Nice to see you!

Three major events occurred for me last year (2010), all in the space of about 2 weeks. I turned 50. The following day I got married. Two weeks later, my oldest daughter became pregnant with her first child and my first grandchild.

Most middle-aged people will tell you that in their minds, they still feel 20 something. It's the same for me.

Wasn't it only yesterday that I was planning a night out with guys from the surf club? That gorgeous new perm. Flaired, cuffed denims and the red t-shirt with the off-the-shoulder frill. Corked platform wedgies. **sigh**

Suddenly I'm looking in the mirror and wondering how 30 years can flash by so damned quickly!

So here I am in cyberspace, sharing my genuine shock and horror with anyone who'll listen and maybe I'll even meet some other over 50s who find themselves in the same predicament!

Welcome to my dilemna!!

Saturday, January 31, 2015

Ya Win Some ...

... ya lose some.

What a big day of competition!

While I studied today, Adoring Husband planted himself on the recliner chair in the lounge room and watched the NRL Auckland Nines all day. Luckily for him, his team (Cronulla Sharks) did very well (for a change), so he was a happy man. The competition continues tomorrow.

Next was the Women's final of the Australian Open Tennis Championships. Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova in two sets.

Australia defeated South Korea 2-1 in the final of the Asian Cup.

The Queensland elections were held today and Kate Jones won the seat of Ashgrove from Campbell Newman (who was Queensland Premier until tonight) and it looks like Labor with Anastasia Palaszczuk leading them, is now in power .. although there are some close seats yet to have a result .. so the result is touch and go.

I still haven't finished my Chemistry essay. I'm struggling a bit with the last part of it and I had to make my apologies to the party that I was going to attend this afternoon and spent the two hours trying to make sense of some information that I needed to add to my essay. Tomorrow, I am attending a seminar in The Bay, so I will be filling Monday with intense study hoping, once again, to finally finish this horrible thing!

There is still so much more to learn before 6th March when I have two exams due! Argh! & Ugh!

I'm really looking forward to the seminar tomorrow and now Woman Of Many Talents is coming too!

I'll tell you all about it tomorrow :)



Nite all.



  

Friday, January 30, 2015

I'm Over It!

My caffeine withdrawals are gone!

I'm over it!

Yay!

Today was a GOOD day and I got plenty of study done and plenty of cooking done. I made chicken and coriander meatballs with avocado and mango salsa for lunch.

For dinner, I put some lamb shanks in the slow cooker with sweet potato, onions, mushrooms, tomato and heaps of garlic. I used my chicken stock for the base and added some of my spicy sriracha sauce, pink salt and cracked pepper.

It was ready when I returned home from the club and I served it with green beans. It was delicious!

Thank goodness I checked Facebook tonight, because I was reminded of an event that I'm attending on Sunday, which I had forgotten all about!  It's called 'Get a Fresh Start' and is being held at "The Sticky Fig Gallery Cafe" in The Bay.


Here is the link to more information and where you can either buy a ticket to attend OR contact the cafe to find out more.

I'm looking forward to attending this and I think that I will learn a lot!

This means that I have to do some very intense study tomorrow and hopefully finish my essay - before 2pm because I have to attend a day time party.

My caffeine withdrawals have put me a bit further behind than I wanted - especially because I'm going away next Sunday for a week, and I have a lot to get done between now and then!

Time to dig my old friend 'time management' out of the archives.

Nite all.

 

Thursday, January 29, 2015

There is Light!

Day 4 without coffee.

I see a light at the end of the tunnel! After 3 1/2 days with a constant headache, I finally relented and took a panadol just before lunch today.

Thankfully, the headache has not returned. I did require a power nap this afternoon for just 20 minutes, but I felt so much better upon waking.

I expect tomorrow to be a good day! Back to normal :)

Today, Adoring Husband and I took Ruby (psychotic dog number 2) to a different vet about her digestive issues. The vet (Ingrid) was a young woman in her thirties who was more than happy to spend as much time as necessary listening to our story, examining Ruby, making her suggestions, answering my questions and spent more than 30 minutes with us.

