#30DaySquatChallenge - Day 14

I bet you all thought I had forgotten about the #30SquatChallenge I signed myself up for last month. 

Well guess what I haven't!

In fact halfway through I am still going strong. In fact I am blown away at how much stronger my legs feel already, but more on that in a bit.

Before you start thinking I must be some super star totally addicted to exercise fitness junkie and hence why I am doing a squat challenge I assure you I am not. What I am is a stay at home mum who is trying to increase her strength and fitness.

Hopefully by role modelling this healthy lifestyle focus the girls will grow up with it naturally inbuilt into their everyday lives. I don't want them to be obsessive compulsive about it or anything like that but I do want them to value the importance of a healthy body and mind, and actively take steps to ensure they are looking after themselves.

So with that in mind I must admit that the last few days of the challenge have been exactly that. A challenge. More so than what the first couple proved to be as well. Which I find a little strange. Usually getting started is the trickiest part but in this case maintaining it past day 12 has proven the hardest part.

Even though it is a 30 day challenge, with gradual increases every couple of days, there are also a few rest days thrown in there for good measure as well. As anyone who regularly trains for anything will tell you resting is a very important part of any training session. Your body needs a chance to recuperate and heal as the muscles stretch and expand while getting stronger.

Not long before I received my invitation to the challenge I had heard that squats were a recommended way for runners to increase their leg strength which in turn makes them run faster. Which certainly appeals to me. Who wouldn't want to run faster? However I know these things don't happen over night.

When it comes to injury I like to err on the side of caution, which is pretty much my excuse for not pushing my body too hard.  Now before you turn away thinking that is a cop out, hear what I have to say.

I am old. Not overly so but old enough. (Thirty five if you must know) Prior to eighteen months ago when I decided to try this running lark, it was a very very long time since I last did anything remotely active. And by very very long time I mean about twenty years give or take. As such I am cautious about doing too much too soon, hurting myself and losing interest.

This has meant that I have decided to hold off running for the first few days of the #30DaySquatChallenge. A notion that was confirmed for me when I awoke to discover 100 squats done in the space of five to ten minutes left my legs in a much more tender state than what running 12km did.

However, when the second rest day came along and my legs felt somewhat less tender, I saw it as a great time to take my new found muscles out for fun in the form of a quick lap around the block. Actually I ran to my mother's house and around a park for the while. After about 20 minutes I decided that I could go run no further and walked the rest of the 10 minute trip.

Turns out I covered a whole 5km which meant I did a couple of nearly PB times in there. I still can't believe. I mean it felt like a great run, I really could feel the extra spring in my step thanks to the new muscles in my legs. Needless to say I powered through the next few days of the challenge knowing how much difference I was achieving.

Sadly though the day before the next rest day which was about day 11 I think. I just didn't squat. I tired a couple of times, maybe managed 30, I am not sure now. I am trying to not to think about it too much else I will start an internal beating session that I just don't need.

So what if I missed one day? The world will not end. My body needed a two day rest. Plus I have did some pretty awesome bike riding on the rest day. A total of about 5km with a 7 year old and 3 year old being towed in a trailer. Not to mention the extra hard gear I had the bike in. Pedal power to the max I tell you!

I had been hoping to just add my missed 120 into the rest day but I was too buggered. I then thought that I could add it into the next day but 240 in one day was a bit much, even if done is lots of super short sets.

The current daily total is around the 150 mark as we are at the halfway mark of the 300 total. Yesterday they were spread out all through the day in the hope I could have made up for missed day. I didn't. I am thinking I will either just let go of it completely or save it for the next rest day. I have spent more time on the bike, this time longer distances but without towing the 7 year old. She managed to use her own pedal power.

I decided not to take my measurements again until the end. I was going to add them in this post but then decided the risk of demotivating myself was too high if there was no change. I do however have this photo to share

Thanks to Essentially Jess for kindly capturing and sharing this beauty
It is one of the first photos in a long time I haven't cringed when looking at it

The every lovely Jess grabbed this photo of me trying to feed a kite hawk (don't laugh it has worked before) and when I looked at it I found myself thinking how much smaller I looked than last time I saw myself in a photo. A very lovely feeling I must say.

