Been a long time...

So...lots has happened in the past few months. The stress of things at work led me down a slippery slope of eating badly. Once I'd tasted those 'forbidden foods', it was hard to stop. I still dutifully went to training 3 days per week, but even that wasn't enough to keep me from gaining weight. And, so here I am, 6 mths later, almost back at the weight I started at.

Rather than let it get me down, I've decided to get back on the horse and give it another go! So, I dusted off the treadmill, tied up my sneakers and went for my first treadmill session in AGES!! 32 minutes = 3.5kms. Although I couldn't quite run all of my 8kmph sections, I did manage to run at 10kmph for 2 minutes and I lasted the whole 32 minutes! It will take me a while to get back to my previous levels of cardiovascular fitness, but I did notice that I recovered from my session quite quickly. I think the new Gravitron machines at the Centre are making a difference.

Well, almost back to square 1. I think this time around, I'll focus more on my exercise and a little less on my diet. I want to find a regime that is 'liveable' - easy to follow, healthy and not to restrictive. Wish me luck!

Happy Easter & Happy Birthday

 Sunday April 24^th  Happy Easter

A glorious sleep-in. A perfect way to start Easter Sunday. We have chocolate bunnies to eat, but today we’re off to celebrate L’s 5^th birthday. It will seem a little weird without S –cuz I know she would have loved to have spent the day celebrating with L.

They had all sorts of goodies, but my favourite were the tiny teddy race car treats. Components: mini-milky way chocolate bars, tiny teddy biscuits, Smarties, fruit tingles and a tiny dab of icing. Construction: 1 milky way, 2 Smartie wheels stuck on with icing, half a fruit tingle as a steering wheel and a tiny teddy driver. Delightful!

Roast lamb and veggies for lunch.  A chocolate race car track Birthday cake, complete with licorice bullets (milk chocolate covered cylinder-shaped licorice pieces-YUM) along the edge. I had my fair share of them! I love licorice bullets. Then S opened the raspberry licorice bullets and I got into them as well. Prolly not my finest dieting hour.

Cheese platter with biscuits for a mid afternoon snack. A bit of friendly dancing competition with Just Dance on the Wii.  Good conversation and lots of laughs. Soon, the grand-parents called it a day, and it was just the 5 of us.

We settled on Eagle Boy pizza for dinner. S and I headed out to collect the food and she gave me a quick tour of the area. She showed me L’s school and where he takes swimming lessons. St. Mary’s is bigger than I thought.

Too much pizza later, G and I headed home.

A Quiet Saturday

Saturday April 23^rd

After yesterday’s festivities, it’s lovely to hang out in the lounge and relax. I know we have another big day tomorrow, so I decide to spend some time catching up on my blog. With all of the things happening these days, it has definitely taken a backburner.

Round about 4pm- after an easy afternoon in front of the TV- we head out to get some groceries and see what the rest of the world has been up to. Then, back home for dinner and a few episodes of Dexter. 

Extra Good Friday

Friday April 22^nd Good Friday

We have an extra special Good Friday brunch engagement today. I want to make sure that I fit in a workout- especially since we didn’t have group physical training yesterday morning. I figured if I got up at 8am, it would give me enough time. 

G puts the kettle on, but I turn down a morning soy dandy for Monavie and a scoop of L-Carnitine. 20 minutes later, I’m in my workout gear. Time to hit the treadmill. A quick turn of the iPod dial. Select ‘treadmill interval’ playlist. Press play. Good to go!

32 minutes later, I’m definitely warmed up enough to start on my circuits. Twice through each circuit. Skipped the core muscle exercises. Still feeling a bit sore from Tuesday’s session. Surely the circuits and the treadmill will be enough?

Then it’s time to cool down and relax. I made myself a protein shake and settled in on the lounge to watch old re-runs of The Love Boat while G has her shower. After she’s finished in the bathroom, I head in to get ready. The hot shower feels fantastic on my sore muscles.

We had an absolutely marvellous time with our friends today. The food was fantastic and the company was amazing! Time always flies when we’re all together and it was almost 8pm before we made our way out to the car. What an indulgence. It was a brilliant way to spend Good Friday.

Home to relax in front of the TV. Then bed.

Abs of Agony

Thursday April 21^st

OMG! Even my intercostal muscles (the tiny muscles that connect each rib) are aching. How is that possible? My core muscles are so unhappy with me. I can’t sit up in bed. I can’t roll over. Lying down shouldn’t be so tricky! Thank God J opted out of this mornings session cuz I don’t think I could possibly cope with a workout today. It must be that insane new warm up exercise that J introduced on Tuesday.

I made my way into the office, albeit a little painfully. Good thing. Only 2 other staff members turned up. This is getting a little old.  I just want to sit down and focus on my own cases. I’m so far behind.

The girls at the other end of the office are heading down to Big Bite for lunch. I opted in. I love the Big Bite sandwiches! They taste divine and they’re so filling that all I need for dinner is something light. I’ve learned to ask for them to ‘hold’ the olive oil. The less fat, the better.

G and I are on a mission tonight. We have to head out to Westfields Burwood to get our Easter shopping organised and to pick up a present for L’s birthday. He’s turning 5 on Anzac Day.

We’re not the only one with the same plans; the mall is packed.  It took a bit of walking around but we finally settled on our purchases and headed home. I’m absolutely exhausted. Only one more day until the weekend. Thank goodness!

Tricky Client

Wednesday April 20^th

Hooray! It’s Ground Hog day! Still only 3 people in again. Talk about short-staffed. When will it end? It’s hard enough to get to my own work when everyone is in! When we’re this short, there’s no hope. Sigh…I wish there was something I could do about it. Instead, we just have to hang in there and do the best job we can. If we can last until next week, 2 people will be back from leave and hopefully we’ll be able to get more of our own reviews done.

No time for lunch. I’m in meetings with J for most of the afternoon. He’s a really lovely guy and he’s been so supportive of me in this role. I really enjoy talking to him. He has a very interesting perspective on our workplace, and specifically on the managers that I’m working closely with. It’s really making a difference to how I’m feeling about taking over this role.

No time to dillydally. I’ve got to come up with a ‘client’ synopsis for tonight’s role play at college. It’s been a while since I’ve had to ‘be’ the client and I really want to bring up some tough stuff. I reckon it has to be easier to come up against this as a student with people around to support us, than coming up against it in private practise. The topic I’ve settled on is sexual abuse.

