I Hate Math!!!

Yep. *nods emphatically

I really, really do. I handed in my first assignment this afternoon, and while I *mostly* understood the first 3 (lots of 2-3) questions, the last set really stumped me. I didn't get math when I was in high school, and I'm not sure I get it now either. Oh well, I'll just keep plodding along with my notes, and textbooks. :)

So, the weekend was filled with moving what's left of my sister's stuff around, so I can fit a desk into her room to study. YAY!!! No more moving my stuff every day/night/few hours!!! *does happy dance*

So, on Saturday I moved Holly's stuff around, then cleaned everything, then moved in this huge table (we use it for parties, but I've taken it hehe), and then moved in all my study stuff... textbooks, printer, folders, pens/pencils/highlighters, paper, notebooks etc, etc. Then I went to work, but I felt good because it had all at least been moved in and *somewhat* organised.

Before the printing. It's got a few more things on it now

Sunday was more organising, and a lot of printing. Oops. I kinda feel bad about the amount of paper I use printing everything out, but I'm a hard copy kind of person. I like to have the lecture notes, unit guides, assessment schedules, etc on hand so I can refer to them whenever I need them, rather than going through all of my study files on my computer. I also like to have the lecture notes printed out, then I transcribe the lecture podcasts/slideshows just like I would if I were actually in the lectures (helps me remember things better). I like to be able to write all over things, highlight the important stuff etc.

So, a lot of that stuff was printed, and either blu-tacked to the wall, or put into sleeves into the respective class folders. And I feel super organised.

After lunch (which really wasn't great for me), I printed out a Color Run 'learn to run' schedule (it gives me something to work at for cardio), and some pictures/quotes for a motivation wall. I've been really slack with the eating and exercise for the last few weeks, and I've put on some weight, so I really need to get back on track. So, it's back to tracking my food, and busting my arse at the gym/home/run 3-5 days a week. I'd like to do more but I have to study/sleep/work in there somewhere.

My motivation wall (No pick of the study wall)

I hit the gym with Alix (my co-worker) this morning. I pick her up on my way back into town from taking my PT sessions, and we go then (about 7-7.30am), 2-3 times a week. It's good then. There aren't a lot of people in the gym (most have gone to work, or are just finishing up and leaving to go to work), and it get's it over and done with. I'm not really someone who has a 'best time for exercise' mentality. I go when I feel like it (time wise) and when it fits into my schedule. Mornings (Mon-Thurs) fit at the moment. And on days when I'm really tired I can come home, shower, and nap for an hour or so, and I haven't lost my day.

On the downside, my HRM needs a new battery. It told me I only burned 68 cals in 50 minutes, and my heart rate was from 0-210 bpm. Umm... I don't think so. I estimated my cals to be about 400 for the 50 mins, so I'm pretty happy with that. I just need to get the new battery now and it'll all be back on track. I'm a little addicted to the numbers, and with mine, you can't see the cals as you work out, only when you stop it and go back, so it's interesting to see how many you burn on days you don't put a lot into it vs days you really push yourself, and strength training days vs cardio days. On average I burn 6-10 cals/min, so I feel the 400/50 mins is ok.

I would have loved to have napped today but between finishing my math assignment (I think it broke my brain), and heading to Singleton so Holly can get her last teaching prac sorted (she's studying High School history and english teaching), I really didn't have time for a nap. So I think it'll be early to bed for me tonight. These 4am mornings, and 10pm bed times (sometimes later if I can't sleep) are really wiping me out.

We're going around to my sister's and her Bf's tonight for dinner. Homemade hamburgers... yum!

I'm done with the internet for today. I think my brain might explode, so I think it'll be mindless tv and/or a book tonight. I don't think I can look at a screen anymore, and I definitely can't look at anymore study.

Hope your week's off to a great start

D xo

I Left You Again, Didn't I..?

I really didn't mean, too, it just happened. You know, life just has a way of getting in the way lately. 

I can't believe it's been nearly 3 weeks!!! *eek, but in my defense, I have been really busy. Between work and study, the internet really has become a little less important.

So.. I can hear you asking all the way from here... just what have you been doing?

Well, mainly working and studying. I've been working at the pub (as you all know) and that's been my nights gone. I don't start til 6, but it's enough to throw my whole afternoon/evening out of whack :( I haven't even been working a huge amount of hours each night, but I am definitely a night/afternoon owl, so I actually just get into my study rhythm, or something (cleaning, cooking etc), and I have to pack up (which is such a pain in the ass when you have as many books/notebooks/textbooks/pens/pencils/highlighters etc as I do), shower, eat and go to work. Then when I get home, the last thing I want to do is study. I just want to go to bed by then.