So for now I will be squatting on. How about you?

Things I know about reality, holding on to it and having it slap you in the face

You would think that by now I would be organised enough to not be sitting here typing away first thing in the morning, but alas that is not the case. Yet again the parameters of time management exceed me and I am faced with doing something well after it should be done.

Not that there really are any hard and fast rules or regulations or whatever as to when I should and shouldn't blog, but since I pretty much know that every Friday I am going to share something I know, you would think I could have it sorted before Friday morning wouldn't you? But no, the reality is that rarely happens. And boy has this been a week for reality coming up and bitch slapping me across the face.

image found here

It all started with an innocent little tweet.

@aparentinglife Hi Rhianna! Saw your site, would you like to join our #BloggersChallenge?

— Proskins (@ProskinsLtd) July 1, 2013

Ah yes why of course I would +ProskinsLtd Australia I would very much like to join your #BloggersChallenge how very nice of you to ask.

For those of you unaware, Proskins are supposed to be super cool running pants that help get rid of or at least help get rid of cellulite. They are also incredibly expensive and not something my budget could ever stretch to. You can imagine my excitement. My feeling of validation and recognition.

Now imagine all of that coming crashing down when I am then sent a link with a form to fill out to determine whether or not my social reach is actually far enough to warrant me inclusion in what I am quickly discovering is a somewhat elitist challenge.

Needless to say within minutes of the form being returned I received a reply saying

Thanks but no thanks. You are in fact not nearly cool enough to be part of this exclusive challenge. We will however offer you the chance to purchase some merchandise with a 50% discount code and then be able to be a part of the challenge and blog 5 times a month about how great your now cellulite free thighs are.

To which I wanted to say a great big F you. But I didn't because I am all polite and stuff but man the thoughts I had... Let's just leave it with a thank you reality for the slap across the face. It was at least the third time this week it happened.

The first was when I received and email from Helium, one of the first places I started writing at all the way back in 2007. It was informing me that an article I wrote on calming babies was being deleted. Despite being ranked highly on the topic it was deemed as no longer suitable because I used first person references in it.

Whatever! I thought to myself. I don't actively write there any more what does it matter? When I couldn't find anything to write for IBOT I saw the deleted article as an easy way out. Sure some news site might no longer want first person based articles but it's my blog and I'll blog what I want.

Till I read it.

Let's just say it needed far more editing than I had time or inclination to give it right then and there. It will sit in the draft folder till then. I was beyond horrified to think that it had been up as long as what it was. No wonder that publisher has given me a call yet offering that book deal.

Reality was alive and well now and I was less than loving it I can tell you. Which was lucky because when I received another email from Helium telling me another article had been edited by someone else due to it's poor punctuation and whatever else I was nearly able to take it in my stride. Or rather I shrugged my shoulders and went of course it has been.

Sigh.

So of course it came as no surprise to hear I was not fortunate enough to be awarded a prize in a small competition that I thought no one else had entered.

Double Sigh.

I know that the reality is I didn't deserve to win that competition. I am sure those who did spent much longer on their post, had much great readership and therefore a much great reach and more effect on the campaign than what I did.

Just like I know that Proskins were justified in there lack of reach comments. Well kinda. While I may not reach the masses I like to think I do connect on a higher lever with those I do reach and that should count for something shouldn't it?

I know I don't understand why they couldn't see before tweeting me I came no where near their desired reach levels.

I know that Proskins have still benefited from their terrible marketing ploy that left my feelings slightly shredded because look how much free publicity they just gained. Or not since I have no influence according to them.

I know that I am not really complaining about any of this treatment. Just needed to get it off my chest more than anything.

I know that all good things come to those who wait and wait I will.

What do you know this week?

Wordless Wednesday - Picnicking with the birds

 

With the second of four weeks holidays well under way we have been making the most of our local parks and playgrounds. Enjoying many a picnic with both the birds, friends and Nan.

