Working Girl

I started working on Thursday and, at the same time, got some kind of bug – headaches, weird stomach etc.  Not good.  I’d have called in sick today but didn’t on account of it being my second day on the job.  Also, I was doing induction today and I didn’t want to be all uninducted.

I live under 6 km from work and it takes me about half hour to drive there in the morning.  I think between here and work is the worst traffic congestion in Melbourne.  Not only people getting to work but all the private school mums driving their kids to school.  Plus we have bad (2 hour only) parking.  That means starting next week I’m walking to work.  Hell, if I ran to work, it wouldn’t take me much longer than driving.  I might run to work and back this weekend as my long run to test it out.

Things I Need To Know:

• Makeup primer – is it worth it or is it just another product that marketers are trying to convince us we need?  Does anyone use it and have an opinion to share?
• Why do chicks who wear g-strings to the gym always use the bottom lockers?  Hell, I can’t even work out why anyone would wear a freaken g-string to the gym (or anywhere for that matter), but seriously for some reason if I’m going to turn my head in the wrong direction in the change rooms, I find it so much less offensive to get an eyeful of bare arse than a bit of string splitting someone’s bits.
• Where am I going to be working tomorrow?  This one is still up in the air.  I really want the job I interviewed for yesterday.  It’s a really interesting project and seems challenging and worthwhile …okay, it pays a lot more and is near J Cafe where they have the awesome sushi burgers.
• Also, on gym change rooms, why is that I can go to the gym any time (and I mean even if I went to the gym in the middle of lunchtime on Christmas day) and, at the quietest times with only one other person using the change room, they have the locker either directly above or below me?  And then they come in to use the change room at the same time I do?  It happens every time so we are dodging each other while getting changed.  Arrggghhh.

Also, today is my baby son’s 22nd birthday.  I got him a big fat nothing on account of being broke.  Oh, I did give him a Gengis Khan beard and hugs (he doesn’t think hugs are a gift though).

Dorkfest

I think I must be the world’s biggest dork.  I just did a trial run of packing for Japan.  I’m not leaving for 11 weeks but I need to be prepared.  I want to avoid a situation like last time – being stuck at the top of a flight of stairs with mecha luggage.

 

Part of the master plan to avoid excess packing is that we’ve booked our flights over with NO checked in bags. That means a 10 kg max. I just checked my wheelie bag against the in flight baggage regulations and it’s like a couple of cm over the limit! Damn it. I could try taking it but I’m too much of a pussy.

Anyway I packed my smaller bag and still had space. Plus it came in under 5 kgs. Then I added my laptop and that made it 7.5 kgs. Not sure about taking the laptop… we have high speed internet at our hotel room but will I need it? I think I’d rather not take it.

The plan is also to wear jeans, boots, dress and jacket on the plane. They are the bulkier items. My packing list is thus:

• 2 tee shirts (I totally overpack tee shirts normally.  I don’t need 8 black tee shirts!!!!)
• 2 dresses (I might pack 3, they don’t take up much space and are mighty versatile, either with jeans if it’s cold or with tights – also don’t take much room).
• denim skirt
• cardigan
• jumper
• trackies
• 1 other pair of shoes (I want to take the runners… we have a gym at our hotel but they are bulky)
• pjs
• underwear
• makeup

Am I missing anything vital?  I don’t think I am.

I really think my whole overpacking issue comes from living in Melbourne.  I am like – oh it’s spring, what’s the weather going to be like?  And I think of Melbourne spring so it’s going to be ranging from 2 degrees to 35 degrees within an hour!!!  Consistent weather must be such a nice thing.

Anyway I weighed all my stuff on my home scales and I don’t think they are too accurate on account of I’ve only lost 200 grams in the last 2 weeks.

This arvo I’ve got a job interview.  Even though I’ve got a contract, this job came up that is heaps more money.  Heaps.  Plus it goes through to the 16th May (and I leave on the 17th – timing).  I’ll have heaps saved for my holiday and heaps for when I get home.  

I’m going to the gym after the interview.  I have been avoiding the gym because I hate going into the city just for a workout.

Accommodation sorted!

