New Bike!

This is my new spin bike. Okay, so I have already broken it, but it should be back in working order by tomorrow! And hopefully the bruises I have on my arms from carrying it in from the car on the weekend will also be gone. (it is very heavy! it was quite an effort for us to get it inside).

Weekend Excursion

We went on a little drive to the BP at Stapylton. Strange destination? Well they sell Krispy Kreme's there, so we decided to go and try them.

We e-tolled our way down the motorway and had a delicious lunch at the servo (they sell great vegie burgers at the Flames shop there!!) and then dessert of Krispy Kremes. I had a cinnamon, Janet had a chocolate glazed. The verdict? Whilst they were indeed tasty (we haven't met a donut yet that we didn't like.....), Dreamy Donuts are way better.

Cute Mini Cupcakes!

I made these last weekend - my birthday cakes if you like (no candles though!!) I used the mini muffin tin that Janet gave me for my birthday. These were such cute little bite-sized cupcakes! (I used Nigella's fairy cake recipe from "How to be a Domestic Goddess" - so easy as you just bung everything into the food processor)

its Magic!

Last Friday, we went out for dinner for my Birthday. I chose to go to The Magic Wok in Sunnybank, as its a vegetarian restaurant and I have been wanting to go there for ages! I was really looking foward to trying lots of different things, instead of the usual thing of having 1 vegie dish. SO Mum, Dad, Scott, Gina, Janet & I all had the Magic Wok experience! It was kind of strange, because they have things on the menu that do not sound like they are vegie - Lemon Chicken for example! But they are all vegetarian. Lemon ChickenSweet & Sour Fish

Mum & Dad

Us!

So the verdict on the food? My favorite dish was the crispy fried egg plant. If I went again, I wouldn't be ordering the fake "meat" dishes. But as a novelty, it was fun. That chicken was very chicken-like. And Janet, who is no vegetarian enjoyed the food, so perhaps the fake meat dishes are best for meat eaters who don't want to feel like they are missing out on anything.

It's My Birthday!!!

That lot might get me through the week. hahahahaha!!!

Jetty to Jetty take 2!!

Yesterday was the 2008 Jetty to Jetty fun run. Last year I sprained my ankle attempting to run this. Not this year! This year I completed the 10K! YAY!!!!! 1hr & 14 minutes. Yay!!!! So I have finally completed a proper run. About time!

Now I just need to do more running so that I can improve my time!

Vanessa Amarosi Concert

We went to the Vanessa Amarosi Concert at Twin Towns on Saturday night. It was great!! And as a bonus, afterwards, we got to meet Vanessa and have a photo taken with her. (this time the photo was taken with our own camera, so we definitely have a copy of it, unlike the photo that was taken with Celine Dion, which we are still trying to get our hand on.....)

We stayed the night at the Twin Towns Resort, which was lovely - this was the view from our window



I tried to go for a run on the beach, but 10 minutes was enough for me. It sure is hard work to run on sand, even the wet sand!

its a bit chilly!

Winter has decided to arrive. We got some flannelette sheets from Catch of the Day and put them on the bed last night. Wow. So cozy and soft. I never had flannelette sheets before.

I am running in the Jetty to Jetty 10K next weekend (20th July). Considering I haven't been doing a great deal of running, it should be interesting! I have ben running about 8K about twice a week. I haven't yet run the whole 8K without any stopping. So I think there may be some walking happening during the JtoJ. But thats okay!

The vegie garden is still in tact. One bean plant has been squished, so I better sort out some kind of baracade soon!

Nothing!

Well the results are in, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with me, except of course for the fact that my fingers are still swollen..... I am a medical mystery.

strange things...

this sounds kind of bizzarre, but two fingers on my right hand have mysteriously swelled up. I went a week ago to the doctor, who told me I must have injured them somehow and not realized it., gave me anti inflamitory tablets and snet me away. So a week later and they are still swollen, so I go back. This doctor sends me for x-rays and blood tests. But still looks at me like I am a bit of a twit who must have fallen over or squished my hand somehow. I have to go back tonight for the results. Hopefully they can fix them because they are driving me a little bit crazy. And I seriously do not think I have done anything to cause an injury.

I finally have my Vegie Garden!!

