I'm Baaack (part 1)

Didjya miss me???

Well, a couple of weeks have flown by (almost 3 actually) since my last post... things have been a bit crazy as you can probably guess both personally and at work (next week's travel schedule is a bit punishing.....)

Anyhoo, on to the weightloss stats from the last 2 weeks (valid to last Monday the 21st April)

Weekly Name and Shame: -1.5kg

Not bad, and that included my parents being here with the associated eating out, and going on a stamp camp. This week I am hoping to break through the dreaded 90 kg barrier and get back into the 80's!!!

Visiting with Jan and Al

Janice and Alan visited this side of the country to see moi and to go up to my sister at the farm in Tumbarumba. While they were here on the Melbourne leg of their tour, I decided that we should get out and see something.

My mother has what can only be described as an "unhealthy obsession" with maps. Therefore to give her some Melbourne "context" I decided that we would do the loop - all the way around Port Phillip Bay in a clockwise direction - starting and ending at Footscray.

We got down to the Mornington Peninsula at lunchtime, and went to a great winery called 10 x tractor. the food was TO DIE FOR. My mother had the best fish dish I think I have ever tasted, and I had a sample plate of all the entrees on the menu - divine.... (I also bought them out of their pinot - they only had half a dozen bottles left). This is a photo of us waiting to get a table for lunch.


We then went off to do stuff in the afternoon - and went to the strawberry farm (which was a little disappointing as I was hoping to buy some strawberry plants, not just strawberry products), and then to Cape Schank where we played tourist at the lighthouse.

I must say that the scenery around the lighthouse is just amazing! I can see why hundreds of ships have found their demise along this part of the Australian coastline.... (this is a view from inside the lighthouse looking down the cliff)

The lighthouse itself is also really cool... My penchant for old mechanical things was well and truly met that day inside the lighthouse itself.... they still have all the old working bits, despite the lighthouse functions now being mechanised electrically rather than by a clockwork system.

We stayed at a great guesthouse in Sorrento (Whitehall Guest House) on the Friday night, and on Saturday continued outr explorations. We went to the old fort at Point Nepean. A good 10km walk, and we explored all sorts of stuff!


We finished the trip with a ferry ride across the mouth of the bay to Queenscliff and after coffee in the town and a quick look around headed home up the Princes Highway. Needless to say the next day was spent recovering before Mum and Dad headed up to the farm.

In Part 2 of this update I will fill you in on Stamp Camp last weekend, but right now I am off to a play date at Greta's house..... must make salad and pack something to do!

Blog with you again tomorrow!

I've been tagged - twice!

Oops, I forgot that I had been tagged when I posted earlier, so second post for the day.

This is what you do:

1. Link to the person that tagged you and leave a comment on their blog, so that their readers can visit yours.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Share 7 Random facts about yourself on your blog.

4. Tag 7 random people at the bottom of your post, linking to their blog. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog.

Now, here are 7 random facts about me:

1. I am phobic about cockroaches (a cockaphobe / roachaphobe??), I have baits EVERYWHERE in my house

2. I loathe exercise, although my personal trainer is slowly making me loathe it less.

3. I have a tendency to drink too much in a sitting - not as far as bingeing, just a bit too much.

4. I have been trying to learn french, and despite the spectacular failure this term am getting back on that horse for next term.

5. I really like clubbing / electronic dance music, but hate going to clubs (I am a pub girl), so I compromise and listen to it when I am cleaning (does that make me an old woman?)

6. I am really sad that I never had the opportunity to have children of my own

7. My secret desire is to publish a book (no idea of topic, or whether it would be an art book or a novel). My dad is writing his novel, and has been for a number of years, I really admire him for that.

I am not going to tag others, because most of the 'blogger world" people that I know have already been stung.

A fortnight of catch up

A bit of catchup required as I was down with the flu last weekend, unfortunately

Weekly Name and Shame: +500g

Oops.... the 3 weeks of hell at work leading up to end of financial year + being sick have played havoc with my weightloss ambitions. WORK-LIFE BALANCE is the key bloggers & bloggettes. Let's hope that it can come off quickly again, particularly now that I am back at the chiro, and he is repairing the damage done to my back from constant sitting and slaving over a hot computer.... I hope so because even the dog is looking a little fat!

On to more fun things, I have this morning finally finished a 1-on-1 swap for artyoz, Bag of Inspiration. (I know, I know, but the end of daylight saving meant that I didn't sleep in). The premise for the swap is that we send a bag of junk to a nominated person, and they return a piece of art using some of said junk.

I had to do a piece for Teresa Abajo (http://www.thetamarisk.blogspot.com/ - check out her blog, great work!) , and I must say that I am very happy with the final result. It is going in the mail today. Here it is:


cool huh! I wanted to make a piece that was free-standing (dust collector for her new house?). I think that she will like it, at least I hope she does. It is very DeMeng inspired, particularly the white spermy shapes and dots, but it did need a lift around the bottom to give it visual balance - the top is quite "busy". It has got that great 1900 mechanics feel, like some sort of bizarre overdecorated machine.

I am looking forward to getting my converted bag of inspiration back from Julian, she has posted pics of the finished piece on her blog - http://buttonstcat.blogspot.com/ (the obsessive hoarder), and it looks great!!!

My parents are coming to visit with me next week, so I won't have much time for play. The following weekend is stamp camp - YAY, It is the beginning of Camp season!!! I LOVE camps, I get so much done and they are so much fun! I feel (on the inside of course) like a 13 year old going on my first school camp again. I always pack too much stuff, and although every time I say that I am going to minimise the amount of stuff I take by focusing on a couple of projects I am ambitious in how much I can achieve, and end up taking half my studio.

Before camp I will need to stir up my creative juices to make inroads on my nature collab book as my "camp project". I have posted previously regarding my frustrations on this book, so I will be looking for an inspirational breakthrough over the next 2 weeks. I must say though that the breakthrough is looking a long way away - I am finding the requirements too proscriptive. There is also an NZeder in the group, so there are HUGE restrictions on what we can do because so much "natural" stuff won't get through their customs. All I can say is WHY join a NATURE swap from an Aussie group when you KNOW that everyone else will have to "dumb down" their pages so that you can get a book???? AAARGH!!!

Whew - that was cathartic.

Till next time!