Thursday Dec 30
It's finally here! No more sleeps. It's 90min training day!! And what is this feeling in the pit of my stomach? Anticipation? Fear? I re-read my Christmas Day blog and wonder what J has in store for me tonight.
We talk about my food diary. I know it's not great but I'm really proud of myself for writing down everything that passed these lips. J wasn't too hard on me- she's lovely. It's obvious to both of us where I've 'fallen off the wagon'. So after a brief chat about my diet and some new homework regarding cutting down the amount of sugar that I add to my hot drinks (which was inevitable!), the real fun begins!
Warm up consisted of running back and forth across the Centre 4 times normally, 2 times high-stepping knees to chest, 2 times heels to butt, then another 4 times normally. I'm grateful it's just me and her. And the main workout? Tuesday night circuits...not 3 reps but 4! OMG! And, just for a bit of fun, J has me run the length of the Centre and back between each circuit. Nothing like a bit of cardio to get the old heart pumping!
To soften the blow, J sweet-talks me with some new arm toning exercises. There's the normal 'scarecrow'- holding my arms out to the side with a 1kg weight in each hand (hold for 20 secs and repeat 3 times). Then, it's the 'zombie' which involves holding my arms out in front of me whilst holding a 1kg weight in each hand. Again- hold for 20 secs and repeat 3 times.
Just when I think I'm done, J rolls out the swiss ball & grabs a dumb bell. Time for a little sword play! I have to sit on the ball and imagine that I'm grabbing a sword out of its scabbard. I hold the dumb bell in my right hand across my body so that it's resting against my left thigh. Then I pull my arm across and back until the weight is parallel to my ear. 2 sets of 10 for each hand.
I think about how I'm going to drive home. At this rate, my quads will be too sore to work the pedals and I won't even be able to lift my arm to thumb a ride!! Should be interesting! In November, I could hardly manage to walk down the stairs at the Centre after my first circuit training. In fact, I couldn't walk up or down stairs for 4 days!! Different story now. My right knee stills utters a protest and threatens to give out on me on occasion, but overall, I'm feeling fitter.
Home for dinner. We finish off Victor Victoria and G sends me to bed close to 10. I'm exhausted!
Wednesday Dec 29
First day back at work. Not used to the 6am start. Could so be sleeping. Oh well, as long as I'm there in body, right? The city is dead and we're forced into World Square to start the day with a coffee from Gloria Jeans. This time, I order a cappuccino. Much better.
Work was busier than I expected, but not crazy busy. I spent a couple of hours getting trained up in our new record management system. Seems ok.
G decides to go for a run when we get home. I'm content to hang out and finish my Patricia Cornwall novel. Awesome! I love reading! There's nothing better than losing myself in a good book. Seems like a normal night. Then, one 5 minute phone call later, it's like we've entered an alternate reality.
Just like that, our plans for New Year's Eve have changed and both of us are reeling.
People are strange. Relationships are complex. I guess that's what makes the world an interesting place.
We stay up late chatting, trying to make sense of the situation.
Tuesday Dec 28
I could get used to this life of leisure. Sleeping in. Relaxing. Not having to rush for the train or fight off other commuters. Ahhh to be independently wealthy! Some day! As well as being a foodie, I admit that I might have a blossoming addiction to iPhone applications! As much as I love scrolling through to see all the price drops and new releases, I must update apps as soon as an update is available. Imagine what I'll be like when I finally get my paws on the iPad!!
So, before investigating fully, I update my movie collection app. Bad move. All of the movies that I had painstakingly added one by one....GONE! I hadn't thought to back them up. Dumb. So I spent almost 3 hours re-entering them. By the end of that, I was less than impressed, and I'm only half way through my collection. Sigh.. I emerge from the back room (where I actually get decent 3G reception on my iPhone) frustrated and a little grumpy.
G is relaxing on the lounge, catching up on TV shows that we recorded through the week. I know I've got to go out and pick up a replacement headlight bulb to get our car ready for another trip to Canberra and a new light bulb for the bathroom light, but I'm not looking forward to it. G is looking forward to it even less, so she decides to stay home and send me out to face the holiday crowds on my own.
