Goal + Action = Reality

[TopNotch]

Daily Push-ups Day 26
Dead Hang Day 23
Touch Your Toes Day 6
1 Minute Plank Day 6
Glutes of Steel Day 6
1 Minute Yoga Day 6
Easy Core Day 6
Easy Abs Day 6
First Thing Water Day 5
One and Done Day 5
Fit December Day 5

I got the two quotes today, one $16 higher than the other but given the total price that hardly matters. I think I'll go with the higher one, the place from where I actually got customer service.

Went to the Other House today to grab the last of my Christmas decorations - but I forgot one thing, so next time. Went to feed the chooks but there was no chook food. They've been eating food leftovers and such - not a great diet for chickens. I had been going to take three and leave three but a) I don't need three chickens, and b) one chicken is missing and another is perenially broody, so I decided to take two - one black one (Spot), and the white one (Snow White). But Snow White escaped me. Rose Red (white back end, white/red wings and front) got herself wedged so when I managed to unwedge her, she came with me instead. Creed was very interested in them and kept wanting to go out and investigate them.

That's Rose Red you can see, Spot is hidden by Creed.

Heating up but the forecast keeps being for some rain, even a fair bit in a few days' time. I like rain, but I really need at least four completely dry days so I can waterproof the concrete floor in my shed. Come on!

It's about 27 degrees in my lounge at 10:30pm, even with the fan on, so of course Footsy is on my lap and Creed is keeping my feet warm! Earlier, though, Footy showed her displeasure of my putting the Advent calendar on the piano top. She likes lying there, you see; it's cool, and nothing was going to stop her!

 

[MadamMeow]

That coop is so adorable! And of course all the pets, too.

 

[TopNotch]

Daily Push-ups Day 27
Dead Hang Day 24
Touch Your Toes Day 7
1 Minute Plank Day 7
Glutes of Steel Day 7
1 Minute Yoga Day 7
Easy Core Day 7
Easy Abs Day 7
First Thing Water Day 6
One and Done Day 6
Fit December Day 6 - Okay, so this morning when I got up my knee twinged and when I told it we had reverse lunges it said, "heck no! 100 reverse lunges? Man, I'd rather do 50 step jacks." So we got a Hall Pass today.
PD - 55 minutes

Phone call this morning from the aircon people - could someone come over for a site inspection today? Sure, I had to go shopping but I'd be back early afternoon so scheduled for 1. Had been going to get a hair cut but realised I didn't have time for it. I guess I'll just do it myself again. And what happened at Aldi was not my fault. I fell victim to my own addiction - which is probably better than falling victim to someone else's! I mean, they had Clementoni jigsaw puzzles for only $12.99 - which is just over 1/3 of normal price! One of the pictures I already had but the other... (cough, cough, very small voice) three I - er, now have. And as I didn't buy them with the intention of giving them to myself as Christmas presents, I can do them anytime!

Today was the first day in about 10 or so months that I've worn a singlet. And though they could be better (as everything always can which is why we keep going!), I was not displeased by my shoulders.

The aircon bloke came at 1 and left about 1 minutes later. Fun fact: the ACT and NSW governments decided to impose noise restrictions on domestic air conditioners without looking at what was actually available in Australia. NO airconditioners on the market meet the current standards! Good work, people! So you just have to hope that your neighbours don't complain. Anyway, he said there were a few slots available before Christmas and there was a possibility that I might get one. Otherwise, mid-January. So fingers crossed. If I do, that's great; if I don't, well, I don't and I'll just have to wait.

The chickens used one of the two nesting boxes and I collected two fresh eggs today. The eggs that have been in my fridge for ages are finally able to be peeled when boiled (so I scoffed one whole egg and one white, giving the second yolk to Creed), which really makes me wonder about the age of eggs that you buy from the supermarket, because they pretty much can be immediately boiled and peeled.

The Lad's coming over tomorrow.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

which really makes me wonder about the age of eggs that you buy from the supermarket, because they pretty much can be immediately boiled and peeled.

Yup! Which, if you want boiled eggs, is AWESOME!

 

[TopNotch]

Daily Push-ups Day 28
Dead Hang Day 25
Touch Your Toes Day 8
1 Minute Plank Day 8
Glutes of Steel Day 8
1 Minute Yoga Day 8
Easy Core Day 8
Easy Abs Day 8
First Thing Water Day 7
One and Done Day 7
Fit December Day 7
DB Shoulder Press 3 x 20

Went to the Other House at 1 this afternoon. Tried to talk to #2 but she absolutely hates me like poison and told me in no uncertain terms to get out and never come back (that's the expurgated version). The Lad and I got here at about 2. After a bit, we watched a movie (that wasn't quite as funny as I had remembered it, but oh well), and played a game. Enjoyed a smoothie which was thick enough to be like ice cream but way healthier. For dinner, he wanted my coleslaw and after that, although he seemed a little reluctant, I took him back to the Other House before 7:30 as promised. He's booked me in for a hike Tuesday after next but I said it would depend on the weather. Quite enjoyed the day.

 

[TopNotch]

Daily Push-ups Day 29
Dead Hang Day 26
Touch Your Toes Day 9
1 Minute Plank Day 9
Glutes of Steel Day 9
1 Minute Yoga Day 9
Easy Core Day 9
Easy Abs Day 9
First Thing Water Day 8
One and Done Day 8
Fit December Day 8 - I so reckon I deserve EC on this one! As soon as I got on the floor, face-down, Creed was all over me, trying desperately to get at my face and/or ears. My laughter didn't calm him down any either! Eventually he stopped but he lay down right up against me, which made those reverse flyes a bit of a challenge. When I'd finished all 5 sets, I rolled onto my side and gave him a cuddle and he always thinks that's the best thing in the world. Isn't it funny how a dog can make you feel so important!
Close-grip lat pull-downs 3 x 10 and then a bit later, another 3 x 10 because I thought, why not?
Hand gripper - 20es plus 20-count hold
PD - 65 minutes

Yesterday's prospective deluge didn't eventuate so after I (finally!) got the washing done (the underwear drawer was beginning to look... sparse) and hung up, I hosed down the interior of my little garden shed (it's only 1.5m x 1.5m) so I can put the gardening stuff in there from the big shed, preparatory to getting the rest of the stuff out so I can clean and then waterproof. The forecast has changed and there appears to be no rain this week so things should dry. We'll see.