Joining in the fun of Aussie Wordless Wednesday 

with Trish and the gang

How times change

Sitting here, trying not to shiver, ignoring the cold that is nibbling at my toes, my eyes stare mindlessly at the blank screen before me. A moment's break in the deluge of firecrackers that surrounds the cool night air provides just enough time for the mind to begin thinking of possible topics.

image by rech

The returning bombardment of explosions blasts away any fragment of thought the silence created.

Thirty five years ago, the first day of July 1978, saw the Northern Territory step up to the plate and begin self government. By all accounts it was a pretty momentous day for Territorians, as three month old child at the time, I can't say it really affected me one way or the other.

What does effect me though, is the fact that thirty five years on it is deemed necessary to celebrate said self government, with the igniting of fireworks. I have never really understood how the two went together. 

Of course as a child I didn't care one way or the other why we got to have a big fire in the driveway and burn a newspaper man once a year I just loved doing it. Cracker night, as it was affectionately known as, was by far one of my most favourite nights of the year.

About a week beforehand we would begin searching for some old clothes to make Guy with. Mum, a proud pom, saw cracker night as a great excuse to educate us on the history and tradition of Guy Fawkes. 

Again not overly fussed on the hows and whys at the time, just thought it was great mum encouraged us to spend the first week of the school holidays stuffing scrunched up newspaper into old clothes with the anticipation of throwing it all on a big bonfire. And quite frankly what child wouldn't?

Only I am not a child any more and things have more than changed.

For some reason bonfires in your driveway, in suburbia are just not ok. The hardest part of this for me to grasp is that mum hasn't moved.

Then there is the whole cost of literally watching your money go up in smoke. Albeit smoke with very pretty sparkly lights and lots of noise. My parents must have been seriously cashed up to put on some of the displays that they did. Either that or inflation has a lot to answer for.

There is just no feasible way I can justify buying fireworks. No matter how much I may love them. It is just a ridiculous waste of money, not to mention damage to the environment. 

Thankfully there are numerous public displays that tight pursed penny pinchers such as myself can go and watch. Then there are public places where you can just be and happen to see the free show. Just from a slightly different angle and a greater distance. 

This also means less crowds. Which I kinda like a lot. What I didn't like about the lesser crowd though was its percentage of idiots. Because it was not the actual public viewing location, the public is able to light their own firecrackers. Whenever they want. Some may say without thought or consideration to anyone else. 

We didn't witness any serious injury, thankfully. I totally understand how it happens. People are morons and just don't stop and think. We did see a few near misses

The other downside to our choice was getting there a little late. This meant only managing a vantage site from amongst some tress.

Which wasn't actually as bad as what I am making out due to the size of the display. The girls loved every moment of it and were oohhing and aching like they had never seen fireworks before. 

It was a lovely night. We picnicked on egg and bacon pie. Living on the edge I threw in a bit of cheese and freshly chopped spinach with onion and garlic. Total yumminess with quite a bit healthiness as well. Not quite the same as toasting marshmallows over a smouldering Guy though.

Are you a fire cracker fan?

Joining in all the fun

I must confess my height of excitement

Yes, yes two posts in one day I know, but when I saw today's prompt I just couldn't resist. Plus since next week I am going to be the confession hostess with the mostest it would be wrong of me not to have a little something this week wouldn't it?

Pretty much what I looked like
Sorta, kinda, just in a female version
Image from here

What's that you hadn't heard the news??

Well next week Kirsty is running away for a bit and spending some quality quiet family time in the middle of no where. Well maybe not quite the middle of no where because apparently there is a jumping pillow and indoor heated pool but there is no high quality fast as you can be internet connection. Which in my book pretty much equates to being in the middle of no where.

As such Kirsty needs a caretaker for confessions for the week and I am your gal!

When I got the email asking if I (along with a few other uber cool bloggers) were interested in hosting I was beside myself with and quickly responded in the hope I had pipped the others at the post. Turns out my speed was rewarded and before I knew it a response to my reply was swiftly in my inbox confirming that I would be the stand in host for next week.