Its only taken me three years, but I finally have my vegie garden. I had the dirt delivered this past weekend. So I spent some time shovellling and wheel-barrowing it around to the back yard. Of course the wheel-barrow had a flat tyre, but this was easily fixed with the bike pump. yay!

So in my experimental vegie garden, I now have Sweetcorn, beans, peas, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, chilli's, capsicums and silverbeet. I haven't taken any photos yet. Hopefully Jeya doesn't dig it all up. Every night when I get home from work I have been going out there with a torch to make sure nothing has been squished or thrown around. so far so good.

not much!

Not much has been happening lately. Janet has been working. LOTS. Overtime every day and then also Saturday morning. So we are spending the weekends relaxing. Well thats the aim! Over the past few weekends I have created a vegetable garden behind our shed (just have to get the dirt for it....), and yesterday I chopped some branches off a tree in the backyard (I whacked my head on it everytime I walked out there!).

Saturday was a busy morning for me - Janet had her car booked in for a service, so she took my car to work. I dropped her car off at Ultra Tune at 7.30am and then ran home. I then hung out the washing and all that fun house stuff before I headed off with Jeya to the vet for her yearly injection. Its only 3Km to the vet, but it would be helpful if there were more footpaths. We both got very wet feet. By the time we walked to the vet and back, it was just about time for Janet to get home, and off we went to pick up the other car.

New Stuff!!

New stuff is lovely!!

2 weekends ago we bought a marvellous new mattress. Seriously it is magnificent! It is so comfortable!

Last weekend we had to buy a new microwave, because the old one was actually zapping things and had sparks flying. The new one is lovely! I couldn't survive without the microwave. I use it everyday. I make my porridge in it in the mornings and cook the vegies in it every night (even half cook them so they can get sizzled on the George)

We also got a new lawn mower about a month ago, because I was sick of getting cranky at the old one. I have only used it once, but it was fantastic too.

What will break next?

Tagged

I was tagged by Lychee over at http://www.bli-ss.com/

Link your tagger and list these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog .
So here they are:
1. I collect snowdomes
2. I am building a vegetable garden
3. I am addicted to Curry Ketchup at the moment
4 I have never broken a bone
5.I have every birthday card I have ever been given
6.I am also addicted to V
7.I watch too much tv

I am breaking these rules and not tagging anyone else. The tag police can just come and get me!

Tagged again

Here's another one - I got tagged by mamma jj over here http://mamajjscraps.blogspot.com/

Craft Meme - pass it along to anyone you know who has ever crafted, attempted to craft, or been the victim of a drive by crafting.
Do you knit?no
Do you sew?No

Don't look it up. Don't. Look. It. Up. If you're reading this on someone Else's blog, do this part mentally before continuing on. Define the following terms, and when you're done, put the answers at the very bottom of this meme: tatting, flocking, kerf and selvedge - make up a definition if you don't know. At this location (with a link) add a crafting term you think is uncommon, but which you know, to the list for others to define.See end of post

What's your favorite craft store? I like shops with lots of paper & stamps and pens and lovely things like that. Scrapbooking shops I guess. Big W is ok too actually

Do you have a crafting hobby that is not knitting or sewing (what)? Yes - I make cards, I do a bit of digital scrapbooking, and I do some actual scrapbooking. But mainly Cardmaking with paper and also rubberstamps

Have you ever latch hooked anything? Is it still on display somewhere? Yes - a Kermit the Frog thing. I think its rolled up in the top of a cupboard somewhere. I never actually finished it.

.Doll crafting. Why do they do it? WHy not?

What was your favorite craft hobby as a child? probably pottery or something like that

.Do you admit to crafting, or do you call it something else (like DIY)?I would just call it by its name

List everything you've tried from a crafting perspective: heaps of paper crafts - like papertole, umm scrapping, stamping, embossing, glass etching, who knows!