 

[TopNotch]

Dead Hang Day 27
Touch Your Toes Day 10
1 Minute Plank Day 10
Glutes of Steel Day 10
1 Minute Yoga Day 10
Easy Core Day 10
Easy Abs Day 10
First Thing Water Day 9
One and Done Day 9
Fit December Day 9 - well, I think a lot of butts got kicked today, what with the Challenge too!

Cloudy day, and pleasantly cool. Started with a haircut. Should have wet my hair, smooth down the curls but oh no! I always know better right? Anyway, not a bad job and one crossed off the To-Do list. Next one was the garden shed. Smoothed down the dirt and round pebbles that was in it and lay down some rubber mats. Moved the gardening tools and chicken stuff into the shed and that's all it can hold. Went to the tip to drop off cardboard from the big shed and on the way back, decided to pop into a supermarket. By taking a different road, found a new-to-me shopping centre. There was a newsagency there and as my eldest had been unable to buy a bus card for the newly started system, I thought I'd see if they had any - and they did! So I bought two, but that meant I had to go all the way to the Other House and drop them off. Daughter was linking card to her account almost as soon as I gave them to her. Still grey and cool when I got home so I decided to mow the yard. More convenient being able to wheel the mower right out rather than lift it out of the big shed. A few drops of rain just as I was finishing but nothing significant. Had a ridiculously late night/early morning (1:45am) so I reckon an earlier night is in the offing (it's currently 11:26pm so I should move soon).

 

[TopNotch]

Dead Hang Day 28
Touch Your Toes Day 11
1 Minute Plank Day 11
Glutes of Steel Day 11
1 Minute Yoga Day 11
Easy Core Day 11
Easy Abs Day 11
First Thing Water Day 10
One and Done Day 10
Fit December Day 10

And the tree is ready for decorating again! In 2020, I did squats - so can't do them this year; in 2021 it was push-ups, so they're out too; 2022 saw me doing jumping jacks, so nope; 2023 I planked - but we don't have them this year. I was left only with punches and kicks. So I did kicks. Perhaps I could have included the ones in this month's challenge but forget to count. Instead, I chose a workout. I'll probably feel this tomorrow. Or later tonight...
500 Kicks - which gets me a Stocking.

Forecast was for dry and sunny, so I spent 20 minutes clearing out the big shed, then another 20 minutes giving it a good sweeping out. Then it was fun time with the jet setting on the hose. Blasted any spiders and other bugs to another dimension, then got busy with the broom again. It was hard to get the water over the lip at the door, so there was some water left on the floor but I was confident that it would evaporate. I figure the concrete should be completely dry day after tomorrow and then I can seal it. So the shed was done. I left it and found Creed crouching on the lawn, something dark between his front legs. On closer inspection, I saw it was a little chick who seemed to have a broken wing - and there went the rest of my morning/early afternoon. Man proposes, God disposes, as they say. But I wish God would stop disposing of his broken birds in my bailiwick. Twenty-five minutes driving one-handed with a blackbird chick in the other hand to deposit it at a vet. They called me later and said that the wing had been badly broken and they'd had to euthanase. Sad, as I'd been watching a frantic blackbird searching my yard much of the afternoon...

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Poor little bird.
Thank you for trying to help.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

We had the same thing with a young seagull... Sad, but better than being mauled by a dog or a cat. Hugs.

 

[TopNotch]

Dead Hang Day 29
Touch Your Toes Day 12
1 Minute Plank Day 12
Glutes of Steel Day 12
1 Minute Yoga Day 12
Easy Core Day 12
Easy Abs Day 12
First Thing Water Day 11
One and Done Day 11
Fit December Day 11
Power Pose Day 1 - ooh, the chance to stand like a superhero for 2 minutes each day. I just imagine the breeze is sweeping back my hair and rippling my cape!

And a workout too because - well, just because:
Back and Biceps Express

On a summer's evening, what better smell is there than that of freshly watered tomato plants?

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 13
1 Minute Plank Day 13
Glutes of Steel Day 13
1 Minute Yoga Day 13
Easy Core Day 13
Easy Abs Day 13
First Thing Water Day 12
One and Done Day 12
Fit December Day 12
Power Pose Day 2

So gave the shed another good sweeping and then got going with the waterproofing. It's a decent sized shed - 3x6m - so it took a while. I had to go out to the hardware shop and there was roadworks. What sadist decides that roadworks in December are a Good Thing?! Consequently, I avoided the main drag on the way back and went a roundabout way that I'd never travelled before. It probably took me longer than crawling through the roadworks would have, but I found a gem. Had to stop and get out for this picture:

They had just been sitting on the tree but my approach startled them and they took off.

One coat of sealant on the floor then I had to wait an hour before I could do the second coat. The floor is a little shiny! I haven't decided yet if I want it a bit shinier - that would involve another coat, but it's easy enough and I have plenty of sealant left. I'll think about it and have a look tomorrow when it's all dry.

Today was Rocking Horse Day. Okay, so that's not a real Day (so far as I know. I'm happy to be corrected!). Many years ago, when the children were little, I made and stuffed a plump four-sided Christmas tree out of felt. It stands about 40cm tall and I sewed pompoms on to hold the decorations. I sewed 24 little decorations, one for each Advent box. Today I pulled out my favourite - the rocking horse. Why is it my favourite? Because I managed to master those darned french knots! Really pleased about that, because they've always foxed me. Each decoration is two-sided (the people were easy because only one side has a face!), so that was a lot of little knots - one each side for the eye, seven for the saddle, and one for the bridle. Doing the knot in the fine gold thread was a challenge but it worked, too. So here is my little rocking horse. It's 7cm across.

And speaking of the Advent boxes, we all knew this was going to happen, didn't we?