Surprisingly enough, getting the headlight was no drama. Finding a globe for the bathroom lamp- well, not so straightforward. Guess I'll be brushing my teeth by fairy light tonight!
Sooo not wanting to exercise tonight, so I delay as long as I can. Finally, I can procrastinate no longer (well, I could, but I reckon it's best not to!) and I get ready. 5 minute warm up on the treadmill (500m). Stretching. Then straight into my Thursday morning group circuits. As I finish my last set of squats, I think longingly of a shower, but then Rocky Road flashes like a neon light in my mind and I know that 30mins of quality time with the treadmill awaits. I can't face the weigh-loss program. My knees are still sore from Sunday's run. So, I figure I'll give the walking program a try.
3mins at speed 2. 3mins at speed 3. 3 minutes at speed 4. 3 minutes at speed 5. 6 minutes at speed 6. Then down to 5, then 4. I can't handle the super slow speeds, I do 6 minutes at speed 4 and then 3 minutes at speed 3 to finish off.
G puts the salmon in the oven and I haul myself into a luke warm shower to freshen up.
After dinner, we decide to watch Julie Andrews in Victor Victoria. Loved it! By 11pm, I was too tired to continue, so we agreed to finish the video (no, that's not a typo, this was vintage VHS) tomorrow.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Monday, December 27, 2010
Indulgences and Atonement
Monday Dec 27
Loving this whole public holiday gig! A sleep in until 8.30. Breakfast. A healthy dose of TV. Then it's off to the shops. Our fridge is bare. No healthy food in sight. The shops are packed and both of us are glad that we only have to face the crowds in Woollies.
It's nice to have supplies. I make myself a healthy pizza (Lebanese bread, ricotta cheese, pizza sauce, mushrooms, onions, red capsicum and a bit of minced beef leftover from last night's dinner). YUM! Then, more relaxing in front of the TV.
G is up for another run, but I am feeling pretty sore from yesterday's exertions. I intend to write my blog, make dinner and check out iTunes this afternoon. Tomorrow is soon enough for me to don my workout gear. It will be another 90 minute session. Perhaps the Thursday circuits and 30 mins on the treadmill.
G'nite all!
Sunday Dec 26 Boxing Day
Ah yes. The day of reckoning. The day of Atonement. A sleep in, a healthy breakfast, a bit of a relax in front of the TV and then it's time to pay the piper. The voice of Christmas Past (which sounded remarkably like the deep baritones of Rocky Road) whispered in my ear. Reluctantly I got off the lounge, changed into my workout gear and got ready to pay my dues.
I knew a circuit would not be enough to right yesterdays wrongs, so I started off with a brisk 5 minute & 500m walk on the treadmill. Jumped off to stretch. Then back onto the treadmill. G always does the weight-loss program so I thought I'd give it a try. 3 minutes at speed 3. 3 minutes at speed 6. So far so good. 3 minutes at speed 8. Next thing I know I'm running. No-that's not a typo. I'm not jogging. Not walking quickly. I'm running!! I last for 2 minutes. Then I jump onto the side rails and rest for a minute. The treadmill jumps up to speed 10. Speed 10!! What am I thinking!? I take a deep breath and jump on. I last for 1 minute. Jump off. Rest for 2. Manage 90 secs at speed 8. Rest for a 90 secs and then slow the treadmill down to 6 and walk for the next 5 minutes. Then slow it down to 4.5 and walk for another 3.
Now, it's time for the Tuesday circuit. Agony. I have no idea how I'm going to hold each squat for 5 secs, so rather than rely on myself to count honestly, I grab my iPhone and set the timer. 5 seconds. Man, it takes ages and the first set nearly kills me. However, aside from the killer shoulder weights, it seems to get easier as I go along. For a brief moment, I entertain the thought of holding the last squat of the last set for 10 secs, but, with a nod to J, I stop after 5. I know she would have pushed me those extra 5 seconds and my thoughts flash forward to my upcoming 90 minute training session this Thursday. One look at my Christmas food diary and I know she's not going to let me off easy!
I do my stretches to warm down. I'm drenched. The only cure for this is another bath! The water is hot and I gratefully slide into it, book in hand. The treadmill beats an easy rhythm in the front room as G steps up to pay for her indulgences yesterday.
