Hah, I wish I'd remembered to read that last post during this past week!  Last Thursday was my birthday, so the family & friends threw a bbq on the Saturday complete with mini cupcakes, cookies (some storebought, some made by me), tons of food, alcohol, and an amazing birthday cake made with chocolate mud cake, coffee icing filling, and a beautiful rich ganache to glaze.  We only managed to get through half of it at the actual party, so I brought the rest home, cut it into smaller slices and froze them, expecting to make them last at least a month or two, whenever I needed a wee treat.

Instead, Steve and I (mostly I) ate the whole stash throughout the next week, a slice or two every day, sometimes cake for dinner instead of actual food. sigh.  (But we figured out that frozen cake is AWESOME when microwaved so the frozen icing and ganache melts and becomes an ooey gooey sauce! hehe).  I did the same with the leftover cookies that I couldn't give away.  (but I gave away A LOT of cookies!)

So yeah, it was a huge week of food and sweets and stuff I know I shouldn't have had in the house -- classic case of Jess eating all the junk food in the house "just to get rid of it".  Didn't help that it was my PMS week and I always get the super physical chocolate cravings that week.

I've been stuck on a plateau of weight loss this month, both physical and mental.  It's no surprise, I guess, since for about 6 months solid I was really paying attention and working hard at watching my food, avoiding junk food like a fanatic, and exercising regularly (and liking it!).  I suppose the huge mental effort it took to maintain my motivation couldn't be sustained forever, and I burned out after awhile.  I'm not TERRIBLY upset about it, since I haven't regained all the weight I worked so hard to lose -- only 1-2 kgs and have fluctuated within that range all of October, even after my birthday week! -- but I'm starting to get tired of feeling fatter and NOT being able to get back into my groove.  Maybe my burn-out is burning itself out.  Maybe I'm just feeling re-charged after a much-needed a break from being a weight-loss freak.

In other news, I stumbled upon a fantastic recipe for soup made with lentils, curry paste, stock and vegetables.  Incredibly filling and easy to make.  Only problem is it's getting too hot outside for soups and stews!  I still haven't gotten my inner seasonal clock set right, I think - October and November still mean colder weather to me, time to bundle up and start making hearty filling hot dishes for dinner...but really it's the exact opposite here!  Hot muggy weather = cool, light dishes that don't sit in your belly for hours.  It's not like I'm going to be spending the evenings in front of the fireplace, digesting comfortably with an afghan, is it? 

-Well, turns out my hand is fine now, after a few days of rest and NO pushups allowed.  I'm still not sure what the exact problem was, because I cancelled my dr's appointment when it turned out to be pain-free on the morning of my appointment.  The downside to this is that I think I need to nix the pushups for the forseeable future, since apparently 8 months is not enough time to fully heal my carpal tunnel scars.  I think that I can still do the light (3kg) hand weights in the Biggest Loser routine, so I'll have to make do with that.  Blast, I was looking forward to conquering the 100 Pushups once and for all!  oh well.

-In related news, I think I've had an epiphany.  Was reading another blog and the person was writing about "being clean" from junk food for so many days, and got me thinking about alcoholism and addictions.  I've noticed that when I avoid sweets 100% (either homemade or bought), I don't crave them.  At all.  But the first time I do decide to give in and make or buy cookies/cakes/brownies/whatever, it becomes one, becomes two, becomes five, becomes All Of Them, just to get rid of the lot.  It becomes a physical craving, one I can't ignore until I give in and indulge, and then I can't stop.  

I've read about such things as carbohydrate addiction and sugar addiction, but haven't connected it with my own experience until now.  Maybe I really am physically (chemically?) addicted to sugar or chocolate.  I don't seem to have a problem with carbohydrates like multigrain breads and non-sweet things like pasta or rice, it's only the sweet things that seem to affect me.  I'm starting to think that I need to stay away from junk food, sugars and chocolates, in all forms, in any amounts, until I can figure out how to control this.  Maybe it won't ever be something I can control, and I'll have to abstain completely forever, just like a recovering alcoholic.  Is there a Chocoholics Anonymous or a Sugar Anonymous anywhere out there?  I think I need the 12 steps and a sponsor.

Too bad I'm a freaking pastry chef.

Another post with random stream of consciousness...

