I'm still alive!!!!

Haven't posted for ages - but I'm still on the planet! On the planet and away with the fairies, that's me!

My darling daughter Kaysie turns 18 in only a couple of weeks, and she's counting down. She wants to have a combined birthday bash with her friend Laura whose birthday is a few days before Kays. They wanted to have it in a hall, but most of the places she's contacted don't do 18th birthdays anymore. The few that do charge a bond that almost requires a personal loan! I don't want to rain on her parade, but I really don't think the party's going to happen.

I went to the physio today - straaange guy! My knees have been hurting so my GP ordered some x-rays and then referred me to the physio. I have patello-femural syndrome (or something like that). Then he wanted to see my feet. He found the cause of my knee problem - I have gross over pronation of both feet - in other words, I have flat feet! So it looks like orthotics for me. I told him about doing three lots of boot camp - he thinks I'm a boot camp addict - but the good thing is he really wants to sort this problem out so I can continue with my physical activities. I have this fear that if I stop moving/exercising the weight's going to jump back on.

And if I haven't got enough financially draining things to look forward to with 18ths and orthotics, Josh has to go to the orthodontist to get braces!! He's also had some fillings in the last couple of weeks - at least that scared him off eating too much sugary stuff from now on!

Weight wise, I've plateaued big time, which I put down to no boot camp. I promised myself I'd do lots of walking/running instead, but when it's wet and cold I just can't get motivated. I know, I'm a wuss!

Oh well, I'd better go and do some physical activity - housework (yuck!) Hasn't anyone discovered a way to stop dust yet??!

It's Soooooo Frustrating!!

Here's a couple of pics I thought I'd add: firstly, Kaysie and her friend Laura who went to a jumper presentation night for Eastern Rangers with Trent and Troy. Don't they look gorgeous! And the girls scrub up all right too!

The other photo is Kaysie (middle) and her two best friends Lauren (aka Log - on the left) and Laura (on the right). They are great mates and really lovely girls. Lauren's just turned 18 and got her licence, this photo was taken in her car.

I haven't been to a WW meeting for two weeks - not by choice - couldn't go the second week of the school hols 'cos Kiera had a friend over and the rest of the family had cleared out. Couldn't leave them home alone, that would be irresponsible and they would cart me off to the Bad Mothers Home. Although, I feel like I need a bit of a holiday, maybe the Bad Mothers Home might be a good idea. Mmmmm..... Anyway, last Tuesday I woke up feeling blah. Why always on a weigh-in day? I want to feel light and floaty on WI day, not like I've got a head the size of a medicine ball.

I'm going tomorrow though, come hell or high water. And I know it's not going to be good....just a case of how bad! Gone off the rails big time lately and I hate myself for it. I've only got a little bit more to go - I need to focus!

On the positive side (or slightly mad side - depending on how you look at it), I've joined up for Boot Camp No. 3! I'm still loving it, and even though I still hate the 6am starts, I'm proud of myself for the self-discipline. Why can't I have the same self-discipline when it comes to what I shove in my mouth?? Unfortunately though, this time round I'm having a bit of trouble with my knees - I hope it doesn't hold me back.

Not much further to go - can I do it????

*sings* "Happy Birthday to me, happy birthday to me....."

Yep, it's my birthday today! I'm now officially in my MID 40s!! 45!! Nooooooo! Oh well, at least I look and feel a damn sight better than what I was on my 44th!! So I started my birthday celebrations by getting up at 5.20am and heading off to boot camp! Whilst we were running up and down the hill, a friend of mine was walking round the lake with her mum, saw me and called out "Happy Birthday". Consequently, after hearing this my fellow boot campers then sang Happy Birthday to me whilst I blushed (and sweated!) profusely.

Darling hubby bought me some new runners (I was with him when he got them) but I couldn't wear them this morning 'cos he wrapped them up so the kids could give them to me when I got home from boot camp. So I'll wear them on Wednesday, but I asked Jen (trainer) if she could make sure we don't do our session in the sand or on the wet grass (which is generally covered in duck poo!) 'cos I want to keep them nice. LOL. She said fine, we could just sit in our cars for the session, hehe.

Russ and the kids also gave me a CD (The Fray - I like them, but strangely, so do the kids!) a DVD - Six Feet Under Season 1, and even stranger, a PS2 game - Buzz, the sports quiz! Mmmm, interesting presents, don't you think!

My darling mum and dad spoiled me yet again - I got some lovely earrings, a pretty blouse, some perfume (Versace Woman - divine!) and some spending money. They are so good to me.

Anyway, no celebrating for me tonight - Russ and I will be using our Gold Class tickets tomorrow afternoon, we'll probably have a nice lunch beforehand (after weigh-in, hehehe).

Naughty Julie!!!

Well! Three days before weigh in I ate out on EACH OF THE 3 DAYS!!!! And I still somehow managed to lose 300 grams! I don't believe it. I did make good choices, but with the wine etc., etc............

Russ and I celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on Friday. "You don't get that long for murder!" he always says. Because the girls both had basketball games on Friday night, we decided to go out for lunch instead - just a pub bistro. It was nice, but we had to take our son Josh with us - he was home from school due to a curriculum day - hardly romantic!

