Saturday Jan 29: The 'Birthday BBQ'
Today is the day we celebrate S's 5th Birthday!!
Up at 7.30am and then it's all hands on Deck! G cut up the mushrooms and the onions and packed as much of our picnic gear as she could last night but there are still things to do. We packed as best we could and then ducked out to get petrol, pick up some bags of ice for the cooler (or Eskie as it's known here in Australia), and the most important item of all: S's Barbie Birthday Cake! Mission accomplished!
K met us at home. Good thing. We needed to utilise her car to transport some items to the park. Sophia's Barbie bicycle and the folding table were monopolising a lot of our trunk space (I don't think I'll ever get used to calling it a 'boot')!! Only one last thing to secure: S's Birthday Tree! Fortunately for us, the park was deserted except for a few fitness fans. For a moment, I felt a slight pang of guilt as I watched one of them finish her run and start in on some curl ups. I haven't exercised since my last session with J on Tuesday. At least the new treadmill arrives on Monday (complete with personal fan, automatic incline and stereo speakers!!) I can't wait! I'm hoping to dive into my exercise regime with renewed vigor and dedication.
Picnic blankets: check. Streamers, balloons and a birthday banner tied to the tree: check. Table set up and laid out with goodies: check. In no time at all we had our special Birthday picnic all organised. My plan today, is to be a strict on my diet. That's not to say that I can splash out and be irresponsible. I know how hard it is to take off the weight, so I don't want to do too much to retard my progress. Before our other guests arrived, I ate 1/4 of a bag of cheese and bacon balls. I'm sure I could have eaten more, but it would have been out of habit and not because I really wanted them.
Our guests arrived around noon and S & L ran off to the play equipment: swings, climbing, sliding, etc. The grown ups started to organise the BBQ. I put out the usual BBQ fare: cabanossi, cheese cubes and Jatz (98% fat-free). I'd guess that I prolly ate 1 stick of cabanossi, 10 Jatz crackers and 10 pieces of cheese, all up. Not too bad.
Lunch was ready in no time: steak, lamp chops, rissoles, sausages, mushrooms and onions on the BBQ. Pasta salad, potato salad and all of the condiments lined the table. That was when the wind decided to part-take. Between managing paper plates and trying to keep things from blowing off the table, actually loading up our plates was a bit tricky!
Then it was time for sliced fruit: strawberries, grapes and rock melon. I think most people were hanging out for the birthday cake. I'm not much of a fan of birthday cake, so it was easy for me to pass that up. I settled for sliced strawberries instead.
L & S decided it was time to take their bikes out for an adventure. Helmets on. And we were off!! There's a nice wide sidewalk that forms a giant square around a portion of the park. It's perfect for young folks learning how to ride. L hopped on his Ben 10 bike and S hopped on her Barbie bike and 2 of us took them around the track. Very impressed with their skills.
Time to pack up the picnic and head home for a few games of Wii Just Dance 2! The competitive mood was palpable!! After heaps of hysterical fun, a few bruised egos and a lot of crazy antics, we decided it might be a good time to settle the kids down with a movie.
By 9.15, our guests were gone, S was tucked into bed and the clean up was underway. After relaxing in front of the TV until 11.30pm it was definitely time for be. I ended up with a decent sunburn on my triceps. Not impressed. I know better than to be out without sun block. Don't know what I was thinking today, but I'm sure paying for the oversight. Prescription: lots of water, lots of aloe vera & covering up if I need to venture out tomorrow!
Friday Jan 28
Hectic day at work today. With so many calls coming in, I'm unable to get much of my own work done. It feels like I'll never catch up.
I finally hear back from our HR department regarding my Emerging Leader application. I've progressed to the next stage and they've asked me to prepare for an interview on Tuesday! I'm excited and apprehensive.
Late in the day I get a msg from C advising me of a change in plans. S's little brother is unwell and she needs to take him to the doctor. Rather than risk being late meeting me at the usual place, she asks if I can drive to her home to pick S up. It's no problem. Traffic isn't as bad as I expected and I arrive in good time.
S is extremely happy to see me! She runs out of the house and into my arms!! 5. I can't believe she's 5! I tell her how grown up she looks. It's so nice to be holding her close! We're back home by 7.15. A big hug for G.
We get dinner organised and as we're watching TV, we decide to give her a couple of her birthday presents tonight. She's over the moon with her Shnook!! It's something she really wanted at Christmas. I'm pleased we could find one! She's also pretty chuffed with the lip smacker and Disney Princess games that our cat Lestat picked up for her. All in all, she's a happy little vegemite when we tuck her up in bed.
Big day tomorrow.
Thursday Jan 27
My alarm goes off at 5.20am. I don't press snooze. There is no way I have the energy to make it to my group PT session. And, facing work is so over-whelming. I get up when G's alarm goes off so I can msg J and call in sick to work. I'm so disappointed that I'm missing this training session. I look forward to these workouts- which, let's face it, is a little bit weird! Who would have thought that I would ever utter those words?