I printed off 7 copies of my little synopsis and dashed out to the car. Want to make sure I have enough time to eat some dinner before I have to ‘perform’.  I can’t resist the chocolate pecan torte. It is absolutely amazing!!

The session is pretty intense. I even managed to cry which made the scenario very authentic. So much so, that one of the students who was watching, jumped up and handed me some tissues.

It led to an excellent discussion at the end. My counsellor handled the scenario very well. The only thing that needed a bit more finesse was the ‘referral’ at the end of the session.

I’m exhausted. Home for tea, a relax and then bed. 

Tweaking the Warm Up

Tuesday April 19^th

Well, our staffing numbers have increased by 1! Technically we’re operating at 50%. The four of us didn’t get much of our own work done but at least the phones aren’t ringing off the hook.

Well, tonight is pay back time for all of that licorice from the Easter Show. I’ve got my workout bag packed and by 4.35pm I’m logged out and on my way to the car park. I know my diet hasn’t been the best for the past week. I’m hoping I can get back on track again with a little help from J.

We went over my food diary and discussed some goals for the week. Some of my original ‘bad habits’ are back. I’m not drinking enough water and I’ve been staying up well past 10.00pm. As for lunch- well, I’m not eating breakfast until 11am and lunch, if I’m lucky, gets squeezed in around 3.30pm. Not exactly the best way to kick start my metabolism!

Just for some variety, J adds a new dimension to one of my warm up exercises. I have to engage my core muscles and keep an ‘even’ pressure under the small of my back as I raise a Swiss ball between my knees. Then, I have to grab the ball and raise it back over my head whilst lowering my legs parallel to the floor (without touching). Then I draw my knees back up and place the ball between them and lower it almost to the floor. All of that is considered 1 exercise! J has me do 2 sets of 5!

She has also decided that I am ready to increase the plank from 3 sets of 30 seconds, to 2 sets of 45 seconds. OMG! This warm up is brutal!!

I made it through the circuit 2.5 times. I don’t know why, but this circuit seems longer than the ones that we used to do. There’s a lot more cardio (running, star jumps, box ‘n’ shuffle) and my arms are always wasted at the end due to the triceps dips, push ups and other weights.

Home to watch Winners & Losers. 

Back at Work

Monday April 18^th

No rest for the weary! It’s back to work I go. Hopefully there haven’t been too many dramas whilst I’ve been away. I’m not concerned. T is awesome and I know she’ll be able to handle anything that pops up! Morning coffee with G as usual.

Good thing it’s still school holidays! There are only 2 other staff members in today aside from me! Insanity!! Fortunately, the phones aren’t busy and the 3 of us are able to muddle through without too much trouble. So much for catching up on my own work.

Off to counselling I go. Sometimes I toy with the idea of seeing V weekly instead of fortnightly. If we could fit it in to our crazy schedules, I’d probably do it. I’m struggling with the diet again. I don’t mind the exercise. I just can’t seem to get my head around eating. That licorice hasn’t done me any favours. I feel compelled to eat it until it’s gone –even if it makes me feel unwell. My behaviours are slipping back to what they used to be. The worst bit is that the sugar and the junk food don’t make me feel as ‘good’ as they once did. Nothing seems to fill the hole. And I’m not even sure how the hole got here. Has it been here all along? Or have I managed to dig a new one somewhere along the way?

Easter Bunny Makes a Special Trip

Sunday April 17^th  Our Easter Morning

7.24am. The pitter patter of little feet parts the fog of my dreams and I open my eyes to find myself staring at the tousled hair of my 5yr old daughter. She climbs into bed beside me. I nestled her into the crook of my arm and gave her a kiss.

“Guess what today is?” I ask.

“What?”

“It’s our Easter!!” I said excitedly. “Come on, let’s go see if the Easter Bunny has left anything for you!”

We hopped out of bed and dashed down the hall to the kitchen. Sure enough, sitting on her Disney Princess place mat was a nest of little eggs, a Kinder Surprise Rabbit and a pink box with a Barbie egg and a Barbie stationary set: eraser shaped like lipstick, a pencil sharpener and a Barbie stamp- with pink ink, of course! S was beside herself!

G turned on the oven to warm up our Hot Crossed Buns.  Easter has definitely arrived at our house.

TV. Craft. Computer games. Lunch. More computer games.

Then it was time to curl up on the lounge to watch a Barbie movie of her choice. I was expecting the 3 Musketeers, or Barbie in a Mermaid Tale, but she settled on Thumbelina.

Since I’ve been ‘off the wagon’ for at least the last 4 days, I have this huge hole in my gut that I’m desperate to fill with food. The 100’s and 1000’s cookies, the packet of JJ’s, 3 jelly lollies, and even a bit of the Kinder Surprise Bunny do not seem to be doing the trick. I know I’ll pay the price for this week’s slackness come Tuesday. I just wish I knew why I feel this way. It's really frustrating that all the junk food that I'm eating isn't filling up the hole. Maybe V can help me shed some light on this conundrum at tomorrow's session.

We managed to fit a few more activities before C arrived to take S home. I gave S the biggest cuddle and waved to them as they walked out the back gate. I wonder when the good-byes will get easier...

To clear my head and catch my breath, I headed to the computer room to lose myself in a strategy game. 45 minutes later, I emerged feeling slightly more centred. G had spent that time making us pizzas and this time we had real cheese! I could hardly get through my pizza. It was so rich and so filling. For dessert, I got stuck into the licorice that I bought at the Easter Show. The sooner it’s out of the house, the better off I’m going to be.

In some ways, I’m going to be so happy to be back eating healthy food and exercising this week. I know it’s going to be tough. And I’m totally expecting J to kick my butt on Tuesday. Good thing- cuz I definitely need it!

It’s hard for me to fathom that this hideous sugar rush that I’m feeling right now is something that used to be so normal. I wouldn’t have thought twice about eating these foods before. Now, I know how bad it makes me feel and yet, here I am, stuffing piece after piece into my mouth. I think someone needs to save me from myself. I haven’t just fallen off the wagon- I’ve slid under the wheels! 

Yum Cha & Hop

Saturday April 16^th,

Little Miss stumbled in around 7.15, hugging her teddy bear tightly. I flung back the covers and she climbed into bed for a morning snuggle. There’s nothing better!

She did catch me off guard when she innocently asked, “Mumma Jay, do you believe in God?”

I cracked open an eye, kissed her on the temple and replied, “Yes I do. Do you?”

Very matter of factly, she said, “No.”

