On Holiday ...

So it seems that it's not a good idea to go on holiday at the business end of a marathon training programme. Who would have thought?

As I commented in my last post, after Tuesday's run when everything started to hurt I decided not to run again until after the Grape Ride. Well, that strategy appeared to work well for the race. We caught the ferry down on Friday afternoon, spent a quiet night in our cottage in Renwick, and then the next morning Hamish dropped me off at the start line.

The morning dawned clear but cold and I amused everyone around me by shaking uncontrollably while waiting to start. It was a relief to get moving, but we turned straight into a frigid wind and it took forever to start to warm up. However almost straight away I latched onto a team of women who were heading northwards at around 35kmph. I greedily sat on their wheel most of the way to Picton, though around halfway we hit a monster headwind and I started to take my fair turn at pulling.

Somewhere on the hill up to Picton I lost them all, but I wasn't too worried because I knew that Queen Charlotte Drive would be a bit of a solo effort anyway. The headwind was a real feature of the last 10km or so up to Picton and really did slow everyone down. Queen Charlotte was thankfully more sheltered. Mahikipawa Hill felt much easier than last year and I spun up at a satisfyingly high cadence.

Once on the flat again we hit the headwind at its strongest and it became clear that a bunch needed to be formed. I jumped on the wheel of a woman around my age, another woman jumped in behind me, and soon we had a collection of riders all sharing the lead. It took a bit to get the bunch dynamics sorted, but we were soon working together quite well. We were all used to using different hand signals, so there was a bit of discussion back and forth to get everything organised.

Once we got to Havelock we turned in towards Renwick and the fun began. Finally we had a bit of a tail wind. For the last 15km or so I was sitting on between 38 to 42kmph. Once I knew I was close to the finish line I got the bit between my teeth and just went for it. I was seeing speeds on my cycle computer I would never have thought possible.

It seemed like no time at all before I was at the finish line. In the end I cut half an hour off last year's time. On one ride a week of training and a dodgy hip I would call that a success! A lot went well with this ride. I found good people to ride with, I ate constantly (I got through three Power Bars over the 101km ride), and I hydrated well. I had a huge amount of fun as well, and I felt great afterwards. It was wonderful to arrive at the end and have Hamish hand me a chilli bin with a bottle of cider inside it. There are times when I really love that man!

I felt pretty lethargic the next day, but that was partly a lack of sleep catching up with me. I was supposed to run 23km and I should have woken up early and fitted it in before we left Renwick. Instead it was already quite late by the time we set up camp at a DOC campsite near Springs Junction. As a compromise, because it was a beautiful evening and the surroundings were stunning, I ran 7km along the side of the main road. When I got back we headed off to Maruia Springs, which I can highly recommend. We spent some time in the attractive main pools outside by the river, and some time in a private bath house. Afterwards we sat in the bar drinking beer and cider and eating hot chocolate cake with ice cream.

Up again today, and another day of driving. We made it as far as Methven today. We were going to go down the West Coast but the forecast was for heavy rain and thunderstorms, so we chose East. Today I haven't run at all. I just felt it would have been selfish to have headed out on my own and left Hamish at the campsite again and, besides, there's the worst Northwester blowing. I intend to get up and run long tomorrow morning, after which we're off to Lake Tekapo. We're going to go kayaking on the lake, right up to a glacier.

It will be easier to fit in the running once I'm in Central Otago. Right now I have to accept that there are times when I have to have a life outside of running. I'm still going to get round this marathon ... I hope. In the meantime I'm having the best holiday ever.

Ten Years

Taken by the talented Leonie, the day before our 10th anniversary. I love this photo because there is a similar photo of us taken on the day of our wedding.

Running Good Times

Another day, another holiday. Summer brought another sunny day with that familiar gusty Northerly. I threw a few things in a backpack and headed south on foot. I walked to the end of Kingston then dropped onto the City to Sea walkway, emerging a few kilometres later on the Southern Coast. From there I headed east towards Island Bay, and when I got to the beach I stopped.

I read a magazine and I listened to the radio and when I was tired of both and the Northerly kept blowing sand in my face I just sat there and looked.

And there was nothing happening. I spent an hour or so sitting and looking, but there was nothing to watch. When I was walking I had seen a loaded fishing boat returning to shore with a flock of seabirds following it. I had seen ferries coming and going. But in Island Bay no one walked past. The occasional car heading towards Lyall Bay was the only visible evidence of life. So, in the absence of a pressing need to do anything else, I just looked.