I sleep until 10am, stagger out of bed, get dressed and head off to order S's cake- one of the many chores that kept me up last night. I didn't want her to miss out on having the cake that she wanted. Once that's done, I feel lighter. One less thing to worry about for Saturday. Post office to pick up my aerobic step. Shop to pick up a couple of items. Home to rest. Breakfast. A bit of reading and back to bed.
I meet G after work at the shops to pick up our groceries for Saturday's pic-a-nic, as Yogi Bear would say. I'm still so tired and worn out. Dinner- which is still making me feel yucky. TV and bed.
Wednesday Jan 26 'Happy Australia Day'
Sleep in. It's hard to sleep at night these days due to the heat and humidity. At breakfast, we can hear the cicadas. It doesn't bode well for the temperature for the rest of the day. I know this Canadian isn't going to cope well with the heat!
Off to Roselands to pick up a wireless modem. I'm over my current provider. After heaps of phone calls and misinformation, it's time to find someone new. I'm loath to swap to Telstra, but I don't want a contract and I'm keen for some decent coverage. Dancing around the lounge room holding my laptop in the air in search of a 3G signal is wearing thin.
Turns out Telstra hasn't updated their 'shop locator' on the website and the store closed down at Roselands almost a year ago. Not impressed. Lunch at the food court: a burger on whole-wheat bun. And off to the next mall. We have more luck there. Modem in hand, we stop for coffee, but I find I can only drink about 1/2 before my stomach sends me the signal to stop. Sigh... Wish I knew what was happening with my gut. A quick stop at Kmart and time to head home.
I figure it's best to download the Princess computer games so that when S opens them on Saturday we can jump straight into playing them instead of waiting for them to install. Since I only use the PC side of my Mac for games, I haven't allocated much disc space. So, I need to find some way of re-organising things so that I can get the games downloaded.
I decide to take a break and try installing the wireless broadband. Bad move. 90 minutes later I'm hot and furious! No one told me at the shop that it would take 24 hrs to set up an account and access the internet. What is happening this week!! From one bad customer service experience to another! I'm livid. The heat doesn't help.
I attempt to go to bed. No matter what I try, sleep eludes me. And to top it off, the longer I lie there, the sicker I feel. I'm so tired. Yet my mind is racing. This is my last 3 day weekend with S and I'm not coping. Grief and panic simmer just below the surface. It's 4am by the time I finally close my eyes and find solace in sleep.
Tuesday Jan 25: S's Birthday
Coffee at the cafe. Time to ring S to wish her HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! The phone rings out. I sigh and pop my iPhone back in my bag. I know C has lousy mobile reception. Perhaps she'll ring me back. I kiss G and wish her a good day. By the time I reach my desk, my mobile is ringing. It's S!! I'm so excited to talk to her. I wish her Happy Birthday and ask her how her trip to Brisbane was. She told me all about it and then asked to speak to G. I told her G was on her way to work but that we had tried to ring so we could sing to her.
S asked if I could sing anyways, and so I launched in to Happy Birthday, solo! I love her so much! I can't believe I have to wait until Friday to give her a big hug and wish her happy birthday in person. It's the first birthday that I'm not celebrating with her. I'm at work, so I don't allow myself to give in to the tears that are lurking so close to the surface.
The day passes quickly and it's not long before I have to pack up my stuff and get ready for some quality time with J. My stomach is not feeling the best and I'm hoping it doesn't slow me down too dramatically. I offer my workmate a lift home and drop her off on my way.
It's 'progress photo & measurement' day. I've got my 'photo' clothes with me. So I change into them, J snaps some pics and then it's off to change into my work out gear. Measurement time! And, for once, I'm impressed! This is making a difference after all. It's even starting to show a bit on the scales. I'm liking it!
I told J that my stomach hadn't been the best since Saturday but that I would do my best. Warm up: the ski jumps weren't ideal for my guts. Off for the run: 8 times back and forth mural to mirror. On the last turn I felt a twinge in my left calf. Next thing I knew I was hobbling to the mirror. J asked if I was ok. I told her I wasn't. I tried to stretch it out on the step. Agony. I tried to do a star jump but one attempt was enough. J asked me if I wanted to continue. I opted out of the star jumps but was determined to give the circuits a go. J suggested I try the squats and hold for just 5 secs. I nearly fell over! I smiled up at her and told her that I'd psyched myself up for this and I wanted to go for 10 seconds as planned!
Squat and hold for 10 secs. The first set is always so much harder than the next 2. And, the further I got into the sets and the more I engaged my core muscles, the worse my stomach felt. Not ideal. Between sets I walked briskly across the Centre and back. Running was out of the question.
My arms are burning by the time we finish. My shoulders are aching. And my calf is agony. I try to make light of it because I feel like such a moron for injuring it during the warm up. Perhaps if I'd pulled a muscle doing something dramatic and interesting I'd feel better.
G is waiting for me in the car. I'm glad she's driving. An hour later when I go to step out of the car, it's not pretty. G offers to massage it later. I settle on the lounge and put some ice on my calf. Ice on. Ice off. A massage with Deep Heat. Dinner and then bed.
