Conversations

Now I promise I haven't been wallowing in things and feeling all bullied and sorry for myself or any of that namby-pamby la-la B.S. That is Not How We Do Things here at Chez LBTEPA. However, I was rabbiting on to the Spousal Unit the other day that I knew I should do the triathlon this Sunday, even though I hadn't planned to, but I didn't want to because I could just imagine being jeered by nasty types from That Forum and it made me feel sick. The Spousal Unit answered, well, that means you have to do it then.
He often irks me beyond measure, but by crikey times like these prove the Spousal Unit is rock-solid gold (and how clever I was to marry him). It is that simple. I have to do it, and I'm going to, ready or not (and that would be 'not').
I smsd my friend M, who is doing the whole series, that I was coming along on Sunday. She rang back to see what was going on because I hadn't planned to race until next year. I outlined the ...er...background to my decision, and her first words were, right, I'm changing my entry to Athena.
So there will be two of us. M may be as mad as a meataxe* but what a good, true friend she is.

Now all I have to do is finish revising my thesis, get it bound and hand it in. THAT'S ALL?
Oh, and do some washing so I have something to race in on Sunday, run in tomorrow and ride in on Friday.
And plan my transitions
And my nutrition
And pick up my new orthotics
And run in them at least once
And pack my race bag
And work out family logistics (are they coming? Are we all going in the same car? etc etc etc etc)
And decide what to wear to J's work party on Sunday night (always a top do, and worth frocking up for)
And maybe buy some food
And did I mention I have to finish my thesis? AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
*laughs hysterically, slaps self on face, tells self to please GET a GRIP*
Excuse me while I go and have a little lie down....no, no time! Onward!

more anon, noggin spinners!

*M completely smegged her knee snowboarding in August yet is adamant that she WILL complete the whole series even if she has to walk all the runs, and even if she is risking chronic injury. Her boyfriend and I are beside ourselves, but what can you do? We love her.

SUB women's bike ride

That was SO MUCH FUN!

55 km, 2:32. Just the thing for the first day of summer - 700+ happy, friendly women enjoying cameraderie and adventure on a beautiful Saturday morning. Nancy please note matching lippy and nails, I'm keeping up the standard mate! I was thinking of it as a bit of a practice for the Olympic tri I'm vaguely kind of sort of at the back of my mind considering in January, so my nutrition strategy was water every 15 minutes, and starting an hour in, half an energy bar every half hour. It worked really well; I never had that awful, morale-sucking weariness and finished well capable of tackling the rest of the day - I went straight from the ride to a 4th birthday party (arrgghh), then our friends had a sherbet-fuelled barbecue in the evening. Thanks to my good planning I was able to tough it out :P

We are having a lovely quiet morning after yesterday's craziness. Christmas carols are on shuffle on the cd player and J and Noddie are decorating the tree. I'm thrilled to state that Noddie is vigorously spurning the tasteful, less-is-more approach to tree ornamentation.
I must get back to the bastard thesis (I'm hoping to knock it over today, then next week will be a matter of small revisions and formatting), but first must share with you the utter fabulousness of Geekgirl and SB : they are running the Las Vegas marathon dressed as Elvis, helping to set a world record of running Elvi!More anon, grinners!
BTW, I just turned over my calendar and found this.

Most people are very nice

Well what a bloody roller-coaster.
I deleted yesterday's post because I didn't want to subject you to the flood of invective and vitriol which was the major Australian triathlon forum's response to my posting that there was now an Athena category and could they let anyone know who might be interested. There are no rockets falling on my house so I won't say it was a nightmare, but I have never witnessed, let alone been subjected to such a sustained attack. Nasty nasty nasty, and utterly, viciously prejudiced against larger women. I was particularly upset when this tirade spilled over to coolrunnings.
However, this morning I have
- been out on my bike and not got a flat.
- received nine encouraging emails and private messages from both forums (THANKS to you all, you are GREAT)
- spoken to the EOC and withdrawn my complaint as the inequity about which I was concerned has been redressed.
-had a long conversation with the CEO of Supersprint during which all the misunderstandings which had led to this unpleasantness (mostly created by the threatening attitude of the EOC officer, sadly) were cleared up. I was encouraged to compete as an Athena and promised every support.
- contacted Transitions and had my membership removed. Those people are not what triathlon, and sport in general, are about.

