So, technical issues (eg lousy internet service) combined with my sheer exhaustion on that holiday meant that unfortunately I wasn't able to do daily blogs of the trip, which disappoints me greatly. I find the daily reports have been really helpful to me when recalling the trip. My intention is to still blog about the trip but I'm going to do it in sections instead. These updates should be done over the next week or so, so look out for them :)
Today, is the last day of our leave, we've been back for a week (can't believe it's been that long already) but we've had this week off, to relax and because I have a tendency to get horrendous jet lag when I get home.
This week has been both good and a write off - because jet lag has indeed hit me like a forklift truck so I've been sleeping badly - we both have - which has meant later starts than intended and a few missed opportunities, but on the flipside, I've been able to have a leisurely breakfast with a fabulous friend, played mini-golf, tried new food places and bought boots - boots that fit over jeans, there's no words that contain my excitement over this (we'll ignore that the boots are too big).
Finally I feel normal today, but unfortunately it's been raining very heavily and we've not been able to do the things we'd planned for today, so the holiday will end quietly. Quietly isn't necessarily a bad thing though, as exciting it is I'm actually looking forward to sorting out my wardrobe and doing some baking. It was still effectively summer in terms of the weather, when we left just under four weeks ago and when I go back to work on Monday, according to the calendar and the weather if today is an example, it'll be winter. I really don't know what's in my wardrobe to wear, so should sort that out! I've also just found a recipe for brown sugar and cinnamon muffins and another for rock cakes that I think a cold, wet day like today is perfect for.
Will be back with travel blogs soon.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Saturday, May 11, 2013
The Last Will And Testament Of My Lower Body
Dear all, I have sad news. After they were made to walk for 8 hours around London today, my legs, feet and lower back have all consulted their unions and ordered an immediate stop work meeting. Oh god, they are so stiff I can barely move. Judging by the whimpering coming from Aaron's direction, he's in a similar state.
So today, our first full day in London was a truly busy one. I laughed at one point that I could go home now as I'd seen everything in London already.
An interjection - apologies for this being the first blog of the trip. I had a few drafts started but due to shaky internet access I couldn't complete them. I'll do a summary of the transit (including Singapore) later. Lonag story short - Business Class is really nice. (Surprise.)
So this morning Aaron and I woke up around five, and dawdled around until about 8am where we went to the breakfast included in our hotel room. It was delicious and huge, although I very subconsciously looked for vegemite!
Around 9:30 we met my parents in law outside of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. For those that don't know my father in law was born in England so they decided to meet us over here for a few days so we can see some of his childhood. Today was really about sightseeing though, so we headed for Buckingham Palace.
I was perhaps a little underwhelmed by Buckingham Palace, it didn't feel as spectacular as I expected, but the statue out the front - the Queen Victoria Memorial - with the gold top - I stared at for ages. We then walked through St James Park so I could see squirrels -yes seriously, my love for squirrels is legendary, and then off to Westminster to see 10 Downing Street (well what you can see through the security), Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey (didn't go in), the Boudicca statue - which was my favourite sight of the morning - and walked along the Thames. The weather suddenly turned at this point so we ran through the rain to a pub for lunch.
After lunch - at a very English pub called the Sherlock Holmes - Aaron and I were treated to our first Tube ride. Not at all sure I understand the fuss. The trains were very fast sure, but the stations had so many stairs and paths that I felt like it was quicker (and less stressful on my knees!) just to walk between stops!
Hmmm, I was so tired I couldn't finish this! So here I am trying to remember what else we did while fighting with the internet here which is nicely free but has very low signal and is consequently slower than well...me walking.
So where we went on the Tube was to Convent Garden, to the London Transport Museum, my father in law's choice. In all honesty I'm a big fan of car history but I can glaze over a bit about the history of public transport, so I'm the wrong person to ask about whether it was good or not, in terms of being a museum. It wasn't bad though as a way to spend time, and it was interesting to note the vehicles that reasonated with my father in law and his early childhood in London.
After the Transport Museum, we headed towards Oxford Street, but decided to walk around Regent and Carnaby Street instead. All it really made me think was about how poor, fat and uncool I was. I'm in no way hipster or aristocratic enough to survive in London!
After a quick dinner of Pizza Hut, we came back here and basically passed out from a mixture of tiredness and the sheer pain. 24 hours later I'm still in pain.