Dinner. TV and early to bed.
Saturday Dec 25 Christmas!
It's Christmas Day! We're off to spend Christmas with our close friends. Their son is G's godson. Regardless of the weather in Sydney, I know it's destined to be stinking hot out west where they live. So, after my breakfast of yogurt & muesli (might as well start the day out right!!) and a refreshing shower, I hop into some cool, cotton clothes.
We organise the seafood in our cooler bag, the phrase 'off like a bucket of prawns in the sun' scrolling through our minds like a mantra. I carefully place all of the cooler freezy things strategically around the prawns, salmon, steak and pasta salads. For good measure, we grab some ice blocks and slip them in the noticeable holes. Food poisoning is HIGH on my list of things to avoid.
I'd made the decision to relax my eating regime for today. I mean, it's Christmas right? Surely, I can be a bit more lenient with myself- especially if I promise to work it off later. 2 bowls of Doritos, a plate of Jatz crackers and some crinkle crisps/ chips are placed within easy reach on the coffee table. Be strong, I tell myself. And it works. For a while. I finally succumb and have 2 Jatz crackers with a tiny smear of French onion dip and 2 very small handfuls of crinkle chips.
Then it's lunch. Yum! Salmon steak, 2 prawn skewers, 5 prawns dipped in Thousand Island dressing, 1 tbsp of creamy potato salad, 2 tbsp of creamy pasta salad, a large serving of green salad and a dinner roll. Normally, I would have added a piece of T-bone steak, maybe a sausage, at least another bread roll or 2 with butter, and definitely more creamy pasta salad. So, all in all, I think I did not too badly. I drank my PiMag water that I'd brought from home and reluctantly turned down some Sprite. Tough to do on such a hot day!
When dessert came out at 5pm, I didn't fare so well. Rocky Road. Not just any old Rocky Road, Darrell Lea milk chocolate Rocky Road. It was my undoing. 3 pieces and a slight sugar coma later, I was blissed out. Creaming soda with vanilla ice cream? Uh...no thanks! It was easy to turn that down; I'm not much of a 'spider' fan unless it's with Root Beer (which isn't so easy to come by in Australia!) Besides, I didn't want anything to wash the taste of that Rocky Road out of my mouth. My tongue hunted around the crevices in my teeth, seeking out tiny unchewed pieces of nuts or a morsel of chocolate. I could hardly concentrate.
At 8 when people were starting to think about dinner, I wandered into the kitchen. I opened the fridge; I scouted around the bench tops. Nothing caught my fancy. Too much effort to get out the pasta salad or the steak. As much as I wanted a bread roll, I knew that I had already done my dash with the Rocky Road. The smell of Coke permeated the room. Coke. I could polish off a litre easy. Desperate, I asked G if she was planning on having some Coke. She said yes and as soon as it was poured, I allowed myself 3 small sips- just enough to take the edge off. Then, someone suggested cheese and crackers. Uh oh.
10 Jatz crackers: 6 with cheddar cheese & 4 with Camembert, plus 5 tiny pieces of Cabonossi. If that was dinner, I'd had it! Oh, it was hard to stop at just that many! Real cheese. Not lite cottage cheese, not lite tasty cheese, not lite ricotta. Real full fat cheese. Wow. 3 months ago, before J, I could have planted myself in front of that cheese platter and really done some damage! I didn't even touch the soft cheese with chives or the Gouda. Stopped myself after 5 pieces of cabanossi. Let's be real. That's hardly a taste.
I know it will look bad when it's all written down in black and white in my food diary. Sometimes I wish I could write down all the stuff I didn't eat so I could show much self-restraint I actually managed to exhibit. Hmmm. I know I fell off the wagon today, but it was a controlled fall--Hollywood style. I didn't crash and burn and eat without a conscience. Surely that has to be progress?
I finish the night off with a cup of tea, sweetened with white sugar because raw wasn't available. However, unlike G, I'm not feeling overstuffed and unwell. Sleep comes quickly to me, but G is up for another hour waiting for her stomach to feel better.
Well, that's Christmas over and done for another year.
