Thursday Thoughts

Thursday 29 March 2012 - Look at this magnificent morning feast I had today at our team breakfast:

This is BBB French Toast (Banana, Berries and Bacon)

So bad it's good, and a likely contributor to my overweight condition, but hey, it's a treat and it's not every day, so back off! Heh. It was yum to say the least, and Queen Bean on the ground floor of our building does fantastic food and the staff there are great too. 

This Tuesday I went to my second yoga class. I don't know that I am doing it correctly. The first class last week went okay, but I think I stretched a muscle in my chest that hadn't been stretched before (leading to much concern but was gone a day later); after the second class, I was really uncomfortable on the right and left side, just under my boobs. This lasted all night and till mid-morning the next day - leading me to think I pulled something the wrong way OR that my wirefree sports bra had just been too tight! Possibly a bit of both. So yeah, looking forward to next week's session to see what else my body can throw at me!

Other than that, the week has been progressing nicely. Friday is casual dress day at work, with a yellow theme - raising money to sponsor a girl at work who is going in a charity bike ride for cancer research. I am going to stay at Sean and Sam's place, so I can get my car serviced early Saturday morning at the Ultratune near them. Nice.

Monday's Muse

Monday 26 March 2012 - Last Thursday was the 10th anniversary of my Nanna's death. I still remember it like it was yesterday. Realising it had been 10 years absolutely spun me out as I realised just how fast the years have flown by. How to slow things down??

On a happier note, last Friday was my sister's 15th wedding anniversary. She and John got married at St Brigid's Church in Coogee (I was best bridesmaid). Then a wonderful reception at the Watersedge Restaurant, right under the Sydney Harbour Bridge... such a happy time was had. Then the following year, our gorgeous girl Alycia was born, then in 2001 came Mitchell, the smilingist, most happy bubba ever.  Not great English, but so be it. Donny and John have done well over those 15 years, I must say. Lovely family. Of course - they are part of my family, after all.

On Saturday, whilst Queensland voted in a new political party, my friend Natalie hosted a girly lunch, called the MS Biggest Lunch (or something along those lines). She is really a fantastic hostess with the mostest, having whipped up a really delicious 3 course lunch with champers, wine and fresh-made coffees. The aim was to raise money towards MS research. MS is one of those fricking cruel diseases that picks and chooses healthy people at random and pretty much slowly decimates them. So we learned more about the disease, while having a top lunch and a relaxing afternoon with great company. Here we all are (except Nat, who took the photo!)

On Sunday, when the Pacific Fair shopping trip I was planning with my friend Angela didn't pan out, I ended up at Ben & Kylie's place at Bulimba for Bryn & Imogen's 3rd birthday party. Kylie's parents and grandmother, and moi, were the special guests! Featuring a fabulous blue whale cake (boy's) and a cute bunny cake (girl's), I think the kiddies had fun, and I had a good afternoon catching up with my cousins.

This evening, I've been reminded of my 2012 theme song lyrics "It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for meeeee... and I'm feeling goooood" (Muse version, of course). And here is why:

I have been a bit down lately, and I've realised sometimes you just can't do it all on your own. I met a lady this afternoon who is hopefully going to help me think more positively and turn around my attitude. Basically! Easier said than done, but I'm hopeful.

Also, tonight I went to Reconciliation, which I try to go to before Easter each year. I always feel great afterwards, having being cleared of past mistakes/sins and it's like being given a fresh start. It's a Catholic thing - which I value, and which worked tonight to make me feel really positive, and like a weight has been taken off my shoulders.

Let's see just how long this feeling lasts, hmmm? Work in progress.

Wednesday Wincing

Wednesday 21 March 2012 - Look at these little cherubs, who turned 3 today:

They are my second cousins, Imogen and Bryn. Happy Birthday to them xx

I'm currently watching Adam Hills In Gordon Street Tonight. He has Barry Humphries on as a guest, and besides his outfit of lovely turquoise pants, an orange tie and a red jacket with green collar, I can't say that I ever really find him that funny. For people to fall all over themselves with praise (especially when he's dressed up as Dame Edna), I just don't get it. Oh! He just got David O'Dougherty a good one though. Heh. Anyway, I'm not going to give a rundown of the TV show I am half-watching. 

