I chose to sleep on the couch last night.
The room that I was allotted is a bit small and stuffy, with only a small window, and when it's open, lets in all the street noise, from cars and buses, to drunks leaving the night clubs.
It has a ceiling fan, but I'm sharing the room with somebody else, and my body temperature is so high, I need the room to be very cool ... which is freezing for anybody with normal body temperature.
The lounge room is open and airy, with the choice of a fan or air conditioning, that doesn't affect anybody else in the apartment.
I slept soundly on the couch, until just after midnight, when a very large crowd of young, intoxicated people marched their way past our apartment block, making a LOT of noise. There were many groups during the night and they seemed to pass by in waves.
Just as I dozed off, another raucous would build .. so 4.30am arrived and very little sleep had been had by me or anybody else.
It helped to have another delicious and hearty breakfast at the Surf Club .. that gave us enough energy to commit to another shopping spree before lunch.
This afternoon, I've had a quiet time regenerating and preparing for a fun evening.
I bought a dress. YES! You heard correctly! ME! I bought a dress ... a white dress!
I'm wearing it tonight for dinner.
There will be photos taken tonight .. finally.
Having a ball ... wish you were here :D
Nite all.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sleep eludes me
I think it was about 10.30pm when I climbed into bed last night and I fell asleep quite fast.
I also woke up 3 hours later. Couldn't get back to sleep, so I got out of bed at 3.30am and took my ipad out onto the balcony to watch the sun rise .. which didn't happen til 4.30am!
Thank goodness it wasn't too spectacular! I had to use my ipad to take this photo, because I still hadn't been able to charge my camera batteries.
Lucky for me, one of my photography friends from the Sunny Coast came to my rescue and dropped off her charger to me at Sunshine Plaza.
So now I have three freshly charged batteries and my camera is primed and ready to go .. finally!
What a life saver she is!
I am feeling incredibly weary after about 5 hours of shopping and LOTS of walking today.
We've had some good food, starting at the Mooloolaba Surf Club this morning. A vegetarian breakfast of poached eggs, spinach, mushrooms, tomato, hash browns and 2 pieces of GF toast, accompanied by a very nice latte.
Plenty of shopping, eating and drinking .. and as much as I would love to give you lots more details, I can barely keep my eyes open, so I'm going to attempt sleep.
Nite all.
I also woke up 3 hours later. Couldn't get back to sleep, so I got out of bed at 3.30am and took my ipad out onto the balcony to watch the sun rise .. which didn't happen til 4.30am!
Thank goodness it wasn't too spectacular! I had to use my ipad to take this photo, because I still hadn't been able to charge my camera batteries.
Lucky for me, one of my photography friends from the Sunny Coast came to my rescue and dropped off her charger to me at Sunshine Plaza.
So now I have three freshly charged batteries and my camera is primed and ready to go .. finally!
What a life saver she is!
I am feeling incredibly weary after about 5 hours of shopping and LOTS of walking today.
We've had some good food, starting at the Mooloolaba Surf Club this morning. A vegetarian breakfast of poached eggs, spinach, mushrooms, tomato, hash browns and 2 pieces of GF toast, accompanied by a very nice latte.
Plenty of shopping, eating and drinking .. and as much as I would love to give you lots more details, I can barely keep my eyes open, so I'm going to attempt sleep.
Nite all.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Crazy Ladies
So here we are.
A bunch of crazy middle aged women all away together for 3 days and 3 nights. An esky full of wine and the only rules are the exercise rules, both weight bearing and balancing rules ... that we lift our full wine glasses, evenly between our left hand and our right hand.
The first group of men to pass by us, while we were socialising in the barbecue/pool area, were equally middle aged and attempting to capture our attention by being charming and friendly. One of the girls commented on how attractive the big belly and noticeable breasts were on the leader of the pack.
I screwed my nose up and questioned the sanity of we women ... and the attractiveness of said men.
The second group of males to pass by were young, mid 20s in various states of undress. Tanned tone bodies, six packs .. you get the picture.
The leader of our group was quick to point these males out to me and challenged me to capture their attention .. I love a good challenge!
Two fingers raised to my mouth and a very long and loud wolf whistle emanated from within.
This made the girls ... all 11 of them ... squeal with delight and giggle like teenagers, while the males in question, all smiled with pride, as if we were much younger and much more attractive than we really were.
