Thoughts and ramblings of just another girl

Projects

2007-04-16T16:27:00.000+10:00

Well, it's post festi, so it's time to revitalize the projects blog.

The first project? Well, now that I have an entire norse wardrobe, I'm moving to Tudor.

It makes perfect sense to me.

The 14th C Italian is coming, I swear.

Until then?

I'm going to attempt to make this.

Luckily I have some help, in the form of MissD.

Now, to get it done for baronial invest.

In June.

Totally feasible, right?

Mostly for my own reference

2006-10-25T11:00:00.000+10:00

Canadians leave heavy ecological footprint: WWF

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2006/10/24/wwf.html

A new report by conservationists says Canadians rank fourth in the world in their consumption of the Earth's resources.

The World Wide Fund for Nature report on the state of the natural world measures the environmental impact or "ecological footprint" left by 150 countries.

The footprint of a country includes all the crop land, grazing land, forest and fishing grounds needed to produce the food, fibre and timber it consumes, to absorb the wastes in generating the energy it uses, and to provide space for its infrastructure.

The group says humans are stripping the Earth of its resources faster than at any other time in history and that we will need two planets' worth of natural resources by the middle of this century to support it if current trends continue.

WWF names the United Arab Emirates, the United States, Finland and Canada as the worst offenders, followed by Kuwait, Australia, Estonia, Sweden, New Zealand and Norway.

It says the carbon dioxide footprint, from the use of fossil fuels, was the fastest growing component of our global ecological footprint, increasing more than nine fold from 1961 to 2003.

'Dire consequences'

The report, released in Beijing on Tuesday, also says the number of species has declined significantly between 1970 and 2003. Land-based species declined by 31 per cent, freshwater species by 28 per cent, and marine species by 27 per cent.

"We are in serious ecological overshoot, consuming resources faster than the Earth can replace them," James Leape, the director general of WWF International, said in a news release. "The consequences of this are predictable and dire."

"It is time to make some vital choices," he added. "Change that improves living standards while reducing our impact on the natural world will not be easy. The cities, power plants and homes we build today will either lock society into damaging over-consumption beyond our lifetimes, or begin to propel this and future generations towards sustainable living."

The report singles out China for its potential to make a difference.

The country comes mid-way in world rankings, at No. 69, but its growing economy and rapid development mean it has a key role in keeping the world on the path to sustainability.

Leape told Reuters that China, home to a fifth of the world's population, was making the right move in pledging to reduce its energy consumption by 20 per cent over the next five years.

"Much will depend on the decisions made by China, India and other rapidly developing countries," he said.

To do list, nothing to see here

2006-10-20T09:34:00.000+10:00

Rental inspection next week, and a heap of things to do around the house, plus a few projects I want to work on, so a to do list seems like a good idea. This is really for my own reference.

House
~Weeds at side of house
~Front flower bed, clean out
~Weeds at back of house
~Vacuum
~Mop kitchen and bathroom
~Clean bathroom
~Clean bedroom
~put up curtain in lounge room
~hang mirror in bedroom
~Sewing room- Keep up with transformation
~laundry

Books
~Pull RABCK books, address and stuff envies
~Label books for release saturday
~Free release pile of books on saturday

Sewing
~Pattern Hose
~Work on felling hood seams
~Bring material in to be washed
~Catalogue material

Other stuff
~See about donations for brunch
~Start putting together baskets for brunch
~Sewing with Miss D?
~Hanging out with Kazzia?

Why hello again!

2006-10-10T17:09:00.000+10:00

Look, my blog is still here! Imagine that!

Well, work has been quiet for the first time today, and I after a bit of hectic lifeness and sick that I'm finally over, I feel that it's truly time to start building my 14th century wardrobe. First a few other things to finish...

1)Athol's other tunics. Really, about 30 minutes of machine sewing when I get the correct colour thread
2)My Bliaut and Chemise. About one night's work, maybe 1.5
3)German Dress. An ongoing project. Will also include shift, shoes and hat, but it's one of those things I want done for Yule, so really there's only two immediate things.