And when I got tired of that I walked to the Island Bay shops where I stopped in at the butcher's to buy some of his wonderful sausages. I then crossed the road to the supermarket and bought a few more things for dinner. When I'd finished I jumped on a bus to Berhampore then walked under the hot sun, with my two shopping bags, up long, steep Farnham Street to home. I made a chicken sandwich, drank a cider, and rested for a while.

When it was time I caught a bus back into town for my appointment with my dental hygenist. With clean teeth and dire threats about flossing I left and wandered down the road to the gym. After all of that I got changed, and I ran.

And it was good.

I have no idea why my run was so fantastic. I was on day seven of a running and cycling streak. My legs were much better than they'd been on Tuesday (when I could barely walk), but they weren't completely fresh. I'd walked a lot already today. It was hot and I was a little tired.

All my runs have been hilly lately so I decided I'd try for seven flat kilometres and set out towards Oriental Bay. From the first stride I knew everything was going to click. I felt strong and I quickly slipped into the zone that I've been searching for. I could have kept running forever. Another runner commented that it was a gorgeous evening as he passed and I could only agree. I wasn't sweating that much given the heat, my heartrate stayed remarkably low and I wasn't feeling any pain. I held a good pace without any real effort.

I ran on and on and didn't really want to stop but elected to rein myself in. On the return even the headwind couldn't pop my little bubble of running joy. Seven kilometres turned into over ten. Oh sure, I still spent the return half of the run checking out all the cyclists as they came towards me, but for once I was happy to be in running shoes, not cycling shoes.

The signs were there I guess. The last couple of runs hinted at a slight but steady return to form. My resting heartrate has been sitting around 52, which is the lowest it's ever been. I'm recovering well from each workout and I have plenty of energy. On the bus after the run I was wishing that I hadn't been so sensible and that I'd kept going.

Today's success has made it a lot easier to plan my weekend. I'm going to run for ninety minutes on Saturday then ride over the Akatarawas to Waikanae with Dee and co on Sunday, then on Monday we'll do a recovery ride to Eastborne. Tuesday morning I'll do Dee's RPM and then it will be off to Stratford for Mum's next round of treatment and the Taranaki Cycle Challenge.

And then it'll be time to get serious about the Rotorua Marathon.

Beautiful Things

A few beautiful things:

Renewing my driver's licence turns out to be a very enjoyable experience thanks to the lovely young African immigrant customer service employee at the AA. I should really write a letter to his manager commending him.

Getting off the bus on the way home I notice that someone has been playing with chalk on the footpath. A green line extends all the way down the middle from the bus stop to the garden seat a neighbour placed halfway down the pedestrian accessway to our street. Someone has marked out a circuit workout down its length. Every ten metres or so there is a new activity, including walking, skipping, hoppping, jogging, running, acting like a dog, acting like a chicken, side stepping, and a monster walk. The last direction is simply to 'rest', with an arrow pointing to the bench with its lovely view over the mountains and the Cook Strait. I briefly consider following all of the instructions and contemplate how I might 'monster walk'.

Hamish and I open one of the 'quaffing' red wines my parents gave him for Christmas and it turns out to be a very pleasant drop. One can't ALWAYS drink the Guthrey family international award winning Pinot Noir (especially given that we probably shared the last bottle in the country with Nic and Leonie).

After a beautiful ride through rural Makara I have a case of post-ride insomnia. Hamish and I stand on the veranda as a full moon rises over the mountains. Below us Berhampore and Newtown are lit up like a Christmas tree. I sleep with the bedroom curtains open and the moonlight on my face.

After showering post-6.30 a.m. RPM and eating a breakfast of Bircher muesli with yoghurt my stomach continues to demand food and I placate it with fruit. Realising that I'm going to fall asleep on the sofa I briefly debate what of the activities on my holiday list I should indulge in today. The weather seems a bit cool, overcast and windy so I decide to walk to Brooklyn to watch The Curious Case of Benjamin Button at the Penthouse Theatre. There are only four of us attending the session and I have a whole row and a big comfy seat to myself. I start crying about halfway through and keep crying for the rest of the film.

Walking back home from the theatre I pass the young Chinese family who have taken over the local dairy. The mother already waves to me every time I run or cycle past her. Today the father is playing outside with his two young sons. The grandparents are strolling leisurely down the footpath. Back at home I am starving again so heat up some delicious leftovers from the freezer, followed by more fruit.