I'm sure she was thinking something like, "the human slave sure was lucky those candle-holders were there".

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Wonderful photo of the birds! Are they Australian White Ibises? Thank you for sharing!

Your rocking horse is very cute! And wow! Those knots are tiny!

 

[Mamatigerj]

I love your Rocking Horse!

 

[Anek]

Very cute horse!

 

[TopNotch]

Are they Australian White Ibises?

Yes, a.k.a. bin chickens due to their foraging nature. I'd not seen any around here before. Guess I just hadn't been where they were!

Touch Your Toes Day 14
1 Minute Plank Day 14
Glutes of Steel Day 14
1 Minute Yoga Day 14
Easy Core Day 14
Easy Abs Day 14
First Thing Water Day 13
One and Done Day 13
Fit December Day 13
Power Pose Day 3
PD - 60 minutes

Did not have a Good Night last night. It's the nature of the beast, and I tell myself that I haven't had a Bad Night for quite a while, and last night's not Good Night wasn't really Bad. Looking for that silver lining. It didn't help when the neighbours' dogs started barking again when a 7 was the first number on the clock...

So the shed's done. One week for the floor to cure completely but light traffic was permissable after 10-12 hours. I set up the two shelving units I had (of course I'll need more!) and replaced everything I'd taken out and left outside. What's in the little garden shed will probably stay there, being as it all is, gardening or chicken stuff. It was nice to get things out of my little house that had been shoved in here for a few days, as well as more stuff out of the laundry. Makes it not so cluttered in there. Really didn't need my mitre box and saw in the laundry, nor the soldering iron (do I even need a soldering iron...?). Still have to sort out the rest of the room.

The Lad called this evening. Started listing all the meals I make that he likes. The meals they get over there are... substandard. Vegetable matter is generally completely avoided and variety is sorely absent. Nutrition does not appear to be of any importance. Now I'm no poster child for healthy eating, but I do well enough. I've never been overweight and I'm generally healthy (chronic issues aside ) so it does pain me a bit. Anyway, after listing about a dozen meals that he liked, he then basically invited himself over for dinner, providing me with the menu - spinach, blueberry and blue cheese salad, and creamy caesar chicken. Tomorrow. Guess I'd better do some shopping - I'm all out of blueberries! And blue cheese because that simply doesn't last long around here. Then he rang a bit later to check on the time I'll pick him up. I suggested 1, he countered with 12:30, then moved it along to between 12 and 12:30... I said about 12:30 but then he has to come shopping with me.

Heat wave a-coming!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Yes, a.k.a. bin chickens due to their foraging nature.

Aww! It's not the ibises' fault humans have destroyed their natural habitats and forced them into scavenging human trash.

 

[TopNotch]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon I condemn no living creature for doing its best to survive. Except perhaps cockroaches. And flies. Yes, definitely flies.

Touch Your Toes Day 15
1 Minute Plank Day 15
Glutes of Steel Day 15
1 Minute Yoga Day 15
Easy Core Day 15
Easy Abs Day 15
First Thing Water Day 14
One and Done Day 14
Fit December Day 14
Power Pose Day 4
Bed on Time Day 1 - which was last night. Giving this challenge another go. Determined to make it this time! Aiming for before midnight.

Busy with the vacuum cleaner this morning, trying to remove as much Creed-hair from my car seats as humanly possible. It was only about 28 degrees but didn't stop my singlet getting damp. Phew - a hot car with a hot vacuum cleaner. Still, the car's relatively clean and the dog seatcover is over the back, so hopefully I shouldn't have to do that again.

Just before midday, the Lad phoned to ask if I were on my way. Hey, give me a go! I was looking at leaving around noon. Got to the Other House around 12:20 and then we were off to the shopping centre down here. Got what we needed for dinner as well as some fruit. Back home, Creed was well-behaved - only leaned up against the Lad once. My dog weighs more than my boy. We played Mah-Joong. I forget the rules and do things that make him gasp and clutch his head. It's fun. He won. He enjoyed playing in my shed - idkw. He showed off and did pull-ups in my bathroom doorway. Sometimes I wish I weighed nothing. The salad was excellent, and the caesar chicken was delicious and beautifully tender. He was too full for the very ripe plums we'd bought. Got him back to the Other House just after 7:30 - took Creed along for the drive.

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 16
1 Minute Plank Day 16
Glutes of Steel Day 16
1 Minute Yoga Day 16
Easy Core Day 16
Easy Abs Day 16
First Thing Water Day 15
One and Done Day 15
Fit December Day 15
Power Pose Day 5
Bed on Time Day 2
Treadmill walk/run - 30 minutes

Sweat. Not such a fan. But it did contribute to my back's make farty noises on a rubber exercise mat!

Decided to count up how many books I've read so far this year. Then I saw the number that I had started but not completed and I got down to them. Mostly they're non-fiction - gosh, what a surprise (not). So three of those have been finished now - one yesterday and two today. Not all will be completed this year. The autobiography that's over 800 pages that I'm only 25 pages into, for example. But I've denied myself fiction for two whole days now! But if I can get three more of the just-started non-fictions finished this year, I'll be happy.

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 17
1 Minute Plank Day 17
Glutes of Steel Day 17
1 Minute Yoga Day 17
Easy Core Day 17
Easy Abs Day 17
First Thing Water Day 16
One and Done Day 16
Fit December Day 16
Power Pose Day 6
Bed on Time Day 3

Well, it didn't get quite as hot as it was forecast to get today; it got to 35 rather than 38, and at 10:30pm, my house is 30 degrees. It makes me very disinclined to exercise (but I forced myself and didn't regret it) and also to eat. I did make myself something for dinner and by earlier having a smoothie with protein powder, I at least got today's protein quotient, but am 1.5K down on the kilojoule count - and that's already allowing for a deficit. But who wants to eat when it's hot? I had to do some shopping today and treated myself to a couple of bottles of Indian tonic water. I've always loved the stuff, but I'm saving it for Christmas. I had some in North America when I was there - just once because it was full of that ubiquitous corn syrup and was unpleasantly sweet.