Now back to my thesis. If I work hard I might be able to hand the bastard in early and do the sprint tri next Sunday.

2r = f squared

Yes, two rides and two flats. It was a lovely morning though.
This time I had the thing changed and was off in twenty minutes, a PB!
Writing the results section of my thesis has so far taken two days. Then I must write the discussion, the abstract, the table of contents and make sure it's all in APA style.
There's no way out of this but through.
EDIT:

I. AM. GOBSMACKED.

The Equal Opportunity Commission just rang.

SUPERSPRINT HAVE INCLUDED AN ATHENA CATEGORY IN THE GATORADE TRI SERIES!*

More anon, crusaders!
*I am LBTEPA, hear me roar!LOL

Blunk drogging

Oh, happy, happy day!

Normal service will resume shortly (hic!)

Flat

No, not a post about AWOL mojo nor a thesis-induced coma of frustration, but the epic tale of Minerva's first flat tyre!
Oooh gosh LBTEPA, you say, how very hardcore you are, riding about having flats and bravely mending them all by yourself in the middle of nowhere!
Alas, had it but been that simple.....had success not been thwarted by the slings and arrows of circumstance....alas!
Now read on....
Wake up feeling crampy and blah.
Decide to go out anyway
Put sunnies in pocket as still pretty dark
Ride
Watch sun rise, feel all privileged and cool
Take (fortunately el-cheapo) sunnies out of pocket
Drop them on road and watch truck run over them
Consider going home
Ride on
....
Notice back tyre is flat
Think to self, it would be the back tyre, wouldn't it?
Feel pleased I've had practice getting back wheel undone putting Minerva on the trainer
Resolve to never let the Spousal Unit (henceforth known as 'ol Iron Hands) put the back wheel on again
Briefly consider ringing Spousal Unit so he can undo the 'quick release' (hahahaha)
Struggle on
Cut finger
Undo 'quick release'
Remove wheel
Feel pleased at having remembered to put tyre levers in bike bag
Feel pleased at remembering how to use tyre levers
Feel pleased at having remembered to put spare tube in bike bag
Feel pleased at remembering how to get tube back in
Feel extremely pleased at remembering how to get tyre back on
Begin pumping up tyre
Check that valve doover is done up
Check that other valve doover is undone
Pump tyre
cut finger on pump
Check that valve doover is done up
Check that other valve doover is undone
Pump tyre
......
Check time.
Ring Spousal Unit for a lift home
Convince self it must be a faulty valve.
Feel cross at equipment failure preventing heroic journey - and tale - of obstacles overcome. 'Cause by crikey, although I do confess that until it came to the crunch I was a bit dubious about being able to do all the other stuff, I know I can pump up a tyre.
Put back wheel back on easily
Feel very surprised
Clean small proportion of total grease and mud from about my person
Wait by side of road.
Get lift home from Spousal Unit and Noddie
Tell Spousal Unit about eleven times that it wasn't my fault and I didn't just give up
Make Noddie's lunch, get her dressed, eat breakfast, shower, dress, take Noddie to childcare
Take Minerva to petrol station
Fail to inflate tyre using petrol station air thingy
Feel vindicated
Take Minerva to bike shop
Bike shop man has to hit JAMMED valve with a hammer to make it work
Feel vindicated
Buy new red bike sunnies


It's election day on Saturday. I'll be handing out how-to-vote cards in Orbost. You can make a difference to the future of this country. So do it.

More anon, comrades!

Happy birthday Noddie

Happy birthday darling.

