Sunday, February 28, 2010

Randomness

I found the best chocolate bars in Coles the other day.  There were several varieties but these ones jumped out at me.  If you can't read the packs, click on the photos and they will enlarge.  I thought they were great - and the chocolate is pretty good too!




This weekend we went and bought a Soda Stream.  I spend an absolute fortune on fizzy drinks - specifically Diet Coke and Pepsi Max.  They are absolutely terrible for me, but I have never had any luck removing them from my diet.  I go okay with substituting the caffeine for tea, but I think I am also addicted to the bubbles.  And I really don't like Soda Water. 

It was cheaper than I expected.  We got the Soda Stream Unit that came with 2 bottles and the CO2 cartridge, as well as a couple of extra bottles and some flavours.  Ross got Creamy Soda and Cola, and I got sugar free Cola, and sugar free Rasberry & Cranberry.  They are all delicious. And I haven't missed my Pepsi Max at all yet!




I also made another recipe on the weekend.  Snow Pea & Couscous Salad with Feta and Mint Pesto.


This was one of the recipes that was demonstrated at our cooking class on Monday night.  It turned out really well.  I have never made Couscous before, and I have never made pesto before, but they both turned out really well and tasted great.  I took it to a pot luck dinner last night along with my Mushroom Risotto, and they all went down really well.

xox

Friday, February 26, 2010

Back in the Kitchen!

Last night our good friend Megan came over for dinner and we tried out one of the recipes from the cooking class.  It was the Roast Vegetable Fritatta.  We changed it a tiny bit to put our own spin on it, but it truly was delicious.



The veggies we used were roast potato, roast sweet potato, roast capsicum and baby spinch.  Threw in some fresh basil and Yummmmmmmoooooo!  I'll get the recipe up over the weekend.  Megan brought devine pineapple mousse for dessert that she is going to give me the recipe for as well.  I love good food.

We had an awesome night.  Although it was late.  We were chatting away, I looked up at one point and the clock read 22:45.  Holy Crap!  I had no idea it was that late - and on a school night too!  LOL  But worth it.

xox

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Cooking Class

Last night Ross & I had our first cooking class.  It is a 4 week class through the loacal WEA called International Gourmet Vegetarian.  The instructor is a lady called Natalie Playford who has this amazing wealth of knowledge of all things vegetarian and all things cooking.  The first class was just a demonstration of various dishes and cooking techniques, with a bucket load of information thrown into the mix.  The food was absolutely devine.  Things I would never in a million years have thought of cooking on my own I was eating and can not wait to try the recipes.

The first thing she made was a Gnocchi Alla Romana.  Now I hate Gnocchi.  To me, potato and pasta should never be combined in any way shape or form.  However this Gnocchi -not a potato in sight.  It was so delicious.  Easy to cook, although a little time consuming, but if I am cooking for friends I am more than happy to spend a day in the kitchen.  I can't wait to make it myself.

Then she made Chai Marsala.  I was a little confused when I saw this on the list - how hard is it to make Chai?  But she made it from scratch, with real fresh spices straight out of their pods.  And Oh - My - God....  I don't think I'll ever be able to have chai from a tea bag again...

Next up, roasted vegetable frittata.  I actually thought this was going to be really heavy because the main veg were potato and sweet potato.  But it ended up really light, although I would imagine quite filling.  Megan, if you are reading this, I'll be trying this on Thursday night.  :o)

Last of all a Pea & Couscous salad.  I'll be honest, I had no intention of trying this.  But now I am planning on taking it for my salad for Saturday nights pot luck dinner with my work mates.  Sensational!

The best thing I think we are going to get from this course is trying different flavour combinations.  Natalie uses a lot of herbs and spices in her cooking, the same as us, so I can't wait to learn more.  Next week we make 3 recipes.  Ross & I are going to make them together since that is how we cook at home.  We are doing sushi, indian spiced beans then we get a choice of a tofu recipe or an antipasto recipe.  Since we cook with tofu all the time we are going to try a couple of the antipasto recipes, including home made hommus.  And next week I will have photos.  I can not wait!