They must have been chuffed and flattered, because when they returned from their walk up the road, they came straight back past us (to the sound of another wolf whistle) and spent a good deal of time in the pool spa.
The leader of our group had just enough wine to spend a short period of time chatting and flirting with said males. Nothing would ever eventuate there, but never let the truth get in the way of a good story (good advice, I have discovered, from a fellow photographer).
As I sit here, the second apartment, just across the hall, which is full of the real party animals, is pumping with music and giggling women, who have all had just a little too much to drink.
This apartment, that I am sharing with 5 other women, is quiet ... after the obligatory "night grandpa" "night John Boy" "night Mary Jo" and everyone has settled into their comfy beds ready for a good night's sleep.
I am incredibly annoyed with myself, having brought all my camera gear, and prepared to be the recorder of all things embarrassing, my battery ran flat after about 30 photos ... I came back to the room to change the battery, only to discover that the second battery was also flat.
Luckily, I keep a third battery for just such occasions, but alas, it was also flat!!
I checked my suitcase and even worse, I have not packed my battery charger!
So the girls have been given a reprieve tonight.
I announced that their antics would not be recorded tonight, and that they should make the most of it, because tomorrow night, I will make up for it!
So the only photo that I have to share today, is the one that I took with my iphone from the balcony of the Mooloolaba Surf Club this afternoon, as we drank our $14 cocktails.
A good time is being had by all. The party is still rocking next door and the snoring is getting louder from the rooms in this apartment.
Nite all.
A bunch of crazy middle aged women all away together for 3 days and 3 nights. An esky full of wine and the only rules are the exercise rules, both weight bearing and balancing rules ... that we lift our full wine glasses, evenly between our left hand and our right hand.
The first group of men to pass by us, while we were socialising in the barbecue/pool area, were equally middle aged and attempting to capture our attention by being charming and friendly. One of the girls commented on how attractive the big belly and noticeable breasts were on the leader of the pack.
I screwed my nose up and questioned the sanity of we women ... and the attractiveness of said men.
The second group of males to pass by were young, mid 20s in various states of undress. Tanned tone bodies, six packs .. you get the picture.
The leader of our group was quick to point these males out to me and challenged me to capture their attention .. I love a good challenge!
Two fingers raised to my mouth and a very long and loud wolf whistle emanated from within.
This made the girls ... all 11 of them ... squeal with delight and giggle like teenagers, while the males in question, all smiled with pride, as if we were much younger and much more attractive than we really were.
They must have been chuffed and flattered, because when they returned from their walk up the road, they came straight back past us (to the sound of another wolf whistle) and spent a good deal of time in the pool spa.
The leader of our group had just enough wine to spend a short period of time chatting and flirting with said males. Nothing would ever eventuate there, but never let the truth get in the way of a good story (good advice, I have discovered, from a fellow photographer).
As I sit here, the second apartment, just across the hall, which is full of the real party animals, is pumping with music and giggling women, who have all had just a little too much to drink.
This apartment, that I am sharing with 5 other women, is quiet ... after the obligatory "night grandpa" "night John Boy" "night Mary Jo" and everyone has settled into their comfy beds ready for a good night's sleep.
I am incredibly annoyed with myself, having brought all my camera gear, and prepared to be the recorder of all things embarrassing, my battery ran flat after about 30 photos ... I came back to the room to change the battery, only to discover that the second battery was also flat.
Luckily, I keep a third battery for just such occasions, but alas, it was also flat!!
I checked my suitcase and even worse, I have not packed my battery charger!
So the girls have been given a reprieve tonight.
I announced that their antics would not be recorded tonight, and that they should make the most of it, because tomorrow night, I will make up for it!
So the only photo that I have to share today, is the one that I took with my iphone from the balcony of the Mooloolaba Surf Club this afternoon, as we drank our $14 cocktails.
A good time is being had by all. The party is still rocking next door and the snoring is getting louder from the rooms in this apartment.
Nite all.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Full Day
It's been a full day of dinosaur loving with Chicklet today, which included a dinosaur picnic with the new picnic set and tea set.