One great thing of note - zero jetlag - for either of us. At the end of yesterday I was excited to have seen things I always wanted to see, but the sleepiness and pain I felt was really clouding me and I was tired and sore which made me grumpy and I admit to not enjoying it as hugely as I hoped. How do I feel at the end of Day 2? We'll see in the next blog!
So today, our first full day in London was a truly busy one. I laughed at one point that I could go home now as I'd seen everything in London already.
An interjection - apologies for this being the first blog of the trip. I had a few drafts started but due to shaky internet access I couldn't complete them. I'll do a summary of the transit (including Singapore) later. Lonag story short - Business Class is really nice. (Surprise.)
So this morning Aaron and I woke up around five, and dawdled around until about 8am where we went to the breakfast included in our hotel room. It was delicious and huge, although I very subconsciously looked for vegemite!
Around 9:30 we met my parents in law outside of the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. For those that don't know my father in law was born in England so they decided to meet us over here for a few days so we can see some of his childhood. Today was really about sightseeing though, so we headed for Buckingham Palace.
I was perhaps a little underwhelmed by Buckingham Palace, it didn't feel as spectacular as I expected, but the statue out the front - the Queen Victoria Memorial - with the gold top - I stared at for ages. We then walked through St James Park so I could see squirrels -yes seriously, my love for squirrels is legendary, and then off to Westminster to see 10 Downing Street (well what you can see through the security), Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey (didn't go in), the Boudicca statue - which was my favourite sight of the morning - and walked along the Thames. The weather suddenly turned at this point so we ran through the rain to a pub for lunch.
After lunch - at a very English pub called the Sherlock Holmes - Aaron and I were treated to our first Tube ride. Not at all sure I understand the fuss. The trains were very fast sure, but the stations had so many stairs and paths that I felt like it was quicker (and less stressful on my knees!) just to walk between stops!
Hmmm, I was so tired I couldn't finish this! So here I am trying to remember what else we did while fighting with the internet here which is nicely free but has very low signal and is consequently slower than well...me walking.
So where we went on the Tube was to Convent Garden, to the London Transport Museum, my father in law's choice. In all honesty I'm a big fan of car history but I can glaze over a bit about the history of public transport, so I'm the wrong person to ask about whether it was good or not, in terms of being a museum. It wasn't bad though as a way to spend time, and it was interesting to note the vehicles that reasonated with my father in law and his early childhood in London.
After the Transport Museum, we headed towards Oxford Street, but decided to walk around Regent and Carnaby Street instead. All it really made me think was about how poor, fat and uncool I was. I'm in no way hipster or aristocratic enough to survive in London!
After a quick dinner of Pizza Hut, we came back here and basically passed out from a mixture of tiredness and the sheer pain. 24 hours later I'm still in pain.
One great thing of note - zero jetlag - for either of us. At the end of yesterday I was excited to have seen things I always wanted to see, but the sleepiness and pain I felt was really clouding me and I was tired and sore which made me grumpy and I admit to not enjoying it as hugely as I hoped. How do I feel at the end of Day 2? We'll see in the next blog!
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Stress Balls Needed!
I feel like I need to go to Bloggers Anonymous Meetings. I don't blog for ages and then I binge blog.
So... hi. I'm blogging because I can, and because television is awful in this country. Awful, it's so bad I keep finding myself flicking over to Celebrity Splash, which I just hate myself for. At heart the idea of watching "celebs" attempt fancy dives is cool because I've always loved diving but the show's so over produced - people don't need to be given an intro, then interviewed on the diving board, then straight after the dive, then after the judging and finally when they go to sit back down. It's so boring. I'm so glad I remembered Fashion Star was on. I'm a sucker for fashion shows. In related news, I love the headpieces Nicole Richie can wear, she looks amazing. I'd look ridiculous.
But no, woman from Express "any woman" is not going to look good in a short, tight strapless denim onesie.
Hmm an ad for Glee, how I used to love you. So very much, I was a true Gleek, had all the albums, DVDs etc, and now it's just so, so bad.
So ranting about tv beside, is hair crimping back? I just saw an ad for what looked like a very expensive, glorified crimping tool. I'd love to know if the 80s are back, I used to rock a flowered fringe and acid wash double denim like no one's business.
I feel like this blog is a bit frantic and scattered, which is a very accurate representation of how my brain is this week. As mentioned yesterday this time next week, I'll be on holiday and my goodness I have eleventy billion things to do both at work and home. A month ago was totally the wrong time to be handed management of a new team and project - especially when it's ended up the volume of the work was greatly underestimated, so all the plans I'd been wanting to get in place before I went and left my poor replacement (my staff member is acting in my role) and I feel totally guilty at leaving her with everything not organised. And then there's the house - it's a state of total disorder and I've got so much to clean. Yet, I can't seem to get motivated to clean it. I seem to have to panic clean/declutter.
