To blog or not to blog? That really is the question.

I have come very close to deleting this whole thing.  But then I reread some of the entries and it reminds me of where I've been and what I've done.  I doubt that I will ever get back to writing nearly every day but if I pop in once a week or so then at least I'll have something to look back on in times to come.  And really, that was why I started writing in the first place.  The people who would read and comment were a bonus.

So.

We are halfway through January already.  I have gone very part time with work and am coming to terms with that.  It's lovely to know that I have all this time to do things with but, at the same time, it's very challenging for someone who needs routine.

The whole diet and exercise thing has gone very pear shaped (unfortunately resulting in me becoming very apple shaped).  I have regained about half of what I lost over 12 months ago.  

Three saw 7 Pounds the other night.  Yesterday he was asking about becoming an organ donor and also about donating blood.  He hasn't donated before so we decided that we would go and donate together today.  I was called into the interview room first and it seemed that something rather weird had happened to my records.  They had me last donating in 1976!!  Under my married name when I was married in 1977.  (I last donated sometime between 2003 and 2005 - can't remember!).  And my weight at my last donation ... 52 kilos.  Yeah right.  Anyway, I have a very unusual name and my date of birth was right and my driver's license matched so the nurse went ahead with the assessment.  And took my blood pressure.  I kid you not ... "HOLY CRAP"  came out of her mouth!!  I guess 196/105 is  leeetle high!!  Actually it's scarily high.  So, no blood donation today and I came home and rocked up to a medical centre and asked to see a doctor.  And after a lecture (well deserved, I'm ashamed to admit) am back on medication.  Also, no weight lifting so I popped into the gym and spoke with Ben (my trainer) and we decided that I will continue to go but will do light cardio and stretching.  As he said, anything is better than nothing.

I dread to think what my cholesterol is like.  And I shudder to think what my BP and cholesterol would have been when I was really overweight and unfit if I hadn't been on medication.  I would probably have had a stroke.  And that's what scared me today.

I went back to Weight Watchers the other week.  After I swore I never would again.  And it was the biggest mistake.  So I have made those near and dear to me promise that if I ever suggest that again I am to be spoken to very severely.

Himself is in Sydney again but only for tonight.  Three and his girlfriend (forgotten what I called her and can't be bothered checking) were here for dinner (btw, his blood pressure was 116/66 and he gave blood with no problems and felt very positive for doing so) and have now gone to have coffee with mates.  Tomorrow I am off to gym at 6.30 and then getting my hair done at 10.00 with Suze before hitting the course in the afternoon.  And then the club for dinner.  Which is a typical Friday for me now (without the haircut but we often do something like going to the market or the shopping centre in the morning).  I am in the perfect place for a stress free life ... both domestically and career wise.  So it's up to me to ensure that I am alive long enough to enjoy it.

My feet still aren't 100% and, realistically, never will be again.  I think I have arthritis in them.  I have been stressing about not being able to exercise and then read something that Chris wrote about the only way to lose weight is eat less.  Initially I was all "no it's not, it's about exercise ... I've proven that" and then someone mentioned that if you suffer an injury that prevents you from exercising if you haven't the eating under control you will regain the weight. And there was a "duh" moment from yours truly.  So, I'm NOT going on a diet but I am looking at what goes in the gob and I'm balancing that with how much I move.  And I'm not beating myself up if I can't get out and run every day.

Nuff of that.  Himself gave me tickets to "Billy Elliot, the musical" for Christmas.  Him and me and a night in a lovely old hotel in Melbourne.  Pretty special as he does NOT do live theatre OR musicals.  I absolutely loved it.  And he didn't mind it which is high praise indeed from him.  I really want to see it again (which is unusual for me) and am trying to convince a son or a girlfriend or both into coming with me.  If not, I will book and go on my own.  It really was THAT good.

Speaking of Christmas, we had a lovely one.  We had family and close friends around on Christmas Eve.  Christmas Day was the boys and one girlfriend (Two's ... she is looking like a stayer which is fine by me - the other two had family commitments but are also quite lovely).  Boxing Day was at Dr Teacher's and was ... OK.  A bit odd for a number of reasons.  Other Brother's wife was unwell and couldn't make it which was a real shame and my mother was in A Mood.  But I am not going to dwell on her issues so we will leave it at that.  (Stress Less ... my 2009 motto).