“Why not?” I asked. “Is is because you can’t see God?”

“Yes.”

But, that was about as deep as she wanted to get. I think this is a conversation that we will need to come back to down the track. Another quick cuddle and then it was slipper time! We bought some new slippers yesterday and they’re super fuzzy. She loves them!

Breakfast. Some ABC Kids TV and then a surprise phone call from my Dad. He’s been trying for weeks to get in touch with me- and it hasn’t been easy. S and I chatted to him for about an hour. It was lovely to catch up with him. It’s a cold and rainy day here in Sydney, but it’s nothing like the April snow that they’re having in Edmonton!

We have time for a few rounds of Plants VS Zombies on the computer before we have to jump in the car and head to Newtown for our Saturday Yum Cha lunch. For the first time in ages, we managed to score a parking spot right out the front! Couldn’t have picked a better day- it was pouring rain. As for lunch, it was perfect! All of my favourite dishes arrived on schedule. We love Yum Cha!

The traffic on Parramatta road was not ideal and we just made it to Burwood in time for our movie: Hop. It had some great lines and S loved it! Then, we headed home to make clay pencil bugs from one of our Mister Maker episodes. They should be dry by tomorrow which means we can paint them.  Tomato soup and chicken chipolatas for dinner. An episode of Dora the Explorer and it’s time for bed.

A perfect family Saturday. I can’t believe there is only one day left of my week with S. Time goes so quickly. 

Magic Markers

Friday April 15^th

S is up early today. I don’t know how she does it! I’m absolutely exhausted from yesterday’s efforts. I think my chiropractor is going to be unimpressed with me come Monday. My shoulder is aching from the backpack that I was carrying and my left hip and knee are giving me a bit of grief too. I think back to Disneyland and I have no idea how I survived those 3 days of constant walking. Being more fit has certainly made a positive difference.  Now I just have to work on my recovery!

Breakfast. Then it was time to try out the magic markers that we bought at the Easter Show. They’re pretty neat! I use the magic white marker to ‘erase’ a bit of purple ink from S’s nose. Works perfectly!

Off to the back room for some online Barbie games. I get Little Miss set up and then I make my way to the kitchen to catch up on the dishes. The hum of the washing machine was the perfect soundtrack to this picture of domestic bliss.

Just as I finished up, S wandered down the hallway to see what was keeping me. I congratulated her on her patience and then followed her back to the front room to play some computer games with her.

Time for something different. So we got dressed and headed off to Burwood. Our mission? To find some ‘create your own Bath Bombs’. Well, 2 shops & lunch later, we left without our bath bombs. Instead, we picked up some new clothes for S because most of the ones in her closet are size 3 & 4, and an Aqua Sand kit.

S had a huge Hubba Bubba sippa cup of water and a packet of JJ’s. I treated myself to a soy dandy. Some days I sure miss my afternoon coffee. Even with all of the other diet cheats, this is the one thing I’ve managed to keep up since the detox diet.

We played with the Aqua Sand. It’s really cool stuff! As soon as I scoop it out of the water, it’s dry. The water just beads off of it. Must admit, it’s a bit messy but we had fun.

Time to ring S’s dad to wish him Happy Birthday! It was wonderful to chat with him- it had been ages! Picked G up from the station, swung by Dominos to grab some dinner, then home to eat.

Bath time. Teeth brushing. Story time. And then bed. I think G and I will be close behind!

The Sydney Royal Easter Show!

Thursday April 14^th

Hooray! Today has finally arrived! Day 1 of the Sydney Royal Easter Show! S and I are very excited! I asked her if she wanted to drive or take the train. She opted for the train. I guess when you’re 5, riding on the train adds to the sense of adventure. We even managed to score a park at our local train station – the last one in the whole parking lot. It certainly felt like a good omen.

We arrived at the Showgrounds around 10.30am. Getting through the gates was pretty straightforward. The crowds were small and we didn’t have to wait in line at all. Our first port of call- the Licorice stand 50m in from the entrance.  I love licorice!! Whenever I know someone is coming to visit from Canada, licorice is always on my list! Unfortunately (or maybe now that I’m trying to lose weight it’s a fortunate thing!!) they don’t make Twizzlers licorice here in Australia. S and I chose 3 ropes and then headed off to the play area.

S had a good romp on the play equipment. There were rock climbing walls, spinning gadgets, and other climbing equipment. S showed off a few of her cartwheels and then we headed off to find an ATM. Cash is a commodity that we definitely cannot do without today!

Cash in hand, we walked over to a ride ticket window. I knew that S would be up for some rides- especially after Disney Land. Right by the ticket booth, there was a beautiful, steam powered, wooden carousel. S was keen to ride on a pony with a braid in its tail. I stood beside her – which meant that I was able to ‘ride’ for free. As we went round and round, I couldn’t stop looking at the carousel. It was hand-made in 1918. Unreal.

S was keen to get her show bags. I, however, was not. My plan was to go to the Show Bag Pavilion at the end of the day so that I wouldn’t have to carry the bags around. I tried to distract her with some food. She decided on deep fried cheese on a stick and a lemonade. We sat down on a bench to eat and watch a show on one of the stages.

I wanted to go inside and look at some of the displays. S came along grudgingly. We swung by the Dairy Farmer’s booth, but I didn’t fancy carrying cheese around with us either. There were lots of things to look at, but prolly not all that interesting for little people.

In the next pavilion, we came across a booth that caught our interest. They were selling magic markers! We watched the whole demonstration. I was suitably impressed and was happy to fork over the cash. With the goods safely stowed away in my backpack, we made our way back to the Fresh Food Pavilion in search of ice cream. Today was definitely going to look ugly in my food diary!

I wiped the last remaining evidence of ice cream from around the corners of S’s mouth. We explored a few of the kiosks but nothing really took our fancy. I was keen for some corn on a cob. There’s nothing better! S and I shared a shaved ice drink. Finally, with the eating part out of the way, we were free to explore in earnest.

Close to where we had been eating was the Garden Pavilion. I noticed a kids section, so I steered S in that direction. Good decision. She was able to plant her very own bean seed! They put the pink plant pot in a plastic bag, and I added it to the backpack. S played in the sand pit for a few minutes. Then it was time to hug some Fruit and Veggies! There was a tomato, a banana and an orange. I imagined those outfits would have been uncomfortable. S loved it.

