Movie hell has frozen over. Not only have I actually seen both movies that won the Best Movie categories at Golden Globes, I thought one was okay (Les Mis) and the other one was actually my favourite movie for the year - Argo. If you haven't seen that film, do yourself a serious favour. It's amazing, and yes Ben Affleck is super attractive in it, as an added extra.
I will actually see other nominees Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook too, when they are eventually released in Australia. Lincoln because of my American history nerdism and Silver Linings Playbook because over the last month I've decided I have a massive crush on Bradley Cooper. I'm a bit behind the times there, I realise.
What else is new? My hair isn't the really blonde it was, it's now a golden brown. It was supposed to be a dark, mousy blonde like Lauren Conrad, and I was rather distraught for a few days but now I've calmed, and am accepting it. However, I've broken up with my hairdresser (secretly, like a girlfriend who moved all of her stuff out while her boyfriend was at work) because I've realised this is the third time out of three times where she's changed what I asked for with my hair because she decided she liked it better her way, this has led to my hair being cut way shorter than I'd like, it being a colour I'm unhappy with and some weird side fringe thing. I miss my old hairdresser so much, I always felt she understood me and my hair. Trying to find her replacement has been a long and unsatisfying experience.
The last week has been reasonably uneventful apart from that. I went to my first One Day International at Adelaide Oval for years, and gee, that is a much more pleasant day when the weather is cold, oh and when Australia lose. Yes, I don't support Australia in the cricket, I support New Zealand, but I'm not discussing how well that's working out because I prefer not to use swear words. Between NZ and the Packers, it was a reasonably lousy weekend for sport. Thank goodness for Manchester United.
Apart from that, all is as really same old, same old. I miss Christmas. I miss knowing that Christmas lights won't be seen again for months, that I'm skipping the Christmas carols that come on my Ipod etc. It's such a joyous time for me, I'm always flat when it's over. I'm wishing the year away a bit I've realised, I'm so looking forward to our holiday, and oddly I'm looking forward to winter. Yes, me, looking forward to winter. When I explain it's because I've bought a bunch of super cute jumpers and the world's best puffer jacket, it makes more sense, doesn't it? It amazes me that I've become a shopper. I used to hate it so much.
It's bed time for me, so goodnight!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Banana Republic Challenge
Last July I wrote about my shallow inspiration to lose weight - fitting into a Banana Republic dress. (http://havecatwilltravel.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/the-banana-republic-goal.html). This is going to be a repetitive blog, so I'm just going to publish but not share it. I'll share updates, which I'm determined to have.
I admit that I became consumed with other thoughts last year which upped my stress eating and also because so much of my shopping is impulsive and I don't think in advance about something I want to buy, it's been a fairly easy inspiration to set aside. However we're now hopefully going back to the US in 2014 it's occurred to me that I can now use the satisfaction I'd feel walking into the store, rather than walking past, head bowed with embarrassment that I don't feel good enough as a really good inspiration. (I feel this with any "normal size" store, I don't think Banana Republic is some super amazing designer store etc - they just really match my style.)
So, I have an actual goal now, with an actual timeline (15 months). It's also a good time to start, as my thyroid medication has just been upped as it wasn't working as well as it should have, so hopefully my very sleepy metabolism wakes up.
Realistically I'm not sure if I'll lose enough weight in that time, but I'll certainly feel fitter and healthier so that's great.
So, to the Banana Republic Challenge. It will not involve actual bananas, horrible, horrible things. It will involve me making more little changes to my diet and exercise, that I plan to increase and consolidate as things go on.
The first changes are:
- Drink more water, most notably swapping my extremely bad habit of a coca cola with lunch with water. I also drink a glass of cola with dinner each night, I'll look to cut down on that later, but baby steps with my caffeine and sugar!
- Eat more fruit and vegetables - it's occurred to me that I really don't eat fruit at all, and stick to vegetables as a side dish to a main. I really hate salad but I'm going to learn to eat it regardless.
- Bring snacks like carrot sticks etc to work, and have them prepped at home, because I don't actually snack enough, and when I do I find myself looking for chocolate or chips etc.
- The most important is to get more active. I'm having a separate health issue that's making me not want to exercise. However, I'm expecting that to settle over the next fortnight and in that time, I'm also expecting a delivery of specific exercise clothes I'd ordered from overseas. I'd planned to buy a treadmill but I think it's an expense I can't justify at the moment (as I'm diverting most funds to travel) so I'm going to pull out the Wii Fit and actually remember I have a backyard. (I can't walk in our neighbourhood easily because of limited footpaths and bad lighting.)
-I'm also going to log my food/drink intake in My Fitness Pal, I find that really useful when I see and think about food.