Officially uni started last Monday, but, as you know I've been studying for a few weeks now. I'm glad I have been because Math is kicking my ass. Chemistry, I understand. Biology, I really haven't looked too much at. Math??? It's the subject I really wish I didn't have to do, but it's also compulsory. Ugh! But I'll get through it. Slowly. Somehow. I may not have any hair left by the end of it, but damn it, I will pass this course!!! haha

Via cbspeerblog.wordpress.com

That picture, the one up there, that's what my dining room table looks a little like. Only, mine has 3 high school textbooks (2 math, 1 chemistry), 1 Chemistry textbook, 3 lecture notepads, 6 or more mini note pads, a dozen highlighters, more pens (blue, black, red and coloured) than you can count, post it notes, mini post it notes for page references, and probably a few other things I've forgotten about. Now imagine moving all of that everytime dinner comes around. It's exhausting. And my parents don't seem to understand why I need the entire table, but I do. I just do!

Speaking of moving, my sister and her boyfriend moved into their rental property last weekend (not yesterday). So, I spent a lot of time the week before helping H move stuff into the house, unpack it, clean it, put it away. Or what we could of it anyway. Her bf and his mates bought all the big stuff (bed, fridge, bookcases, lounges etc) on the truck on Saturday. I don't have any pictures of Saturday (it was raining so I felt no need to go and actually move them in that day. There were more than enough of them), but I do have a few of the week prior to that when we moved lots of little stuff in. (Some aren't so great. They were all taken on my iPhone)

My sister. That's the kitchen behind her

Empty kitchen. The kitchen looks over the back deck and the backyard

Not so empty kitchen. Most of the stuff they were given by friends/family for birthdays/Christmas. They have more coffee cups and cutlery than they know what to do with

The front door, living/dining room. There is another deck out the front. My sister's best friend Jess, with her boy Aston. He's a very happy kid  

Bathroom

More Kitchen

The front of the house.

Master bedroom wardrobe

My sister's car

My car

The clock I gave them as a housewarming present. It' says Paris underneath the 12

The view from the front door

It was actually pretty fun moving her into the house. But it really hit home to me, just how ready I am to move out. And not into a place with other people so much, but a place of my own. Sigh. I'll get there. I just need to get through uni first.

I have also picked up some personal training 5 days a week. It makes for very early mornings (4.15am) because I'm driving 30+ minutes each way, but it's good. I'm getting paid, and I'm using my training. And I enjoy it. Maybe not the 4am alarm, but the teaching, and the training part.

I kinda went on a DVD shopping spree on the weekend too. There were sales on at Sanity. There were 'buy one get one free' deals on Disney so I got:

and

Then there was a '4 for $50' deal so I also got:

and

I thought I did pretty well considering. I am really bad when I go into bookstores/DVD stores. I find so many things I like, and I just want to buy them all.

I also managed to make it to the Organic store. Ahhh! So much to buy, so little money. I could have wandered around for a while, but were were on a schedule, so I only bought myself 2 things:

The jar is raw, organic cacao powder, and the bag is a raw, organic mix of cacao powder and maca powder. I just wanted the maca but they were out of stock, so I bought what I could. I'm going to put them into my smoothies. I just have to be a bit more organised. I'll probably start next week. But maybe later this week. We'll see how we go.

But, I must go to bed. I have to be up in 5 hours.

Hope you are all well in the blogosphere

Danni xo

Run, Gym Session, New Gear!!!

Hey guys. How's your week been. Happy Valentine's Day to everyone, whether you're in a relationship or not. If you are, I hope you get very very spoiled by the one you love. If you're not... I hope you spoil yourself. Have an at home spa day, or mani/pedi, treat yourself to lunch or dinner, then some decadent dessert. Whatever it is, enjoy it. Today is about love, not just being in a relationship, and you need to love you.

Ok, pump up is over :D

So, Monday morning I got up and went for a run, like I said I would. It was great. A little over 3km in 30 mins. Not my best time, but not bad for someone who hasn't run for over 3 months, and hasn't run that particular route in 9. I felt so good after, and I got stuck into my study. I didn't make it to the gym that afternoon, but I did go after work with some work mates. I didn't do too much, I mainly showed the girls what to do, and how to use the machines. It felt nice to act as a personal trainer again and use my qualifications and skills.