We were charged just $50 for the visit. She wrote out the name of a solution that we needed to buy from the chemist (because she didn't have any in the surgery to give us). That solution only cost $9. I don't think we've ever left the other vet in The Bay for less than $145 and the different vets that we saw never spent more than 15 minutes with us. I was never satisfied with the service.

So we now have a new vet for our psychotic dogs. Yay!

Now I'm watching one of my favourite movies "It Could Happen to You" with Nicolas Cage and Bridget Fonda. I can't believe it's been 21 years since it was released! Some things really have a way of making a person feel old!

So I shall love you and leave you for now.

Nite all.




Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Woe is Me!

Day 3 without coffee.

GROOOOOAAAANNNNN ...

Here are the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal (I have the ones with the ticks):

  • Headaches ✓
  • Joint pain ✓
  • Brain fog ✓
  • Nausea ✓
  • Negative mood ✓
  • Insomnia ✓
  • Lethargy ✓
  • Constipation
  • Sleepiness
  • Flu-like symptoms
  • Vomiting
These symptoms can last from 2 - 5 days.

To prevent caffeine withdrawal (apparently) you should reduce your caffeine intake by 10% every week or two. If I had taken that road, my 10 week Paleo Way program would have been over by the time I finally quit coffee!

Anyway, I know that it will be over soon and I will feel better for it.

The other thing that has caused me no end of pain ... the supposedly gentle exercises!

I have muscles where I forgot there were muscles! Rolling over in bed now, is even more difficult that when I was 9 months pregnant! Oh the pain! It hurts to cough. It hurts to sneeze. It hurts to get up out of my chair.

The exercises really are gentle, but they work muscles that have been lying dormant for quite a few years. I hope this means that I will be looking toned and trim by the end of the ten weeks!

Anyway, this evening, my head is feeling a little clearer, so HOPEFULLY, tomorrow will be the day to get back on the study treadmill!!

Nite all.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Suffer it out.

(Midday) Day 2 without coffee .. ugh!

Last year, I lived for 7 months without coffee. Then, slowly, I worked my up from one coffee a week to 4 coffees each week to 7 coffees per week, until eventually I was drinking 2-3 coffees each day!

I am suffering from withdrawals today. Very similar to nicotine withdrawals with my throat feeling tight, headaches, tension in my neck and really struggling to focus on anything for long periods, which really sucks for my studying!

I'm hoping that this won't last for more than a couple of days because I was getting into a nice routine at my desk.

I even had to go lie on the bed about mid morning for about half an hour.

Perhaps I should just spend the day watching some more episodes of Ally McBeal while the caffeine is released from system.

I'm drinking lots of water, which is great because it's another very hot day (in a very long line of hot humid days), enjoying the air conditioner and feeling so sorry for those who don't have that luxury. There must be so many elderly people out there who are struggling with this weather!

(10pm) The day has been a struggle with my caffeine withdrawals. I couldn't focus on my studies at all, so I gave up and watched the tennis in between cooking meals.

Breakfast - Bacon, eggs, tomato and avocado.
Lunch - Home made chicken soup.
Dinner - Chicken breast crumbed with crushed almonds and Slaw in home made aioli chervil dressing.

I hope that after a good night's sleep, my symptoms will have eased considerably and I can get back into my normal routine.

If I want a good night's sleep, I should end here and make my way into the bedroom.

Nite all.


Monday, January 26, 2015

House and Home

Most people we know have immaculate houses. Everything is clean and tidy. Their windows are sparkling clean. There is no dust on any surface. The bathrooms are shiny and fresh. Their outdoor areas are like an extra room attached to the house, and is also immaculate with lush healthy plants thriving.

These are the people who can welcome friends into their homes any time of the day and night at short notice, knowing that they have nothing to be embarrassed about.

What a nice feeling that must be.