Finally, to get some peace of mind, I agreed to take S to the Show Bag Pavilion. It meant that I would have to carry the stuff around for the rest of the day, but she had her heart set on going there. I knew that she wouldn’t be happy until she had picked out her Show Bags. Not surprisingly, her mood lifted as soon as we entered the Pavilion.  After much appraisal, S finally settled on the Barbie Show Bag (complete with make up and a carry bag), a Sour Bag, and a Hubba Bubba bag. Bubble gum is the latest craze! We also picked up a Bertie Beetle Gold bag for G. I resisted the Harry Potter Show Bag –even though it came with a stuff owl. In fact, I resisted all of the show bags. My plan was to pick up some more licorice on our way out!

On the other side of the Show Bag Pavilion was the Coca Cola Carnival. There were heaps of rides. The music was pumping! It took me back to my childhood. Every year my parents would take us down to the Ponoka Stampede. It was a rodeo complete with a travelling carnival and my brother and I loved going! I used to beg my parents to let me play the games-convinced I’d be able to win. They always looked so easy! S was no different. It was $5 a game, so much to her dismay, I only let her play 2. I suddenly had a better understanding of why my parents weren’t keen on letting me play them! At least they gave her a prize just for playing.Games: Sponge bob- fish (hacky sac), Duck pond (tiara)

Most of the rides were intended for adults with strong stomachs! They either spun around super quick or they spun upside down – or both! S and I were not brave enough to ride them! Even watching them made me feel dizzy! There was one ride that S was determined to get me on. It was called Pirate’s Revenge. Essentially, it was a mini log ride –complete with water. Lots of water!

It looked like a lot of fun and I had brought some extra clothes for S just in case. I tried to talk her into going on it later in the day so we didn’t have to walk around wet. It took a lot of convincing, but finally S walked past it. We wandered down to the other end of the Carnival. S went to the bathroom and then it was time to hit the Bumper Cars! We had a blast zipping around the track & bumping into other cars.

There was no way to avoid it. It was Pirate’s Revenge time! We handed over our tickets and got in line. I put the rain protector over my backpack to try to keep it as dry as possible. We didn’t want our show bags to get wet! I sat in the back of the log and they lowered S down just in front of me. I squished the backpack on the seat between us and reached around to hold S tight.

What a hoot! We squealed as the front of the log plunged over the top of the hill. Water sprayed up the sides of the log as we reached the bottom of the slope and sloshed over the plastic guard rail onto the people waiting in line. We had an awesome ride!! And, yes, we got wet –but not as wet as we did on the Grizzly River Run!

As we stepped off the ride, we had to pass a little photo kiosk. They had set up a camera to take a picture just as the log crested the hill and began it’s descent. It was such a cute picture! I couldn’t resist it!

Rather than eat more candy, we thought it might be a good time to pause for dinner. S chose a Dagwood dog and I settled for a spinach and fetta Gozleme. On our way to find a seat, I found another ride ticket! Now we had just enough to ride the giant Ferris wheel! It wasn’t quite like the Mickey Mouse wheel, but it seemed to go on forever! We had an excellent view of the Show Grounds, but after getting wet on Pirate’s Revenge, the wind was a little cool.

I was pretty much done for the day. S was looking a little worse for wear as well. We had been at the Show for about 6hrs. We walked through the grounds on our way to the exit. The park that S had played in earlier was on our way. She asked if she could stop and play. I thought it would be a great way to help her work off some of the food that we’d eaten!

It wasn’t long before she made a friend. The 2 of them ran from one piece of equipment to another. Every now and then, S would do a cartwheel for good measure. Both of them seemed quite content to play. I was quite content to plant my bottom on a park bench and watch. Another bathroom break. Then back to the park to play. Finally, S’s friend Tori had to leave.

We said good-bye to the park and continued on our way to the exit. And, there it was. Kid’s World. S really wanted to go on a few more rides, so I purchased some more tickets. She went on the mini-swings. Then we went on the Wacky Worm Roller Coaster. It reminded both of us of Mulholland Drive – a ride at California Adventure Land. It seemed pretty tame. Even the hill wasn’t too dramatic. The surprise came when the descent was over and the worm went into a curve. Suddenly, the speed increased and we could feel ourselves pushed back into our seats by the centrifugal forces! We had a blast! Then, there were just enough tickets for S to ride a mini Drop of Doom.  

Both of us were exhausted. I scooped her up and we headed for the exit. Only one last thing to do before we left- buy some more licorice. Normally I’d buy the bag with the most value, but I knew that I would eat it. So, with S’s help, I picked 4 pieces and bought a small container with licorice bits in it. YUMMMY!!

I hoisted S up onto my shoulders to make the trek back to the train station. We must have just missed a train, so we plunked ourselves down on the platform and waited. Not long until we’re home.

G was very excited to see us. S was super excited to show off all of her Show Bags! Neither one of us were very hungry. I took some watermelon and rock melon out of the fridge and put them in a bowl. Then I got some plain rice crackers. I figured we could share them.

Round about 8pm, a very tuckered out S was snugly tucked into her bed.

After a mug of soy dandy, I knew I wouldn’t be long out of bed either.

Little Dynamo's

Wednesday April 13^th,

Another lazy start to the day. A healthy breakfast. Relaxing in front of the TV. Our plan for today is to make our way to Alexandria for a couple of hours of fun at Little Dynamo’s Play Centre. Just before we left, I received a call from G. Her neck wasn’t any better and she’d managed to get an appointment with our chiropractor. I told her to ring me after she was finished so that we could pick her up from the train station.

Knowing that we wouldn’t be able to spend more than a couple of hours at Little Dynamo’s, I got S ready as quickly as possible and we hopped in the car. The tricky bit was finding parking! I hadn’t expected it to be quite so busy – but I guess it is school holidays! We parked a couple of blocks away. As we made our way there, we came across some bike racks. They were the perfect height and size for S to do a forward flip over the bar!

As it turns out, the play centre wasn’t as busy as I’d thought. And, most of the children were S’s age. Both of us were very happy about that! It can be a real drag when there are older children running helter skelter. S and I found a table, kicked off our shoes and headed straight for the slides!

The last time I was here, I found it so difficult to run and squeeze through small openings meant for children. I would be puffed out after climbing the stairs to the slide. Today, I found myself chasing S through the maze and keeping up with her! I slipped through the small openings without any drama and my stamina was brilliant! At one point, S decided we should race through the climbing equipment. I was actually running-hunched over to keep from banging my head on the level above me- but running! Secretly, I was thrilled! I feel fit and flexible! Now, if only I could bottle the energy of my five year old daughter!!

