Last Day of the 2006

Only a quick note whilst I have a moment. I may well update it later - in fact I will.

Had a lovely birthday. Spent the entire day alone, well from 10 am to 4.30 pm and went to www.peninsulahotsprings.com.au and had a facial etc. Just needed some alone time and felt like I was out of the world for those few hours. A bit selfish maybe, but much needed truly.

Tonight K is working and S and I are off to a friends house to stay. Am rather looking forward to it.

Will update and ruminate on the year of 2006 another day.

Happy New Year.

Ciao

LC

Sunday 24th December

Christmas has arrived for me today and I am feeling peaceful and completely chilled out - despite the fact I have PMT. Family will drop in at 5.00 pm, we eat at 6.00 ish and then open presents - followed by a relax and chat. No big meaty roasts this year. It is a nice fresh and cold spread which is so much more relaxing and less mess. Plus, I hate how the house smells when you cook big roast meat thingies. Tomorrow when we visit people then S and K can have that meat thing. All fatty - gross.

Past two weeks have been busy but on Thursday afternoon my mind and body connected with each other and said "that's enough now, time to relax" and I just did. Seriously, it was just like that. Had care factor zero. Just did my work the best that I could and relaxed.

Am soooo looking forward to some Boxing day retail therapy. Not that I need much, but I do get clothes for S. I just like to be there.

In fact, this week is totally relaxing. Hairdressers on Friday, Birthday on Saturday and I am treating myself to a facial down at a hot spa, shopping on Tuesday and a Bikram Yoga on Wednesday - plus the pictures thrown in. Apart from Thursday when I have to do a days work, it will be very nice indeed!

I am taking it easy in January. Just relaxing and getting into some new fitness and all that.

I feel this up and coming 2007 year will be a completely stress free and a year for me.

Peace and Happiness. What more could I ask for.

Ciao

LC x

Hot and Dry Saturday

Woke up this morning and noticed out the bedroom window how hazy the air looked outside. It was about 8.00 am and already it looked like it would be one of those scorching hot summer days. I had planned to get up early and go to the new gym and do a class. However, as I was home at midnight from being out I was sooo tired that I decided instead to get up and go for a walk.

And walk I did. A brisk, dog dragging, twenty minute pavement pounder in the warm morning sun. Got home at 9.00 am dripping with sweat and a thumping headache. I am so sure that I am too old to go to bed a midnight.

So where was I last night? Just out catching up with HH friends at the Mentone Hotel. Drank no alcohol and ate a huge vegan pizza and felt like I had a hangover this morning. Was informed by K that I had really awful garlicky breath. My mouth felt gross. What is it with me? Late nights are just not okay anymore. Still, had a very good night and enjoyed myself. Although, I have to say that I just do not subscribe the the "buying a round" thing that people do. As I do not drink and generally sit on a glass of tonic water for the whole night, there is NO way I am buying a round of beer for anyone. I am tight - yeah whatever. I also refuse to eat out with a group of people and then pay equal share of the bill when it arrives. If I eat a bowl of soup and salad and that costs $15.00 why should I pay a share of a bill that includes some fatty boomba who eats a three course meal that costs $35.00? I always know how much I spend, tally it up in my head, put that amount in the kitty plus enough towards the tip. Don't call me a cheapskate, it is those who want me to pay for part of their dinner that are cheap! That did not happen last night, I just thought I would mention it though as it came to my mind.

I suppose I picked up at about 11.00 am after a shower and getting ready for the day. Took S down to the hairdressers where he had a very short haircut and looks rather cute. Then the two of us wandered down Glenhuntly Road and Dymocks and just pottered around. Got home about 1.30 and had lunch. House is still a pigsty and it is now 8.30 pm. S is watching Futurama on DVD and eating 2 minute noodles.

K got home from a music job at about 2.30 and I decided, rather insanely, to go for a walk down to the shops. Outside was about 36 degrees and dry and windy and hot but the urge to walk was so great I just went out. It was quiet. Hardly anyone walking. Brown grass in every front yard. All was silent as though the world was asleep as at night. I was listening to music as I walked and at the same time was so aware of a feeling of complete silence surrounding me. There has been the smell of smoke and fire in the air which has come down from huge bush fires happening in the rural areas. It was reminiscent of Ash Wednesday. There is something so satisfying about walking in the midday on a hot day. The sun was so bright behind the smoke haze that it was as though you could not escape in a shadow anywhere. The sun burnt it's way through the leaves of trees. Once I reached the main drag of Centre Road, I just went to a few clothes shops and browsed. Even Centre Road was silent and hostile in the heat. It was almost surreal. It reminded me of those long summers when I was a child where you would have days and days of brutal heat and the grass died and we lay around the house inside in the end completely exhausted. Outside in the evening would be that incessant cicada chatter which always hurt my ears. I can hear it right now outside the window. Then it would rain. Bucket down, flooding the yards and collecting in pools at the bottom of our driveway before streaming into the gutters and drains. There would always be some leak appearing in a room in the house. Once I remember we had a sun room where we would sit and the sound of the rain on the tin roof was deafening and exciting.