-it's a beautiful October spring day here!  It's actually been pretty hot this last couple weeks, so people have been saying that summer is early and we won't have much of a "spring".  I don't notice that, since the weather has felt like spring to me all this winter.  All I know is that it was nice, breezy and pleasant from May to September, and October has just turned HOT.  blah.  My 3rd Australian summer, shouldn't I be used to it by now?

-I LOVE Pink.  Steve got me her new (2008) album, Funhouse, and it's awesome.  Plus she's a strong confident woman who doesn't take crap from anyone and hates the stereotype of "stupid girls" who only care about clothes, purse dogs and makeup.  Kinda like me!

-We went to an engagement party last night, and a big part of the crowd was people from Steve's work.  A couple former employees were there, who I haven't seen in a year or so, and both of them said to me, "Jess, you're wasting away! wow!"  That's a nice feeling :)  I also left my stubbie cooler behind, along with my half-drunk beer.  oops.

-have been off the wagon for the last couple weeks regarding keeping track of what I eat, exercise, etc...consequently gained 2.5 kg :p  Getting my motivation back this weekend when I broke out the Biggest Loser workout again - I'd forgotten what a good routine it is, and how EASY it is to start doing it.  It was my main exercise back in April when I started working out regularly and I think I lost a good chunk of weight with it.  Got bored with it after a couple months, so it's been sitting in my "gym" closet (spare room closet) since June.  Time to dust it off and start it up again, since I've gotten bored with my other exercise routines by now.  I also threw myself into the Hundred Pushups routine recently...the same guy has done 2 new routines for 200 Crunches and 200 Squats, so I'm excited about doing that as well :)

-left hand is really painful for the last few days.  Not a muscle thing, it feels more like bones and/or nerves?  Probably a combination of a busy week of baking, throwing around huge masses of dough, and pushups.  Apparently 8 months is still not enough time for my hands to come back to their full FULL strength after surgery...the pain just started a few days ago, and that's when I did some pushups for the first time in ages, so I'm thinking that's the cause.  I'll try pushing up from my knuckles instead of my palms next time...it does feel good to feel strong again though! 10 pushups in a row!

-Steve and I went to see Up last weekend, what a great movie!  It got me thinking about scrapbooking again, so I want to get back into that.  It's been a year or so since I pasted anything in my scrapbook, and I've got tons of newspaper articles, tickets, etc in the to-paste pile. 

-Bathurst 1000 is on tv today, big car race held somewhere down south, an all-day affair.  So Australian men everywhere will be parked on the couch watching that while their women are free to get together and gossip about them :)  We'll be going over to friends' house this afternoon to let the boys watch the race while us girls all chill in the pool.

-Got to make some cookies for Paul today, since I promised ages ago and I still haven't done it.  I'll get those going and put together a couple pages of the scrapbook while cookies are baking :)

...If dog owners have to pick up their dog's poop from public walkways, why don't horse owners??

...I now own (and wear regularly) more singlets/tank tops than normal t-shirts.  Does that make me a Queenslander?  I used to be paranoid about them because of my fat arms, but everybody here has fat arms and they all wear sleeveless shirts, so screw it, I will too.

...Steve and I have been doing long bike rides on the weekends for a few weekends now.  Today was the longest, at 43 km.  I looked it up and that's 26.7 miles.  We rode the length of a marathon!!!  No wonder my thighs are so sore!

...If I don't pig out today (like I have all weekend so far) then I should be on track to hit the -15kg mark at tomorrow morning's weigh-in.  yahoo!!!

I'm in a good mood and I'm procrastinating from some chores right now, so I've decided to update this thing, FINALLY.  (I've been either lazy, working, or thinking about other stuff for the last few months, so there's my excuse.)

Sooooo...not a whole lot happening lately.  I put in our application for a car loan to the bank so just waiting to hear back from them.  The lady I met with seemed optimistic so I'm hopeful.  Can't wait to get a car, even though it will mean a big chunk of paycheck gone each week.  Mobility here we come!!

It's getting warmer down here.  I went the whole "winter" season enjoying the perfect mild weather -- low 20'sC, mid 70'sF -- blue skies, sunny days, breezy warm days ....and last week it started to get noticeably warmer, what I'd call "hot" in the afternoons after leaving work.  Bleah, I don't want the weather to change!  I like it like it is!  oh well.