Ever been injured while crafting? burns from embossing, cuts from craft knives

Has anything you've crafted been displayed at a state fair, regional fair, county fair, 4-H meeting, or similar event?I don't think so

Have you ever worn anything you bought at a crafting fair? (or anything someone bought you at a crafting fair)? nope
.
What's the most interesting thing you've ever crafted? I once created a paper mache Gole Logie
Have you ever sold your crafts? My Gran used to buy cards from me
Have you given your crafts to others?Since I make cards, yes - often!
.If you could instantly gain a crafting ability what would it be? It would be nice to be able to sew
And what would you make?clothes
For whom? for ME!
Do you have a relative who has crafted something that's considered a family (or personal) treasure? I don't think so
Before you look, how many pictures do you suspect are listed by Google related to the craft of sock monkeys? 352
Explain your personal, presumably ad hoc, opinion about people who virtually craft in virtual worlds (like World of Warcraft)? Is it crafting? I have no idea, but if they are creating something, then it is crafting.
What crafting skill would you refuse to learn despite having infinite time to learn it? crocheting.

Definitions:
tatting - making something look tatty
flocking - making something furry
skerf - the sound a cat makes as it throws up
selvedge - the edge of selve
wigjig -a dance with a wig

and I'm copping out and not tagging anyone else, because I am slack!

Photos

I have spent the weekend sorting out our photos into an album. There are lots of them. I haven't finished yet, but I am about halfway there, and they are looking good (if I do say so myself).

I haven't gotten around to posting anything yet about our trip, so here is a link to some photos I have managed to get uploaded to Flikr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeybird88/sets/72157604801827152/

New Blog

I have decided to set up a separate blog for our holiday photos and stuff.....so once I have that sorted I will post the link. Might take me a little while to organise!!

So we have been back almost a week now.....back to the real world indeed! I was shocked and amazed to discover I did not put on any weight while we were away. That is a minor miracle. Considering all the rubbish we were eating.

I went this morning for my first morning run in about a million years. I really need to get into a routine, so today was the first go! I didn't run for the whole time, but it felt good. I will be able to build myself back up. I've heard that the Bridge to Brisbane has been changed this year, and my parents aren't going to do it, so I am not either, since they were my ride there...anyway, I will be looking for some other runs to get into.

We're Back

Yes, obviously we are back home.....and back at work. I have a billion photos to sort out, and then I will start to post about our trip..... which was fantastic!!!

Celine Concert (31st March 2008)

We were picked up by the Limo and taken to the entertainment centre, which was very cool indeed!! Luckily I had the camera in my pocket, as they were searching people and not letting cameras in. They didn't see mine. Once we got through security, we had to find Robyn Bailey from 97.3FM. This was quite easy, since we had just heard her on the radio describing the shoes she was wearing, so we recognised her as soon as she walked through the door. We then had to wait around for a really long time in the foyer. Some Sony people arrived and gave us a sticker to wear, and told us that there would be a group photo taken. Eventually we were taken out into the back stage area. We then waited here near the stage door for a really long time. We saw Anthony Callea (the support act) walk past us and onto the stage to perform, and then he came off stage and walked past again. He really is very short. Then, after standing in the corridor for what seemed like forever, we were taken in to Celine's dressing room to meet her. It was quite something. She was all done up and ready to go on stage. She really had a major presence about her. (I am not a big Celine fan - that's Janet's department, but even for me, it was a big deal). So we got to shake Celine's hand (I think all I said to her was "hello") and then we had to group tpgether for a photo. Janet jumped in immediately and managed to be right next to her, so that was exciting! And then it was all over an we went out to our seats. Janet swapped her ticket back with her Mum, since the ticket Janet had bought was in the third row. The tickets from the radio station were way up high, so Pam & I sat up there and Janet was up the front. I got to try out our new camera's zoomability.

waiting.....

We are in major countdown mode....half an hour till the Limo picks us up for the concert.....and after that we countdown to leaving for the airport.....yay!!!!! Bags are packed, all is organised....I hope!!!! I should think that I won't be updating this blog till we get back...lots to share then I am sure!!!!

The concert was cancelled!

Yep, the Celine concert was cancelled last night. I didn't believe Janet when she rang to let me know. So we will try again on Monday which is when it has been rescheduled till. And then Tuesday morning we fly away!!!!

I've been thinking of some of the things I am looking foward to on our holiday.

1. Hotel showers with no water restrictions. I can feel several longer than 4 minute showers coming on.
2. I get a month off cooking dinner. (I like to cook, but it will be lovely to have a break!!)
3. No work!!
4. And of course seeing new places, meeting up with friends and all the usual stuff you are meant to look foward to!!

Getting closer!

The count down is getting into single digits! This time next week we will be on a plane! I do believe we leave at something like 11.30 on Tuesday. I'm not so clear on the time details. But its around then.