I am feeling a teeny bit sore in strange places, I assume caused by the yoga stretches last night. Areas that don't often hurt are a bit niggly that's all - hence the reason I named this post "Wednesday Wincing", as I am wincing, and it surely is Wednesday. I shall soldier on though, not to worry. 

Now Nick Lowe is on the show, singing What's So Funny About Peace, Love & Understanding. Great song - love Elvis Costello's version, but this one is pretty good too. Wow, I just googled it, and it seems Nick Lowe actually wrote it. Clever fella - well done Sir!

Hmm, that might have to be all for tonight. Creativity and ideas are clearly not forthcoming! 

Tuesday - Discovering Possibilities

Tuesday 20 March 2012 - tonight was my first ever yoga class! Yes I made it - almost 2 months after I intended to start, but I got there in the end.

Yoga was good. I learned about different Asanas (steady and comfortable positions) like the cat stretch and the downward dog, also how to do "the full yoga breath" and its importance in yoga. Now, I just need to work on combining the Asanas with the breathing, instead of holding my breath.

I can see how it would be beneficial to my physical and mental well-being when done correctly. Liz the instructor was really good, explaining how to do everything properly and the benefits of each move, also occasionally reminding us to breathe. I got the shakes with a few of the stretches, I'll admit! But didn't  fall over, pull a muscle, cramp up, pass out from forgetting to breathe, or fart (like I had been warned might happen). This elderly lady though, right at the end of the "relaxation" part, let rip a beauty, clear and loud like a trumpet blast. Was I the only one who had to suppress wild laughter? Why yes, I think I was - most immature. But it was very funny.

    

                               I did these moves tonight                But this might be covered in the 2nd class                                           

Monday Catch Up

Monday 19 March 2012 - My goodness, how the time does fly. I have had a break from The Daily Muse, clearly. It isn't really even living up to its name of The Daily Muse right now, but let's set about fixing that. Today's post is for my cousin Kylie xx

Well, the last post was written after a tough couple of days, apparently. I am feeling in a better state of mind this week though, which is pretty brilliant, I reckon. Since then - I went to Free Zumba at King George Square in the city on Wednesday - to find that the Brisbane City Council hadn't turned on the electricity for Carol the instructor to operate her music. Bugger. Not happy about that, but at least I got home early and got to do some chores. Great huh.

On Thursday night, I went to Milton for the Market Research session - on politics. Knowing (and caring) as little as I do about that subject, I felt a teeny bit stupid and uninformed, but hey, they wanted all kinds of people with little to lots of political views, and they still paid me for my time. So hopefully I helped them with their "research", as they helped me with my finances...!

Friday after work, I was heading for the station to catch the airport train, when my friend Corina came out of the building behind me. She was up from Sydney, and was also heading for the airport to fly home, so she let me share her cab AND got me into the Virgin Blue Lounge for a while - lovely! Especially lovely to stay in there when I found out my flight was delayed for an hour... Meantime, she got me onto Words With Friends on our phones, which I became hooked on in quite a short time...

New Parliament House - our nation's Capital

So, I flew to Canberra and arrived at about 10:30pm their time. My friend Kim and her cousin Vicki were waiting for me, bless 'em. Vicki was our chauffeur, entertainment and tour guide over the weekend, which was extremely kind of her - she was great, even if she was a mad Manly fan... I hope she had a good time too. Kim and I stayed at her Uncle Bernard and Auntie Jeanette's place at Queanbeyan, about 20 minutes drive from Canberra city. They were absolutely wonderful hosts, feeding us, making lots of coffee and tea, and providing comfy beds (and an excellent showerhead in the bathroom!) and really making me feel welcome. Very generous and kind people.

On Saturday, Kim, Vicki and I went to the National Gallery to see the Renaissance Art Exhibition. Mightily crowded when we walked into the first room, but I got in line to sidle my way slowly around the first few paintings, with my handy dandy audio guide in my ears. Kim & Vicki were sharing theirs, so they had to stick together - leading, I believe, to stories being cut off when someone got bored, and one or the other being jerked along in a different direction, a comedy of errors really... I liked having my own! The crowds dispersed more, the further along I went, strange how that happens.

The works of art from the 15th & 16th centuries were on loan from a small gallery, the Accademia Carrara, in Bergamo, Italy. I love this kind of art - advertised as Raphael, Titian, Botticelli and Bellini, there were many more artists whose works were great as well. An example of one I really liked (enough to get the fridge magnet!):

The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria - by Lorenzo Lotto

 Afterwards, we all went for lunch at the big shopping centre in the city, and did a bit of shopping. That night, Kim, Vicki, her husband Jimmy and 12 year old son Cade, Bernard, Jeanette and I had dinner at Bellucci's Italian Restaurant in Woden - fabulous service, great food. Hard to fault, and so I definitely recommend it.