Any of my friends who are reading this blog post .. please don't come to our house for an unexpected visit because I've been looking around our house at all the work that need to be done and all I can say is 'O-M-G'.

I began studying a year ago in February and that's about how long the house has been neglected. Living life, visiting family, caring duties, SES duties, studying .. it all takes priority over housework, for both of us, so only the very basics get done when necessary.

If anybody turned up unexpectedly on our doorstep, looking for a place to stay, we would have to set up our camper van in the back yard because all three of our spare bedrooms, two with double beds and one with two single beds are such a mess, that there is no room to sleep.

One of those bedrooms is our junk room .. you know, the room where you throw stuff to get it out of the way when you're having visitors, or if your brain just can't think where else to store it. The bed is covered with empty packaging, rolls of christmas paper, photos, magazines, cushions, clocks, stuffed toys, handbags, computer keyboard, old dvd player, clothes to give away etc etc. On the floor are numerous sporting memorabilia, pool cues, suitcases, mirrors, floor rugs and television sets.

Another of our rooms is part office, part spare bedroom and the double bed is completely covered with paperwork waiting to be filed, letters, bills, folders full of documents, magazines, shoeboxes, cords for every piece of technology known to mankind, books, an old printer and other assorted paraphernalia.

The third bedroom has two single beds in it and one of them is covered in SES 'stuff' and the other is covered in clothes that require ironing. Between the beds is where the ironing board is set up and the only other spare space on the floor has a large clothes horse upright, also in regular use.

Our windows need cleaning.

I have half a dozen pairs of thongs (flip flops) scattered through the house, inside and out. Adoring Husband has his shoes, SES boots and orange SES gear floating about as well.

There are old towels covering one of our lounge chairs so that the dogs have somewhere to feel safe during the storms.

The dining table is covered with Christmas presents waiting to be sent (I didn't forget - it's part of a Christmas deal that I made with my sister), birthday presents yet to be sent, gifts for Chicklet, Adoring Husbands mail and a camera.

There is an SES cap hanging over a chair, a ream of printer paper on the floor beside the printer, all of my kitchen gadgets that I use regularly positioned on the kitchen bench because it's too difficult getting them in and out of their storage spots. Also taking space on the bench is a large vessel of brewing kombucha and the bottles in which it will be stored when it's ready.

Our bathrooms need scrubbing.

My desk is completely covered in text books, notebooks, pens, highlighters, printouts, earphones, sticky notes, scissors etc etc and it desperately needs cleaning off and dusting.

The boxed Christmas decorations are still piled at the back door waiting to be returned to the shed.

The laundry looks like a bomb hit it .. and that's even with the washing up-to-date!

It's exhausting just thinking about it!

I think we need to hire a team of professional commercial cleaners to come right through the house. I reckon a team of a dozen men and women could do it all in a day!!

So that's my whinge for the day. I am overwhelmed by the enormity of the chores on my 'to do' list, but they are all on the bottom of our priority list and I can't see any headway being made in the near future.

Ugh.

On a brighter note!  Today was Australia Day!  I spent most of the day studying, but I did have an hour down by the river where Adoring Husband and some of our friends set up the gazebo and they had a full day enjoying the weather, the river and the happy atmosphere with the large crowd at the park.

This one was not our spot (we were closer to the river in a prime position) but this was a pretty good spot to be too with the tall trees providing good shade.


The local outriggers club were racing on the river from early in the morning.


This was our prime position before everybody arrived.


I had already taken the weekend off from studying, so I couldn't afford the luxury of another day off. I don't feel like I missed out on anything though.

I'm happy to announce that I did my exercises on the program this morning. They were not as easy as they looked!! I also forgot to do the stretches and warm ups first .. so that may have hindered my progress a little. I must remember to do them tomorrow!

I also thought often of the coffee that I couldn't have this morning lol.

Now it's time for bed.

Nite all.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

I'm Doing It!!

Ok I've made the decision to participate in the 10 week Paleo Way Program.

Ten weeks is a short amount of time to commit to a program that I figure will only do good things for my fitness and health.