Right now, there is another count down occuring....yes, tomorrow night is the Celine concert. Not just the concert, but the vip limo ride to the concert and the actual meeting back stage of Celine.

So this is a rather BIG week.

I just booked us onto a night tour of Alcatraz for next Thursday. Last time I went on a day tour. I think a night tour might be a little scary. But I can be brave. And hopefully not be sea-sick on the boat ride over there.

Lions & Monkeys!!

We went for a walk on Saturday to the video shop to rent a movie. Okay, I guess I should actually call it the dvd shop these days. Or perhaps I could just call it Blockbuster. You get the picture. It was a very exciting walk, because on the way we saw monkeys & lions!!!! Cool bananas!! Yes, there is a circus in residence at Waller Park, and we cut through the park on our walk. So we got a close up view of the monkeys and lions. Who were rather stinky.

We eventually found a movie to watch. There are never any good movies there. I am not sure why. Its not like we go out and see every movie ever made, so there should be lots of movies that we haven't seen, but want to see. But there never seems to be. We ended up with the movie "History Boys" I won't recommend it. It wasn't terrible, but it was a bit waffley for my liking. Maybe next time we will find something good?

all sorted!

Yay, our computer is fixed!! I might be able to get some stuff done on it this weekend. What I really need to do is send our trip itinerary file to myself at work so that I can make use of my lunch time and find directions from train stations to hotels and useful things like that. Because I have no idea of where we are staying off the top of my head.

I think I have Jeya booked into the pet motel now. I have at least spoken to an actual person who wrote down the dates and took my phone number. The conversation ended with, "we'll see you then" So I take it that means all is ok. Apparently their email intermittently does not work - I would suggest they should remove the email booking option from their website in that case! Their answering machine is also on the malfunctioning list. The lady told me that I didn't leave a phone number, or that the machine cut out. It was the machine cutting out. I definitely left my number. Anyhow all sorted now.

Janet has a lady coming over on Monday to sort out the cats. It is a pet sitter. I have warned the girls to not let her sit on them. I can't believe how much this holiday is costing. Well I can believe. But its crazy. The animals alone are costing us something crazy like $35 a day. And they are not going anywhere.

3 more weeks till we leave!!!!!

Sunsets

A layout I did for the current Nature Theme Challenge at Scrappity.

Computer gone!

The computer man took our computers brain away last night to see what is wrong with it. He was going to test it and let us know what our options are. He rang this morning, and it looks like not much is wrong with it. SO good news there! We are getting him to upgrade the memory while he has it, so it should go faster. Yay!!

Its less than 4 weeks to go till our holiday!! Double YAY! (YAY YAY!!!!) We still haven't sorted out the cats or the dog yet. I emailed the pet motel for Jeya, but they haven't answered me. So I better call them or we'll be stuck! Janet is sorting out the cats. I think we have decided on pet sitters for them. I didn't want Jeya all alone in the backyard for a whole month, which is why we are taking her to the pet motel. The cats will be happier if we leave them home. Thats the theory anyway. So we may have to send all 3 of them out to work to pay for it. Animal accomodation is very expensive!!

I think one of our TV's died this morning also. It was one we were given, so we can live without it. Its just the trauma of having to unplug everything that is connected to it and working out how to reconnect it all back up to the old tv. And then rearranging the living room again. Oh the drama of it all! haha. It was still working this morning, its just that the picture had a kind of green tint to it, so everyone looked kind of sea-sick.

Wet Weekend

Yay! We were allowed to use the hose for 1 hour on Saturday afternoon. We washed our cars. I have never washed my car. We've taken it through the car wash a few times, but I have never actually washed it with a hose since we got it last May. We haven't been allowed to. So I briefly have a shiny car again. It is kind of embarassing to admit how much joy was had from actually turning on the hose. We sadly had it stretched out into the front yard 3 hours before we were allowed to use it. Theres nothing like being prepared!!

Before the excitement of being able to use the hose, we sorted out our little garden bed next to the letterbox. A few weeks ago we pulled a heap of scraggly plants out of there, and now we have completed the make-over by adding some rocks. It took 2 trips to Bunnings to complete the job, because we didn't quite buy enough rocks, so I had to go back and get 1 more bag of the red ones. We like it.We spent Sunday afternoon in our nice dark lounge room watching episodes of Party of Five Season 1. Nice and relaxing!

