I'm still hanging in there, trying to do better and get back on track... It's hard. However, I have something that's REALLY motivating me!!!! Want to see?
Have a look here!
Yep, that's right. I have a new blog! YAY! Thanks to The Blog Fairy, all my blog wishes came true!
This is a new start for me. Hope to see you there! :)
Erm... that loss I was talking about in my last post? It's gone. Well, almost. I weighed in this morning and had a gain of + 1.3 kg /2.9 lbs... UGH!
I knew it was coming though... it wasn't totally out of the blue. My favourite cousin had his housewarming party on Saturday and there was a lot of food... and I tried it all. And then I went back for seconds. And because there was so much leftovers (especially bread and meat and cheese), some of us went back on Sunday morning for a big brunch... Um, yeah. My weekend was literally filled with food. And so was I.
So. Today is the beginning of a new week. A fresh start again. My tracker is printed and I'm ready to do better!
I've got lots of ideas and big plans and SO much to tell you all... Unfortunately I don't have much time right now or else I'm running late for work, but I'll be back tonight. Stay tuned for some big news! ;)
Have a good day!
Oh boy, this week has me busy busy busy again... I'm actually sitting in bed right now with the laptop on my knees, totally ready to hit the hay! But I really wanted to check in real quick and let you know how I'm doing and hopefully I'll be able to read at least a few of your blogs before I fall asleep... In order to keep things sweet and short, I'll just do a bullet style post for today.
-- I totally HAVE to tell you about my weigh-in on Monday! Wait for it... I had a super duper loss of 1.8 kilos / 4lbs !!! WOOHOOO!!! Sure, I've been sick and that's the main reason for my loss, but still... I'll take it! :)
-- My exercise plan this week has been just that... a plan. Need to work on that!!! My throat is still a bit sore, but I could still do some light workouts. It's certainly not a good enough excuse.
-- I'm super nervous about tomorrow night... I'm going to have to speak in front of about 130 parents of our students! Oh my... not much and not for very long, just introducing myself to them and telling them about my subject, but still... 130 people!!!
-- Good things are about to happen around here... You'll see soon enough! :)
-- I'm really pooped now... I hope I'll be able to catch up with all of you tomorrow.
Good night for now!
I spent today cleaning the whole flat: changing sheets, vacuuming, scrubbing the bathroom, cleaning out the fridge, doing laundry... now I feel like a domestic goddess! Actually, I don't even mind cleaning and housekeeping too much, especially since I discovered audiobooks. Nowadays, I just load up my iPod and do all the household stuff while I'm listening to a good book. That way, I don't even realise I'm actually working... easy peasy! :) And there's just something cathartic about cleaning and decluttering... It's as if my mind becomes clean and fresh and shiny too!
So yeah, I feel a lot better today. I'm really glad this whole being sick thing passed over quickly, so that I'll be ready for action again next week. I'll probably still be twitching things around, but here's my workout plan as it stands at the moment:
Monday:
Yoga
Swimming
Tuesday:
C25K
Body Pump
Wednesday:
Bike to work
Swimming
Thursday:
C25K
Bike to work
Friday:
Swimming
Walk or some exercise DVD
Saturday:
C25K
Sunday:
whatever I feel like...
My ultimate goal is to incorporate two workouts into every day. I need to step things up a notch! But realistically, I think I'll concentrate on doing some sort of exercise each day and every time I get in a second workout it'll be a bonus.
And I'm still having my fingers crossed for a good weigh in next Monday! I know, realistically, I probably won't be able to keep the super loss the scale showed yesterday... I've barely eaten a thing when I was sick, and now that I feel better and am eating again it probably won't last. But still, I should be able to manage a loss, shouldn't I? I just need to be extra careful over the weekend. Especially tonight!
This is what I'll be tempted with in only a few hours: Raclette... YUM!.jpg)
It's a traditional Swiss dish and so so delicious... if you like cheese that is. Which I do! Nowadays, people usually have a combined oven/grill where you can also grill bacon and sausages and other assorted meat on top and just put the cheese slices underneath to melt. Yummy!
Hope you all have a great Friday!
I've been sick the last few days. Sore throat, running nose, fever... the works! The regulations about coming in for work when sick are quite strict at the moment because of the swine flu, especially for teachers, so I got to stay home today. I basically just slept the whole day and it worked, I feel a lot better now... still not a hundred percent, but at least the fever's gone.