I'll report how I'm going in a month :)
I admit that I became consumed with other thoughts last year which upped my stress eating and also because so much of my shopping is impulsive and I don't think in advance about something I want to buy, it's been a fairly easy inspiration to set aside. However we're now hopefully going back to the US in 2014 it's occurred to me that I can now use the satisfaction I'd feel walking into the store, rather than walking past, head bowed with embarrassment that I don't feel good enough as a really good inspiration. (I feel this with any "normal size" store, I don't think Banana Republic is some super amazing designer store etc - they just really match my style.)
So, I have an actual goal now, with an actual timeline (15 months). It's also a good time to start, as my thyroid medication has just been upped as it wasn't working as well as it should have, so hopefully my very sleepy metabolism wakes up.
Realistically I'm not sure if I'll lose enough weight in that time, but I'll certainly feel fitter and healthier so that's great.
So, to the Banana Republic Challenge. It will not involve actual bananas, horrible, horrible things. It will involve me making more little changes to my diet and exercise, that I plan to increase and consolidate as things go on.
The first changes are:
- Drink more water, most notably swapping my extremely bad habit of a coca cola with lunch with water. I also drink a glass of cola with dinner each night, I'll look to cut down on that later, but baby steps with my caffeine and sugar!
- Eat more fruit and vegetables - it's occurred to me that I really don't eat fruit at all, and stick to vegetables as a side dish to a main. I really hate salad but I'm going to learn to eat it regardless.
- Bring snacks like carrot sticks etc to work, and have them prepped at home, because I don't actually snack enough, and when I do I find myself looking for chocolate or chips etc.
- The most important is to get more active. I'm having a separate health issue that's making me not want to exercise. However, I'm expecting that to settle over the next fortnight and in that time, I'm also expecting a delivery of specific exercise clothes I'd ordered from overseas. I'd planned to buy a treadmill but I think it's an expense I can't justify at the moment (as I'm diverting most funds to travel) so I'm going to pull out the Wii Fit and actually remember I have a backyard. (I can't walk in our neighbourhood easily because of limited footpaths and bad lighting.)
-I'm also going to log my food/drink intake in My Fitness Pal, I find that really useful when I see and think about food.
I'll report how I'm going in a month :)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
An Update on Two Trips
I'm breaking the rules tonight, and writing two blogs on different subjects on the same day. Yeah, welcome to the wild and crazy ride you get when blogging with me. I keep you guessing like the ninja blogger I am.
As I've just mentioned in my other blog from tonight (see Zen Cat), I've realised that while we still have means to travel before we do grown up things like get a bigger mortgage etc, that I won't feel satisfied without seeing a few places.
The first is London and more significantly Paris, which we're going to do this year. The plans for that are going really well. I really want to make sure I see everything important to me in Paris while still have time to wander the streets and soak it up.
So we're there for 3 and a half days. The first day we're arriving mid afternoon, I guess we'll just wander around the Champs Elysees that day, up to the Arc De Triomphe (which I assure you I will lose my mind over seeing) and just the area around our hotel.
We've got four different sightseeing tours booked for the next three days - A minibus city sightseeing tour that includes going up the Eiffel Tower and going up to Montmartre (an area I've always wanted to see); an illuminations tour, to see Paris lit up at night (this includes a Seine Cruise - so does the day one I think!); a minibus guided tour to Versailles, and a walking tour of the Louvre. I know the Mona Lisa is small but I really want to see it, and I think the tour should help us get to to it. We have a spare morning or afternoon every day we're in Paris, so we'll use that time just enjoy walking around Paris.
I haven't organised going to the Moulin Rouge, because I don't think I like it, but is it a must see? Anyone think yes?
My parents in law are joining us for some of London, so we haven't organised that as much yet, as we wait to work out what we should do when we're all together. Aaron's Dad is from London so one day will be spent taking us around where he grew up, which I think will be amazing and really lovely for Aaron.
We have already booked a trip to Stonehenge and Bath, and we're waiting for the results of the ballot for tickets to Lords. *Fingers and toes crossed* (Though we expect we could still get tickets in the general admission sale if needed.) We're going to book a Jack The Ripper Tour, tickets to Rock of Ages and hopefully Spamalot, and we're looking at a rock 'n' roll tour that takes you around all these sites where famous bands recorded, played etc. It looks like a lot of fun, and Aaron just loves so many of the big English bands, he's really excited by it. We're going to obviously see Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, some of the museums etc.
We're taking the Eurostar between London and Paris, after the debacle on the Finding Nemo ride in Disneyland where I was close to causing an international incident when I started panicking because I felt so suffocated, I'm feeling very nervous about travelling underwater. Totally freaking out in all honesty. The rational part of me knows its fine, but the irrational part works out more and can beat the rational brain up.
So that's where that stands right now. In a good place - I'm excited :) (Also massive shout out to my sister, cat sitter to the star (Obi thinks of himself as an A-Lister) who'll be housesitting for us.)