Talk about exciting!

Mind you the excitement doesn't stop yet.

You see as part of being the stand in hostess with the mostest I get to select the confession topic for next. Which I didn't even need to think about because earlier in the day I had a revelation that I hadn't got around to sharing.

While enjoying a few quiet moments in a part of the house usually reserved for male thinking (ie the toilet) I found myself thinking I wonder if Kirsty needs a suggestion for a prompt, we could confess to our favourite blogs, I must message her and suggest it... because you know, what else is there to think about when going to the loo?

It was almost like I knew what was coming. Almost, but not quite.

So there you have my excitement for the week, though not the most exciting time ever. No. My most exciting time ever was when...

(pausing for dramatic effect, feel free to insert a drum roll as well)

.. click here to find out. I promise it is not child or wedding related and is actually a little exciting. Well it was for me at the time or whenever I think about it for that matter.

Don't forget, confession time here next week! Link up from 5am CST and confess to all your favourite blogs to read. Or whatever takes your fancy if you have some other juicy tidbit you want to confess to that is fine as well. It is the land of the easy to please here.

#Hashtags. What are they and why are they here?

If you are a regular social media user and like to hang out at the likes of Instagram or Twitter you are probably all over the term hashtag. If however your social media habits only extend as far as Facebook you could very well be wondering what all the fuss is about.

Now I am by no means a social media expert but I do like to think I have a grasp of the basic. Some may even say that I have a strong grasp on the basics and I for one would not argue with them. With all of that in mind I feel that it is only fair that I share some of my knowledge with those less informed but curious none the less.

A thought that was confirmed for me when I asked my loyal Facebook likers if they were interested in such information. Sure only two out of 416 responded but that is enough confirmation for me.

So what is all the hashtag (#) fuss and why do I feel the need to share the fuss with you?

Well hashtags have recently been added to Facebook and if you are someone like me trying to gain greater exposure on through this medium it is a little exciting. If however, you are an average Joe Blow, free from the addiction that social media can be, you maybe left wondering what all the hashtag fuss is about. I do assure you that once you understand the joys that are hashtags your excitement levels will begin to soar.

Bear with me and let me explain a little more.

What is a #hashtag?

Essentially a hashtag is just a means of grouping like minded posts together. It is represented by the # at the start of a word or term. 

To find the # symbol you generally just push shift and 3 on a standard computer keyboard. It is often found on the second number/symbol keyboard on smart phones. Please don't think I am patronising here by telling you where to find it because just between you and me it took me ages to find it on my phone. Thankfully most apps are now designed to make it easier to find the hashtag button it can sometimes take a bit of looking for. Anywho...

The moment you place a # in front of a word or term it becomes automatically linked to all other posts that have the same word or term hashtagged. Which means it is a great way of searching for things. 

Say for example you were looking for some new crochet patterns or inspiration. All you have to do is go to the internal search feature and type #crochet and wham bam thank you 'mam there are heap of posts full of crochet goodness.

Some of the posts that came up when I searched the hashtag
#crochet on Facebook.

Why are they here?

According to the reliable source that is an uncited article on Wikipedia, hashtags were first seen in Internet Relay Chat, which as the name suggests is some sort of conversation mechanism via the internet. It was deemed handy there to group conversations and this was seen as the way to do it. 

By grouping conversations it was easier to keep track of conversations that were of interest to those from varied backgrounds and not necessarily friends with each other. By hashtagging posts similar content can be grouped together making it easier for all relevant information on a particular topic easy to find.

On services such as Twitter, if enough people are using a particular hashtag it is known as trending. Trending topics are those with the highest popularity and seen as a great way to gain exposure. For the user trending topics are a way to stay a float of what is hot.

Ultimately though hashtags are here as they provide a nice easy uniform way of grouping things together and what computer nerd doesn't like grouping things together?

So there you have all you need to know about the wonders that are hashtags.

Nothing like a little drivel to get the juices a flowing

There approximately five thousand, seven hundred and sixty three billion things that I should either have done or actually be doing at this precise time. Deciding which one needs to be done first is no easy task and is possibly why nothing actually gets done.