We are also experiencing some technical difficulties with our computer. The keyboard and mouse are not working when they are plugged into their proper ports at the back of the computer brain. They do work when I plug them into the usb ports in the front (the only spare ones) This is not going to work because then I have nowhere to plug the camera or my flash drive in. So I am having to upload photos at work. I will have to call the place I got the computer from and see if they still exist so we can get it fixed. Perhaps a certain little cat has been playing with the cords behind the computer and has broken something.

Blind Photos

So here are a couple of pictures of the new blinds. They look better in real life!

New blinds are up!

finally!!

We spent Saturday afternoon as prisoners in our house, since we had to wait for the people to come and install the blinds between 12 and 5. So of course they arrived at 5. And of course it was the hottest day ever (well in a long time anyway....) But we now have lovely new blinds. Now if I was clever I would have taken a photo and posted it, but we are no longer so snap-happy when it comes to our house. Once upon a time we would take a photo of every tiny change we made. But no more. I'll get the new blinds to "say cheese" tonight.

The Blind people are coming!!

The Blind people are coming on Saturday. Not visually impaired people. The people that will put up our new Blinds! The Blinds that will mean that people can no longer see into our house! The blinds that will not be shredded by naughty cats. So yes, this is very exciting. Kind of mysterious too, since I have had absolutely nothing to do with choosing the Blinds. Apparently they will be the colour of our drainpipes. Sounds kind of bizzarre hey!! My job on Saturday morning is taking down the old ones. I have already had a go, and this will be easy, so no problems there. It will be interesting to see what the place looks like with some sparkling new Blinds!!

it worked!

three cheers that the mower worked and I got the whole yard mowed without it breaking down. Hip-Hip-Hooray.

Yesterday we finished booking the rest of our trip. So we are all set now...bring on April!! Okay, so we still need to get a bag for Janet, and maye a few warm clothes, but apart from that we are all set.

We even met our newest neighbour on the weekend. We have now spoken to the new people about 10 tims more than we ever spoke to the old ones. She even offered to feed the cats for us when we go away. Wow. A big difference from bug-a-lugs and b****face.

we need a goat.

yes, a goat. It would probably be more effective than the lawn mower at the moment! I took the mower for a service lmost 4 weeks ago. Because it was blowing out smoke. Not a little smoke. Great big clouds of smoke. So it had its service, along with every other mower in the world. I picked it up yesterday. I had great visions of myself going home and zipping through at least the front lawn, so that it would be all nice and tidy for when Janet came home (she was working late - so not home till after 8).

The first issue to occur was that the starter cord did not retract properly when I started the mower. This was a new problem. Never had any starting issues before. But anyhow, the mower was up and running. yay. halfway along my first sweep of the footpath, and the smoke started coming out as per usual. So I stopped the mower and stomped back inside. (All along I could see the neighbours across the road in their lounge room watching me...that only makes everything worse..grrrrr).So no mowing. I tried to ring the service shop but of course they were closed. So a text to Janet to have a whinge. So after a counselling session on the phone with Janet I slinked out the front to retrieve the mower.

I have this morning taken it back to the service centre. And managed to convince them that they did a crap job. (The guy tried to tell me that it was normal to burn a bit of oil, but after he took it out the back and tried it told me he wasn't happy with it and I had every right to bring it back. thank you.).

So just now I have recieved a text telling me that it is once again ready to pick up. Hopefully this time it is actually going to work properly. We shall see.

It would be nice for our house to no longer look like it has been abandoned. Beware, anyone trying to visit is advised to byo machete.

A few new layouts

I have to look up the credits for this one when I get home.

Credits: Flergs Strawberry Delight mini kit

credit: Amanda Walters Apirations Kit

we went to the Movies!!

You'd think with all this rain we've been getting that the dams would be filling up a bit more than they are. I guess they built the dams in the wrong places. Oh well, we have a lake in our backyard again.

We went to the movies yesterday - we saw "the Jane Austen Book Club" and I just loved it. It was a good happy movie. Well apart from the first 10 minutes or so, which had me slightly worried, but it was onwards and upwards from then on! I liked how the ladies were allowed to "look their age" big fan of that. And well I just love Maria Bello, so that helped me along with giving the movie 2 thumbs up. I spent half the movie trying to work out where I knew the actress who played Judging Amy's daughter in this movie. I got it in the end. She played Shannon in Lost. Well I think the dark hair certainly suits her a lot better than the blonde she had in Lost. so yes I really liked this movie!!

