Walking the Dogs up the beach at Bribie

Saturday morning we got up bright and early to take our dogs Sabi & Bovver to their favourite (ok our favourite too) place. It is a off-the-lease dog beach at Bribie Island. It is about an hour drive from our house.
We got onto the beach around 9am and joy of all joys we had the beach pretty much to ourselves.

We walked for about 1/2 hour up the beach to the point & back again.

Naturally the dogs went crazy running like maniacs & sniffing & pissing on everything they could.

It was truely a beautiful day. The views are amazing over to Moreton Island. We saw a lone kayaker, a turtle & a bi-plane flew overhead. Otherwise we were all alone. It was lovely.

We are SO fortunate to live in such a beautiful place.

I am so grateful that I have access to places like this that are unspoilt.

I won another prize - Euco Fresh Laundry goods.

I got home yesterday to find a box on the front entry. Yep I'd won another competition.
I won 2 x really soft & fluffy purple bath towels & some Euco Fresh laundry powder & stain remover.
Better than a poke in the eye with a blunt stick - as my mother used to say.

Running Wild

On the insistance of Marc my PT I entered into the Jetty 2 Jetty fun run. The 5km leg.

Naturally, I also entered Mick to do it with me.

So Sunday morning we dropped our car at Mick's folks & walked the 15 minutes to the start line. We had attached the little microchippy things to our laces & put on our best running gear. (Black Greazefest & Gogolo Bordello T-shirts). Besides a few people who dressed up in tutus & bizarre full body skin that included over the head tuxedo skins most people looked that they had done this before. Nike, Addias & Reebok everywhere!

Finally at 8.35am it began. We rounded that first corner with the other 894 other runners to be confronted with a massive hill. I told Mick to go on without me and off he jogged into the distance. The first 2.5km I did a combo of the Cliffy Young shuffle/jog & fast walking. After the halfway mark my feet started to really really hurt (damn fallen arches) but I felt my stamina increasing. I noticed that my recovery time had dropped from about 2 minutes of hyperventilating to about 30 seconds of loud puffing. On the way back was one even bigger hill which I strode up with 2 other gals who were going the same pace as me. We made it up the monster hill by marching & singing " A Left A Left A Left Right Left!". Once at the top there was a big sign saying 1 KM TO GO. Just behind me I heard a voice saying "Come on you can make it Only 1 km to go" . I turned around and a middle aged lady (much bigger than me) was there with who I assumed was her PT.

"I'm... just... *puff* going.. to pretend you're... talking ..*puff* to me ok" I said to him.

"No worries" he laughed. So the last km I had a PT by proxy. "It's all down hill ladies" He yelled " We are going to jog the last km. It's not far to go. You can do it!". And so we did.

Mick met me about 50 metres from the end. I did a big sprint at the end to try & pass this 10 year ranga kid & passed the blue mats that beeped your microchip.

THANK GOD! I exclaimed.

"Don't stop!!" Mick yells at me " The actual finish line is around the corner. Still another 20 metres away!!!"

I jogged the last 20 metres and finished.

Official time 44:32 minutes. 

We quickly hit the water & watermelon tents. I got my J2J official hat to say that I had completed the run.

I was very proud of myself. I've never been in a fun run before let alone done 5km.

We had a big stretch on the beautiful bay & then slowly walked the 15 minutes back to the in-laws.

It seriously took until about 4pm for my face to stop being the colour of a tomato!

You never know maybe next year I'll be fit enough to do the 10km!!

xoxoxoxo

I'm all Ears....

Last night I finally got myself to the hairdressers for a bit of long overdue bleach action. While I was sitting there flicking through the latest issues of Marie Claire & Cleo a young girl around 9 years old came in with her mother. They toddled off into the back room & emerged about 1 minute later all smiles.
"Did she just get her ears pierced?" I queried Brenton my hairdresser.
"Yep".
I was shocked that it all happened so quickly & without tears.
You see I have been mortally terrified of having my ears pierced. It's all to do with my phobia of needles. That and when I was about 14 I had my ears pierced & they got all infected & swelled up like two big rotting tomatos on my head. I was emotionaly scarred for life.
HOWEVER, this year is all about change. I have gone through a round of IVF which involved numerous numerous needles & I lived to tell the tale so...
"Let's do it Brenton!" I burst. "I want to wear nice earrings like the pretty girls do & I want to get over my fears".
So after my hair was done I was taken into the little back room. We decided that Brenton & Raelene would pierce both my ears at once to get it over & done with as quickly as possible.

To their amusement I was shaking like the total wuss that I am.

They got themselves all lined up & ready and...

3.......2 ..............BANG!!!!

It was done! And it was true. I didn't feel a thing.

Afterwards I got a bit emotional & nearly started crying. Not because of any sort of pain but because I had overcome another fear. I was very proud of myself.

I can't wait for 6 weeks time when I get to take these suckers out & get to spend even more money on lovely pretty things to adorn myself with.

JOY!!

Leisurely Sunday Bike Ride.... NOT!