I actually had my version of a panic attack this morning - it's like having a colic attack, and is very painful, so I'm deliberately relaxing tonight despite having things to do. I've realised I need to chill. I do feel better, and my head is clearer so I can work out how to handle some things and to accept that some things are just going to have to be left half finished, and only a very few of those will be my responsibility and for those all I can do is apologise and leave it as best as I can.
So, the week ahead is crazy but what a pay off awaits at the end of it! :)
So... hi. I'm blogging because I can, and because television is awful in this country. Awful, it's so bad I keep finding myself flicking over to Celebrity Splash, which I just hate myself for. At heart the idea of watching "celebs" attempt fancy dives is cool because I've always loved diving but the show's so over produced - people don't need to be given an intro, then interviewed on the diving board, then straight after the dive, then after the judging and finally when they go to sit back down. It's so boring. I'm so glad I remembered Fashion Star was on. I'm a sucker for fashion shows. In related news, I love the headpieces Nicole Richie can wear, she looks amazing. I'd look ridiculous.
But no, woman from Express "any woman" is not going to look good in a short, tight strapless denim onesie.
Hmm an ad for Glee, how I used to love you. So very much, I was a true Gleek, had all the albums, DVDs etc, and now it's just so, so bad.
So ranting about tv beside, is hair crimping back? I just saw an ad for what looked like a very expensive, glorified crimping tool. I'd love to know if the 80s are back, I used to rock a flowered fringe and acid wash double denim like no one's business.
I feel like this blog is a bit frantic and scattered, which is a very accurate representation of how my brain is this week. As mentioned yesterday this time next week, I'll be on holiday and my goodness I have eleventy billion things to do both at work and home. A month ago was totally the wrong time to be handed management of a new team and project - especially when it's ended up the volume of the work was greatly underestimated, so all the plans I'd been wanting to get in place before I went and left my poor replacement (my staff member is acting in my role) and I feel totally guilty at leaving her with everything not organised. And then there's the house - it's a state of total disorder and I've got so much to clean. Yet, I can't seem to get motivated to clean it. I seem to have to panic clean/declutter.
I actually had my version of a panic attack this morning - it's like having a colic attack, and is very painful, so I'm deliberately relaxing tonight despite having things to do. I've realised I need to chill. I do feel better, and my head is clearer so I can work out how to handle some things and to accept that some things are just going to have to be left half finished, and only a very few of those will be my responsibility and for those all I can do is apologise and leave it as best as I can.
So, the week ahead is crazy but what a pay off awaits at the end of it! :)
Monday, April 29, 2013
London & Paris - Almost Go Time!
In my hands are my official travel documents for THE trip. The trip where Aaron's and my childhood dreams get realised - we see his dream of London, and mine of Paris. EEEEEEE!
(Okay, yes they're not actually in my hands, because I'm using both hands to type, I have them in my bag at my feet.)
Having the travel docs I think is reducing the really overwhelmed feelings I've had about this trip because I'm comprehending that it is real, and we have some great plans so we're definitely making the most of it.
I think we've done fabulously at crossing as many things off our bucket list as we can. The whole way this started, after we'd thought about taking a break to allow our house/cat sitter extraordinaire have a year without dealing with Obi's insanity, was that the opportunity came up to see our beloved New Zealand Cricket Team play at Lord's Cricket Ground. The Mecca of Cricket. For those not up with this - I love cricket and Aaron's flat out obsessed, I'm really the mistress because he'd have married the game if it was legal. So my generous housesitter volunteered to let us go on a trip, so we could get tickets.
Of course, it grew bigger from there, especially when Aaron's parents, who are currently road tripping around the US, decided to change their plans to meet us in London on their way home, so we extended the trip to suit. Aaron's dad is from London originally, so there will be father and son bonding over my father in law's childhood haunts as he's taking us on a tour of where he grew up. In other family news, in a cool twist, my sister who lives in Canada (I now totally have Rod from Avenue Q singing in my head) is also heading to London while we're there so I'll get to spend time with her too. We're going to see Spamalot together, which I'm looking forward to a lot.
So we've got one night in Singapore, 11 in London, 4 in Paris and lose another in transit on the way home. Because the length of the flights fill us with dread and I'm a sucker for credit card debt, we're flying business class, which should be an experience. I'm not sure it's something we'd do regularly but again the opportunity arose, so we decided to take it.