The other thing that came out of this class is that Ross is seriously considering becoming vegetarian as well.  He only eats meat about twice a week as it is, and red meat now leaves him feeling quite lethargic.  I am not going to push, but if he joins me as a vego I think that will be awesome!

xox

PS - We have already signed up for Natalies next class in May which is Gournet Vegetarian.  4 more weeks of more of her amazing recipes.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Struggling

Today is one of those days where I just want to chuck it all in and eat a hamburger with fries washed down with a thick shake. I am sore from yesterdays run. I am tired from a full on weekend. I am bored at work. And I have the beginnings of a cold – headache, sore throat, funny tummy, slight temp – thanks to my lovely sharing husband who has had said cold for several days now.

So here is the thing. How do I get through? So far I have managed to do okay. Lunch and dinner are planned. Healthy snacks abound. I am not hungry. But I just ‘feel’ like eating. And I feel like eating crap.

These are the days when I blow a week of good work in one day. And I don’t want to do that this time. But 25 years of bad habits and giving in when I feel like this are hard to fight. ESPECIALLY when I feel like this… It’s like I am stuck in some sort of vicious circle and I don’t know how to stop it.

Sorry for the depressing blog, but I figured if I write it out it may give me the oomph I need to fight this and have a good day.

xox

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Weekend Recap

My weekend has been  busier than intended, and I really could do with another few days to recover.  But it was also pretty good so I shouldn't complain.

It started with our standard Saturday morning fare of eggs and soy 'bacon' rashers.


I love this breakfast.  It is so yummy and low cal and it feels decadent.  Then Saturday was spent out and about.  We had to help Ross's Grandad (who is 92 years old and still lives alone) with a few things, that turned into major dramas when he lost his only set of house and car keys.  Thankfully they were eventually found but it added a few extra hours to our running around.

In the morning I picked up some new Tupperware, and in my pack was my new steamer.  I have been waiting for this. 



Although I got it primarily for vegies, I decided to test it out on some Vegetarian Spring Rolls I got from the market on Friday night.




They were delicious.  Perfectly done.  And the steamer was SO easy to clean.  I love it.  And I will use it for veggies next. 

Today was my nephews 5th birthday party.  It was at a gorgeous park on the eastern side of Adelaide.  Ross & I were planning on riding there, but he has picked up a summer cold and can hardly breathe, so I went alone.  I decided to drive there and go for a walk around the lake before everyone got there.  My legs have been quite sore so I was planning on walking only.  Once I started walking though, my legs loosened up and I decided to give it a go.  I was a bit nervous as I was on a paved path and there were slight hills. 

The first run I did went for 2.5 minutes.  I was REALLY impressed with that.  It is equal to my best ever run and I am really only just getting back to it.  When I was walking again I noticed that there were markers every 200 metres.  So the next run I decided to see how long the 200m took me.  At 1 minute 40 seconds I hit the 200 metres.  I kept going and decided to aim for 400 metres.  At around the 300 metre mark my legs were screaming and my lungs were screaming and all I could think was where the F%^& is theat next marker?!?!?  LOL 

But I did it.  I got to 400 metres.  It took me 3 minutes and 25 seconds.  That is my absolute longest run ever!  I know it is not very far or very long, but for me this was a MASSIVE achievement, and I am SO incredibly proud of myself.  I am actually starting to believe that I might be able to do the Mothers Day Classic, then after that, who knows?  I feel great!

Daily Goals for Monday
1)  Drink my water
2)  Stick to my eating plan
3)  Get up early and do 30 minutes of exercise
4)  Don't try too many foods at my cooking class
5)  Organise one drawer at work (they are a mess and I only have time to do one a day)
xox

Saturday, February 20, 2010

100th Post!

It has only taken three and a half month to make it to 100 posts!  YAY!  Thank you to everyone for their support.

Just a quick one today.  I didn't quite meet my goals yesterday.  I didn't ride to drop of the Guide keys, because I didn't go to drop off the Guide Keys.  Ross has picked up some more temp work so I decided to take him out to dinner to celebrate.  We went to the Markets (fancy, I know) and stopped out our favourite vego place.  Ross ran into an old friend there which was cool.  We picked up the veggies for tonights dinner then rode home.  It was a great night.

I have been going really well with my food and exercise this week.  I feel a lot more focussed.  There has been a blip in there, but nothing too bad.  I really want to start shifting this weight again so hopefully I can stick with it this time.

I have decided on weekends to just set 5 goals for the whole weekend, so here goes.

Daily Goals
1)  Stick to my eating plan
2)  Drink my water
3)  Do some housework - I don't care what, I just need to do some
4)  Exercise.  May need to be indoors due to the heat, but I want to do something each day
5)  Knit another square

My daily goals don't seem to have a huge amount of variety at the moment.  But right now these are the things I need to be doing, so they are the goals.