Friday Dec 24 Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve and we're on our way to work. The city is dead. Our normal coffee shop is closed and we're forced into World Square to get our coffee from Gloria Jeans. It's not the same. Mine isn't hot. Perhaps a latte was a bad choice. Should've stuck with a cappuccino. I'm finding today tough. I always get super homesick at Christmas. I thought after being at home with my family in September, that this year would be easier, but it's not. I get a bit teary as I head off to work...so I pop into JB Hi Fi to see if I can pull myself together and perhaps pick up a last minute pressie.
Managed to pull myself together, but there was no last minute pressie to be had. Made my way to work thinking I could slide in under the radar...but as it turns out, our manager is hanging out in my pod chatting with my team. We had a bit of a giggle and my day seems to brighten again.
When one of my workmates heads out for coffee, I hand her $5 and beg her to pick me up another cappuccino! I figure 2 tsp raw sugar in another coffee has GOT to be better than all the sweets and goodies that are being passed around the office! Oh Christmas, when will you stop tormenting me with food that I love that I cannot eat!
Only 2 of us remain after lunch. The phones are dead. Most people are either on their way to family or picking up their last minute presents! No one is keen to talk to us. Suits me fine. Means I can catch up on some of my work. Our manager takes pity on us, and before we know it, the office is empty by 4.07pm. G & I head over to Paddy's Markets. It's the only place I think I might be able to source a new crystal for her chain. No success with that, but we do walk out with a really cool 'tree of life' pendant and some capsicum for tomorrow's prawn skewers.
I'm achy so while G dutifully works out again, I slide into a nice warm bath to get through another 100 pages of my Patricia Cornwell novel. Nice.
Bit of stirfry for dinner, then we take turns wrapping our last minute gifts. I make tea and watch The Myer Music Carols Special while G peels the prawns. I just cannot bring myself to 'peel' prawns. And what a strange word it is to describe the process! First, one has to twist and rip the head off the prawn, being careful to twist it in just the right spot so as not to leave too much of the yellowish brain goo on the body. YUCK. Then, tearing off the hard plastic-like casing and legs; finishing with a tug of the muscle that is connected to the 'poo channel' so that it comes off all in one piece. Even once they're peeled, I find it hard to eat them. Can you tell that I was raised on the prairie? Gimme a steak or turkey any day!
Bed at 11.
Thursday Dec 23
I am SOO exhausted! My first Wednesday without college and I end up in bed way later than a college night!! I really don't understand how it can be 5.20am already. It feels like I just closed my eyes moments ago. How am I gonna muster the energy to get out of bed, let alone make it through an hour of quality time with J? *groan*
If I didn't have a personal trainer to hold me accountable, I think today is one of those days where I would simply hit the snooze button, roll over and sleep in. But, alas, I DO have a personal trainer! So against all odds, I roll out of bed, gather my gear, pack my lunch, grab a banana off the counter and head out to the car. Must be another Christmas Miracle!
Just the 2 of us at training today. By the time I get to the Centre, I'm finally awake. Good thing cuz it's game on! I think A & I have a friendly competition blooming. It's awesome! So, it's the usual warm up, then stretches, then on to the circuits. Today I got through the triceps twice in 15 mins + 20 hip extensions. A one minute break and it's time to swap sides. Biceps twice in 15 mins + 20 bicep curls, 20 shoulder pressses and 20 push ups!! I'm on fire today! Almost 3 times through!! WICKED!
Then stretches to warm down. As usual, J is putting away the gear as we're stretching. By the time she changes the cd and switches off the light, I'm keen for the 3 mins of BLISS! I expect to relax, feel the tension drain out of my muscles and perhaps take a mini-nap. Instead, I feel awake. My thoughts are racing. So much for relaxation! What's happening to me!
It's short-lived though. By the time 9.15am rolls around, I'm desperate for a coffee! The day does not improve. It feels like I'm walking through molasses (hmmm...perhaps treacle is a better analogy for my aussie mates). At any rate, I feel slow, tired and perhaps a bit achy. Think those extra bicep curls have caught up to me. Not only do I have to resist the urge to sleep, I have to flex my will-power and turn down: a Krispy Kreme donut, white chocolate rocky road slice, Lindt chocolates and a candy cane. Can this day be any more challenging?? Wait for it.
