Virtuously hungry

I'm starring in my very own, home-made version of The Biggest Loser at the moment. We're just reaching the end of the first week. Unlike the TV version there have been no tears, no fights with other contestants and nobody has screamed at me while making me do ridiculous physical challenges. It's all a lot more sedate than that. It started last Saturday night when the parents and I snap-decided to go to Tasmania in May. After booking the flights we all looked at each and realised we were terrifically unfit, and let's face it, if we're being honest, fatter than we should be. If we were going to trek about on a proper holiday we had to increase our general fitness. We have 11 weeks. I knew weight had crept on over the past two years. Since August 2010 when I had surgery I hadn't got back into any kind of exercise routine. Work involves lots of sitting down and long days meant I wasn't making time for physical activity. So, I took a deep breath and weighed myself for the first time in years. EEEEK. It was worse than I had imagined. I am the heaviest I have ever been in my whole life. This called for action. Within half an hour I joined Weight Watchers Online and started making a plan. The first step was to throw out all the unhealthy food in the house because if it's there I'll probably eat it. When I say unhealthy food I'm not talking soft drink, chips, lollies, cake, buns, pies or junk food. I don't buy those things and really don't eat them very often. There was a packet of bought biscuits that went in the bin. Then I made a big list of good food and hit the grocery shop on Sunday morning. Recipes in hand I spent the day cutting up fruit, celery and carrot for snacks, and cooking meals for the freezer in acceptable portions. I made some raspberry and banana muffins from the WW site and froze them in ones. I also made lite jelly and started planning my menu for the next day. So after a week of following the WW points plan I have been virtuously hungry some of the time. I have exercised every day - either walking or cycling for between 20 and 30 minutes - I'm starting slowly. I have realised that it wasn't that I was eating bad food, I was just eating too much of it at certain key meals. Breakfast has changed the most. I'm eating about a third of the cereal/muesli I was having but I'm eating way more fruit. The other thing to go is the daily takeaway coffee as even though it was skim milk, one coffee a day was blowing my dairy intake over the top. And bread has become a sometimes food instead of an every day food. This is sad because I love bread. I'm allowed a treat once a week which I had this morning in a large chai latte and delicious BLT. Any results? Well I decided I would measure my waist and weigh myself once a week. I measured my waist today and have lost 2cm. I haven't weighed myself yet today, but I cheated and snuck in a "weigh in" on Thursday. I had lost 1.7 kilos. Hurrah.

of meditation and exercise

Today started a little inauspiciously. I woke up way too early and my brain clicked into gear immediately. My head was also a little woozy which I hate. I made myself do yoga breathing and this passed by the time it was time to get out of bed. I did my meditation before work and felt all the better for doing so. I go back to Saturday morning meditation tomorrow and am resolved to get back into my good daily habit as it really makes a difference. The first two days at work had been full on with so many things flying everywhere that I forgot to take time to breathe. Luckily, today was less hectic and I made time to concentrate in a clearer way. I felt like I had actually made some progress by the end of the day which was nice. What is less lovely is that the aches and pains in my hips (particularly right hip) have returned after 3 days of sitting at a desk. I am trying harder to take more regular breaks - stand up, stretch, short walks - but this pain had disappeared over the break altogether. It wasn't even bothering me in the night. That combined with the thigh pain from endometriosis sometimes makes me feel old. I must keep exercising and gradually increase my physical fitness. At the moment it's very poor! Oh that does sound like a New Year's resolution after all.

reality sets in....and bites a little

I had every good intention to write a post about what I read in 2012. But now it is evening and I am tired and would not do it justice. I also realised that I haven't kept track of my reading in 2012 very well. I can however, write a post about the way my reading has changed since I bought my Kindle in early 2011. So I will do that on Saturday. Today was all about the second day back at work, or as I like to call it - the day when reality started to set in...as well as starting to bite a little bit. My to do list for tomorrow is overblown...and I have started to write things down in my diary for months in advance. That's all okay but I don't yet feel like I have a good handle over the role. Cut myself some slack you say? It's only been two days! Oh, alright then. I staggered home this afternoon and slumped on the sofa, watched some telly, managed to go out to get takeaway and then realised I hadn't done my #blog12daysxmas for today. So this is it. It's not exciting. I just took advantage of the fact that QI came on so I could leave the television and not feel like I was missing anything. I am going to watch Judith Lucy on ABC2 later because she's one of my Australian comedy idols. Then I am going to go to bed and be full of gladness, Pollyanna style, that tomorrow is Friday.