Have a great weekend everyone!

xox

Friday, February 19, 2010

Running and Goal Setting

Can I just start by saying that although it has only been 2 days, I am LOVING setting these 5 goals for myself each day.  Thanks Jess.  I am actually doing things I would normally blow off (hence the hugely backed up pile of laundry) and at the end of the day I am really feeling as though I have accomplished something.  I like that feeling.

So on to last nights walk.  I was tired come 5pm and couldn't really be bothered, but I had actually planned ahead and brought my sneakers to work with me.  I knew if I went home first that would be the end of me.  Plus if I walk from here I can go to the footy oval and spend my half hour perving at the lovely footy men training.  LOL.

Off I went.  I get to the oval.  No footy men.  :o(  Oh well, I was there.  I was actually walking at a pretty decent pace (for me) so that was good.  I headed out with no intention of running since it has been so long but after a while I decided to try for 30 seconds.  I ended up doing 2 x 90 second runs.  I am getting about 200m in those 90 seconds so it is not painfully slow, which is good.  I felt good after, but it was interesting that it was my lungs that couldn't cope before my legs.  Which means lots more riding to build up that cardio fitness.

This morning on my ride to work, I actually felt strong for the first time in who knows how long.  The ride was easy.  My legs felt strong and in control.  I sat tall rather than hunched over.  I like this feeling.  I want more of this feeling.  And I know the only way to get there is to keep working damn hard, to drink my water, to eat healthy whole foods, and to remain focussed.  Mothers Day Classic 4km run- here I come!

Daily Goals
1)  Drink my water
2)  Stick to my eating plan
3)  Ride to drop off the Guide Hall keys instead of drive
4)  Tidy up the living room
5)  More knitting

xox

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Back on the Bike

Last night I went for my first decent ride in quite a while.  I rode from work to my friends house - 7.5kms, then from there to home - 8.5kms.  Not a huge ride, but considering how slack I have been a good ride nonetheless.

The ride there was awesome.  For anyone who doesn't know Adelaide, it is on a very very slight slope from East to West, down towards the sea.  You don't notice in in a car, but once you get on a bike, you can tell it's there.  Especially when the winds are working against you.  So the ride there was heading west with a beautiful tail wind.  I got up to 42kmph going down a bridge which was SO much fun!

The ride home, not so much fun.  Slight up slope and a head wind.  The head wind through the city was so severe that at one point, on a relatively flat road where I would normally sit comfortably on 25kmph, I was struggling to stay at 13kmph.  It was TOUGH.  But I did it without getting off to walk so I am happy with that! 

This morning I am sore.  So tonight I will go for a walk to try and work out the stiffness.  It was awesome fun though and I can't wait to get out there for another good ride on the weekend.

Yesterday I completed all my daily goals which left me feeling quite proud, so let's go for another day.

Todays Goals
1)  Stick to my eating plan
2)  Drink my water
3)  Go for a walk after work
4)  More laundry - sigh...
5)  Knit half a square

xox

EDIT:  I just registered for the Adelaide 2010 Earth Ride around the city.  We have had to withdraw our Relay Team due to low numbers which now means I can do this ride!  Am very excited.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Calorie King

I have just found out that the site I have been using for free for over 2 years to track my calories is about to become a paid site.  I have made some amazing friends and gained valuable support from these amazing people, but I will not be paying for it.

I am really sad...

xox

5 Daily Goals

Every day Jess over at That's Just How I Roll puts up 5 goals for herself for the day.  I think this is an awesome idea so I am going to start.  I will start small because I am still easing back into things this week, but hopefully these goals will get more challenging soon.

My 5 goals for today
1)  Stick to my eating plan
2)  Drink my water
3)  Ride instead of drive to my friends house tonight

ummm....  ok this is harder than it looks....

4)  Get caught up at work
5)  Do a load of laundry (am really behind) :)

That's me for today.  Let's see how I go.

xox

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Water Theory

A few days ago Deb over at Actions, not motivation! wrote a really interesting blog entry on Hunger. It had had me thinking.

I have always had issues with hunger. I go through periods (binge periods generally) where I can’t even remember what hunger feels like. Then I will also go through periods where it doesn’t seem to matter what I eat, I feel hungry. Really Stomach growling hungry. The kind where you feel like you’re going to be sick if you don’t eat NOW!

