A Good Week

Well it's been a good week for me - still not quite as on the ball as I'd like but I recorded a loss of 700g this week so very happy about that.  I've been very conservative in my alcohol intake - was going to cut it out but decided I'd keep off the wine during the week and drink the McWilliams Balance on the weekend.  I've tracked religiously all week and even managed to get my a into g and walk once.  So off and running again this week and hoping to have another good week.

Work is even crazier - one of the other HR Advisers is on holiday so I'm having to do her job as well as mine - not fun and has been stressing me big time - something I'm not used to.  However I'll work through it -she's back next Monday and see how I go for the future - but needless to say I made my feelings known!

I'm sitting here watching on TV the dreadful scenes resulting from the massive eathquake that occurred today in Christchurch in New Zealand - it's just horrendous.  Geez Mother Nature is certainly wielding her power in the southern hemisphere these past couple of  months.  What a terrible tragedy - I'm just hoping that our blogger friends in Christchurch are OK.  My heart goes out to everyone there.

On a more positve note we booked and paid for our holiday yesterday - I haven't actually counted the number of weeks yet - but I will soon!!! 

And the usual few photos

Sharon and I played silly buggers with this tower of empties and posed for some daft photos at the recent work celebration BBQ

We went round to our friends place on Saturday night for dinner and a game of Cranium

We all had to wear a hat to highlight our 'cranium' .  This was one Clive had left in the downstairs room.  Lots of room for my brain to expand!!

Bloss wore his 'Jimmy' hat which we bought in Scotland many years ago.

I can't think of much else in the way of news so will sign off and wish you all a good week.
Love Zxx

ps Chris B - the header picture (as Lonicera rightly says) was taken in Athens in Greece.  We had just come back down from the Parthenon and he was sitting there smiling away with his gold teeth waiting for the usual 1 euro donation so we could take his photo.

New York, New York

Yes I know I've been slack again - I've kind of lost my motivation for blogging - not many people commenting and I also have been a poor commenter.  However I'm pushing myself to do the odd post as I feel that this is still one of the best ways to keep myself motivated when I want to lose some kgs,  plus I can't disappear off and leave all my lovely 'bliends'.

So the plan - well it went well week one, fell by the wayside week two and then back on the rails for weeks three and four.  I haven't entered this weeks loss - tomorrow is official weigh day - but so far it's looking good.  I finally got my WW At Home pack - was a little bit disappointed - I was looking for more in the way of menu plans as they used to do years ago.  I found it was good to encourage you to try new combinations - and they were usually nice and easy.  I don't mind trying new recipes but usually only on the weekend - during the week it needs to adhere to the KISS principle!  Anyway called WW the day after it arrived - and also gave them the feedback that it would be good to have some next steps advice included with the pack when it arrived - I know from a couple of others that they just hazarded a guess that they should phone WW.  Anyway I requested that my new At Home leader email me - I'm just too busy at work to field calls and having done it via email before I know it can work quite successfully.  However I got a call from Belinda at work a couple of days later - so had to explain to her that I wanted to pursue the email option - she had misunderstood the instruction left for her and is quite happy to go with email and I got a nice newsy and friendly email from her later in the day. 

So tomorrow is official WW weigh in day and I'll do some measurements this arv and kick off my 12 week programme. I do know that I need to up the exercise but I haven't quite got to it yet!!

And now to the title - I went to see Mark my wonderful trave agent on Tuesday and we've come up with a travel plan which he is off to get quotes on.  It looks something like this :

3 September - fly to New York.  Spend the next week based there but with a train trip and a couple of nights in Washington.

10 September - fly to Miami and embark on Oasis of the Seas for a seven day Eastern Caribbean cruise - calling to Nassau, Bahamas; Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and then back to Fort Lauderdale.

17 September - spend 3 nights in Miami then fly to New Orleans for 4 nights

24 September - fly to Albuqueque, hire a car and drive to Los Alamos to see Reid, Christy and the three boys

30 September - back to Albuqueque, on to LA and home to Brisbane arriving Sunday 2 October.

So all very exciting - oh how I adore planning trips and researching!!!

Can't really think of much else in the way of news - I'm still crazy busy at work but I'm gradually feeling I'm more in control - some days it really stresses me - I'm such a control freak and I hate the thought of not being in control and delivering to what I think of as my usual standard.  But I was at a work function on Friday night and had a comment made to me by a couple of girls in the Accounts Department that they were so happy that I was in HR  - we do a fair bit of interacting making sure our expat payroll invoices are paid, and fixing up salary cost centres etc - often not changed properly when people move positions.  They told me that they had actually been discussing me that day and saying how great it was to have someone who followed things through to completion - so that obviously made me feel good.

Bloss's birthday is coming up this month and this is what I've bought him


The De Longhi Nespresso Essenza

 My friend Deb bought her husband one for Christmas and they love it - I've tasted the coffee and it's fabulous.  So since its always a challenge working out what present to buy for Bloss - and he's been making the odd noise about wanting a coffee machine - I just got him one.

And that my friends is it from me for this week.  I'll update my side bar tomorrow with my weigh in result.  Have a great week everyone

Love Zxx