EXERCISE... HOUSEWORK... SPELD

TODAY:  a very normal Thursday is expected.


Once I've made the lunches and seen everyone out the front door...


I will go down to the garage, get on the treadmill, followed by the exercycle.  That will be a good start to the day.


Then... I'll do some housework... pop down the road to get cash to pay the Speld Teacher....


Pick up Griffin and take him to his lesson.


SEE?  Normal day.


I was browsing through pictures on Facebook and saw these:

ABOVE: how gorgeous is that!  Mother love eh.

ABOVE:  good words.  I am fairly sure I have a GREAT HEART when it comes to family.  Well... I would like to think so anyway.


At the Hospice Shop yesterday one of the other Volunteers was folding fitted sheets...and she did an amazing job!
They looked perfect.  I mentioned that I didn't fold them like that... cos I got so frustrated trying to make them all lovely and flat... and I showed her how I did mine:

ABOVE: YEP.... I screw them up in a ball and shove them in the back of the linen cupboard!  It's not like there is a 'sheet policeman' coming to check me linen cupboard is perfect eh?  lol

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our Granddaughter Rena, she is 4 today.


CRANKY:  insightful... much.  Spot on.

Right, better get a move on.... stuff to do...


Well, this morning is kinda going to plan.
But one extra 'job' was taking Steve down to the Dr's cos he's still feeling ikkk.  
All good, he's got his medical note for work... he can laze the day away and get over it.
Me?
Washed the bathrooms and laundry floors... next up....vacuming.
Far out I'm so lucky.


So... I thought it was going to rain again, got all cloudy, so I threw the washing in the dryer... and while I was out... the freaking sun came out again.  Stupid, stupid weather.  SO sick of it!


Wonder how many times I've said that in the past few months?
Too many me thinks.


OOOO ... blogger has added another thingee to the compose line up!  'Normal, Minor Heading etc'.  Wonder how that works?


End of Day:  well I cooked nacho's for dinner... and I have to say it... I didn't like it!  I used to LOVE nacho's... now I don't!  That's weird.  But I  think my taste buds have changed lately.  Food is just not my 'be all and end all' anymore.  Maybe I am finally learning to eat to live, not live to eat?
ON TRACK:  Yes!
nite nite.

MY BEAUTIFUL BOYS...

The SENCO teacher at our kid's school gave Griffin a book to read ... it belongs to her boys.  She said the other day she was sure he would love reading it.  Griffin? Reading? Loving it?   I couldn't imagine it!

....

ABOVE:  he is reading! He is loving the book!  He even missed his turn on the X Box in favour of reading!   (I'm wondering how long it will last now!)

 ABOVE:  My beautiful, but kinda ugly Teddy.  

ABOVE:  I can't blame him for looking away!  I shoved me camera right in his face!

ABOVE:  Miss Coco is adorable too... she never looks ugly!  *smiles*  YES, she is still in her cone.

She just won't leave her 'hot spot' alone.

LYNDA:  our dogs get fed the same food, have done for all their lives.  They are FINE with what we feed them.... the only time they get allergy flare ups is in summer.... so it is an ENVIRONMENTAL allergy of some sort, most likely pollens.

It ain't wheat in their food. And I don't even know if there is wheat in their food.  I didn't look!

13 years ago today we lost my brother Vern. Nearly 28 years ago we lost my brother Peter.  Nearly 12 years ago we lost my Dad.  

All the men in my immediate family gone.

Strange how time flies, it doesn't feel that long ago!

Today is Hospice Shop day.  I was thinking of walking down there, but it's a bit much to walk down there, then stand on me feet for hours in the shop straight after.  So, scrap that idea. 

Hopefully I will find some treasure today... 

ONWARD... 


Pissing down out there again... so no way am I walking!  When I get home from Hospice Shop I will go down and do the treadmill/exercycle again.  I know I will feel better for it.


LEIGH:  clever girl!  It is indeed 'Diary of a Whimpy Kid'.  And the teacher has the whole set for Griffin to read.

ABOVE: today's treasure... more baby clothes!  I even got a wee hat/bootie set in blue, I'm sure there will be another grandson or two in our future! As Lacy has plenty of baby girls clothes, I shall put this lot aside for the next baby girl.