But am I truly this hungry? Or am I just thirsty? I do not drink enough water most of the time. I drink a lot of caffeinated beverages. Maybe growling tummy is actually asking for some fluid????

I am going to trail my water theory. The theory that I am not actually hungry, I am thirsty. So far today it seems to be going well. It has also made me drink a litre of water already, which is a good thing.

I’ll let you know how it goes.

xox

Monday, February 15, 2010

I Did It!

I have put the entry form in and I am now an official entrant in the 2010 Mothers Day Classic 4km run!


Ross is going to run with me.  I am excited but scared.  I have less than 3 months to learn to run. EEEEEKKKK!

Yesterday was a fantastic Valentines Day.  We went to one of our favourite restaurants for lunch.  They had red roses on all the tables which was lovely.


I had the spinach lasagna.


It was so huge and so yummy.  From there we headed over to Bracegirdles for some Valentine's Day chocolate dessert.  I had a Chocolate Mud Chocolate Bomb.


The little pot next to it is warm melted Belgian Chocolate.  Ross drizzled his over the ice cream, I dipped each spoonful of ice cream into the chocolate pot.  It started to set straight away and was chewy and devine...  Oh so decadent....

Ross had the same but his was Baileys and Scorched Almond ice cream.



We then spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing and talking about our plans for the future.  We are really excited about moving forward.  It was an absolutely wonderful Valentines Day.

This morning I rode into work for the first time in a couple of weeks.  It felt good to be back on the bike, but a little odd too.  Not sure why odd, but that is what I felt.  I have lost quite a bit of fitness over these past weeks, but I will get it back.  I am also back to calorie counting.  I am combining Weight Watchers and Calorie King to create my own version.  I will fill you all in if it starts to work.

Have a great work week everyone!

xox

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day!


This is my gorgeous husband.  He has been an amazing tower of strength to me and I know every day how lucky I am to have him.

Friday I went back to work after 4 days off.  The pile of work on my desk was no where near as bad as I expected.  I work in a small office (the boss, another broker, me, and part time admin) however they really did everything they could to make sure there wasn't a huge overflow.  My boss also brought me these...



He said it was because he was glad to have me back, but I thin it was just because of everything.  He really is wonderful.

Yesterday Ross and I went for a drive with my MIL Di, and a good friend Anne.  We went to the Adelaide Hills and ended up and a gorgeous little shop called Upstairs Downstairs in Nairne.  The sell Indian and British Colonial Antiques.  Their shop is absolutely AMAZING!  Di has furnished most of her house from there over the years and is good friends with the owners.  We spent well over an hour browsing the store.  I found SO many things I loved.  Unfortunately I do not have the money or the space for all the amazing things I saw.  I did buy this beautiful wooden trinket box though.




The metal work overlaid on the wood is absolutely gorgeous.  I have no idea what I am going to use it for, but I love it.

From there we went on to the Littlehampton pub for some lunch.  There were only 3 vegetarian menu options, so I ended up with Spinach & Ricotta Ravioli with Rose sauce.  It was SO delicious!  I probably wouldn't have chosen that if there were other options, so I am glad there were only a few choices.

We then went to visit other friends for the afternoon.  It was an amazing day.  Exactly what I needed.

We are heading off for a Valentines Lunch shortly so I will say goodbye.  I hope you are all having an amazing Valentine's Day.

xox

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Update, Book Review, Game Review

Update

First things first. Thank you to everyone for your kind wishes, love and support. I had the procedure yesterday. I am home and my main feeling at the moment is relief that it is all over. I am really tired, and a bit tender. But otherwise okay.

It is weird, but I am hanging to get back on the bike and to start running again. I plan on going for a few walks on the weekend and take it from there to see when I am ready to get back into it.

This whole thing has made me more eager than ever to start living my life to the fullest. It is like a switch has been flicked inside of me. We have a lot of obstacles in our paths still, but there is nothing stopping us from getting out there more and doing all the things we talk about. It is time to live.

Book Review

Last week on my Retail Therapy expedition I bought the book “Running Hot” by Lisa Tamati.