We made pretend pancakes (sakata rice crackers in the plastic frypan), pretend meatballs (sultanas in the other frypan), carrot soup (chopped carrot in water in the pot), salad of cucumber, carrot and mango, cashews (better known as moon nuts) and copious cups of tea (water poured from the teapot, most of which poured onto the coffee table).
Two trips to the shops to buy new dinosaurs ... I think we've lost count now.
Word for the day was 'blist' ... don't even ask.
My day ended with a very pleasant dinner at a local Indian Restaurant with my brother and his girl.
A couple of D&Ms where tears were shed, some home truths, and some good old fashioned belly laughs. The food was good and I really enjoyed the night.
Seeing each other three times in the last 2 years is pretty amazing, since the previous three times was over a 16 year period, and included our parents' funerals and then his last partner's funeral.
I wish I'd thought to take my camera tonight, to get pics! DOH!
So it's been a full day, and tomorrow, I head off to meet the girls for our 3 day Christmas party.
I'll be back again in a couple of weeks, so I'm not too sad to leave.
Nite all.
We made pretend pancakes (sakata rice crackers in the plastic frypan), pretend meatballs (sultanas in the other frypan), carrot soup (chopped carrot in water in the pot), salad of cucumber, carrot and mango, cashews (better known as moon nuts) and copious cups of tea (water poured from the teapot, most of which poured onto the coffee table).
Two trips to the shops to buy new dinosaurs ... I think we've lost count now.
Word for the day was 'blist' ... don't even ask.
My day ended with a very pleasant dinner at a local Indian Restaurant with my brother and his girl.
A couple of D&Ms where tears were shed, some home truths, and some good old fashioned belly laughs. The food was good and I really enjoyed the night.
Seeing each other three times in the last 2 years is pretty amazing, since the previous three times was over a 16 year period, and included our parents' funerals and then his last partner's funeral.
I wish I'd thought to take my camera tonight, to get pics! DOH!
So it's been a full day, and tomorrow, I head off to meet the girls for our 3 day Christmas party.
I'll be back again in a couple of weeks, so I'm not too sad to leave.
Nite all.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Fearsome Storm
Yesterday afternoon had Adoring Husband and I hiding in the wardrobe as a terrifying storm with gale force winds, horizontal torrential rain, hail, thunder and lightning ripped through our town.
Luckily for us, no major damage to our property, but a few houses lost their colorbond fences and at least one local suffered damage when the repairs to their house after the tornado in January didn't pass the first test. Major water damage where windows and the roof leaked.
The storm didn't last long, but it was terrifying none the less, and really packed a punch.
At the end of it all, as the clouds began to clear and the sun was setting ... this is the view that met me when I opened the front door...
I am now at the Sunny Coast with Chicklet and the family, in dinosaur heaven once again. Our newest dinosaur is a Kentrosaurus.
We have a big day planned for tomorrow, which we hope to spend together while Mama and Dadoo have some time out.
I'll share it with you tomorrow.
Nite all.
Luckily for us, no major damage to our property, but a few houses lost their colorbond fences and at least one local suffered damage when the repairs to their house after the tornado in January didn't pass the first test. Major water damage where windows and the roof leaked.
The storm didn't last long, but it was terrifying none the less, and really packed a punch.
At the end of it all, as the clouds began to clear and the sun was setting ... this is the view that met me when I opened the front door...
I am now at the Sunny Coast with Chicklet and the family, in dinosaur heaven once again. Our newest dinosaur is a Kentrosaurus.
We have a big day planned for tomorrow, which we hope to spend together while Mama and Dadoo have some time out.
I'll share it with you tomorrow.
Nite all.
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Easy Peasy
I have two easy peasy things to share today.
One is an interesting article that I came across in my internet travels and could be an easy way to lose weight (tongue firmly in cheek) - just stop using anything that contains fragrances!
Does this body lotion make me look fat?
That’s not a question you hear very often! If your lotion contains fragrance or parabens (a family of preservatives commonly found in body lotions, makeup, shampoos, and a ton of other personal care products) it may very well actually be making you fat.
This is because these chemicals are obesogens.
What are obesogens? Find out more here
... and the other easy peasy thing was our lunch yesterday. I call it ...
Ingredients:
500 gms of minced meat. (Ours was beef, but I think any kind of meat would work.)