They have introduced "allocated seating" in the movie theatres. This is kind of strange. Having to choose where you will sit before you go in. It also means getting to the theatre early to ensure a good seat. I now feel the need to question the ticket seller about the size of the theatre. This is important, because you have to choose if you want front, middle or back tickets. These options are greatly different depending on the size of the theatre. I mean a couple of weeks ago we chose back tickets for a small theatre, and were actually in the very back row. Yesterday I chose front of back tickets because it was a huge theatre. What will they come up with next! Gone are the days of rocking up to the movies and choosing where to sit based on the cleanliness of the seat, and the whereabouts of the other movie goers!

new toy!

We bought ourselves a new toy on the weekend. No, not that sort of toy. A lovely new digital camera. We used my Christmas bonus money, so we got a much better one than we would have otherwise. Its a Panasonic Lumix. Its got a 10 x optical zoom and about a zillion different settings. But it takes good pictures in "even a dummy could use this" mode. so it suits us nicely! If we had waited to buy it we apparently could have gotten it duty free from the same shop, but we want a good amount of time to get used to driving it before we go away. Suffice it to say that Jaspa, Jeya & Monty have been getting sick of being told to sit and look cute for the camera.


We went and saw the movie "Juno" on Saturday arvo, we both enjoyed it. And we saw some previews for movies that we actually want to see, so thats good for a change!!

I went for a good run yesterday arvo. Good in that I actually went! No, it was also good, because I like to run. Once I am doing it. Its the getting out the door part that causes me the most difficulty. Once I am out there its fantastic.

all ok

Well the cat is not starving any longer. She is all better now. I suspect she would have been all better without the $60 visit to the vet, but I wouldn't want to take the chance really. Better to be safe.

Not much else going on really. Still not getting up in the morning. Still pedalling in the evening. Still addicted to vegie burgers and salad for dinner. And still counting down till the big trip in April!!! Its getting much closer now!!

the cat is starving!!!

Yes, the vet told us we have to "starve" Monty for 24 hours. Now I think that is a terrible way to put it. Poor Monty is being very affectionate, thinking that if she is nice to us, we will feed her. It was an added challenge to let Jaspa have her dinner without Monty getting any. So Jaspa was fed in the lounge room, and then music room....how exciting for her! Just likke getting take-away. Tonight we are allowed to feed Monty some chicken. So I get to cook a meal for the cat! The vet doesn't think anything serious is wrong with her - possibly just an infection. He was going to give us some antibiotic tablets to give to her, but fortunately for us gave her an injection instead. Saved much blood-shed I am sure! Monty is not the easiest of creatures to get a tablet into and has many sharp bits.

still not!

Yes, that right, I still haven't gotten myself out of bed to go for a run this year. I think I need someone to volunteer to drag me out. Any takers?? nope. What I need to do is just that. GET UP AND GO!!

I've been pedalling away on the exercise bike in the evenings, and boy it gets hot! I feel like I am melting away. If only!!

We are taking Miss Monty to the vet this afternoon. She is having a problem in the kitty litter area which is not pleasant. Hopefully there is nothing major wrong with her. She is 10 though, so who knows. She seems fine in every other way though, so maybe its something easy to fix.

I created some Breakfast Muffins the other night. We bought the biggest box of Uncle Toby's Fibre Plus I have ever seen, and I seem to have been eating my way through it forever. So I decided to turn some of it into experimental muffins. Yes, I did not follow a recipe. Fortunately they turned out to be quite edible. Probably needed a bit more something to make them delicious, but that something would probably be butter & maybe extra flour. I was trying to keep them relatively healthy. They ended up at 143 calories each, which I guess isn't bad for a muffin. I wouldn't try and serve them up to anyone else, but for me, they are fine!

its still raining!

Yes!!! lovely lovely rain is falling. I took this photo out our front window last night. I think it looks kind of cool!

And this is a layout I did the other night. Photos that we took at the Kate Miller-Heidke concert at the Tivoli in December (I think it was December anyway...)

