Prince did it to me

Really he did. I saw him a couple of weeks ago in his ‘Welcome to Australia’ tour, and he was gobsmackingly awesome. So good in fact, that I got sick, like Red and I did years earlier when we first saw Justin.




Yep, once again, we both got sick days later, on the same exact day. I started with muscle aches and shivers on a Friday afternoon, progressing to a temperature, that went away overnight but was replaced with a sore throat, runny nose and coughing.



There’s something so evil about getting sick on a Friday afternoon. It’s a sure-fire way to screw up your weekend.



Now, more than a week later after getting sick, I still have the same annoying, persistent, dry, cough-or-you’ll-die-choking-on-nothing-mofo cough, which is at its worst at night. In the morning it’s decent, but assisted by its good friend flem, which helps it by irritating the f$%^ out of my throat even further, making me cough incessantly but to no avail because the thick flem stays where it is, lodged in my throat, it is almost as bad in the morning because I need to blow my nose ‘til my brain hurts, or stand over the sink gagging and hacking.



This one such morning, I started coughing here early at work, to the point where I had to run away to the bathroom: I just couldn’t take it. I started spitting into the sink, trying to get the flem out, and saw a reddish colour blended into the spit.



Blood. I saw it a couple of days ago as well, but dismissed it as nothing. Seeing it again, I’m still leaning towards the ‘nothing’ theory, nothing meaning the blood is from my irritated throat. I have seen my doctor (albeit last week) and I’m hoping it goes away. Even google was surprisingly encouraging, when I typed in ‘coughing up blood from a sore throat:’ a LOT of searches came up, rather than the usual, ‘You Will Die’ ones when you try net self-diagnose.



People. Never Net Self-Diagnose.



There has been one fantastic upside to all this spluttering, blood-inducing, hacking business. Whenever I get sick like this, and then the cold progresses to my throat, there are a couple of days – well, maybe it’s more like a day and a half – where I get the most fantastic voice.



I love it. My voice is completely screwed up, cracking, breaking, sometimes no noise actually comes out if it’s REALLY bad. There’s a mix of huskiness, hoarseness, and no matter how loud, soft, quick or slow I talk, it stays there, sexy, teasing, like I should be working late night phones. I love it I love it I love it.



I started getting it late Monday, then all day yesterday I just wanted to yap on to hear myself talk, and now today, I can tell it’s going away. It’s just the most fantastic tone. So crackly and full of character, mystery, drama.



I might get (un)lucky and get the voice again when George Michael visits in November 

WOW.

So yesterday I was all pathetic and shit, but today I've turned over a new leaf. It does not fail my notice that although I try to live my life in the highest regard and in line with the law of attraction, that I still have monumental DOWN days. I think the fact that I do try so hard to better my life, that it indeed causes these seriously depressing moments. When I'm high, I'm flying, and when I'm down, well.... I won't finish that.

Also, the fact that I get up so early during the week, leaves me feeling drained: even though I feel it physically, the emotinal side takes it toll. Does it ever. By the end of the week I can be crabby, over-sensitive, and finding fault in the smallest of things. Like the last couple of days.

When a few things don't go to plan, or when a few things get to me, they combine into a rolling ball of moss, accelerating down the steep hill of my brain, until finally, when it hits the bottom with a large bang, I end up broken. Completely broken, shattered, and in a deep ditch of dirt.

But, aided today by my true and trusted friend 'proper coffee' I am definitely looking up.

:)

Just send Hubbie this message: "Hi, I'm Miss S (group says 'Hi Miss S') and I have a coffee addiction."

I'm a bit whacked out today, being a Friday and all. As you can probably tell.

So I'm here to talk positive, and to put a bit of perspective on something I mentioned yesterday.

So yes. I didn't ask for a pay rise. I didn't prepare myself, the night before it I had other heavy things on my mind, and it led to me feeling completely unprepared for the work review I had. I'm not usually like that, I'm super-organised, and like Hubbie coached to me last night, I have to learn from the experience.