Oh, and then the organisation of the house/sewing room, but that also eludes me sometimes.

So, the 14th century wardrobe as I see it developing, considering the amount of fabric I currently own, it shouldn't require buying any new stuff, for a bit. (oh, how it hurts to say that)

Black wool underdress, and black linen underdress. Summer/winter thing here.
Green linen overdress, short sleeved, with tippets AND FICHETS! (there are nowhere near enough dresses with fichets around)
Blue short sleeved overdress with tippets and funny headdress (think duc de berry)
shifts x2
hose
shoes
surcote of some sort
Headress that isn't simply some veil/wimple combo
New girdle, and a pomander

Then, I have some burgundy wool I'd love to make a square necked more italian looking cote with. And I really want to make to make one of these, as I just love them.

So, I think that's a good start, and should keep me busy for a few months.

Keeping in mind I have a great dream of making this cool hoopy later italian dress too, and an early period surcote, more 13th century with dress... I'm a busy girl.

So, thoughts, comments, opinions?

Off and Away!

2006-08-10T11:07:00.000+10:00

YAY! It's finally time. Time to fly home, and then, go to Pennsic! YAY!

/cheering

Kay, i'm all better now. See you when I get back. :)

Yikes i've been getting up to a lot

2006-08-03T09:45:00.000+10:00

It's amazing sometimes, when I really stop and think about just how much i've done in the past few months, well, since February.

1) Wedding outfits. These were a combined effort, the lovely Anna did a lot of the sewing with me, and Sandra made my bodice/corset. Still, a lot of work

2) Garb to make it through festival. Note that festival was 2 weeks after my wedding, so I was trying to do these things at the same time. Then my sewing machine broke. So I spent a very long night (the first of may nights actually) at Miss D's using her machine. Hence, a friendship started to really happen :)

3) Running the gate at festival. What the heck was I thinking when I volunteered for this? Did I mention the two weeks after the wedding bit? Still, it was great. I met heaps of people, and got much more involved then I ever was before. Honestly, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't have spent so much time with the Atticans, gotten to be friends with Kazzia, and I wouldn't now be Mr B's protegee. So again, a good thing.

4) The re-starting of pewter casting. A slow process to be sure, but an ongoing one. Doing something other then costuming was also v.good.

5) Even more costuming. Early Italian I'm not entirely happy with (you'll begin to see this being a common theme. I need to teach myself to slow down and take my time, and do things properly, something i'm learning, again, slowly), almost 2 sets of Roman, another cotehardie (again, not entirely happy with it), Norse, the beginnings of a German dress, and more stuff in the planned stages. I'm learning things though, and that's much with the good.

6) Open House party where I cooked for two days for far too many people. But it was great fun. Honest. It really was, I love that sort of thing.

7) My first experience with leatherworking, a pair of Roman Calcei. Which are now done. And which I must get photos of.

8) Pewter casting class at cold war. I love teaching, I just wish I had a bit more confidence in things, but the teaching helps develop that. Oh, and part 1 of a cotehardie making class for the Ursulans, the second part which will be went through at Bunch o' Classes. PLUS more experiments in casting, which worked much better this time

9) A development of a like of handsewing (see above and the costuming). Plus, now I know how to make buttons! And I have made lots and lots of buttons. Not nearly as many button holes, Miss D has done those after my disasterous experience with lacing holes on the front of the cote.

10) Beadwork! Something i've never done, actually, correct, I've only done abysmally before this. Firstly for Miss D on her headpiece for step down, and now for a couple things for the Roman, a headpiece, and little bead and metal clips for the shoulders, of um, I think it's called a stola...

11) Organising bunch o'classes, and trying to get as much of it as possible set down in stone before I head off to Pennsic and Canada in two weeks. This is an ongoing thing.

Still, I'm always happiest when busy. I love being creative and doing and making things as well. So it's been a busy busy while recently, but a good busy past while. Also, all of this couldn't have been done without a lot of help from a lot of people. I have such lovely friends.

Productivity!

