Happiness Is a Smart Swedish Storage Solution

Yeah, I went to Ikea today. Now I have more storage solutions than stuff to store. I’ve also moved my stuff in the far cheaper storage place (and even got a $47 refund on my storage costs from the old place).

I’ve got my room organised so it’s like two separate spaces – a bedroom space and a living space. I got a happy, red rug for my computer area and fairy lights for my wall unit.

I love rearranging stuff – not only is everything fresh and new, it’s also clean and tidy. It’s also very energising – you start thinking of new ways to use old spaces and old things.

Another thing that energises me is throwing things out. I’ve been putting all my old clothes in the back of the car as I no longer need. This week I finally got off my butt and took them to the Vinnies bin. After all the moving, I’ve got about three more boxes. I think most of these will go on Ebay though.

My next job is to paint my wardrobe. It’s a crappy old thing that one of my ex-housemates dumped in the hallway when they moved out. It’s practical but ugly so I’m going to paint it white and pink and then decorate it with fake roses and maybe fairy lights.

As for my weight – I’m up again this week. A combination of eating out too much and getting my period. My gym membership is on hold from today so went in and did a huge workout to get the most of my last day.

Summer Fruits Rock My World!

Guess what I bought at the market yesterday? A mango. Woohoo, summer is coming. I can’t wait to eat it. Although I did learn a valuable lesson yesterday. Never go to the market after 9 am and never, ever on school holidays!

I’ve had this week off work and seem to have spent my whole time running around. Yesterday I took Andrew to get running shoes. Now he has to fulfill his part of the bargain and go running with me. I told him I’d take the shoes off him if he doesn’t go.

We went to the Nike outlet on Smith St. I can’t believe how much cheaper the shoes are there. I so nearly bought myself a pair as well.

Today I’m moving all my stuff out of my very expensive storage place into a cheaper one that’s closer to home. I went to the new place yesterday to look around and they are great. They are giving me one month’s free storage if I pay for 6 months in advance (ie. I pay for 5 and get 6), plus the 6 month rate is less than 2 months at the other place. That’s going to save me a fortune.

I have a big Ikea wall unit that I want to take out of storage and put in my room. I’m going to divide my room up so that I have a bedroom area and a lounge/study area. Yesterday I rearranged all the furniture so I can fit it in. Then I didn’t have anywhere really sane to put my wardrobe so I’ve got it at the end of my bed, kind of blocking my bed off from view. It works well but I’m thinking of hanging some pretty fabric on the back of it cos I don’t fancy laying in bed looking at the back of a wardrobe.

At the moment, I’m debating going for a run. I’d like to run but don’t want to exhaust myself before having to haul around heavy furniture this afternoon.

Things

The other day, some of the girls on one of my forums were talking about RSVP (online dating site) so I decided to update my profile and photo. Since then, I’ve had a flood of dudes contact me. It’s quite freaky. Men are so shallow!

I’ve been thinking about dating lately – I bitch about being single but rarely do anything about it. Deep down, I’m not sure if I really want to. I need to work out whether it’s because I’m happy being single or if I’m just scared and freaked out. Sometimes it’s hard to know, and probably it’s a combination of both. I really don’t like to the think that the reason I’m holding back from something is fear but, at the same time, don’t want to spend time persuing a relationship because I “should”.

Speaking of guys, I went back to the cafe with the cute waiter… twice… and he hasn’t been there. When I went in to pay the money I owed, the guy who served me told me I’d get good karma. I felt like saying – if I had good karma, the cute guy would be working. But of course I didn’t.

Eatingwise, things haven’t been great. I went out for lunch today (to the cafe without the cute waiter working) and had a pumpkin and fetta burger. When I worked out the calories, it was more than a Big Mac! I don’t know how that is possible but it’s probably better I over estimate.

Today I went for a 8 km run. It’s the first time I’ve been out for a run since Saturday. I’ve had really sore legs this week so thought I should pull back a bit.

I’ve been trying to fit in lots of yoga/body balance/pilates style classes this week before my gym membership ends. I figure if I get the technical side down in class, it makes doing DVDs much easier. The thing is, because I have no flexibility, I think I overstretched. My big problem area is my inner thighs (well hip flexors to be technical) – even crossing my legs is difficult so struggle even doing the easy option of some exercises. I think I’ve tried to force myself into a posture and put pressure on my knees. I’ll have to take it gently from here on in. At least it’s not the running causing the pain!

Saturday is my last gym day. I’ve been thinking of cardio options sans gym. Definitely running but I don’t think I can handle running every day. Now I’m going to say something a little crazy here – and if you aren’t spurting your coffee over your keyboard when you read this, you either aren’t drinking coffee or have no idea how clumsy and un-co I am. I’m thinking of doing an aerobics class. I can go to the gym up the road for $4 a class and I figure I’ll be so busy trying to figure out the moves, I won’t realise I’m working. Maybe it will shock my body into more weight loss too.

I need to look into my bike buying too. Riding a bike on the road scares me a lot so I think I’ll stick to the bike paths for a while.