Spending so much time waiting around in the hospital for the last couple of days has meant I have finished it already. If anyone is in need of motivation to live your life to the fullest, this is the book for you. This woman is my age. She broke her back in hear early 20’s. Since then she has cycled half way around Europe. Canoed down the Yukon River in Alaska/Canada. Hiked across the Lybian Desert through a controlled military zone, sneaking past soldiers and outposts. And ran in several Ultra Marathons including the famous Badwater Marathon in the US. Throughout all of this she also became a qualified jewellery designer and has an amazing inventory of beautiful jewellery.

This truly is an incredible read. The things that this woman has done is astounding. I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this amazing book.

Game Review

Now this is something I would not normally do. My husband and I have a DS Lite. Although I got it mainly for myself, Ross is really the one who uses it. However I recently got a copy of “The Biggest Loser” for the DS.


Can I just say, I am loving it. There is calorie counting (although American and limited), recipes, daily exercise routines, quizzes, challenges, hints and tips. It is actually really interesting. I have set up an 8 week challenge for myself. You weigh in weekly, it offers an exercise and stretching routine for each day (which I have not been able to do yet, but will start as soon as I can), gives you a calorie allowance, and has quizzes etc to do. I will still use Calorie King to count my calories, as the game is quite limited, but need to then input them, plus calories burned into the game. At the end it gives you really cool graphs and charts (which I love) plus you get Bob & Jillian cheering you on. It’s a bit of fun, and I am hoping it will give me a bit of a boost for the next 8 weeks.

That’s all from me for today. I am back to work tomorrow. I wish I could have taken a few more days off, but I need to make some money so I need to get back.

xox

Monday, February 8, 2010

Updates and Decisions

Firstly I would like to say thank you for the care and support the blogging world has offered me.  I am honoured that people who do not even know me have offered their love and support while we deal with our current situation.

I spent today at the Women's & Childrens Hospital, am home tonight, and am back tomorrow to have the D&C procedure done.  I am extremely nervous, however my MIL used to work in the day surgery area, and has let her old collegues know that a VIP (Very Important Patient) is coming in tomorrow and needs extra special treatment.  At least I know I will be taken care of. 

On to other decisions, I have decided to forgo the Weight Watchers and invest that money into a gym membership.  While I like the info I am getting from Weight Watchers, the points are a pain in the butt.  I have to convert all of my recipes to points, and I am back to looking everything up.  I know my calories and am comfortable with them.  I just haven't been doing it.  So I can spend $17.50 per week on a weigh in and 20 minute chat, or spend $13 per week on a gym membership that I can use every day if I want.  I aim to use it just twice a week, and continue with my outdoor training.  It means the weather can no longer be a hindrance to my training.

So that is it for me.  I will be back in a few days when I have recovered.

xox

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Quick Update (Actually, not so quick, but an update all the same)

Well, yesterdays retail therapy continued into the evening.  :o)  Ross & I went into the city and bought a new tent.  Now, considering we actually already have 3, this would probably seem a little over the top...  However this is one for hiking.  The 2 man tent weighs only 2kg.  It cost us $109 from Aussie Disposals.  There was on for $49, however the cheaper one weighed 3kg.  On the surface this probably doesn't seem like a lot, but when you have 15-20 kgs on your back the extra kilo makes a huge difference!

I am starting to get really excited about our hike, and can't wait until I can start training for it.  We now have nearly everything we need, so it is just a matter of getting the body ready.  We have decided to use Ross's old army packs and webbing belts to carry everything, which has saved us a lot of money.  The only thing is, they are all army green.  Blech...  So I have decided to "girl-ify" the one I am using.  I am going to get some cool patches and bright buttons, and make it as girlie as possible!  I can't wait.

The other thing I found was a few more funky plates from the Harris Scarfe sale.





On to a bit more serious news, I am off to hospital on Monday.  Just a quick overview of what has been happening.  On Monday I discovered I was pregnant.  We were stunned to say the least.  I actually thought I had started early menopause based on all the symptoms.  So when we found out about the pregnancy I knew instantly that there was something not right.  It is hard to say how I knew, I just knew.

So after 4 days of being a pin cushion, and having scans and seeing doctors, we now know for sure that I was right.  The pregnancy became 'non-viable' about 5 or 6 weeks ago when the embryo died.  Because I haven't miscarried on my own (which I should have done weeks ago as soon as things went wrong) I need to go into hospital to have a curette.  It is strange that I feel oddly okay about things.  I have been through so many emotions this week, but because I knew straight away that there was something wrong, I have just been focussed on finding out what and moving forward.