I was wrong. Yes, I'm big enough to admit it! I thought the neighbours' dogs started barking when the clock was still on 7. This morning I cracked open an eye and focused on my watch. Darn, those dogs start when the clock is still on 6!

I read more on another non-fiction and one comment in particular stood out. Nothing new or exciting, just that old hoary chestnut that everyone knows - basically a reworking of Go Big or Go Home. I thought of applying that to a different context and that has changed a few things that I'm working on. I'm rather excited about it, actually. So much so that I got two post-it notes and on one I wrote GO and on the other I wrote BIG and then I carefully aligned one below the other (making sure they were straight, of course!) on the wall above my desk. And that will be my motto moving into the new year.

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 18
1 Minute Plank Day 18
Glutes of Steel Day 18
1 Minute Yoga Day 18
Easy Core Day 18
Easy Abs Day 18
First Thing Water Day 17
One and Done Day 17
Fit December Day 17
Power Pose Day 7
Bed on Time Day 4

The neighbours must have gone out earlier today because their husky started howling at 6:25. Then the rubbish truck came by at 7:05... You can tell I'm not an early riser!

I believe that people make their own luck - by taking advantage of opportunities that arise, most generally, from which other good things may come to which we remark, well, that was lucky! Such, at least, has been my experience. And yet sometimes I think I was just born lucky! Today, for example, I was at the shops. My phone rang. Now, I was in Aldi and Aldi doesn't play music (bless you, Aldi!) and consequently the shop was relatively quiet, so when Tom Petty started blaring out ("Won't Back Down" is my ringtone), I not only could hear it, but I also knew it was my phone. I never normally answer my phone in shops, but it was quiet so I knew I could hear the caller and the caller could hear me without either of us having to yell. And so I answered. It was the air-conditioning people who said they had a cancellation and they thought I'd be the perfect person to get the last installation of the year! So Friday around lunchtime, my split system should be installed and I can do my exercises in air-conditioned comfort! Lucky, hey?

Snowball Fight is on! This better not make me late for bed.

 

[JohnStrong]

Luck made

 

[MadamMeow]

I never answer the phone when I don't know the caller, extra good for you for snagging that last installation!

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 19
1 Minute Plank Day 19
Glutes of Steel Day 19
1 Minute Yoga Day 19
Easy Core Day 19
Easy Abs Day 19
First Thing Water Day 18
One and Done Day 18
Fit December Day 18
Power Pose Day 8
Bed on Time Day 5
PD - over two hours and then my brain was full.
Oh, and jumping jacks for the Snowball Fight!

Not a very Good night but at least that part of it didn't last too long. And, oh joy! the neighbours' dogs didn't wake me up!

It was a cooler day today. In fact, the morning started so cool it was almost chilly. So for the first time in a couple of weeks, I made a pot of tea. Last Christmas, my mum gave me a tin of Christmas tea. I 'celebrate' Christmas until twelfth night; after that, it's all over, so this tea has been waiting. I made two pots of it today, and it was lovely. While I was enjoying a cup, my phone rang and this time I saw who was ringing and answered. The air-conditioning people again. I was hastily assured that I was still scheduled for Friday, but could they do it tomorrow instead? Absolutely!

The Lad called while I was getting the laundry on, asking what time I was coming. I reminded him that I'd said 5. He pressed for 1:30 so I asked him if he liked using sunscreen. He said no, and I said in that case, he'd have to wait until it was safer to be out without sunscreen. I suggested 4. He countered with 3:45. I was firm on 4. At 3:15, I was just wrapping the last presents when he rang and said he'd been counting down since 1:30, and then he kept me on the phone so long that I ended up arriving at the Other House at 4:05. He'd whispered in the phone that my other children didn't want me to enter the house, so I'd arranged to meet him outside and he could take in what I'd brought. I had originally collected a large bag's worth of Christmas goodies (including some non-Christmas cheeses), but once he told me what the others had said, I went a bit petty and removed some things. Told him that what was there was all for him but he could share anything he wanted. They were happy enough, though, to accept the few presents I had wrapped for them even though they weren't accepting my presence. Once the cheeses were in the fridge and the other stuff in the house, the Lad and I set off. But he was uncomfortable below the belt. We hadn't even got to the "spooky forest" when I asked again if he were up to this. He admitted he wasn't, so we turned around and went back. All up, a 15-minute walk. He went inside and I returned to my car where I just sat for about ten minutes. Then he reappeared, but he was still uncomfortable. He sat in my car with me and we chatted for about half an hour, and he kept hugging and kissing me. And then I left. Not quite how I expected the day to go.

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 20
1 Minute Plank Day 20
Glutes of Steel Day 20
1 Minute Yoga Day 20
Easy Core Day 20
Easy Abs Day 20
First Thing Water Day 19
One and Done Day 19
Fit December Day 19
Power Pose Day 9
Bed on Time Day 6
PD - 40 minutes
And snowballs!

The installers and electricians descended on my little house shortly after midday. I'd seen a van outside and quickly got Creed into the other part of the house, then reversed and closed the hall door on him before he realised. He whined the entire time! Footsy didn't like the noise and, as she couldn't escape into another room, she did something different and jumped on the counter, hiding behind the water jug and kettle.

Scaredy cat!
It took about 1 1/2 hours and then it was done. One of the installers broke out his little dust-buster but I told him not to bother; I had to vacuum. And he wouldn't have got behind the television unit where all the plaster dust had fallen anyway. I vacuumed, and washed the dirty handprints off the wall, and then I put up the Christmas decorations. Today was a cool day, reaching only 25 degrees, so I hardly needed my air-conditioner - but I put it on just because I could. I used the fan setting. It's going to be mid-30s over the weekend, so I guess the a/c will get a good try-out then.

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 21
1 Minute Plank Day 21
Glutes of Steel Day 21
1 Minute Yoga Day 21
Easy Core Day 21
Easy Abs Day 21
First Thing Water Day 20
One and Done Day 20
Fit December Day 20
Power Pose Day 10
Bed on Time Day 7
PD - 1 hour, 20 minutes

And snowballs, of course!