I redeemed myself slightly last night by getting on the exercise bike and peddaling away for a while. Well for 35 minutes and 210 calories actually. I don't stay on the bike the whole time I get off and jump around also. It helps get the heart rate up a bit higher and keeps things interesting! I might look slightly demented, but it works!

I am Slack - big suprise!

yeah yeah. So I have started the year with much slackness. My intentions to get up each morning and exercise have come to nothing. Yes, its only the 3rd of January, so I still have time to get myself into gear. I have to remind myself of all those winter mornings that I was up and out the door running when there was frost on the ground and I couldn't feel my fingers. Running at the moment would be positively delightful compared to that! So I just have to do it!

I have been playing around with some scrapbooking and have done a few pages now. Nothing too great, but I am learning how to manouvre around in photoshop, which is the hardest part.

We have a new addition to the family. George. We love him. The Lean Mean Fat Reducing Grilling Machine is what I am talking about. Revolutionising the kitchen! It means I will be enjoying a delicious mountain bread wrap filled with grilled capsicum, zucchinni & eggplant, with some fresh lettuce and my newly invented pesto-hommus. Delicious!

The pesto-hommus is quite something. And has nothing to do with George. It is my own invention, and I do not know why I didn't ever think to try it before. All it involves is throwing a large handful of fresh herbs into the whizzer when making the usual hommus (I use a can of chick peas, a big spoon of crushed garlic, a big squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a dollop of tahini (although I have been substituting macadamia paste recently - good move!). The herbs make it taste supremely good!

Another good addition to your basic hommus is some roasted capsicum. I tried this last week. Makes the hommus a lovely colour and adds a delicious sweetness!

I'm finally updating!

well, nearly the end of the year. Next year I will try and keep much more up to date with this blog! (so says I now!) I had some photos ready to post, but they are at home and I am at work, so we shall have to do that later!

Since its nearly 2008, here is some of the things I want to do in 2008

* play around with digital scrapbooking. Actually do something with the billions of photos we have sitting around on our computer.
* do some actual scrapbooking also. DO something with the billions of photos we have had printed!
* get back into my running routine!!! I will run the Bridge to Brisbane this year.
* go on our lovely trip to Canada & the US. (this will happen, since we have booked the flights!! YAY!!!!! April 1 off we go!!)
*Cook from recipe books more often.
*get to 65 kg
*ride my bike

and that is that for now!!

Some Sleep would be nice!

Well, its been a crap week for getting any sleep! What will happen tonight? Sunday night I couldn't sleep. Probably because I had a little sleep in the afternoon. oops. So despite my best efforts to keep still, I managed to keep miss Janet awake also. Then last night little trouble maker Jaspa decided that the middle of the night was a good time to play and kept meowing at our door! I feel that it is now my duty to meow at her whenever she is trying to sleep.

I am very unfit!

far out. I did a bit of running on the weekend. I took Miss Jeya with me, so it was definitely not fast running, which is good because fast running may just kill me at the moment! it was slow stop-start running. But running non-the-less. SO now i just have to work my way back up to where I was. Dog-free running will be the order of the day. I ran just to the post box and backon my own yesterday and my heart rate was way up. SO I have definitely lost a lot of fitness by not running for so long. It sucks. Oh well, I'll get there again!

me = slack!

so its now October. well time flies! Still not running. Maybe this weekend. Janet is away this weekend for 4 days, so I will be home alone. What mischief can I get up to? hmmmmmm!

I'm at work and I am starving. 20 minutes till lunch. But I'm planning on a 30 minute walk before I can eat.

theres a lake in our backyard!!

Now ordinarily this wouldn't be good news, but what the hey! We haven't had enough rain to have a lake in our backyard for ages!!!! Now, if only we had a water tank......

Haven't been for a work walk all week, since it has been rainy and windy and not at all weather for being outside! I have however been pedalling my bike a bit in front of Seinfeld Season 8 dvd's, and have burned 858 calories so far this week. More to go yet.

Weighed in at 69kg this morning, so have just broken through the 70's barrier!! Three cheers for me! hahaha.

its a snake!!

These are some pictures of the wildlife in my parents backyard. And the result of what happens when you mix a carpet python with a Jack Russell. Yep a Jack Russell with a swollen face from being bitten by the snake. Poor Lochie

tomorrow is a holiday!

Yay for holidays!!

