBF!!!

- on Wednesday we signed up for Warrior Dash on 10 November at Kilcoy - anyone interested in joining us we have entered the 12 noon event (the waves are every 30 mins from 9am) and this was the first wave available when we were entering

- I am having trouble trying to enter the 10km Stampede for next year - someone did get back to me today and I replied to their mail so am waiting to hear back from them before we can continue that registration

- tonight K asked me to go shopping for togs with her.  It seems like she has finally realised that maybe, just maybe, I do know some thing about what colours and styles suit her and I can pick something off the rack that will look great on her.  The acceptance and knowledge in her face when she tried on a top that I had chosen for her to wear with her Black Milk leggings was just priceless - I am so sorry I couldn't get to capture it on photo

- currently work is a great place to be - the work is kinda interesting (for a change), the bosses are being reasonable, I love the lady who works in the same office as me - we have so much fun and share heaps of laughter - it makes such a difference waking up in the morning and actually enjoying driving to work.  Would I rather win Lotto and travel the world ?  Of course.  But, until I do, I think I might just stay where I am (rather unusual given my history of changing jobs whenever I get bored !!!)

- in #operation move, I have moved 345 mins this week (total for September 463) - yeeehaaaaaa - gotta be happy with that - also happy with my weight loss over the past two weeks given how hectic things have been.  Am so glad to be motivated to exercise even on nights when we are going out for dinner rather than coming home and slothing in front of the TV until we go out because I don't have to cook dinner

- last weekend while we were away we asked my folks to get some vacuum storage bags for us from Aldi as they were on special.  We have our winter clothes that we used in NZ and nowhere really to put them so, for now, they are vacuumed and pushed under the bed.  But it got me thinking - and moving - and three absolutely over flowing, huge rubbish bin bags later, I have had a major clear out of winter clothes that I haven't worn in I don't know how many years.  K is going to take them to the Salvos or Lifeline or some charity tomorrow (I don't think she realised how much there was as I was only holding up one bag when I asked her !!!!) and I hope that someone will benefit from using clothes that I no longer wear or no longer fit me whether they are too big or too small.  It is such a great feeling looking at those three big bundles and knowing that there is a part of my cupboard / drawers that has been cleared.  A great feeling for me - now, if I could attack the hoarding gene that is A I could land up with the minimalistic house that I have always wanted !!!!

- YAY tomorrow is Friday and that means the weekend is nearly here.  Unfortunately A and K are both working on Sunday but that means I get to spend the whole day doing exactly what I want, when I want - what more could I ask for ???

- before I trained as a reflexologist and remedial massage therapist - I used to have my nails done.  I found a lady who was excellent at gel nails and did a great job - and I loved my nails.  I loved my hands and how they looked with nails.  Then I started to study reflexology and massage and had to get rid of the nails - oh man I missed them.  It's been over 5 years since I last had nails and so I decided to have them done before we went on holiday - I loved having nails again.  It's been too long since I had any nails worth looking at.  It was a sad today when I had them taken off and I am back to  my stumpy little nails again.  (Please note - this is very tongue in cheek - I know that there are a gazillion people around the world dealing with issues so much bigger than me having gel nails taken off - so please, if you are thinking about leaving a nasty comment in regard to this - don't bother to waste your time - I do get that it is trivial !!!!!)

- I am thinking about starting a challenge for my on-line friends. After reading about it at Fitness, Health and Happiness I wondered if anyone would like to join me in doing one timed plank per day - with the view to increasing the length of time that you plank for and giving those core muscles a really good work out.

So, are you in or are you out with regard to the planking challenge ?  Ask yourself - Do you want abs of steel ?  Do you want a really flat stomach ?  And then decide, can you afford to say no to the challenge ?????

TFTD : Pain makes you stronger.  Tears make you braver.  Heartbreak makes you wiser.  So thank the past for a better future !!

Another Random Thankful Thursday

Where do the weeks go to ?  It just seems like time is flying by so fast before I know it I will be 50 and able to apply for senior citizens discounts !!!!