What other things to people do for cardio? Suggestions most welcome!

Oh yeah, I think I need to buy more plates for my weights already. I knew it wouldn’t be long because I was using 10 kg dumbbells for some exercises at the gym and my set is only 22 kgs total.

I went to KMart the other night and they had a 10 kg adjustable set for $30 so I’m thinking of getting that. That way I can make two sets of dumbbells – a lighter one and a heavier one which will save so much mucking around, adding on and taking off plates mid-workout. I’m just worried I’m getting an addiction!

Love

I’ve discovered a new love – peanut butter. I know, where have I been all my life? Under a rock?

I think I grew to hate the stuff from making Andrew peanut butter sandwiches for lunch for years and years. He’d eat nothing else. The smell of peanut butter first thing in the morning really put me off.

Then I bought a jar earlier in the year to put on my banana rolls at work. Except the price of bananas went through the roof so I never made them again.

On Friday I bought all my stuff home from work, it being my last day and all, including my jar of peanut butter from the fridge. I tried peanut butter and (IXL 50% less sugar) jam on a pumpkin roll. OMG! Heaven.

Then I tried peanut butter on apple – I used to make that all the time as a snack for Andrew but never tried it myself.

I’ve got to the stage where I have to hide the peanut butter – that stuff isn’t exactly low in calories and it’s so magically delicious. *Sigh!*

Rest Day

This weekend has been pretty laid back. I’ve not felt 100% well so it’s good to have a rest. Yesterday I went for a run at Albert Park with my friend Simon. In places the wind was so strong, it felt like running on the treadmill – putting in lots of effort but not getting anywhere.

Today my sister and I have been lazing around watching movies. We got out Eddie and the Cruisers, which used to be my favourite movie. It’s still a good film. Then we watched Gallipoli. That film makes me so sad and angry. I remember we had to go see it when I was in high school and all the way back to school on the bus, us girls bawling our eyes out.

So, I’ve not done a lick of exercise today but I did do some cooking. I made a big pot of mince stuff – was supposed to be a chow mein but ended up quite different, yet delicious. I had no rice so added mexican beans (from a can) and split peas instead. Works for me.

I also made a heap of rissoles to freeze and they didn’t work out so well. Now this is just freaky. I’d added everything except the breadcrumbs and, when I went to get the box of breadcrumbs out of the cupboard, they’d disappeared.

A few times I’ve thought things have gone from my food cupboard but I’ve not been sure. This time however, it’s definitely someone stealing my food. That is so low. I really can’t believe one of my housemates is such scum.

I’m pretty sure I know who did it cos my other housemate was in the kitchen with me when I started cooking and he’s the kind of guy who would have come straight out and said he’d need to use them for something but it’s hard having two housemates cos I feel I can’t just come straight out and accuse one of them.

The really freaky thing is that neither of them cook at all. They might go into the kitchen to heat something up or fry up a steak but that’s about as culinary as it gets. They have no need for breadcrumbs, so why steal them? I’m starting to think that my housemate has mental problems.

I’m going to make a big sign and put it on the inside of the cupboard telling them that I think they are the lowerst form of life on earth. That way no one will see it but the culprit. I’m also going to make an inventory of everything in the cupboard. That’s about all I can do until my friend comes over to help me put in a lock!

I Did A Pushup!

A real one, not a girlie one and not on a bar but a real pushup on the ground!

I’d done a killer workout at the gym (to work off my fatty breakfast from the market) and finished off with those awful planks when I decided to try a pushup and it worked! I’ve never done before in my life. I was so excited, I did another two then thought I’d better not get carried away.

Me.. and some funny stories!

Since I don’t have fancy technology like a digital camera, or even a regular camera, I couldn’t take a pic of me in my new dress so here is an artist’s impression. I wore my stripey stockings today too.

The round circles on my chest are the buttons, not my boobs, just in case you were wondering.

I think it’s a pretty accurate picture cos I look like a kid’s drawing in it.

I have a funny story but it might be TMI for some people so look away now. Tonight I went for a run and half way I really needed to poo. I thought I could wait but had to slow down to a walk and, about half a km from home, realised it got more urgent. I walked past a pub and could see their toilet sign so thought I’d duck in and use it. The bar looked practically empty anyway.

I walked through the bar, looking all sweatily elegant in my running tights and tee-shirt but the toilet sign lead to a corridor and, at the end of the corridor, was a room filled with dressed up families eating dinner. I had to walk right though the middle of them to get to the ladies! It was rather embarassing.

I also have another funny story but look away if you don’t want to hear intimate details of my housemates. The night before last, I was about to go to bed and wanted to use the bathroom. My housemate was in the shower so I waited and waited and waited. I’d almost dozed off when he came out because it took him over half an hour.

I walked into the bathroom and wonder why my housemate had been reading a magazine in the shower – cos I’m pretty naive and unworldy. Then I saw the hardcore porn on the magazine and the lightbulb went on!

I was so tempted to knock on his door and hand him back the magazine, saying, think you forgot something but I didn’t want to touch it!