Booked accommodation for Tokyo today.  After tossing up between the cheap but inconveniently located place and the more expensive but better location place, I went for option C – the mid-price, much better located super discounted place.  Yah!  Basically, we are getting a serviced hotel apartment for the same price as we’d pay for a twin room in a backpackers.  That means we get our own bathroom, free toiletries (a major plus since we are only taking  carry on luggage so limited toiletry capacity), towels and a kitchenette.  And NO BUNKS.  Bunks are truly awful.

We are also very close to the host clubs…

Monday

I went out for a 12 km run last night.  It was a good run around the Yarra and I really enjoyed it but I’m a bit sore today.  I’d planned to go to kettlebell class today but now I’m not sure. 

I decided against applying for a second job.  It’d been an extra $200 a week after tax, tops and I think I’m better off working on reducing my spending rather than earning more money and no doubt spending more.  I want to start getting really organised with food – going to the market and planning + cooking meals.

I’ve got our accommodaton in Japan down to 2 places – one is very cheap but not in a great location.  The other one is $300 more but in a much better location (near Shinjuku station) so we’d save money on transport and also it includes breakfast (a Japanese breakfast with onigiri and miso soup by the look of it). 

Because of the weird way our landlords operate (they run this place more like a boarding house than a rental), they have decided to employ cleaners to clean the communal areas of the house.  They have also not only mowed the lawn but also cleaned up all around the outside.  I think they might be planning to sell!  Not that I care, I’ll be moving out real soon.  Hopefully within the next 2 weeks. 

I’ve started using Calorie King again to track my calories.  OMG  I had no idea how many calories are in rice!!!  A cup of rice has over 400 calories!  That’s extreme.

Nelly No Friends

I’m starting to realise I’m social retard (well I actually realised that a long time ago but…).  My sister is working Friday and Saturday nights now and I have nothing to do.  I’m sure there are things I can do -  I could watch a movie or do something like that, but can’t really be bothered.  I was going to ring Andy and go over and watch the footy with him, if he was home – but again can’t be bothered.  Instead I’m just bored.  At least I’m not eating.

Last night I walked into the gym.  I love going into the boxing studio and playing around on my own.  I work much harder doing that than during boxing class – esp when you consider we spend the first 15 mins of class doing warm ups (usually on the spin bikes – if I wanted do that, I’d go to spin class) and 15 mins doing cool down then a decent part of that remaining 30 mins with the instructor explaining stuff, depending on how many newcomers are in the class.  Last night I spent 40 solid minutes of work – 4 mins hitting stuff, 1 min skipping, repeat…  Hard, hard work.

Afterwards I went to Borders to check that new book by that chick, Michelle something or other from the Biggest Loser.  I don’t buy weight loss books because they are one third photos showing you how to do stuff like squats and one third recipes I’ll never make because they have ingredients I don’t eat.  She did have some good stuff in it though.  Like if you say losing weight is your top priority then go eat a slice of cake… because it looks good, or you feel sad or whatever … then weight loss is obviously NOT your top priority (I’m pretty liberally paraphrasing here). 

That is so true for me.  I *say* I want to lose weight but I’m so easily sidetracked.   Yesterday I had french toast for lunch FOLLOWED by a fruit tart!!!!  After I ate that, I remembered I wanted to lose weight.  Oops.

Anyway, I got home and had a salad with tuna for dinner so at least that was low calorie.

My mission for this week is to not get sidetracked from my purpose.  Losing weight.  With the amount of exercise I do, I should be losing weight easily if I ate right.  No more cake.  No more french toast.  Not until I fit into my pants!

Yah

I’ve got a job.  I think I should start practicing being patient instead of sooking like a lil bitch.  I start on Thursday.  It’s for one month but I think will end going a lot longer.  Yah. 

I need some new shoes and I’m thinking of buying a pair of school shoes, cute ones.  After all, they are made to be comfortable and long lasting.  I just need to find some in a size 10 and with a heel!

Oh and I’m thinking of applying for another job – it’s for a month doing call centre work at night.  The training is on Wednesday so I can do both jobs but I’m just wondering how much you get taxed on working two jobs… is it worth it?  Plus 2 jobs doesn’t leave much time for exercise, but it does mean more $$$ for Japan.