I clean the fridge (another item on my to-do list) and wipe down all the kitchen surfaces then clean the bathroom. Afterwards I reward myself with a little more of that quaffing wine and a sweet, juicy peach. I then call a friend who has returned to New Zealand from London after having been away for several years. We arrange to meet for lunch tomorrow at Parade in Oriental Bay. At the same time I am exchanging txts to organise another evening ride. I'm a little worried about the state of my legs.

I enter both the Taranaki Cycle Challenge and the Grape Ride.

Two things that have become very clear to me:

If you smile people will smile back. If you are friendly people will be friendly back.

Left to my own devices I will quite happily sit here on the sofa all day (once the day's exercise is out of the way). However I am self-aware enough to know that I will feel bad about wasting my 'time off'. I operate better when I have a schedule and have decided to plan the rest of my holiday to ensure I get some of my planned activities in. However some things are going to get left by the wayside. I doubt, for example, that I will get around to painting over the feature wall in our lounge. However Hamish and I have made real progress in getting the vegetable garden organised, so I'm not too upset.

Tomorrow's forecast is for more sun and less wind so I have plans to make my way slowly to Oriental Bay where I will sit on the beach until it's time for lunch. I need to rest before tomorrow evening's big ride!

The dirty secret at the bottom of the garden

The view from the bottom of the garden is picture-postcard and framed by Ponga and Cabbage Tree, but lurking amongst the shadows was a remarkable amount of rubbish!

The garden waste not suitable for mulching. This will all have to be carted to the top of the section and taken off to the landfill.


The huge pile of rubbish that was hiding under the weeds. A television, an old wall heater, a fan heater, downpiping, guttering, bathroom fittings, old timber, countless rubbish bags, bottles, cans, chocolate bar wrappers, empty tobacco packets, spray bottles, plastic containers, garden gloves, carpet underlay, pegs, marbles (!), a blue tile and other, random detritus.

If we'd known it was going to be this bad I don't think we would have started. Hamish keeps reminding me that one day there will be a lovely box vegetable garden growing here. It's just going to take a little bit longer than planned.

Happy Birthday Hamish

It's November 2nd, so it must be Flying Burrito Brothers!

Four Margaritas, calamari, crumbed and deep fried jalapenos, quesidillas, a chicken burrito, a slice of cheesecake, a slice of chocolate cake, a hot chocolate and some Mexican bread later, we were done.

Happy birthday Mr Yeti!

And yes, it may be time to clean the camera lens on my phone!

Oh Dear

After an afternoon of conscious rehydration I thought it might not hurt too much to have a glass of wine while blogging.

Turns out, not such a great idea. I am toast! Back to the water I think or my 5.15a.m. start is really going to hurt.

Woohooot

Woohoot because I had a very interesting conversation today which, even if it doesn't go in the most obvious direction, had several intriguing offshoots which could lead even more interesting places (and yes, I know that's cryptic. It's meant to be).

Woohoot because it was spring today. I mean really spring. I mean sun and sweet smells in the air and being outside without several layers of clothing and not dying of cold.

Woohoot because I carried one of Cleo's tires with me to work today to take to a cycle maintenance worshop tonight and the cycle courier in the lift commented on my "nice rims". Yeah, I got rims baby!

Woohoot because the guy in Shoe Clinic also felt compelled to comment on my nice wheel. Mmmhmmm...

Woohoot because I can now clean my bike and adjust my chain and do other cool little things that I should have learned last time I did a cycle maintenance workshop but was too girly to pay attention to.

And woohoot most of all because we're riding Makara on Saturday. Oh yes.

There are times when life fills me with a joy that manifests in pure energy and everything seems good in the world. Today was one of those days. There is change in the air and opportunities emerging with the change of season. I'm riding again!

Type A

I have sometimes wondered why I got so badly hooked on running and then on this whole fitness business in general. I have a wide variety of interests, including poetry writing, music and conservation. In the past it was Budhism that captured my imagination. I don't have any particular talent for running, so exactly why has it become so central to my existence?

The closest I've ever been able to come to an answer is that running provided me with a series of goals to work towards. Once I'd met one milestone there was another to aim towards. I like challenge, I like success and I like reward. Running (and now cycling) provides me with all of those.