What a lovely time we had :)

My brain hurts

The last three days I've been in the lab running analyses on my paltry data set and surpise surprise have found nothing approaching normality in the results so in order to fulfill the assumptions I've had to transform them all which helped with some but not all of them so then I ran my correlations and - hoorah! - found a significant positive correlation supporting my main hypothesis, but also - boo! - found a significant positive correlation between two of the factors of that scale and the dependent variable so I had to run partial correlations which immediately cancelled out the original significant finding (#$%*!).
*LATER: Hang on - I just worked out why that's not a bad thing, DOH! Jeez I'm slow...oh well, still 24 more sleeps to work on it.
It's Noddie's birthday on Sunday - we are making tiaras, don't you wish you were me? Of course you do. Tomorrow will be a slog of cleaning, cake making and icing, and decorating the house with ballons and streamers and Happy Birthday signs (here at chez LBTEPA we Do Not f#$% around on birthdays). Thank goodness I got the really hellish bit (shopping) out of the way this morning.

So I got nuffin what-so-evah for you today.
Good thing Kathryn tagged me the other day, eh?

Four dishes I like to cook:
1. Mrs. Miller’s chocolate cake – 3 eggs, 2 cups sugar, 250g butter…birthday decadence especially with butter icing. Mrs. Miller was a parent at St Bernard’s Bacchus Marsh when my mother taught there in about 200BC. She (Mrs. M) had 7 children so this is a BIG cake. So easy too – email me for the recipe
2. Boiled fruit cake. I can just about recite this recipe. Again, super easy and yummy.
3. Bread and butter pudding (are you seeing a theme here?
4. Cupboard surprise – when I look in the cupboard and am very surprised when there's somthing in there I can cobble together into a tasty repast (see also Fridge Surprise).
I don’t really like cooking which is why, when the Spousal Unit took over the cooking in order to avoid starvation when I was pregnant, I cunningly never took it back. Mwhahaha

Four qualities I love in people:
1. Kindness
2. Listening
3. Enthusiasm!
4. Reliability

Four places I have been:
1. Japan
2. Italy
3. Canada
4. Korea

Four things in my bedroom
1. The Spousal Unit
2. things I like to look at (besides the Spousal Unit)
· Jorg Schmeisser etching of sheep
· print of Monet’s Garden at Giverny
· Framed poem in Korean calligraphy
· Japanese woodblock print
3. Three clocks
4. My race bling, hanging from the corner of the mirror

Four dirty words I like to use:
1. Duty
2. Happy
3. Principles
4. Smeg

I tag Morsey, Jeanne and Lisa.

Smeg! I've just realised the time, I'm going home.
Have a great weekend all!

Mysteries of the universe

Now I'm by no means into all that Secret stuff, but an interesting thing happened to me recently. I have become disturbingly fixated on a BIG cycling goal for 2008. Of course I have been through the I could never do THAT/ how impossible/ terrifying/ exciting/ how can I make this happen? thought process many times over since the initial crazy notion tickled my brain.
Given my current zero-ish bike base I'll need to ride really consistently all winter to build up even an approximation of the necessary endurance, so once I'd broken the news of this latest and greatest-ever insanity* to the Spousal Unit I told him I wanted a bike trainer for my birthday. We started talking to bike people about the right sort to get, prices etc etc; it was all coming together nicely.
A week ago at the physio I was burbling on about my mad plan, mostly to distract myself from swearing at him for trying to force his thumb all the way through my calf. During a particularly evil manoeuver he remarked, we've got a bike trainer we never use, you can have it if you like.
Ooooh, really? said I, immediately more cheery despite the agony.
So yesterday I exchanged a gift-wrapped bottle of very nice champagne, cause I'm classy like that, for my new toy. And I put it together by myself, and it works properly too.
I don't think I attracted it, but what do I know?

Sleeps til Noddie's birthday - 5
Sleeps til the election (my Mum is the secretary of her local ALP branch; I always hand out how-to-vote cards and act as general factotum for her) - 11
Sleeps til SUB women's bike ride* - 18
Sleeps til thesis* due - 27
Sleep til big swim* - 32

Don't expect much sense out of me for the next month is all I'm saying.
More anon, pioneers!