Being sick has somewhat thwartet my plans of getting back into a routine this week though. Remember I wanted to figure out what kind of workouts would fit best for each day of my week? Umm... this week I haven't done any exercise. At all. Zero. Nada. But I'm cutting myself some slack here. Seriously, I just couldn't... my throat hurt like hell after a very slow five minute walk from my school to the train station already. So instead of actually DOING any exercise, I analysed my schedule and came up with a tentative workout plan. At least I thought about it, right?
And the good thing about not feeling well? For me, that would definitely be the loss of appetite! Don't get me wrong, I don't like being sick. Not at all. But it's nice to know that there's this tiny bit of joy that'll help you through the hurting and suffering... :) I've had no difficulties whatsoever to say No to food in the past few days. Even when my sister brought down Pizza for the boy yesterday (she lives in the flat above us), I had like two bites and was done... it's just not the same when your tastebuds aren't working properly... So yeah, the scales have showed me some nice numbers today! Suddenly, losing 10 pounds in September doesn't seem quite so impossible anymore... :)
I guess there's always a bright side to everything!
PS: Thank you SO much for all the lovely comments on my fatty-fiasco at the beginning of this week! I know the old lady has probably lost some her marbles and I should actually feel sorry for her... It's just that her remarks really hurt. And then your comments made me feel a lot better! You're the best.
Today I printed out a brand new journal for a brand new week. Let's get things rolling! It's time for me to figure out my new routine... I work only part time, so there should be plenty of time left for me to exercise and do stuff for myself and my health! My goal for this week is to figure out what's feasible each day. So today, for instance, I realised that Monday maybe isn't the best day for me to get up earlier to go for a run. Since I started school, I always intended to do that and it just never happened... It's Monday is always the busiest day work wise for me! Going for a run on a Tuesdays actually suits me much better. Ha, I'm getting there... by the end of this week I'll have come up with a workout schedule that suits my needs perfectly. Yay! Nothing can stop me then.... :)
Oh, and that crappy picture up there? That's me in my fat pants. Don't mind the strange angle and the view of our hideously red door frames... it's not that easy to take a quick picture of yourself... :) That's how I went to work today. Yes, in my fat pants. They're just a thousand times more comfortable at the moment than my jeans and don't give me muffin top issues! They're not very nice though... all worn out because I was in them for a quite a while before I went travelling. And the colour... I have a hard time finding shirts and shoes to go with it. Besides, they kind of feel like an orange flashing sign that says "Look here! Look at how BIG this butt and these thighs are!"
I was kind of hoping this is just my imagination but today I was proved wrong. After work I quickly ran into the supermarket to buy a few things and while I was looking at the shelves and putting things in my basket, an elderly lady came up behind me without me hearing her. When I turned to go to another aisle, I sort of bumped into her. Well, I didn't really bump into HER, it was more a case of my shopping basket touching hers... Seriously, it was nothing. And being the nice person that I am, I instantly turned around and apologised to her. You think that's where she should smile and say "It's alright love, no harm done" or something along those lines? Yeah me too... Here's what she said instead:
Her: DON'T YOU HAVE EYES?! (yes, she practically shouted)
Me (totally taken aback by her reaction but still friendly): Um... Not at the back of my head I'm afraid... Listen, I'm really sorry.
Her (walking away, muttering under her breath but still loud enough for me and everyone else to hear): ... but of course, you're fat and overweight! (as in: That's the reason you bumped into me.)
Me (utterly gobsmacked and thinking WHAT? What does it have to do with it?): Oh. Well observed. But I already knew. I do have a mirror at home, you know...
At this point, I might have or not have muttered something under my breath too... I'm not proud of that, because I don't usually go about and talk that way to little old ladies, but I just felt totally insulted and humiliated and angry!
So that's when she turns around and practically yells: ... AND YOU'RE A FATTY!
I was stunned into silence. The two people that were in the same aisle looked away, embarrassed. I could tell they felt for me, but I just thought "She's right, isn't she? I'm a fatty." I felt like laughing out loud about her total rudeness and at the same time felt tears stinging. I know she's just an old bitter woman who has maybe gone a bit mental already, and I should just shrug it off. But the remark stung. Like, REALLY stung. And the same time it makes me very very angry. Why do people think it's ok to insult and humiliate fat people? I'm equal. I'm a worthy person too, regardless of my weight.