****

I've been hovering around the 74-75kg mark for a couple weeks now.  That's12-13 kg lost, holy cow, that's 25-something pounds gone!!  It's hard for me to remember that my goal is still in progress.  I've gotten so used to being at THIS weight that I've almost forgotten what it was like to live at 87 kg, carrying 25 extra pounds.  go me :)

I've been working at this since April now, so that's 3 full months of focus including 1 month of apathy, so I suppose the slow-but-steady approach does really work.  Basic stuff I've picked up along the way that has slowly become habit:

-eating smaller portions
-reading nutrition labels
-tracking calories and fat/carb/protein ratio, and trying to keep it balanced at roughly 25/55/20 percents
-sticking with healthy foods like wholegrains, lots of veggies, a couple fruits every day, a couple serves of lean meats and lean dairy every day.  You'd be surprised by how filling a 1500 calorie diet is when it's full of nutrient-dense foods and not empty calorie foods! 
-avoiding alcohol, chips, 'empty calories' junk food
-BUT having a tiny treat every day, usually in the form of nibbling a teeny bit at work.  keeps me sane!
-doing some form of exercise every day.  (well, trying to...lately I've been trying to convince myself that an 8-hour day in a bakery counts as exercise. I'm sure it does, I just probably need to exercise OUTSIDE of work too. hmph.)

I've always had a huge sweet tooth, mostly for cakes & cookies, not so much for the hard candies or mint-type things.  Over the last decade I've learned to eat a more healthy diet and actually developed cravings for the HEALTHY stuff as well as 'fun stuff', and when faced with two options, I always prefer to eat the healthier one.  Multigrain bread over white bread, for instance.  The last few months of recording what I eat religiously and plotting my weight on a line graph have brought out a very visible trend line of my weight:  a few small spikes here and there, generally trending downward....and then once every month, a BIG spike that comes back down to normal after a few days.  I wonder what could bring on such a big change in my appetite once a month! hmm....hehe.  At first I was surprised to see it but now that I know what to expect, I allow myself to give in to my cravings and pig out in the days before my period.  I know it'll come good afterward.

I'm getting closer to my goal of 68 kg now!  I started out losing weight rapidly and now I've slowed down a bit.  I don't mind that - I'm happy to relax after the first two months of rigorous work.  I'm learning how to take it slow and lose my flab almost without realizing it.

Dudes, I'm shrinking.  In the last 2 months I've been working out (weights, walking) consistently every day or every other day, which is a miracle for me.  I've dropped at least 5 kg (11 lb) and possibly even 7 (15 lb) in that time period.  (Although that last 2 kg might be a fluke since yesterday I pigged out on cookies, cookie dough, chocolate cake etc at work and then this morning the scales said I was 2 kg lighter than the day before.  I'm skeptical.)

Problem is, I seem to have hit a wall in my losing weight project.  Two weeks ago, I was so excited about hitting the 5 kg mark that I temporarily forgot that my goal was NINETEEN kg, and started to slacken my exercise efforts, started to allow myself more sweet treats in my eating.  So I've kinda been stalled around the 5 kg point for a couple weeks instead of steadily continuing to drop numbers like I have been.  I need to keep reminding myself about the long term goals, force myself back into the routine and keep chiselling away at the rest of my fat!

Incidentally, my long term goals.  Highest priority, I suppose, is overall getting slimmer and fitter.  Being more toned, less flabby and jiggly, being able to wear smaller clothes.  I'd also like to be able to run.  I haven't been able to run (well, jog) at a decent pace since high school, which was 10 years ago.  At this point there's something wrong with my knee so I physically CAN'T run, but I'm hoping that my doctor can help with that.  Losing some extra weight will be good for my knee and my dream of going for a jog pain-free.