*After all, what IS life without a stretch goal that makes you feel vaguely ill to contemplate? I haven't told you about my 08 running goal either, have I?

Believe

This was going to be all long and profound but I want to have a nanna nap before Noddie insists that she's had a rest and wants to come out of her room now.
So.
This week I got to believe.
Believe that all those weeks of stumbling, half-arsed, half-hearted, half-baked efforts, all the stuff-ups, blow-ups, make-it-ups, I-give-ups, all the plugging away at The Plan despite feeling inadequate and helpless and undisciplined and doomed-to-be-lardy forever
- all that -
will get me where I want to go eventually if I just keep trying to do the right thing.
Yes. They will. I know this because
- the number on the scale on Friday started with a 7. O, how I have looked forward to this day!
- I rode my bike for more than an hour.
- I cranked out 2km in the pool. Then I entered the 4km swim I was wavering over because now I think I can do it.
Unimaginable.
But mine, mine, all mine!
Cos I kept at it. I gave up, threw up my hands, said it was too hard and I didn't care, lots of times - just ask the Spousal Unit. But I always got back to it. Now I have this week, and this happy feeling, to keep me going back to it.
Dream big, keep taking little steps, and believe. I could be on to something.

In other news, it's Noddie's birthday next week and the guest list she dictated to her father is as follows:
Nanny and Pa
Gran and Grandad
Uncles, Aunts and cousins (assorted)
Dorothy
Glinda
5 little friends
Bob and Wendy
A, my best friend who lives in Perth
my naughty little sister and Bad Harry
Justine and Andrew from Play School. Mind you if Rhys popped in as well I wouldn't complain. Rwowr.
Should be a blast.

Bummer, there's Noddie already, finished adorning every inch of her bedroom floor with her toys and books and her paraphernalia and ready to start on the rest of the house.

*SUNDAY EDIT: The 7 has gone again, curse those mind-messing scales (and that chinese food). But I know what I saw.
More anon, jugglers!

Cup Day 2007

08.30 Off to the TAB with booted andcowboy-hatted Noddie and her hobby horse Empire Rose. Noddie chooses horse to back based on colours of jockey's silks (which, alas, later runs last furlong as though it's tied to a rail), and fills in betting slip and posts it through machine at the counter. We at chez LBTEPA are all about culture, and if we're getting a public holiday for a horse race we want Noddie to know why.
09.30-12.30 Uni computer lab - start data analysis of paltry sample for the Bastard Thesis.
12.55 frock up for13.30 - 17.30 Cup Day party at friend's house, during which Noddie behaves absolutely charmingly - an utter fluke for which J and I naturally take full credit. Noddie remains committed to her hat at all times *wipes eyes* I'm so proudWin nothing despite having covered 80% of field in various sweeps.
18.00 Home.
More nibbles and drink
Crap TV
21.30 Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Tomorrow: Back to The Regime!

Thanks for riding with me

When I set out on Minerva at 06.30 yesterday the road was dry and there were blue patches in the sky. By 7 a.m. I was soaked to the skin. It spat then it sprinkled then it drizzled then it poured and then it bucketed - and it didn't get any better. By halfway around my planned loop I was very very wet and very cold and starting to get a bit agitated. I knew I had to calm down because I was starting to tighten up, which would tire me out in about 0.0001 nanosecond if I let it get the better of me. It did cross my mind for about 0.0001 nanosecond to ring the Spousal Unit and ask him to come and pick me up - can't you just picture it? Spousal Unit? Oh sorry, did I wake you up? Can you (wake Noddie up and bring her out in the car in a storm and) come and get me (so I don't have to ride another 10km) 'cause I'm cold and wet? Thank goodness LBTEPA-of-the-ramrod-backbone stepped in. I started drinking more water and more gat0rade, and eventually actually began to enjoy myself, making up songs with lots of swearwords about what a legend I was* - as you do - and zooooooooming through the roadwater cause my shoes weren't going to get any wetter!
As I rode along I was thinking of all my friends who, even if they think I'm a lunatic, would understand why the rain pattering on my helmet and dripping into my eyes made me grin. You crazed souls who go out there too, celebrating our blessings of health and strength in the rain or the heat or on the hills - Wil, Wes, Jeanne, Misty, Jayme....and so many others - all of you were riding with me today. It was my furthest on the bike since the ankle reconstruction and I was completely exhilarated, in a very wet, cold way. I may be crazy, but who cares?

