Sad but true...

This is me! ;)


(Erm in case you are in any doubt I am not the one with the knife!)

Casual Day has gone too far!

Ok it is Monday, not casual day, and I am dressed smart casual in 3/4 pants and slip-on shoes and look acceptable. But I like that title from Dilbert so I am using poetic license m'kay?

So I have been meaning to paint my toe nails for about 2-3 WEEKS now. I keep either forgetting, or have shoes on, or am about to go to bed, or for a run or or or, it just hasn't happened.

So I was sitting here at work now. We have very open plan offices, but so many people have left recently there are only 7 of us here out of the 12 desks, and I am the only one on my side of this cluster of 6 desks. So I just slipped off my shoes, put my foot up on my chair and painted my toenails. Here. At. Work! But that's not all, I did it while our Ops Director was standing right here, 2-3 meters away chatting to the other dev guys. They were so engrossed in The Argus training talk that no one even noticed. Mwahahahaa!

I guess that's one way to get it done! And now they have plenty of time to dry too since I am plonked on my ass doing the admin tasks which take ages.

Win-win really. I think I'll bring my nail file in tomorrow, and maybe tweezers to pluck my eyebrows the next day.... ;)

Health & Fitness Assessments - again

I went for a Vitality Health & Fitness Assessment again today. I had one back in Feb 2007.

I did it to earn Vitality points so I can hopefully get back to Gold status - because I missed it by about 2000 points again at the end of last year gah! - you need 100 000, but also because well I find it fun and interesting. As an added angle we got a bit competitive about it here at work all vying with each other to be the BEST! LOL.

This one was arranged by work and was hosted and run here at work during working hours. Bonus!

So yesterday was my Health screening, here is the low down and some useless info:
- She said I was the first person who was not freaked out by the finger prick blood draw. She told me to look away, and I told her I was fine go ahead and give it to me! It does not bother me what so ever. :)
- My glucose levels and cholesterol are higher than they were before, but still relatively low (around 4.5 for both)
- Blood pressure higher than usual, but still lowish (120/70). I told her it was usually quite a bit lower. Like 100/60. She said I might be anxious... I was like 'er, No, it's cos I am at WORK!'
- My weight... gah got to get rid of the extra 2kg which has moved in on my ass! 57.6kg (clothed)
- My height is still the same 1.66m
- Waist circumference 70cm
- My HIV status still negative. She also commented on how relaxed I seemed about that too. I told her have been screened quite a few times including a few months ago, so I would have been very surprised if the result had been different, but I was expecting it to be fine :)

She agreed that it was safe to assume I would live for another year - so sorrie for those life insurance beneficiaries! ;)

Then on to today's fitness screening. 2 other guys Mike & Jason went in together before me and were competing. They are real cards. Jason did 80... read that again 80 push-ups in 1 minute! Mike did 65. FARK ME! o.O IT Mike did 25... which was a much more achievable goal for me to break. I got 36! :) Go me!! That was the hardest part for me by far! (I must just say here that I did GIRL push-ups and they did proper full push-ups. I just tried a full push-up and OMG it is MUCH harder!)

However the dude said I beat Mike & Jason on the Max Heart Rate and Recovery times on the step test though, so he was impressed. Nanananana!

The bio-kinetisist is having a good time, he said the vibe here is so different to other firms he goes to where hardly anyone wants to do the assessment. Here loads are doing it and are all trying to one-up each other ;)

He said, for my age and gender, over all my fitness is in the 'excellent' category. And I have just banked about 15 000 vitality points, plus about 10 000 from my health screening yesterday. :)

My measurements were as follows:
Weight: 57.5kgs
Height: 166cm
BMI: 21 ('Healthy norm' apparently)
Waist Circumference: 70cm ('Within Healthy recommendation')
Body Fat percentage: 21.1% ('Good')
BP Systolic: 110
BP Diastolic: 60 (that seems more accurate than yesterday's measurement)

Non-Smoker: Good
Alcohol Usage: 'Within acceptable health limits'
Nutrition: Good
Fruit & Veg intake: Good

My Maximum Functional Capacity - Done as a (25cm) step test with 4x 2-minute stepping intervals with increasing tempo, and 1-minute rest breaks between them:

Max Functional Capacity: 46.1 (a bit higher than the 45.6 last time)
Max HR (bpm) - 130 (was 144 last time)
Avg HR (bpm) - 89 (was 108 last time)
Duration (min) - 12
Comment: Your Maximum Functional Capacity is 46.1 which is excellent for your age and gender.

Flexibility:
Straight Leg Raise (deg) - 92 ('Acceptable' could do better but he just said lift up your leg, if there was any pressure applied it would have stretch further, I get to 110 on the machine at gym)
Sit-and-reach stretch (touch toes) (cm) - 56 (Above 39 = 'Excellent')

Muscle Endurance:
Crunches in 1 min: 56 (Above 44 'Excellent')
Push-Ups in 1 min: 36 (Above 31 'Excellent')

My overall result was Excellent. And I seem to have improved my fitness slightly. Yay! Sometimes next to my super fit friends I feel a bit inadequate. It's nice to see that when measured against the general population I am actually doing pretty well.

