Quack, quack.

My, ’tis good weather for the ducks.

• Busy and stressful week at work. Diagnosed somebody young with a metastatic (widespread), aggressive cancer. Upsetting for all.
• Hubby in a bit of a morose mood, me in a foul one (they tend to feed off each other). We are working it out.
• we had a bit of an argument yesterday and, luckily or unluckily, we were at Highpoint. Rather than saying a lot of hurtful stuff to each other, we went in different directions by ourselves. Had a (single) scoop of icecream (toffee walnut yummmm), not very good but much more substantial damage could have been done. I then went and shopped. I bought a pair of uber cute flats from Mimco which would be good for schlepping about in Paris. I also bought a shirt n skirt from Trenery, kind of like the older, pudgier sister of Country road (they go up to size 20). But nice stuff was bought.
• Hence, mollified, hubby and I have been at peace.
• We have been doing Spanish for travel lessons together, and there is some talk afoot of doing Salsa classes.
• Shells and I had grand plans for 3 laps around Albert Park lake (approx 15km) but got rained out. We then had grand plans to do 90 minutes on the tready but about 23 minutes in, after all the internal “you can do it’s”, I cracked the shits and slammed the stop button. I then got us some tickets for body step. Shells held up admirably, despite the fact that it was a new release and she had not done step since circa 1996.
• After, went for brekky at red box. After some good exercise, I decided to sod the poached eggs and have the french toast with marscapone, macadamias and bacon. It slid down a treat.
• I don’t know if I blogged about my haircut and dye, but I have recently had a fab job done. The only issue is that, when I sweat, the dye leaks. Not good. So now my exercise tops have an orangey tinge, which hopefully the omo will remove.
• Have decided that Ian and I need a nice weekend together on the 5th and 6th of december. Some ideas that have been bandied about are thus: Trip to Vue grande at Queenscliff (expensive), trip to Canberra to see the works from the Musee D’orsay (will be there in the flesh come January), holiday with the hound, stay at home but go for a massage and then take the dog for a swim at the beach (which beach will accept dogs?). Ideas would be invited.
• Left hammy/butt still giving me some jip, not enough to stop me. Have been stretching very religiously.
• Am cooking mum, hubby and sis a lamb roast tonight.
• will sign off now.

lazee daze

I am getting in practice for Spain by having a siesta.

Unfortunately, we found out last night that Ian failed his exam….he will have to re-sit the exam in May next year. Plus all the after hours tutes he needs to go to and the dinners I need to cook for him…..have told him that I will support him.

Oh, well..

Today, went for Pilates class. Then wandered around my mate Brunswick. Found myself a nice pair of strappy silver sandals, down from $199 to to $69 – yeh!

Have been spending most of my time arranging stuff for Spain trip. Booking hotels, etc….very exciting. Spain hotels are very cheap, whereas Parisian hotels are very expensive. We will be staying near Boulevard St. Germain, on the Rive Gauche.

Did my first good going interval session on the tready on Weds, felt really good about it. Nice, short, sharp and shiny. Think I will start doing some pool running also, now the weather is a bit hotter.

I think I said previously that I have been reading a book called weight loss for food lovers? Well I have been following what is in there (mostly the bits about eating stuff when you really feel like it) and have been quite afraid of gaining weight….got on the scales this morning and appear to have lost about a kilo…..could be all fluid…..but encouraging.

Went for spanish lesson on weds evening, kind of easy given that I have studied Italian.

Hubby on call today…hoping to be able to get out to dinner tonight….fingers crossed.

Tomorrow, off for a run with Shells, the first in a while.

It’s on, It’s off, Now it’s back on!

Well the Spain holidays were looking a bit shaky at one stage, hubby was not going to be able to get leave and we could not change the flights. So after a few arguments, with hubby being put in the doghouse once or twice, we thought laterally and cancelled our flights with Singapore and got flights with Emirates….

Hopefully nothing else happens.

Did all my christmas shopping yesterday…I felt very proud of myself. So proud, in fact, that I bought myself a new pair of brooks adrenaline runners, thorlo socks, YSL mascara and clinique lippy. Plus I got some pressies for some other peeps! And great ones for hubby (his birthday is pretty close to christmas).

Today, went for TW training with Shells and Jay. We did the last sector of the trail, very steep and tough in the heat. What a workout! Silly me, I only bought a 350 mL bottle of gatorade to consume en route so I had to swig from the ladies camelbaks. So dutifully I went and got myself a camelbak from Kathmandu. Not particularly cheap but what price hydration?

Tonight, a dinner at Baba Levantine in Brunny, amazing food. Lovely dessert.

Melbn Kyup

I was just reading a wordpress blog, thingsboganslike.wordpress.com. There are a few bogans, or cubs (cashed up bogans) there at Melbourne Cup. Spending 2 months wages. Tres chic. Had a giggle.