I also want to get myself to a healthy weight before starting a family -- everything I've read says that the more fat you carry while pregnant, the more likely it is that your child will be fat in his or her life.  I don't want my kids to have to worry about being the fat kid at school, like I was.  Being a 'yummy mummy' is also a nice idea :)

But, in the LONG long run I generally want to be healthier and live that way, and teach my family how to live healthily too.  No slight to my parents, but I don't remember eating very healthily as a child.  This could of course be due to my faulty child's memory, so sorry if I get any of this wrong, mom.  But I remember lots of dinners like Hamburger Helper and sloppy joes, and breakfasts like Lucky Charms or Cream of Wheat with 4 or 5 spoonfuls of sugar on top...although I do remember sneaking those spoonfuls when Mom's back was turned, so it wasn't her fault  :)  I also remember lots of attempts at dieting as a family -- cabbage soup, anyone? -- but I never lost much weight.  I don't think we exercised much together, not like outings at the park or family bicycle rides.  It wasn't until high school that I started to think about exercise more, went for team sports, etc, and not until college that I started eating healthier on a regular basis.   I think that my parents would approve of me trying to reverse the trend and help my family to be healthy and active from the very beginning.

(Of course, it would help if the father of my children was also keen to eat healthy and live an active lifestyle, so I'll have to work on Steve a bit more...hehe.  Playing video games all weekend does not count as exercise!!)

Went over to Henny and Jayson's house tonight to visit them and their newborn son Jacob tonight! 

It's funny how I know a lot of theory about babies - all the classes in college - reproduction, lactation, physiology, etc - but when faced with an actual baby I'm lost.  Just haven't been exposed to enough babies and little kids in my formative years, I guess.  If you'd been watching me with the other girls when we were off doing women things (helping Henny breastfeed, changing), you would have cacked yourself laughing.  I have no idea what to freaking do!!  At one point I literally turned in a circle and fluttered my hands because I couldn't think of what to do.  Good thing the two grannies were there to help out.

We'll have a baby eventually - no public declarations of when JUST yet! - but it's being thought about, no fear!

Well dang, I seem to have let this journal slide for a few weeks...anyway I'm a bit bored so I'll post something now.

I've been off work on disability leave for the last 7 weeks -- *seven* weeks, 56 days -- and I'm due to return to work at the beginning of next week!  Originally I was enjoying my time off too much to want to return to work, even though the purpose of my time off was to have surgery and recover from my carpal tunnel...but now, after so long at home, my cabin fever is back and I'm almost looking forward to getting back to work!  At the very least it'll be a return to a normal routine and feeling like a normal human being, and there's also the prospect of seeing my work friends on a regular basis again.

(I suppose that is why I've been so lazy about posting - always had the excuse that "my wrist hurts, I can't type properly"...but now that everything's healed up and nearly 100% again, I have no excuses!)

So during my time off I threw myself into projects of different sorts.  First project was teaching myself to dress, wash, and take care of myself with one hand.  I spent most of the first two weeks at home wearing a bathrobe and undies and laying on the couch with my arm on a pillow.  What a life!  Second project was jigsaw puzzles.  I bought a couple new ones, was given another one, and dug out a couple old ones...spent the better part of a month with a puzzle in some form on a table in the corner facing the tv.  I think Steve got sick of that project pretty quick!  Third project was reading more, always an easy goal for me to accomplish.  I currently have Wikipedia open to X-Men, since I want to read up on the characters and some backstory before Wolverine comes out!!  (PS I'm in lust with Hugh Jackman. wow.)

Last & current project, now that both my arms work relatively well again, has been to start exercising and get my flabby arse back in shape!  Before my surgery, I had a goal of losing 9 kg -- but over my time off, I GAINED 3 kg!  So it's time to start FOR REAL for real now.  gah.  So, I've been scouring the web for decent calorie-counter sites and found a couple good ones -- FitDay.com and NutritionData.com.  The first one gives me a chart to fill in what I ate, how much exercise I did, and calculates how many calories I ate or burned that day.  Also has awesome charts and pie graphs to show me exactly how everything breaks down.  I love charts and statistics!  The second one is a good tool to figure out what the hell is in that weird new dish I just made -- so I can transfer that nutrition information back over to my FitDay charts!  I've also been re-reading some great diet blogs (hello Dietgirl!) and reading up on workout/weight-lifting routines and motivation stuff.  The Biggest Loser (US version) has a book out that puts together a fantastic routine of circuit training and free weights, and it's a tough workout for me but I love it.  My wrists still get sore if I push it too much, so I wrap them both up in Ace bandage like a boxer, and it seems to help support my poor weak wrist muscles.  Plus it makes me look tougher, rarr!