I ordered mini hot dogs for lunch. I knew S wouldn’t be able to finish all the food. So we shared. I settled for a decaf soy latte and a handful of French fries.

Shortly after we finished eating, there was an announcement. The Easter Bunny’s helpers had hidden some eggs around the Centre and it was time for the kids to find them! S was ecstatic! She managed to score 5 little eggs. Too cool! Round about 12.45, my phone rang. It was G. Time to put our shoes back on and head to the train station to pick her up.

The 3 of us decided to take a walk up to Mc Donalds for an ice cream. S still had lots of energy, so she rode her scooter and we walked beside her. I shared a mini M&M McFlurry with mini S and G ordered some lunch for herself. S was keen to play in the Mc D’s play area until G was finished eating.

Then, home. I needed to get ready for college. G was staying home with S which meant that the 2 of them could spend some quality time together.

By the time I got home from college, S was sound asleep. I settled down on the lounge, drank my soy dandy and then it was definitely time for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a huge day!

Day 2- Relaxing at Home

Tuesday April 12^th

S slept in until 7.20am which meant I did too. I figured that we would take it easy today and just hang out at home. We had a leisurely breakfast, watched some TV, and did some colouring. Then, we made Play Doh cupcakes and biscuits for our Play Doh Café.

To break up our day a bit, we decided to get S’s scooter out for a ride and stop by our local McDonald’s for lunch. I didn’t order anything for myself – well, I tried, but the decaf machine wasn’t working. Instead, I finished the small fries that S didn’t eat.

She had a great time playing in the play centre! It’s a good way to burn off some energy. Then it was time for S to put her helmet back on and for us to scoot back home. We had plans to make a fort in the lounge room out of blankets and sheets.

The fort was smaller than the one that we made last time but there was still plenty of room to bring in some toys. S thought it might be a good time to read a few of our Tag Reader books. We brought in the Zhu Zhu pets –including Shiloh, the baby one that we adopted yesterday. They roamed around and chirped happily.

The afternoon was passing very quickly. It was definitely time to fold up the blankets and put the fold up table back in the hallway. I turned on ABC Kids TV for S and made my way to the kitchen to get dinner started. On the menu for tonight- roast lamb and roast vegetables. Once the roast was in the oven, S and I curled up on the lounge to watch Barbie in a Fairy Secret.

Ken doesn’t look anything like the Ken doll that I had when I was a child. It’s difficult for me to imagine him as a teenager –which clearly he is in the Barbie movies. I quite like watching movies with S- even if they are super girly – like Dora the Explorer or Barbie.

Bath time! S got to choose the bath bomb for tonight’s bath. She has so much fun watching them dissolve in the water and listening to them bubble and crackle like Rice Krispies when milk is poured into the bowl. Then, teeth brushing, story time and bed. 

Day 1

Monday April 11^th   Day 1 of our week together

No work out this morning, so I was able to sleep in. I got up around 8.30am, made myself some breakfast and sat at the kitchen table to read my book. If it had been a little warmer outside, it would have been a perfect morning. I love lazy mornings like this-especially when I have a good book to keep me company.

Just before 11am, I pulled away from the curb to begin the 45 min journey to Castle Hill to pick S up. Sleep in, lazy breakfast, drive to castle hill to pick up S. Today is day 1 of our week together and I can’t wait!

I pulled into a parking space and as I closed the car door, I heard a little voice. I turned to look to my left and there she was! I started walking towards her quickly with my arms open and she opened her arms wide and started running towards me. I picked her up and swung her around. Having her in my arms is the best feeling!

S had some very exciting news for me! She’d lost a tooth last night and the TOOTH FAIRY had come to visit!! She was absolutely thrilled! And, man, I remember getting a quarter from the tooth fairy. She scored $2.50! Inflation is a killer!

Time to head home for lunch.  We said good-bye to C and to S’s baby brother and sister. The traffic wasn’t too bad. S played on my phone for most of the journey.

S was keen to have 2 minute noodles for lunch. Her plan for the afternoon was to go down to the shops to spend her Tooth Fairy money. I suggested that we raid her red piggy bank to beef up the pot a bit. There isn’t much that can be purchased at the shop for $2.50 these days.

We had a great time checking out possible purchases at the dollar store and then we made our way to K-Mart. S finally decided on a Baby Zhu Zhu pet and a Zhu Zhu pram. I picked up the new Barbie movie and bought her some comfy sweat pants.

Happy with our choices, we decided to head for home.  We played with her new toys and then it was time for me to get dinner ready. S loves Yum Cha, so I thought it might be nice to make some rice paper rolls for dinner. I cooked up the chicken mince and cut up the veggies. I even managed to pick up some fresh mint and fresh coriander. I popped the rice maker into the microwave and voila- the only thing left to do was to soak the rice paper and fill it with the goodies. Brilliant! And they were a huge hit! S loved them!

Bath, story time & then bed.

Free to Relax

Sunday April 10^th

Up at 7.20am to shower and get ready for college. I’ve packed a suit jacket and a tie for our presentation, a newspaper, some glossy magazines and my laptop. I even downloaded the video to go along with the song that we’re using. I’m nervous. I know I can pull off the ‘acting’ bit, but I remain unconvinced about the rest of the presentation.

It’s free parking on Sundays so I can drive myself to college. The bridge is closed until lunchtime due to an athletic event that was happening in the city. It just meant that I would need to take the Gladesville bridge instead.

D gave us an hour and a half to work on our presentations. We worked through lunch so it was good that I had a soy dandy latte and a piece of chocolate pecan tart for morning tea. We ran through the presentation a few times, organised our handouts and stapled them together. Our group was picked to perform 2^nd.

I thoroughly enjoyed today’s role plays- ours and everyone else’s! Everyone had put a lot of thought and effort into their presentations. I’m pleased that it went well. It really came together in the end.

We had an early mark. Tonight my plan is to just relax- no blogging, no journaling, no researching, just me and G hanging out together on the lounge. I can’t wait!

Docu-drama

Saturday April 9^th

Up at 7.20am. Need to shower and have breakfast before heading off to college. G is going to drive me again so that I don’t have to worry about parking on a Saturday. Having to feed the meters every 3 hrs is very inconvenient!

It’s a lovely day. Almost seems a pity to be inside pouring over books when we could be outside enjoying the sunshine! But, we’ve all made college a priority, so here we are.

