Archive for April, 2008
Don’t fight it
We had an interesting presentation at our team meeting from the student psychologist on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Yes, a number of us thought of it a a little bit ‘hippy’ when reading some of the background, but some of it made a lot of sense… and it might be the sort of thing that might actually be useful for me. Like reminding yourself that thoughts are THOUGHTS and not always reality. I think that it comes from a psych point of view with research coming along helps me a little.
Anyway :)
xxx
Steamboat
Last night we had Matt and Hannah over for a steamboat dinner… we’d brought the steamboat down from Newcastle last time we were there, and were itching to give it a try.
I spent an hour after the gym sourcing the ingredients … firstly to make my own stock – I’ve never made stock before, so went off to find a chicken carcass. 85cents! Bargain!
Then what to cook in the steamboat? Scallops, fish balls, baby octopus, callamari, chicken, tofu, and lotsa yummy veges like carrot, baby corn and bok choi. And some sauces for dipping into. The others seemed to like the oyster sauce best, while I stuck with the soy. The sweet chilli wasn’t touched, and the teriaki had a little bit of a look-in.
(There’s some nice picture’s of other people’s steamboats here. I have a few photos from last night, but I still haven’t managed to get the camera to download onto this computer, and if Rish’s laptop is here, I can’t login because he hs fingerscan access. Bah!)
So, we stuffed ourselves. Also some yummy steamed barbeque pork buns, nice wine, and my favourite home coucktail of the moment – shot of vodka, shot of frangelico, juice of a lime (they call it an Angel’s Kiss on the Frangelico website. ). Yums. And then Matt and I proceeded to beat Hannah and Rish in cards. Firstly Canasta (which Rish and I had been taught the night before) and then 500. Sweet :p
Something else great about yesterday – there was a top I bought maybe 6 weeks back, and I liked it in the shop… but then when I got it home and put it back on I realised that it looked disgusting on me, highlighting all the bulges exactly where I didn’t want them to be hightlighted! But I wore it yesterday. My tummy is getting flatter, but I swear my bottom is bigger. Or sticking out more. Or other thigns are getting smaller and it’s just getting more muscly or something. I don’t know. All I know it my body is gradually changing shape, so all the lumps and bumps are where they should be and less of them are the form of wobbly fat and more toned happy muscles. Yay! :) Now to keep this up!
Teresa is holding a new contest over at her personal blog. Those entering have a chance at winning a lovely and uniquely designed dandelion handbag by Rebecca Weis. Teresa is willing to ship this item anywhere, so anyone can participate. I’m a sucker for a new bag (if I ever when I make it to 68kg, I’m going to buy myself a new one!), so I know I’ll enter. She designed the blog theme I’m using :) Isn’t it sweet?
Purple Vision
So, last Friday (18/4) I went to the optometrist for my contact lens trial… after some fiddling around, going for a wander so that the left contact could turn itself to the right position in my eye (it was 15 degrees off, apparently it’s only supposed to be up to 5)… I walked out of there with a pair of contacts to trial for the week.
(when I say for a week, I tried to book the follow-up appointment for yesterday, but they didn’t have optometrists in that day, and I couldn’t get anything on monday, so the week thing may extend to a couple by the time I can get in *rolls eyes*)
Anyway. Trialling them, I’m pretty sure I’ll get some to wear, but not sure how committed i am to wearing them every day. They’re great in that I can wear sunglasses, run around like and idiot without worrying about glasses. They’re also great for wearing out – I can put on eye makeup without guessing where my eyes are… and I’m able to put colour in my hair without getting it on frames that are in the way, or again guessing where everything is exactly when there’s no glasses on. Now I just to learn how to actually DO eye makeup…
They’re not so good in that I think my working day plus the time until I get home at night is exceeding the length of time I shold be wearing them. But I’m getting used to that, and using eye drops to extend the time I can wear them. I think having a sniffle in general doesn’t help.
Oh and I feel naked. I think I must hide behind my glasses. I kow they hide the circles under my eyes. Another reason to learn to do makeup properly… or to get more sleep!
But there’s definately a lot of positives. Particularly in having the choice in what I want to wear, wearing my sunglasses, stuff like that. And I’ve only dropped one once in a week… Rish had to help me find it on the bath room floor. gah.
(and no, they’re not purple contacts *pouts* They dont come in my prescription… that’s the hair colour that’s going in at the moment!)
Long-weekend goodness
So, perhaps in order to “enjoy” the ANZAC long weekend, there’s some obligation to go to the dawn service, or at least some sort of service? I read the paper… there was ANZAC stuff there, that counts as at least paying attention to the day… though I was more interested in the Canberra leg of the torch relay… I nearly drove into one of those damn mini-fences last night on my way home from the gym… it had stray out onto Commonwealth avenue… eeek. At least I can say I was alert enough to miss it! (More than I can say for some nights… the roos hopping across had better watch out)
So, the plan is… washing (before it rains and drops to a max of 10 degrees by Monday), hair dying, cleaning the house – because the house is being auctioned tomorrow morning… so the hair dye must be thoroughly cleaned up :p Toddle into the city after lunch depending on the bus times… and hit the gym in time to watch the Bombers/Collingwood match. Haven’t really seen much footy this year, so I might as well watch this one :p
So it’s not even 9am…I’ve been up since way too early for a public holiday. I might go sit and read in the sun for awhile. Or beat up the washing machine so it will spin!
