Loving the Cycling

I seem to have re-found my passion for cycling.  Not that I ever not liked it, but as cycling is my main form of transport, I had begun to see it that way which is never good.  My ride on Sunday was awesome.  Then yesterday as I was leaving work I decided I wanted more than just a 'ride home'.   So I took myself off a different way and had a ball.  I didn't add all that much to my distance, (12kms instead of 8kms) but it wasn't about that.  It was about riding for the sake of riding, through a new neighbourhood, with new surroundings.  And I had a ball!

This morning I decided to ride a different way in to work.  Similar distance (I don't have showers at work so I can't add to much to the distance as 8-9kms is my "sweat-free-zone") but just through different roads.  It was awesome.  I think that fact that it hasn't been absolutely freezing this week has definitely helped matters, but also just getting out there, freeing my mind, and just enjoying it has been amazing.  From now on, if I don't have to go straight home for any reason, I am going to try and go a different way, or take a longer path. 

I spent yesterday evening making photo cards.  I have an order for 120 cards due this weekend.  Unfortunately my supplies took 3 days longer than they should have to arrive so I am now under the pump a bit to get them done.  I got 40 done last night, so if I can repeat that tonight and tomorrow night they will all be ready for the weekend.

Ross has Sunday off work - the first one since he began this job - so we are going for a hike.  Our Heyson trip is in 3 months and we really haven't done a lot in preparation.  Time to get a wriggle on with it.

xox

Book Club

Guess who has been baking again...  :o)  The first one is Polka Dot cookies - I got the recipe from the Newspaper.  I tried it with M&M's and also Smarties.  The Smarties lost their colour and the M&M's cracked.  I'll try a generic brand next time and see if they work better.  Either way - they taste delish!  The 2nd one is my own concoction.  Chai Latte Cookies.  The recipe was for coffee cookies but I substituted - and the result was amazing!  The spices in the Chai cook beautifully.  Definitely a winner.

This morning was my first Book Club meeting.  I have to admit, I was quite nervous.  I am always nervous meeting new people though, and this was a group of new people.  It was fantastic though.  It was really interesting hearing other peoples thoughts and interpretations on the book.  The interesting thing was there was discussion of a character I can't even remember!  I'll have to go back and read it again now.  We have picked the book, the date and the location for next time and I can't wait!

After Book Club I rode to the library to offload the heavy contents of my backpack and to grab a few more books that I have on hold.  The library was shut!  I forgot it doesn't open until 1 on Sundays.  I dropped off the books in the after hours chute then rode to KMart to try and get a copy of the book for the next Book Club.  KMart have changed their book section, and it now sucks.  One shelf of novels, that's it.  I'll have to go to Big W on my way home tomorrow night - they have a better selection.

All up I rode about 28kms today which is the most I have ridden in ages.  The ride in this morning was sluggish and hard.  I haven't been on the bike for a week and I could feel it.  At one point I even stopped to check if I had a flat I felt so sluggish.  The ride back was great though - despite the head wind.  I was more energised and my legs got that cool tingly feeling they get when you are getting good exercise in.

I haven't been for a run yet (I was with Grandad all day yesterday) and my legs are pretty tired now so I will do it tomorrow night.  The Start Running Group starts in 11 days and I want to get 3 or 4 runs in before then so I won't feel so blah on the first night.

xox

Anniversary Dinner

Thanks for the offers of being my running buddy.  I only wish at least one of you lived in SA!  LOL  I will find someone, I am sure of it.  It will just take some time.

Last night Ross & I went out for our 3rd Wedding Anniversary.  We went to Cafe Mondiali on Unley Road.  They had an awesome vegetarian selection.  Ross had a vegetarian Calzone and I had Fettuccine with vegetables in napoli sauce.  I wish I had taken my camera because the desserts were to die for.  We had gelati desserts.  Min had peppermint gelati, surrounding with a thick layer of chocolate gelati, then rolled in chocolate and mint chips.  It was devine.

However we got some bad news when we got home.  One of Di's (MIL) oldest friends passed away last night.  He had a stroke a couple of weeks ago and never regained consciousness.  Unfortunately he is over in country Victoria so at this point Di can't go tot he funeral because Grandad's paperwork won't be through by then to get him into respite.  Ross and I are going to talk to our bosses and see if we can each get a day and half off so that she can take 3 days and go over there.  I am not sure if we will be able to swing it, but I hope we can.

This weekend will include a bike ride, a run, and my first book Club Meeting.  As well as some writing hopefully.  Plus I have an order for 120 of my cards, and as long as the last of the supplies arrive today I will also be making them.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

xox

I Need A Running Buddy

Someone I can meet at a set time each week and go for a run with. Not necessarily to run together, but to start together, meet after, then maybe go for a coffee or something. The question is, how do I find this elusive person???? I am thinking Sunday mornings is probably the best time for me, but I need to find someone I can meet up with hopefully somewhere I can easily access by bike or public transport, that I will get along with, and who will encourage me to keep running.

My Start Running Group – take 2 – starts in 2 weeks. I know it is a start running group but I really wanted some decent running under my belt before starting as I am really slow and don’t want to hold everyone back. This weekend – NO EXCUSES!

Today is my Wedding Anniversary. I can’t believe three years have gone by so quickly. And I still like him! That probably sounds weird, but by the time I was married for 3 years the first time around I was looking desperately for an escape.

We are going out to dinner tonight which will be nice. We haven’t had a date night since Grandad moved in so this will be great. I can’t wait!

Speaking of Grandad, we had the Geriatric Assessment Team come in this morning, finally. He has been assessed as High Care which will make finding a spot for him easier, and also as High Priority for Respite, which means as soon as the paperwork comes through we can book him in for a week so we can all have a rest. Although we still don’t know timeframes, it is such a relief to know where we stand and to know that things are finally moving forward. The end may not be in sight yet, but we know it is coming. We have chosen the Aged Facility we want to get him into and already have him on the list. Now it is just wait and see.