Will it be another several months before I come back here?  I hope not.  My routine is certainly different (I used to update in the morning after exercise and before work but have to leave home much earlier to get to work on time so no time for ANYTHING!  Even eat breakfast at work!) But now that I'm working part time I envisage being able to update at least once a week and that should give me the look back that I find quite valuable over time.  And if anyone even bothers to check to see if I've written anything and comments, then that will be a bonus.

G'night.

Bits and pieces

Our barbecue.  We had a huge one in the old place which we only bought this time last year but when we got down here we realised it was way too big.  I think One might inherit it!  Anyway, we went out and bought a Weber Q and it is fabulous.  We had the sense to get mains gas installed when we signed up so it's permanently connected with no need to lug gas bottles up and down the stairs.  I was worried that it might not be big enough but we have cooked for over a dozen people on more than one occasion and it is plenty big enough.  It's also good for just the two of us which was the hassle with the other one.

This is our fridge.  The stair case is to the left and it was very difficult to get upstairs! But I love it.  We have plumbed it in (after a couple of false starts cos Himself kept overtightening the connection and breaking the plastic so it leaked!) and have cold water all the time and ice that makes itself.  Very civilised!

The reason I have shown you these photos is that I can't get my phone to talk to my macbook to upload photos of the actual house and furniture and stuff!  And I haven't found the cord that links my camera to the computer!  One day.

My boss just rang to offer me permanent part time work.  I had an interview on Tuesday which was quite bizarre.  I have been interviewed for positions within the same organisation but never for the job I'm currently doing.  The good thing is that I now have permanent work and it's for 5 days a fortnight which is just perfect.  It looks as if I'll work every Monday and Tuesday and every second Wednesday.  Golf course here I come!  It also means that I can keep on top of the housework and general maintenance.  I spent over 5 hours cleaning today.  Scrubbed out the showers, cleaned the shutters and the skirting boards as well as the normal stuff like dusting and vacuuming.  I don't want things to get grubby.

It's 5 o'clock and I've just finished lunch!!  Washing needs to be hung out and brought in.  Himself is going out for a boozy dinner so it will just be Three and me tonight.  Pizza I think.  Then up at 6 for the gym (even on a day off!!).  I will need to take Himself partway to work tomorrow as he is leaving his car and taking the train to the restaurant.  I had planned to hit a major shopping centre early (Southland for those that know) to avoid the crowds and get a car park but don't know if that will happen after all.  I need to sit down and make my lists cos I might actually get away with not having to go to the big shops at all.

This weekend I want to get the tree up.  It's not feeling like Christmas at all.

And on that note I shall toddle off and read a book til Three gets home.  At least he's only 20 minutes drive away now, not 2 hours!

Random bits

In the old house we never worried about fly screens.  Occasionally we would get a lazy old blowie in and it would get squashed or sprayed.  Down here, however, is bug paradise.  We have mossies, blowies and sundry other buzzlies.  A few weeks ago Himself and One went on a road trip to visit stepson in Brisbane.  I had the Mermaid over for a barbecue and we left the balcony door open.  Big mistake.  Three came to the rescue and sprayed fly spray around all the down lights which were attracting insects like, well, moths to a flame!  We now have flyscreens.  And an insect zapper on the balcony.
This is the view from the decking outside the living room door in the rental.  It was a lovely spot but 6 weeks was too long to live in such a small place.  And the final straw came after we'd moved out.  We told the owner that the DVD player never worked whilst we were there.  The aircon/heating wasn't working when we moved in and we had people coming in on several occasions to fix it; a power point had to be repaired; the oven didn't have instructions so we had to get them dropped off so you can understand why we didn't bother about the DVD player.  We left the place spotless and the owner commented on how lovely it was.  A couple of weeks after we moved I got a phone call from her saying that the DVD player wasn't the one she had put in there and it was a cheap and nasty from Aldi.  I expressed horror that a tenant would do something like that and then she had the gall to tell me to ask Three about it as she was convinced that it must have been him or one of his mates.  Oh no, lady.  She didn't have a leg to stand on as she couldn't tell me when she last saw the damned player so she can go and accuse her previous tenants.  Bitch.  This was after we had spent a small fortune buying hifi stuff for this house - from Three and the hifi store he works for.  I really don't think any of us would want a piece of crap from Aldi!

Today I went and got my hair cut for the wedding on Friday.  Himself is on his advanced driving course and having a ball.  I have had my lunch (tuna, avocado and cucumber on corn thins - yum) and think I might curl up on the couch with a book for a few hours.  I have vacuumed the carpets already and the washing is just about up to date.  I know that the next 3 days are going to be really hectic at work because we have gastro on several wards so I shall take it easy whilst I can.