1 egg
1/2 onion chopped finely
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 cup mashed sweet potato (I used the purple variety and I mix in 1 T butter and 2 T sour cream)
1 large kale leaf chopped finely
1 bacon rasher chopped
3 asparagus sticks chopped
4 good sized mushrooms chopped
1 large tomato
A drizzle of agave nectar (or maple syrup, honey)
salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Mix the meat with half a chopped onion, one egg, salt n pepper and then divide the mixture in half.
Line the bottom of a small non-stick loaf tin with half the mixture.
Then sprinkle crumbled feta (I used our home-made chilli and herb feta) over that layer.
Mix the chopped kale, bacon, asparagus and mushroom and tip it on the feta. Press it down firmly.
The next layer is purple sweet potato mash.
On top of that, you put the rest of the meat mixture - flatten it out on a chopping board to the desired size and shape and then place it on top of the sweet potato.
Layer 3 thick slices of tomato on top of that and then drizzle a little agave nectar (or maple syrup/honey) over the top of the tomato.
Pop it in the oven at 200C for 40 minutes.
I should have let it rest for 10 minutes before serving, because the layers fell apart when I removed it from the tin too early, but it was very colourful!! Purple, green, red, white, brown. Also very tasty!
I served it with mashed potato (with finely chopped raw onion and some more sour cream mixed through it) and fresh steamed asparagus.
Adoring Husband ate what was left over, cold, for dinner.
I'll definitely put that on my 'repeat' list of dinners.
Having had a gluten free diet for almost 2 years now, I was very interested in the following article and after reading it, felt that a few people in my circle, could well be either Celiac or at the very least, gluten intolerant.
10 Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.
One is an interesting article that I came across in my internet travels and could be an easy way to lose weight (tongue firmly in cheek) - just stop using anything that contains fragrances!
Does this body lotion make me look fat?
That’s not a question you hear very often! If your lotion contains fragrance or parabens (a family of preservatives commonly found in body lotions, makeup, shampoos, and a ton of other personal care products) it may very well actually be making you fat.
This is because these chemicals are obesogens.
What are obesogens? Find out more here
... and the other easy peasy thing was our lunch yesterday. I call it ...
"rQQzy's Hodge Podge Layered Meatloaf"
Ingredients:
500 gms of minced meat. (Ours was beef, but I think any kind of meat would work.)
1 egg
1/2 onion chopped finely
1/2 cup crumbled feta
1 cup mashed sweet potato (I used the purple variety and I mix in 1 T butter and 2 T sour cream)
1 large kale leaf chopped finely
1 bacon rasher chopped
3 asparagus sticks chopped
4 good sized mushrooms chopped
1 large tomato
A drizzle of agave nectar (or maple syrup, honey)
salt and pepper
Method:
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Mix the meat with half a chopped onion, one egg, salt n pepper and then divide the mixture in half.
Line the bottom of a small non-stick loaf tin with half the mixture.
Then sprinkle crumbled feta (I used our home-made chilli and herb feta) over that layer.
Mix the chopped kale, bacon, asparagus and mushroom and tip it on the feta. Press it down firmly.
The next layer is purple sweet potato mash.
On top of that, you put the rest of the meat mixture - flatten it out on a chopping board to the desired size and shape and then place it on top of the sweet potato.
Layer 3 thick slices of tomato on top of that and then drizzle a little agave nectar (or maple syrup/honey) over the top of the tomato.
Pop it in the oven at 200C for 40 minutes.
I should have let it rest for 10 minutes before serving, because the layers fell apart when I removed it from the tin too early, but it was very colourful!! Purple, green, red, white, brown. Also very tasty!
I served it with mashed potato (with finely chopped raw onion and some more sour cream mixed through it) and fresh steamed asparagus.
Adoring Husband ate what was left over, cold, for dinner.
I'll definitely put that on my 'repeat' list of dinners.
Having had a gluten free diet for almost 2 years now, I was very interested in the following article and after reading it, felt that a few people in my circle, could well be either Celiac or at the very least, gluten intolerant.
10 Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance
More than 55 diseases have been linked to gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It’s estimated that 99% of the people who have either gluten intolerance or celiac disease are never diagnosed.
Find out more here
I'll be away from home for the next 6 days. I'm off to spend a couple of days with my little Chicklet and then a few days with some girlfriends, as a Christmas get-together.
I'll still be attempting to blog every day.
Nite all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)