Plus, I could outrun her anytime... Take that, old bitch!
I'm still in some kind of limbo land where I'm trying to find a routine... It's slowly getting better though. Since I started my new job about 3 weeks ago, everything has been new and special and exciting. While it's been a nice change, I'm still glad the novelty of it all is finally subsiding... I need routine! It'll help me to concentrate on eating healthy and getting enough exercise in. During those frist weeks I've had no mental capacity to do that... and it shows. Blimey, does it ever show!
So it's time for a few confessions... I reached a new high on the scale! Aarrgh! It's not the highest weight I've ever been, but the highest since I lost so much weight when I was travelling... It's hard to admit, but within those 10 months I've now officially gained 14 kilos (31 pounds) back. And even though I'm a metric person and only convert my numbers into pounds for my non-metric friends, it totally, utterly irks me that I'm back in the 170's... Ugh! And it's not just about the number either... It's as if some invisible 'fat mark' has been overstepped, because I now feel it on every level: I'm fat again. It doesn't take much to get me out of breath. I'm sweating easily. The self-conscious tugging at shirts has returned. I'm back in my hideous fat pants. If I wear my normal jeans there's some serious muffin top issue going on. I feel fat and I feel ashamed.
But - and there's a big BUT - it won't stay this way for long... I already declared September as my month for a fresh start and now I want this to become reality more than ever!!! Oh, and I've got every reason to make this happen too... Apart from feeling way better, being healthier, happier and more confident I also totally want a 'GO GIRL' package from Toronto which the lovely Kerry offered to send should I lose 10 pounds by the end of September. What an incentive! It's going to be tough, but I totally want to give this my all! (Of course, I'm already thinking of things to include in my package for her, since I'm quite sure that she will reach this goal...) On top of that fun incentive there's also my scheduled yearly OB appointement at the end of this month which hopefully should get me going. Last time my doctor saw me was when I got back from travelling, i.e. 14 kilos/31 pounds ago... ugh... I'm already nervous. Apart from the usual fun stuff we will also talk about us trying to conceive without success and what the next steps could/should be. I already know that I'm not putting my body in the best position to fall pregnant by being overweight, but hearing it from my doctor will be absolutely mortifying nonetheless... So I'm sure it'll be less of a blow if I'm already on my way to a healthier weight and feeling a bit better about myself.
First step: getting back into the 160's. There are no special events or extra things planned for next week, it'll be just a normal work week... perfect for me to establish a routine with my new schedule and all.
Here I go again...
I remember reading on some blog that September is the new January: a new start with a clean slate and all the best intentions and resolutions that go with it. Hey, this suits me just fine! I'm right here with you, ready to start afresh and make the most of this brand new month that lies before us. And I've got a really good feeling about it too! I know I said as much before (many times in fact). And I also know that so far I failed every single time to stick with it for longer than maybe two or three weeks... *blush*... So why do I think this time is different?
You see, I'm an emotional eater. My overall happiness plays a big role in my weight loss efforts. Especially when I'm stressed, I tend to cope with just stuffing my face. Oh wait, maybe "cope" is the wrong word... I don't really "cope" by eating so much food, it's more like a diversion tactic, a way to calm down and escape all the things that threaten to overwhelm me. Even if it's only for the few minutes it takes to gobble up some crisps or ice cream or whatever else strikes my fancy that moment. If that's not long enough, I'll just go back for a second serving. And a third. And a... Ok, I guess you catch my drift. Not a very clever or effective way to handle stress, but something that's become a habit that is hard to break.
For a long time, there's always been something that caused me a great deal of stress and needed to be done "before" I could concentrate on eating right or exercising enough. My To Do list seemed to be endless and I hardly found time for myself. But no more! This time will be different because I'm finally starting to put myself first and sort my life out. Things are starting to fall into place for me and my stress level slowly but surely decreases. YAY!
So yes, this is a fresh start - and a much needed one at that! I can feel my jeans getting tighter again. And the Scale Gods aren't happy with me either... I'm going to update my stats and I'll need to change a few things around on my blog so that it reflects my fresh start. I'm all excited and full of ideas now. Oh, how I love a fresh start! :)
Oh September, I love you already! This is so going to be my month... the month I take care of myself, the month I put myself first, the month I get back to tracking and exercising and last but no least, it'll be the month I'll succeed! I'm starting over with a clean slate today and I'm going to see a decent loss at the end of September. That's a promise to myself.
