4 days to go

Only 4 days to go til we move. DH took a load of boxes up last night and we finally got to go and have a look and stand inside the empty echoing house and say "wow, it's ours". (Well technically RAMS owns it and we won't own it until 2036!!!!!) LMAO.

I have been up all night with DS. He's getting his 2 year old molars and it's been hell on stilts here for the last week. I think i've had about 10 hours sleep all week and i'm a bit over it.

I just got told yesterday that they're cancelling my leave on Monday and Tuesday. I have had to send 2 out of 3 Assessors and one admin to Cairns to help out and it's left us short staffed (understatement of the year!). Don't know when i'll get to unpack now, i'm hoping to be able to do a lot on Friday night and Saturday but at this rate i'll need sleep at some stage.

I'm sure it will all work out in the end.

Sorry I haven't been around much. I haven't checked blogs for a few days, it's just been mental at work and at home and I don't have time to scratch myself. It will all be better soon though. A couple of weeks down the track when everything is back to "normal" and i'll be wondering what all the fuss was about.

On the weight front i'm still maintaining, which is great, but i'm pretty keen to get back into weight loss mode. At this rate i'm not going to get to goal before i'm 40 (end of October) and I really want to make a big effort to do that.

Hope everyone is okay, i'll try and get around and check some blogs now.

Bri

Moving buddies

Woody: Does everybody have a moving buddy?

Hamm: Moving buddy? You can't be serious.

Rex: I didn't know we had to have one already.



Take note toys, it's only six days til we move, and we'll be at work for five of them - get your act together!!!!!

Last weekend in this house.

OMG This is the last weekend we'll be spending in this house. I cannot believe it. DH is at work (actually that's a good thing cos i'm just about ready to chop him into little pieces).

OK I was going to try and post a positive post today (there's a first time for everything right?) so i'll start again.

I can't believe we're finally moving next weekend. I feel like I should be packing and cleaning but ESD (Evil Step Daughter) is here and we're cooking brownies (I know - I know - but i'll try and only have ONE!!).

It is a gorgeous day and I was going to go walking, but now that i've realised that I only have these two days left to pack I think I better pull my finger out and actually do it.

How exciting.

The real estate that we rent this house from have put a HUGE "For Lease" sign out the front of our house so i'm expecting gawkers all weekend now. Another reason to start cleaning because people will probably start making appointments to look through soon. We have one booked in for Wednesday already.

The worst room I have to tackle is DH's toilet. We have two toilets in this house and one is MINE and the other is HIS. I don't go into his EVER, I direct men there when they are here but never women or children, they all use my toilet cos I know it's safe.

I have no idea how bad it will be, or what i'm in for. Maybe i'll be surprised but I doubt it. If you don't hear from me again, you know I didn't survive the experience!! It was nice knowing you all.

Have a great weekend everyone. Oh, almost forgot, anyone who has nothing to do next weekend is more than welcome to come and help us move. I'm sure you're all itching to assist!!

By the way, thanks to everyone who sent us positive vibes regarding all the crap that was going on, it definitely worked cos everything seems to be going okay now, at least I haven't heard otherwise!

Ciao for now,
Bri

I need some good luck

I need all of these things, a rabbit's foot, a lucky penny, a golden horse shoe, a four leaf clover and a wishing star.

I have a sick DS, the workmen are still in our building at work making a lot of noise and causing us all big headaches, I won't have a desk at work for another three weeks, we don't have internet access and email access is at best random, the solicitors have lost our mortgage papers for the house that DH and I have bought (are buying) and we may not be able to settle on Monday (thus causing us to have to pay interest to the other side until we do settle) and the vendors wouldn't let us in to paint two days early and therefore no painting will be done now until the later half of this year as my Dad is moving himself and will be very busy for the next few months as they also have to sell their house.

I picked a bad day to give up eating chocolate.....

But, as a very good friend of mine pointed out, chocolate makes your clothes shrink, so i'm having a cup of tea and then i'm off to bed.