The current silence is almost deafening, though complaining I am not, just surprised. But then it always surprises me how things can change in an absolute instant. A mere ten minutes ago there was all kinds of ruckus which so me drafting a very different start to this post.

With the fist week of the school holidays behind us, there are still three weeks to fill with fun and laughter. Lovely has gone to hang with some family on the east coast for the better part of three weeks leaving Zany, Teapot and myself to make the most of the wonderful weather and free time at home.

Mr Awesome has taken the last week of the holidays so we can hopefully escape to Umbrawarra Gorge for a few days. To say I am looking forward to that is an understatement. There is nothing more soul soothing for me, than hanging out in the bush with the ones I love.

In the meantime though there so many post that I keep thinking I want to write yet for some reason just never actually get to do. A story that I am positive will be never ending, particularly if I continue to write fluff such as this all the time, despite it all actually being part of the process.

As I try harder and harder to be more serious about this writing gig I am discovering a few interesting points about myself. For example I have found that my brain likes to drivel for some time about nothing before getting to the point at hand. Therefore when I really want to do some serious writing I need to allow and extra half hour or so to get the lead up  drivel out the way so as to free my mind for the important words to flow from it.

The downside to this is that I can barely get the time to write anything, let alone something that needs a half hour lead up time. First world problem I know. One that I am sure would be fixed with a bit of successful time management and organisation. If only you could just duck down to the local super market and pick that  up?

Sigh.

Anyway with that in mind I might leave you here for now and go and see if I can't get something out, because clearly I got the drivel part sorted for today!

The Inspirational Man in Pink

There was a time where I once dreamed of being a hotshot journalist. Reporting the news, as it happened, where it happened and before anyone else. As it turned out life had other plans for me and before long I was in the throws of motherhood with all journalistic hopes and aspirations thrown out the windows that were never getting washed.

The uprise of the Internet brought with it the perception that there was perhaps hope for a life of writing after all. Before long I had created my own little corner of the world wide web quenching, yet at the same time increasing, my desire to actually be a writer.

Last year in the lead up to the London Olympics I was given the opportunity to chat with the mothers of two Olympians. It was all kinds of amazing and left me feeling like this whole writer thing was not just a delusional creation of my imagination. Back in April I was fortunate to be given another opportunity to play journalist for what felt like for real.

Months ago now I responded to a callout for bloggers interested in sharing the Love Your Sister story

I jumped at the chance, not just in the hope of talking to some hunky media personality that I may or may not have a ridiculously large crush on, but also because I was genuinely interested in cause. 

Just before Christmas a mum at school was diagnosed with breast cancer. She is the third woman from the school community in recent years to be receive such a diagnosis. And they are just the ones I have heard about, I am sure there are actually more. Not long after I heard of this news a close family friend was given the same news.

Women every day, from every walk of life are discovering what life with breast cancer is like. To many woman from too many families are losing their fight with breast cancer. We are told a cure is just around the corner, but that corner will never be found without research and to research you need funds.

By riding his unicycle around Australia, Samuel Johnson is hoping to help raise some of those vital research funds. As well as creating more breast cancer awareness and remind women, young and old alike, the importance of being breast aware.

His message is simple, 

check your lumps and bumps

For those unaware of Samuel and his cause, his sister Connie was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer. Connie is in her mid thirties and the mother to two young boys.

Sam had been on the road for over 100 days now. In that time he has travelled over 8000km on his unicycle and raised just over $500,000. Both of which mark his halfway targets.

The support that has been given to the Love Your Sister (LYS) team as they pass through each town has been phenomenal. They are currently down towards the bottom end of Western Australia. To find out more about where the LYS crew is or where they are going all route details can be found here Donations can be made here

Hanging with the LYS crew and a croc or two

Things I Know About LYS Supporters

More on Samuel Johnson swimming with the crocs

Things I Know About Breast Cancer

Things I Know About Red Nose Day and SIDS and Kids

Happy Friday fellow Knowers!!