One more day till the weekend! WOOHOO!

xox

Most Boring Training Session Ever

I had a training session for work this morning and it was the single most boring training session I have ever been to in my life.  For starters, despite being advised it was an "advanced" session for one of our internal programs, everything that was covered is stuff I have been doing for over 3 years.  Then you have the fact that the facilitator spent so much time wandering around helping individual people rather than talking to the group that anything that may have come up for me to learn did not get covered.  4 hours of my life I will never get back....  Thankfully my boss is great and will be passing on my detailed feedback to head office.

I have now finished chapter 3 of my novel, first draft that is.  This chapter is a little boring, but I will fix it up after everything is done.  I just want to get it down then I will edit, edit and edit again.  I can't believe I have done 3 chapters so quickly.  It is a great feeling.

Off to the library tonight to swap my books over.  I love the library.  I was thinking a while ago of going back to TAFE to study to become a Librarian.  I still may look into it. 

Nothing else happening here.  Hope everyone has had a great hump day.  Tomorrow is my 3rd wedding anniversary.  I can't wait!

xox

NOTE:  I did get the comments left on the blog yesterday but there was some sort of error going on with Bloggers moderation function and I was unable to publish them.  I just wanted you to know I did receive the comments, I just can't get them to show up.  Hopefully it will be sorted by now though.

Cigarettes!

That is what Grandad has starting yelling out in his sleep.  And of course, every time he does, one of us has to get up in case he is in the kitchen looking for them.  He's wily.  Half the time he can't get up on his own, but when he wants a smoke, he can get up and he can do it quietly...

My doctors visit last night was good.  We got the icky stuff out of the way then we had a chat.  She is aware of the events in my life over the last 15 months or so and has been concerned about me teetering over the edge and into a depression.  I will be honest, I have been concerned about it myself sometimes.  She gave me some good ideas to try, herbal teas, vitamins etc, but is also prepared to give me something stronger or refer me to a counsellor if I need it (counsellor first though).  I have not taken her up on that, but it is good to know the option is there and that my doc is taking me seriously. 

One thing she did say is that I need at least one night of uninterrupted sleep a week.  I have sleeping tablets that she prescribed me last year.  I'll be honest, the bottle isn't even open.  I have never had one.  But her suggestion is that I take one on a Friday or Saturday night and let the others listen out for Grandad.  I talked to Ross & MIL and they are happy with that, since I do take up most of the slack at nights.  I am nervous about taking a sleeping tablet, but I will give it a go this weekend.

I didn't end up getting out for a run last night though.  And I also didn't ride in to work this morning.  I am struggling so much with the cold this year and I slept in this morning. 

I got through in record time though, traffic was light due to school holidays, so I spent half an hour writing before I got stuck into the pile on my desk.  I have started Chapter 3 now.  It is coming along and I am starting to get a real feel for the character.  One of the sub plots has begun and about half of the characters have been introduced.  And the main thing is, I am enjoying it!

OK, I have a crap load of work to do so I better get stuck into it.  Till tomorrow...

xox

Still nothing happening

I am debating if I am going to blog on days like this when there is really nothing happening. I am sure it is boring. But sometimes I just feel like writing.

Another weekend spent mostly at home, trying to give MIL something of a break from constantly taking care of Grandad. Saturday I spent reading, writing, and cooking. Ross was at work all day which was the only down side as I really miss him on weekends, but he is so happy in his job I would never let him know that I am kinda feeling a bit lost without him there. Thankfully Grandad takes up a lot of time and energy while he is up.

It is weird, he is only awake for an hour or two at a time, but it is so intense. You have to watch him constantly as he is always waiting for you to turn your back so he can try and get up to look for his cigarettes – which we have to hide or he sneaks them into bed and tries to light up in bed in the middle of the night. Fortunately we have heavy wooden chairs on a tiled floor so we can always hear the scrape as he pushes the chair back. However Saturday afternoon we obviously hadn’t pushed him in far enough and he managed to slide off the chair. MIL caught him just as he was about to throw a glass on the floor looking through the cupboard for those blasted cigarettes.

Anyway, I did get some writing done. I have now written 2 chapters of the novel and I also got to work on the next children’s picture book story I am preparing to send to the publisher. I have forwarded the first one to my second choice of publishers and will prepare this one for the first choice. Right now it is still too long so needs a lot of tightening up. Hopefully it will be ready in a month or so.

Saturday afternoon I felt like baking and made some Peanut Butter Choc Chip Cookies. These are seriously the easiest cookies I have ever made. Anyone who has kids who like to cook, this is the recipe for you!

Sunday I got up early to make Ross breakfast before work. I found a recipe for Buttermilk Pancakes and thought I would give it a go. Can I just say – YUMMMMMMO! I will NEVER get those pancake shake mixes again. These are so much better.

I spent the rest of the day just reading and helping out with Grandad, as well as doing some chores etc around the house.

What I didn’t do was get out for a run or a ride. I am really struggling right now. It is cold, I am tired, and, well, nothing else really. These two things keep me off the roads. I need to find a way to make myself do it. I know I feel better after I get out there, but getting out there is so hard.

This morning I was so exhausted I cheated and brought the car to work. Grandad was up 4 or 5 times last night (I lost count). Every time I was just warm, or finally comfortable, or dozing, I heard the inevitable grunting and the springs bouncing as he tried to get up. So up I got….

OK, tonight, assuming I get home from the doctors before dark (nothing serious just a check up following on from the events in Feb) I will go for a run. No excuses.

xox