We were not supposed to be able to conceive.  That is really the thing that has been hardest to come to terms with.  This really should not have happened.  But it has also made us realise that we truly are happy with the decision we made a couple of years ago when we decided to stop trying.  We are happy with the plans we have made with for our lives.  And with the decisions we have made.  So for the first time in many years we need to start being careful. 

And it has also made us realise that we need to take more control of our lives and start fully living it and seeing the plans we have made come to fruition.  That is why we have really started focussing on our hike, and why I am really keen to get back into my training.  We can't take anything for granted in life, and our plans will only come in to being if we put ourselves into them.  No more sitting back and watching life pass us by.  It is time to take this life we have been given by the horns and shake the shit out of it!

xox

Friday, February 5, 2010

Retail Therapy

Oh how I love retail therapy. I went to the shops today and bought a couple of books. I can’t do too much in the way of exercise right now – and I am quite surprised by the fact that I actually miss it – so I decided to get myself inspired so when I can get back to it I am ready and raring to go!

The book I bought is Running Hot by Lisa Tamati.


She is a New Zealand runner who has been competing in the big Ultra marathons on the States and all over the world. Her story is more interesting though, as she was advised to stop running at 19 when she nearly broke her back. Yet through determination she came back and is now up there with the best of them! I can not wait to read it!

The other book I bought was the Guide Book for the Southern end of the Heyson Trail.


Originally when we started talking about walking Heyson we decided to start at the top and make our way south bit by bit. It will take us years to do the whole thing if we do it 5 days at a time, but that’s okay. Eventually we know we will be able to say we have done the whole thing. However because access to the northern end it quite difficult to get to and we are on a serious budget this year, we have decided to start from the southern end. Easy access to the start and where we will finish by bus. It’s an area we are familiar with from camping. And it means that all things going well there is no reason we won’t be able to afford to do it this year!

I am really excited about this. I can’t wait until I can get back into training for it.

xox

Monday, February 1, 2010

Updates: Vegetarian Trial, 10 for 10 & C25K

So after just over 3 months of eating as a vegetarian, it is time to make some decisions.  I have really enjoyed eating meat-free.  I have loved experimenting with the different recipes and discovering new flavours and food textures.  There have been some bombs in there too, but that's okay it's all part of it.  Physically I have been feeling fantastic.  The symptoms of IBS are all but gone.  I have felt strong and in control.

My weight has gone up a bit, however Xmas was in there, birthdays, & holidays.  Plus I have just discovered another possible reason for that which I am dealing with.  Besides, ice ceam and biscuits are vegetarian...

Have I missed meat?  The ONLY times I have missed it has been when I have been hungry and busy, and KFC or Maccas would make life easier.  But not having those as options is a good thing for me.

So, what have I decided to do?  Well, at this stage I have no desire to eat meat.  I am not a 'never again' person.  I don't know what tomorrow will bring.  But for now, I am happy with this way of eating.  I feel good and strong, so this is what is right for me right now.  I am sticking with it!

10 for 10 - January 2010 Update

2) Ride at least 3000kms
Rode 130.01 kms for the month. I should be riding 250kms each month to reach my goal, so I am behind. But I am sure I can make this one up as the weather cools down. Plus when I move in a couple of months I will be further from work so I will automatically be riding more.

3) Finish the knitted blankets
I have knitted 51 squares.  I need 96 and I did not make much progress ths month so I will have to stop playing random computer games and get back into it.

4) Lose 30 kilos
I actually gained 1 kg according to my WW weigh in. So that puts me behind the 8 ball. My goal of 30 kilos (now 31) still stands, but I now need to lose 3 kgs a month instead of 2.5 in order to reach that goal. Hopefully Weight Watchers will help me get there.  I do have a medical issue I am dealing with right now that could be hindering this as well, but I will hopefully have some resolution on that soon.

5) Be in a financial position to sponsor a World Vision child
Not there yet, but have made plans to move in with family soon so we will start getting on top of things soon.

6) Send at least one childrens story to a publisher
Working on the next story and have enrolled for a course on writing for children.

10) Keep in touch with my interstate friends in the old fashioned way - by writing actual letters with pen and paper.
One letter sent by snail mail so far.

The other day I mentioned I was planning on starting C25K this week.  A medical issue has now come up that means I need to delay this for a little while.  I am not sure how long for, but hopefully it will be resolved soon.  It also means I may not post as much as normal in the coming weeks, but I will be around and normal programming should resume shortly.

xox