Unfortunately, being Type A does not make for an easy, settled life. I know the things that are important to me and I am ambitious. It's not easy for me to sit still for too long if I can see an open door in front of me. If I can see a path but the end is hidden around a corner then I will be driven mad with curiosity to see what lies ahead. This isn't to say that change doesn't scare me, and I still have a fear of being caught in a situation from which I am unable to escape. Financial risk, for example, is particularly difficult for me because I associate a steady income with security.

Type A has, however, struck again. I have tentatively pushed at a door to see if it can be opened. I have stepped out onto the ice to see whether it will hold my weight. It seems I'm not ready yet to settle for the easy option.

If things work out then you'll be hearing a lot more about my latest challenge. If things work out then you'll be one of the first to know!

Farewell Drinks

Duck's farewell drinks at the Lanes last night. I still suck at bowls, but it turns out I'm not the only one!

The forecast for tomorrow is still looking hasty. There's a cold front on its way up the country. I'm off now to pick up a new pair of socks and some fuel.

Today

My ankle ached a little when I first got up, then improved as the day went on.
My body surprised me by not really being sore at all after last night's run.
I did half an hour on an exercise bike. I lifted weights. I did 24 full pull ups (over three sets) and 30 assisted pull ups (also over three sets). I did three sets of single leg press, three sets of walking lunges and some quality core work. My legs did what they were supposed to do, even after 15km of hills.
I managed not to fall asleep at my desk, despite a scrappy night's sleep (thanks to the aforementioned run). This is possibly because I wasn't at my desk very much today, but then I also managed to stay awake in all my meetings, which was no mean feat.
I dealt with everything that was fired at me and reacted in what I hope was an articulate, considered and intelligent fashion. I think I was effective. I don't think I wasted anyone's time. I gave advise and it was useful. I made requests and they were responded to. I was asked for my opinion and was listened to.
I drank two very enjoyable glasses of red wine then baked a chocolate cake for morning tea tomorrow. The cake consists of 200 grams of Whittakers Dark Ghana chocolate, six eggs, 225 grams of butter and 200 grams of caster sugar. It's questionable whether it's even a cake really. It's kinda more like fortified chocolate. Plus it's gluten free, which is great for the Celiacs in our office.

All up it was a pretty good day, which means it must be nearly time for bed. I think I might run tomorrow.

I'm still here ...

No, I haven't disappeared forever. I'm just not writing a lot at the moment and not really worried about it either! In the back of my mind there's been a little debate going on about what this blog is all about. I'm not producing any poetry at the moment, so that's out. I could choose to post on the many social and political issues of the day that I find interesting me, but there are so many other bloggers out there doing that sort of thing so well already. It takes time to post that sort of commentary, and I don't have the energy to put into it.

It's probably no surprise that the topics that do inspire me to write are mostly fitness-related. As time goes by I read more and more running, triathlon and general fitness blogs, and they tend to be the first I click on each day when I open my Google reader. I don't know quite when I accepted that running etc has truly become the centre of my life. I thought that it might be another phase, but as each month passes this interest of mine only grows stronger. It's an odd obsession for me to have chosen. It's not like I'm particularly good at running, or cycling and I sure as heck can't swim that well. I'm reasonably strong now and increasingly agile, but I have other, more natural skills that I'm neglecting in favour of these new ones.

Perhaps it's because my new hobbies continue to challenge me, that I continue to see both improvement and room for further improvement. I find them hard, but they reward me more often than they slap me around. They challenge me more than physically. They make me confront myself mentally, spiritually and emotionally in a way very few interests have before. Moreover, getting to this point has taken so much effort that I'm unwilling to stop, for fear of losing what I've gained. The pen is always there. The meditation cushion is always there. The arms that got me through three sets of pull-ups last week, the legs that can run five minute km's? They're going to disappear on me if I don't keep giving them attention.

In my mind there's been a small awareness that, at 35, I've only got so much time to milk my improvements. If I ever want to do triathlons (and a half-iron would be nice) I need to sort out my swim. My running's probably not going to get a lot faster, although I'm confident there's room for improvement on the bike. I've had a few really bad runs lately, but I've had more fast, strong, confident ones. My muscle-tone continues to improve. I look at myself and I see someone who could conceivably be an athlete. Duck has me working on some basic strength stuff that continues to build my confidence in what I can really achieve.

So I'm happily obsessed, and this blog will probably continue to be about that.