Linking in with Kate from katesaysstuff for {a random} Thankful Thursday this week :

- for losing 2.8kg in two weeks which included a weekend away, and eating out two nights with friends at Mexican and Indian restaurants and the acceptance that every day does not have to be 100% for me to succeed - life goes on and I need to work out how to deal with that and my eating/drinking

- for my lovely on-line friends who are motivating and encouraging me with my exercising

- for my iPhone (yes I do like using it for this) for keeping track of how far and how fast I am walking / running

- for working out that if I run on the road rather than the pavement my knee likes loves me more and behaves better for me

- for my shoes and inner soles that are helping my knee behave like it should when I exercise

- for my trainer who pushes me to the limits that he knows I am capable of even when I am dry retching all over the place

- for FINALLY getting our NZ blog finished (I will be posting this on my blog soon)

- for the gratitude app that Lee from Mummyissues showed me - I have been using it daily and finding that it is doing me so much good taking time to reflect each evening on what I have to be grateful for - especially on the days when it feels like it is all turning to sh*t - when I think about it there are always at least four things to be grateful for

- for my pen and paper diary who have saved me more than once in recent weeks (even though it did a cr*p job yesterday - or maybe that was my fault seeing as I hadn't written said item in it in the first place !!)

- for my fantastic family who (most of the time) really do an amazing job with putting up with me

- for the opportunity to sign up for Warrior Dash seeing as The Stampede was so much fun.

Thanks again to Kate for hosting Thankful Thursday - as always, it is good to link up and share the blog love with others who are also thankful.

What are you thankful for this week ?

TFTD : It is not that those who are strong never get weak in the knees, or that they never hold their breath.  It's that while their knees are shaking, they force themselves to breathe and take another step.

(Random Things for) Thankful Thursday

Because I am writing this on Wednesday night, I am anticipating Kate's Thankful Thursday post (not that she ever lets us down !!!!).

This week I am thankful for :

- a cold which I woke up with this morning because it gives me a chance to get rid of it before we go on holiday in two weeks time.

- the granadilla's my folks gave me to add to the plain yoghurt I bought (despite the fact that they gave me about 25 and I only have 500ml of yoghurt !!!!)

- the wonderful birthday I had on Saturday and the lovely presents I received

- an impromptu dinner out last night with A where we got to talk about his job offers

- the fact that there are 6 companies trying to get him to join them when the company he currently works for closes it's doors

- a car which has nearly 200,000kms on the clock but is still reliable and great to drive

- blogging, twitter and facebook friends who are so supportive and caring

- only 10 days of work until we leave for NZ (or 11 if you count the Saturday that I think I will have to work to get everything done before I go !!!)

- the opportunity to meet other bloggers next Saturday

- the courage (that I hope I will have on the day) to go out and meet above bloggers

- this opportunity to reflect on what I am thankful for rather than concentrating on what is annoying / irritating / p*ssing me off !

What are you thankful for this week ?

TFTD :  Be honest.  Kiss those you love.  Say "Thank you", "I love you" and "You did a great job" to someone each day.  Love your life and what you have been given, it is not accidental - search for your purpose and do it the best that you can.  Dreaming does matter - it allows you to become that which you aspire to be.  Forgive - it frees the soul.  Recognise the special people you have been blessed to know.

Thankful Thursday

I love these linkies because when I am struggling to think of a post, they normally prompt me to come up with something - not necessarily anything mind blowing, but something !

Linking in with Kate from katesaysstuff - this week I am thankful for :

- my Dad starting radiation so that he can fight the cancer

- my great organisational skills which saw us having a big cook up on the weekend so I haven't had to cook during the week - nor did we have to resort to buying take-aways or eating toast for dinner

- my motivation to get out there and run even when it is the last thing that I feel like doing

- a long weekend with cr*ppy weather that saw us have a pyjama day on Monday

- a trainer who pushes me to achieve more than I ever thought I could (Thanks Hudson for the stiff glutes that I have today as a result of walking lunges whilst carrying 10kg weights in each hand and to think that I used to walk around 24/7 carrying an extra 25kgs - scary stuff !)

- my Mom and Dad for making yomazzoti and dropping it off yesterday so I have another two nights that I don't have to cook

- my job, which is so hectic at the moment I don't know which way to turn

I love Thankful Thursday because, even when life gets tough and I feel like tossing it all in, it allows me to dig deep and find things that I can be thankful for and I realise that it isn't all bad - there is good out there as well !

TFTD : Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together - Marc and Angel

(Random) Things I Know

Today I am linking in with Dorothy from Singular Insanity with Things I Know :

- our house is great in summer but bloody cold in winter
- it is colder inside our house than outside it
- I can get my hair washed, dried, straightened, get dressed and my make-up done quicker than I thought I could
- my child can be the sweetest child out, when it suits her
- the sweet chilli and basil pizza from Crust really is the best pizza going
- I am hoping to be more organised with meals this coming week (I wanted to do that today but didn't get to it because :
- today I spent most of the day in my pj's watching baseball on TV and crocheting a blanket
- I am one lucky lady who is surrounded by a great family
- sometimes I take them for granted

Have a fantastic Saturday and long weekend to all those who have a long weekend !