Got carried away this afternoon. Let the dog out then thought I'd pop into the study and do a quick bit of work, around 4:30. Shortly after 6, the cat came nagging that dinner was late. Wondered where the dog was. Poor thing - I'd forgotten him outside! He was very happy to be back inside. Good thing it wasn't so hot today! So much, though, for the "quick" bit of work!

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 22
1 Minute Plank Day 22
Glutes of Steel Day 22
1 Minute Yoga Day 22
Easy Core Day 22
Easy Abs Day 22
First Thing Water Day 21
One and Done Day 21
Fit December Day 21
Power Pose Day 11
Bed on Time Day 8

And the last of the snowballs. Didn't throw any today - I'm keeping them for my drinks.

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 23
1 Minute Plank Day 23
Glutes of Steel Day 23
1 Minute Yoga Day 23
Easy Core Day 23
Easy Abs Day 23
First Thing Water Day 22
One and Done Day 22
Fit December Day 22
Power Pose Day 12
Bed on Time Day 9
PD - 20 minutes

Made my cucumber soup today. Still got to portion it up and put some in the fridge for day after tomorrow and some in the freezer for days after that. Christmas is the only time I get to make iced cucumber soup so I always make a lot of it so I can enjoy some after the event. My mum asked for the recipe, and when I suggested the quantities I used, she said, "for three people?!" Forgot that some people don't deliberately make left-overs!

My dog snores louder than I do!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

Forgot that some people don't deliberately make left-overs!

Of soup? Goodness! Trying to make only 3 portions of soup... why would anyone do that?

(When I shared a kitchen with my mother she would actually get angry at me for creating leftovers. She wanted the space in the freezer for stockpiling factory-produced freezer dinners that were available 364 days a year from a local grocery store she visited 2+ time per week.)

My dog snores louder than I do!

 

[TopNotch]

Of soup? Goodness! Trying to make only 3 portions of soup... why would anyone do that?

To be fair, she only has one of those titchy freezers above the fridge.

Touch Your Toes Day 24
1 Minute Plank Day 24
Glutes of Steel Day 24
1 Minute Yoga Day 24
Easy Core Day 24
Easy Abs Day 24
First Thing Water Day 23
One and Done Day 23
Fit December Day 23
Power Pose Day 13
Bed on Time Day 10
Indoor bike - 30 minutes/14.84km
Tricep press-down 3 x 10

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

To be fair, she only has one of those titchy freezers above the fridge.

My grandparents didn't have refrigeration at all when they were younger but still would have cooked enough for leftovers and then just heated it up every day to keep it safe.

Even into his 80s, when he was living alone after my grandmother had died, my grandfather would cook a big pot of stew for himself. It sat permanently on top of the stove, and every day or two he would add some new ingredient to it to mix it up.

 

[TopNotch]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon Previous attitudes to health and safety certainly made life interesting, hey?

Touch Your Toes Day 25
1 Minute Plank Day 25
Glutes of Steel Day 25
1 Minute Yoga Day 25
Easy Core Day 25
Easy Abs Day 25
First Thing Water Day 24
One and Done Day 24
Fit December Day 24
Power Pose Day 14
Bed on Time Day 11
PD - 1 hour 45 minutes

So my first Christmas eve alone for... well, a few years. It was quiet. The soup was excellent, and the turkey roast turned out even better than it had previously (I'd always hated that horrible oven!). I didn't have a rack to put the roast on but I discovered that a couple of egg rings worked just fine. I limited the amount of potato salad I ate because I knew I'd o/d on the turkey. It was good though. Thankfully I only do this once a year! Perhaps the best thing is that I have leftovers for probably the next two days so I don't have to think about what to eat.

Did anyone ever consider that?

The beasties' presents are wrapped and under my tiny tree but they don't seem very excited... I'm excited. I wonder what I gave me this year.

My computer decided to give me a good ol' scare today and not wake up. I left it printing something and when I came back, the printing was done and the computer was black. And didn't want to un-black. Fortunately it finally gave in and came to, and this reminded me to back things up, TN!! So I did. And in the process, found some interesting files of which I had no recollection. One was just a snippet of conversation, short, probably not even 150 words, but oh, I wish I knew what I had intended with that! But everything's backed up now on a stick so if my computer tries again to play silly buggers, well, it won't be such a heart-starter!

Happy Christmas!

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon Previous attitudes to health and safety certainly made life interesting, hey?

It was perfectly safe. And the healthiest way my grandparents could eat on their budget.

It's our modern attitudes that have become daft.

Here in Canada, the costs of both food and housing have jacked up dramatically since the arrival of Covid-19. Most people's income has not kept up accordingly. Plenty of people here have to make choices between purchasing food or paying rent. Plenty of people are relying on food banks. Food banks have experienced empty shelves as a result. Yet if you donate canned goods to a food bank past the "best before" date printed on the cans, the food bank will throw them out. Canned food remains safe and nutritious to eat for years beyond the BB date printed on the can. Yet food banks will not give that food to hungry people.

Where I live currently, I have a grocery store only 400 metres away, and another one almost 2 kilometres away. I do almost all of my shopping at the 2km away store (or at another one that is 4.5 km away). Because the close store is too expensive. One thing the close store is sometimes good for, however, is that they have a kitchen in the store that prepares meals on site. The full price of these meals is too expensive for my budget. (Especially since they tend not to include enough vegetables. So I supplement them with additional veggies that I purchase separately--usually from the farther away stores.) But once these meals reach their "best before" date, the store marks them down to half price.