Yes I will learn. I guess it's just hard because I'm not even sure what was the right thing to do: to ask or not to ask? That IS the question. However I have to believe that I did the right thing, and if not, that I will get another opportunity at monetary rewards, if not through this work, then through another (hint, hint, clears throat loudly 'ahem, book *cough* my story *cough*).

:)

And one more thing. What I was supposed to talk about yesterday.

I get cranky at times, when I notice people staring at me. It just really annoys me. Sure, look, glance around. But don't continue to ogle me, or to totally stare me down into a hole as I walk on by. I don't care what the reasons are, I find it rude and slightly intimidating to know someone is totally giving me the once over.

Though a couple of mornings ago, walking to work 6:30 in the morning, I saw two tradies approaching me from the other side. I knew how I was dressed, and knew that it may get some notice. I wasn't dressed inappropriately or anything, but you know when the clothes you wear portray a certain look? Anyway, I kepy my eyes straight ahead as I walked on by, being careful not to make any eye contact, because hey, you can't encourage them in anyway. Who knows what might happen then.

Even though my eyes were forward, I could see them looking at me as they walked past. And I heard from one of them, lowly, "Wow."

Wow. I thought about it some more as I kept walking, wondering whether I was upset at being ogled at again. But you know what? I took it for what it was, as a freaking damn fantastic compliment. WOW. I think that's one of the best compliments ever. One word, so simple. Wow.

As I said to Hubbie, when I'm pregnant one day, I'm sure I won't have guys whistling, tooting their car horns or making remarks about me when I walk by, so I'll take all the Wow's I can right now.

I'm going to take it in, and appreciate it as much as possible.

What a wonderful, brilliant, spectacular, mood-lifting, heart-warming post to get me into the weekend :-D

WOW!

Thanks, I'll take that compliment

I'm feeling very proud of myself. Very pleased indeed. It's definitely a good way to be feeling on a Friday morning, as you're about to embark on the fabulous trip known as 'the weekend.'


I passed a test yesterday. A very important one. I guess those who may not have received such a high score would be feeling a bit bad, they might even try to diminish the importance of the test, just so that they wouldn't feel so bad.

But let me tell you, that's a bad, bad thing to do. Because this test affects your life.

I passed a health check.

Yes that's right. Think about it. Various parts of you are tested. If the health professional finds that you are making the right health choices in your life, obviously you get a higher score. However if you haven't placed enough emphasis on doing the right things in life to keep you fit and healthy, well then........

You end up like some people around here. With a low score, feeling bad, and not talking much about it.

I didn't really know what to think, going into it. I consider myself a healthy person, but I've never really had my health checked. I never really thought I should. I guess that's a big mistake some people make, one I'm very aware of. Just because you're skinny it doesn't mean you're fit and/or healthy. But I always said to myself that once I'd settled down and the wedding was over, I wanted to get myself checked. And a few weeks back, when I got the email, advising of free health checks in our workplace, I knew it was something I HAD to do.

And I was soooo pleased I did do it. The health check was comprised of a blood pressure test, waist measurement, pin prick to test blood, and a simple questionnaire that asked about your daily health activities and choices.

My blood pressure was a good reading. It was low, and apparently it's good to be low. I can't remember the reading, but the numbers 105/73 are popping up in my head, so it might have been around that number.

It turns out, my cholesterol was like 5.3. I think that was my overall cholesterol reading, and it's supposed to be under 5.5, so that was good. But it was my good cholesterol that stunned the guy, myself included. Usually you're supposed to have like a 1.0 reading, I think that's normal. But mine was 1.6, 60% higher than the general population. It was not just good, but GREAT! I suddenly thought of all those almonds I'd been eating..... and felt extremely proud of myself.

My waist measurement was in check, it was 70cm, and I saw in the health pamphlet that it's supposed to be under 80cm. Well, I knew it was fine because the guy checking me said "perfect," when he measured me. I think he was slightly crushing on me!