I'll post an actual itinerary (well what we've sort of got for an itinerary, there's more space than I usually have!) in a later blog but here's a quick summary of some of the things we're going to do
London -
- A day at Lord's watching New Zealand (hopefully they'll play okay!) plus a tour on another day
- See a couple of West End shows - I'm cheating by seeing things I've seen before, but there wasn't a lot on show that really appealled to me
- A day trip to Stonehenge and Bath
- A Rock and Roll bus tour of London - seeing a bunch of famous rock and roll sights - Abbey Road, studios, concert venues etc
- Jack the Ripper Tour
- We're going up the Shard to look over the city
- Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and all the other obvious famous sightseeing locations
We're also there for the FA Cup final (shame Man Utd let me down there) and Eurovision, it should be great being part of the atmosphere for both.
Paris -
- Going to Montmartre
- A tour that takes up the Eiffel Tower
- A Louvre Walking Tour
- An Illuminations Tour and Seine Cruise
- A trip to Versailles
- Hopefully a visit to the Museum of the Middle Ages if we get time
Pretty much everything's been ticked off my must see list in both place
I'm hoping to do my usual daily blog and for those on my facebook - the daily upload of photos (I apologise in advance for how many there will be - I use FB as a backup for photos as well as for sharing) so keep a look out here for tales from the trip.
YAY! Thanks for reading :)
(Okay, yes they're not actually in my hands, because I'm using both hands to type, I have them in my bag at my feet.)
Having the travel docs I think is reducing the really overwhelmed feelings I've had about this trip because I'm comprehending that it is real, and we have some great plans so we're definitely making the most of it.
I think we've done fabulously at crossing as many things off our bucket list as we can. The whole way this started, after we'd thought about taking a break to allow our house/cat sitter extraordinaire have a year without dealing with Obi's insanity, was that the opportunity came up to see our beloved New Zealand Cricket Team play at Lord's Cricket Ground. The Mecca of Cricket. For those not up with this - I love cricket and Aaron's flat out obsessed, I'm really the mistress because he'd have married the game if it was legal. So my generous housesitter volunteered to let us go on a trip, so we could get tickets.
Of course, it grew bigger from there, especially when Aaron's parents, who are currently road tripping around the US, decided to change their plans to meet us in London on their way home, so we extended the trip to suit. Aaron's dad is from London originally, so there will be father and son bonding over my father in law's childhood haunts as he's taking us on a tour of where he grew up. In other family news, in a cool twist, my sister who lives in Canada (I now totally have Rod from Avenue Q singing in my head) is also heading to London while we're there so I'll get to spend time with her too. We're going to see Spamalot together, which I'm looking forward to a lot.
So we've got one night in Singapore, 11 in London, 4 in Paris and lose another in transit on the way home. Because the length of the flights fill us with dread and I'm a sucker for credit card debt, we're flying business class, which should be an experience. I'm not sure it's something we'd do regularly but again the opportunity arose, so we decided to take it.
I'll post an actual itinerary (well what we've sort of got for an itinerary, there's more space than I usually have!) in a later blog but here's a quick summary of some of the things we're going to do
London -
- A day at Lord's watching New Zealand (hopefully they'll play okay!) plus a tour on another day
- See a couple of West End shows - I'm cheating by seeing things I've seen before, but there wasn't a lot on show that really appealled to me
- A day trip to Stonehenge and Bath
- A Rock and Roll bus tour of London - seeing a bunch of famous rock and roll sights - Abbey Road, studios, concert venues etc
- Jack the Ripper Tour
- We're going up the Shard to look over the city
- Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and all the other obvious famous sightseeing locations
We're also there for the FA Cup final (shame Man Utd let me down there) and Eurovision, it should be great being part of the atmosphere for both.
Paris -
- Going to Montmartre
- A tour that takes up the Eiffel Tower
- A Louvre Walking Tour
- An Illuminations Tour and Seine Cruise
- A trip to Versailles
- Hopefully a visit to the Museum of the Middle Ages if we get time
Pretty much everything's been ticked off my must see list in both place
I'm hoping to do my usual daily blog and for those on my facebook - the daily upload of photos (I apologise in advance for how many there will be - I use FB as a backup for photos as well as for sharing) so keep a look out here for tales from the trip.
YAY! Thanks for reading :)
Monday, January 14, 2013
Golden Globes and Golden Hair
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!
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!
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!
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