More anon - including tales of a day at the Whittlesea show with the grumpiest child in the universe. That's if I can bear to think of it again.

* Think "I'm a legend, I'm a f%^&ing legend, I'm a legend, riding in the rain" sung to 'Alouette'. Now try and get rid of that earworm. Mwahaha.

How was your October?

May I just begin by saying that the responses I received to mylast post proved yet again that I am very blessed in my readers? ((HUGS)) You make me feel lucky.
Now: the numbers.*I didn't count the 5 days I was on antibiotics for a chest infection 'cause all I did was sleep and eat.
Exercise - 27/27 = 100%. I'm really happy with how working out is becoming a reliably pleasurable habit (does that mean I'm not training hard enough?). With a couple of event goals - more anon on that - it will become even more fun! (that probably proves I'm not training hard enough!). Time to start logging minute/kms etc in a sidebar I think.
Physio - 25/27 = 92%
Core - 11/16 = 68%. It took a little while after I got better to be able to bring myself to do anything painful. Back into it now. I usually stretch etc while the Spousal Unit is watching TV - we have very different tastes in shows but I like to be a bit sociable!
AFDs - 16/19 = 78%. I'm really working hard on this, especially identifying the reasons I want/have a glass of wine.
H2O - 24/27 = 88%. There's a reason this is still on the chart. I wonder if it will ever be second nature.
Thesis = 28 hours. *Sigh* More more more. Any Australian readers know anyone who has been managing a chronically painful injury or condition for more than 6 months who wouldn't mind filling in a few anonymous questionnaires for my research? I'm DESPERATE for subjects, I'm not joking. Excuse me while I hyperventilate.
Family and friends = 16/16 I've rung or emailed all my dear friends each week. I think this is improving the relationships already, especially with my sister.
As for my measurements/weight: THE SCALES AND TAPE MEASURE HATE ME and that's all I have to say about THAT. Onward!

Lately I've got into the habit of oooh I like that, it's not expensive, I'd wear/use it, I'll have it. There's nothing wrong with that in and of itself, but I'm noticing it more and more as a stress response accompanied by some anxiety as well. I like to feel disciplined about my spending habits, and lately I don't. Now the Plan is this: to buy nothing for myself that I don't especially need between now and the New Year. I've done this before - but this time I'm approaching it from a mindset of abundance rather than scolding. When I see something I'd like, I tell myself that I already have enough (shoes, clothes, jewellery - although I think we all know this last one is never true LOL) and then deliberately think about the nice things I already have. I tried it this morning out with Noddie and it worked really well. We shall see.

Can I hear you say WOOT! The physio was very happy with my progress this week, so LBTEPA is back on the road bay-bee! Run 3 minutes, walk 1 for 5km, three times a week; just me and my happy little collection of bop-along music. What could be nicer?