And on that note, a list of things I'm loving:

• Bouncy new Addistar running shoes. Like walking on clouds.
• Wednesday and Friday runs with tri-geeks from my gym.
• Getting my Saturday run/Balance combo back again.
• My Garmin telling me I'm speedy.
• Pull-ups and push-ups and being able to flick a medicine ball up with my feet and catch it (David Beckham look out - this girl's got skills).
• Hamish being excited about Geocaching.
• Hamish taking his bike in for servicing (it's only taken 8 years).
• The two-for-one rock-climbing voucher on my desk.
  

Stuff

Christine Kane has an interesting blog post on things that we can throw or give away. I thought it might be an interesting challenge to examine whether the items she lists are things I am also holding onto needlessly.

1. All the hotel key cards you’ve brought home with you.

Nope - I hardly ever stay at hotels and none of them have had key cards.

2. The doilies your Aunt Edna crocheted 35 years ago that got handed down to you.

Hmm, the few items I've inherited from deceased relatives are all items that are dear to me and that I would not want to dispose of. However I can see a problem in future years when my sister and I have to deal with the houseload of trinkets owned by my parents.

3. CD’s you haven’t listened to in three years or more.

We're about to deal with this one. All our CDs are going to be copied onto our computer (backed up), and then taken to a second-hand dealer.

4. The boxes of cassettes you’ve been meaning to transfer to CD’s.

Nope, all cassettes were disposed of years ago. I do have a couple of videos waiting to be transferred though.

5. The bread maker.

Sorry, I'm not getting rid of the bread maker. It makes great pizza dough.

6. Your wedding dress

Ouch. My mother has looked after my expensively boxed wedding dress for me for nine years now. I'm not going to leave it to anyone, so why am I holding onto it?

7. Credit card bills from 1995.

Nope. I've gotten good at throwing out that sort of thing.

8. The Allen wrenches from every piece of IKEA furniture you ever assembled.

Nope, but then we don't have IKEA here!

9. The jacket you spent way too much money on and never wore.

Nope. If I'm going to spend a lot of money on something then I always wear it. I do have too many second-hand or cheap items of clothing that I don't wear though.

10. Every scratching post or toy your cat doesn’t like.

Yep, I know there's a box of unused cat toys floating around somewhere.

11. House plants you no longer love.

I don't have house plants. I tend to kill them.

12. The stacks of O Magazine you swear you’ll re-read

No O magazines, but I'm pretty certain there's a stack of NZ House and Garden magazines somewhere.

13. Every little zippy bag that came with a Clinique purchase.

Er, there may be the occasional one of those, but I think I've used most of them.

14. Every unopened perfume that came with a Clinique purchase.

Nope. I don't tend to buy a lot of cosmetics. Though on second thoughts, I do have a few samples hanging around that I'm unlikely to use.

15. Leftover scrunchies in case you grow your hair long again.

Nope. My hair's in a long phase at the moment.

16. The “Cherries Jubilee” flavored lip balm that makes you nauseous.

Nope. I managed to offload all my unlikely-to-be-used lip balms at Christmas time. I do have several Victoria's Secret balms, but they're all yummy.

17. Every single regretful lipstick color you bought on a whim. (And yes, “Cherries Jubilee” is probably there, too.)

Nope. I don't have very many lipsticks.

18. Your last four cell phones and all their chargers and blue teeth.

I have one old phone, but the battery connection is a bit dodgy on my current phone, so I'm holding onto the old one as a back-up. All of our other phones got recycled earlier this year.

19. Single socks.

Yes, I need a stocktake.

20. The Spode Christmas plates and mugs you don’t like. (Along with the Christmas bath towels and welcome mat.)

Yes, we have a few Christmas bits and pieces we should probably do away with. We don't really celebrate Christmas in this household. Summer Solstice is more our style.

21. The framed posters you had in your college dorm room.

Nope. We like all the posters we still own, and they're all keepers.

22. Old stereo wires.

Aaarrrrghhhhh. I'm still working on this one. My husband is an AV systems designer. Enuff said!

23. The nails, screws, anchors, and cup hooks rusting in the bottom of your tool chest.

Yep, guilty as charged.

24. Remote controls that don’t remotely control anything you still own.

Once again, guilty as charged.

25. Lamps, toasters, blenders, coffeemakers that no longer work.

One lamp, one vacuum cleaner. They'll make it to the landfill one day.