The afternoon is drawing to a close and the thought of making our way to the Sydney Fish Markets to pick up seafood for our Christmas lunch with 1.5 million other Sydney-siders is becoming less and less appealing by the second!! I share my reluctance with my workmates and the girls come to my rescue! Of course, we could stop at the Broadway shopping centre, pick up our seafood at the local fresh seafood shop, our steaks at the butcher and the remaining incidentals at Coles! Brilliant!! Especially since I can hardly keep my eyes open!
Our shopping mission was a HUGE success! Ticked everything off our list and we were home by 6.15! Victory.
Time for a little book reading on the lounge while G goes for a run. I've already done my exercise for today. Bit of TV. Then definitely bed. I'm exhausted!
Loving this whole public holiday gig! A sleep in until 8.30. Breakfast. A healthy dose of TV. Then it's off to the shops. Our fridge is bare. No healthy food in sight. The shops are packed and both of us are glad that we only have to face the crowds in Woollies.
It's nice to have supplies. I make myself a healthy pizza (Lebanese bread, ricotta cheese, pizza sauce, mushrooms, onions, red capsicum and a bit of minced beef leftover from last night's dinner). YUM! Then, more relaxing in front of the TV.
G is up for another run, but I am feeling pretty sore from yesterday's exertions. I intend to write my blog, make dinner and check out iTunes this afternoon. Tomorrow is soon enough for me to don my workout gear. It will be another 90 minute session. Perhaps the Thursday circuits and 30 mins on the treadmill.
G'nite all!
Sunday Dec 26 Boxing Day
Ah yes. The day of reckoning. The day of Atonement. A sleep in, a healthy breakfast, a bit of a relax in front of the TV and then it's time to pay the piper. The voice of Christmas Past (which sounded remarkably like the deep baritones of Rocky Road) whispered in my ear. Reluctantly I got off the lounge, changed into my workout gear and got ready to pay my dues.
I knew a circuit would not be enough to right yesterdays wrongs, so I started off with a brisk 5 minute & 500m walk on the treadmill. Jumped off to stretch. Then back onto the treadmill. G always does the weight-loss program so I thought I'd give it a try. 3 minutes at speed 3. 3 minutes at speed 6. So far so good. 3 minutes at speed 8. Next thing I know I'm running. No-that's not a typo. I'm not jogging. Not walking quickly. I'm running!! I last for 2 minutes. Then I jump onto the side rails and rest for a minute. The treadmill jumps up to speed 10. Speed 10!! What am I thinking!? I take a deep breath and jump on. I last for 1 minute. Jump off. Rest for 2. Manage 90 secs at speed 8. Rest for a 90 secs and then slow the treadmill down to 6 and walk for the next 5 minutes. Then slow it down to 4.5 and walk for another 3.
Now, it's time for the Tuesday circuit. Agony. I have no idea how I'm going to hold each squat for 5 secs, so rather than rely on myself to count honestly, I grab my iPhone and set the timer. 5 seconds. Man, it takes ages and the first set nearly kills me. However, aside from the killer shoulder weights, it seems to get easier as I go along. For a brief moment, I entertain the thought of holding the last squat of the last set for 10 secs, but, with a nod to J, I stop after 5. I know she would have pushed me those extra 5 seconds and my thoughts flash forward to my upcoming 90 minute training session this Thursday. One look at my Christmas food diary and I know she's not going to let me off easy!
I do my stretches to warm down. I'm drenched. The only cure for this is another bath! The water is hot and I gratefully slide into it, book in hand. The treadmill beats an easy rhythm in the front room as G steps up to pay for her indulgences yesterday.
Dinner. TV and early to bed.
Saturday Dec 25 Christmas!
It's Christmas Day! We're off to spend Christmas with our close friends. Their son is G's godson. Regardless of the weather in Sydney, I know it's destined to be stinking hot out west where they live. So, after my breakfast of yogurt & muesli (might as well start the day out right!!) and a refreshing shower, I hop into some cool, cotton clothes.
We organise the seafood in our cooler bag, the phrase 'off like a bucket of prawns in the sun' scrolling through our minds like a mantra. I carefully place all of the cooler freezy things strategically around the prawns, salmon, steak and pasta salads. For good measure, we grab some ice blocks and slip them in the noticeable holes. Food poisoning is HIGH on my list of things to avoid.