It was very busy in the shop this morning... quite tired now!  We got a large box full of gorgeous hand knitted wool blankets in today, so I put two aside for me to buy next week.  One is shocking pink, and the other is in shades of blue.  I think they will make great gifts.


Just had lunch and now I'm going to watch Home and Away on the telly ... before I do some housework.


*sigh*  raining... so damn sick of it.  Steve still not well, so I picked him up mid-afternoon, and the kids from school.  No time to do anything else yet... luckily dinner is going to be an easy one... Butter Chicken.
I haven't made it for a while ... yum.


End of Day:  another stinking wet day.  Didn't get much done this afternoon... batteries ran out.
ON TRACK: yes.
nite nite

*SIGH* RAIN, RAIN, AND MORE RAIN.

The top half of the North Island (New Zealand, me home) is getting battered by rain ... yesterday and today.
Yaaaa, like we need any more rain!
This has been the wettest 'summer' in decades.

ABOVE: our lovely weatherman, Jim Hickey... pointing out the obvious!  We gunna get rain... lots of rain.  The very top of the North Island got flooded yesterday... wonder if we will today?  Well... WE won't get flooded cos we up a hill eh!


Talking of today:  might just go out... we need more spa pool chemicals, and I want to post a Birthday Card to a grandkid.  Not sure what else I will get up to today... I do intend to do me exercise at some point too.


ONWARD...


Been out and about.... got the pool chemicals, did some shopping, came home and had lunch, then Steve arrived home feeling ill.


So, it's a quiet day.  The rain has stopped... so hopefully it is fine for a few days now.


Got a phone call from me Dr, she just wants me to work on me diet/exercise for the next 3 months, then have another diabetes test.  IF it comes back high again, then we will sit down and discuss options apparently.
Cool.


Feeling blah.  Bored shitless.  But don't want to do anything about it.  *sigh*


I got on the scales... thought I should.  Showed a GAIN of 2 kilos.  Yaaaa, that just makes me feel more pissed off.


I just hit 'Delete All Readers' on me blog.  Just feeling so crabby, don't want to bring anyone else down.
I'm a dismal failure at the diet.
And it affects me badly EVERY DAY.... and makes me hate myself.
When I feel like that, I just want to curl up in a ball and just be alone.
Knowing hundreds of people read my blog sometimes freaks me out.
so, just for a little while today, I want to feel alone.


It's a bit like saying "I'm not home" ?


WHOOPS!  didn't last long.  Started to get emails from readers wondering what was happening?  Sorry, just ignore me, just having a hissy fit.


LYNDA: poor choice of words on my part.  You go to Settings and choose who can read your blog.  I just chose 'Author' for a little while!


I have come to the conclusion that I am completely and UTTERLY sick to death of everything I eat.  It's all boring.  No new tastes.
So.... I'm going to haul out some recipe books and try and make our food more interesting, a bit different?  Just want to enjoy eating ... not feel like it's such a drag.


End of Day:  just had a lovely spa with Stew and Griffin.  Well... as lovely as it can be with a friggin 10 year old jumping around!  Ants in his pants that boy!
Someone saw Griffin at Stew's work the other day and said "Wow, doesn't he look like you?" to  Stew.  *snigger*  Clearly she didn't know he is Stew's Grandson... and there is no biological link either!  Stew didn't bother to correct her.  It does make us smile though... cos he is our son in every way the matters.
ON TRACK: nope.  Blew it today.
nite nite.

A TALE OF TWO BELLY'S!

I was lucky enough yesterday to have a Skype conversation with our eldest son's partner, Tess.
Tess and Russell live in Kambalda, which is a mining town near Kalgoorlie in Australia.


Tess is 20 weeks pregnant with her third baby and her doctor says she has a BIG baby on board...

ABOVE:  Tess's belly at 20 weeks! Impressive!!
Now, as Lacy was here last night, I managed to get a photo of HER belly too.  Lacy is 24 weeks pregnant:

ABOVE:  I reckon she has popped out a lot in the last week or so!  Clearly she is not having a BIG baby... just a little one.

 ABOVE: utterly crap photo, it's hard getting a good one on Skype!  This is Tess, her daughter Haylea on the left, Sienna our granddaughter, and to the right Tess's two nieces ... who live with their Mum and Dad in the same street as Tess and Russell.  Tess and her sister are twins. (and NO, she hasn't got twins in her belly!)