So Saturday night we went out for dinner - that was supposed to be our romantic date - but our favourite Thai restaurant was particularly noisy that night, so you tend to lose the romantic feel when you have to yell at each other across the table to be heard! Anyway, the food was good.

Then on Sunday night we went out for a barbecue with the "girls" from my basketball team (we're called the Tri-Hards, 'cos that's what we do - when we're not laughing!) and their husbands. We had a terrific night, ate too much, drank too much and laughed all the time. And I had dessert(s) - pavlova, which I haven't had for AGES! and some home-made apple pie which was the best ever! I only had really small serves of each, so I was sorta good!

So Monday morning it was back on track - boot camp nice and early! I was sooooo good with my points as well, so I think that's how I managed to lose. Sometimes I just don't get it though - if you think about it too much it'll just do your head in. Que sera sera!

I was thinking about something my WW leader said some weeks ago, and it really applies to me, when I go "off track". Old "Naughty Julie" was waaayyyyy worse than new "Naughty Julie"!! A year ago Iwould've eaten a HUGE slice of that pav and apple pie, and gone back for seconds!! And eating out I wouldn't have hesitated to order something that was deep-fried or in a creamy sauce. Not now! But even when making good choices, if it tastes good you can't help feeling guilty....................

Boot Camp #2

Well I managed to survive my first boot camp, and in a moment of madness, signed up for Boot Camp No. 2! So another six weeks of getting up at 5.20am every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I wonder if at the end of this boot camp I could get myself some boots like these? Actually, forget the boots, I'd be happy with legs like that!

I know it's sounds crazy but I really do enjoy the discipline of boot camp (if you know what I mean). I don't think I would work so hard if I went to a gym, unless I had someone standing over me, watching me all the time. This morning we did upper body work, so my arms feel like jelly, but hopefully soon I won't have those flabby bits that sway in the breeze!

Last night we (Russ, the two girls and Kaysie's friend) went to the Zoo Twilights concert and saw Daryl Braithwaite. It was fantastic!! Yes I'm a dag, an old Sherbet fan from wayback! I was amazed at the variety of age groups there, thoroughly enjoying it like we were. The girls were hanging out for Daryl to sing Horses, which he did for an encore. He also did a tribute to Billy Thorpe "Most People I Know Think That I'm Crazy", which everybody loved. What a night!

Joel's back at uni (thank goodness!) so he's now out from under my feet, so I can actually get some things done. Only problem is today I'm really lacking energy and motivation. I've got heaps of washing to do, but my machine's playing up and has flooded my laundry after the first load! I think that's a sign that I'm not meant to do much today! Sounds good to me............

Well, Duh! See what happens when you track?!

I am very pleased with myself! I managed to track, abstain from alcohol (hands are a bit twitchy though, lol) and followed week 1 of Superstart. And........wait for it..........lost 1.8kgs. Learned my lesson, didn't I? So now I'm making a promise to myself that I'm going to track ALL THE TIME!

Into week 5 of Boot Camp, and this morning we were building sandcastles! We had two teams of three, two team members had to collect the sand from a certain point and carry it in those big rope-handled buckets back to the third team member who had to shape it into a tall mound. We alternated so we all got a chance to scoop sand and sculpt. Our team lost because our sandcastle wasn't as tall as the other team's, but ours seemed broader, and would have had more sand. I told my team-mates that ours was more "structurally sound". Trying to make them feel better about losing - don't think it worked! Legs are tired from all that running on the sand, and my hands are red and sore from the rope.

On the home front, my "baby" Kiera has applied to be school captain. She had to do a written application, then she was short-listed with 4 other girls and 4 boys. Interviews were held yesterday, and she should hear today how she went. But I feel like I want to burst, because I already know that SHE GOT IT! Her teacher told me last night at an evening for the preps and their grade 6 buddies. I hate keeping secrets, so I hope they tell her today.

Well it's Valentine's Day today, and I got a big fat nuthin'! I'm not too worried about it though, because I'm not a great believer in it. Still, sometimes it would be nice to get a little surprise - but NOT CHOCOLATE! We may be going out to dinner tonight, not for Valentine's Day, it's work-related, but that's better than having to cook. I hope everyone gets told "I love you" today - and every day to come!

Get Over It and Get On With It!!

I was mad. I say was, because I'm now over it. And I'm moving on. I've given myself a good face slapping and I've re-focused. A 1.2kg gain on Tuesday!! Partly to do with TTOM, but I was mad because of all the hard work I was doing at boot camp. Not fair!

So, where am I going wrong? The most obvious mistake is that I've stopped tracking. Thinking it's okay for me to go around with it all in my head and not writing it down just does not work. I might not be going over my points by much each day, but I guess it all adds up.

And alcohol. We are not getting along very well at the moment. Those couple of glasses of wine when I'm relaxing with Russ of an evening is just going straight to my jelly belly! And unlike water, it doesn't seem to want to exit via the bladder.

So, the BIG plan for this week is: 1. track, track, TRACK! Everything. 2. NO WINE/ALCOHOL! This is a toughie! and 3. Follow week 1 of SUPERSTART to the letter.

As Bob the Builder would say: "Can we fix it? Yes, we can!"