I did have a very high blood glucose level, and he thought it may be because I had just eaten. He thought it was weird, because a high level suggests risk of diabetes, whereas all my other tests were suggesting an extremely LOW risk of it. So I ended up coming back at the end of the day, after fasting between that time, to get my blood tested again.

Yuck and Ouch. As soon as he had the blood, I was throwing jelly beans into my mouth so quick. And wonderfully, my level had HALVED, from 7.5 to something like 3-4. AND, in that time my overall cholesterol had dropped. He said my good cholesterol was so good, it was pushing down my bad cholesterol. Oh, come on, keep bringing on the praise!

The ONLY downfall, and I freely admit this (only after pathetically trying to convince the guy that my 5 minutes of walking from the car park to the work building should be added to an exercise total) is that I don't exercise, much.

Ok fine I don't exercise really ever. And I say it like that because I have tried in the last month or so, to lift some weights, do some sit-ups and stuff. But you just get so busy! And then it doesn't become a priority anymore. Which is bad, I know, health should be a priority. Food-wise, I'm a good girl, it's just the physical exertion I need to up.

So he convinced me that taking the train to work would be a better option, because then I could walk to and from the station, and possibly rack up more than 30 mins a day. And all you need is 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

It was such a simple solution, yet I felt like it was such a lightbulb moment.

!

Don't hate me yet, he did give me shit for not exercising. Or did he? When he was trying to work out why I didn't exercise, he asked "Do you have too many mirrors in your house?"

"No, only 2, and they're both upstairs."

Oops. Now he was going to think I didn't wanna WALK upstairs.

"I thought maybe your house was full of mirrors, and when you looked at yourself you thought 'I'm gorgeous, I'm perfect, I don't need to exercise!' "

I paused for a sec, unsure of how to answer that. "No."

Yeah, I've received a similar comment before. But the way this guy said it, and the way he was looking at me (he had the same look as this guy I used to work with had when he spoke to me, and I was PRETTY sure he was crushing on me then) I could sort of see where he was heading.

That's not bad. It's nice to know that although you're taken, whether in a relationship or married, that you're still desired. It's human nature. People want to be wanted. And though they may deny it, they want to be with someone, that's wanted.

So all in all, I was feeling pretty bloody brilliant yesterday. I was feeling damn fine, freaking fantastic about my health, and you know what the overall joy came from? I didn't even try.

When I eat I think about what I'm eating, yes. But I don't obsess. I don't weigh my food, or get obsessed by proportions. I don't restrict certain foods from my diet. I just eat. I crave stuff and I eat. I'm so used to eating good, healthy food, that by the time I'm done, I'm not needing to satisfy my sweet or savoury tooth, because I'm so satisfied. And the days that I am bad, with junk food, and where I just gotta keep eating that cake, I don't feel bad about it. I guess I'm a very balanced eater, and it's paid off for me.

So thanks very much. I will be proud of myself. I'll take that compliment. There is no reason to feel bad or wrong about praising yourself. Because usually, you deserve it. Because, isn't it right that you're your own worst enemy? So who would know you deserve praise better than you?

Indulge a little. I know I am :)