ABOVE:  how cute is our wee girl then?

ABOVE:  Haylea and Sienna.  Looking at me, looking at them!  *smiles*


TODAY:  well... I had planned to go for my walk down to Manurewa... but I have to attend Griffin's IEP at 11 am, so it would be pushing it to go walkies before the appointment.
So, maybe I will go downstairs and do the treadmill/exercycle instead... now there's an idea. 


ONWARD...


Another reason to NOT go outside. It's pissing down.  But, I will get out my unbrella and walk down to the school, it's not that far but at least it's getting outside for a little while.


My internet connection was down for about an hour just before... it drives me nuts when that happens.  I have NO idea why it went down either, but I think it was a Telecom problem.


Talking of Telecom, I need to get a new cellphone. Mine keeps turning itself off!  Really frustrating when you go to use it and it's off.  Sometimes I turn it on and in comes a whole row of text's!  Quite funny.  Sorta.


I took the car to school in the end... the rain is coming down SIDEWAYS... I would have ended up dripping wet, sitting in a stuffy office steaming!  Wet clothes + hot flushes... nah, not a good idea.


Lunch time:  hmm, what to have?


End of Day:  well I had a very quiet afternoon!
Did a bit of blogging ... got dinner .... just the usual stuff.
ON TRACK:  yep.  Doing good.  
nite nite.

TOUGH LUCK DOGS

I ran out of our regular dog food about 3 days ago.
And as I had some TUX dog biscuits in the pantry I decided to use them.  Prior to this, the dogs had refused to eat them at all.
Ummm... for hours neither dog would touch them... until they got REALLY hungry!
I'm happy to say they are now very reluctantly eating TUX dog biscuits!  lol


DOGS - 0
ME - 1 


Diabetes Type 2:  I'm not gunna 'do' anything about this until I see the Dr sometime this coming week.  I am CERTAIN I can turn it around with diet and exercise... but we will see what the Doc says I suppose.


Today: I'm going to walk on the treadmill UNTIL my back starts to hurt, then I will switch to the exercycle.  I am going to do 40 minutes sustained exercise today.  I AM.


And at some point today we have to go grocery shopping too... I am bloody thrilled at the prospect... can ya tell?   lol


I turned up the spa pool yesterday ... I'm hoping it's hot enough by tonight to get in and have a good long soak.  I'm sure that will help me back somewhat.


ONWARD... today is going to be better than yesterday.... for sure!


Well... I did my exercise, I didn't manage the full  amount of time I wanted, but it is a start.


Treadmill : 15 mins (incline 4, speed 4km/per hour)
Exercycle : 10 mins


I'm now going to have a spa, then shower, face on and off grocery shopping.


Lacy is coming to dinner tonight... Steve specifically asked if he could go get her?  He's trying to make amends for last weekend... which is nice.


Yaaa... groceries done for another fortnight.  And Steve is home now, so he gets to help bring it in and put it away.  Me... I'm sitting on me butt waiting for lunch to be served!  lol


Stew made me a lovely chicken salad sandwich for lunch.  We use a super grainy bread, so it's healthy.  We ain't cutting out all bread in this house.  


Steve has gone to pick up Lacy from across the city.  I just heard he got pulled up for speeding.... wish I was there to take a photo!  What a dick.  Kids eh?  They never learn.


DEE: yeah, me Dr said it was most likely nerve endings or fibres within the muscle crossing over and getting caught, and when I got the very bad spasms, it was just the fibres untangling again?  Either way, I hope it doesn't happen again!


DIANA:  I will speak to me Dr about your ideas.  I have not had THAT much heartburn of late, just a few bad attacks which I can pretty much put down to the food choices I made before I got the heartburn.  I should have known better.

ABOVE:  Lacy eating her pudding... and Teddy and Coco begging.   But they got none.


End of Day:  a nice day today.  
ON TRACK?:  Well yes!
nite nite.

SCAN STORY....

Where to start?


Lacy was supposed to meet me yesterday at the Radiology clinic for her 'emergency' scan.


- So I picked up the kids from school and dropped them off at Stew's office, so I didn't have to take them with me.


- I got there in plenty of time.


- 2.40pm, and it's her appointment time, but she hasn't arrived.


- 2.45 I get a text from her.  Can I come and pick her up from some where up the road?


- I ring her to find out what the hell is going on?


- Ummm....  the cops stopped her, and because the car she is driving is UN-WARRANTED and UN-REGISTERED, they are going to confiscate it for 28 days.
AND... she is driving while DISQUALIFIED... so she got a ticket for that too!  She THOUGHT she could drive because the Courts returned her Driver's License.... even though she is disqualified for 2 years.  She just thought... Oh, they sent my license back... I can drive.  Yipeee.


- So, the radiology receptionist is having a spak cos they are fully booked, but she is nice enough to direct me to where Lacy is... so I go and get her from the side of the road and take her back to the Radiology Clinic for her scan.

ABOVE: Lacy and the cop, who is writing out the tickets... cop car over to the right.  Yaaaa.


- We finally get into the scan room 40 minutes LATE.


- The radiologist looks at Lacy's form... and says 
"Why are you here?"


- Apparently Lacy misheard her midwife ... her midwife said she was concerned about the baby's size and Lacy needed a growth scan at 28 weeks... and she told Lacy to go and 'book it NOW'.


- Lacy heard 'book it NOW'... so went and booked it for NOW.  Like YESTERDAY.... When the midwife meant book it now,  for when you are 28 weeks pregnant!!!


- So... I went over there for NOTHING.


- And I had to then take Lacy back to where she is living right now (a motorcamp cabin), then pick up the kids and get home on a Friday night in grid-locked traffic.


- That took over 1 and a half hours in stinking hot weather.... when it usually takes 25 minutes.


Can you IMAGINE how bloody pissed off I was?


OVER IT NOW.  


Today I am going to devote to reading blogs and catching up on what everyone's been up to.
No one better bother me either, cos seriously, I am just so crabby right now it's not safe to be around me.  I am even over myself!


During my walk yesterday my back started giving me some pain... it's always in the same place.. half way down, more on the right side. So, when I got home it was really killing me, so I took some painkillers and it was 'bearable' for the rest of the day... but only just.


OMG, this morning I am in so much pain!!! I can't even breathe without stabbing pain in my back... it's muscular I think?  But, so over it!  It hurts without even moving... shoot me now!


When I stood up after writing the above, my back pain went to a WHOLE NEW LEVEL... reduced me to tears and made me scream in pain... so off to the Doctor we went immediately.
She is thinking the same as me, something muscular... ???  Anyway, I have a whole barrage of pain pills now, and an appointment for a back x-ray and to see an orthopedic specialist ... oh yaaaa.


As I get this pain EVERY TIME I go for a good walk... it is worth getting to the bottom of it.


I asked about my blood test results too.
I have Diabetes it would appear.  Have to see the Doctor during the week to go over options to get it under control.  Yaaaaa again.  (said ever so crabbily)


SO... HOW IS YOUR DAY GOING?  I hope it's better than mine.


It is NOT my gallbladder!  I know exactly how a gallstone attack feels cos I got them years ago and after only 3 attacks I got me gallbladder out!  It is a similar pain to what I am experiencing now... but without the crushing chest feeling to go with the stabbing pain!


LIZZIE:  thanks, and I will be doing whatever my Dr recommends for sure.


I. love. painkillers.  I feel human again, and my crabbiness has eased.  Back pain is the pitts.


End of Day:  well it's been a kinda crappy day... so tomorrow can only be better!
ON TRACK: yep.
nite nite.

WALKING AROUND HERE

Way back when we bought in this suburb, I thought it would be ideal for walking around.
But I have found over the last three years that is  not so.


This suburb was predominantly built on the northern slope of a hill.   It's HILLY, steep in many places, and I HATE WALKING ON HILLS. 

 ABOVE: this photo is taken on the ridge of the hill... this is the southern slope looking towards the Bombay hills....

ABOVE: this is the Northern slope, my suburb.

 ABOVE: more of my suburb, my home is in this photo.

BUT... I have just realised something!
IF I walk down the hill all the way to Manurewa, not sure how far that is, but it's a good walk... I can catch a BUS back up the hill!
This was not a possibility until recently when the council introduced a new bus route specifically for our suburb.  Prior to that, there was no bus that came around our suburb at all.


So, today I am going to walk down the hill, and bus back.  
FINALLY, a walk I can do that won't kill me!


I should be able to do this walk on Mon/Tues and Friday every week.  (well ok, not next Monday as I have to attend an IEP for Griffin) 


Off to put me sneakers on.


Later on today I am going over to Henderson to attend Lacy's scan.  Fingers crossed her Muppet is OK.  There is serious concern over Muppet's size... and Lacy's overall health.


CHRISTY:  her MIDWIVES are concerned, if the scan shows there is something to be really concerned about, I'm sure her Doctor will be informed ... and it will go from there what's to be done.


To all who are worried about me and my stress levels:  relax!  I am going to 'walk away' from it all for as long as necessary and only deal with what I HAVE TO.


ONWARD...


I DID IT!  I walked down to Manurewa ... it only took me 35 minutes too.  I will continue to do that walk until my fitness level improves, then I can add a bit more on.
The bus left Manurewa at 10.05, so I know I have about 20 minutes 'spare' that I can add on to my walk and still catch the bus in time.
Very happy about that.  The walk was 3.3 kms long too.


Time to do a bit of housework, get meat out of the freezer for dinner, bla bla bla.


I left home at 12 midday to pick up the kids and drop them off at Stew's office so I didn't have to take them with me.
It is now 5pm and I've just got home again.


MUPPET is fine I PRESUME.
There was NO SCAN today.
I will be having a TOTAL RANT about THAT tomorrow. 


For now all I want to do is sit here and get over having to drive around for hours in the heat and grid-locked traffic.  My temper is at boiling point.


Stew got home half and hour early and is cooking dinner for me. What a honey... see, he's only an arsehole 5% of the time really.  *smiles*


End of Day:  another crap day.  I liked the morning though.
ON TRACK:  yes.  No bad eating due to crap day.
nite nite.

STEW IS AN ARSEHOLE SOMETIMES

What is the last thing you want your husband to say to you?


I can think of a few things... and this is one that Stew said last night to me:


"You know, when you yelled at Brylee just now, you sounded JUST LIKE YOUR MOTHER!".... and THAT was NOT a compliment.


I was .... gobsmacked.  And hurt.  And almost walked out of the room.  Only, I was eating dinner, so I stayed.


Man is he skating on thin ice with me right now.
What a shitty thing to say.


See... he's NOT perfect. He can be an insensitive git.  And while I'm at it, he can yell just as good as me.  Pffffffft.

Today:  housework/blogging in the morning, then I am picking Griffin up and taking him to his Speld lesson.


That's it for now...


ONWARD....   and, what's the crappiest thing your man has said to you lately?  Can ya top what Stew said?

ABOVE:   HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Bex, my daughter by another mother.  Hope you have a lovely day.


BELLA:  I do get called 'Mum',  so yep;  I'm pretty sure she does see me as another Mother!  Her and Steve seem hell bent on getting married and having kids... so there ya go.  I'm gunna be her MIL by the look of it!


OMG... WORD VERIFICATION sucks!  If you have it and wonder why you don't get many comments... is cos sometimes a reader can type out a long comment, type in the 'words'  and it is WRONG, over and over again!  Some of those 'words' are IMPOSSIBLE TO DECIPHER.  I am over it.
PLEASE, PLEASE take word verification off and turn 'Comment Moderation' ON.
Sure you will get some span comments, but you can just delete them.  


We had pizza for dinner last night.  I got the most INCREDIBLY bad acid reflux at 4 in the morning!  Nearly choked myself, the acid came right up into my throat.  Never again am I having that much pizza.  YES, I was a pig.  Pizza is one of my all time downfalls.
My body is trying to tell me something.
I think I should start LISTENING.


WWANGEL:  I hear you boss.  I will be more careful BOSS... lol
AND I don't expect blood test results until around Monday, when I will ring and find out.


DAMMIT... Having a sugar low.  Feel really ill.  Off to eat something to correct it.


WHAT. A. CROCK. OF. SHIT.  Just read a blog that made me see red. Some people just need to have someone say "FUCK YOU".  And that is all I will say about that.  Cryptic?  Much.


***   LATEST PEPSI UPDATE ADDED TO  ***, yep it's ongoing!


End of Day:  crap is still getting in the way of me reading my favourite blogs!  Maybe saturday I will have nothing bugging me and I can get back to it?
ON TRACK?  I wish I could say yes, but it has been a nasty day and I'm an emotional eater.
nite nite

JUST A FEW PICCY'S FIRST THING:

ABOVE: I got them all off Facebook... and liked them enough to pinch them and put them on here.

ABOVE:  yep, I like this one too!


Today: Bex goes home to Hamilton as she has work this afternoon.  
And I have Hospice Shop duty....  OH and thank you to everyone for sticking by me and still reading/commenting.  I will be getting back to usual blog reading/commenting just as soon as I can do it without distractions! 
AND I apologise for any/all bad, bad words used lately too!  lol


ONWARD...


We were really busy in the shop today!  I found a few items of clothes for Brylee today, and a BRAND NEW pair of sneakers that will Griffin either now, or in 6 months.  Boys feet grow so fast!  Oh, and a few baby booties... you can never have too many of those, plenty of babies around!


Off to have a bite to eat now...

ABOVE:  yaaaa, they fit perfectly!  He is wearing a size 9 and a half now!  Bigger than me, almost as bit as Mike's feet!  Steve has the biggest feet in the house, he's a size 13-14.

ABOVE:  been to the Orthodontist this afternoon... couldn't resist taking this photo in her rooms... Brylee has to get one of her top molars pulled as soon as I can arrange it... the new one is coming out the side of her gum.  Nice.


MARIE:  so far, so good.  Scan on Friday afternoon, might know more then.


End of Day: a fairly normal day for a change.  No aggro.  No stress. Thank gawd.
ON TRACK:  yep.
nite nite.

HOW CUTE ARE THEY?

Yesterday I decided to groom the dogs ears and tails.... cos as they are both in cones right now their poor ears get super knotted so fast!


Teddy is easy to groom.. he's totally docile and literally lets me do anything to him.... I'm the BOSS.
Coco on the other hand is a nightmare to groom!
She struggles and cowers the whole time! I think she's had a bad grooming experience at some point.  She shakes so badly sometimes it takes all my calming efforts and soft voice to get her to calm down.  Poor girl.  And it doesn't help that she thinks SHE'S the BOSS!


Anyway, I got this cute photo of the two of them after I'd done their groom:

ABOVE:  poor buggers, exhausted from being groomed by me!  And all I did was their ears and tail!

ABOVE: I got flowers yesterday!  Pretty.


TODAY: Bex is on my case to go and get my blood test done!  So... I think she is dragging me down there first thing this morning, and then we are taking Teddy and Coco for a walk in the gardens.  I might just take me camera....


ONWARD...

ABOVE: proof I actually did it!
And now... I sure in hell don't feel like going walkies with the dogs now.
I am feeling hungover STILL!  What the hell is with that?
Feeling so ikkkkk.... and heartburn like you wouldn't believe!  
I'm going out to buy me some Losec.... that stuff is magic for heartburn.


I dragged Bex out shopping... as I needed to get some presents for birthday's coming up.
Found just the right thing (I hope!) for a certain daughter who is turning 30 soon!  I'm not really doing presents for my 'big' kids anymore, but 30 is a big number!
I think I will just do the 30/40/50 etc birthdays with my big kids now.  There are so many wee grandkids it's getting that we have to buy presents all year round!  It's a costly exercise having a large family.


We shopped for 3 hours!  That is EXERCISE people!!!
We had lunch in the mall.... and about half an hour later.... I threw it all up.  Such a waste of good food!
My tummy is still revolting over the wine I think.


Anyway, it's time to just sit and relax ... give me poor feet a break...

 ABOVE:  two totally gorgeous glasses we got from Spotlight of all places!  I love love love them... sadly I could only afford two today.... *sniff*

ABOVE:  SCORE  of the day... an appointment diary from Smiggle... for $2!  And a bathroom thingee for me bathroom from a Bathroom shop.  Needed it, saw it, got it.


I love shopping!  lol


Hard to stay awake this afternoon... so tired!  Feeling heaps better now though... thank goodness.
Stew came home early today... which was nice.


*** PEPSI UPDATED *** PEPSI UPDATED *** PEPSI UPDATED ***


End of Day:  aside from STILL being hungover, it was OK.
ON TRACK: not really... but throwing up lunch must have helped... lol !
nite nite.