The idea is to get into a routine where I do the circuit training 3 days a week, do an hour of walking/bicycling/swimming 3 other days per week, and have one day where I get to laze around and do nothing at all.  For eating, I'll keep track of my calories eaten/burned and work on eating less than I burn -- so I'll slowly start to burn some fat steadily and slim down naturally!  I normally despise calorie counting and being anal about portions and percentages and stuff, but I think it's time to try it.  I don't seem to lose weight at ALL unless I throw myself into it whole-heartedly, and even then I never lose a whole lot.  My big goal is to drop 19 kg total, by my 28th birthday in October.  Tall order, but I think I can do it!  (As of this week, week #1, I've dropped 1.5 kg! whoo!)

---

The other current/hopefully soon project is camping out.  Both Steve and I love the idea of getting a tent and going camping somewhere in the bush or rainforest, but it hasn't happened yet this year.  We're tentatively planning our first trip this weekend with a few other people, even borrowed a tent and bought a bunch of supplies, but so far it's forecasted to rain for basically the entire weekend.  I still hold out hope we can go, but I don't really want to be rained on for 4 days!  Fingers crossed the trip is still on...if not, we'll have plenty of food to last the week at home!

Ok, NOW my wrists are sore from typing.  I'm out.  Happy Easter, y'all.

Finally getting around to posting this.  It's a little late now (Feb 23?!), but I'm still awake, and bored, so what the hell.

What did you do in 2008 that you'd never done before?
Start a home with with Steve!  Also very nearly walked out on the job 1 hour before dinner service started (I had a good reason).

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions, and will you make some more for next year?
HAH.  nope!  I did make "goals", such as find a local gym, buy a car, go camping with Steve more often, and plan a Christmas trip to the US this year or next.

Did someone close to you give birth?
porbably, but I can't remember!!  Got a few friends due any day now, though.

Did anyone close to you die?
no.

What countries did you visit?
Just the US.  Whirlwind trip home for wedding and college reunion!

What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Well, lots and lots of spare money would be nice...

What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Feb 15 (awful Mackay floods), June 14 (our awesome American wedding), July 1 (started great new job), August 20 (moved into our first home together), and Nov 4 (American election!).

What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Helping to plan a wedding from different hemispheres, and surviving the hassle of looking for an affordable rental property in this town. yeesh!

What was your biggest failure(s)?
Only the chronic continual failure to take care of my body on a continuing basis.  I was great in July-Aug, biking 4 miles/day for work and doing tons of heavy lifting at work helped me melt away 10 lb in record time...but moving 1 block away from work, and having to go on light duties within 2 weeks of each other kind of stopped that exercise. sigh.  Say hello to 13 lb.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
yay for good old Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  Also had tonsillitis in July, which was very un-fun.

What was the best thing you bought?
Our GORGEOUS couch!  Seve would also add, our big HD TV set :)

Whose behaviour merited celebration?
American voting public!!  And all the people that helped out with last minute wedding preparations without being asked!

Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
As usual, GWB and Dick Cheney.  Ooh, and our former housemates, for generally being dickheads.

Where did most of your money go?
Wedding planning, plane tickets, and rent/rental bond for our flat.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Losing that 10 lb so quickly!

What song will always remind you of 2008?
hmm...At Last, from the Obamas' first dance as President and First Lady :)

Compared to this time last year, are you
i. happier or sadder? much happier
ii. thinner or fatter? a little fatter (argh)
iii. richer or poorer? poor as always, but building up a good little nest egg for future

What do you wish you'd done more of?
The usual, exercise more consistently.  And maybe more experimental baking, to keep in practice.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Saying "it's too hot to go outside and go for a walk".  Summer is on its way out (I hope?!) though, so no more of that excuse!

How did you spend Christmas?
Opened presents under our VERY FIRST Christmas tree!  Then had lunch with Steve's mum, and dinner with his dad, generally pigged out all day long.  Friends over Boxing Day, more pigging out!  Also had a semi-family reunion on the 22 for an aunt/uncle's 40th wedding anniversary!