2006-07-30T17:08:00.000+10:00

It just rocks. And I've been a very productive girl as of late. So here we have photos. Because everyone likes photos.
First we're starting with the beaded headpiece I've made to go with my Roman stuff. Based off Art's and Tyg's, I'm rather impressed at how well it turned out, because beads tend to not like me much.

Then we're on to the calcei, which are the cool Roman shoes they've found with little cutouts all around them. Mr B came up today and gave me a massive amount of help on these. Not only that, I got to spend the day hanging out with my favourite Pelican. Okay, I might be biased on that one just a wee bit. So we start with the basic shoe shape cut out of leather. Then we move onto the shoes with some holes punched (and me punching them), then B adding soles, and finally the shoes, about 1/2 done, if not 2/3....

I'm really impressed how well these are turning out, and how good they are looking, even if there were a few small errors on my part. Again, couldn't have been done without Art and Blayney's help.

Of course, I can't always make the photos go where I want them!

And, of course, there then was a bit of pewter casting, as one has to do. I attempted to recast my original pelican token that I made for B, this time with a loop on the top, and a different carving, a bit deeper overall. It worked out much better then the original one did, I'll have to clean them up and see how they go, but it should be really good. The first photo is of course me in my swish pewter casting setup. Aka, my kitchen. I know, you're awuflly jealous, aren't you?

So, that's part of my creativity for the last little while. Soon I'll get pictures of all the garb of been working on as well. You know, if I could keep this sort of pace up, i'd be a creating machine. But it's unlikely to happen really.

Friend quiz answers

2006-07-29T16:43:00.000+10:00

So, here's the breakdown of the friends quiz. Correct answers bolded in red!

Question #1

How tall is Denise?

5\'7\"

5\'8\"

5\'9\"

5\'10

Question #2

How many siblings does Denise have

None!

Do they count if she\'s adopted?

Question #3

Where was she born

Toronto

Niagara Falls

Ulan Bator

St Catharines

Question #4

What did she study at school

Linguistics and operations management

accounting and operations management

linguistics and history

accounting and history

Question #5

What is her favourite movie?

So I Married and Axe Murderer

Clue

Star Wars

Clerks

Question #6

What is her natural hair colour

blonde

black

brown

red

Question #7

How old is Denise?

Question #8

Where has she NOT lived

Canada

Australia

England

United States

Question #9

What is her middle name?

Genvieve

Suzanne

Margarete

Therese

Question #10

What is her SCA name?

Kateryna Batyne

Katje

Katherine Bouland

Kateryna Bouland de Lancastre

It's interesting sometimes how things develop

2006-07-26T11:40:00.000+10:00

In this case, it's interesting to me that the more I start to wander in the SCA, mainly in costuming from other eras, the more I really start to appreciate the 14th century again. Don't get me wrong, I'm in the process of making some really cool stuff right now, and likely won't ever stop the making of it, or the desire to wander through time with my wardrobe. But more and more recently I've found myself really drawn back to the 13 and early 1400's. There's still so much diversity in that period, so much I haven't figured out, so much to look into and try to discover for myself, so much other people have gone through, and knowledge to assimilate with what I already know.

I didn't really realise until now that it took me a while to get back into the swing of things when I started in the SCA here. I'd just had almost 5 years off back home, so I was trying to get used to being back, plus being in a different kingdom, where things just aren't the same (and not good or bad necessarily, but just different). Having comments like "Oh, so you do 14th century, you mean for camping?" directed at me at my first event here didn't help. I'm a naturally insecure person, so I found myself slightly off kilter, and completely without focus.

A few things helped with that. Some lovely friends, getting protegeed to Blayney was a big one, and realising that while I may suck at some things, i'm not actually bad at the whole costuming thing, I'm just out of practise.

So here I am, coming full circle. Suddenly a renewed desire to DO STUFF (cause really, like I don't do enough stuff already), but namely, to do the thing that I've always loved and enjoyed, to get back into the researching and making of things of that funny little time period I really do adore.

Happy post

2006-07-24T12:34:00.000+10:00

Today is one of those days when I'm completely unispired to do actual work. Too bad there's a massive pile sitting here beside me, and we have the APJ and the EMEA VPs here.