We get tomorrow (wednesday) off for the Ekka. We already went to the Ekka, and it would be crazy to go on the holiday, because thats when everyone else will be going. So...a free day!! ot sure what we shall get up to yet - I'd like to go somewhere and walk up a mountain or through the bush or something like that. We will probably stay home, so I will at least take Jeya for a walk!

I have my lovely new Polar F11 heart rate monitor to play with! My parents gave it to me for my birthday. It is the coolest thing on earth! Now I can accurately know how many calories I am burning when I exercise. It also keeps a record of each session and heaps more stuff I haven't worked out yet! So super cool!

Its nearly lunch time, so i will be popping out for a half hour walk. Too bad this office isn't somewhere less industrial - walking would be much more pleasant! I still can't run on my ankle, but walking seems to be ok, so I am stickng with that for a bit!

We went to the Ekka!

Yes, we risked the deadly flu and went to the Ekka. And we are both still alive and kicking (well so far!!). We caught the train in and shared our carriage with a class of primary school kids. VERY NOISY!! And they seemed ot have the most disorganised teachers who didn't even know that the train went directly to the Ekka? Oh well, they made it there - can't say if they all made it home or not!!

The Ekka hasn't changed much since the last time I was there, in fact it probably hasn't changed much since the FIRST time I was there. Which is really cool! So we wandered sideshow alley, we had a go on the clowns and got the "every player wins a prize" prize. We sat in the sunshine and watched some woodchopping - and were amazed at how fast those guys can get through a log!

The Ekka may be one of the only places where you will see a bunch of cows being given a shampoo!

We saw lots and lots of cows.

33!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

had as nice a birthday that is possible on a work day!

Miss Janet gave me some lovely new cargo pants that fit me perfectly! (no more saggy baggy pants for me!) And I also got a lovely supply of sparkly Bonds undies. I love Bonds undies.

We will go on Sunday to my parents place for lunch! yummmmmm!

Excellent birthday weigh in of 70kg! Happy am I!

Tomorrow we go to the Ekka! We are catching a train!!!! Haven't been for years and years! Must remember the camera! And the germ repellent!!

Newspaper

Jetty 2 Jetty

Sunday July 22 2007 - the Jetty to Jetty Fun Run at Redcliffe. This was my first ever race, and it was meant to be part of my training for the upcoming Bridge to Brisbane Fun Run on August 5.

I started well, and made it to the 6K mark in 38 minutes which I was happy with. It was just after this that it all went wrong. I went over on my left ankle somehow and stacked it! Yes, I fell flat on the ground. And as you do when you fall down in public, I jumped right back up and told all the concerned people around me that I was ok. (I didn't want people stopping their run because of me!) . I peeked under my sock and saw that my ankle was swelling up, but I could still walk on it. I went to an official who told me the next chewck point was 500m up the road, so I headed that way. When I got there, they didn't have any ice, but offered to drive me to the finish. I decided I wanted to finish, so I kept going. I walked the final 4K's, except for the final 500m which I slowly ran - I wanted to look good crossing the finish line. (well at least like I as trying!). I finished in 1:25:02. I came 746th, or 109th in my age group. So next race I guess I have an easy mark to beat.

We went to the medical centre Sunday afternoon, and had x-rays. I can get the x-ray results today. I am really annoyed at myself for falling. I was looking foward to finishing this race properly. And running the whole way! Oh well - next time I guess!

Friday

Friday! Yay! Fridays always seem to go so slowly. Oh well!!

Dragged myself out of bed this morning for a 5.1K run. It took me 35 minutes. Its the first run I've done since i ran 7.5K on Sunday. I should have also gone on Wednesday morning, but I umm forgot to get out of bed. I've got a plan in place to get me to, and through the Bridge to Brisbane on August 5. I'm increasing my long runs (my Sunday runs) by 1K each week. And on the 22nd of July will do the Jetty to Jetty 10K fun run. The only other thing I have to do is GET OUT OF BED 2 mornings mid-week and run 5K. Cool bananas.

14 Kilos down so far. So all is going well. My BMI now falls into the healthy weight range.

We are planning to go overseas next year! We want to go to San Francisco, Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto, and also to visit our friend Ronda. We have yet to visit a travel agent to investigate how many times we need to win the lotto in order to pay for this little trip.