Heigh Ho

Well here we are at the 2nd of January and it's time to go back to work. I feel strangely calm about the whole thing. Anyway, that's boring talk. What happened yesterday? I sewed most of the afternoon. Then my Dad popped over to help me move my dining table into the music room where it now sits ready for sewing and music theory students. I just have to organise my growing stash of fabric into the wardrobe out there and that room is pretty much sorted. There is a big empty space in the dining area waiting for furniture to be delivered this morning. This confused the cat no end last night. Who had cleared this wonderfully big and cool space on the tiles for him? He sniffed around suspiciously for a while and then flung himself on the floor. I went for a walk just before the sun set. It was hot but at least there was some breeze. I felt virtuous. This exercise type activity must continue. MUST. Then it was home to have some ice-cream and watermelon and watch Being Erica. I downloaded BBC IPlayer so have access to the first three series which is nice because when it was on free to air here it was all a bit random in its scheduling. Canadian television....we need more of it! Anyway.... Heigh Ho!

a place for everything

I have spent the morning as I mean to continue the rest of 2013 - catching up with a friend in person! We worked out we hadn't done this for the whole of 2012 and we live in the same town. I need to do much better this year with the whole work-life balance situation. Determination is what it will take. And I am determined. Yesterday was a day of sewing - a dress and a skirt. The skirt needs some altering as the pattern was not quite right. That is the job for this afternoon as well as some other sewing. I also plan to eat some watermelon. Clearly, it's a big afternoon ahead. Later the current dining table and chairs will be moved into the music room and all the sewing things will be finally put away in the big cupboard. Tomorrow the new dining table arrives together with some shelves for my study. I am excited about this as it means the house is in order with a place for everything and everything in its place for the start of 2013. Tomorrow is also back to work Wednesday. The only decision I am going to make about that before tomorrow morning is what I will wear. Stay tuned.

Things I'm not thinking about

Last year I did a post of my resolutions for 2012. I don't think I'll do that this year. Things seem different. This time last year I was about to start a beautiful month of holidays including 10 days in Tasmania which were wonderful. This year I'm going back to work on Wednesday. Last year I was excited about a new role at work and had lots of plans and ideas to implement. This year I also have a new role at work but I'm more apprehensive given the year that has just been. I'm trying not to think about workload calculations, program rules and regulations, QA manuals, duty statements, timetabling, metropolitan campuses, meetings, agendas, minutes, dealing with "challenging" people, sessional staff, contracts and other such things. Clearly, I'm not doing a very good job. I'm also trying not to think about how I am going to fit my piano teaching in this year, together with choir, orchestra and study. The week does not seem big enough. Of course it will all fall into place as it always does but right now I'd love to be starting a long holiday, focusing on getting some exercise and eating right, cultivating some more hobbies and achieving some balance. No doubt I will think about this some more not just today but over the coming weeks and months.

no sewing Saturday

This morning saw me spending an extraordinary amount of money on new underwear. It was time and thank goodness for Boxing Day Sales. Then a coffee stop and a Spotlight stop where I bought some patchwork material and a length of dark green material that I will do something with. And then.....Ta DAAAA...the highlight of Saturday...yet another holiday meal with my grandmother. At least this time we had a buffer with my Aunt and Uncle visiting. And we also went out for lunch so there was not need for lots of food preparation and awkward silences when we ran out of conversation. Then it was everyone back to my parents' place for yet more trifle, cups of tea, chit chat and more Christmas presents. My Aunty Kay who has been paying attention to my Facebook photos of my sewing gave me the awesome gift of fabric. It has come all the way from New Zealand:

I like it a lot! Then I fell asleep on my parents' lounge. My Dad has developed a slightly annoying new habit of taking photos on his smartphone of people while they are asleep. I did wonder why he asked me if I had checked my email a while after I woke up. He's a trick!