Last week I purchased from my local store a fajita kit that contained 12 small flatbreads and easily enough seasoned chicken and cheese to overstuff them all. It also contained a tiny amount onions and bell peppers (enough to overstuff 1/3 of the breads), a small container of salsa, and a small container of guacamole. All of this for $10. I did not eat the salsa (it was mild) or guacamole because I prefer hot sauce and fresh avocados (which I have been able to get from the less-expensive grocery stores for a decent price recently) and I supplemented the kit with 2 onions and 2 small bell peppers (both of which I got on sale from the less-expensive stores). But this food made three large meals for me. And I still have the salsa, which I can offer to guests in the future who might prefer mild salsa to the spicier variety I eat. (It's in a factory sealed container. It will keep just fine in my refrigerator for months.) If I had purchased all of the ingredients separately, the chicken and cheese alone would have cost me more than the $10 I paid for the entire kit. So at the discounted price, the kit was a good deal for me. And, although I purchased the kit on its "best before date", I was still eating it a full week later. And the food was still perfectly fine, safe, healthy, and tasty. (Unlike my grandparents, I do have refrigeration.)

Yesterday I went to the nearby grocery store, hoping to score a couple of their marked-down meals. I did not find anything that I wanted, except for one of the fajita kits which had not yet been marked down, even though its printed "best before" date had been the day before. So I took it to the food counter and asked them to mark it down for me.

The person at the counter looked at the product and said, "I cannot mark this down for you. It's expired."

I said, "I know. But that's fine. I'm willing to pay half price for it."

She told me, "I'm not allowed to sell this to you."

"What are you going to do with it?" I asked her.

"It will be scanned as unsold and thrown out," she said.

"How about you scan it and then give it to me," I suggested.

"I cannot do that," she told me.

Perfectly healthy, nutritious, delicious food. That I was willing to pay money for. And the store would rather throw it in the garbage than give it to me. All because of a date they'd printed on the packaging that is largely nonsensical.

That is daft.

 

[TopNotch]

@Laura Rainbow Dragon I hear where you're coming from. Once upon a time, there used to be shops here that sold dented cans or cans that otherwise would not look good on supermarket shelves for significantly lower prices. No longer. Now those same cans appear on supermarket shelves at the same price as the perfect cans. Canned foods have been designed to last for years but we have been conditioned to believe that we have to use them in a short time or else get rid of them. Everything consumable has to have an expiry date - even water! Older stuff can and does lose some of its nutrient content, however, depending on how long it's been sitting around, but generally it hasn't spoilt so long as the can or jar is intact. Tea does eventually go stale - sadly - but it takes some time.
(A few days ago, I saw a bloke taking bags of older salad leaves from the shelves in Aldi. I asked what he was going to do with them all, and he said they'd go to OzHarvest, a food rescue organisation that gives food to charities, so that was good.)
On the other hand, especially given the cost of electricity (Australia, despite all our wonderful resources, has power costs that are so high many industries are discouraged from operating here), the idea of having the stove on all day - not to mention the additional heat this would contribute to the living spaces - is preposterous. Many people, especially elderly who really need it, cannot afford to put the heating on in winter, and in summer, power outages due to excessive energy consumption are not uncommon, especially during heat waves. And in Australia, a little known fact - heat waves are our biggest natural disasters. More people have died during heatwaves than any other modern disaster - fires, floods, whatever. (The number cannot be exact, because heat deaths are calculated by subtracting the 'expected' number of deaths for any period from the actual, and some of those 'expected' could also have been because of the heat.)
One time many years ago when the girls were little, we were down the coast when a heatwave struck - I think it got up to 47 degrees, and we were on the east coast. The coast house didn't have air-conditioning. The old fridge/freezer couldn't cope with it and gave up the ghost. The girls were in heaven because that meant they could eat all the icecreams they wanted - before everything melted!
Cucumber soup, however, has to be kept cold.

 

[Laura Rainbow Dragon]

On the other hand, especially given the cost of electricity (Australia, despite all our wonderful resources, has power costs that are so high many industries are discouraged from operating here), the idea of having the stove on all day - not to mention the additional heat this would contribute to the living spaces - is preposterous.

Oh goodness! The stove doesn't need to be on all day! One simply heats the pot up for dinner, gets the contents boiling for a few minutes to kill off anything that might have been trying to gain a foothold during the past day, and voila! Dinner is served.

Of course my grandparents lived in England when they were younger and then, as seniors, followed us to Canada. So the temperature issues they had to deal with were very different from yours.

Many people, especially elderly who really need it, cannot afford to put the heating on in winter,

Yeah. That's not a thing here. Houses have indoor plumbing. The heats needs to be on in the winter or pipes will freeze and burst. Landlords are required here, by law, to maintain minimum temperatures of 20-21C inside rental housing. (People who own their own homes can potentially run things a little bit cooler. But you wouldn't just not have the heat on. Your home would get destroyed.) There is no similar requirement to maintain cool temperatures during the summer, although there has been some talk that there perhaps should be. Heat events are becoming more common here. And they do kill people. But not to the extent that you have them in Oz. The cold is still a much bigger danger.

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 26
1 Minute Plank Day 26
Glutes of Steel Day 26
1 Minute Yoga Day 26
Easy Core Day 26
Easy Abs Day 26
First Thing Water Day 25
One and Done Day 25
Fit December Day 25
Power Pose Day 15
Bed on Time Day 12
Treadmill walk - 30min/2.7km - with the air-con on and while reading a book.

The neighbours' dogs went off at 5 this morning! Ggrrr.

Creed and Footsy got their presents this morning.

But when Creed decided to get in on the act...

Footprints was not impressed!

 

[MadamMeow]

Such cute Christmas fur babies!

Miyagi sounds the same. He ends up prefering the boxes things come in, than the actual thing inside. lol

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 27
1 Minute Plank Day 27
Glutes of Steel Day 27
1 Minute Yoga Day 27
Easy Core Day 27
Easy Abs Day 27
First Thing Water Day 26
One and Done Day 26
Fit December Day 26
Power Pose Day 16
Bed on Time Day 13
Bicep curls 2 x failure (46, 50) It's funny how when trying to go to failure, I always seem to push out more the second time around. The brain tells the body that it's done enough, that's failure, right? but there's always something more in the tank. The trick is to try to empty that tank. I do better the second time around.
Overhead triceps extensions 2 x failure (35, 40)

Had a forgetful incident this afternoon. Most annoying. One character tells another, "There are two important things you must know," followed by discussion of first important thing. "And the second?" The first character says nothing. The first character can only say nothing because my brain has completely gone on the fritz and I've forgotten what that darned second important thing was! How could my brain do that to me?? It's like a cliff-hanger ending to the last episode of a series and you have to wait for ages until the next series comes out and you find out what that second important thing is. But will I? Or will it be rewritten as, "There's something important you must know"?