And today's our 2nd wedding anniversary! Wow, I've been married to my favourite ever man for two years and I couldn't be happier. I'm looking forward to tonight because I think we'll do something special... Yesterday he was looking things up online and was all secretive, shooing me out of the room and threatening to lock the door should I come near... haha... so yeah, I'm kind of excited for tonight. :)
I'll be back soon with a proper update... I've got SO much to talk about! But I've got to run now or I'll be late for school. See you later!
... seems like a good time to come back and tell you all about my vacation! We had a brilliant time in Croatia! I never knew it was so nice there... a bit like the Côte d'Azur or the Italian Riviera actually: beautiful coast with emerald green water, rocky cliffs with lots of nice little tucked-away beaches and quaint little towns with very friendly people. And it was SO hot!
This was a typical breakfast while we were on tour with the kayaks... There's no freshly baked bread or any such thing on those lonely beaches, so we had to bring everyhting. In hindsight, it somewhat amazes me that I felt totally satisfied with a few crackers, a little slice of cheese and a nectarine... but it totally worked for me then. 
For dinner we always had some variation of this picture: pasta or rice with either lots of veggies or tomato sauce. It's not exactly haute cuisine, but it was reasonably low in points and the carbs were needed for extra energy while paddling... And honestly, there's just nothing better than sitting on the ground, sharing a simple meal and eating it directly out of the pan! Seriously, you should try it. :)
Oh man, it's like 3:30 am and we're off shortly... going to Croatia! YAY! Just wanted to pop in very very quickly and say goodbye and see you later. I'll be back in two weeks with an update and probably lots of pictures... :)
Until then, I wish you all a wonderful time and good luck!
Thanks for the lovely comments yesterday. It' feels great to be on a roll! Yeah, I love those smiley stickers too. And guess what? I like them even more on my reward list! Because... drumroll... I got my first sticker today for completing this weeks C25K runs! Hurray!
Oh, and then I came back and did this week's workout for Amy's 15 week challenge. Lunges, squats and all kinds of other butt-murdering exercises... Oh boy, I'm SOOOO going to feel this tomorrow! I also tried to take pictures, but they turned out even more embarrassing than the ones I took for the tummy workout. It's not that easy to take pictures of yourself exercising... :) Anyway, it's done and I must say I'm quite proud of myself for taking the time to do it.
Because today I'm going to be so busy it's not funny. We're heading off on our roadtrip tomorrow and the flat needs to be cleaned, things must be packed, the mother-in-law needs to be driven to the city (1 hour per way) to her doctor appointment and then there's all the things I still need to organise for my new workplace... Ok. Deep breath. Stay calm. I can do it all. Just one thing at the time, and then the next.
I'm so ready for this vacation! It's going to be so much fun and I'm really looking forward to some kayaking time. It seems like it's been ages since we last went. Of course I'm also kind of hoping it'll do wonders for my arms and shoulders... haha... A bit of toning in that area sure wouldn't hurt.
Speaking of vacation and toning and exercise and stuff... I'm on such a roll right now and I'd hate if the dreaded 'I'm on vacation and therefore it's ok to inhale whatever food is around' mode got in my way. I've already printed out the journals to track my points for the next two weeks as I'm really intending to not veer off plan too much. But how do I do that? I mean, sure, when we cook our own meals on our camping stove, it's easy to figure out the points of my meal. However, it's a VACATION! There will be eating out. There will be trying out local food. And it's only going to be wild guesses as to how many points are in these dishes... Again. Deep breath. I'll be ok. I'll do my best. And it's going to be just fine. :)
Do you think I'm an overly obsessive freak for thinking about bringing my scale along so I don't miss a weigh in? ... hahaha... I might be laughing but I'm not even joking... :)
I feel like I'm finally back! For real. Not the 'Oh I guess I should write a post because it's been ages since my last one' kind of back but the 'Oh man I'm so highly motivated I could embrace the world and need to tell everyone in blogland about it' kind of back... Finally!