We broke into groups of 2 to chat about how the past four weeks have been. Most of my classmates gave up something- like chocolate or wine, but I added meditation. Or, perhaps you could say that I ‘gave up my resistance’ to meditation. It was interesting to share my experiences with another person and to hear how things had been for them too.

There was a lot of class discussion. We went through the rest of our handout and notes. D had video that she wanted us to watch. The quality wasn’t fantastic- it really was a video and not a DVD, but it sure had an impact. It was a docu-drama about alcoholism. The information surprised some of the class. We weren’t aware that brain damage occurs before liver damage. The mood after the video was a little bit sombre.

The day had gotten away from us and by the time the video was over, it was almost 4pm. We hadn’t even had any time to work together as a group. My group hung back and went through the things we needed to bring for our presentation tomorrow.

G was waiting for me outside in the car. We headed off to Woolworths to pick up some groceries. Gabe whipped up a chicken stirfry and I sat down at the coffee table to work on my Addictions Journal. It took me ages to finish it, but it felt good when I finally put down my pen.

I spent a bit of time doing some quick research online for my presentation –just to get things straight in my mind. It didn’t feel like our presentation was coming together very well and I wanted to be sure that I could answer questions if the class had any for us.

Then, it was time for bed.

Journalling

Friday April 8^th

Today is my last day before I have a week off! I want to be able to get stuck into my work, but something keeps popping up that requires my attention. I wish I wasn’t so far behind in my own workload! I generally like to tidy things up before I go on leave, but it just wasn’t possible today.

The girls were ordering from Big Bite again, so I put in an order for a roast beef sandwich. It just means that I’ll have a much smaller meal for dinner tonight.

This weekend is our final 2 days of the Addictions, Attachments & Change course. I have my journal to catch up on and my class presentation to organise. I know I should be fitting in a meditation tonight, but I’m so far behind in my journal that I cannot spare 30 minutes to relax.

As much as I’m enjoying college, I’m so looking forward to finishing the weekend courses. It’s tough to work full time and then spend the whole weekend at college. I need a bit of ‘down’ time- especially with all of the extra things that I’m doing at work these days.

Sigh…Not long to go. After this weekend, our intensives will be over for this term. 

Praise & Push Ups

Thursday April 7^th

5.20am- must be time for me to get up for my normal Thursday morning pt session at the Centre. I wonder who will be there today? Grapes and Brazil nuts make an interesting flavour combination but it will give me enough energy to last until after the workout. It’s cold and dark outside. I don’t think I’ll need to turn the aircon on this morning.

Turns out it’s just me and A today. We’re back to the original circuits and for some reason, they seem so much faster than the others that we’ve been doing lately. I ROCKED it! Made it two & a half times through each circuit! I even managed 60 push ups!! WICKED!

I admit-I don’t always like the diet and nutrition side of things, but there is definitely something rewarding about pushing myself physically. I never thought I’d feel this way, but I’m really starting to enjoy exercising. Even on the days that I’m feeling sore and achy, it’s a satisfying feeling.

No time to ponder. After our 3 minutes of bliss, I roll up my yoga mat, pop it on the shelf, say good-bye to J and then it’s off to the car to for the peak hour drive to the office. Showered and seated at my desk by 8.15am. Good thing too, because about 10 minutes later J walked in. Although I’ve spoken to him on the phone, it’s been about 4 yrs since we’ve seen each other in person. He is filling in for S while he is away on leave. I’m really lucky that I have had the opportunity to work with both S & J in the past, or I would be feeling very out of my depth at the moment.

I introduced J to the members of the team that hadn’t met him before. Then, it was work as usual.

My plan for tonight is to watch last night’s role play and get a head start on my assignment. Having Little Miss next week will make working on it difficult. G got changed and hopped on the treadmill. I made a pot of dandelion tea, settled myself on the lounge with the cat, and pressed play.

Instead of watching the role play, I fast forwarded to the end of the disc to the part where they were giving me feedback on my session. It was just as challenging to hear it again tonight as it was last night. My plan was to see if I could ‘see’ and feel what they witnessed when I watched the session for myself.

My client was such a challenging client. I watched myself closely, trying to pick up what my classmates had picked up. But, to me, it just felt like I was being myself. I hadn’t done anything spectacular or said anything profound. Try as I might, I couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Their praise seemed unjustified.

The more I thought about it, the worse I felt.

I sat down in front of my laptop and got stuck into the self-reflection assignment. I would just have to deal with my feelings about this later.  About half way through, I knew it was time to save the document and head for bed. I was exhausted.

Feedback

Wednesday April 6^th

Ok- 60 push ups yesterday and I’m still feeling it this morning. It’s a nice feeling though. I can see definition in my arms and I really like it. Plus, I don’t need them for walking and sitting- unlike my quad muscles.

Now that my leave and my replacement for next week have been sorted, it was just a typical day at work. Good thing, too. I’ve got a lot on my mind. Tonight is my second role play for the term and after last week’s ‘faux’ vomiting client, I’m anxious about what awaits me.

I rushed to college after work. I wanted to be sure that I got a parking spot and still had time for a quick bite to eat before heading down to the classroom. So far so good. Thought it might be a good idea to read up on the handouts that we were given last week. 5.25pm. Have to head down to the classroom to go over our presentation that’s due this weekend. It’s stressful to have 2 things on the go tonight.

We went over a few things, talked about the handouts that we were preparing for our classmates and then at 5.45pm I dashed out of the classroom and back up to the main building. I knocked on the door of the faculty lounge. J was expecting me and handed me the video camera and the tri-pod. I thanked her and made my way back to the classroom to get everything set up.

Half-way through the session, I was wishing that my client had done something as easy as fake vomiting. At least I was semi-prepared for that! Instead, I found myself trying to manage a very challenging situation whilst still trying to maintain a state of complete ‘unconditional positive regard’.

Those 40 minutes seemed to go on for ages. Finally, we got the signal that we were nearing the end of our time together. I wrapped things up as best I could and then filled out my ‘mindfulness’ sheet. Now all that remains is to steel myself for the feedback.

I was so not prepared for the feedback that I received. Everyone was so positive. The more they said wonderful things about our session, the harder it was for me to sit there and listen. I’m relieved that the tape lasts for 60 minutes and that most of this feedback will be recorded. Right now, it’s so difficult to absorb and take on board.

Temptation Table

Tuesday April 5^th

Well, it’s official. K isn’t going to be coming back to work any time soon. The latest word is early May. Currently, I’m asking myself, can I make it through another week? How on earth am I going to make it through another 4!? Sigh…oh well- I gotta give it a go, right?