Am enjoying the day off, have been working on my paper to submit to a journal. Have cooked a moussaka for dinner and am thinking about baking some cookies. Have not made cookies in a while. Actually since I was about 13 in home eco classes.

Spent last weekend in Sydney (hence the subtitle of this blog is Sydney weekend 2 of 2). Was support crew for hubby at the second of his exams. We stayed in Coogee, the Syd homebase for the BTB (Beautiful tanned bogan). It was Halloween, so all the boganettes took the opportunity to dress up in their tightest, shortest dresses and highest heels, and then don a sailor hat (sailor tart), devils horns (devil tart) or bunny ears (bunny tart). We went to the Beach Palace hotel for dinner, because hubby didn’t want anything too upmarket for dinner. It would appear we overshot, because there was a fight/near glassing at 9:30pm! We then picked up and left to more salubrious premises.

I did something that I should not have done, that is Sunbake. I have horrible burns to my front calves. Yeow. I am stoopid. On the upside, my upper thighs saw the light of day for the first time since circa 1987.

The supersheilas (that is all one word lower case) have registered for Trailwalker. We need moolah and we need it now. It is for a good cause blahblahblah you all know that…… And we are planning on going on all night. I am still shuddering at the thought.

Am going to do a step class this evening. Unfortunately the intervals didn’t make prime time last week……but I have my hubby back to look after me so now excuses.

I am reading a book called weight loss for food lovers, by a psychiatrist called George Blair-West. It is quite good. Quite interesting. At the end of the day, it is much more about Calories in vs Calories out, but I am learning that the food bit is much more important than the exercise bit.

Am going for a haircut next week, what I would like is a shortish but flattering hairstyle that looks fabulous with minimum effort. Yeah, right.

I think that our neighbours don’t think we are looking after our dog properly, they think she is bored and think we are evil because we leave her while we go to work. This has stirred up a bit of guilt in me but seriously, I have grown up with hounds, so has hubby, and all of them were left at home during the day. As long as they don’t trash everything, they are probably ok. The dog certainly seems happy.

Shells, Rugers, where art thou?

Back in the saddle.

yesterday, work , got called a few times in the morning. Then went to Northland, it is turning into a mini-chaddy or doncaster, except with more bogans and no mimco. But there are some good new shops there. I had one of those cheap chinese massages which got me very relaxed (i.e. the sensation of just before sleeping), except for when she pushed on tight bits. Then I yelped.

Then I spent the evening in St Kilda for my bro’s 25th birthday. It was good to see him, but the food was average and a bit overpriced. My brother kept getting given shots from his birthday guests, which smelled like a mix between mouthwash and ouzo (his girlfriend and their friends are greek).

Candy was a naughty girl yesterday. Hubby left her inside and she upturned the bin, and then jumped up on the counter, took down a carton of eggs to her bed, then cracked the eggs open and slurped the yolks out. That requires pretty good planning for a canine. We really must remember to make sure she is out when we go out.

This morning, Jay and I ran the 8.4km event for SiS2. My left butt/hammy/ITB was giving me a bit of tightness (I think I have an ITB neurosis, everyone else has ITB problems so I think I do too). But Jay talked/sang/encouraged me through it and we finished in a decent time, a little faster per km than last years SiS 2, then I was lighter and had been running more.

The plan this week is to do some interval training. Mebbe on the dreadmill.

Am starting a new rotation tomorrow and am looking forward to it.

Bugger! Am missing Glee!

but would rather rabbit on self-absorbedly.

To start with small talk – gee, the weather has been good! Not freezing my tits off!

Been a reasonable week at work. Was gonna say good but that is too strong a word. But no dramas.

I have been for a run, plan to go for another – maybe tomorrow, def on Sunday. Will be doing the 4 or the 8.4k spring into shape with Jaykay. It is good therapy as I associate running with thinking nice thoughts about myself.

Today, I did a 90 minute lecture. 90 minutes, I tell you! I talked continuously for 90 minutes! No wonder my jaw was a bit sore at the end. But it rakes in 900 buckeroos for me. that is 100 bucks for 10 minutes. (well that doesn’t count the work that I did on the presentation). I was presenting to physician trainees at Melbourne university.

On the topic of Melb Uni, it has become far too sanitary. It is lacking the character that it had when there was no VSU and the lefties ran the student union. I only saw one hairy lady with dreadlocks! The kids were all very well dressed and all looked very clean cut with not a hint of self-righteous poverty about them. No gay couples holding hands. No interesting graffiti on the dunny walls. I used to enjoy reading that. And Donut King has taken up residence in the Union Building. Curses!

On the upside, though, I bought a can of coke zero and it was only a buck fifty.