Keen readers will notice I am wearing my patchwork skirt. It wore beautifully and hardly creased at all. I lurve it. Sadly, there wasn't any sewing today. I am running out of days before I have to go back to work.

My brain...she is tired

I had every good intention to do work from today onwards. I have an ethics application to put together, a research project to start properly, some QA manual to keep writing and other delightful things. I had even made a bargain with myself that I would have "holidays" up until Boxing Day and then after that would devote part of each day to work tasks. But now that today has dawned I have no desire to spend any of it working. I just want a holiday. I need a holiday. The weeks (and dare I say months) leading up to Xmas were hectic and mentally draining at work. And when I return on January 2 I know I am going to be busy and challenged in a new role. So, although I will feel a little bit guilty, I have changed my mind on the working front today. I'm not going to do a thing. I will sew and read and maybe go shopping. I will plan to go to the movies. I may drink tea and stare out the window. It might look like I'm not achieving anything but in fact I will be relaxing. My brain - she is tired. She shall rest.

tablecloth material

Well I didn't exactly have the Boxing Day Blues but I wasn't up to much today. I did manage to get to Spotlight first thing and pick up some specials in the fabric department. It was really hot though and their aircon hadn't really kicked in so I was feeling a little seedy by the time I left. I did manage to buy some good lengths of seersucker in cute prints so I was happy. When I was little and my mum used to sew clothes I was particularly disdainful of seersucker (or what I called "tablecloth material"). Now though I'm looking forward to sewing with it. Perhaps I am more mature? I did manage to finish off my easy dress that I started on Xmas Eve. I bought some 6 dollar a metre material just to try it out. It turned out well and I made a tie out of the same fabric to wear with it instead of a belt as the pattern suggests. Here it is at various angles. (I really must get a full length mirror)

Then I ate lunch and slept for a solid two hours. It was fabulous and I woke up feeling much better. I even made a cup of coffee. And then I sewed some more. This is one of my standard tops that I had cut out last week. This was the third time I had tried the pattern and I have just about got it sorted out now.

I went for a walk in the late afternoon with my Mum. It was a bit hot still but not too bad. Now I just have to watch Doctor Who and that's Boxing Day. Tomorrow may be movies, sewing, reading, sleeping or some combination of these activities.

so that was Christmas

Christmas is done and dusted for another year. I got lots of lovely green gifts including a complete set of bathroom towels etc, a cute green purse, a green spotty mug, some green tea and new cushions for my lounge. Non green gifts included a scratchie ( I did not win anything), pins and a pincushion and these fabulous earrings.

Those of you who are aware of my penchant for silver filigree jewellery will understand my joy at receiving these from my grandmother. What she didn't know is that I chose and bought them myself and then gave them to my mother to give to her to give to me. My Dad was totally convinced by my delight at unwrapping the gift. I didn't win that Year 12 Theatre prize for nothing. We ate, we drank, we were relatively merry and then we all ran out of puff by about three o'clock. From then on it was napping. I got a headache so took some panadol and had a lie on the bed in the aircon. After my parents took my grandmother home we rallied a little, ate some leftovers (cold lamb and roast potatoes!) and then I further inducted my mother into the ways of the new iPad. I left her sitting in the lounge with a look of glee as she made her way through the levels of Angry Birds. I should probably say something profound here about the meaning of Christmas and suchlike but I'm a little bit tired. I'll let John Lennon say it for me.

corporate polo shirt

I'm thinking it would be wonderful to have a Sunday where I mooched around the house in my pyjamas and do not much at all. Perhaps I would read a work of fiction or watch a film. Perhaps I would do some cooking or go outside into my much neglected garden. Perhaps I would have a little nap in the afternoon. I might even do some vacant staring out the window. It's been some time since I've had a Sunday like that.