 

[Mamatigerj]

I hope you had a Happy Christmas, @TopNotch!

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

LOL for Footsy and Creed! Interactions between cat and dog can be hilarious - we just spent / finish spending a few days with my older bro - and Good Doggo, and Good Doggo's interactions wirth Mademoiselle Luna are just fun to watch! (just not so fun when Luna doesn't feel safe enough to finish her wet food, but we managed around that and re-establish her security).

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 28
1 Minute Plank Day 28
Glutes of Steel Day 28
1 Minute Yoga Day 28
Easy Core Day 28
Easy Abs Day 28
First Thing Water Day 27
One and Done Day 27
Fit December Day 27
Power Pose Day 17
Bed on Time Day 14
DB shoulder press 2 x failure (30, 28)
Lat pull-downs 2 x failure (42, 44)
PD - 1 hour, 25 minutes

Shortly before 4 this morning, I was woken by an enormous clap of thunder right over my head. Not a sharp crack that rattles the windows, but a long loud rumble. Very soon, though, it moved away, rumbling and grumbling as it went. Sheet lightning lit up the sky. And then I heard pitter-patter of rain drops, so I dashed outside and set out a bucket to collect water. I filled three of my five empty water butts and then left the bucket out and went back to bed, peeling off my wet pyjamas and hanging them on the pull-up bar in the bathroom doorway. Hope the lightning didn't spark any more fires and, if it did, that the rain put them out!

Learnt my lesson. When Creed wanted to stay out for a bit this afternoon but I was working in the Pink Room, I set the timer on my watch for 15 minutes. He started making his odd little whiney noises after 14 minutes, so perhaps next time I'll set it just for 10. At least he didn't get forgotten today!

 

[TopNotch]

Touch Your Toes Day 29
1 Minute Plank Day 29
Glutes of Steel Day 29
1 Minute Yoga Day 29
Easy Core Day 29
Easy Abs Day 29
First Thing Water Day 28
One and Done Day 28
Fit December Day 28
Power Pose Day 18
Bed on Time Day 15
PD - 1 hour, 15 minutes

Dogs seem to have reappeared after a (too short) break. Dog on my left barked hysterically which set off the dogs on my right which carried on and on and on in harmony, disharmony, cacophony. Rinse, repeat. Fortunately, Creed doesn't pay them much attention while he's in the house or yard. He's getting better on walks. Hasn't dislocated my shoulder again at all! Still seems timid of cars (except that he's always trying to get into mine when we step out) and a little shy of people though he's very curious. When we start our walks, he's pressed up against my leg until he gains a bit of confidence. Makes it a little difficult to move. Besides, I thought he was supposed to protect me!

 

[Fremen]

Besides, I thought he was supposed to protect me!

Works in progress

 

[TopNotch]

First Thing Water Day 29
One and Done Day 29
Fit December Day 29
Power Pose Day 19
Bed on Time Day 16
PD - 1 hour, 15 minutes

Today I moved the treadle sewing machine from my dining room into the shed. Every time I move one of these things, I think how strong women used to have to be. That does not mean that women now are not strong, but that women then certainly had to be! I removed the head (the actual sewing machine) from the cabinet, and that thing weighs 11.5kg alone, and any time a woman wanted to do her sewing, she'd have to haul this thing up, lifting it away from her, rotating it on its holding pins at the back, and then setting it down in place.

Do that a couple of times each hand and I reckon you're done for the day!

The cabinet with the treadle is more unwieldy than heavy (though with a cast iron treadle in it, it's also heavy) because, well - square boxlike cabinet with no hand-holds! Fortunately it has little iron wheels which, though aren't great, are better than nothing. So that's neatly away in the shed and I daresay eventually the others will come from the Other House and join in. In its place now, I've tucked the elliptical and the bike which makes things a little neater in the dining room. I look at all the things I have to put in their proper places and I reckon if I take one thing a day and put it where it belongs, I should be done by, oh... 2028! Today I hung the whiteboard in the study so that's one thing.

 

[Mamatigerj]

You're sneaky, but i think congratulations are due you for completing:
Touch Your Toes, 1 Minute Plank, Glutes of Steel, 1 Minute Yoga, Easy Core, and Easy Abs?

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

oooh, love those old machines! They just look so solemn and sturdy...

 

[TopNotch]

oooh, love those old machines! They just look so solemn and sturdy...

I have a couple that are downright beautiful.
Did you know, my little Wolfie, that these old machines were made so that the purchaser would be able to fix them if anything went wrong? That's why it's easy for someone like me to restore them to working order. Imagine doing that with a modern sewing-machine!

 

[TopNotch]

Ah, @Mamatigerj Thank you, but there's no proof I finished them!

Fit December Day 30 - I felt like I should have been bringing planes in to land today!
Power Pose Day 20
Bed on Time Day 17
Multiplank Day 1 - because, well, planks...
Jump-rope Day 1 - actually, I don't jump rope very well (the lower back isn't fond), so I'm just going to be bouncing on my rebounder through this challenge. Maybe skip on the rebounder sometimes...?
Walkabout Day 1 - been a bit slack with that old step count. Comes from living now in a smaller house, I guess.
Wall-Sit Day 1
Ninja Day 1 - yep, another challenge from which I had to uncross the days. It's been a while, and I like the variety in this challenge.

I didn't have a great night last night. I mean, parts were fine, but there were parts that weren't. So I was woken up and it took me a bit to realise exactly why I was awake - because sometimes things morph into dreams. And then I became aware and then after a bit, I was fine but awake. And it was only 3 o'clock (why is it always around that time?). So I started thinking about other things which was a mistake because I came up with a great bit of dialogue that I had to focus on so I wouldn't forget it before I could get it written down. And then I was asleep again with the dog snoring in the corner and the cat taking up the bottom half of the bed. And yes, I did get that piece of dialogue written and I still think it's pretty good.