26. The notion that you will ever be one of those moms that makes beautiful scrapbooks.

Not guilty of that notion! Our photos are in a box. They're likely to stay there.

27. Old blankets and linens you keep in case you suddenly have 27 sleepover guests.

Nope. Our linen is pretty minimal.

28. College text books

Most of them were given away when my parents moved from Auckland to Taranaki. There are a few floating around that I could probably dispose of.

29. Any boring decorative item that does little more than fill space.

Guilty of this one! Not ready to deal with it yet ... Plus I have family who keep adding to the collection.

30. Vases you don’t love or use.

Yep, left over from our wedding nine years ago. Some of them should really be passed on, like the crystal bowls I've never used.

31. Candle holders you don’t love or use.

Yep, see above!

32. Picture frames you don’t love or use.

Yep, see above!

33. All your class notes from college.

No, they all got thrown out years ago. My parents may still have some old school writing books, although I think they were all destroyed in a flood.

34. The idea that you have to save every piece of your children’s artwork and school work because it might mean you don’t love them if you don’t.

Nope. No children, no problem!

35. The “good silver” you don’t use that was passed down to you.

Nope. We use our silver. We do have a 16 place dinner set we don't use though.

36. Old VHS movies

I think Hamish still has a few of these. Yes, they really should be disposed of.

37. Unlabeled VHS tapes.

Yep, we have some of these as well.

38. The stationary bike that got even more stationary after you got it

Nope. If I had a stationary bike I'd use it. Hamish does have a mountain bike he hasn't used in around eight years though.

39. The fabric pieces you’ve been collecting in case you ever become a quilter.

Nope! None of these, though I would like to learn to quilt.

40. Flashlights that dimly light up only after you bang them over and over on your thigh.

Nope. All our flashlights are in good working order.

41. Old keys that open some door somewhere in the past.

Er, I think there may be a ring of unused keys in a drawer in the kitchen.

42. Suitcases you don’t use.

I was going to say we used all our suitcases, but then I remembered an old one I threw under the house when we moved in here.

43. Old computers.

I think Hamish uses all his bits and pieces for his various AV installations. What wasn't being used was taken for recycling earlier this year.

44. Old stereos.

Nope. We took our old stereo to a second-hand store when we moved here. Hamish uses everything else.

45. Promotional duffel bags with ugly logos and bad acronyms stitched all over them.

Ugh. Nope!

46. Anything that makes you say, “But I got such a good price on it!”

Um, not that I can think of off the top of my head.

47. Anything that makes you say, “But I paid so much for it!”

I'm fairly certain I'm not guilty of this one. A couple of years ago I might have pointed to my bike, but that's certainly getting a lot of use now!

48. Half-full cans of paint

Er, yeah. Unfortunately we inherited a fair few cans from the previous owner. I've been meaning to take them to the landfill for recycling.

49. Extra baby items/Old baby items

Funnily enough, we're not guilty of this one! That's unless kitten harnesses count.

50. Record albums.

Sigh. Yes we do have records. Yes, we some day plan to get a player. Yes, we do regard those we have as part of wider music collections by artists we love. Are we likely to get rid of them any time soon? Nope!

51. Gifts you never liked.

I'd have to have a really good think about this one. I think I've passed on of most of the presents I've not wanted, by giving them to people I know would appreciate them.

52. All the cross-stitch, knitting, or sewing projects you never finished.

Nope! Most of my projects are writing-related and ongoing.

53. Any glassware or dinnerware that is a “memorabilia” item from proms or sororities or sports events.

Ugh. Nope!

54. Old information packets you no longer need or that you can easily find on line.

I've just had a cleanout, so I can safely answer no to this one. I even threw out all my old Weightwatchers guides.

55. All the hotel soaps that you took with you.

Nope! It's Hamish who is the soap stealer.

56. The belief that you only have to go through the de-cluttering process once and won’t ever have to do it again.

I tend to de-clutter about once every year, and I get more ruthless each time. I know we still have too much stuff though. Let me cling to the small comfort of stuff for a little bit longer.

So, how was your day?

Because this was mine:

It started with my annual checkup at the Endocrinology Clinic at Wellington Hospital and my first meeting with my new specialist.  She turned out to be very thorough, though I'm not sure she believed me when I said I was completely well.  I also got a bit of a speech about the possibility of going into premature menopause, which I tried to deflect by advising her that Hamish and I aren't planning on having children.  Other than that our consultation was uneventful, and my blood pressure is looking reassuringly normal right now (it's been pretty high the last few times it's been measured).  