As always I know plenty and I am sure you do to so make sure you head on over to the ever so lovely The Miss Cinders and join on in the fun that is Things I Know.

The first thing I know this week is that it is the last Friday in June. Which means only one thing.

SIDS & KIDS RED NOSE DAY

Red Nose Day started way back in 1988. Organisers were so thrilled with the awareness and money raised that they decided to make it a national annual event. Since then it has grown from strength to strength raising vital funds to support families in their time of heartbreaking loss.

The good news is if you are not into being silly for the day and donning a red nose I know a few ways that you can be a part of this great cause.

You could donate to someone like Kristie, who sadly knows only to well what a wonderful service SIDS and Kids offers, and is returning the help she received in her time of need and fundraising for this great cause.

You could purchase some of these little beauties

They are available online here. You can get 9 packs of 100 wipes for just under $36 at the moment. Australian made, scented or unscented and the only environmentally sustainable wipes on the Australian market these wipes tick all the boxes and they help raise funds for a vital part of our community.

If you don't want to order online you can also call 1300 4 WIPES 

I know that if you have no need for wipes there are heaps of other cool products available at the SIDS and Kids online store. Include cards, bags, drink bottles as well as heaps of baby products.

I know that if you did buy a red nose you should totally go here and enter to win a super cool prize. And even if you didn't buy a red nose you should still go there and check out all the great photos that have been shared there.

I know that I am sending out lots of fairy wishes and butterfly kisses to all those families affected by the sudden loss of an infant and so thankful that there are wonderful organisations such as SIDS and Kids to support them in their time of need.

I know that in the interest of getting this out as far as possible
I am also going to flog it withsomegrace.com

I must confess and blog on Tuesday all at once.

It feels like forever and and a day since I last joined in with Kirsty and the gang for a bit of confessing.

Sadly my days were beginning to overflow with commitments and activities that left me with little time to no time to idly sit around on the computer commenting on blog posts. Regardless of how much I may actually have wanted to have sat around idly all day reading and commenting on blogs.

While I was able to squeeze in enough time to post it didn't seem right to keep on linking when I knew I had no intention of returning some comment love. Apart from IBOT and TIK I have barely linked up for anything else of late.

With today (which is actually now yesterday because it turns out I was more time poor than I realised and this post took forever to write) marking the first official day of the four week break I am confident in in my comment ability. (That and the fact that it is now Tuesday and I always make time to blog and comment on Tuesdays) There is nothing grander than being on school holidays I tell you.

So in the interests of killing two birds with one stone (so to speak of course) and in honour of the true linky whore I once was, I am going to confess while I blog on a Tuesday.

This week's confession prompt was about bad habits. Of which of course I have many. And seriously who doesn't? Which made me think that listing mine could possibly be rather boring. And by boring I could very well mean depressing.

Given that no one needs depressing I decided that perhaps it was best if didn't share my bad habits and instead confessed to a little secret about my toilet.

Certainly not my bathroom. Or anyone else's that I know for that matter.
Photo thanks to Arjun Kartha

Recently a friend had her third baby, which was born via cesarian. This rendered her unable to mop floors, clean toilets and a few other things. When she came to me and said "Rhianna I know you don't like cleaning but if I pay you will you help me out for a few weeks?" it was kinda hard to say no, even without the payment offer. Especially when she got to the part that mentioned baby cuddles.

It was during the first week as I was squirting some smelly yellow chemical around the inside of her toilet bowl, that I realised I wasn't actually sure  when I last cleaned my own toilets (yes that s is meant to be on the end, The Shoebox amazingly has two loos despite it's small size). After a bit of thought though I remembered when the last toilet cleaning I did took place.

It was the morning of Mr Awesome's work Christmas party. Last year in November. I wanted to make sure that if by some crazy chance either Mr A or myself felt the need to relieve ourselves of the inner linings of our stomach due to excessive alcohol we would be greeted with lemon freshness.

As it turns out my efforts were in vain. (In case you were wondering and I am sure you are) While we had an entire 24 hours child free were remained somewhat responsible and refrained from drinking ourselves into a complete oblivion.