Steak or Shower?
Shame I can’t really be bothered moving to do either :p I think I’ll try the steak… get the pan heating. I have a really nice pack of three T-bones. One for me, one for Rish… another one for Rish for when I make him eat alone on Monday because I’m getting my dinner and wine paid for by national office :p
So not going to the torch relay tomorrow… I think it may be best to avoid the city altogether…. but I did get to see some of the fireworks tonight… saw the ones over Telstra Tower while making my way to the gym in the dark because I was running late… but I made it to the gym, and did about an hour of not so intense cardio, which is more than I felt like doing when leaving work today.
My team leader when I walked into the meeting today “Fiona, you look exhausted” then “Are you?”… hmm a yes was probably the most accurate response to give. Yes a little :p So, no, I won’t be taking up the offer to work an extra two days (Saturdays!!! wtf?) in May in order to to “catch up” admin work, tyvm :p I need my time away from work. if I’m struggling to get there 5 days in the week lately, I so don’t think I need to be there for a sixth :p
I think it’s my contacts. Lack of glasses – you can see my tired lines and circles a lot more. :p
Anyways. A long weekend is 24 hours away (7:21 of work!) then it’s three days of… well not sure what! :)
We had a friend down from Newcastle which was great the past coupel of nights. Thanks for visiting Jess! :) Great to catch up with people… also saw lotsa people on the weekend… and there’s a wedding in Newcastle on the 3rd May to get up there for… I love my Newcastle people… they’re welcome any time :) xxx
I’ll trade you
I think every poor person I run into today will recieve the offer “I’ll trade you my right ear for your right ear”… if they have the idea to bargain me for something of theirs that is also in quite a lot of pain, I’m likely to take it *sighs* I’m off work today on flex… though it should probably change it to sick leave.. but I tried to get in to see my doctor today (on the thought that maybe someone would be able to help me out with the question of why my body is breaking down on me this year) – called at 8:40am, after several attempts at the line being busy busy, I get through at 8:54 to be told that all their slots are gone for the day.
No wonder people are prepared to wait 3 hours at the bulk billing clinic in Phillip in order to get a medical certificate and antibiotics regardless of whether they have something that needs to pills or not *sigh* And why I’m willing to queue before 7am on a weekday outside to get in with only a short wait. They open at 8am tomorrow. I may be seen there.
Not that I know if antibiotics will help me or not. But maybe reccomendations on the right sort of way to knock this pain out of my ears. *sigh*
Okay, musn’t mope.
No, Virginia!
I was in meetings for 5 hours today *dies*
I think I have tonsilitis. I suspect I may not work tomorrow, we’ll see after I’ve slept for 8 hours, gotten up, had a nice hot shower…etc. But I was suspecting today that if I hadn’t been midlessly sitting in meetings all day that it may not have been a good idea to be there. Not with the razors in my throat and the headache.. *dies*
*adds No, Virginia to her wishlist to buy when it comes out in .au*
News of new music from artists I love is NOT good for a girl who should really want to be saving her voice. Damn :(
*stops singing to Yes, Virginia and goes back to cooking her veges for her cous cous tonight*
I’m trying hard
not to be ashamed
not to know the name
of who is waking up beside me
or the date, the season or the city
but at least the ceilings very pretty
and if you are holding it against me…
(okay, too many action stars tonight)
Sushi time!
So, my predictions were wrong. I was a bundle of energy at work today :) May have something to do with the levels of caffiene in my blood, that I started the day with a flu shot, or tha I bought a new rice cooker so am currently making sushi for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow.
Or I could jsut be having a good day, whatever :p
It was a productive day. Lists and phone calls. Strategies to see more kids this term. Planning insanely ahead in my diary. I have something booked for August 14. But that’s fine :)
Had a good gym session – needed given the extra muffin I ate today during our planning meeting. Amazing how tempting it is to eat when you’re overwhelmed with the feeling of what are we going to do?! But I set my treadmill target to 3km today – just under 21 mins today. Will up it to 3.5km next time. Gotta build up. And the rest of it was good.
Now to keep all this productivity up for teh rest of the week. I’m taking Friday off, short week! yay!
She just wants to snuggle
You know those Saturday nights that you realise are going to sit with you for the rest of the week? The ones where you’re heading to bed at sunrise, later than I get up half the week? Hit the bed at 6am today, and I can never sleep for long enough on those mornings, so went back to bed with a screaming headaache about 3. Now I’m wandering around the house in a blanket. Not because I’m that cold, though it is autumn for sure today, but because I like the snuggle.
It’s school holidays for two weeks! I don’t get a break, but I get to make less phone calls, playing phone-tag with teachers. It also means I can take some of my flex time off – going to have Friday off, getting my contact lenses trialled yay! Also getting my flu shot tomorrow morning.
Head in the Clouds
Felt a little shakey in the head and in the legs after the body pump class tonight – really had to try to focus on the road coming home. Not good. But it means I worked hard, right?
SO, being all nerdy for a minute… I love clouds. Tag clouds, like the one of the side. OR the commenter cloud I have up there too (which links to anyone with more that one comment here [currently, If I get too many that number will increase], and the more they comment the bigger the link!) So I also loved the little Tweet Cloud that’s been generated… looking at the words, I’m starting to see a few trends ;) hehe.
Okay. I need to do some washing up, shower, and then off to bed. Gotta get soem early nights – I’ve got at least one late one planned for the weekend!