Did you fall in love in 2008?
Yes...with our OUR COUCH!  Steve was great too :)

How many one-night stands?
Does an all-night marathon of The Big Bang Theory count? :)

What were your favourite TV programs?
Big Bang Theory, Heroes, CSI Las Vegas, Black Books, The Mighty Boosh, The IT Crowd.

What was the best book you read?
The Life of Pi (Martel), The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl (Reid) , Pride and Prejudice (Austen), Mao's Last Dancer (Li Cunxin), Shaman's Crossing (Hobb).

What was your greatest musical discovery?
Honestly I didn't listen to much music last year (at least not voluntarily...the work radio "station" pretty much killed jazz, motown, and Christmas music for me).  Steve introduced me to a few new ones like Empire of the Sun and Booka Shade, I like them.

What did you want and get?
A decent, competent man in the White House.  And a trip home to see my family (and inflict them on Steve)!

What did you want and not get?
A speedy fix for my carpal tunnel.  8 months on light duties is boooorrrrinnng.

Favourite film of 2008?
There Will Be Blood, Slumdog Millionaire, Taken, Wall-E!

Films I'm dying to see:
Revolutionary Road, He's Just Not That Into You, Benjamin Button

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I cooked a nice dinner for Steve and myself, and we had a quiet night at home together!  The best thing I could have wanted for a celebration.  I turned 27, yikes!

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Can't think of much...2008 was a good year, all-in-all!  Steve and I just keep moving forward in our life together, and I love pretending to be grown-ups with him. :)

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Work clothes = prisoner-style whites.

What kept you sane?
Hopping on the bus to go to town and, you know, SOCIALIZE.  I must be forced to get out of the house and see my friends.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Christian Bale (yeah he was an ass to that guy, but who cares, everybody's entitled to a bad day once in a while...and he's HAWT!)

Which political issue stirred you the most?
The US election, health care, illegal Japanese whaling.

Who do you miss?
Krysta (oldest friend from home).

Who was the best new person you met?
Henny (Jayon's wife)!  We've become pretty good friends this past year.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Don't take anything for granted.

Best live shows of this year:
Coincidental fireworks at our wedding reception.

Best drinks of this year:
The Highland Park Capella that Steve opened at our wedding!  And Toohey's Old...mmm, Australia's version of stout...

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
In the rain the pavement shines like silver
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me forever and forever
- - - "On My Own" from Les Miserables

What are you looking forward to in 2009?
Getting a car, going to Sydney in May for a wedding, and (hopefully) finalizing my permanent residency visa in Australia!

4 weeks. oops!

it's 2 am now and i can't sleep. must be the anesthetic wearing off or something?

anyway update. after a long drawn out series of doctor's appointments, updated medical certificates and annoyingly light duties (oh, and chronic nerve pain), the time for my first carpal tunnel surgery has finally arrived!  had my left wrist sliced and diced yesterday afternoon, and after a few hours in recovery (waking up, eating, resting), they discharged me and sent me home with one big fat bandaged lump in place of a forearm and hand!  you can see the tips of my fingers wiggling about though, so that's good.  my thumb and first 3 fingers are numb; i can't tell wether from the drugs or from the tight bandage yet.  but i can wiggle them! and i don't feel the usual ache of nerve pain my forearm, so i take it as a good sign!

i am off work for pretty much the next 6 weeks. 3 weeks for first hand, then surgery and more time off for second hand.  bosses won't be too thrilled, but i warned them that i'd definitely be out 2 weeks each time, so it's not like they didn't know at all.  the apprentice baker is back from his schooling now anyway so that's good timing. 

once i get all healed up and work back up to my pre-carpal tunnel arm strength (i used to be really strong "for a girl"!) i'll start doing ovens again, and start learning the rest of the bakery's ranges of bread.  i've gotten good at the plain white doughs, but i never got a chance to learn the seeded/grain stuff before i had to go on light/non-baker duties.

so!  projects to keep me from going stir-crazy in this next 6 weeks (needle-point is obviously out, unfortunately...):
-read
-catch up with tv/movies off the hard drive
-audiobooks (harry potter #7 right now)
-go for walks and explore more of this neighborhood
-light exercise program so i don't put on ANOTHER 10 lbs...
-go to work and harass/get sympathy from co-workers ;)
-wiggle my fingers (seriously, i have to, so my hand/tendons don't stiffen up
-call people and harass old friends/family over the phone
-teach steve to cook real food for dinners :)
-hang out with the neighbors (the friendly ones)
-fill out lists and surveys on facebook
 

any and all extra suggestions welcome!