Now it is at this point I must point out a couple of things.

The first of which is that I don't really have a drinking problem, regardless of what impression a few of my comments my give. The second is that just because I haven't cleaned my toilet since November, doesn't mean it hasn't been cleaned since November.

There is a very valid reason why Mr Awesome is fondly known as Mr Awesome.

Toilet cleaning duties pretty much fall in his court. Along with rubbish removal, lawn cutting, floor washing and every now and then, the cleaning of the kitchen.

Told you he was awesome.

I know at this point you are probably wondering what it is that I actually do do around this place. Well, I tend to all food preparation, as well as source and planning of all meals for at least six of the seven days in the week. I also do homework and reader duties, most of the child entertaining and managing and all of the washing pretty much all of the time. And if that isn't enough I do vacuum and sweep on a fairly regular basis.

Which to me all sounds pretty fair. I know that he goes out and works but the whole kid thing is hard going. I am honestly not sure my sanity would stand kid wrangling and a paid position elsewhere. At least not at the moment anyway. Plus when would I blog?

For quite some time I have championed against the division of labour within the household. I had this article published way back in 2008 The funniest thing about this whole toilet revelation though is that I can't ever remember a conversation that went, well "I'll cook dinner and wash the clothes if you clean the toilet and take out the trash"

Mind you as much as I am all for men doing housework, given that we do actually have two toilets, I have started to be slightly more proactive in pulling my weight in this department.

Who cleans your loo?

Joining in with Jess and Kirsty

Things I Know About Running Late, The Dalai Lama & Public Hospitals

 It all sounds pretty exciting when I put it like that doesn't it? Running late, Dalai Lama and pubic hospital visits...Let me explain a little more.

The truth is I know only too well what it is like to run late. I was late for my own birth and haven't been on time since. And as for early, well I have never experienced it so I can't comment.

I have however been trying to rectify that recently. After all lateness really is a form of bad manners and I just detest low levels of manners. Not only that it is not the best of examples to give the girls.

Slowly but surely I have become better at managing my time and reducing my tardiness. And just between you and me, it has left me feeling rather warm and fuzzy, not to mention pleased with myself. So you can imagine my horror when at 12.10pm I get a text from a friend telling me they will be at my house in a mere twenty minutes with the expectation of me being ready to leave not to long after her arrival.

Horror that was only amplified by the lady at the video store who had run out of paper in her printer and was unable to print out my ticket that would be needed when my friend arrived to pick me up. Being as desperate as I was to get my ticket printed I offered to return the crowds within the supermarket and purchase some paper. It never ceases to amaze me how everybody seems to do their shopping on a Sunday near me, but never mind.

Now it would have been quite feasible for me to lose my cool at the situation before me but I didn't. Instead I searched for my inner calm, whistled a little tune and away I went. Sure those surrounding me in the longest checkout queues in the history of all checkout queues may not have appreciated my efforts but there is just no pleasing some people.

Thanks to the powers that be I somehow sped through the long lines and was quickly printing out my ticket and heading home with there still being enough time for me to be showered, dressed and ready for my normally on time friend to arrive a little later than she said.

We were on our way to watch His Holiness, The Dalai Lama speak. Certainly something we didn't want to be late for. Luckily we had allowed lots of traveling time and still arrived with plenty of time to find our seats without feeling rushed. Which was actually a rather nice feeling. And gave me the opportunity to snap these beauties.

Ok maybe beauties is a little stretch. I am not really sure why when trying to get the perfect angle that flatters my neck the most makes my eyes go all crazy like but there you have it.

I was very interested watching all the lines of people coming in as well. As much as I live in a capital city, it is a very small one. One that was even smaller when I was growing up and I often feel more like a country town gal rather than city slicker.

To hear that people came to Darwin just to listen to The Dalai Lama speak blows my mind just a little. Had it not been for a very lovely friend who surprised me with a ticket as a gift I would probably not thought to have gone.

Having said that though I am glad that I went. It was an interesting experience and being able to say I have been in the same room as His Holiness is pretty exciting, based on the responses I have received from some people.