WOW. What a weekend/s, what a week/s - Part 2 of my Marathon

Friday morning I had instructions. Before work I was to get half a piece of bread, make it soggy with water and then break it up into little-itty-bitty pieces so that the little-itty-bitty bird could eat it.
I was shitty because firstly, I had to do this. Why couldn't Hubbie do this, he found the bird? I'm almost late to work everyday as it is, let alone having a bird I needed to feed.
His excuse was it's still dark when he gets up. Yes, but.... hmph.
So, I did my bit. And I must admit, when I walked into the shed, and tentatively peeked into the beer box, through the old bbq rack, and saw this cute, so so so small bird staring up at me, my heart melted. It was standing, just staring up, quite unaware of all the trauma we were feeling because of it.
It was soooo sweet. I started crumbing up bits of soggy bread, dropping it through the bbq rack steel slats, and they just dropped around the bird. The bird didn't flinch, it just kept looking at me, it didn't even look down at what I had just dropped. Although I crumbed up the whole piece, I realised this bird was probably looking at me as a substitute for its mother, and expecting me to put the food directly in its mouth. After trying to aim the bread INTO its mouth, unsuccessfully, I whispered some words of eating encouragement to the little one ( I was growing quite fond of it now ) and left.
I had an appointment to get my hair cut and coloured that day after work, so I went there straight after without going home. Before I walked in, I called Hubbie to find out what had happened with the bird when he got home.
I was so surprised, both happy surprised and sad surprised, when he told me he had taken the bird to the local vet, so that they could feed it properly to eventually release it. Happy because this poor bird was finally gonna get some decent help, but sad because in that short amount of time, I felt like I needed to say goodbye to it first before it continued on its journey. Weird, huh?
But I was glad, glad that our efforts had paid off, and that this bird which would have otherwise been eaten by a neighbourhood cat, was getting a second chance at life. Albeit without its little family of birds, but better a life alone than death....
When I got home, more good news. Hubbie had left the fridge in its place, but now the bins were outside in the backyard again. Although we couldn't take them out through the garage anymore, we could just roll them through the house. A little price to pay to make everyone happy.
I had to wait for my U.S pal to stop by to drop off some stuff, and once she had, I rushed to the shops to FINALLY do my massive grocery shop. In my heels, I ran through the store, trolley flying in front of me, and managed to get everything in about 30 minutes. There was no checking for prices or brands, I was just randomly grabbing whatever it was I needed with no usual grocery shopping deliberation about which brand is better and/or cheaper. The store closed and I was on my happy way.
I managed to make my cookie batch that night, and then there was still heaps to do awaiting me the next day.
In summary, Saturday was spent going to the shops, making a lasagna ( and this is a lasagna! ) cleaning the ENTIRE house and getting myself ready for the wedding we had that night, my U.S bestie's sister. It may not sound like much but let me tell you, I barely had time to eat. And all this preparation, for my Hubbie's birthday the next day, where we were having both his and mine immediate families over for lunch, plus some close friends. And Hubbie and I don't do things in halves.
By Saturday night, as excited as I was about having a great night out with my friends, I was spent, and having a glass of red didn't help the cause either.
By the time I got to sleep at 1.30am, I was so tired, not just from that day, but from knowing what would await me the next day, and how much I still had to do.
7.00am I got up, it was painful, really. I'd set my alarm for 6.30am, but I just couldn't get myself up. I trudged out of bed and made my way to my tasks ahead.
Which included: making a cake, preparing the tables, making various salads and other foods and just a whole lot of preparation. If Hubbie hadn't gotten up and helped me out, I'd have been screwed.
Ha ha. The irony of that.
The day went fine, busy but fine. I barely had a chance to sit down, other than when I ate, and after when the cake had been cut and we'd sung happy birthday. I'd actually been finishing the cake throughout the day, so you can see how busy the day had been. The cake was a white chocolate cheesecake and it was a definite success! Everyone loved it, especially Hubbie, which is what mattered most :)
On top of everything that day, my friends came over that night, mainly because my U.S pal was now heading back to the States the next morning, so it was our last little get together.
Thank goodness I'd taken the Monday off. I had a surprise for Hubbie, I'd organised a Crime Tour of our city, after some lunch, and the tour alone took about 3 hours. It was nice, if not just to see our city through new, refreshed eyes.
That night our folks came over to help us eat the leftovers, and then more friends came by later on. It was fun, but the busy-ness was starting to look never-ending to me.
I thought the next night was gonna be quiet, but we ended up out to dinner with some OTHER friends, and then they came over for drinks. Sigh.
FINALLY my break came on Wednesday night. Once I'd finished my nightly duties, I think I just sat on the couch (actually I LAY down) and watched eps of The Bold and the Beautiful that I'd taped. And it felt sooooo good.
Although the previous week/s had been fun, because they had involved our close family, close friends and fun celebrations, I was still so wrecked by it all. As much as I love them all, I was so glad for it to be over. That following weekend we still had some stuff on, but this time it was different, because I didn't have to cook everything and clean the whole house in preparation! We were going out, which was easier....
We had dinner out Saturday night with Hubbie's boss and his wife (boss had gotten a bonus, so we were benefiting from it!) and Sunday night was another wedding.
A public holiday came during the week, and usually on a day like that where I would encourage Hubbie and I to do something with friends, you know what it was that I wanted? All I wanted was "peace and quiet." As my 7-year-old nephew says to his parents when they have a hectic weekend going everywhere, and all he wants to do is stay home and play with his toys. I just wanted to stay at home, and relax.
Which is what you need. Sometimes you need it. Nothingness can be so good.
We won't mind the story about the back-door neighbours stupid dog that dug underneath our fence to make it into our backyard and ruin the small vegie patch we had going. That's a stupid incident we won't indulge in here, because here and now, it's all well, and it's all good.
The weekend ahead looks promising. The forecast says the sun will be shining, there are blue skies ahead, and good times look like a definite. With weather like that, I think I'm ready to get busy again :)