More anon, stargazers

It all ends with joy

Extra added bonus! This post has been fitted with convenient headings so you can choose which bits interest you!
1. Musings on blogging.
Why have a blog? Attention? Loneliness? Wanting to make friends? To connect with people and express myself? To make my goals more real and myself accountable? To celebrate life with like-minded others?
Are you a bit obsessive about your comments? I'm so lame, I sometimes even get a bit huffy and hurt when I don’t get ‘enough’
Neurotic LBTEPA:(whines) why don't they liiiiike me?
Stable LBTEPA: (sarcastically) of course, I forgot, no-one has anything else to do but comment on your blog, which is the centre of the Universe!
*slaps self on head, tells self to Get A Grip*
All utterly adolescent of course, and even more so when I realise it’s actually that ‘people will reject me if I’m not nice/good/ positive and if I’m rejected I will DIE’ thought pattern talking. I have struggled with this stupid reaction most of my life, but at least I recognise and challenge it now. Ah, maturity, eh? The other bloggy struggle I have is how much to disclose. Various life experiences have taught me that it’s dangerous to let people know when you’re feeling vulnerable, but then that leads to a bullet-proof façade which provokes either admiration or hostility - never support - along with trying to cope with everything alone, isolation and depression. I’ve been down that track, girls and boys – it’s not a good way.
It’s always a fire walk, isn’t it? Online as well as in the non-virtual world. You have to reach out to connect with people, but reaching out is scary 'cause you might not encounter kindness. I actually think it’s less of a risk in the blog-sphere, because people who blog have chosen to reach out and are more likely to be honest and supportive because that’s what they want for themselves.
Do you ever wish you didn’t think so much? I want to find the self-doubt switch, turn it off and RIP that bastard out of the wall. I think the answer is to work out the purpose of my blog. Getting that clear in my mind will help me feel more at ease about what I’m writing. For some reason I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable and scratchy in my skin lately, so anything that makes life more peaceful will be a blessing. Or maybe I should just HTFU* and write.
2.Training.
Even without running and with no specific event goals (for moi, tres weird) this has been a good training week. In my mind I’ve committed to doing that 4km swim in December (will have to check the Spousal Unit’s roster and my training progress before I hand over the cash) so I’m seeing all my lunchtime laps as money in the bank. I am utterly in love with riding my bike so every outing is a treat, especially since I think I have finally nutted out the right seat position.
3. Joy.
Did I tell you I’ve switched my car radio to the classical station? I spend about 6 hours a week driving and it occurred to me not long ago that I HATE COMMERCIAL RADIO – annoying announcers, stupid ads, unpleasant doof-doof music. I’ve no idea why it took me so long to think of doing something so simple that punctuates my day with beauty. Since then, I’ve been looking for other unconsidered habits that I might change to put more joy in my life. I need more fresh flowers, more bike rides, more bright colours, more singing. What about your life? What can you change to give yourself more joy?

Coming Soon - end of October wrap-up! Ooooh I bet you can't wait......
More anon, philosophers.*Harden The F#$% Up - a very popular acronym on the very scary hardcore triathlon forum in which I occasionally lurk.

rubik's rehab

Boring boring boring.
Flat flat flat (apart from my burgeoning midriff).
Mojo? Mojo? Wherefore art thou, mojo?
No wonder the comment numbers have been dropping off.
*sigh*
Well pardon me for sounding like Marvin the Paraoid Android - if you haven't read the Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy I don't want to know cos I have recently seen myself in the bathroom mirror in the cruel early morning light and I don't need any more reminders of my vintage (see midriff, above).
So anyway after sweating for weeks over whether my constantly sore achilles/ankles/shins meant I was overdoing things trying for 3+3+3 (swim+ride+run) training sessions per week and thereby heading into a tailspin of chronically injured decrepitude (see mirror incident, above) I saw my physio this morning.
Apparently when you have had an outrageously unstable ankle your feet, shins and calves get used to that, and when the ankle gets all stable again the other bits of the rubik's cube (please tell me you know what a rubik's cube is, or else just kill me now) get all confused and weird and don't know what to do - and tighten up and get all sore. Come to think of it, I shouldn't be surprised: I've had relationships end just like that.
Now we can correct for this new state of affairs. No running this week (awwww, you mean no run 3 minutes/walk 1 for 5km? Boo f#$%ing hoo), even more peculiar exercises added to the daily repertoire, and a review in a week. Yes to cycling, yes to swimming (did I tell you I was thinking about an event in December as a post-thesis treat? Don't tell the Spousal Unit, he already thinks I'm a loony) and it's all good. None of it was because I did anything wrong. It's all normal normal normal and part of the rebuilding process.
All I have to do now is cheer the heck up, stop eating like a combine harvester and stop spending Noddie's inheritance on ebay. Such a bore discovering new dysfunctional stress responses. But it does prove I'm adaptable, no?
Take care everyone, especially the lovely Nancy, Geekgirl, Duane and SB who are racing this weekend. Go hard and have fun.
More anon, grinners!
*EDIT* I just realised this is my 200th post! Thanks everyone for hanging in, you are such darlings and your support means a lot to me ((hugs))
A joke to celebrate: why did the chicken cross the playground? To get to the other slide!
hahahaha LOL FOCL ROFL oh I crack myself up......