Of course, because I'm who I am, an insane control freak planning obsessive, I can't just have one trip on the go, oh goodness no, that would be too easy. So I'm also putting together the trip for 2014 too. This trip is intended to really be the last time we go to the US for awhile (while we do grown up things, and not send my cat sitter sister to a mental hospital) so while it revolves around an escorted tour of Route 66, there's also a greatest hits element to it - with the intention we'll also go back to LA, New York City, Anaheim, and spend more time in Chicago and Las Vegas (at the start and the end of Route 66 tour). We'll also go to Toronto if my other sister is still living there, and she wants us to visit!
I have a rough itinerary already organised, and have already thought about hotels. Because I'm a dork who loves this stuff.
Anyway, that's the update on our plans. If anyone has any must see/do/eat suggestions, please share them!
As I've just mentioned in my other blog from tonight (see Zen Cat), I've realised that while we still have means to travel before we do grown up things like get a bigger mortgage etc, that I won't feel satisfied without seeing a few places.
The first is London and more significantly Paris, which we're going to do this year. The plans for that are going really well. I really want to make sure I see everything important to me in Paris while still have time to wander the streets and soak it up.
So we're there for 3 and a half days. The first day we're arriving mid afternoon, I guess we'll just wander around the Champs Elysees that day, up to the Arc De Triomphe (which I assure you I will lose my mind over seeing) and just the area around our hotel.
We've got four different sightseeing tours booked for the next three days - A minibus city sightseeing tour that includes going up the Eiffel Tower and going up to Montmartre (an area I've always wanted to see); an illuminations tour, to see Paris lit up at night (this includes a Seine Cruise - so does the day one I think!); a minibus guided tour to Versailles, and a walking tour of the Louvre. I know the Mona Lisa is small but I really want to see it, and I think the tour should help us get to to it. We have a spare morning or afternoon every day we're in Paris, so we'll use that time just enjoy walking around Paris.
I haven't organised going to the Moulin Rouge, because I don't think I like it, but is it a must see? Anyone think yes?
My parents in law are joining us for some of London, so we haven't organised that as much yet, as we wait to work out what we should do when we're all together. Aaron's Dad is from London so one day will be spent taking us around where he grew up, which I think will be amazing and really lovely for Aaron.
We have already booked a trip to Stonehenge and Bath, and we're waiting for the results of the ballot for tickets to Lords. *Fingers and toes crossed* (Though we expect we could still get tickets in the general admission sale if needed.) We're going to book a Jack The Ripper Tour, tickets to Rock of Ages and hopefully Spamalot, and we're looking at a rock 'n' roll tour that takes you around all these sites where famous bands recorded, played etc. It looks like a lot of fun, and Aaron just loves so many of the big English bands, he's really excited by it. We're going to obviously see Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, some of the museums etc.
We're taking the Eurostar between London and Paris, after the debacle on the Finding Nemo ride in Disneyland where I was close to causing an international incident when I started panicking because I felt so suffocated, I'm feeling very nervous about travelling underwater. Totally freaking out in all honesty. The rational part of me knows its fine, but the irrational part works out more and can beat the rational brain up.
So that's where that stands right now. In a good place - I'm excited :) (Also massive shout out to my sister, cat sitter to the star (Obi thinks of himself as an A-Lister) who'll be housesitting for us.)
Of course, because I'm who I am, an insane control freak planning obsessive, I can't just have one trip on the go, oh goodness no, that would be too easy. So I'm also putting together the trip for 2014 too. This trip is intended to really be the last time we go to the US for awhile (while we do grown up things, and not send my cat sitter sister to a mental hospital) so while it revolves around an escorted tour of Route 66, there's also a greatest hits element to it - with the intention we'll also go back to LA, New York City, Anaheim, and spend more time in Chicago and Las Vegas (at the start and the end of Route 66 tour). We'll also go to Toronto if my other sister is still living there, and she wants us to visit!
I have a rough itinerary already organised, and have already thought about hotels. Because I'm a dork who loves this stuff.
Anyway, that's the update on our plans. If anyone has any must see/do/eat suggestions, please share them!
2013 - Year of Zen Cat
Taken From http://icanhas.cheezburger.com
A work friend and I have a running gag about zen cats, a surprisingly often mentioned thing on the interwebs and in books. When we're stressed we'll talk about being zen cat and that's a sign to take a deep breath and try to relax or better, laugh about it.
I've realised that I have to put zen cat in full motion this year. I spent way too much time feeling stressed, anxious and miserable last year. "Stress Less" is my mantra for this year, I've even stuck that phrase to my computer as a memory jogger. Sure it's only five days in but I've already had a few challenges and I have been able to consciously choose to emotionally switch off from a lot of concerns.
An advantage of my head being a bit clearer from the small little dramas I focus on, I'm also finally getting some clarity about other, much more significant life plans, such as slowly preparing to look at a new house, and what we need to/want to do before we "settle down". Hence a big new trip for 2014 has been tentatively scheduled, because I need to see Route 66 before we cut down on the travelling, which is exciting.
Clarity is not something I'm used to, but I'm hoping it becomes very common place.
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