I am currently finishing off a book called “A fraction of the whole” by Australian author Steve Toltz. A good read but a long one. I like reading, it is cheaper than shopping as a hobby!

Looking forward to the weekend and to catching up with JK, though am on call on the weekend.

Have to catch up with mum, am taking her to see a movie. I think I just need to be there for her.

Sydney Weekend 1 of 2

Well I have just returned from my weekend in Sydney. Great lectures, very educational. Great dinner last night – Seafood buffet with dessert buffet with chocolate fountain (not together, of course!!). How does a 2 course dessert sound?

And yes, I got on the tready at the hotel and did a good honest 20 mins at a good speed. I feel with this 2nd wind at running I am a bit faster. Hopefully I can go just as long.

As I type this I am watching idol, baffled at Liza Minelli. I hate to be a cynic but I smell a big whiff of her hangers on saying “you are running out of moolah so get your painkiller addled arse back out there on a show that has jumped the shark”. I feel sorry for her, she seems to have difficulty speaking. She should be at home taking care herself. But it is lovely to hear the Judy Garland husk in her voice.

My Issues

• I had a call from my brother on Friday saying that he was worried about our mum. To cut a long story short, she has had a rough time at work, she is off on workcover. She is now obsessed with “taking down” her workplace but still wants to work there. She has taken to looking stuff up on the web about the laws and sending nasty emails to people. I worry that it is the beginning of a downfall in her, because she is not doing anything else but this.
• The weight. Ahhh, that old chestnut. I have banged on and waxed lyrical before. my head up against the proverbial brick wall. And little, if anything, changes. I had a small epiphany of sorts a few weeks back but it has come to nothing really. It is weight on my hips, tummy and thighs but it mainly is a big weight on my mind because I get obsessed about it, in a terrible guilt-binge-guilt cycle. I even subconsciously aggressively pinch my tummy fat and punch my saddlebags – what gives? The weight on my mind is a burdensome thing. And even if I lost 2, 3, 4 whatever kilos, would I be happy with my body?  Probably not. And that is the big problem. I deserve to be happy with myself, regardless of what the scales say and what changes my body will go through.

So I have emailed a psychologist/hypnotherapist who has experienced in these issues. I am ready to deal with them.

Cheesecake on the brain.

Not literally. That would not be compatible with life.

All I could think about today was cheesecake. I saw some this morning and wanted some. So I had a mini cheesecake and it was delish.

I have been doing the caloriekingthing- fairly diligently staying near or within my kilojoule intake, even if the food is not so good (like on Sunday after the run) I compensate for it later in the day.

I have not seen much (any) weight drop but my pants were feeling a little looser today. Or maybe I am imagining it.

I have been lacking a bit of motivation at work this week, but felt better after helping a lady near death who was uncomfortable die in comfort. (To clarify, not euthanasia). Her family were appreciative.

Went to the gym and decided that I hated the crowds and left after 20 minutes of good honest sweaty labour on the elliptical trainer.

This evening, went to dental hygienist (i.e. other way for dental surgery to relieve me of my money). I was thinking, while I had my teeth tinkered with, whether that would be more or less pleasant than a sigmoidoscope (rectal exploration tube) without anaesthetic. It would be a fairly close call. But if it saves me from the physical and financial agony of another root canal, it is worth it.

I am now sat on the couch watching recorded NCIS. The house is clean (thankyou cleaner) and so is the dog, we bathed her on the weekend because she stank to high heaven. She is lying here snoring between me and my hubby. Happy days.

Off to sydney for weekend, staying in the Radisson with buffet breakfast. Will bring running gear – weather will be better in syd. Hold me to it, people!

I did it, did it good.

Melbourne Marathon 5 (Ha!) Km

Well I was feeling trepidation when I started off today, but I had Jay with me and, save for all the bottlenecks and folks dodging and weaving, we got a pretty good pace, about 6:30 minute kms.

We passed a few marathoners on the way to the G and I tapped one on the shoulder and said “well done”. I hope that was ok.

So whatever distance we did, I feel good, I feel pumped and most importantly, I have got the bug back!

After the run, Jay and I caught up with Shells and Andrew for some bevwahs and chips. Was good to see the marathoners running along, some looked as though they were in agony.

Anyway, I have booked myself in for the Great Australian Run 15km. I plan to do it with Shells and Jay. Should be a good way to help lose the 3.5kg (and hopefully some more) that I put on during winter.

Yey!

I did my first run around prinny in aaages… and I didn’t die, in fact I did ok! Good to see I have retained some fitness from my hm days.

Well I had a bit of a schiessenhausen week but I saw a thing or two at work today to put things in perspective a bit for me.

Today was ok – office move, very little work, then half day off. Caught up with my friend Fay and her 9 month old bubba. Then had a snooze, then out for a run.

Now, Burn Notice. Yay. better go.