Instead I'm going to quickly shower, put on my university-issued corporate polo shirt* and black pants (no denim as per the staff briefing document circulated last week) and front up to the campus open day looking helpful and welcoming. I will answer questions and fill out forms for an hour and half before leaving to drive into town and accompany a cello student for her exam. I shall play Haydn, Elgar and Piazolla. I may or may not still be wearing my aforementioned corporate polo shirt. Then it's off to buy some groceries, get a prescription filled, return home to organise the week ahead, complete my coursework for the week, feel guilty that I haven't yet started my assignment due at the end of the month, unpack the printer I bought yesterday and in a feat of technological genius manage to get it talking to two computers. I fear the last task will take the longest. And that, my friends will be the end of Sunday.

*there's also a corporate issue cap. I choose not to wear that.

one fell/foul/fowl swoop

It's been my favourite kind of Saturday and the kind of Saturday that I haven't had in a long long time. I slept in until 8. Got up just before 9 and managed to be showered and dressed in time for my dear mum to pick me up at 9:15. We nipped downtown for a morning coffee. I had a toasted sandwich for breakfast (cheese, tomato and avocado). We did a little bit of people watching and enjoyed the comfy lounge seats at the cafe. Then I came home via Officeworks where I picked up some archive boxes. With a great sense of satisfaction in one fell/foul/fowl swoop I plonked all of Term One's bits and pieces from study in a box and neatly stored it in the hall cupboard. Then it was time to start the washing (an ongoing project as I write), have a bowl of cereal for lunch and watch the end of The Lake House which I recorded last night. Yes I know it's a crap film. Yes, I've seen it before. Yes, I still can't understand the whole time difference between Keanu and Sandra or why the mailbox is magical but that didn't stop me recording the last half and watching it over my Just Right and muesli. I think I have a problem.

Then, and only then, it was nana nap time. Two and half hours later I woke up on the lounge to the sound of a very bad 1950s musical starring Janet Leigh and some other long forgotten Hollywood stars.  It certainly wasn't any Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire number but they did sing Manhattan which is one of my favourite tunes. And incidentally it is the name of Woody Allen film on ABC2 tonight after the second half of the doco of his life. Here it is in a very early version. Old Rodgers and Hart could certainly put together a tune.


Anyway, after that music interlude Saturday continued with some soup for a late snack. Now I am enjoying a green tea and posting this final #blogjune. I'm looking forward to a quiet night, perhaps with some @TunnFM for @KyliePC 's birthday playlist and a little bit more Haigh's dark chocolate. That my dear friends, is Saturday.

big scary spreadsheets

The Monday you get when you're having a Tuesday seemed like too, too many things this morning before I got to work. Imagine my delight to arrive at work and find more distance essays in my pigeon hole when I had thought I was done with them last Friday. Still, I ploughed on through them, two other later internal ones and then very kindly took three from my distance marker. His wife had a baby last Wednesday. He had been up since three am this morning. He looked a bit tired. Anyway, I am much more confident by the end of today that I will get the big, scary spreadsheet done by Friday. I was not at all confident about this when I arrived this morning.

So now it is forward ho into Moodle 2. After briefly playing in my migrated site this afternoon I have discovered that I can't find the help feature, I can't find the discussion forums, the assessment block doesn't yet seem to be "editable", and the groupings I had set up don't seem to have migrated over. Tomorrow I shall be calling the helpdesk. And yes, before they ask, I did attend the training but given that was back in the middle of April, forgive me if I haven't committed it to memory in time for June.

That was all  a bit whiney wasn't it?
I'll be happier tomorrow because my two bestest ever colleagues are coming to the campus for two days of excellence!

here I sit in my jim jams

Way back in February I requested that I work from home every Friday. Yes, wonderful, that's fine Wendy. It's now the end of Week 11 of the term and I am having my first Friday working from home. The term has been hectic to say the least and there always seemed to be something that I had to go into campus for. Never mind. Here I sit in my jim jams, drinking my lovely cup of green vanilla tea and deciding what to do first. The birds are singing outside and it's a perfect autumn day here in Bundaberg. Blue skies, light breeze. You get the picture. So what will it be? Written case outlining why preparatory students should still have access to hard copy study material in 2013 rather than having only online access? Last lot of Moodle resources created and uploaded for the term? Third assignment for management unit? All of the above is what I'm hoping for. In between times I might do some washing and general household duties which are sorely neglected by this time of the week. Then this afternoon I shall go out to accompany a double bass student for their music exam. And that, my friends, will be Friday.