Maths homework = FAIL

OK, so Quinn is now learning about division in maths in Grade 4 and their homework was to practice division by 0, 1 & 2... Sounds simple enough right? .... Er no, think again!

I am sorry, I did up to 3rd year varsity maths, and last time I checked division by zero was mathematically impossible!!

So did the rules of physics change while I wasn't paying attention or what!?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Division_by_zero



*shakes head*

I told Quinn to ask his teacher if she is insane, because it is not possible. I hope he actually doesn't....



Computer Says NO!

Delurk - but only if you really wanna!

To be honest I don't really mind or care who reads my blog. I am not looking for fame, fortune, popularity or anything else here. I just blog about what I want to. As a record for myself and as a kind of news letter to friends and family. If you wanna know what's up with me? Read my blog! Don't expect a phone call or e-mail.

I don't carefully plan posts, or time them for maximum exposure, or even pay all that much attention to how many comments I get, or what posts provoke comments or when is the best time to post for comments etc. It's not about that for me at all. I blog when the mood strikes and when I have something to share. I have never kept a diary before, and I guess my blog is pretty much that for me. A place to record thoughts, feelings, experiences etc.

I also don't expect comments. Heck, I have put this up in public where anyone is free to view and read. Whether they want to comment is completely their prerogative. If someone is moved to, or wants to, great. If they don't want to, can't, don't have time to, or simply have nothing to say. So what?

I generally only comment when I have an opinion or something to say too (although recently I do more of the regular comment thing), but that doesn't mean I haven't enjoyed other posts, just that I didn't feel compelled to respond particularly.

Anyway after all that, I have had several unlikely people recently mention stuff they have seen on my blog and I had no idea they were reading it! I just found it interesting and intriguing and I was wondering who does bother to read my blog? - which let's be honest is pretty much filled with crap and the trivia of my day-to-day life. There is very little of any real value here, except to me, and perhaps those close to me. It's hardly earth-shattering life-changing prose or opinion is it? ;)

But it seems I have a few ex colleagues, friends, 'boy friends', family members, and other weird and wonderful motley folks out there who have a window on my world. (Don't send your psych bills to me please!)

So as I said, I really have no issue with who is reading, and if you don't want to respond I am totally fine with that, but if you would like to, why not say hey!? Don't be a stranger. :)

'Religious' Studies at school

I am rather impressed that with the revised curriculum we now have the option to send Quinn to:
- Christian Studies
- Moslem Studies
- Request some other religion's teaching (pending demand and availability I guess)
or
- Free Reading Time

After chatting to Quinn about it, at a fair amount of length, and with no coercion from me (I went so far as to explain that even if you are going to reject an idea, ethos or philosophy, it is still worth learning about it first before you make that decision, so that your decision is informed. And we also spoke at length about religious tolerance and respecting other's beliefs and practices); Well he has decided to forgo the religious instruction and attend the reading lesson *.

That said, I believe in having knowledge and tolerance of all religions.

I told Quinn that even if he chooses not to believe, it doesn't mean he must assume he is right and others are wrong. And it is not his place to tell them they are wrong, or try to make them change their minds either.

I told him it's 'like' Father Christmas and the Easter Bunny in a way (by way of explanation, please don't be offended by my analogy) in that if someone believes in them, and is happy in their belief of it, it is not our place to tell them that they don't exist. Nor to tell them they are silly to believe, because that is their personal choice. And anyway we don't know for SURE anyway.

I told him that if I for instance believe in pink bunnies in the sky with big fluffy tails (the sniggering started from him, and I had to explain that that was what I meant, he can't laugh in the face of people's beliefs, no matter how absurd they may seem to him...) and that me thinking of my pink bunnies with fluffy tails in the sky made ME feel better and made my life happier, then that is a valid belief for ME, and it would not be nice for someone to shatter my belief, no matter how silly it seems to them.

Anyway that's my stance on the matter.

If he persists with the reading option I will include various religious philosophy options in there too. So info ABOUT each religion without being taught that religion. kwim? Each religion does have nice principles and moral/ethical lessons and life philosophy included, and those are all good.

(*FWIW: I am pretty sure Griffin will choose the Christian option when he gets there - fwiw - and that is his prerogative)

Love Languages - Revisited

I have blogged about this and taken this test before. Almost exactly a year ago actually.

Things were not going well in my marriage. It was an attempt at trying to discover how we both worked and whether I could use it to make a difference. I was being ignored (almost completely) and was grasping at any attempt to fix the situation.

I was thinking of this recently and was wondering if I had changed at all in the past year or so now that I am in a totally different place and situation..?