I think I've got Amy to thank for it. Thinking about my goals and how to reward myself for reaching them seems to be just what I needed! Oh yes, I'm cheap like that - the mere promise of goodies makes me get down to business... Why didn't the prospect of being healthier, fitter and better-looking got me going? I shall never know... because I'm not going to rack my brain to think of the reasons... I'm just enjoying the new found motivation and run with it! :)
Obviously, I'm still very much in love with my reward plan! I even came up with a visual support for the weekly incentive... This is now hanging on the wall in the office just above my desk...
And then I bought these... Lots of stickers that are just waiting to be put on that reward list! Woohooo, I'm so excited!!! :)
This morning was actually time for my second run on the C25K programme this week. I like to run very bright and early, when the temperature is still low and most people are asleep and therefore can't see me... It's just the getting out of bed part is a bit hard for me though, and I almost always have a battle going on inside my head until I finally get up. Or hit the snooze button. Whatever 'voice' wins... :) But today the extra incentive of getting a sticker really helped! I got up, put my running shoes on and went for that run basically just because I want to earn a sticker... haha... love it!
And here's how it works:
As I'm usually not very good with long-term challenges I decided to give myself some smaller incentives that last only a week at a time. Whenever I complete one (or more) of these little challenges I earn some 'bonus points' which in return can be used on something from my goodie list. In order to make things a bit more interesting, not every item costs the same amount of bonus points... The smaller things can be achieved more easily while the bigger things 'cost' more. This way, I'll really have to 'work' for my rewards!
Challenges (lasting for a week):
Rewards:
Weigh less than 70 kilos
A massage! By the time I reach this milestone I'll have worked pretty hard already... it'll be around my 10% weight loss. Sure I'll have earned a massage, right?
Weigh less than 65 kilos
A special day at the Hamam (turkish bath) just for me! My mother, my sister and I usually go there once a year... It's pure heaven! So so nice! It'll be my special treat for myself when I reach this milestone.
Weigh less than 60 kilos
A day (or say an hour) at Bobby Brown's! I was never one to wear a lot of makeup (or any, for that matter) for the simple reason that I don't really know how to apply it properly... It just looks weird on me. One of my best friends studied to be a makeup artist recently though, so when she needed a model I volunteered. And she did an amazing job! I totally loved it! So when I reach this milestone, I'm going to have my face done and learn the basics.
My long-term goal and reward:
My goal weight is 55 kilos. It's been almost 15 years since I only weighed this much... I chose this number because it's right smack in the middle of the healthy weight range for my height. I know it's going to take a lot of work to get there. But get there I will. Because look at what awaits me once I get there!
Yes, it's a shopping day! But not only any old shopping day, but an entire shopping trip to a destination of my choice!!!! Hurray!!!! You see, I couldn't decide on whether I should go for a new wardrobe or a vacation as my final reward... so I just decided to combine both! Very clever, huh? Because let's be practical here, when I reach my goal, I'm going to NEED new clothes, right? The old one's won't fit! But I love love love travelling, and this is actually a much bigger incentive for me to get there... I could go see a city I've always wanted to visit! I could meet a fellow blogger on the trip! Oh the possibilities... :)
So I guess I better start saving up! And I already have an idea on how to get extra cash for the trip... You see, from now on, I want to see losses at my weekly weigh-ins! So should I have a gain, I'm going to pay a fee of $100 into my saving funds for the shopping trip. Yes, I realise that this is not a 'real' penalty as I'm going to have more money if I gain... but I'm just going to pretend it is.
Thanks Amy for making this weekly challenge! It totally motivated me to sit down and think about my goals and where I'm heading and coming up with those rewards just gave me that extra kick I needed. And it was so much fun thinking of all the things I could pamper myself with! Can't wait to get my first reward!
Things are getting a bit out of control over here... Look at my weight this week! This is not the direction I want it to go! Aarrgh... I thought of just conveniently 'forgetting' to put my weight up in my sidebar, but maybe seeing it there will help me get my focus back? Umm, yeah... At least it's a nice round number... I love me some nice round numbers. I'm 77 kilos now, so I'll have to lose 22 kilos to reach my goal of 55 kilos... this all has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? And it sounds oh so simple, saying it like that! :)
Ok, so I'm not whining (what would be the point of that anyway?), but getting back on track TODAY. As in RIGHT NOW. I got up an hour extra early to go for a run. I've decided to start the C25K programme again. I found a podcast by Robert Ullrey, where he tells you exactly when to run and when to walk which is great. Before, I was so focused on my watch the whole time that I didn't really get to 'enjoy' the running and walking at all. The music's ok, not really my favourite kind of music, but at least there's a beat I can move to. So yeah, Bob and I have already been out and about!