The program provides daily menus, recipes that you can switch up and shopping lists for the week after you've selected your preferred meals.

There is a section on fitness that you can manage at your own pace that includes circuits, tabata, incidental cardio and strength and spinning. The mentor for this part of the program is Luke Hines. He was a finalist on MKR and is a Fitness and Personal Trainer in Bondi, is author of the book 'Clean Living' and is a presenter on Weekend Sunrise. He has a number of qualifications including Master Trainer (AIF), FISAF International Trainer and Les Mills Body Combat Instructor.

The exercises for the first week look pretty manageable (even for me). He provides short videos to show how to do each exercise. It's a 30 minute workout that includes stretching, warm ups and things like squats, thrusts and jogging on the spot.

Another section of the program is Life Coaching with Trevor Hendy. In his past life, he has won several World and Australian Ironman Championships and is now a Wholistic Personal Trainer and Life Coach as well as running Corporate Team Building sessions and seminars. He focuses on positive reinforcement and helping people create positive change in their lives.

There is a Naturopath and Nutritionist, Helen Padarin, who can help monitor people with chronic health conditions and is available in her office or for phone or skype interviews. She has six qualifications including Bachelor of Science (Naturopathy) and Diploma of Nutrition.

Then, and this one is my favourite, we have Nora Gedgaudus, who wrote (among others) 'Primal Body, Primal Mind'. She is a Board-Certified Nutritional Consultant and a Board-Certified Clinical Neurofeedback Specialist (neurofeedback is about improving brain function and deals with conditions such as anxiety, depression, behaviour disorders, sleep disorders, seizures, autism and cerebral palsy).

Nora has all the information about the food we eat, how it has changed over the generations, why it is affecting our health now, what our bodies need to thrive and why chronic disease is so prevalent now, including autoimmune diseases, heart disease and cancer.

This program is not just about changing the way we eat and getting active. It is an ongoing education about how our bodies work, how we can use food more efficiently to improve our health, working on our minds, relaxation techniques, what to expect from our body during such a massive (for some) change and monitoring all the participants to see how the changes improve their health and well being.

I'm both excited and hesitant about doing this because it means giving up my morning coffee (for at least the next 10 weeks anyway) and no alcohol for the same period, but the exercise part will be the most interesting! Riding my trike and walking along the beach are my forte and even though the exercise program looks pretty manageable, it's still out of my comfort zone .. but I guess when you compare my situation to most of the other people participating, the changes I have to make, are pretty minimal in comparison.

My pantry and fridge are already full of the ingredients that I need, so the initial expense for me is much lower than for most others. The only things I have to give up are coffee, alcohol, potatoes and rice, where most others will be removing gluten, sugar, coffee, alcohol, carbs and processed foods .. so the road ahead for them will be much tougher, but no doubt they will notice much bigger changes in their body and their health than I will.

There are few things that I want out of this program. One, is a reasonable level of fitness. I haven't worked on my fitness for a few years, and I was once VERY fit and strong. I know, at my age, that I won't ever be at that level again, but I would like to improve that aspect of my life.

The second is that I'm having annoying issues with my hormones and I'm certainly hoping that the changes that I make will improve my health in that area. I've read a lot of stories from women who have seen huge improvements in their hormonal health from making these changes.

Thirdly, I'd like to lose about 5 kgs and then maintain that loss. I feel that the hormone imbalance is making me retain fluid, so once I get that sorted, the weight will change. A 5 kg loss will put me at my comfortable weight.

Lastly, I hope to gain knowledge that will help me with my studies. With so much information about health and nutrition, it should go a long way towards some of the required knowledge in the course. In fact, today is the first day of the program and I've already learnt something that will contribute to my essay assignment.

So, that's the deal.

Now that I've put it out into the universe, I've officially committed myself to the program and now you will hold me accountable and I will keep you up to date with my progress.

It's only 10 weeks. How hard can it be?

May the Force Be With Me!

Nite all.

PS We had a bit of a storm tonight ...