Summer is your Saturday, so today must be Spring

Driving to work today, I started to think about how great it was that it was Friday. Isn't it odd, how the whole anticipation of Friday afternoon and the weekend, the whole lead-up to it, is actually in some ways better and more thrilling than experiencing the actual weekend?
I think it's due to our wild imaginations. In our heads we have a multitude of plans and ideas, people to see, places to go and things to do, and the thought of all the endless possibilities create pure excitement. More often than not, we don't even get to do half of what we planned to do, then we get to Sunday, and as quickly as the excitement welled up, just as quick does it diminish when you see what's around the corner.
The start of the working week.
It's much like the seasons.
I love summer. Love, love, love it. I would rather be caught up in a boiling hot stinking day than be freezing my absolute you-know-what off. It is soooooo uncomfortable when it is cold. Yet when it's warm you can relax, read a book, tan, go for walks, shopping, eat out....... not that you can't do that in horrible weather (hehe) but you know, the wind and rain sort of ruins it. And in summer, well the sun shines on everything you do. :)
So I got to thinking. It's not the most mind-blowing of metaphors, but it works for me. The end of the working week is much like the anticipation of summer (well for those that favourably anticipate it.)
Friday is like the end of Winter, start of Spring, where you start to get that crisp Sunny weather, but it's still cold enough to remind you that it's not swimming weather yet.
Not that it matters that you have to wait, because you're already excited! It's here, it's here! Just knowing it's close, it's around the corner, is all you need. So you start to plan what you'll do on all your sunny days off, where you'll go, where you'll walk, eat, shop and just sun around. You make all of these plans, and it puts a right big smile on your face. :)
Then suddenly, before you know it, it's Summer! Like your Saturday, you go about doing all the big things you planned for, and hey, you do enjoy yourself! But somewhere in the back of your mind, you're thinking "something unfavourable is just around the corner," and as much as you try to put it out of your mind, you can't seem to forget the fact that the chill is approaching, in both literal and figurative terms. But time moves too quickly. All these things you plan on doing, well you're lucky if you do half of them. Time ticks and slips away through your fingers and you suddenly start to wish you had more time. But because you don't know a crazy old scientist with a DeLorean time machine, you can't really do much about it.
Quicker than you can click your fingers, Autumn is here. Sunday and Autumn are reflective times, when you look back at the good times you've just had, and try brace yourself for what's ahead. You try to enjoy it as well, hey it's not that bad, not yet, but to no avail. You've past the best and now the only way to look is forward.
And then it comes. Winter again. Monday morning.
It's a cycle, that we perform every week, every year. Despite not getting anything really done, and despite being disappointed when Monday comes around, we still allow ourselves to get excited over and over again, knowing in the back of our minds that we'll soon be disappointed.
But we're human. We need something to look forward to.
In the end, all you can do is look forward to Friday again, so the sun can start to shine on you.