Instead I thought I'd reflect again on positive things, something I'm carrying over from my lj. Namely, how much my friends rock.

1) Saturday my house was filled with people I really like, from work, sca-friends and non-sca friends. There was much fun, chatting, food, people brought us things, and I think people generaly had a good time. Now, while I normally try and keep gatherings at my place a wee bit smaller (say 10-12 people, not 30) I love having all my friends around me. They're such brilliant, interesting and good people, that it makes me feel great just to be associated with them.

2) The making stuff brigade. Pennsic is coming up, and Miss D is really bending over backwards to help me with things. Yesterday I popped by Kazzia's and now I am the proud owner of Norse garb (we need racing stripes still, but it's almost there). Art has helped me with shoes and Roman, B just makes me all sorts of useful things, especially pewter casting related, and my non-sca friend Anna made me the greatest reproduction Italian necklace ever. What I like more is that these people all just seem willing to help, and more importantly to TEACH me how to do these things myself (well, except for buttonholes, I KNOW how to make those, I just hate it. Greatly) so next time, when I'm not on the crazy pre-Pennsic rush, I can do this sort of thing myself. It's nice to have people around you who are so willing to help, and it's also a brilliant thing to have people around you who are willing to show and teach.

3) Heck, I think I'll stop at two. I'm pretty okay with the two I have up here.

Next post will be some in process projects. I feel the need t whip out the camera and document where I am with various things.

You know, I'm not actually perfect...

2006-07-20T22:51:00.000+10:00

...I know, it's hard for me to believe too, but it's true.

I handed over what is really the most dreadful frock in the world for Miss D* to make buttonholes for. I think after Pennsic I shall make a red surcote, almost cyclas style, and it shall be worn over said cote so no one ever sees the front. And the rest, well, it's been a long time since I've done serious sewing, that's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it. Actually, the fact that I taught myself how to sew likely doesn't help much either. And that usually I've always done everything on my own, from patterning to fitting. Having help of knowledgeable people is lovely and wonderful. I highly recommend it.

Also, I may in fact have less patience than I should with some people. Luckily others (read: Miss D again) notice this, and we all (the two of us plus A & K) escaped and went for a mid summer hill break of koftas and chinese greens and tea. My tummy even survived me eating one whole kofta! YAY!

But, Roman bootie, half cut out, 7 white buttons made for said abominable cote, and some stuff talked about for Bunch o' Classes. This is all good. Plus, the lovely Miss D is also going to help with German frock. Suddenly having everything done for Pennsic seems manageable.

Now, comes to the cooking for the party Saturday. Tomorrow night, everything baked, and the dip like things. Saturday, the meat stuff and quiches and veggie chopping. See, I make reasonable schedules for myself, honest!

*Thereby ensuring that, in fact, the gimp did not 'get it'

ONLY 3 WEEKS...

2006-07-20T12:04:00.000+10:00

Then I'll be at Penssic

Garg!

This has made me realise that I need to focus.

First, Pennsic will be hot. So I need to finish my roman. That involves sewing shoulders together of undertunic thing, hemming overtunic, getting long drapey thing worked out, and shoes. Oh, and looking really cute and seeing if Art will let me borrow accessories :) (and hope she's not horrified by my knowledge of the names of the garb. Stolas, and um... things...)

Secondly, I need chemises. Sunday I will go out and get material for these, and make two new shifts.

Thirdly, buttons for cote. Will finish these whilst D of the greatness works on buttonholes.

Fourthly, sleeves for the german. Need to pattern (HELP! HELP!) and then make. This is truly the biggest challenge.

Fifthly, I wish I knew someone my size with viking. If opening court is going ot be on when I'm there, and I am a lady in waiting, I feel like I should do this. No viking. Maybe I have time for that too?

GARG! I AM INSANE!

Who wants to see me implode over the next three weeks? YAY!

Kay, the priorities are One through Four. I can DO THIS.

*thinks positive*

Miss D, Want to help with German sleeves too??

Well then...

