Hi! It's me!

Wow. Where does the time go?

I admit that I have started numerous entries but have had to abandon them due to lack of time, content or enthusiasm!

So what's been happening in this neck of the woods?

I had a birthday last week. It was a lovely day. Some of my birthdays have not been the best and so I tend to not get my hopes up but this one was just great. I was called into work but, although it was really busy, I enjoyed spending it with my workmates. Specially as the boss is on annual leave. That evening the family gave me some lovely pressies and we went out to dinner. The five of us, a surrogate son (Fireman Sam) and three girlfriends (GGF, Tina and Fireman's girlfriend, Gina). We went to the local pub, had a good meal, played the pokies and then came back here. I felt thoroughly spoilt and loved. And one of the best things was that Himself organised things (not sure if One prompted him!) - this was amazing as usually nothing gets arranged and I end up doing it or we end up doing nothing.

I fell into the exercise doldrums a while back. It was a combination of my back and shin injuries and Fireman Sam being majorly out of action with his back injury. Also, we had played around with my routine and I had too many options! I still did something every day but it all felt very messy. Fireman Sam came around the day before my birthday and re-jigged my routine. I now spend 50 minutes every morning on the elliptical trainer and then walk in the evening. I tried to incorporate a run into that walk (as he suggested) but kept running (haha) into difficulties with my back and leg. On Tuesday I did a series of sprints within the walk without too many problems so will try that again this evening. I'm still not doing as much as I was initially when I was lifting weights and using the bag but I have to remember that this is for life and I need to find a rhythm to all of this that I can do forever. I really struggled with the ET in the mornings but Fireman Sam came around on the Thursday and Friday and that certainly helped (can't slack when he's around!) and after having a difficult time this Monday while watching TV I experimented with listening to my (new for my birthday from the boys) iPod shuffle on Tuesday and it was much easier. Yesterday wasn't too bad but this morning was bloody hard again. It could be that I had pizza for dinner last evening and my body was rebelling against the less than adequate nutrition it was given or that I was just really tired. My heart rate sits around the 140-150 mark unless I really push it and then it gets up to the high 160s. When I started this regime it got up to 180 in the final minute of going as hard as I can but now I'm lucky to get to 167. And when I stop it drops down to the 120s within less than a minute and back under 100 within a couple of minutes. This is fantastic from my cardiac perspective but my muscles are finding it all rather daunting. Fireman Sam is doing a two week course related to his search and rescue role so I haven't had his encouragement this week and won't see him next week either. Hopefully after that he will be able to come around once or twice a week. I can see the day when I will be able to do all this on my own but at the moment I still need his input. Once he has been given the all clear from his doctor he will be able to do more with me (lifting weights are out for 6 months and running isn't looking good either). The poor bugger is so frustrated with his lack of exercise.

Himself is in Sydney for the final few days of his project before he's back home permanently. I let One take Himself's car into work this morning and went back to bed for half an hour which turned into 2 and a half hours! I think I am tired and a bit under the weather. I have booked two weeks annual leave from the 15th October. Now I just have to decide where to go as I am NOT spending it bumming around the house.

I applied for a new job this week. It's in infection control but is full time and quite different from what I'm doing at the moment. Applications closed yesterday and it could be 3 weeks before I even find out if I'm to be invited for an interview. The trouble with applying for a position within the organisation you work for is that it's hard to bullshit at interview! I'm trying to put it all out of my mind and just get on with things. Two's courtcase is in less than 3 weeks and that is certainly playing on both his and my minds. He is quite ratty but that is his way of handling these things. Unfortunately Himself doesn't understand that and when Two and I get snitchy with each other he wades in to sort things and makes everything worse. We are all having to get used to having him home again.

Last Sunday One and I went for a 3 hour bike ride. We rode from home down to the beach and then along the beach bike tracks and back. It was a glorious day albeit a bit windy. Fireman Sam and Gina had given me a camelbak for my birthday and I tried it out and it was fantastic. (For the uninitiated it's a bladder in a backpack that you fill with water - Two suggested a shiraz - which you drink via a tube that you just bite and suck on as you walk/run/ride. There's a pocket for keys and mobile and some money. Much easier than lugging bottles of water). I never cease to be amazed by the number of people who think that signs are there for everyone but them. There are two distinctly marked trails. One for pedestrians and one for cyclists and skaters. But there are always groups of people strolling - STROLLING, not running - on the bike track. And they look quite annoyed as you ride past them. And as for the people that just wander across the bike path without checking to see if anyone is coming and then get all shitty as you swerve to avoid running into them ...! People! They should be banned. One and I agreed that we should ride more often.

Speaking of One, it looks as if he and LGF will be an item again in the very near future. We are all ('cept him of course) quite concerned about this. He assures me that things will be different this time round but it's going to be very difficult for us to accept LGF back into our lives after the way she treated him.

This Sunday I am hosting a lunch for Dr. Teacher and his family and my parents. An old friend of my mother's (although a couple of decades younger than her) has been in touch with me over the course of the year as her partner has undergone treatment for ovarian cancer and the two of them are doing a big trip to celebrate her remission. Jane was originally from Western Australia but has lived in England for years. I haven't seen her for over 20 years and have never met Mary. Jane emailed me to ask if we could meet up and if I could arrange for them to catch up with my parents, hence the lunch. I was going to suggest a pub but my father is very deaf and finds those venues difficult to handle so it will be here. It could be an interesting day.

I had great plans for today but they have come to naught. I guess going back to bed didn't help but I haven't done anything I'd planned to. I need to tidy the house and give it a bit of a clean. My excuse for not starting today is that someone is bound to come home this evening and mess it up again! So I have sat here on my shrinking arse all morning! I am having lunch with the Mermaid tomorrow and will get up at 5.00 for my session on the ET so will tackle the house straight after. Now I think I will go to the supermarket to avoid the after school crush, hang the sheets on the line and maybe read a book! Then my walk/run later in the afternoon/evening before One gets home from work (via LGF's place). Two is at GGF's place this evening and Three is working til 9.00pm.

Speaking of Two and GGF, he asked me if she could move in here til the end of the year. She is paying a lot of money to rent a room with a couple who are less then pleasant. She basically lives here anyway. She is a nice enough girl but does get a bit loud and irritating at times and I don't think the other two boys would be terribly enthused with the idea of her officially living here. The two of them are planning on getting a place together asap but Two needs a stable income. They have been really good over the past few weeks with tidying the place up a bit and offering to help with dinner and the like. I think I'll wait and see what the result of the court case is and then decide. I have too much on my plate at the moment. In the mean time she will continue to be here. If I get the job and work full time it may not be too bad as I won't have days off which I resent spending with other people. Maybe I could suggest that she can stay but the rest of the family think she's sort of moved back in with her parents but spends most of her time here.

When does parenting get easier??

OK. Off to do something!