Blahs

I had an interview today and they said they’d make a decision this arvo.  Only I haven’t heard back so I’m thinking they hated me and totally never want to see me again and it’s prolly cos I ate so much cake yesterday!

I think I need a nap.

Wednesday

• I went to Ikea today and remember what I wanted to buy.  It was a bag.  A red bag.  I have red bags aplenty and debated whether I need it but I’ve been using the Crumpler bag I bought last year as an everyday bag and I hate it.  It bugs me so much.  Even though it’s big and bulky, it isn’t spacious inside – I can’t fit my laptop in it or stuff that is A4 size without folding; it’s badly designed and has this big pocket that everything gets lost under.  Plus it has this extra strong velcro on the outside but I never shut the flap so the velcro gets caught on everything and has put big pulls in one of my fave dresses.  I hate that bag but I’ve not wanted to admit cost it was way expensive.  My new bag cost $9 and it fits my laptop.
• I put a dress on layby.  It’s vintage.  It’s orange – I’ve never worn orange before.  It’s very Marsha Brady.
• I’ve got an interview tomorrow.  Fingers crossed.  Plus I got a call about another job.  Just when I was getting all anxious over not working.
• I also went to the doctor so I can have all my diabetes testing organised.  Yah!  Well not yah… but good for me in getting organised.
• I’ve also got all my Jetstar stuff organised.  It was like pulling teeth.  No matter how many times I tell some people, they don’t get that my name is spelt ‘…ryn’ not ‘…erine’.  My sister was cracking up at me – I was talking in my idiot simple voice, then repeating myself over and over, more slowly each time doing the ‘r for rabbit, y for yellow…’ thing.  Arrrgghhh! 
• Today I had too much cake.  I keep getting given free cake then I couldn’t resist the bright green cake at Ikea.  It was awesome.  Cake isn’t good.

Notes

• I think I’ve found somewhere to s tay when we go to Tokyo – it works out to about $500 each for 11 nights so super cheap.  On the down side, it’s about 1.5 km from the nearest train station but that’s okay.  It has a small fridge and microwave in the room and has a bed plus futon (that’s got to be better than bunks and means with the futon put away, we have floor space!) and our own bathroom.  Actually I don’t mind sharing a bathroom but bunks are just awful.
• I did heaps of exercise today – walked into the gym then did 30 mins of cardio followed by 20 mins in the boxing studio.  I love having the boxing studio to myself so I can jump around and hit things without anyone see me look like a dork.
• But… I cancelled my gym membership today.  I’ve got 4 more weeks.  I just can’t afford it and it’s pain to get to when I’m not working in the city.  There are a couple of gyms near home with cheap casual rates so that will do me.
• Not much happening on the job front, but I’ve applied for heaps of positions so hopefully something will come up.
• Apparently the Japanese economy is going downhill big time.  I’m not sure what is going to happen with my teaching job…
• I am totally convinced that half the IT jobs on Seek are made up.  They ask for skills I’ve never heard of like that you have 2 years experience in ASDAGDGSDFG.  Also, if a job ad asks for you to have excellent attention to detail and there is a typo in the ad, should you point that out in your application?  I’m never sure if they are doing it on purpose.
• Did you know you can cook rice porridge in your rice cooker?  Also quinoa and polenta.  And prolly oats as well.  How easy is that?  You chuck it in, set the cooker then shower and get ready for work.  Voila, breakfast is cooked and you just chuck in some fruit and a dollop of yoghurt.  I’m going to be all over that.
• I am going to Ikea tomorrow because they had something advertised in the weekend paper that I really need.  I can’t remember what, just that I wanted to go to Ikea.  I’m hoping I’ll get there and remember but no doubt I’ll just end up buying tea lights and a ready to assemble bookcase. 
• I am also going to the doctor tomorrow.  I was supposed to go about 6 months ago for my 6 monthly diabetes checkup… oops.  I hate the pathologist.  I don’t mind giving blood, I just hate having to NOT eat until after they take the blood.
• Just got an email back about the Japan accommodation.  It’s going to be around $470 each.  That’s so cheap.  I keep wondering what’s wrong with the place but I’m totally expecting small rooms and paper thin walls.  Maybe there’s a whore house in the same building or something?  Still it’s damn cheap.