2006-07-15T09:33:00.000+10:00

This seems to be the week where nothing really worked out like it was supposed to. Starting with the back. Finally made it to physio on Friday, after a week of more or less constant pain. Unfortunately work being insanely busy didn't make getting there any easier. Oh wait, but the one day work wasn't busy? There was the Red Wine Incident. Sigh.

Still, as sitting up and/or lying down has been causing pain this week, I didn't get anything done around the house, either sewing or cleaning wise. And today I just can't be bothered. I blame the rain.

So instead of being productive, Blayney and Art are on their way up, and we're going shopping! YAY! That's productive of a sort, isn't it?

Why do I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be filled with me cleaning my house like a manic rabbit, trying to get it ready for next weekend? And let's not even talk about being behind on the sewing. I need to keep reminding myself I'll only be at Pennsic for 4.5 days. This isn't long enough to need an entire wardrobe. But I WANT one.

Kay, now back to your regularaly scheduled programming as I go off and do funny stretches.

Projects updated

2006-07-04T14:04:00.000+10:00

There are days when I hate my job. Today is one of them. Too much work that needs to be done, all of it rather banal and annoying. So instead I'm updating all of my various blogs! As one does.

In process project update~

1. Pewter token for Blayney. DONE! YAY! Of course, now I want to try and make a better one, with my other mold, and that will be the one that Hrothgar gets as well. In fact, i've made an lj entry about it all with photos here http://deense.livejournal.com/551845.html

2. Purple German dress~ Black edging on all around the neck. In the process of binding seams (one down, two to go, I used the selvage for one seam). Next are the sleeves and the hem. Sleeves I'm not looking forward to, but D has offered to help. YAY! Then underdress. Hrm. Must finish before Pennsic.

3. Black & White Cote~ Has completely stalled. Have to do white buttons for the white sleeve i've decided, i'll work on those on Thursday night, and on the train to the gong this weekend. Must still fell or bind seams, and do hem, and D has offered to do sleeve buttonholes for me. Thank the gods. How do I find such cool friends?

4. Tunic/Pants for Athol. Half done, need hemming and finishing. Should get that finished Saturday morning.

Future Projects

1. Going to look at stuff at Art's this weekend, maybe get a start on it.

2. Tablet weaving, K& G have extra loom they can lend me! YAY!

3. Green cote & Black kirtle~ Post pennsic project

4. Shoes~ Post pennsic project

5. Red & Gold silk bliaut~ Will start work on this soon, along with a new linen underdress. Another must be finished before pennsic project.

6. Armour. Alfar is getting leather for this. Will do patterning before pennsic, hopefully soon, but real work won't start til after pennsic. Should do gambeson though, and soon. Argh. At some point.

Wow. When do I have time to fit in a life? Yet somehow I manage.

Reviewing my goals

2006-06-30T13:20:00.000+10:00

It's funny, I find myself uysing this as a combination for setting goals, a bit of venting and rambling, but a lot of sorting things out in my mind. Which is good, makes it very different from my other one, which is largely a 'what i've been up to' sort of thing.

1. Stretching. I've been really successful on this one. Have my outlook alarm set in my diary for twice a day during the week, and 5 minute simple routine I do. Already noticing a difference. Plus steching at gym. I'd like to work it into my evening/morning routine as well.

2. Physio. Not yet. I haven't actually been having any knee problems yet, and the personal traininer i've ust seen has given me a few stretches to address the tightness in my back/slouching, so we'll go with that for now and see how it develops

3. Gym. I joined 2 weeks ago, and I've been going 4-5 times a week. Plus there's a lovely one in rockdale with a pool I try and get to on weekends. Started seeing a personal trainer, and when the pre-paid sessions are up I'll likely get another set.

4. Running. Not yet. Must start.

5. Smoking. Almost 6 weeks!!

6. Caffiene. Okay, so this has been crap. I've generally limited myself to one coffee a day, and one cola beverage, but I fail spectacularly about 2 days a week. On the flip side, my water intake is way up.

7. Diet. Slightly better. Started bringing more lunches, and still making lots of food at home, but not always the right things. Snacking on fruit gets my sweet tooth really successfully. Contemplating doing the weight watchers things again.

