I'll be back (said in Arnie voice)

"Wow, Mr. McClure. I was a grade A moron to ever question eating meat!"...."Yes, you were, Jimmy. Yes, you were."

HOWDY.
So tomorrow is weigh and measure day. Yep. I am NOT looking forward to that as I am as bloaty like a 10 day dead possum on Sandgate Road.
I have made some modifications to the Vicki healthy eating programme this week though. I have started adding organic Apple Cider Vinegar to my water. I have read many things about how it is really good for your guts.
For example from the website:
/www.naturaltherapypages.com.au/article/Apple_Cider_Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a powerful detoxifying and purifying agent. It breaks down fatty, mucous, and phlegm deposits in the body and, by doing so, improves the health and function of the vital organs of the body, such as the liver, kidney, and bladder by preventing excessively alkaline urine.
And we ALL know how much I HATE fatty, mucous phlegm deposits of ANY kind. Icky.
Also, for the past couple of weeks my legs & lower back have been ACHING like the billy-os (positive sign? negative sign?) so I've started taking magnesium and it seems to have helped a bit. They are still aching but nowhere near as much. I feel like I just want to be put on one of those racks & stretched out. Not for my aching limbs mind you ... just cause I'm kinky. LOL.
Magnesium is essential for your energy, cell growth, nerves, muscles and heart and arterial system. It helps you to relax both physically and mentally. 

TBF (bless his ginormous cotten socks) has come on board the vegetarian train this week on the 12wbt meal plan. Sometimes I just feel the need to get rid of meat & just eat shite loads of veges & legumes. Don't get me wrong. I am not going vego for ethical reasons. I LOVE MY MEAT!
Mmmmmmm meat.
So far the vego diet has been great with hardly anyside effects (pass the Glen-20 baby).
I must admit that I don't think the 12wbt recipes have enough veges in them so I go through them each week and add more. eg: I add grated carrot to the lentil loaf, if it's a stirfry I'll add even more veges. I've bumped up my fruit intake too. Yesterday I had some seedless red grapes. Yummo.

Luckily, TBF doesn't mind as he eats whatever he wants for lunch anyway.
I don't think he minds what he has for dinner as long as it is tasty & big.

I've also been walking for 1/2 an hour in the arvos along the waterfront. This is awesome as then I don't feel like a total lumpy blob not doing ANY movement. I just stroll along with the sea breeze in my face inhaling the stench of the rotting jellyfish on the beach. Mmmmmmm
Kidding.... it's really nice.
The other change I've made is with my coffee. I have restricted myself to ONE cup of full strength coffee first up in the morning and only ONE cup of decaf mid morning. Normally I would drink about 3-4 cups a day. Mid arvo I now have a Jarrah hot choc drink. If I feel like a hot drink at night I have a cup of Organic hot chocolate.
Surprisingly, this drop in caffeinne hasn't made me want to stab someone in the temple with my ball point pen! Incredible.
xoxoxooxoxox
PS: I am really sorry but I've had to add onto my comments part that stupid word verification thingy. I have been getting craploads of spam. Bastards. I know it is a pain in the arse but I dont' want some dodgy brother hacker getting into my account and stealing my $120.27 cents in my account.
PPS: I have also noticed that I passed 20,000 views!! Bloody NORA! Thanks everyone for stopping by and reading my drivel. I hope that my blathering brings a smile to your dials!
xoxoxoxoxoxo

R U OK? Day

Today is R U OK? Day.
R U OK?Day is a national day of action dedicated to inspiring all Australians to ask family, friends and colleagues, ‘Are you ok?’ By regularly reaching out to one another and having open and honest conversations, we can all help build a more connected community and reduce our country’s high suicide rate.

As yawl know if you read my blog I have Bipolar and suffer from episodes of depression or The Terrible Sadness as I call it. So campaigns such as this really mean alot to me.
In this world where social media and iphones make it so easy to stay 'in touch' with each other we seem to have forgotten to keep a more intimate personal connection with the people we know & love.

It is very very important for people with depression or Bipolar to know that SOMEONE gives a shit.
I'm not saying that you need to be calling people every single bloody day or dropping in on them with bunches of flowers or getting up in their personal space with too much touchy feelie stuff (C'morrrn you KNOW you want a hug!"
Just a simple "Hay, are you alright? You seem a big down. Do you want to talk about it? or Can I help?" is great.
Unfortunately alot of people with depression (and I used to be one of these people) don't want to worry others so they will say "I'm Great" or "Narrr I'm Ok just a bit down. I'll be right".

During the height of my depressive years I felt totally alone. I knew I wasn't alone. I had a great family. I had good friends.... I just didn't want to be a burden. I didn't want to worry my Mum.
Over the years I have discovered that being really vocal about having depression is the best thing ever.
I used to try & hide it but now I yell it over the blogasphere.
I HAVE BIPOLAR AND DEPRESSION.
IT FUCKING SUCKS ARSE.

When I was around 20 years old I was super duper depressed. I used to have panic attacks all the time was mega social phobic and thought about suicide and dying ALOT.  I went to numerous GPs. I would beg them to put me away. I told them that I was terrified that during one of my episodes I would either kill myself or kill others. Every time I was told either "Don't be silly you're just a bit stressed" or "Just take a few deep breaths into a paper bag". In 1992 there weren't any RUOK campaigns.

Beyondblue, RUOK?Day and any other day that might prompt one person to think to themselves " Mmmmm such n such hasn't been themselves lately I might just drop them a line" or " I really need to get myself checked out. It's like that ad is talking about me" are amazing.
I wish they would have been around back then.
It took me to get to the end of the line to call beyondblue. Standing in Bunnings measuring up tubing for the exhaust to be exact.
The stigma of depression is (I think) slowly but surely fading in today's society.

Don't tell me to JUST GET OVER IT. Don't you think if it were that easy I would!
So, just remember that reminding people that you are there for them is really important.

If you R NOT OK then please please please contact beyondblue www.beyondblue.org.au or LifeLine 13 11 14

YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

No, but yeah, but no, but yeah, but no because something what I don't even know nothing about. So shut up

It's all been a bit quiet on the Vicki front as far as 12wbt goes. I did my weigh-in this morning & I have stayed the same. Frowny face. I've been pretty good with my exermorsizing but I think my portions might be getting bigger. Sigh.
On Monday I had my frozen embryo implanted. This little cryogenic dude was defrosted like a block of mince on the kitchen sink and the scientists reckon it is in really good knick. I did a double-take when they started talking about Embryonics. I thought they said Embionic and they had injected the little coffee cup stain with some sort of Spiderman type super human powers like The Bionic Man.
No such luck.
On a bad 12wbt point, the IVF clinic has (once again) said that I am to do NO physical activity that will raise my core body temperature. So I am just going to go for some noice casual walks along the waterfront in the arvos instead of my usual grunting & sweating on the treadmill & rower.
So now the 2 week wait is on..... (again)

 

In other Mz Vicki news, on the weekend TBF & I went to my neighbour's surprise 40th birthday party. The theme was British / UK as the birthday boy is from Manchester. Now let it be known that my neighbours DO NOT shy away from chucking a full on shin-dig and so we knew it was going to be a cracker of a night.

I fulfilled one of my fancy dress costume fantasties (I have many) and went as an Essex Chav.

(A working-class youth, especially one associated with aggression, poor education, and a perceived "common" taste in clothing and lifestyle ... think Vicky Pollard in Little Britain)

I was well proper fit .

TBF decided to go as Amy Winehouse. He donned an AW beehive wig and I did his makeup. Yep, the over 6 foot tall bearded fella looked the part alright. It was a great night and I did a good job staying off the grog and drinking my Diet Kirks Creaming Soda all night.

Weren't even naff or nuffin! Don't give me Evils!

 

 

Don't Be That Guy at the Gym

My gym mainly has Meatheads (or The Ed Hardy Brothers as I like to call them)
Masterbation Man is a fantastic combo of all of them.
xoxoxoox

Baby step to four o'clock. Baby step to four o'clock.

Yesterday that mooshy pile of grey gloop that is my brain abruptly pushed its chair away from its desk, slammed it's mooshy hand down & exclaimed "That's it! I've had a gutful. I'm outta here! Stuff this for a joke!" In its place came my old familiar nemisis Terrible Sadness. Tarrrdarrrrr.
================================
You see, I'm a list person.
I love a list.
Ooooo the only thing better than a good list is crossing things off the list. Mmmmmmm.
I have my LIST book. It contains lists of sayings, things I want to buy, pressie ideas for people and random words that I hear & like.
My phone has lists of movies I want to see, restaurants I want to try & my ultimate dinner party guest list (Stephen Fry & Eddie Izzard top the list).
My fridge has a list of "Things to Do". Like clean out the bathroom cupboards, clean up the office & defrost the freezer.
My calendar is a list of things that I will be doing during the month & year.
Sometimes, it all just gets a bit too much for my delicate widdle brainy-wainy to cope with & it becomes really really overwelmed by all of this STUFF.

It starts pacing back & forth muttering rather rapidly to itself. "So much to do So much to do. No time. No time. No money. No time. I gotta do the shopping. Go to the gym. Clean the clothes. Vaccuum. Watch movies. Go to family barbies. Go see Dad. Pat the dogs. Write witty things on my blog. Shit Shit Shit." Cue brain cracking the darks & buggering off.
When this happens my head turns to silly putty and it feels kind of like somebody has slipped me a mickey. It's hard to talk, drive, move ... well do anything that requires any sort of thought process. (note: I am able to watch Big Brother)
So yesterday Dr Vicki prescribed a heavy dose of Indian tucker, a shower so hot it almost blistered my flesh off & going to bed as early as possible.
I wasn't going to blog about it as I hate a whinger.
When my brain goes on holidays I just want to stop doing... well EVERYTHING.
I just want to sleep. I want to cancel my blog. Cancel my facebook. Cancel everything.
Thankfully, the grey mooshy mess has come back today & tapped me on the shoulder "Sorry about yesterday love but you know how you get sometimes. I just had to pop off & have a bit of R&R. We're all good now though eh No hard feelings?"
I'm all good today. I just have to know that if I don't get the one hundred billion things done on my list the world is not going to implode.
Vicki didn't wash the sheets this week!!!
ARRRRRRRAAGGHHH WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!

(in good news I lost 300g this week)
xoxoxoxoxoxo