Saw that Duolingo (among many changes, a few of them I don't like) has more options for avatars, so I dressed myself for summer.

 

[PetiteSheWolf]

I have a couple that are downright beautiful.
Did you know, my little Wolfie, that these old machines were made so that the purchaser would be able to fix them if anything went wrong? That's why it's easy for someone like me to restore them to working order. Imagine doing that with a modern sewing-machine!

Very cool! I learned something today, thank you Aussie Ranger!

 

[TopNotch]

Power Pose Day 21
Bed on Time Day 18
Multiplank Day 2
Jump-rope Day 2
Walkabout Day 2
Wall-Sit Day 2
Ninja Day 2

So, it's going to be next year in less than 90 minutes. Time for a round-up of this year.
Not the greatest year for me. Let's see what happened:

• I weighed and measured today and I've gained 3.4kg since April (the last time I weighed and measured). Now, I know why, of course.
• My activity level has really dropped. Starting off the year with a broken foot meant that I didn't do any of the hiking that I usually like to do around that time of year - in the afternoon/early evening, of course! Then I wasn't able to return to Taekwondo due to, you know, broken foot and then rehab. So the first term went by with my starting to walk normally again and s-l-o-w-l-y getting back into a bit of running and longer hikes. I didn't go back in term two because there was a lot of domestic disruption, and by the time term three came around, I was going on a Road Trip. Did a lot of driving around on this Road Trip (as you might imagine) and that was great but as I was with my mum and she wasn't up for much, I didn't do so much either. But seeing the whales was magical.
• Then I moved in August, spent a lot of time and energy shunting stuff around and painting.
• And I'm further away from the club's new permanent premises, I'd be spending as much time on the road as I would be training and that just doesn't make sense.
• I'm also much further away from the archery range, so I haven't been shooting either.
• Additionally, all the stress had increased my blood pressure to what was to me, scary heights - though my GP wasn't overly concerned and put me on a very low dose. Anyway, that (rightly or wrongly, I dunno) further reduced my activity as I was concerned every time my HR went up (even though I know it's not connected to BP).
• Then, just because I obviously didn't have enough bothering me, I trialled some medication to help me with my other issue. I was told that it had to build up in my system for about a fortnight before it could be of any benefit, but after about 10 days, I'd had enough of the side-effect (some of which would probably stick around for as long as I was on the drug), so I stopped it. And then 'enjoyed' about a fortnight of withdrawal! Another not so great time, but at least I knew that it wouldn't be permanent, though I must confess that I was a little concerned that I had screwed things up in some way and perhaps they would never get back to how they were (fortunately things did).

Consequently, not the greatest healthwise and you can understand the weight gain.

On the upside (because you can always find an upside, right?):

• My BP is now well under control - today's reading were 100/65 then 100/60. So long as it doesn't go below 60, I'm good.
• My house is painted and I like it.
• I've got a dog. Okay, we're still working on the whole walking-on-a-leash thing but I'm pretty sure I'll get it one day!
• I've got two of my chickens.
• My foot totally recovered from the break (there was a 30% chance it would need further intervention).
• I've got a piano and I've started playing again.
• It's very easy to cook in a kitchen that's right there, that you don't have to go outside and downstairs to access. (Now I just have to do the cooking bit.)
• I've maintained my Duolingo streak.
• I've read 237 books this year and some of them were non-fiction. (Must have gone on a binge in February when I read 41 books!) Some books I started were total dross and I dumped them. There is one (non-fiction) book that I started that isn't dross but I realised that I have absolutely no interest in the subject, not matter how worthy, and so I'm going to stop reading that one too.
• My writing is going well, and I only get interrupted by an impatient cat if I'm late with dinner. Or by a dog who humphs and whine at the doorway because he can't get in to me - which is disturbing in its own way.

So some negative, but I think there are way more positives. Aims for the coming year? Right now I don't have any big ones (except for a work-related one that I'm not going to share here).

• I want to drop that surplus 3.4kg and get into a better eating habit. I got out of it years ago, and then when I began managing my own meals again, it was inconvenient (to say the least) and my diet was not very good. Now I had absolutely no excuse and the only reason is laziness or apathy.
• What with many of the programmes having been rejigged in some way, I want to redo them, and most recently I was reminded of Zero Hero which I had enjoyed first time around so... There again, that new programme, Total Body Strength looks interesting. Or Power Builder. And Ronin's Blade is so definitely on the list (where's my bokken?). Hmm...
• With my little treadmill/walking pad, it's easy to walk and read, or walk while watching the teev so I'll make sure to get my steps in, and the Walkabout challenge is encouraging the (re-)start of that habit.
• I want to get another room built onto my house, and get a water tank, and a cantilevered carport - but that'll all take some time; no rush, but within the next year.
• Perhaps the only timed aim I have is to get Creed and me leash-walking well enough to be able to have him accompany my mum and me when she comes down in late March for the two-day walk. She's thinking it'll be the last one she does as it's just getting too expensive.

So that's about it. Previously I've wanted to improve things like my splits or my side kicks, my running or my push-ups, and sure, I'd still like to do all that but there is no longer that same drive - or perhaps I mean, feeling of haste. Now that there is nothing compelling me to do these things (as in, I'm not doing formal training), I don't feel the need to rush and I feel that I can take my time to achieve these aims. By this I don't mean that I'll allow myself to slack off, but more that I'll listen more carefully to what my body is telling me and react to that, rather than tell my body what I want and get disappointed when I don't achieve it in short order. Some progressions are just too fast for me and I'm going to accept that, not berate myself, just recognise that I, in this instance, need a little more time and I'm going to give myself that time. Not forever, there has to be some sort of time-frame, but a little more time.

It's almost 11:30 now. Someone prematurely set off fireworks about half an hour ago - maybe they wanted to get to bed early. But if I'm going to keep to the GTBOT challenge, I'd better shift now.