Last year my Love Language balance was:

My Primary Love Language is Quality Time

My Detailed Results:
Quality Time:	10
Acts of Service:	8
Physical Touch:	7
Words of Affirmation:	5
Receiving Gifts:	0

I wanted to have quality time (i.e. not just sitting mute in front of the TV!), then to be helped with stuff (and not just left to do everything alone), then to be touched, and then affirmed. Gifts - especially empty and meaningless gifts are NOT important to me. Interpersonal stuff is.

----------

I just retook the test and my current results are:

My Primary Love Language is Physical Touch

My Detailed Results:
Physical Touch:	11
Quality Time:	8
Words of Affirmation:	7
Receiving Gifts:	2
Acts of Service:	2

Take the Quiz!

At the moment I relish being touched! I love meaningful and comfortable natural physical contact, then quality time and then affirmation. The way I see it I can buy myself stuff, and can do stuff myself or hire someone else to do it. It's not what I necessarily need from a partner. From a partner I like to feel wanted and appreciated and like they like being near and with me just BEING together.

Random Thoughts and happenings

I started this last week and am finishing it now, so it's a bit of a ramble...

I am tired of covering books in plastic. Especially at 11pm at night! I think I have covered about 30 books now. Before Jan next year I will teach Quinn how to do it himself!

The start of the year is hectic wrt to school and all the stuff that comes with it. There has been a slew of notices, payments. shopping, labelling, meet-the-teachers, time tables, extra mural choices and schedules. And soon the Games evening and then camp out. It's not all bad, it's just a lot to do and organise and figure out. And it gets pretty tiring! Having both boys at 'big' school now means it is all doubled now too. On the plus side at least they are at the same school now, so that saves time with the fetching and carrying. Also Quinn walks Griff into school and to his class in the morning which is very helpful and saves me more time. Thanks guys!

On Wednesday last week the boys went out to see their dad for a couple of hours. I took the opportunity to go for a run (more of a walk actually, but whatever). Anyway I asked G to lock the back door and we all went out the front door locking it behind us (Yale Lock) when we left. I got back at 8pm, before the boys got home, and tried my back door key. The door was STILL locked! Griffin had bolted it! FUCK! I thought for a minute and realised all doors and windows were closed and locked - I can climb through the burglar bars if I really have to... very secure house we have clearly. After realising there was no other easy way in, I decided brute force it would have to be. So I psyched my self up and gave the door a nice hefty side kick, totally ripping the bolt off the door. Yee-ha! Just call me Chuck (Chick, Czech, Chuch or whatever else the FB folk thought of) Norris.

So much for the security of the bolt. Although I was glad it came off so easily - or we would have been stuck outside and would have had to get a lock smith or break a window.

On Friday we went out for drinks after work. I drank a tad too much, because one of the boy's friend's mum called and asked if she could take them to her house until 7:30pm. Hell yes! So I had no 5pm curfew. Probably a bad thing in retrospect. I got home at 6pm a bit tipsy. I decided I needed a run and got ready. On my way out I decided the pool needed a sweep... I nearly fell in in the process. Then I decided to top it up and put the hose on. My 'run' was more of a lurch and swagger, and I was weaving along the pavement either singing loudly to my iPOD or breaking into fits of giggles at passing cars. I really am quite an embarrassment at times! FAIL! *blush* An hour and measly 5km later I was back home and just in time to go fetch the boys. At least I was basically sober by then!

Anyway, we had a pleasant evening, and the boys climbed into my bed to watch some arb stuff on my laptop. We all ended up falling asleep there. Aw, how sweet and cosy right??? NOT!! Bloody hell I was woken up what felt like every 10 minutes by one of them failing, kicking or rolling around in the bed. I sent Quinn to his own bed at about 01:30am, and then Griffin got the boot at 02:30. He started trying to talk to Quinn when he went through though, so I got up to tell him to keep quiet and just lie down anywhere and SLEEP. I was about to go back to my room when I heard a weird sound. So I went out my front door. The frikken swimming pool was over flowing. CRAP!!! I had left the hose on. Shit shit shit! Ran through the water to go turn the tap off. How bloody dumb am I!

So note to self, don't try:
- Running
- Pool maintenance
After you have been drinking.

Finally got back to bed, wide awake, and ended up watching the rest of the DVD until about 4am.

Saturday morning I went for a long, proper run and popped in to the gym to use the Power Plate and bought a bright orange (think artificial orange ice lolly colour) bra. I love it! Ran home again, took the boys to the park to J-board etc, popped off to do grocery shopping, then home to unpack everything, and then I coloured my hair.

By which time the day was done, and half of what I had wanted to do was still unachieved. Bugger. I had hoped that in missing the Met *sulk* I would at least get a lot done, but well I didn't.

It was time to dash off to the airport to collect J, who had been away in the Kruger park all week. He stayed for some tea and chat and then had to head home. The boys and I prepared our picnic stuff for Sunday and then had ANOTHER quiet evening in. Ho hum. Next year I am going to the Met even if I have to go all on my own!