Ab Fab

Well this post was going to be all, sorry darls I got nuffin for you - flat flat flat lacking inspiration a bit tired a bit worried I might be overdoing it on my ankle blah blah blah, followed by some pretentious homily on Acting As If and how if I just keep on doing the right stuff the mojo will crawl back all hungover and grinning from whatever outrageously fun jaunt it's been on without me pretty soon I'm sure.
But then the magnificent Kathryn sent me this!! Mwah, dahling! Thanks so much for the lovely compliment *blushes*.
It's a serious duty in these conformist times to be as fabulous as possible and I thank Kathryn for reminding me.

Fabulous: –adjective
1. almost impossible to believe; incredible.
2. Informal. exceptionally good or unusual; marvelous; superb: a fabulous bargain; a fabulous new house.
3. told about in fables; purely imaginary: the fabulous exploits of Hercules.
Googling "fabulous" gives you 18,100,000 possibilities.
I think being fabulous is about being true to yourself. Even if they do care what other people think, fabulous people don't let those opinions interfere with living a joyful and courageous life.

Now I am privileged to pass this on to five other fabulous bloggers.
Jeanne,
Wil
Misty
Jayme
and of course our beautiful Beck.
Have you earned your Order of Fabulousness today? Celebrate your inner Diva! Refuse to be beige! Dream big and go after it! Smile while you're doing it! Set an example!

Maybe I will buy that Cup Hat after all.....

I'd best be off now; I'm riding to work today and need to leave early to try and avoid the trucks.
More anon, secret superstars ;)

Xkg - 1

I was going to blog this morning but all three of us were going out on a Saturday Train Adventure 'cos the Spousal Unit wasn't working for a change and I did heaps of work on Thurdsay so I could afford a day off the Bastard Thesis, and I was going to blog this afternoon but I was tired from our outing and had a nanna nap. Sorry my treasures, family pizza lunches at flash waterfront restaurants and sleep come before faffing on about myself.

Things that make me go *beam*
:)

It was so glorious this morning that when I went out for my run I had to restrain myself from breaking into "Zippety-doo-dah, zippety-ay, my oh my what a wonderful day....". It was either the local avian choral society or a bird CWA meeting, but the noise was captivating. The sky looked freshly washed and everything had that lovely soft, golden early-morning look about it. :)Spring Frost , one of my favourite paintings

The other night I was getting my stuff organised for the next day. I pumped up Minerva's tyres, oiled the chain and cogs, and adjusted the seat - amazing what useful stuff comes up when you google 'sore knees bike fit', no?. So what? you may ask. But you see, I can't do this bike-maintenance stuff! It's hard and I don't know how and I always mess it up. Hang on! No I don't! Doing stuff like that thrills me with a no doubt unfounded, but oh-so-sweet feeling of competence :)

As you know, me and the vino, we've been close. But becoming significantly less so, thanks to your encouragement :)

Antibiotics and rest 1: chest infection 0 :)

If you do something like, oh, say, riding your bike or running, three times a week for a month or so, you get better and stronger at it! This always surprises me, which is also funny :)

I'm SO not telling you how much I weigh - we're close, I know, but I'd HATE to have to kill you. It's becoming clear that my approach to lard-shedding - FTF, TBUS - is only working up to a point. It needs to be much more specific to provide the constant positive reinforcements and rewards I require from A Plan. So the plan is this:
I want to lose 9 kilos. In order to do that I need to lose 1 kilo. Then another, and then another and so on.
How to do this? I've begun my campaign by adorning the Bermuda Food Triangle (my kitchen) with yet another set of motivators. Not letters but numbers on my stove splashback and my fridge and my pantry door. The number written up everywhere is 1kg below my current weight. Xkg -1.That's my goal. When that number appears on my scales for an entire week (they are temperamental buggers and prone to messing with my head), I'll rub it off and write up a new Xkg - 1. That's how I'll get there.