I spoke to a few members of the team this morning to see if any of them would be willing to fill in for me next week. It took a little bit of convincing, but my week off is covered! Woo hoo!

Now I just have to make it through training tonight with J.  The new Tuesday routine has more aerobic components than our usual workouts. There’s one bit where I have to run zigzag through some orange pylons and then do 5 jumping jacks /star jumps at each end. I have to do this 10 times. It doesn’t seem to matter how early or late I eat lunch, I tend to feel a bit nauseous about ½ way through. So, J takes pity on me and at one end, she has me do bicep curls with the barbell. At first, this seems like an awesome idea- anything that isn’t jumping is much better for my stomach. Then it hits me, I have 3 sets of 20 push ups to do in this circuit! My arms may very well fall off!

Another group comes into the Centre to set up for their evening function, so J suggests we do all of the running components now, and then move into the white room for the rest of the session.  By the time I finish the 40 triceps dips, the chest press and 60 push ups, I’m convinced that I’ll never be able to lift my arms above my head again.

We walked out of the white room and along the back wall of the Centre was a table decked out with 3 different types of cheeses, a giant bowl of chocolate and a huge plate of chocolate chip cookies. Now that’s just not cool!

Time Off With a Twist

Monday April 4^th

I fell asleep last night with the horrible thought that even though I’d booked my leave for next week, K had left before it had been officially approved! Now, S was on leave as of Friday. So in effect, I’m acting for K, and now I need to approach J who is acting for S. There are so many people acting in roles at work, it’s more like a drama class than a work place! I hold on to the slim hope that K will return to work today.

But, that was not to be. Fortunately, I know J well enough to send him a panicked email. I was totally relieved when he rang to tell me that my leave was approved. The kicker came when he suggested that I would need to find a team member to step in for me while I was away next week.  Not as easy as it sounds.

I put out some feelers and waited…

By 4pm, it was time to shut down and dash off to the Centre for my session with V. I had lots to talk about tonight. First on my list? Last week’s role play at college. I figured counselling would be a pretty safe career choice, but finding out first hand that I could still come face to face with my personal phobia, had shaken me a little. Well, a lot.

It was good to talk to V about it. She offered some interesting insights. If I can get past the resistance that I have to getting more in touch with my intuition and my other senses, I can access information that can help my future clients. It’s fascinating to me that when she puts across how it will assist other people, I’m interested. Yet, when it’s just for my benefit, I hesitate. 

Hibernation Day

Sunday April 3rd


Today I do not feel like relating to the outside world at all. No desire to go out and about. I just want to relax, catch up on the Biggest Loser episodes that we've been taping. Not long to go. Only 2 more to watch.


Indulged this morning...made some French Toast with my Helga's brown bread and even added some maple flavoured syrup. Divine!! Aside from measuring out the maple syrup it felt like a treat.


By 4pm, I could procrastinate no longer. Time to exercise. I started off by running for 32 minutes on the treadmill. I figured I'd be good and warmed up after that! Then it was straight into the circuit. I set the timer on my iPhone- 15 minutes to get thru the triceps circuit twice and 15 minutes to get thru the biceps circuit twice. Another 30 minutes to get through!


I was exhausted at the end of that! So, might as well meditate, right? Perfect way to relax and cool down. Then dinner, some TV and definitely bed. Sleep is so under-rated!

Normal Size 18

Saturday April 2nd

Ahhh the luxury of sleeping in. I have been sooo looking forward to this weekend. We have nothing booked and nothing planned. It seems like forever since I've had a weekend like this. If we didn't have a vocal cat, I'm sure I could have easily slept past 10am. We do, however, have a cat and he obviously didn't know our intentions. Then again, maybe he did and he just didn't want to partake.

So, it's 9am and I can no longer ignore the meowing of the cat. I head into the bathroom and hop into the shower. Might as well get ready for the day. While G has her shower, I make my self a pot of dandy tea and some eggs and toast for breakfast. I've decided to live on the edge and use Helga's bread instead of the gluten-free bread I've been eating lately. My giant sandwich on Friday didn't seem to do me too much harm.

Then, we set off to Birkenhead Point- a local DFO (direct factory outlet). G is in need of some more work shirts and I'm keen to get some tan flat shoes to wear with my new tan pants. I have cool high-heeled boots, but I'm not convinced yet that I'll be able to wear them for a full day at work. I figure having a pair of flats for back up is a good idea. We looked at a couple of shoe stores. G bought a pair of boots and I found a pair of shoes that might be suitable.

Next it was time for work shirts. As G was wandering around checking things out, I thought I might try on a size 18 jacket just for laughs. I was astounded when, not only did it fit, but I could actually DO UP the button! Unbelievable!! That piqued my interest. Maybe it would be worthwhile to try on a pair of size 18 pants to get an idea of just how far I've come and how far I still need to go. 

I followed G into the change room with my 1 pair of size 18 pants. I didn't really hold out any hope that I would be able to get them up my thighs. I waited for G to try on all of her shirts. Then, the moment of truth had arrived. I slipped off my shoes, took off my pants and stuck one foot into the taupe trousers. I was able to pull both legs up without any drama. I thought I might have to suck in my gut to get an idea of what it might look like if I could do up the zipper....but I didn't even need to do that! The button and the zipper did up. I could even sit in them!! 

They didn't look too flattering. Not something I could wear to work just yet, but I didn't care! They FIT!! A normal size 18!! Proof that I'm still doing the right things. There wasn't much space in that fitting room, but I did a 'touch down' dance anyways! A normal 18! Won't be long now until I'll be able to shop in a regular store. Watch out world!!

Home to relax and catch up on the Australia's Biggest Loser episodes that we've been recording but haven't had the time to watch.  I'm ready to be inspired!

Big Bite

 Friday April 1st


Happy April Fools Day!!


We caught the train into work and had coffee in our usual cafe.


I didn't have any meetings booked for today at work-which was a relief. My phone rang as soon as I sat down at my desk- I hadn't even logged into my systems yet. It was S. He had another project for me to organise. I figured my stress-free day was too good to last. 


I gathered as much information as I could and then I sent an email to our telecommunications guy. Hopefully he would be able to provide the data that S was looking for. 


We were down 3 people today. Surprisingly enough the phones weren't too busy. I'd packed a lunch today and would have been happy enough to eat it, if M hadn't come down with a menu from a sandwich shop called Big Bite. She convinced me that they were the best sandwiches that she'd ever eaten! I checked with my other friend A, who confirmed that she'd had a sandwich from there and it was yummy.