There was a part of me that expected to walk away changed forever. Naturally that part is currently bitterly disappointed. There was no instant life affirming change felt but there was some food for thought around kindness, compassion and letting go of anger. All simple and straightforward but not always things that we think about as often as we should.

Upon returning home to Mr Awesome and all the children, I was greeted with the news that Teapot's elbow had once again been pulled out and she either needed me to put it back in place for her or take her to the hospital. Yay.

Mr Awesome, as awesome as he is, for some reason never got a look in at putting the elbow back which I think he is secretly glad about. As tempting as it was to try and shove the three year olds's arm back together I decided to seek medical assistance. That is after all what they are there for.

The lovely staff at the hospital confirmed my diagnosis as well as the fact I should have been able to just pop it back in myself if I had of tried a little harder. Which I certainly will next time and thanks for tips.

Thankfully I have never had too many personal experiences with the local public hospital but when I have, I really couldn't find too much fault with the service. Sure it might have taken nearly two hours to get in and out but that really isn't anything to complain about now is it?

So there you have it some of what I know about running late, The Dalai Lama and public hospitals.

What do you know this week?

It's not to late to join in you know

#30DaySquatChallenge - Day 1

Possibly not the best before photo
but for now it will have to do

Since completing the City2Surf at the start of the month, my running has really taken a back seat in life. Which is more than sucky. 

Somehow I have managed to find the motivation to get out for the odd run but something just didn't seem right. It felt like hard work. And not the hard work that leaves you feeling awesome at the end of it because you have enjoyed your strenuous activity and comforted by the fact you are looking your body and health in some way. But more like the have you cursing and swearing because your body is literally unable to find the strength to go on any further kind of hard work.

Far from fun times.

Of course there are all the old excuses, it is too hot, I'm too busy, blah, blah, blah, blah. Not to mention Mr Awesome working late  due to stocktake, and the mere thought, let alone action, of pushing the three year old in the pram just too much to bare.

Which is a shame because I have been inundated lately with compliments of how much weight I have lost. Not that my scales attest to such things but what do they know? My clothes all seem to have a little extra room so whatever is going on I am fine with.

As the school holidays kick off on Monday, I was hoping to find it easier to integrate some regular exercise into everyone's day. An old high school buddy's event invite through trusty old Facebook for a #30DaySquatChallenge that started yesterday seemed like the perfect way to kick things off.

For those not familiar with a squat challenge it basically means each day you commit to a certain amount of squats. The amount of squats gradually increases with each day and by the end of the thirty days I should be doing some 300 squats I think it is. Thankfully you are able to break it up into smaller blocks, which I am pretty sure will be my preferred option a lot of the time.

In order to track any changes I asked Mr Awesome to measure me up and will do so regularly through the 30 days of the challenge. Probably weekly, unless I can be super patient and wait till the midway point. Hmmmm.

Now not only am I measured but there is the added accountability of sharing it all with you here.

Today saw me needing to do 60 squats. Which I can proudly say I did. Not all in the one go but you can't win them all. I did 10 first thing this morning while I waited for Mr Awesome to get out the shower. I then spent the whole day thinking about when I would do my next lot and why had I only done 10 so far.

By the time I was getting dinner ready I decided to just drop everything and do another 15 squats. Why 15 I have no idea. But it brought my total up to 25. Which was only five short of the half way mark. I was clearly all over the whole squatting thing.

With the kids all safely tucked up in bed, the dishes patiently waiting to be washed and me snuggled up on the couch with my crochet, I suddenly realised there were 35 squats with my name on them. Jumping up I pumped them out there and then without a further thought. In fact I even did 5 extra just for funsies and suddenly I felt just a teeny tiny bit awesome. And when I say awesome I may possible mean puffed.

Tomorrow sees me needing to do 80 squats. I am thinking that I will aim for two lots of 40 but perhaps a little bit closer together than today's efforts. Hopefully tomorrow may also see me go for a little jog but only time will tell.

Have you done a challenge like this before?