Oh right, speaking of running... I went for a run on Saturday too! This one was inspired by Amy's Wednesday Workout assignment. She challenged us to go outside for 20 minutes and run as far and as long as we could and felt comfortable for. To be honest, up until the weekend, I didn't know whether I would give the challenge a go or not... but then on Saturday when I woke up, I surprisingly felt like going for a run. So I put on my running shoes, grabbed my iPod and my camera and off I went. So here's how it went...
Here's me running. Ok, so it might have been more like a slow jog instead of a run... but hey, you got to start small, right? 
It was pretty dark and gloomy in the forest due to the rainy weather and the early hour so most pictures didn't turn out very well... But here's me, about 15 minutes into my run, sweating like a pig! :)
Once I was out of the forest, I startet taking pictures again. From here, I usually have a beautiful view of the nearby Alps when the weather's nice. On Saturday... not so much. 
Still sweating profusely... And looking somewhat spent too. :) 
On my way back I met this sweet girl... Just look at those eyes! And yes, it's actually true what they say about there being many cows in my country... :) 
This is where I live. Or at least a glimpse of my little town... 
And here's proof: I was out for 45 minutes! I guess I probably ran about half of it and walked the rest. And believe me, I felt so much better afterwards!Now that was a bit of lie, wasn't it? :) Ok, so I had every intention to be back the next day but then life got in the way... It sometimes happens. I've been super busy! Just as always before the school year ends... This year I had to deal with extra stressful situations and some minor drama, but now - tadaaa - I'm done! Wohooo! School's out! I'm utterly happy about it because I didn't really like the school I worked for and I'm so glad I'll be working for a different school after summer break.
Ah, summer break! So nice! I do have a ton of work to do as I want to be as prepared for my new work place as possible. So my first week off just flew by - with me organising my stuff, having meetings with my new principal and stuff. Sure, this is all quite important, but hello? I'm officially off work and can't even fit a decent workout in??? So for the remaining four weeks of summer break, I'm not only going to work... I'm also going to have fun and leave enough time in a day to do some things I really WANT to do. Like exercise. Hahaha... Seriously though, I plan to exercise daily during my time off and hope that after four weeks of doing so it'll be second nature to me.
And of course I still want to rock Amy's challenge... Ok, so might not totally rock it as I've been doing quite badly so far, but at least I want to do half-decent and not be the uber loser. Frankly, I thought about quitting the challenge altogether because I'm rubbish at it, but then I thought what the hell... I'm not doing this to win a prize, I'm doing this for myself! And while I really admire and applaud those who do so so great on the challenge, it's only me I should focus on. Because I don't need to be best, and I don't need to win and even if I'll have only a tiny overall loss I'll still be a step closer to where I want to be.
Next Friday we go on vacation! YAY!!! A roadtrip to Croatia, how about that? I'm so looking forward to it! We'll pack our folding kayaks and then tour a bit around the supposedly very beautiful islands in the Mediterraen Sea. Just look at the picture - it'll be pure bliss!
Can you tell I'm excited?! :)
These must be the most embarrassing pictures I ever posted of myself. But I did it! Amy's 15 week challenge features Workout Wednesday and did my best complete this weeks exercises. But man, was it hard! Ahem... it was a bit like a slap in my face because it really really showed me how out of shape I am. Thanks Amy for kicking my butt!
I also worked on the recipe for the weekly challenge: I prepared my weight friendly recipe, took lots of pictures and will be ready to post it tomorrow. YAY! So far I'm really loving the challenge!
Oh and just so you know, you'll be seeing a lot more pictures here in the summer... I'm going to take at least one picture each day and post it here. This can be of anything really: just a quick glance at my life each day. I saw this 'picture a day' idea on some other blog (can't remember which one) and thought why not give this a try? I love it when people post pictures and it will also be a good reminder to take out my camera more often. Plus, it's summer break soon and I'll have the time. YAY!