Easter to dos

For some people, some very good and organised people, Easter is spending time with family, going camping, relaxing, eating lots chocolate etc etc you get the picture. For me this year, it's four days that I have been holding out for in the hope of getting a heap of things done that haven't fitted into the run of the mill two day weekend. Here is my list.
1. Finish assignment for Collections Management - due Friday - done
2. Start assignment for Management Issues - not done
3. Edit paper on Chris Lilley and change referencing from intext to endnotes - not done
4. Prepare Moodle video resources for Weeks 7, 8 ad 9 - not done
5. Finish performance review docs - not done
6. Dust the house - not done
7. Do all the washing, and then put all the washing away - not done
8. Vacuum and/or sweep the floors REALLY thoroughly - not done
9. Tidy up mountain of shoes in wardrobe - not done
10. Buy sister's birthday present for tomorrow - done
11. Nap - done some, more planned
12. Read - done some, more planned
13. Watch TV - done some, more planned
14. Eat chocolate - not done yet, planned

it's all happening here

Today is my last official day of holidays. Cue sad face. It's back to work on Monday. I really don't know how I am going to manage to get out of bed before 8am and be at work on time. The first week might be a bit of a wrench I'm guessing. Still, it's been wonderful to have an extended break. I truly feel more relaxed than I have done in months. I've read lots of non-work type books. I've watched lots of TV. I've been to the movies. I've drunk coffees. I have napped in the afternoons. I went to Tasmania. Some days...I didn't even think about work at all. Amazing right? So, I know you're desperate to find out how I shall spend my last official day of holidays. Well, this morning I shall do some work on my LIS project. Then I shall luncheon, chat with my project supervisor, perhaps nap, watch some tennis, read some more of The Secret Garden and pretend that it isn't the last official day of my holidays. Yep, it's all happening here at Wendy's place.

what I did on my holidays

I had a beautiful holiday in Tasmania and it was sad to come home last Friday evening to stinky, hot Queensland. We had one hot day in Tassie where the forecast was 33 degrees. The locals were talking of nothing else but the weather. We Queenslanders felt a little like Mick Dundee, "Call that hot, THIS (humid and 35 degrees) is HOT". Not to say it wasn't warm, but it was dry and there was a breeze blowing all day. We ate dinner next to the beach at Randalls Bay near Cygnet. Some brave souls swam. I contented myself with paddling in the icy water which was plenty cool enough for me. By bedtime it was storming and colder. So you know, swings and roundabouts type weather. That's the boring weather talk over. My Mum and I left Bundaberg on the baby Qantas plane and changed in Brisbane for a direct flight to Hobart. We had to get up Very Early which meant by the time we arrived and added daylight saving it seemed like we had been up since 4:30am. This didn't stop us having a lovely lunch at the IXL building on the waterfront in Hobart. Then we went to the movies and saw the Women on the 6th Floor. This was a very nice film. What was even better were the leather lounges in the small downstairs cinema at the State Theatre. I may have dozed off at a couple of points. They were so comfy. Then it was "home" to Cygnet where we spent the next day planning our Thelma, Louise and friend road trip to the north. Unlike Thelma and Louise we did not commit any crimes or drive off a cliff to freedom from patriarchy. Instead, we stayed at a world heritage convict settlement farm stay at Brickenden outside Longford. Then we went to the Sunday morning markets at Evandale which are Excellent! I found some very cheap Carltonware to add to my little collection. There were also homemade scones and jam. Then it was off to Latrobe via Westbury and Deloraine. We visited Reliquaire..an astonishing shop which, if you have a phobia of dolls coming to life, should perhaps be avoided. They are everywhere. Dinner in Deloraine was a beautiful vegetarian pizza made from flour from the mill at Oatlands which we had toured on the way up the Midlands highway. The next day we drove down the Great Lake Road (I don't think that's its official name but it follows the Great Lake) and enjoyed the alpinesque scenery and brisk air before descending once more to Hobart and then home. Wednesday saw a visit to MONA which was both excellent and fascinating (and deserving of its own blog post elsewhere), a little bit of shopping and then back to the State Theatre for Hugo in 3D. What a stunningly beautiful film about film history. I lurved it and definitely agree with Margaret and David. Five stars all round. By then it was Thursday. We went for a little drive over to Franklin, at lunch in Huonville, bought some Valhalla caramel fudge ice-cream for our dessert and went home for final dinner. The next morning we trekked to Hobart with much heavier bags than when we arrived, had brunch at Jackman and McRoss, bought some home made chocolates, made sure the kilo of fresh blueberries were safely packed in my carry on luggage and hopped on the plane. We were sad to leave our wonderful friends. Here are some random photos.