On Sunday, we girls did some more shopping at Fyshwick - DFO. I spent ages in the Typo shop - I  never realised how much good stuff they have in there! Bought a Wallpaper guide book on Barcelona and a cute little alarm clock - which was tagged as $9.95, but I worked out later, they charged me $19.95 for... took a little of the shine off that shop for me. Hmmph. Ah well. I also got a pair of Diana Ferrari black flat shoes with 40% off, which was really a bargain. Then at JB Hifi, my favourite store, I bought the Breaking Dawn DVD and the Any Questions For Ben? soundtrack on CD.

Flying back to Brisbane, Kim & I weren't sitting together - she was up the front, I was second row from the back, near the screeching child (admittedly, only for takeoff and landing). I was next to a nice guy who immediately introduced himself as "JJ" and shook my hand, and I told him my name. We chatted towards the end of the flight, after I noticed that he was reading a book on Body Language, while I was sitting there with my arms folded protectively (or, I could have been cold you know). Then at baggage claim, he got his bag and said "Nice meeting you, Nicole". Yep, see ya. Such an impression that I made, clearly. I had to laugh though. He was probably about 25 anyway, I estimated.

Anyway, after a good sleep last night, it was back to work today, and Zumba tonight. I have been writing this while watching Team America on the telly. Funny, funny movie. Love that the Kim Jong Il puppet sounded so much like Cartman from South Park.

I am officially Up To Date with the blog. Hope it was simply fascinating for all my many, many followers =)

Tuesday - Good Things Happen In Threes

Tuesday 13 March 2012 - Look at the beautiful rainbow that greeted me when I got home this afternoon:

After a terrible day at work which left me somewhat embarrassed and emotionally drained, this hung right over my place in a perfect arc.

When I got inside, I had a missed call on my phone - when I listened to the message, it was from a Market Research place who want to pay me for my opinions on Thursday night. Cashola, yay!

Afterwards, I sat listening to my 35 minute Deep Relaxation CD by Alexander Robey, who has one of the most soothing voices ever, and even manages to help me to control my busy mind and relax. In fact, I went to his "Stop That Busy Mind" talk at the Relaxation Centre at Alderley last year, which was when I received the CD for free. Bargain.

So my rainbow, phone call and CD were 3 good things which combined this afternoon to salvage my day, and make me feel more human and settled. And less negative.

Also during the day, I heard this song on the radio which I have always liked, and appreciated it more when I heard it today. The lyrics are fantastic and positive.

The Middle - Jimmy Eat World

Hey, don't write yourself off yet

It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on.

Just try your best, try everything you can.

And don't you worry what they tell themselves when you're away.

It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride.

Everything (everything) will be just fine, everything (everything) will be alright (alright).

Hey, you know they're all the same.

You know you're doing better on your own, so don't buy in.

Live right now. Yeah, just be yourself.

It doesn't matter if it's good enough for someone else.

It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride.

Everything (everything) will be just fine, everything (everything) will be alright (alright).

Hey, don't write yourself off yet.

It's only in your head you feel left out or looked down on.

Just do your best, do everything you can.

And don't you worry what the bitter hearts are gonna say. 

It just takes some time, little girl you're in the middle of the ride.

Everything (everything) will be just fine, everything (everything) will be alright (alright). 

source: http://www.lyricsondemand.com/j/jimmyeatworldlyrics/themiddlelyrics.html

Mindless Monday Musings

Monday 12 March 2012 - Today Brett, our team leader, came back to work from a 2 week holiday, with a full beard. It looks good. Some musings on facial hair (on men):
Some men shouldn't have beards.
A full beard is better than a goatee. I don't like goatees. I thought I did for a while last year, but it turns out I don't like goatees after all.
Sometimes, sideburns look really great.
The only men who look good with lone moustaches are Tom Selleck, Burt Reynolds, David Arquette, Ron Burgundy and Borat.
Am I wrong?

  

Tonight I went to Ev Park Zumba. I had to force myself to go rather than just sit on the lounge eating the rest of last night's Thai. I'm glad I went. I felt no guilt when I sat on the lounge later, eating the rest of last night's Thai.