On Sunday though I thought I would pull my Electra Red Betty Bike out of the shed. 

"I know" I thought "I'll ride to the video store & take back this DVD. What a great idea. It's not that far."
What a fool. Funny how inclines which seem ever so gradual when you are driving in your car become almost like 85 degree angles when you have to ride up them.
I got half way to the store & had to pull over because I was dry retching. I finally made it to the store shaking & hyperventilating. "OK" I wheezed "Do I go back the way I came or try a different route home?" I decided to ride along the (thank god) flat bikeway along the water. It was so lovely.

Until.... I had to decide what street to go down to get back home. I chose wrong. Yep I forgot about the mega mountainous hill. I had to push my bike up it. All in all with breaks to cough up a lung & curse the heavens it took me about an hour. I almost couldn't breathe OR walk when I got home!

I collapsed on the couch wheezing like a cat with a furball.

Nice Shootin' Tex

Last Saturday Mick & I headed off to the Belmont Rifle Range for a wee bit of target practice. Despite what some people might think shooting is actually a really really serious but fun thing to do.  Personally, I love it.
It's almost like a meditation as you have to focus on your breathing & posture.
Arrr the smell of cordite!  Mick & I took turns with his 22 and I must say that I am quite the crack shot!

I was very very happy with my results & hit the bulls-eye more that a few times. There were some BIG boom boom guns there. Crikey people must spend a fortune on their guns.
Next time I wouldn't mind pushing the targets back to the 100 yard mark.
It was a good way to spend the morning but it was mega mega FREEZING cold!
Next time I will remember to take a big coat to wear & maybe a beanie.

You never know maybe one day I'll get myself a gun of my own. I like this Hello Kitty gun.

Buster Bloodvessel

In our MASSIVE clean out of the shed the other weekend I found loads of photos from Ye Olde Days.
I was mega excited to have found this pic though. I searched high & low for this photo hoping to take it to the Bad Manners gig & have Buster sign it.  Murphys Law that I would find it after the fact.
This photo was taken after the Bad Manners show on the Gold Coast about 10 years ago.
My god look how thin I was. I have no boobs!
Anyways, after the show a few of us went to this little bar next door & who should come in but THE BAND! We sat around drinking with them for a bit. It was great. I reckon Buster has lost about 50 kilos since this pic was taken.
I thought I would share.

Weight Watchers Dinner

Sunday night saw The Big Fella & I hitting the city & Cafe Mondial to meet a few of my fellow Weight Watchers bloggers. Petra (aka Miss Muffet aka Moleteaser), Kathy & Paula. These three ladies are a HUGE inspiration to me & my weightloss journey. Miss Petra is also a roller derby queen. I also have a blog on the Weight Watchers site but I also LOVE reading stories of other people's adventures with WW.

Naturally the conversation over our (naturally) mega healthy meal of sizzling seafood with naan bread & dip with token glass of Merlot revolved around eating tips, exercise tips, motivational tips, roller derby, clothes & shoes & our own weight loss battles & stories.

I came away from the dinner ramped up with motivation and enthusiasm that I CAN DO IT.

I particularly loved Petra's "Evolution" book which is like a diary of her journey with pictures from when she started to now. Kind of like a diary/visualisation board.

It was great to finally put a face & voice to the writings on the WW wall.

Brilliant night with some lovely positive thinking ladies who have accomplished amazing things.

SO INSPIRATIONAL.

Kitchen Clean Out

In our quest to finally after about 3 years clean out the clutter in our house we embarked on room #2

THE KITCHEN. (Room # 1 was the shed last weekend).

From about 10am unitl 4.30pm we pulled EVERYTHING out of the kitchen, sugar soaped the disgustingly filthy shelves which were covered in grease & gecko poo, then washed all the anodised stuff & plates etc. covered the shelves in newspaper & put it all back. Phew what an effort!

I also managed to fill a big plastic container with heaps of glassware, coffee cups & random serving plates that I will take to LifeLine.

Geez how many glasses can one household accumulate!!

Big job but it feels good to have a nice clean kitchen again.

Disney On Ice

Friday I finished work at midday to take my neices Bailey (age 7) & Milly (age 4) with The Big Fella to see Disney on Ice at The Brisbane Entertainment Centre. I had won tickets via the Quest newspaper.

After an initial mishap with little Miss Milly nearly choking on an overpriced cheero sausage (gave Mick & I a big fright!) we settled in to watch the show. It was fabulous. The ice skating & costumes were amazing.

I also had a ball just watching the reactions of the children around us. Behind us were a couple of aboriginal children who were the most adorable children I have seen & they were SO excited.

Bailey & Milly loved it. Milly loved the 'frincesses' & Bailey liked The Lion King.

The only downside to the show was the price of the merchandise. $15 for a small bag of fairy floss or popcorn! I couldn't believe when I saw parents totally laden down with masses of stuff. They must have spent a fortune.  Good afternoon.  :)

http://www.disneyonice.com.au/worldsoffantasy/