Now I want to make a sign for the bathroom saying: Please restrict all non-essential bathroom activities to your bedroom as other people need to use it. Or maybe just: Don’t beat off when I need to pee!

At least the handbasin was sparkly clean… and I don’t even want to think about why!

Woop!

I went to the doctor tonight. I’m officially 100% no longer on diabetes medication. Ha! Take that, pancreas. I showed you who’s boss!

Unofficially, I stopped taking the tablets a couple of months ago. Way before my blood tests. And you know what, the results were even better this time than last time. I so don’t need those tablets.

I’m totally cured. Okay, I know you can’t cure diabetes but I’m near enough to it. Now I’m going to cure my sister’s chronic fatigue with my mad curing skillz.

I want to warn anyone reading this, who is diabetic and on metformin – they never told me that taking metformin and doing lots of exercise can cause hypos (low blood sugar). For ages, I’d leave the gym feeling drained and whoosy. It took a while for me to make the connection. Now I can exercise and feel good and that rocks.

I think I need to go out and buy myself a pressie with the money I’m saving on prescription drugs. Oh except I can’t. I did a stupid thing today. At lunchtime I went to the gym then shopping and bought a cute little pinafore dress (well the jury is out on that one – it could make me look like some demented child’s tv presenter). My packback was so stuffed full of gym clothes, I put my wallet in the bag with the dress.

When I got back to work, I decided I needed to wear the dress NOW. So I slipped it on and threw the bag on a chair.

Because of my mad walking skillz, I ended up way early for the doctor and went to a cafe for some fruit toast (I’ve swapped my cupcake obession for fruit toast – but only the good shit with like apricots and other non-raisin fruits). When I went to pay, I realised I’d left my wallet at work. Oops.

Major embarassment but the waiter said he trustedme to bring in the money tomorrow. Then I looked up at him. Holy moly, he was the hottest man I’ve ever seen in my life. Of course I’m taking the money in tomorrow. I’m going back there every day for the rest of my life!

It’s On!

Ms Briony has challenged me to see who can get to 65 kgs first or maybe I challenged her… Anyway it’s on. No more smily face smartie cookies with my morning coffee! Stay tuned for more!

***

“We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?” – Marianne Williamson – from ‘A Return to Love’

Have you ever been somewhere, at the gym or walking down the street, and looked in the mirror for your reflection but not recognised yourself? It’s happened to me a few times lately, mostly because I’m looking for the fat girl and she aint there.

This morning I walked along, wondering if my top made me look fat and emphasised my belly rolls when I saw my reflection. What hit me was my legs, striding out. It’s too easy to zero in on the faults sometimes and not see the good bits.

Which reminds me – I did a body balance class yesterday and the teacher told me to spread my legs further in the moves (she did put it more elegantly) because I have such long legs! Wtf – since when I have I had long legs?

***

Oh yeah, another thing I’ve been thinking about lately is modesty. I tend to think of myself as a very modest person – I mean modest in the way of not indulging in public nudity, not modest as in hiding my light under a bushell (what the hell is a bushell anyway?).

When I joined the gym, I used to think I was the only chick there that didn’t have a really hot body. Every time I used the change rooms, I was surrounded by women who looked like supermodels.

Over time I’ve realised that isn’t the case. It’s just that I’m one of the few women without a hot body that doesn’t get changed in the shower cubicles.

I don’t it. I have no desire to flaunt my body around the place but serious, shower cubicles are damp and small. They would be a hideous place to get changed. You’d feel all icky afterwards, that not-really-dry ickiness you get after you go swimming, and your clothes might fall on the floor and get wet.

Who cares if someone in the change room sees my saggy belly or the pimple on my butt? It’s a frigging change room, not a beauty parade.

Girl Jock

This is where I invested my birthday cash. Yep, 22 kgs of dumbells. Not just that, I’m hella excited about it. I’ve had dumbells before but they were those vinyl coated ones in pink and purple and other girlie-girl colours. Now I have kick-arse, hard-core metal ones with adjustable plates (in a pretty blue).

I’m getting quite a nice little home gym happening, with yoga dvds, weights and … well that’s about it. Oh yeah and a skipping rope and fit ball. The next thing I need to buy is a decent pump for the fitball cos it’s a bit saggy in the middle (not unlike myself).

For cardio, I’m going to concentrate on running and, hopefully, I’ll get a bike soon.

I tried out the dumbells yesterday. I had to change my workout a bit to minimise adjusting the dumbells too often, plus it involves a bit of mental maths but otherwise it rocked.

***

Do you know who rocks? Shauna! What a legend. I was going to demand you go over to her site and read about her swimming adventures but then realised that everyone reads Diet Girl anyway. She makes me almost want to learn to swim all proper (ie. not doggy paddle) but then I remember my head in water fears.

As she says, it’s only 14 weeks until Christmas. My new challenge is 65 kilos by Christmas. I can do that. Luckily, I’m so unpopular and anti-social that I have few pre-Christmas events to attend. And, after this past weekend, I’m swearing off the booze for a while.