Monday Jan 24
Struggling today. The more I think about S starting school and not being able to spend Mondays with her, the sadder I become. I'm hoping today's session with V will help me clear my head.
Work is work. The only high light of my day is lunch when I get to read my Millennium books at lunch. The food itself is less appealing. Since Saturday, whenever I eat, I end up feeling queasy and unsettled in my stomach. It's uncomfortable and I find myself eating because I have to, and not because I want to.
It's a tough one. They often are when it comes to dealing with my feelings- particularly in relation to S. I end up in tears as much as I try to fight against them. It does help to share how I'm feeling.
This worry and sadness is certainly zapping my motivation. I have no desire to run on the treadmill by the time I get home. It's not looking good. Aside from my walk on the weekend, I haven't done any other exercise. Hopefully I can shake this off.
Sunday Jan 23
Another lovely sleep in. My body is much happier waking up at 9 than at 5.50am! Breakfast, shower, dressed and it's off to take care of the chores I didn't do yesterday. S has her heart set on a Rapunzel wig from the new Disney movie Tangled. We spotted it at Wal-Mart when we were in Canada back in September. Rather than pack it and risk it getting all messed up in our suitcases, I foolishly believed I'd be able to purchase it in Australia.
The movie poster we received on opening night hi-lighted Target as the store to buy our movie merchandise- including the hair. 2 Targets and a phone call later, no joy. Target tells me they don't carry any of the Tangled merchandise. I lost the plot a little when the manager of one store told me they didn't stock it! I told him that I bought the horse Maximus, Flynn Rider & Rapunzel from his store at Christmas and, that even as we spoke, the horse was sitting in a box on his toy shelf. He continued to give me a vacant stare and insist that Target doesn't carry that line of toys. Unbelievable!!
Even a trip to Toys R Us in Parramatta did not yield much better results. At least they carried the tower and the lantern. We settled on the lantern. I knew it would not be a 'hair replacement', but I decide it's the best I could do for now. Things seemed ok until I got to the register, then it went pear-shaped in a hurry!! NOT ideal!
Sigh, shopping in Australia shouldn't be so hard! Sometimes I really miss Canada.
I headed straight for the computer when I got home. It was time for some 'Heroes of Might & Magic' to calm my nerves. Worked like a charm!
Saturday Jan 22
Much needed sleep in.
G has some stuff to take care of online and I have a package to pick up from the post office. I wonder which one it is. I've spent a bit of time on the internet surfing Deals Direct and I settled on an aerobic step and a powered USB hub. It's a gorgeous day.
I power up my new workout app on my iPhone, grab my headphones and set out on foot! Might as well get in some exercise and enjoy the weather at the same time. It's the USB hub. Nice one! Package in hand, I wandered down to the 'Out of Print' bookshop to see if I could find a book for G. Scored!! Very pleased with my purchase!
By the time I get back home, I'm not feeling that well. My stomach and guts seem to be unhappy with me. So much so, that I just don't feel like doing much. I finally muster up enough energy to head out to the grocery store to replenish our stock.
Broiled salmon for dinner. TV, tea & then bed.
Friday Jan 21
Not much to report, aside from being sore all over. My shoulder muscles are so stiff that I'm unable to do my bra up behind my back. I really am Lactic Acid Girl.
Relatively quiet day at work. Off to take care of some business in North Sydney. Just as that was finishing up, I got the call about the delivery of our treadmill. It could arrive as soon as Monday!! But someone needs to be home to help the courier. Instead, I organise it for Monday Jan 31. It's hard to wait, but I know it will be worth it.
Home to relax.
Thursday Jan 22
Crawl out of bed wondering how I'll fare today at Group. My muscles are still so sore- especially my quads. Ah well. I'm sure I'll be fine. Breakfast on the go: banana and nectarine. It's about all I can stomach this early in the morning.
There's a new face in the Centre! A & I shake hands with B and welcome him into the group. Still no sign of K, but maybe she's only coming on Mondays. B is very fit and J's New Year circuits do not seem to slow him down at all. I make it through the triceps circuit-including 20 triceps dips without too much trouble. Time runs out before I can get all the way through for the second time. I got as far as the chest press. Only the squats and some running to complete it for the second time. I'm impressed!
One minute break, then on to the biceps side. Tricky! My arms are aching! Once through wasn't too bad, but by the time I got to the hamstring curls for the 2nd time through, the bell rang. Just pushups, star jumps and squats to go. Getting better every time.
Staggered down the stairs...and the muscle soreness did not improve from there. Even the hot shower at work was not enough to take the edge off. Lucky I'm just an office worker. Still, typing and working the mouse was tricky enough.
Bit the bullet and put in a 'Best Offer' on a new treadmill on EBay. I've been 'watching' this one for about a week and I think it's going to be the best one for us. It will fit nicely in the space occupied by our current treadmill and it's got some awesome features: auto incline, personal fan (loving this!!), speakers and a plug in for my iPod. Too cool!
About 7pm, I rec'd the news that my bid was accepted!! Wooo hoo!! Very Excited!!
Now for a relax and some TV.
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