And now a new one

8. Working on things with J. There's been a lot of upheaval in my life ver the past year, causeing some crazy, expecially with the trip home, being an anxious mess when I got back, things are very much at a comfortable, but not great place. I've finally gotten myself back to a place mentally where I can put the effort into this that I need to, and that's a good thing. They aren't bad, but they aren't good either, and neither of us are making an effort right now, and that has to change, or we'll simply pull further apart into our own interests and things, something I trtuly do not want to see happen.

Some days

2006-06-29T10:10:00.000+10:00

I really want to kill the people I work with/around. Simple concepts, like getting training requests, roster changes, time&materials billables in on time eludes the majority of the people on my team, making me feel like a glorified babysitter rather then an Operations Co-ordinator. Add to this the fact that I get the strangest phone calls from engineers at the oddest hours, and it puts me in a good mood some days.

Thank the gods I'm working from home today. Already i've dealt with so-called crises from three of the engineers, and if they had come to my desk to tell me these things, I likely would have strangled them. Though that might be the lack of coffee...

As much as at moments like this I want to throw my hands up and say 'Engineers!!!*' and write it off to that, I know that it isn't why these guys are like that. They're like that becuase they've never had to not be. In the end it comes down to one thing, taking responsibility for yourself, and your own actions, in all that you do, whether it be work, regular life, etc. It's something that seems to elude more and more people these days, as we seem to have set up almost safety nets that allow people to not take any responsibility for themselves, and as a society, I think we tend to pat them on the back and tell them that it's okay when we don't. It's something that I so my best to recognise and avoid in my own life, and it frustrates me when I see it in my friends, though, I will find myself saying things to friends. When I see it in coworkers and in management, who's whole job is to deal with these small details, and to ensure that the people under them are perrforming what are required duties , it absolutely infuriates me. In fact, after a few nice nudges, I have a tendency to turn into psycho hose beast from the nth dimension. All in a very quiet calm and rational way, which, knowing me and my temper, is actually much scarier to deal with.

*Three of my very best friends are engineers. None of them have this horrible habit. Therby dispproving my otherwise attractive thesis that it is simply like this because they are engineers. A much more convenient way of putting it, but not very accurate.

The pain I put myself through

2006-06-28T16:45:00.000+10:00

I had my first appointment with a personal trainer today. I now remember why I hated my old personal trainer. They make you do the things that hurt, and between sessions, you need to do more of the work that hurts so the very cute but shockingly stern boy standing over you doesn't laugh you out of the gym.

It's a good way to go really, it is a unique form of motivation, and really, it's rather pleasant, and eye-candy filled, but have I mentioned that gods I HURT???

That is all.

Projects

2006-06-21T12:25:00.000+10:00

Sometimes I need to outline these as well, otherwise I tend to get a little lost with them. All long term, and more for my own reference then anything.

In-Progress Projects
1) Pewter token. I finally got the files I need, which is good. However, I want to try recasting the other token if I put a little loop at the top. That's something that is likely going to have to get put off til next week at the earliest.

2) German Keyhole Dress. 1/4 - 1/3 done. Progressing well. At this rate will definitely be done for the trip home. However, the underdress, headwear, and shoes need to get done too. Garg. I think I'll work on the underdress, and leave the rest til after Pennsic, but it's the goal outfit for the comp in November.

3) Black and white kirtle/cote. Need to fell the seams, put buttons on other sleeve, do buttonloops and hem. Should also be finished for trip home. Would like to make surcote for it too, but not a priority. Hood though. A hood would be good. And fairly fast.

4) Tunic/Pants for Athol. Now, the tunic that is already cut looks just massive. Pants cut, need to sew. Will work on that next week. Then have to figure out what to do with the other material he gave me. Why is boy garb easier then girl garb?

Things I want to do/start in no particular order
1) Roman. No idea what this involves, or anything, but it's up there.

2) Shoes. I want to make shoes. 2 pairs actually, one to go with the late period stuff (like the german) and a 14th century pair.