TV shows I like right now - Sons Of Anarchy, Homeland, Revenge, New Girl, Justified, Modern Family, 30 Rock, Community, The Office, Big Bang Theory, An Idiot Abroad, QI.

Music I like right now - Arctic Monkeys, Miles Kane, Grouplove, Triple J's Hottest 100.

I think it is the best Hottest 100 I've ever bought. I usually don't like more than about half the songs, but this time, I like most of them. Some of the songs really resonate with where my life is at, at present:

Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (I liked this then it got played too much and I got sick of it, now I listen to it and really like it again - go figure);
Grouplove - Tongue Tied;
Ball Park Music - It's Nice To Be Alive;
Noah and the Whale - L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.;
The Jezabels - Endless Summer;
360+Gossling - Boys Like You;
Seeker Lover Keeper - Even Though I'm A Woman (love love love this song!);
PNAU - The Truth.
Picking up any sort of pattern here?? Anyway - check out the Hottest 100, it's a goodie this year.

Another thing - I've decided I don't really like the new font I chose for this blog. It will most likely change again for the next post.

What A Boring Weekend That Was

Sunday 11 March 2012 - Yesterday morning, I drove my friend Debbie to the airport. She is off to New York with some other friends, lucky girl. She had a very stuffy nose and was very sneezy, unlucky girl, to be getting on a long haul flight in that condition. She should be there by now, for better or worse. Hope she feels better soon - they are marching in the NYC St Patrick's Day Parade next Saturday. 


So after I got home, I basically washed my doona cover and uniforms and hung them out in the lovely Brisbane sunshine, watched a lot of TV and sat under my ceiling fan, trying to take the edge off the heat. Ugh. TV was only interrupted by me having to jump up and put the hose from the washing machine into the laundry tub (as I had forgotten to when I first started the machine), because water had started gushing over the machine and onto the floor. Then I had to grab a whole heap of towels to mop up the water coursing across the floor. Grr.

Today, I hung out at Chermside for the 3 free hours parking allowed, getting a pedicure, reading the paper with a coffee and muffin from Muffin Break, bought a new shower curtain and some groceries, including dry hair shampoo and new toothpaste. I came home and cleaned the bathroom and washed the towels from yesterday's washing machine/flooding incident... Now, I don't think it's possible to have made the last 2 paragraphs any more boring than I just have!


But, to find the silver lining:

1. I have a lovely clean doona on my bed; 
2. my bathroom is clean and has a great new shower curtain; 
3. I have caught up on a lot of shows; 
4. my feet and toenails look amazing; 
5. I had yummy Thai takeaway for dinner tonight

Clean bathroom, new shower curtain, nice pedicure (paper camera app)

Friday - Flights? Check!

Friday 9 March 2012 - 5 good things that happened today: 

1. I woke up - a good start to any day
2. Got my Grouplove CD back from Debbie
3. Heard from Ashlee, my lovely God-daughter
4. Who Day - Friday is when the new Who magazine comes out. I like it. 
5. Paid for and received my flight tickets for European holiday!

Yep, it's definitely happening. Kim and I are off to Paris in October. The idea so far is:

• Fly into Paris, stay for 5 nights
• Intrepid 15 day Paris to Madrid Tour - travelling through the Loire Valley and the south-west of France, across to Spain - San Sebastian, Segovia and finishing in Madrid. 
• Train trip to Barcelona, then looking at a day trip or 2 from there. 
• Fly from Barcelona to Dubai, staying there for a couple of nights, on the way back to 
• Brisbane 

Fabulous, I know. Yay! It's time for me to head to Europe again, it has been a few years. I love Paris so much, and am looking forward to seeing other parts of France, and I'm hoping Spain will be great as well. 

Some of the sights I will likely see on my trip: 

Attractive and exciting French men

 

A Loire Valley castle or 2

Whoa - San Sebastian, Baby!

Barcelona spires

and small amounts of vin et fromage (excusez moi, my poor French)

Thankful it's Thursday

Thursday 8 March 2012 - This week has been a strange one. Positives vs Negatives, Good things vs Bad things happening. Happy, fun moments, mixing with cranky, annoying moments. Full moon maybe? Jodie Kelly would know how the planets might be affecting things.