Off to watch a George Clooney movie* and eat chicken and asparagus pasta cooked by the Spousal Unit now :) :) :) :)

More anon, strivers!
*Waddya mean, which one? Does it matter? Ocean's 13, actually - eye-candy heaven with Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Andy Garcia. Rwow!

Minerva's big day out

It's So I did!
It was great fun, although the words 'so your legs hurt going up the hill and you've run out of gears? Whoopy-f$%*ing-do. You won't die and it'll stop at the top' did cross my mind several times.

Being as I'll do pretty much anything if there's a free feed involved, I joined in a community breakfast about halfway to work where the friendly local cyclists happily stuffing their faces were kind enough to impart their bike-wisdom. I found out which bike shop to go to (the staff at the one I've been going to are vying energetically for Mr Condescending Git 2007) , a Sunday morning riding group near my house, and had my bike engraved with an ID number (also free - woot!). Thanks to these good souls the Yarra Bike Trail is a frightening mystery no longer. I tell you what though - showering at work is a bit freaky. I piled all my stuff up against the locked door just in case.
Whether I ride or train it the 16km home (don't laugh, you bike-geeks, I have to start somewhere!) will depend on how sore my ankle feels later this morning. My rehab depends on my having the discipline to say 'that's enough, I'm stopping' when I really really want to just push it a teeeeeeny bit further. It drives me absolutely mental not to be able to plan plan plan lovely events and goals and schedules - but I know if I did, I'd be much more inclined to overdo it in training. There are nine or ten events I want to do over the next few months; I'm not entering any until the last minute so as not to risk overloading this pesky joint.

As the pinup-girl for Stretch-Goals-R-Us, this INFURIATES me.

*short pause as LBTEPA bangs her head against the wall*
I have to keep reminding myself that I'm training for fifty+ more years of active life, not just this summer. Sigh.

I *heart* Minerva.

More anon, hjólreiðamaður!
Isn't Icelandic a grouse language?

You know what?

Being whacked with the frump stick is a choice, and has nothing to do with size or income.
Having loads of people rush up and say they're glad to see you and you look awesome is extremely astonishing and gratifying.
Not appreciating your life is a terrible waste.
As of now I am OVER feeling apologetic for being over-the-top.
Why was I the only one with photos and address cards?
I am disgusted by people who have nothing good to say about their children.
Saying 'I'm not interested in learning about computers or the internet' is f%$king LAME.
The most attractive people are those who have something in their life that excites them - job, kids, triathlon, fishing, travel - it doesn't matter what, just that something makes your face light up when you talk about it.
It's great to feel validated in the way you approach your life.
It's a gift to be able to say, I'm so sorry I never found you all these years; I'm so very glad you came tonight and we're in touch again.
People who have always had email probably don't realise what a blessing it is.
It's good to be able to say, it's midnight and I've had a wonderful time and I'm going home now.

More anon, my friends!

SHOPPING. IS. HELL.*

And that's all I have to say about those three hours of my life that I can never get back.
I'm driving up to the old home town with a friend from school. We caught up during the organising of this shindig and I hope we stay in touch as she is an absolute gem.

Did I mention I. HATE. CLOTHES. and especially SHOPPING? Not entirely true - I love clothes but I am crap at buying anything that suits me. I dread that helpless feeling of incompetence I get stumbling around shopping centres, miserably watching other people effortlessly locate and snap up that perfect stylish little something. I was seriously considering piking on the reunion because I. Hated. a) Everything I own (except my boots - thanks to Linda and Beck for reminding me I own them - how could I forget them? what a train crash of a social life I have...) and b) Everything and Everyone (no exceptions).

More anon, fashion victims!
*See how this has messed with my head? I. Never. Do. This. Full. Stop. Stuff.
**in moderation, of course.