However, I haven't been on a run or to the gym since. I know... WHAT!!!

Well...

Tuesday I went shopping with a friend. I needed to see the Apple store about my iPhone playing up (they said just uninstall everything and re-install it. If that doesn't work, well, your contract is up in July, so just upgrade then. But I don't want to upgrade. I like my phone. I've had it almost 2 years, and I see no point in upgrading it when it works perfectly fine (most of the time). That and I don't want to have to transfer everything onto another phone.

Anyway... M has signed up with me for the color run in Newcastle on May 5. I'm very excited about it, and I really want to run/jog the whole thing as I've said before. Hence the training plan... that hasn't been executed this week. But, that's beside the point. She said from the outset that she needed new runners, and some new gym gear (sports bra, pants and shirts). So... into Lorna Jane we wandered....

There should have been flashing neon lights going off in my brain with the whole 'warning, warning', thing going on. Because I can very, very, very rarely enter a Lorna Jane store and leave without buying anything. (If you haven't checked out Lorna Jane, you really really must. It's amazing active wear. I love it.) And Tuesday was no exception. I left with:

• 2 sports bras (one in blue, one in black)
• 2 inspiration singlets and
• a blue headband

My stash... isn't it gorgeous

So, $170 and a free cooler bag later, I left the store. M bought 4 singlets, 2 pairs of flashdance pants (one 3/4 and one full length. I have 2 pairs of these and they are so comfortable), 2 sports bras, and a headband.

Side note... we have both put on a little weight recently... is it bad that I breathed a sigh of relief when she had to get L's in the shirts, and XL's in the pants, and I had M's? I don't want to be a bad friend, but I was glad that my weight gain was about 6-7kg, rather than what she has put on...

Anyway... that was a successful trip.

But...

We also went into Typo. For those of you who haven't seen/heard/visited, it's basically a stationary store plus. It has so many other things like pillows, lanterns, etc as well as notebooks, stamps, pens/pencils/ erasers/markers/blackboards etc. Really cool. I don't usually go into these places because I love stationary, and I would buy lots of everything if I could. Sooo... I avoid temptation by not going in.

However, on Monday I used the last of my notebooks or study (and uni hasn't even started yet. In fact I got the syllabus and lecture notes in the mail today for math, still waiting for chemistry and biology). So I wandered in there too. 

And walked out with 2 A4 notebooks, and 3 A5... All for only $20. Score!!!

Do you sense a theme?

But, the shopping is kinda what has prevented me from working out the last few days. I have stupid ankles/knees that ache at the most random times for no reason (according to the dr's, specialists and physio's that I have been to). But, on Tuesday night I had to strap my right ankle before I went to work. It was so tight that when I got home I had to take the strapping off because my toes were starting to go numb. So, yesterday and today have been no go's on the exercise front because my ankle has been so sore, even just to walk on. And I really don't feel like pushing it. I know from experience that if I don't let it rest and settle, it will affect my knees as well. And it's not fun. Anyone who has experienced joint pain know what I'm talking about. 

I'm hoping that I will be able to get back out there tomorrow. 

How do you guys deal with injury?

Back into the study... boo! I hate calculus

Back into it!

I finally made it to the gym yesterday. I went to work for the lunch session, from 12-2, then went to the gym straight from there. Well, after I went home because I forgot to put a shirt into my bag. I packed my bag while I was running out the door. So I packed my sneakers, my tights, sports bra, socks, Iphone, and headphones. I had to run home to get my shirt, and my weight gloves. Then I got to the gym and realised I forgot my towel. *facepalm* oops. Oh well. I got an hour in (cardio and weights) and burned 521 cals. I'm a little sore today across my shoulders, arms, and the top of my back. A little less sore across my chest. Surprisingly my legs don't hurt at all. I really thought they would be. But yay for not being sore.

via swisse.com.au

via sydney.concreteplayground.com.au

So, on Wednesday I finally signed up for the Newcastle Color Run. One of my Contiki friends set up a team so I joined her team. It was my idea to do the run, but Nat's idea to make the team. Morag signed up yesterday. It'll be so fun to do this run with friends. It's the weekend before my birthday, so I'm thinking of making a weekend out of it. Maybe doing dinner/movies/girly day the Saturday before. I can't drink the Saturday night then run the next morning, but I'd like to make a weekend out of it. Do a combined birthday/color run weekend.