3) Tablet weaving. Need to learn this to be able to properly finish German underdress and headpiece. Or inkle weaving. Or something.

4) Green cotehardie with black kirtle

5) Burgundy and Gold Silk Bliaut

6) Armour. As much as I want to before though, it isn't going to start til after Pennsic, the next month and a half have to be focussed on garb and getting other stuff ready.

It's a good thing I've been spending about 2 nights a week at home watching dvds/strange geeky tv shows and sewing. I think I need to keep this habit up.

It seemed like a good idea at the time

2006-06-19T14:32:00.000+10:00

Picture it

Saturday night, 7 of us gathered at a girlfriend's house, it having been far too long since the girls hung out together. Since my hen's night in fact. Amazing food, lots of wine, really stupid photographs, and then, the brilliant idea hit me.

I'd have a cigarette.

Never mind that it had been four weeks almost since my last one, it was a flash of genius. One cigarette wouldn't make me a smoker again, I could pick it up then walk away again, strong like bull, all of that crap.

Nicking one from a friend, I sat for a moment before I lit up, enjoying it. I've alwyas liked smoking, that's half of my problem. I lit up. I took a drag. Then another. And one more.

Then it happened. It hit me. The undeniable fact of the matter. No matter how much wine I might have had, cigarettes are gross. Revolting even. What the hell was I doing? What had I been thinking for the past 17 years of my life as I happily puffed away?

Apparently I hadn't.

Quickly I butted it out, chagrined, embarassed almost. Maybe it was a necessary experience, to further drum it into my thick Canadian skull that smoking is bad, and gross, and not something I should be doing.

Getting sorted out

2006-06-14T10:24:00.000+10:00

Really, it's about that time. Time to realise that while I've made a few good starts lately, I need to actually outline some goals for myself for the next while. Without that I'll get lax and let things slide. So I decided to use this blog for that purpose.

1. Stretching. Especially during the day. a) I have horrid posture and b) I have a lot of tension in my neck/back caused by the joys of working on a computer all day long. I've re-entered my twice daily stretch reminders into my outlook calender to flash at me all day, and I must do more at home as well, going back to the stretches from physio.

2. Physio. See above. Also note knees from hell(tm) due to my many years of rugby. I haven't been in far to long so I need to find myself a physiotherapist and go, especially I find as I exercise more i'm getting twinges in my better left knee. This = bad. One of the things I do really enjoy is running, and until I get back into physio, building up to any sort of long distance running just won't work.

3. Gym. I need to buckle under and join a gym. I used to go daily, and it's one of those things I actually enjoy. I like getting up early and going, I like going on lunch. Made an appointment to go see the people at fitness first tomorrow. There are two in North Sydney, and one near Broadway, so this is good.

4. Running. I'd like to eventually work myself back up to half marathon levels. 22k by about Christmas. It's a very long slope to work up, but if I schedule it in, and do the other things leading up to this point, then in a month or month and a half I should be able to start training three times a week. I'm giving myself a goal date for the end of July for starting that, but I'm determined to get out on weekends and go for a run. It'll be slow to start but it's worth it.

5. Smoking. I've quit. It's been 3 weeks and 2 days. Now lets keep it that way.

6. Caffiene. Need to cut down my intake. Back to limiting myself to one coffee and one cola like bevvie per day. Or two coffees, or... You get the idea. Replace coffee and diet coke intake with water.

7. Diet. Mainly, just pay attention to what I'm eating. I know better, I've had years of experience with this. Cook for myself, bring my lunches, increase fresh food content, decrease pre-prepared foods. SImple changes that can make a whole lot of difference.

I think 7 points are enough for now. More then that and I bear getting overwhelmed. Of course, these are simply the fitness based goals, the rest of the goals to follow later.

One year later and here I am still

2006-05-30T17:06:00.000+10:00

Funny. I started this almost exactly a year ago, and used it all of once. I'd almost completely forgotten about it, and really, I'm not actually sure I have that much to say still.

I'm sure I'll think of soemthing.

2005-05-28T05:26:00.000+10:00

Hrm....

I'm not sure about this. But we'll see.