I'd made the decision to relax my eating regime for today. I mean, it's Christmas right? Surely, I can be a bit more lenient with myself- especially if I promise to work it off later. 2 bowls of Doritos, a plate of Jatz crackers and some crinkle crisps/ chips are placed within easy reach on the coffee table. Be strong, I tell myself. And it works. For a while. I finally succumb and have 2 Jatz crackers with a tiny smear of French onion dip and 2 very small handfuls of crinkle chips.
Then it's lunch. Yum! Salmon steak, 2 prawn skewers, 5 prawns dipped in Thousand Island dressing, 1 tbsp of creamy potato salad, 2 tbsp of creamy pasta salad, a large serving of green salad and a dinner roll. Normally, I would have added a piece of T-bone steak, maybe a sausage, at least another bread roll or 2 with butter, and definitely more creamy pasta salad. So, all in all, I think I did not too badly. I drank my PiMag water that I'd brought from home and reluctantly turned down some Sprite. Tough to do on such a hot day!
When dessert came out at 5pm, I didn't fare so well. Rocky Road. Not just any old Rocky Road, Darrell Lea milk chocolate Rocky Road. It was my undoing. 3 pieces and a slight sugar coma later, I was blissed out. Creaming soda with vanilla ice cream? Uh...no thanks! It was easy to turn that down; I'm not much of a 'spider' fan unless it's with Root Beer (which isn't so easy to come by in Australia!) Besides, I didn't want anything to wash the taste of that Rocky Road out of my mouth. My tongue hunted around the crevices in my teeth, seeking out tiny unchewed pieces of nuts or a morsel of chocolate. I could hardly concentrate.
At 8 when people were starting to think about dinner, I wandered into the kitchen. I opened the fridge; I scouted around the bench tops. Nothing caught my fancy. Too much effort to get out the pasta salad or the steak. As much as I wanted a bread roll, I knew that I had already done my dash with the Rocky Road. The smell of Coke permeated the room. Coke. I could polish off a litre easy. Desperate, I asked G if she was planning on having some Coke. She said yes and as soon as it was poured, I allowed myself 3 small sips- just enough to take the edge off. Then, someone suggested cheese and crackers. Uh oh.
10 Jatz crackers: 6 with cheddar cheese & 4 with Camembert, plus 5 tiny pieces of Cabonossi. If that was dinner, I'd had it! Oh, it was hard to stop at just that many! Real cheese. Not lite cottage cheese, not lite tasty cheese, not lite ricotta. Real full fat cheese. Wow. 3 months ago, before J, I could have planted myself in front of that cheese platter and really done some damage! I didn't even touch the soft cheese with chives or the Gouda. Stopped myself after 5 pieces of cabanossi. Let's be real. That's hardly a taste.
I know it will look bad when it's all written down in black and white in my food diary. Sometimes I wish I could write down all the stuff I didn't eat so I could show much self-restraint I actually managed to exhibit. Hmmm. I know I fell off the wagon today, but it was a controlled fall--Hollywood style. I didn't crash and burn and eat without a conscience. Surely that has to be progress?
I finish the night off with a cup of tea, sweetened with white sugar because raw wasn't available. However, unlike G, I'm not feeling overstuffed and unwell. Sleep comes quickly to me, but G is up for another hour waiting for her stomach to feel better.
Well, that's Christmas over and done for another year.
Friday Dec 24 Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve and we're on our way to work. The city is dead. Our normal coffee shop is closed and we're forced into World Square to get our coffee from Gloria Jeans. It's not the same. Mine isn't hot. Perhaps a latte was a bad choice. Should've stuck with a cappuccino. I'm finding today tough. I always get super homesick at Christmas. I thought after being at home with my family in September, that this year would be easier, but it's not. I get a bit teary as I head off to work...so I pop into JB Hi Fi to see if I can pull myself together and perhaps pick up a last minute pressie.
Managed to pull myself together, but there was no last minute pressie to be had. Made my way to work thinking I could slide in under the radar...but as it turns out, our manager is hanging out in my pod chatting with my team. We had a bit of a giggle and my day seems to brighten again.