The inauguration ceremony will be broadcast here live, starting with pre-coverage at 11pm, and the ceremony itself at 3:30 am...I've set my alarm!!

ok, so Steve and I were talking and we decided that since New Year's "resolutions" never really work, we'd rather make some "goals" that we'd like to accomplish for this year.

For me, I want to:

-get my carpal tunnel surgery SOON so I can get back to baking full-time.
-pay off my US credit card and get an Australian card.  $850 or so to go on the US card.
-find a gym in our suburb and go 2-3 times a week...if no gym, then do my own exercising 2-3 times a week at home.
-cut back on sugar intake (again), ideally to the point where I'm happy with only eating dark chocolate -- I was there 6 months ago, I'd like to be there again.
---and after all that, I'd like to re-lose the 5 kg that I gained back over the holidays -- lost it 6 months ago, and I want to get rid of it again!

Together, we both want to:

-get out of the house more!  Buy a tent and a couple swags and go camping at least twice this year.
-buy a car for me (maybe)...
-plan a trip to the US for Christmas 2009 (or 2010)...
-plan a trip to Melbourne late this year...

Should be a good year, if we get all our goals accomplished!

Merry Christmas everybody! 

(I found my Christmas spirit, obviously...just in time!)

A few thoughts:

1.  I still have a really hard time feeling Christmasy when it's hot and sunny with green grass and blue skies.  I still need it to be cold, grey, gloomy and snowy for me to feel like it's Christmastime.

2.  I miss the IDEA of snow (see above)...but I don't think I miss actually LIVING with snow, especially our Buffalo snow.  Shoveling out the driveway, shoveling out the car, shoveling out a parking space, driving winds blowing -20 degree air in your face and down your neck...  nah, I don't miss that :)

3.  Work has been playing Christmas-type songs the last few weeks.  Nothing unexpected there.  It started out with a pretty good variety, but last week one of their cds must have died, because the variety suddenly stopped and we got stuck with a playlist that has about 5 "individual" songs and maybe 10 songs off of a Stevie Wonder Christmas album (including the parts where he talks to the "kids" between songs!?!!).  And they play it over and over and over and over...and over and over and over and over!  I counted 6 'Ave Maria's, 5 'One Tin Soldier', a bunch of something that sounds like 'Bless the Child' and about 10 of some stupidly catchy song by a girl band and a saxophone solo.  ugh.

I swear, if I have to listen to Stevie Wonder mangle 'Ave Maria' one more time, I'm gonna lose it and run through the store bashing all the shelves down with the big 5kg metal rolling pin, screaming my head off the whole time.  AAAAUUUUGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Ok, well piggybacking off of Steve's latest post, I've also been steadily working on projects here and there, mostly financial in nature...most of them started 2 or 3 months ago, and finally got around to doing them this week :p

Done:
-Applied to add me to Steve's health insurance fund
-Opened a First Home Saver Account
-Applied for life insurance through my superfund (pension fund)

(Basically with all these various funds and savings account things we have together, I'm setting aside 87% of my weekly paycheck for savings/bills, and using the rest for groceries.  So much for fun money?)

Still to do:
-Apply to change my name on my social security card (involves mailing important original documents to the American Embassy in the Philippines, so I'll have to FedEx it or something secure)
-Draft a will with the Trustee's Office
-get renter's/contents insurance
-get checked out at the local mole clinic
-print up our photo collection and make physical photo albums
-print up my recipe collection and organize it into binders

Also want to start (and maintain) a decent exercise routine...the bane of my existence.  I know I should do something every day, and I have the dvd's and weights and skipping rope to DO something, but I just never seem to get around to it!  humph.  That is my biggest personal frustration this year, I think.  They say that overall health is composed of a healthy diet and exercise.  My diet is overall pretty healthy (apart from the occasional chocolate binge), so I just need to overcome my inherent laziness and get the exercise thing under control.  bleah!

IT'S MANGO SEASON!!

YAY!!!!!!!!

That is all.

to go by the username Americanlass as I am today! 