Focussing on the good things:

Monday and Thursday I went to Ev Park Zumba; Tuesday I had dinner with work friends, Corina and Kirsty, that was a nice evening after work; Wednesday night, Debbie and I had dinner at Kim's place, talked travel and TV (Sons of Anarchy and The Tudors featured strongly) - all good. Flights have been booked for France and Spain - very good! Paying for them tomorrow. Holiday will then go from an idea to reality!

My holiday will be fantastic, I have no doubt. However, I found out today, when I am overseas, I will be missing not one, but two friends' weddings. Really bad timing. To say I am disappointed is a massive understatement. Hellina is marrying Adam in October (her photo is featured in a previous post). Hopefully I will make it to her Hens' Night or at least a Kitchen Tea?

Jane is marrying Ben the weekend before I arrive back in Australia. Jane and I started work at Infinity Holidays on the same day in 2004. She went on to work in different areas, and I also did a few years later (both of us stayed at FC), but she has stayed a wonderful, amazing friend throughout. Love that girl - she has a heart of gold, and a personality as sparkling as the rock on her finger... Jane has the best sense of humour, and tells the funniest tales ever. She never fails to make me laugh, especially when I most need to - and we both love Archie Comics. I am a little devastated that I will miss her wedding, which has been a long time in the making, and will be an unforgettable event. Dammit.

A picture of Veronica and I Jane and I:

Here's a better one:

Anyway - today was International Women's Day. Don't know what it really stands for, other than to complain about how girls aren't paid as much as boys or have as many opportunities etc etc. I do know that I got a free bottle of water and a purple ribbon to wear, from the train station this morning... So, Happy IWD to the gals. Hope you had a nice celebration or whatever.

Friday after work, a few of us are going to a Girls' Drinks evening at Firefly (I think?) on George Street - I think it is for IWD. But maybe not. We were asked to wear something pink. That's because pink is for girls and blue is for boys, you know. Hopefully it will be fun - I really want to do something fun.

Marching through March

Sunday 4 March 2012 - A brief re-creation of my past few days:

Wednesday was 29 February, the day which makes a Leap Year every 4 years. The day when a woman is able to propose to her lucky man and he has to say yes, or so I've been led to believe. The rest of the year it seems they have to wait till the man is ready and willing to make the choice to propose. Do people still get married these days? Yes, yes they do apparently. Even though close to 1 in 3 marriages end in divorce, I think society still sees it as the be all and end all - so, no real pressure anyone?! I can't imagine trusting another person enough to be loyal and faithful to me for the rest of our lives, to get married. Mind you, a relationship lasting more than 3 months or so might be a good start.

So that was another Leap Year extra day over for 4 years. I did not propose to anybody.

Thursday was my Melbourne friend Allyson's birthday. The first day of autumn, my favourite season. Team Breakfast at Queen Bean. All day at work spent checking on multiple airline fuel surcharge increases. Late night shopping in the suburbs. And an hour of Everton Park Zumba for me.

Friday was uneventful.

Saturday was spent with friends Kim, Nat and Mel at the Anton Bruehl photography exhibition at QUT. The gallery was lovely and quiet, and the exhibit was interesting - photos, Vogue magazine covers and advertising, from the 1920s through to the 1950s. I particularly liked his photos of models and movie stars of the '30s and '40s, Mexican families and their day-to-day life, and still shots of children, just wonderful and timeless images. Some looked like they could have been taken yesterday instead of 80-odd years ago.

           

Afterwards, we walked in the pouring rain from QUT to Riverside and had lunch at George's Seafood Restaurant - which was nice and leisurely.

On Saturday night, I stayed at my brother's place, catching up with him, his wife Sam and daughter Katie. It always feels like a good getaway when I visit their place, about 30 minutes outside Brisbane. Today I slept in for a bit, then hung out with Sam and Katie, as Sam's Dad and Sean worked on what is called "the Clunker" - an old falling apart Land Rover that they are doing up and putting back together. This is an ongoing  project they seem to enjoy (but I don't see the appeal...)

This afternoon and evening, Kim and I started planning our France/Spain trip for later in the year. She cooked up a yummy roast dinner, and eventually, we found many options for accommodation for our 5 nights in Paris - apartments, hotels, B & Bs... now we just need to decide which one to book, and then can start looking at an extended tour, flights, and other accommodation. One step at a time I guess - it took ages to come up with very little! Lots of fun though - the choices  are endless, a good thing.