So, this afternoon I suppose I walked for about an hour and came home with rather sweaty armpits and feet. I felt tired and yet invigorated. I love walking as it is so meditative.

Well, the bird had finally left our home. Cage and bird have gone to another home next door to my brother's house and will also have a little bird friend to talk to. I am so pleased as now the back verandah will be free of marauding pigeons and their calling cards. And no more screeching at 6.00 am each morning. High pitched screeching which would wake me up rudely.

Another hot day tomorrow and I am off to the gym at 7.45 am for a class. Well, I am hoping to. Either way, there will be a gym visit and a walk squeezed in there. Maybe even the beach.

Now have to psyche myself up to tidy the kitchen. Boring with a big B.

Sleep well

Ciao

LC

Saturday Night

Being the second day of December it was rather exciting to put up the Christmas tree. K was out on a music job so S helped me get all of the Christmas things down from it's storage place. As a result of having one boy child and one middle aged woman struggle getting great big boxes down from an awkward and high up cupboard, I now have a sore back. Although, I did do a rather silly thing which involved jumping down from a long way onto a tiled floor with slippery shoes and did a little slippy thing which also may have contributed to my sore back. Then again, I do have my period which also gives me a sore back at times. Could be all three, which will totally justify any whinging I may then do.

So, Christmas tree is decorated. It took a while and at the same time I was hanging the decorations on the tree I was thinking that it was good I did not have to unhang them for another four weeks since it is a bit time consuming. I did take some photos but they did not turn out too well so I will take some others later.

Have spent pretty much the whole day at home trying to get the place nice and tidy so I can relax and think of work and Christmas and shopping and not much else. Did a HUGE lot of ironing last night whilst watching Prime Suspect on television. Felt so please about it all until this morning when I hung out four loads of washing which kind of overshadowed any feeling of achievement. It appears that ironing and I will always have this type of relationship.

S has his second cousin B over to stay at the moment. B talked me into getting a DVD and going to Domino's for pizza. How disgusting that pizza place was. The choice of pizza was vomit inducing - bbq chicken with cheese and bacon or meat lovers pizza. Honestly, just awful and lots of people there with coupons to get it all cheap. They also had chocolate brownies with full cream icecream for dessert. Such an unhealthy meal. I have noticed that S has a bit of chub happening on his waist line so I am serious about reducing his oink factor in food intake. NO MORE UP AND GO'S. I also need to cut back on the yummy choc chip biscuits I bake him for school. Think I may bake some carrot and poppy seed muffins with stone ground flour. Mmmmmish. Both S and B are in bed now. K is doing a music job in Wonthaggi so will not be home until about 2.00am in the morning.

I noticed we have had some movement in the house and our front door will not shut properly. Is there any end to the maint to be done? Tomorrow we are getting the vege garden set up. Do stuff in the garden, clean back verandah and all that. Ongoing.

Anyway, had a bit of clean up in my bedroom. Cleared the desk that is on loan to me at the moment. It was becoming a bit of a clothes dumping spot so I had a fierce tidy. And I found a little friend of mine hiding under the clothes. He is my travel teddy. I have taken a photo of him and think it would be nice to tell you his life story. My mummy made him for me in 1994 and he has a little back pack that even opens. I decided to bring him with K and me on my first overseas trip. The following year when we went overseas my mummy crocheted this little straw hat to add to his look. Whenever the video camera came out I would put travel teddy in front of the lens or in some part of the scene. At the time we thought nothing of it and just had a bit of a laugh until we watched the video later on and it was so funny that K would be seriously videoing something and this little bear would appear doing a silly thing. When we watch those travel videos today we almost wet ourself laughing at the whole thing. I am very attached to him and just love the association of overseas travel and fun that goes with him. And that it was made for me makes him extra special.


Have so many other things I feel like writing but have to go. Want a nice cup of tea. Have the WORST period pain at the moment. Do they get worse each month or am I getting less tolerant with them.

Sleep well.

Ciao

LC