I'm gonna start to train for it come Monday. I always feel like Monday is the best day to start things. I don't know why, but I do. Stupid I know. I've got plenty of time though, which is good.

I think I prefer my gym scales to mine. My scales said 86.6kg this morning. My gym ones said 85.2kg yesterday at lunchtime. And that was after breakfast and lunch. So, I figure I'm at about 86kg. I'd like to get to around 70-75kg by the time the color run comes around. There's 12 weeks between then and now. I know when I start to run again I'll lose the weight a little faster. I'm still keeping my food diary on mfp, but I need to clean it up a little. I've been looking for clean recipes online, and I'm gonna use the weekend to come up with a meal plan and shopping list. I'd like to cook on Sunday, then be all set to start everything from scratch on Monday. 

Off to make a timetable for study/workouts/sleep/work aka life, eat some lunch (very bad, but craving party pies with tomato sauce), and study :(

Have fun people :D

Oh! My! God!!!

I need to get a routine!!!

I know I've said this before, but I really, really, really need to get a routing. I'm a typical Taurean in this regard. I don't like things to be set in stone (I like a little flexibility, and I don't go crazy if my routine is interrupted), but I like to have a framework for my day/week/month. This is why I have to do lists and goals. It makes my life easier and it makes me feel better.

Friday and Saturday I ate fairly well. However, I was waaayyy under my cals on both days (by just over 300 cals and nearly 500 cals respectively. I had 1172/1500 and 1007/1500). I just wasn't hungry. The fact that I had a dentist appointment on Friday and the entire right side of my face was numb didn't help on Friday, but I have no such excuse on Saturday.

Sunday I was within range (I try to get between 1200-1500. If I'm over one day then under the next it's fine, as long as it kinda evens out). I ate 1335 cals, but I finally went to the gym. I only did cardio but yay for finally getting my ass to the gym. 25+ mins on the cross trainer (I was playing with my phone and didn't realise the machine was still asking for info like weight/time etc), 5 mins on the stair master (or torture by the end of it), and 25 mins on the treadmill. *Note to self, run before the stairmaster/cross trainer not after!!

By the end of, including cool down/stretching I was there for 1hr 6 minutes and burned 731 cals. So technically I still had nearly 900 cals to eat to hit 1500 but I'm not eating them back atm. As long as I get to 1200 cals eaten min before exercise, I'm not worried about eating them back. Especially as I wasn't hungry then anyway.

Then came yesterday... boo!

Yesterday was a complete blow out. I've been craving chips for some reason. I have no idea why. I haven't eaten them in ages, then last week I had a huge craving and I bought a few bags of them. And proceeded to eat my way through them. Then on Monday I had another dentist appointment (why put fillings in my wisdom teeth when I just want them taken out anyway???), so once again my mouth was numb (left side this time). And I was again craving comfort food, so I bought more chips. I've eaten one bag, thrown another one out, and there's a third one sitting here mocking me. 

I did however, on my little shopping trip, buy the stuff to make meatballs and pasta, and some bananas.

So today I made the meatballs and pasta. Fairly quick, easy to make, little mess (unless you're like me and spill the pasta sauce on the bench, then on your white shirt), and yummy. I split it into 8 serves instead of the 4 on the sauce bottle, or 5 on the pasta packet. My mince/carrot mix (I grate carrot into the mince mixture with an egg, and usually zucchini but I didn't have any today). made 17 tablespoon size meatballs, but I think next time I'll make them half tablespoons. They didn't look so big when I made them, but they are when you eat them. So glad I decided on 8 servings. It came to 397 cals (I had 3 meatballs when I would normally have 2), and was very filling.

I'll have an orange, and maybe a glass of milk before I go to work. My vitamin c and calcium has been pretty low lately, so I'm working on that.

And the study just isn't happening either. I've downloaded all the available Math and Biology notes/lectures/assessment info/class info etc. Class doesn't officially start til the 25th, but I've been trying to get a head start on everything. I just find it so boring!!! And I know, I have to get through it to get to the fun, interesting stuff. And I have been. Math mainly because it's the one worrying me, but I'm getting there. Excel textbooks for math have been a great help.

So, schedule/routine. Must include gym and running (I have done neither since I went to they gym on Sunday despite my best intentions), study, work, me time and sleep. Hopefully my sleep will improve and then everything else will start to fall into place. Will work on that.

Gotta run. Need to eat, shower and head to work.

Cya