Sheba is sitting on the table on the balcony.  I just wish she would use the cat door downstairs and go into the back courtyard.  I had hoped that kittylitter would only be temporary but I think I am going to have to resign myself to having it for ever.  At least I've found one that absorbs odours and doesn't track too badly.

Enjoy the week.

My Dad turned 90

We didn't know what to get a 90 year old and Dr Teacher suggested a Harley Davidson ride.

The grin on his face says it all!

I realise it's been a long time between drinks.  I haven't quite worked out the routine which involves updating here.

We have been in the new place for about 2 months.  I still keep waiting for the holiday to end and having to go home!  Even though we are all back at work it still has a lovely holiday resort feel.  

Today it has been pouring with rain which is just fabulous.  It has been so long since we had decent rain that the bleak grey skies are almost better than clear blue sunny ones.  I am sitting at the kitchen bench with the view across the river on one side and through my bedroom window I can see the golf course.  Not there is anyone out there at the moment.

I have continued with the personal trainer and now go every monday, wednesday and friday at 6.30 am.  I don't think the scales have changed much but I can definitely see a difference in the way my clothes fit.  Suze and Neil are getting married next Friday and  I was able to buy an outfit in a normal shop.  This is good.  As in the past I would have had to go to the larger size shops.

My contract at work expires at the end of the year.  There are two positions on offer.  One is for 8 days a fortnight and one is for 4 days a fortnight.  I am going to apply for the 4 days with the opportunity to pick up extras if they come available.  I am now an accredited nurse vaccinator so can work at councils doing infant immunisation if I want.

Himself and I have completed an 8 week golf clinic and have played a little bit.  I think we will get into the swing of it.  Again, it's getting that routine think happening.

The boys are well.  All have girlfriends and are happy.  

I am now going to pour myself a glass of sav. blanc and go and watch the watery sunshine on the river.

Catchya later.

Computers don't bounce

This will be brief, very brief.

Unless I get carried away and then it won't.

I apologise profusely for not updating but life has been incredibly hectic.  More chaotic than I ever expected.

The cats were traumatised beyond my expectations and although Sheba recovered fairly quickly, Tom took ages to come around and spent the first two and a half weeks living under our bed during the day.  He would come out at night when it was dark and the blinds were drawn but as soon as it got light and we opened the blinds he belly ran under the bed and could not be coaxed out.  He is much better now but still hides under the bed if startled.

I went back to work yesterday after a couple of weeks off and would have settled down to write a huge update last week except I dropped my macbook.  Onto the kitchen tiles.  It seemed OK except the mouse wouldn't work so when Other Brother came over whilst Mrs Other was in hospital having major cardiac surgery (tell you about that another time but she's home and on the mend) I asked him to have a look at it (to take his mind off things) and he suggested rebooting it and it ... didn't.  

Himself took it into the new Apple shop at Chadstone and they replaced the hard drive and I picked it up today but a whole lot of software hasn't been reinstalled, Himself and One are in Brisbane visiting Stepson and his family and I am thoroughly pissed off.

I have heaps to tell you and will do soon.  I promise.

count down

Tomorrow we have our final inspection.

I was meant to start annual leave but the boss is sick so I have to come in. I will work a short day but it's still a bummer.

Personal training is going well.

I turned 52 last week. It was a lovely birthday highlighted by an evening out for dinner with the boys and various girlfriends.

One has a new girlfriend. They are officially dating and he has told LGF that there is another girl in his life. She wasn't overly impressed but is in Europe and can't cause too many problems. Hopefully she won't come back for quite some time.

We will get internet connection at home in a fortnight so I will be able to post some pictures and update more regularly.

Back to work ....

Not long now

Settlement will be on the 19th September.

Our final inspection is at 0900 on 11th. We have already identified that the balcony seems to be on more of a slant than others but don't want to bring it to the builders' attention until after we have moved in so as not to delay things! That is not to say that it won't be picked up by someone else and then we will be right up the creek.

We have arranged for all the installations and deliveries in the week commencing the 22nd. And the cats should be back home on the 25th. I don't want them around when everything is being delivered.

I have signed up for 12 sessions with a personal trainer and have had 2. So far so good. If I decide that this person isn't for me I have names of others I can try.

Now I just have to decide what to do regards my job. I am sorely tempted to resign now and just see what happens down the track.

Much thinking needs to be done and in the mean time I'd better go back and do what I'm paid to do.

Be back soon.