(excuse my hair and weird expression...)

He got rhythm

Ah the first Wednesday of 2012. How exciting! Well not that exciting actually but I had to start this post somehow. What's Wendy been doing I hear you wondering? Not very flipping much to be truthful. I have been doing bits and pieces on my assignment. Although part of me is wishing I hadn't taken a summer subject I know that in the long run I will be very glad to have it completed. Apart from that there has been a fair amount of sleeping and reading. Of course there has been TV watching but that's no different to any other time of the year. I am very happy that ABC2 is rerunning Doctor Who from the beginning of the Christopher Eccleston series. The story lines were a lot less complicated back in 2005 weren't they? I mean, honestly, I could barely follow all the time-travellin' hijinks in the last series. Also watching Billie Piper emphasises just what an ordinary companion the Amy Pond character is compared to the previous gals - Rose, Martha, Donna. I am not sad to hear that she is leaving. I actually prefer Rory. How about a cool male companion for the Doctor? Any enough of that Doctor Who talk. What else have I been a'watching? On the weekend I found I had recorded An American in Paris so I watched that. Firstly, Gene Kelly is an astonishing and amazing dancer. Sure, he did like to get carried away with dream/fantasy dance sequences but that's forgivable. The music of Gershwin is timeless and one of my absolute favourite things in the whole world. I had missed the dry genius of Oscar Levant the first time I watched this movie (which was some years ago now). Here's a little treat for you: http://youtu.be/LvglHa_P9BA - you'll have to go to youtube I'm afraid as "embedding is disabled by request". Here's another absolute treat though! Such joy!

I resolve to........

eat healthy food in appropriate portions (except on special occasions or when I feel like a treat), exercise as regularly as I can, resume daily meditation, find and use alternatives to swear words except in extreme circumstances when trooper-style swearing is called for, reign in what might be perceived as an overuse of smiley faces and exclamations in all tweets, emails, blog comments etc, say yes when previously I might have said no, treasure my friends and family, blog more regularly than I did in 2011 (seriously poor effort!...oops), ask myself "What would Liz Lemon do?" if in a pickle of any kind (also substitute Kim Deal, Miranda Hart, Dawn French, Karen O, Princess Mary or other famous person as appropriate to aforementioned pickle), find out what quinoa is and perhaps eat/cook it, continue to listen to more new music...especially music with banjos, accordions, ukuleles, string basses etc, tidy my desk regularly (ha...notice I didn't say HOW regularly), recycle more diligently, procrastinate less, stop eating dinner in front of the television at least once a week, ignore or change any of these resolutions at will. Goodbye 2011.

Would you like some potato salad with that?

Gosh it seems like just a couple of days since Christmas. The years really do go quickly as you get older.....Wait a minute! Yes, that's right....It's second Christmas today for me. This time with my aunty, uncle and cousin (and grandmother again). We did the hot food thing on Christmas day so today is salad, salad and more salad. Not that we haven't already been eating a lot of salad at other meals apart from Christmas lunch. I made a potato salad on Christmas Eve. We managed to "finish" it last night. And by finish I mean we looked at what was left and decided to throw it away because nobody could stand another mouthful. I did suggest a potato salad eating competition a la The Vicar of Dibley brussel sprout situation in the old Christmas special but no-one was up for it. Lucky for us that my mother has made a whole new one for today's lunch isn't it? Mmmmmm.