Living overseas for the last few years has given me a first-hand look at how my home country is viewed by the rest of the world.  There have been some small positive reactions when I say where I'm from, but mostly people react overwhelmingly with...disdain, contempt, pity, jokes, "what were you thinking?" type comments.  Three years of being on the receiving end of this has been difficult and at times I've despaired of it, threw up my hands in disgust at the way Bush was running the country into the ground, the way the war was going, the way our government was governing based on lies, corruption and self-serving greed.

Now...now?  I'm proud of what's happened today. 

I'm proud of the way my fellow citizens got sick & tired of the current regime and agreed that we need a change.  I'm proud of the HUGE number of people that exercised their right to vote.  I'm proud that we have put aside our legacy of racism and elected a black man to the highest office in the country.  I'm proud that we have elected the man who has run his campaign and career based on change.  Maturity.  Integrity.  Graciousness.  Truth.  Optimism.  Hope.  The hope of a better day.

Today, I am proud to call myself an American.

Second post for the day!  Record!

...Have gotten hooked on old(ish) British/Irish tv shows, like from the past 5 years.  Steve acquired 'The IT Crowd' and I watched all 12 episodes in about 2 days...he's started acquiring 'Black Books' and we watched the first episode last night...I'm eagerly awaiting the acquisition of the rest of them!  It seems that the same guy wrote/directed the two shows, and he's BRILLIANT. Graham Linehan, the guy that did Father Ted.  Another one I'll have to watch.

A cool thing is that a few members of the cast/crew from the two shows also turn up in other shows like 'The Mighty Boosh' and 'Garth Marenghi's Darkside'...as well as other British-produced tv and movies that I love.  Small islands, small acting community, I guess!  So guess what will be next on my "to acquire" list... muahaha.

Right, so I think my computer has finally bit the dust.  Finally.  After 5 long years together, and after 2 years of Steve hinting at it, and me loyally refusing to ditch the old thing, because "I know how it works, everything is where I want it" etc.  After the neighbors listening to me shrieking and screaming at it today when it crashed repeatedly over the same segment of the dvd I was trying to play.  The video thingy inside the hard drive is just...DEAD, and it refuses to be fixed, no matter what software Steve installs or how he fiddles around with it. 

So, I'll have to look into brands/models of new computers that I might like.  Hopefully he can get me one through his work and go on a payment-installment plan!

Good thing I never really named my computer, or I'd be feeling REALLY sentimental about it now.  The name I call it most often lately is YOU STUPID BLOODY PIECE OF CRAP WHY DON'T YOU WORK PROPERLY?!?!  ...so I think yes, it is time for the junk bin.

------

Oh, and I have a cavity inside one of my top canines.  Pretty big, so that I can actually feel the hole with the tip of my tongue.  Seeing a new dentist next Monday, fingers crossed he will fill it same day!  (Too bad it's too big for me to eat sweets...cause I really feel like chocolate bikkies now...)

I finally received my absentee ballot today!   I had mailed out the ballot application a few weeks ago and hadn't gotten anything back yet, so was starting to get a little worried about it...but it turns out there was nothing to worry about.  So I happily ticked the box marked BARACK OBAMA and sealed it back up.  I'll smack a stamp on it and mail it out tomorrow first thing.

We've been in our house for just on 2 months now, and it's fantastic.  Our new couch is WONDERFUL and we've got all the big stuff (re furniture) that we need to make it feel like home.   Just working on saving up for the little details -- vacuum, iron/ironing board, a new bed, a new tv.  That, and putting money away to pay off the couch, whenever the bill arrives :p

My big things lately have been following the US election and the state of the economy...in between that, I've been spending my free time playing with house and attempting to convince myself that I keep a spotless home.  The ants don't help though...

Oh, and I seem to have given up on the 100 pushups thing for now -- after the doc said I had carpal tunnel syndrome from all the heavy lifting and strain on my wrists from work, I've had to cut back on that stuff and go onto light duties for a few months.  It's annoying, but all the medical stuff is covered by WorkCover (workman's comp, basically) so I don't have to worry about it.  Surgery will happen at some point, hopefully soon, maybe after christmas?  But after that's all over, it's back to pushups for me!!

Munich is on tv tonight, so I'm off for now.