When one of my workmates heads out for coffee, I hand her $5 and beg her to pick me up another cappuccino! I figure 2 tsp raw sugar in another coffee has GOT to be better than all the sweets and goodies that are being passed around the office! Oh Christmas, when will you stop tormenting me with food that I love that I cannot eat!
Only 2 of us remain after lunch. The phones are dead. Most people are either on their way to family or picking up their last minute presents! No one is keen to talk to us. Suits me fine. Means I can catch up on some of my work. Our manager takes pity on us, and before we know it, the office is empty by 4.07pm. G & I head over to Paddy's Markets. It's the only place I think I might be able to source a new crystal for her chain. No success with that, but we do walk out with a really cool 'tree of life' pendant and some capsicum for tomorrow's prawn skewers.
I'm achy so while G dutifully works out again, I slide into a nice warm bath to get through another 100 pages of my Patricia Cornwell novel. Nice.
Bit of stirfry for dinner, then we take turns wrapping our last minute gifts. I make tea and watch The Myer Music Carols Special while G peels the prawns. I just cannot bring myself to 'peel' prawns. And what a strange word it is to describe the process! First, one has to twist and rip the head off the prawn, being careful to twist it in just the right spot so as not to leave too much of the yellowish brain goo on the body. YUCK. Then, tearing off the hard plastic-like casing and legs; finishing with a tug of the muscle that is connected to the 'poo channel' so that it comes off all in one piece. Even once they're peeled, I find it hard to eat them. Can you tell that I was raised on the prairie? Gimme a steak or turkey any day!
Bed at 11.
Thursday Dec 23
I am SOO exhausted! My first Wednesday without college and I end up in bed way later than a college night!! I really don't understand how it can be 5.20am already. It feels like I just closed my eyes moments ago. How am I gonna muster the energy to get out of bed, let alone make it through an hour of quality time with J? *groan*
If I didn't have a personal trainer to hold me accountable, I think today is one of those days where I would simply hit the snooze button, roll over and sleep in. But, alas, I DO have a personal trainer! So against all odds, I roll out of bed, gather my gear, pack my lunch, grab a banana off the counter and head out to the car. Must be another Christmas Miracle!
Just the 2 of us at training today. By the time I get to the Centre, I'm finally awake. Good thing cuz it's game on! I think A & I have a friendly competition blooming. It's awesome! So, it's the usual warm up, then stretches, then on to the circuits. Today I got through the triceps twice in 15 mins + 20 hip extensions. A one minute break and it's time to swap sides. Biceps twice in 15 mins + 20 bicep curls, 20 shoulder pressses and 20 push ups!! I'm on fire today! Almost 3 times through!! WICKED!
Then stretches to warm down. As usual, J is putting away the gear as we're stretching. By the time she changes the cd and switches off the light, I'm keen for the 3 mins of BLISS! I expect to relax, feel the tension drain out of my muscles and perhaps take a mini-nap. Instead, I feel awake. My thoughts are racing. So much for relaxation! What's happening to me!
It's short-lived though. By the time 9.15am rolls around, I'm desperate for a coffee! The day does not improve. It feels like I'm walking through molasses (hmmm...perhaps treacle is a better analogy for my aussie mates). At any rate, I feel slow, tired and perhaps a bit achy. Think those extra bicep curls have caught up to me. Not only do I have to resist the urge to sleep, I have to flex my will-power and turn down: a Krispy Kreme donut, white chocolate rocky road slice, Lindt chocolates and a candy cane. Can this day be any more challenging?? Wait for it.
The afternoon is drawing to a close and the thought of making our way to the Sydney Fish Markets to pick up seafood for our Christmas lunch with 1.5 million other Sydney-siders is becoming less and less appealing by the second!! I share my reluctance with my workmates and the girls come to my rescue! Of course, we could stop at the Broadway shopping centre, pick up our seafood at the local fresh seafood shop, our steaks at the butcher and the remaining incidentals at Coles! Brilliant!! Especially since I can hardly keep my eyes open!
Our shopping mission was a HUGE success! Ticked everything off our list and we were home by 6.15! Victory.
Time for a little book reading on the lounge while G goes for a run. I've already done my exercise for today. Bit of TV. Then definitely bed. I'm exhausted!
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