Ok, off to bed now... See you all tomorrow! :)
The time just before summer break is usually a pretty busy and somewhat hectic time for me and this year is no different... I've been wanting to write a proper update for days now. But since there's so much going on right now, my thoughts are all over the place and writing a coherent post is kind of difficult. So I'll just pour my thoughts out here as randomly as they swirl around in my head at the moment... Maybe if I get them off my jest, I can write a proper post tomorrow. :)
Skinny Me tagged me to answer these questions and I'm happy to oblige...
Rules:
1. Respond and rework; answer the questions on your blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your invention & add one more question of your own.
2. Tag eight other people.
What's your current obsession? Erm... food? I wish I could say running!
What are you wearing today? I'm wearing brown yoga pants and a red (and very old) t-shirt, no shoes... not very fashionable, but very comfortable! :)
What's for dinner? If the weather holds, we're going to have a BBQ dinner with my sister and her husband. Lamb, a fresh salad (from our "garden") and possibly some oven baked potatoes. YUM!
What's the last thing you bought? Apart from food? We ordered/bought a new bed yesterday...
What are you listening to right now? I'm not listening to anything right now, but since the windows are open, I hear cars passing, dogs barking and the church bell just rang...
If you could go anywhere in the world for the next YEAR, where would you go? That's a tough one. There's many places I've already been to that I would go back to instantly, given the chance, and there's even more places I haven't seen and would love to... I'd probably just grab my backpack and travel the world and see where I end up staying.
Which language do you want to learn? I'm currently learning Spanish and obviously want to improve... I'd also love to refresh my French and Italian because I forgot so much.
What do you love most about where you currently live? It's a small and somewhat rural town where a lot of people still know each other. I love it most of the times, even though the gossiping can be a bit annoying... :) Since I live in the foothills of the Alps I also love our proximity to some nice mountain bike and hiking trails - some of them only a five minute walk from our flat. I also love the view of the mountains!
What is your favourite colour? Guess! Yes, it's green... :)
What's your favourite piece of clothing in your own wardrobe? The leather jacket I bought in La Paz, Bolivia. (Even though it doesn't fit too well right now...)
Describe your personal style? I don't think I do have a style... right now I just wear what fits. Something I hope to change soon!
If you had $300 now, what would you spend it on? I'd probably save it for travelling.
What are you going to do after this? Fold the laundry and then curl up on the sofa with my book.
Your favourite smell? The smell of rain or the smell of freshly cut grass.
Do you collect anything? Not really... Pounds maybe? I seem to have a lot of those! :)
What makes you follow a blog? When I feel some sort of "connection" to the blogger... maybe because I can relate to what she/he has to say? I also appreciate a sense of humour.
What's your favourite drink? Water, tea (PG tips or Chai)
What's one thing you dream of doing? Buy a mule and walk around the Mediterrean Sea
What is your biggest regret? What shall I say... getting fat? I try not to dwell on the past too much though. What's the point in having regrets? Oh wait, there's one thing: A few years back we were asked to house-sit a hostel in Canada for a few months, but we declined the offer because we just got back home after travelling for 10 months. We felt we couldn't just up and leave again after having been gone for such a long time. Thinking back now... We should have just done it!
What is your favourite thing to do on a rainy day? Going for a walk in the rain and then come home, curl up on the sofa with a good book and a cup of tea.
Do you have a tattoo? No, and probably never will. I like piercings but tattoos are not really my thing...
What are your favourite books? Oh, that list could be endless... I'm a total book lover and I like all kind of books! If I had to name one, I'd say "Into The Wild" by Jon Krakauer is my favourite of all times. It has touched something deep within me and has inspired me to do things I never thought I would/could.
Are you left-handed, right-handed, ambidextrous, or a little of both? Right handed.
What is your favourite fruit? My preferences change with the seasons... Right now it's watermelon and raspberries. Frozen raspberries are my weapon of choice against my sweet tooth at the moment! :)
Blackberry or iPhone? I really don't care one way or the other.
What/Who inspired you to start your blog? I didn't even know what a blog is, when I surfed the net and by accident stumbled upon Ms Jayme's freewebs site. Her story and especially her pictures inspired me to join WW and eventually start my own blog. I think she became a WW leader, and sadly she felt she had to give up her blog for that. Does anyone remember her?
What are you most happy about today? Oh well, it's a Sunday and I'm off work... And after weeks of rain the sun is shining today! Welcome summer!
Since a lot of bloggers seem to have been tagged already, I'll just leave it open to everyone who feels like answering the questionnaire. Have fun!