So, I folded under the pressure. I love roast beef and I would choose it over tuna ANY DAY! Add thick white Viennese bread and it was no contest. M placed the order and then headed up around 12pm to pick up our sandwiches. 


It's called Big Bite for a reason! At first I wasn't sure why A & K were opting to share one, but when it was too big to fit on my plate, I figured it out. It looked amazing!! Lettuce, seeded mustard, grilled capsicum, tomatoes, sprouts. There were 2 things that put me off a little: the home-made mayonnaise and the oil that was drizzled over the meat. It has been a while since I've eaten mayonnaise and I wasn't sure how it would sit with my stomach. I knew the oil would definitely wreck havoc.


The first half went down nice and easy. It was divine. By the time I started in on the second half, I wasn't sure if I could finish it all. I finally had to take a napkin and wipe off the mayo, but I managed to get it all down. I knew I wouldn't be eating much for dinner tonight!!


I was still full when I arrived home after work. Too full to exercise. I didn't want to, but I put off exercising tonight. I know I've got the rest of the weekend to fit in a circuit-and I know I need to. Missing out on the Thursday session with J and the boys was not a free ticket to loaf around. 


It was wonderful to spend a relaxing night with G. I spent some time catching up on my 'meditation journal'. Between my journal and my blog, I've been spending an awful lot of time writing.

Finally Caught UP!

Thursday March 31st

The room is dark except for the light coming from the alarm on my iPhone. I reach over to turn it off. Why does 5.21am have to come so early?  I had packed my lunch, organized my workout bag and laid out my clothes to make things easier this morning. I rolled out of bed and into the bathroom. I generally put my phone in ‘airplane’ mode at night. Firstly, it saves my battery. Secondly, it prevents emails and messages from waking me up at night. As I looked at the dark circles under my eyes, I would have given anything to crawl back into bed. I had no idea how I was going to make it through this morning’s work out.

Just then, my iPhone beeped. I looked down and a msg from J appeared on my screen. She wasn’t well and wouldn’t be able to come to group pt. I was sorry to hear that was unwell, but I was sure relieved that I could slip back under the covers for another 25 minutes. No work out this morning means I’ll have to do a circuit at home this weekend to make up for it.

On my schedule at work today was hosting my first team brief. About 9.30 I started collating all of the information that I would need to hand out or go through with the team. All in all, the whole thing went very well. It’s another thing to add to my list of accomplishments this year.

The girls tried to tempt me with Subway and Oporto’s, but I stayed strong and stuck to my tuna salad sandwich on whole wheat bread and my navel orange.  I’m pleased that I did. It means that I can have a meal out with G this weekend!

Home to catch up on my blog and as I type this sentence, I’m now completely UP TO DATE! It feels amazing! Good night everyone! I’m off to meditate!

Food for Thought

Wednesday March 30^th

G and I were up late chatting last night- it must have been close to midnight when we finally turned off the light.  It felt like my head had only just hit the pillow when the alarm went off at 5.46am. I’d give anything for a real coffee.  There’s nothing like a warm hit of caffeine to scare the brain fuzzies away.  Times like this test my resolve and today I stuck to my guns.  I returned to the table with a decaf soy latte for me and a small cappuccino for G.

I had a meeting scheduled for this morning with my new manager.  He nicked named it a ‘Fireside chat’. I wasn’t sure what to expect. We spoke about the stats and info that I would need to look at to see if getting more resources for the team was justified.  We cleared up a few other issues and then it was time to talk about me.

S asked me how I was enjoying my current role. He wanted to know if I was interested in pursuing a team leader role permanently. I’m really going to need to think hard about this. I feel a little over-whelmed at the moment, but that was because I had been thrown in the deep end.  He advised me that if I was interested and committed, he would take me under his wing and do what needed to be done to insure I was given opportunities to further my career.  I came away from that meeting with lots to think about.

Off to college for another round of role plays. My intention was to hang out in the café and catch up on my blog. I completely forgot that I was meeting my group members from the Addictions intensive weekend to organise our project.  M called me on my mobile to remind me and I packed up my stuff and hurried off to the classroom to join them.  It’s starting to come together nicely.

Tonight’s role play was really personally challenging for me – and I was just an observer. It hi-lited an area that I really need to work on and sort through. I know I’ll take what happened tonight to my next session with V.

Too tired to meditate. 

Push up power!

Tuesday March 29^th

And so begins another work week. It’s raining cats and dogs, which makes driving to work a bit stressful, but it’s definitely more comfortable than catching the train and getting drenched on our stroll through the park.  I’m looking forward to catching up with J tonight. My diet hasn’t been terrific since she’s been away. There have been a number of contributing factors- stress at work being one of them. And I’m interested in hearing her take on things.

Work was pretty full on – it has been for the past few weeks. I’m relieved when 4.30pm rolls around and I can log off.  I went to get changed only to realise that I’d left my ¾ pants at home and had packed shorts instead. It meant I had to pull my work pants on over top of them; I’m still not comfortable walking through my office building wearing workout gear!

J and I chatted for about 15 minutes. I tried to tell her everything that had been happening for me. She suggested that I write a list of all of the foods that I was craving and then, on a selected day, I could choose to eat an item from the list.  The girls at work often have Thai for lunch and a plan like this would enable me to participate. I liked the sound of it.

J also suggested that it’s possible that I was bored with what I’d been eating and maybe it was time to shake things up a bit. She started to tell me about a new 30 day diet book that she was reading. I jokingly interrupted by telling her I wasn’t up for another 3-4 week intensive eating plan! She laughed and told me it was more like a recipe and meal planner book. She offered to email me a few new things to try out.

With a few new tools in my tool bag, it was time to get sweating. Today’s goal was to get through the circuits 2.5 times. To date, I’d only ever gotten through it twice.  When J gave me the option of push ups or hamstring curls for round 3, I chose the push ups! I couldn’t believe it! And, I made J swear she wouldn’t tell the boys! All of us whinge about push ups in our morning sessions. I didn’t want it to get out that I was choosing them voluntarily!

By the end of tonight’s training session, I was well and truly rooted.  My quads were aching and I wasn’t sure if I would make it down the stairs in one piece! Somehow, I did it!  I could hardly bear the thought of wandering through the grocery store, but I knew it was necessary.

Groceries, dinner, TV- Winners & Losers episode 2. And then bed.