Afterwards I had to wait for the nurse to take a blood draw.  The endo had requested every possible test under the sun, including a few I've never had before.  The nurse had to draw around seven individual little vials, and unfortunately she hit a nerve, so the whole experience was extremely painful.  My poor arm is now all bruised and sore, particularly when I straighten it.

After the epic blood draw I caught a bus back into town and got to work at around 10a.m.  for the last few weeks I've been preparing to take over a big project in my Department.  It's my first Project Manager position, and it's something that will be a huge challenge.  The woman I am taking over from was scheduled to go on maternity leave at the end of this month.  I'd mentioned to her that we needed to start a formal handover process in case anything happened and she had to leave work early, but she seemed keen to wait a bit longer before letting go.  

You can guess where this is going.  She left work on Friday night and went into labour, culminating in a caesarian section delivery.  I am now project manager.  Um, yup.  In between meetings today I provided urgent feedback on a draft Cabinet paper, provided guidance for one of the staff I now have responsibility for, and met the programme manager about what my priorities are over the next couple of weeks.  I need to complete a project schedule by the end of the month (I've never used Microsoft Project before), and I need to complete a draft work plan by the same date.  Oh, and I'm supposed to be going on leave for two and a half weeks in February.  

Strangely I feel completely calm.  I don't know if I'm in denial, or if it's just that I work best when I'm thrown in the deep end.  I suspect it's the latter.  I hope it's the latter!  

After all that I needed to let off some steam, so I signed up for two RPM in a row and went for it.  I was feeling physically sick during the last hill track at the end of the first class I was going so hard.  I backed it off a bit for Duck's class, but only a bit. I don't know whether it was the blood draw, the fact I hand't eaten that much that day, or 
me having gone so hard in the heat of the first class, but I was feeling a touch off the pace for 
a while there.

So now I'm at home, having consumed a bowl of pasta, a huge helping of salad and a small 
glass of celebratory wine.   It must nearly be time for bed.  Mmmmm, bed ...

Summer Evening

It was Auckland hot in Wellington today - sunny and still.  By late afternoon the weight of the mercury began to push a few drops of rain from the sky, falling straight down onto our roof.  Sitting in the lounge with every available window open I heard the swollen drops on the tin, but I could also smell the moisture as it filtered into the soil.  

By 8.00 the rain had stopped and the light was calling.  I didn't take my camera with me, reasoning that I didn't want to put anything between me and the evening.  Indeed, as I walked along I noticed a yriad of small things.  A flour outside a neighbour's house I hadn't seen before, a cicada crawling its last inches in the grass.  A glass sculpture in a window.  

Thankfully I took my cellphone, so was at least able to snap a few PXT.  For as I rounded the rise to the top of Tawatawa Ridge the sheer beauty of the evening overwhelmed me.  The harbour was perfectly calm, black against the grey cloud above it.  Yet the dry grass was pure gold, caught by the sun hanging just over the top of the mountains.  The wind turbine was also caught by the sun, a pristine white against the wet darkness.  And yes, we do have horizons in this city.  There was one in front of me, with two
ferries beneath it. 




At the top of the ridge I was greated by a man who looked a little like Billy Connolly but spoke more like an elf.  He and I exchanged a few pleasantries and then he called his dog to him and disappeared off down the Southern Walkway.  I sat under the stone man for a while watching the light disappear, then made my own way
home.

Happiness

Happiness today is remembering the Kawakawa tea I found when I was cleaning out the pantry (thanks Leonie), and the teddy-bear shaped tea strainer my host mother gave me back in 1990 (forgotten in a kitchen drawer and now refound).

Happiness is putting a Fly My Pretties CD into the CD player and hearing Module's piano playing coming through the speakers Hamish borrowed from Soundline some years back.  Happiness is curling up on the sofa with my music and my tea and reading some more of "A Million Little Pieces", which I bought at Ferrit secondhand books yesterday, and which kept me on the sofa all afternoon while Hamish was painting the roof (and while I should have been gardening).

Happiness was a good, relatively painfree half hour run on the treadmill this afternoon, during which time my body purred with pleasure.  Tomorrow - the Bays!  Happiness was following the run up with Balance, even despite the realisation that I have a lot of work ahead to get back to where I was before Christmas!