Sorry I haven't been able to catch up on blogs lately (seriously - not having internet access at work is cutting into my social blogging life severely!!), I will get around to all of you very soon.

If anyone has any spare good Karma, please send a little tiny bit our way.

Bri

"Lazy" Sunday

No lazy Sunday for me. Check the before and after photos of our garden below to see what great work i've done today. Hey, it's only 9.15am and i've already finished my project for the day. Go me!!

Life is pretty full on at the moment and very busy. Our new office is great but very unorganised. It will be fantastic when it's finished though. The workmen were still there last week. One of them was using a nail gun on the wall that is right in front of my desk and I was trying to do some dictation and it was very headache creating. Plus it scared the absolute crap out of me everytime he used it, they are very noisy things. LOL

My eating hasn't been so good and my exercise is scant at best, but i'm not worrying about it cos that will just make me worse. I'm still maintaining my weight (sort of) and I am very much looking forward to moving (three weeks today) and getting back into a routine.

DS was fantastic on his first day at the new centre, but day two was a whole nuther story. He lost the plot big time and was screaming and kicking. It was awful. I was in a mess of tears but I had to leave him, otherwise he'll never get used to it. I'm hoping that tomorrow will be a bit easier but I think it may be the same as Friday. But I know that by the end of this week he'll be okay and he'll be used to the new people there.

Thanks everyone for your comments about my red kitchen. I still haven't made a final decision but i'll keep you posted. If I do end up going with the red you can all say "I told you so" when I decide it needs changing!! haha

Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend, I sure am! Off to colour my hair now (just chocolate brown this time, no more pink for me!!).

Bri

My project for today, weed the garden. Also very good exercise for my arms, but not so good for my back.  

We've let it go a bit, as you can tell by the fact that there are MUSHROOMS growing in the garden!! 

Doesn't it look so much better, i'm so proud of myself for getting stuck into this. That lavender could do with a bit of a trim though!! hehe 

The finished product - and my exercise for the day!! 

Back to work tomorrow

I can't believe I have to go back to work tomorrow. This time off has gone so fast. I guess it's cos i've been busy packing and cleaning and trying to get the house sorted out.

DS starts at his new daycare centre tomorrow. He has been really funny this past week. He has been very clingey and won't even go to his father. He just wants me all the time. I've been having nightmares about him not handling the new daycare and screaming the place down.

I'm sure he'll be okay eventually, it will just take a little while, hopefully only a week or so, for him to get used to it.

I have my car back now. Thank goodness. It is so luxurious compared to the dinosaur loan car I had. I remember how privileged I am now.

I've been mucking around with the paint function on my computer and some photos of our new kitchen. I'll see if I can upload a couple.....

The "before" shot:















The "what Briony likes best" shot


I love red. I've always wanted a red kitchen. This isn't exactly the colour of course and it's not a very good likeness, also the tenants "stuff" is in the picture, but it gives you a bit of an idea. When I said to DH that I wanted a red kitchen he said "you're 'effing' joking aren't you"?.
Hmmm, better get a plan b.






The "safer" shot


This is plan 'b'. A safer neutral colour. Also not a true representation of the real colours etc but gives a bit of an idea.

DH has left it up to me to choose all the colours. I asked him to help but he says he has no idea (and he really doesn't). He thinks the colours that are there already are ok. (Grey and cream - I don't think so!!).

Does anyone have any thoughts?

It's hard picking colours. I bought a software programme called "My Virtual Home" in which you can do the above, but properly. My computer is so old that it doesn't work. My brother is going to install a new video card for me tonight so that I can then use the programme. Maybe it's time to invest in a new computer. I didn't think this one was very old but when I did a diagnostic test a couple of days ago it told me it was 55 months old - so what's that about 4 and a half years and I guess for a computer that is a bit outdated.

One more expense to add to the list of needs!

Edit: Thanks for your concerns about the red cupboards outdating, my Dad is a painter so I will be able to get him to tell me if it will be too hard to repaint them later when they do go out of fashion. I'm pretty keen to have them, even if its only for 12 months. I've had grey kitchen cupboards for the last 8 years and i'm sick to death of them. They just scream 'rental' to me and I need a change. I'll keep you all posted.

Have a great day everyone.

Bri

Fat Hippo, Fat Chick, Fat Pig and Fat Cow - I am all of these things today, but not quite as cute as these pictures are.

I can't wait until we have moved house and I can get back into some sort of routine. I know I said I would be happy if I maintained my weight between a couple of weeks ago and when we move and I am, but i'm not happy. I'm sick of being this size. I'm sick of the hot weather and the sweating and the ill fitting clothes and the lack of compliments about my weight loss.

When the band did our last show a few weeks ago, someone asked me how long I had to go. I hate that. How on earth can anyone think i'm pregnant - and nearly ready to pop. I'm back to the stage where i'm disgusted with myself and I really need to do something about it. I was determined to get back on the treadmill this morning but DS woke up at 2am and didn't go back to sleep until 5am - so I needed the sleep more than getting up at 5.30am to walk.

Now it's too hot to do anything. I can't wait until we have moved into our house and we have the air cond put in, life will be so much better.

On a happier note, you didn't hear this from me but it's Michelle's birthday today. Pop over to her blog and wish her happy birthday! I'll suffer the consequences later! LOL.

Bri

It is so exciting picking colours to paint inside the new house. There are so many choices though. I wish I was a bit better at the whole interior decorating thing. Some people just have a knack for it don't they?

I think i've chosen well, but of course i'll have to run it all past DH.

I got the keys to the house yesterday so that we could get in today to measure up for the painting etc. I was supposed to take them back this afternoon by 4pm (oops its 4.03pm!!) hehe - but I rang and asked if I could drop them off first thing tomorrow morning (i'm not going back to work yet as our new office is still being fitted out). So that means another couple of days of "leisure" (?? yeah right) for me - I can get some more packing done and maybe start on weeding the jungle that is our front garden. Plus the house needs some serious tidying and cleaning.

I love the colours i've chosen for the house and I just hope that DH will agree to my choices. The house isn't very old so it doesn't need anything major doing. The painting etc will take about a week he said, so we'll hopefully get all of that finished before we move in. Just have to organise it with the owner.

Settlement is 27 March and i'm hoping that my Dad will come down the week before to paint and then the smell will be gone by the time we move in on 2nd April. Geez that's not far away is it. Perhaps I should go and do some more packing now.

When we were up at the house today we noticed a lot of bees inside - heaps and heaps of them. They must have built a hive inside the cavity wall and so we'll have to get the real estate to deal with that before we move in. There were live bees but also dead bees everywhere, not sure why they died? Maybe lack of water or food I guess. I hope we don't have to deal with it cos i'm not very good with insects and stuff and I don't particularly feel like being attacked by bees ("or dogs, or dogs with bees in their mouths" - Homer Simpson!!).

My eating has been okay this weekend, but I haven't done any exercise. I will start on the treadmill again tomorrow and maybe do the walk up to the supermarket in the afternoon if its not too hot. It was really hot here today, I was sweating all day just pottering around the house. Bring on winter I say!!

DS just woke up so that will be it for today, hope everyone is having a great day.

Bri

Vacations - good or bad ???

I'd like to say that this is what the beach looked like. It didn't.
I'd like to say I had a great time. I didn't.
I'd like to say that my father and I got on really well. We didn't.
I'd like to say the place where we stayed was lovely. It wasn't.
I'd like to say it was nice to see my family. It definitely wasn't.
I'd like to say I didn't want to come home. But I did.

My father started on me as soon as I arrived, so then I drank too much and gave him what I figured he deserved, the serve from hell! That's the LAST time I ever do that. I should have known not to go on holidays with them. Yikes what was I thinking?????

The only good part was seeing my sister Kim (who I love dearly and don't get to see often) but there were overtones of stress everywhere and it made it uncomfortable for everyone.

I'm glad to be home, even though my DH (not darling husband today, the other option) went to the pub BOTH nights I was away until midnight and once again I came home to an absolute pig sty of a house. For goodness sake, the cereal bowl DS had the morning we left was still sitting on his high chair! Men ..... don't get me started.

I ate well while I was away, better than I would have if i'd been home. The bottle of champagne to myself probably didn't help my weight but I walked a lot and kept busy. I didn't feel able to hand over DS so I could get time to myself (snide remarks were made) so no, I didn't get to relax as I would have liked.

Back to work Monday and I don't even have my car back yet (hopefully Tuesday). The dinosaur loan car they gave me doesn't have air conditioning and it's been so hot i'm not going out in it. DH (did something good for once) got me a nice car from his work to take away so i've been driving in relative luxury for the last three days. Not anymore.

Sorry this is just a whingey post. Hopefully positive Bri will be back after I get on the scales tomorrow morning? Fingers crossed.....

Hope next week is better, i'm starting at my new office building on Monday (I think, I forgot to ring work to check - D'oh!!).

I'm off to catch up on your blogs now. Nighty night.

Bri

Relaxation, here I come.

This is Avoca Beach, where i'm going today. Damn I hope it looks this good when I get there!!

I'm off for a couple of days of relaxation, dump the kid with Grandma and Grandad and walk my little legs off on this gorgeous beach.

Ciao for now,

Bri

Carrots

I wonder how many carrots you have to eat before you turn orange or start growing ears and whiskers? I decided yesterday when (I thought) I was hungry, that maybe its just the chewing and the crunchiness that I like. So I decided to try eating a carrot. Don't get me wrong, I like carrots, but i'm not really a fan of eating raw vegetables. One of the (skinny) girls at work eats carrots, capsicums and the like for morning tea and we all kind of snigger and laugh at her, but it's a much better and low calorie idea than most of the stuff I have. You still get the chewing and the crunchy that you (I) crave and it does fill up your tummy.

I don't think I could eat a capsicum, but carrots seem okay so far.

I outdid myself with exercise yesterday. I did 45 mins on the treadmill yesterday morning, an hour and a half putting the exercise bike together yesterday afternoon and then DS and I walked up to the supermarket in the afternoon to meet DH - it's a 4km walk and it was pretty hot yesterday so I was pretty red faced and sweaty once I got there.

I would like to do the same walk again this afternoon and I have to go to the shops this morning. I'm going away tomorrow for one night to Avoca. I'll be spending time with my Dad and his family so even though it will be a little stressful, DS and I have our own room so we can always escape. I'll take my new book to read ('Feel' - it's about Robbie Williams) and go for lots of walks.

So I won't be back blogging until Friday. Take care of yourselves and i'll talk to you then!

Bri

A good day.....

This is the actual sold sign in front of our new house. That's not our house in the background, it's the one next door. We're so excited. I have loads of packing to do today. I did a heap yesterday too. Also went and did the groceries early yesterday morning so that we're all organised for the week.

I'm making a lamb roast tonight (DH's favourite) but after tonight it will all be WW week one foods for the rest of the week and i'm getting back on the treadmill tomorrow, or the exercise bike if I can find time to put it together today. DS and I are also going to walk up to the supermarket this afternoon and DH will meet us there. It's about a 4km walk so will probably take us about half an hour I guess.

We went out for lunch yesterday with MIL and BIL. We had a great time. I think DH feels much better about having a birthday now, he had kind of barred them after Thursday's sagas!! MIL and BIL didn't stay long, only a few hours as they had to get home to do things today. That's ok, it means DS and I have the day to ourselves. He has been helping me fold the washing! He loves helping (or as he calls it "shelping"!!).

Hope everyone is having a great day.

Bri

Tactics

I was thinking today about tactics and how I can stop myself eating crap.

I have heard of this method, which i'm going to share with you, and i'm also going to try this myself. I knew someone who once attended AA (no it wasn't me!!).

The method they use when they want/need a drink is that if they can just hold off until tomorrow, they will then get roaring drunk. Then by the time tomorrow comes, they have some of their strength back and don't need a drink (hopefully).

I'm going to try this with food and when I feel like eating something bad, I will tell myself I can have a double helping if I hold off til the next day. Hopefully by the time I wake up the next day, my strength will have regrouped and i'll be okay. I will keep you posted on how this goes, if you're interested.

I'm going to do a serious grocery run tomorrow so that we have good food in the house. The trouble when I don't plan the meals and do the shopping is that DH goes shopping on the way home from work and we end up with crap and there's no planning involved in crap is there?

I'm on leave next week (at home packing and cleaning and looking after DS before he starts at his new daycare the week after). Feel free to email me there (for those of you who have my home email address). I don't have access to work emails at home anymore. If you don't have my home email you can try my hotmail address, which you can find on my profile.

I'm hoping to go for a walk everyday with DS and keep my step count up. It's been raining here all week so hopefully next week will be better. Then on Wednesday DS and I are going to spend a couple of days at Avoca with my father and his family, which should be okay cos my favourite sister will be there. Just as long as my father and I can get on alright for the 36 hours i'm there everything will be fine and dandy.

Wish us luck!!!!!

Bri

Bad to worse

OK so the Birthday Gods are conspiring against me. First of all I forgot to get DH a card, then I forgot to even say Happy Birthday. When I got home he said he wanted to go to the tavern for dinner. DS was chucking a terrible two's tantrum when DH was ringing to book a table and they basically fobbed him off and said they didn't have a table except for outside (ah, no thanks, not with a baby!!). Then we went to Lone Star, which is where we were planning on going anyway and they said it would be a 40 minute wait.
Now DH has gone to get pizza (I didn't want to say no and upset him again) and DS is having a happy mcnugget meal.

What a horrid day, I hope that's all the bad stuff for today over with now.

On a good note when I drove past our new house this afternoon the for sale sign is up. Will have to take a photo and post it tomorrow, too dark now!!

Hope everyone is having a better day than me! and my poor DH.

Edit: When DH got home with the pizza he looked pretty happy with himself. I was glad that something had turned out okay for him. He put the pizza down and said it was one "with the lot" a kind of supreme version (he bought it at one of the local pubs who do specialty pizzas - a lot nicer than the chain ones and also a lot dearer but hey, it's his birthday right).

So we began to open the box, all the while i'm thinking - eeeooow it smells suspiciously like a seafood pizza, but i'm not saying anything cos I don't want to upset DH - he loves seafood pizza, I used to be the biggest seafood fan in the universe, but ever since I was pregnant, if I even smell seafood I want to barf my guts up.

At this stage I was feeling quite ill already from the smell and felt that I needed to say to DH "geez it smells like seafood" to which he replied "yeah, I thought that too" (of course he didn't CHECK before he brought it home, maybe he meant he could smell it when he got it in the car!!) - YES FOLKS - you guessed it, seafood pizza is what was in the box. I sat in the kitchen and ate a breadroll and a chocolate frog while he ate the monstrosity that was supposed to be our dinner.

I'm glad yesterday is over, cos today is a new day, and today is going to be great.

Bri

Oops

Oops, bad bad me. It's DH's birthday today. I bought him an exercise bike last week, which has been 'stored' in the spare room with the rest of the boxes that we (I) have been packing. I thought at the time I should get a card but I had plenty of time, didn't I? He said he didn't want to put the bike together until we move (about a month away) so I said fair enough. I'm actually pretty keen to give it a go, but it is HIS birthday present after all!!

Woke up this morning, went about my usual morning stuff, oh crap, then I remembered it was DH's birthday. First of all I NEVER forget. I always make a fuss of him and I always rip him off because he is the unorganised one, not me. I can't believe I forgot. I was in the newsagent yesterday too cos I had to put Lotto on. I feel really bad and now I think I will have to go and buy him something else to make up for it.

We're going out for dinner though so that should make up for it. I guess i'll be driving and he can have a couple of beers, this should keep him happy.

Ooops, I feel really bad. I guess I really DO have too much on my plate at the moment.

Bri

Thanks Mary

Thanks Mary. You can get your own here.