My new best friend (I hope)

Firstly, let me apologise for my tardiness in updating. I have attempted to write on many occasions but the words wouldn't flow. So I abandoned the attempts.

As you may remember I am overweight, suffer with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and am insanely unfit. Walking up a gentle slope can render me seriously breathless.

This, folks, is Not Good.

I have started back on the necessary medication and my blood pressure has come down to a more or less acceptable level. I don't know what my cholesterol is doing and I still can't walk up a flight of stairs or a gentle slope.

Exercise is the key. I know this because I read a lot.

I hate gyms.

Walking around the block again and again and again frustrates me.

So over the past few days I have been thinking about alternate ways of exercising. Especially as we are heading towards winter and ... drum roll please ... IT'S STARTED RAINING!! (more on that later).

Himself and I went to Sportsmart and looked at treadmills - any that were half decent were too expensive and took up too much room; eliptical trainers - didn't feel right; and exercise bikes. The one we chose has 12 programs, fancy features and is whisssssssssssper quiet. It is sitting next to me as I type. As you can see from the photos I can watch telly as I ride. And it tucks neatly into the corner between my desk and the sofa in the family room.

My initial challenge is to work out the instructions.

I figure that if I jump on the thing (it needs a name - all suggestions considered) for a few minutes at a time initially, then I can trick my body into exercise until I start to enjoy the sensation.

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So. The rain. We have had the odd shower here and there but last evening we had a heavy downpour (Thomas did the belly run under One's bed; Sheba sat on the back step looking very pissed off at this wet stuff coming from the skies). It has rained on and off since with some good downpours overnight and today. Please let this be the begining of the end of the drought. It was just gorgeous to walk in the rain again and to see green sprouting from the dry, grey dirt. And no, it doesn't take much to get the grass growing again.

Himself moved into his serviced apartment in Sydney. He's not sure about all this as he says it feels too permanent. I can understand where he's coming from but it is so nice to know that he's not going to be spending time tomorrow doing his washing and getting ready to go back.

He is in the kitchen cooking dinner which is just about ready and I should be laying the table and opening wine so I will finish here and come back in the next day or so.