Back to work tomorrow and the house is clean, the kitchen cupboards tidy, the roof painted and the garden mostly weeded.  I feel like I'm only just starting to slow down, to the extent that I didn't wake this morning until 9.30, after weeks of being awake with the dawn.  There were things I didn't do, but there were unexpected things that more than made up for them.  

Hamish and I spent an amazing night in Ohariu Valley at (Groovin) Pete and Kathy's new house on a lifestyle block.  The night before Sarah and I were supposed to have cycled to Makara Hamish and I lay in bed in the Ohariu guest room and listened to gale force winds threatening to blow the house away.  Not such a good day to go cycling to Makara then.  Instead I rode Kathy's beautiful horse Willow around and around their arena until the poor creature nearly fell asleep with boredom (Willow, not Kathy).

A night or two later we celebrated Siobhan's birthday with her on a lovely warm evening in 
Titahi Bay.  Summer has arrived at the exact time it was supposed to, and the rain is coming 
only now as we prepare to return to work.     

I guess it would be foolish to wish for winter to arrive so that I can wear my fabulous vintage coat then right?  

Shameless small furry creature linking

Just go there ...


And in other news, it occurred to me that the reason my ankle was feeling better as because I wasn't doing anything to aggravate it. So I didn't run today, and I didn't go to the gym. I feel like a big fat blob, but I'm relatively pain-free. I have another physio appointment tomorrow so I'll see how that goes.

I had my exam today as well. It was open-book, although I answered most of the questions without picking up the course text, as recommended. I had half an hour left over to flick through the book to correct some of the answers I'd been unsure of. I did well enough to pass. I'm fairly confident of that.

The exam was, ironically enough, held at the Duxton. Today I got my risotto, and it was okay. I'm still amazed at the standard of Sunday's meal though. Time to let it go.

Sorry about the inanity of the last few posts. Normal service will resume shortly!

Tomorrow

My ankle feels good. I may try to run tomorrow. Any takers on ten minutes?

I also have an exam tomorrow. I don't feel at all confident, even though I did well enough in the practice exam today. All I need is 50%, and I'm never going to know my score, only whether I pass or fail. I keep thinking I should have put more study in, but when I look through the manual it all looks familiar.

I feel hung over, tired and heavy after last night. I'm sure I would feel better right now if I'd been able to go for a run or do an RPM class today. I went for a gorgeous long walk around Vogeltown this afternoon in the sun, but it just wasn't the same. And lunch tomorrow means running the gauntlet of the Duxton kitchen again. Don't even get me started on the fiasco that was the Chapman Tripp awards ceremony dinner last night. Let's just say that a few steamed vegetables, some mashed potato and some fried rice with a few corn kernels, does not a vegetarian meal make.

Which isn't to say that we didn't have fun, because obviously we did. But the food was appalling.

Right. Off to see if anyone else has played their turn in Scrabulous!

11 Years Ago This Weekend

11 years ago this weekend (more or less) Hamish and I became a couple.

We celebrated by driving out to Queen Elizabeth Park where we lay around on the beach all afternoon eating strawberries and grapes and talking. Somehow the idea of getting a dog entered the conversation. Does that mean we're finally growing up?

Still sick

A week on since my sinuses clogged up and I'm STILL sick. I went to work for half a day on Thursday, got sent home, spent Friday languishing in bed (at least Friday was sunny), and have been messing around at home today. My head still feels like it's about to explode. I have a slamming headache and I can't lean forward without shooting pain across my forehead. Last night I wondered whether the headache was in fact due to my shunt blocking up. Wouldn't that be ironic? I've had Hydrocephalus (or Water on the Brain) all my life, but I haven't had any problems since I was around 20. I started to get paranoid that my headache was due to a buildup of cerebro-spinal fluid, rather than just a mucus attack. Then I started to worry about the Addison's Disease, and going into crisis. Finally I had to take myself off to bed to get some relief. Unfortunately I couldn't sleep in this morning because I was lying there half awake, listening to my rasping breathing, thinking that I must be driving Hamish crazy.

If I don't feel like I'm getting any better by Monday I'll have to give in and go to the doctor. I stuck up a random conversation with a woman who lives nearby on Friday, and she said she'd been sick for five weeks with a nasty bug. I can't afford to be out of commission for that long.

Sorry to be such a soggy ball of misery. Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible!