It's all over.
Marcia has wreaked her havoc and then scuttled through the rest of the state causing widespread flooding and other damage.
We were let off lightly.
The strong winds didn't reach the expected 100kph, but even at 65kph the wind caused a roar that made for a very restless sleep and one of the psychotic dogs was completely freaked out and in the end I brought her into our bed, just so that I could get some sleep.
We didn't get much rain either. She skirted by us and dumped hundreds of mm of rain on the Sunny Coast and Brisvegas causing flash flooding and cutting off a lot of roads. The devastating effects will continue to be felt in the days to come as rivers reach their peak and flood cities like Gympie and Maryborough.
I rode my trike down to the river this morning, even though the winds were still quite strong and gusty, and sat with the boys for a while .. that is until I noticed the mini water spouts that were skipping along the water across the river.
That was my cue to leave. I knew that if one of them grew to a decent size and came in our direction, I would be messed up beyond repair, so I left the boys to tackle the ridiculous wind gusts and possible water spouts and I headed home to study.
While Adoring Husband spent the day SES-ing, I got some good study hours in.
I made a nice chicken curry for dinner tonight and now I'm watching one of my favourite movies "50 First Dates" with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. I doubt that I'll see it out to the end because my restless night is catching up with me .. I need sleep.
The current weather situation is looking good. *sigh of genuine relief*
Nite all.
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Cyclonic
Cyclone Marcia has made her presence felt up north and created havoc, as well as horrific damage to homes and business and beaches.
We should be feeling her presence during the night and are expecting winds of up to 100 kph as well as heavy rains, so I'm off to bed. Hopefully, I will sleep through it .. or at least get some good sleep before she hits us.
Fingers crossed that she eases so much that we barely notice her presence!
Adoring Husband has been very busy with SES duties and is currently asleep in his recliner chair so I think I will wake him and we should hit the sack.
The rain is has just started and it is VERY heavy.
Wish us luck.
Nite all.
We should be feeling her presence during the night and are expecting winds of up to 100 kph as well as heavy rains, so I'm off to bed. Hopefully, I will sleep through it .. or at least get some good sleep before she hits us.
Fingers crossed that she eases so much that we barely notice her presence!
Adoring Husband has been very busy with SES duties and is currently asleep in his recliner chair so I think I will wake him and we should hit the sack.
The rain is has just started and it is VERY heavy.
Wish us luck.
Nite all.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
S&%t's getting real.
So the cyclone has progressed from a reasonably harmless category one, to a category 4 and predicted to reach the most severe level of category 5 before it hits land some time tomorrow morning. The whole process has taken 24 hours and this cyclone (Marcia) is going to effect all of the Queensland coast from Mackay south.
Unfortunately, for the people of St Lawrence, just north of Yeppoon, it is predicted that the cyclone will cross closest to them. The winds will reach 300kph and I can't even comprehend that kind of speed.
The most frightening part for us, is that we are south of the cyclone and that is where the worst rain and the strongest possibility of water spouts and tornados occurs.
So far, the weather has been reminiscent of cyclone Oswald, where we get quiet patches and then the wind picks up and we get heavy scuds of rain (horizontal), then it goes quiet again and the process repeats itself.
It makes me feel anxious. Very anxious.
I have the windows closed and the blinds pulled .. so that if there are any flying missiles, the blinds will stop the glass shattering through the house and hopefully slow down the missile as it enters the house.
My walk-in wardrobe is cleared out and I have my camera gear, fully charged phone and ipad in there with a couple of pillows. There is enough room in there for Adoring Husband, me and the three psychotic dogs. Oh I must put the torch in there before I go to bed!
I cooked up 2 kgs of chicken wings and made some chocolate seedy energy balls.
The best part of eating Paleo, is that when people 'panic buy', they buy all the bread, crackers and milk, and they leave all the fresh fruit and veg behind .. which will last longer than bread or milk if the power goes out .. so there was plenty for me to choose from!
Anyway, my little sister is in the path of the cyclone, even though she is 2 hours inland, she will be affected as Marcia crosses the coast and heads inland.
My brain/mind is erratic, so I will stop rattling on and sign off.
Hopefully, I will return tomorrow evening with our house and bodies still intact to tell you the story of our second cyclone experience.
Stressed to the max!
Nite all.
Unfortunately, for the people of St Lawrence, just north of Yeppoon, it is predicted that the cyclone will cross closest to them. The winds will reach 300kph and I can't even comprehend that kind of speed.
The most frightening part for us, is that we are south of the cyclone and that is where the worst rain and the strongest possibility of water spouts and tornados occurs.
So far, the weather has been reminiscent of cyclone Oswald, where we get quiet patches and then the wind picks up and we get heavy scuds of rain (horizontal), then it goes quiet again and the process repeats itself.
It makes me feel anxious. Very anxious.
I have the windows closed and the blinds pulled .. so that if there are any flying missiles, the blinds will stop the glass shattering through the house and hopefully slow down the missile as it enters the house.
My walk-in wardrobe is cleared out and I have my camera gear, fully charged phone and ipad in there with a couple of pillows. There is enough room in there for Adoring Husband, me and the three psychotic dogs. Oh I must put the torch in there before I go to bed!
I cooked up 2 kgs of chicken wings and made some chocolate seedy energy balls.
The best part of eating Paleo, is that when people 'panic buy', they buy all the bread, crackers and milk, and they leave all the fresh fruit and veg behind .. which will last longer than bread or milk if the power goes out .. so there was plenty for me to choose from!
Anyway, my little sister is in the path of the cyclone, even though she is 2 hours inland, she will be affected as Marcia crosses the coast and heads inland.
My brain/mind is erratic, so I will stop rattling on and sign off.
Hopefully, I will return tomorrow evening with our house and bodies still intact to tell you the story of our second cyclone experience.
Stressed to the max!
Nite all.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Confession Time
Confession one ...
I am extremely stressed about the current weather warnings regarding the low pressure system heading in our direction, that at best, will bring strong winds and heavy rains, and at worst, will become a cyclone and bring more widespread damage.
I'm sure that if I had my blood pressure tested right now, it would be high!
Confession two ...
This morning, I decided that I needed something to help my stress levels.
I decided that my two options were 'wine' or 'coffee', neither of which (with hindsight) are the positive or healthy options that a health conscious person should be considering!! However ....
9am seemed to be a little early for 'wine', although I'm certain that it was 5pm somewhere in the world!! So as I stepped into the 'supermarket come cafe' where I usually buy my coffee, I saw that my favourite barista was on duty, so I ordered a coffee!!
As I ordered it, there were very audible gasps and oooohs and aaaahs and ummmmaahhhs from the staff, who all know that I am on this paleo program and this caused me to almost withdrew my order!!
But I didn't.
As the Queen Barista handed me my full, take away coffee cup, I felt my heart skip a beat and as I took my first mouthful, it was like welcoming an old friend as that familiar burst of flavour exploded in my mouth and washed over my dancing taste buds.
I called out to Queen Barista "Ahhhh, it's just as fabulous as I remember!!" The staff all laughed in unison.
I almost floated as I made my way outside and headed towards my trike, where I took my second mouthful. Hmmm, a seed of doubt.
By the third mouthful, it tasted like some kind of pasty chemical concoction that brought me no joy and then the 4th mouthful killed it for me.
I poured the rest down the sink when I got home and two hours later, I still have the after taste permeating through my head and I have to say that it is not pleasant.
How strange. This is NOT what I was expecting and now I am terribly disappointed. I guess that I'm not going to train my body to 'love' coffee again. That would be stupid. So it seems that coffee is now forever gone from my personal dietary requirements.
Who'da thunk??!!
Ah well, there is still wine. Oyster Bay, I will never desert you, but I also will never resort to drinking you at 9am, and you will also have to wait until my 10 week program is complete. I will commit to that ... unless the cyclone hits ... in which case, ALL BETS ARE OFF!!
Nite all.
I am extremely stressed about the current weather warnings regarding the low pressure system heading in our direction, that at best, will bring strong winds and heavy rains, and at worst, will become a cyclone and bring more widespread damage.
I'm sure that if I had my blood pressure tested right now, it would be high!
Confession two ...
This morning, I decided that I needed something to help my stress levels.
I decided that my two options were 'wine' or 'coffee', neither of which (with hindsight) are the positive or healthy options that a health conscious person should be considering!! However ....
9am seemed to be a little early for 'wine', although I'm certain that it was 5pm somewhere in the world!! So as I stepped into the 'supermarket come cafe' where I usually buy my coffee, I saw that my favourite barista was on duty, so I ordered a coffee!!
As I ordered it, there were very audible gasps and oooohs and aaaahs and ummmmaahhhs from the staff, who all know that I am on this paleo program and this caused me to almost withdrew my order!!
But I didn't.
As the Queen Barista handed me my full, take away coffee cup, I felt my heart skip a beat and as I took my first mouthful, it was like welcoming an old friend as that familiar burst of flavour exploded in my mouth and washed over my dancing taste buds.
I called out to Queen Barista "Ahhhh, it's just as fabulous as I remember!!" The staff all laughed in unison.
I almost floated as I made my way outside and headed towards my trike, where I took my second mouthful. Hmmm, a seed of doubt.
By the third mouthful, it tasted like some kind of pasty chemical concoction that brought me no joy and then the 4th mouthful killed it for me.
I poured the rest down the sink when I got home and two hours later, I still have the after taste permeating through my head and I have to say that it is not pleasant.
How strange. This is NOT what I was expecting and now I am terribly disappointed. I guess that I'm not going to train my body to 'love' coffee again. That would be stupid. So it seems that coffee is now forever gone from my personal dietary requirements.
Who'da thunk??!!
Ah well, there is still wine. Oyster Bay, I will never desert you, but I also will never resort to drinking you at 9am, and you will also have to wait until my 10 week program is complete. I will commit to that ... unless the cyclone hits ... in which case, ALL BETS ARE OFF!!
Nite all.
Tuesday, February 17, 2015
When Will We Learn?
A very interesting story about 'low fat' or 'healthy' and it's effect on our health ...
The Man Who Ate For Health
Glucose vs. Fructose (high fructose corn syrup (HFCS))
Both are sugars, but when glucose passes through the liver, the organ decides whether it should be burnt now, stored for energy use later, or converted into triglycerides.
The problem: Fructose, which is often added to processed foods (even ostensibly healthy ones like whole-grain bread), causes energy to drop at the cellular level. “This leads to a reduced metabolic rate and increased fat storage,” says Richard J. Johnson, M.D., author of 'The Sugar Fix'. “It’s why bears eat thousands of berries before they hibernate: to store fat.”
The solution: Nutrition labels should say how much sugar is 'added' versus what occurs 'organically'. Take a look.
Your Brain
The problem: When sugar hits your stomach, the activity level of orexin (a neurotransmitter that triggers wakefulness) drops rapidly, spiralling your brain into a fog for up to three hours.
The solution: Food coma isn’t inevitable: According to recent research in the journal 'Neuron', you can counteract it with a serving of protein, or less practical, give yourself a 180-minute buffer before trying to be productive.
Your Mood
The problem: Researchers at California State University found that people who ate approximately 24 grams of sugar in a sitting (the average amount in a candy bar), had a quick energy spurt but an hour later reported less energy and a more stressed mood than beforehand.
The solution: Stop eating sugar!
Your Heart
The problem: People who get 25 percent or more of their calories from added sugar (and you'd be surprised how quickly it adds up in your dips, sauces, crackers, dressings etc) have a 275 percent higher chance of death from heart disease than those who get 10 percent or less.
The solution: There isn’t one—except, well, cutting back on sugar. Step away from the juice and eat a real (protein and fat-rich) meal.
The Man Who Ate For Health
Glucose vs. Fructose (high fructose corn syrup (HFCS))
Both are sugars, but when glucose passes through the liver, the organ decides whether it should be burnt now, stored for energy use later, or converted into triglycerides.
Fructose, by contrast, bypasses this process and is quickly converted to fat by the liver. What's more, HFCS is more quickly absorbed into your blood stream, spiking insulin levels and signalling the body to cling to fat says (Mark Hyman, M.D, author of 'The Blood Sugar Solution').
Another strike against HFCS: Yale researchers found that glucose "suppresses brain activity in regions that promote the desire to eat." In other words, when you eat glucose-containing foods you get full.
Another strike against HFCS: Yale researchers found that glucose "suppresses brain activity in regions that promote the desire to eat." In other words, when you eat glucose-containing foods you get full.
Consuming fructose, however, doesn't seem to cause the brain to put the brakes on hunger. On top of that, consuming fructose-sweetened beverages increases visceral fat and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese people, more than glucose-sweetened beverages do. And also, research from a Princeton University animal study found that rats that ate high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight and abdominal fat and had higher circulating blood fats compared to rats that ate table sugar, even if they nibbled on the same number of calories.
How sugars effect different parts of your body ..
Your Skin
The problem: Jowls and wrinkles may be the result of eating too many processed foods.
The solution: Rebuild collagen by eating lysine, which is found in fish and meats and bone broths.
Your Waistline
Your Skin
The problem: Jowls and wrinkles may be the result of eating too many processed foods.
As sugar digests, it bonds to collagen and impairs the molecule’s function (a process called glycation). HFCS causes about 10 times more glycation than glucose.
The solution: Rebuild collagen by eating lysine, which is found in fish and meats and bone broths.
The problem: Fructose, which is often added to processed foods (even ostensibly healthy ones like whole-grain bread), causes energy to drop at the cellular level. “This leads to a reduced metabolic rate and increased fat storage,” says Richard J. Johnson, M.D., author of 'The Sugar Fix'. “It’s why bears eat thousands of berries before they hibernate: to store fat.”
The solution: Nutrition labels should say how much sugar is 'added' versus what occurs 'organically'. Take a look.
The problem: When sugar hits your stomach, the activity level of orexin (a neurotransmitter that triggers wakefulness) drops rapidly, spiralling your brain into a fog for up to three hours.
The solution: Food coma isn’t inevitable: According to recent research in the journal 'Neuron', you can counteract it with a serving of protein, or less practical, give yourself a 180-minute buffer before trying to be productive.
The problem: Researchers at California State University found that people who ate approximately 24 grams of sugar in a sitting (the average amount in a candy bar), had a quick energy spurt but an hour later reported less energy and a more stressed mood than beforehand.
The solution: Stop eating sugar!
The problem: People who get 25 percent or more of their calories from added sugar (and you'd be surprised how quickly it adds up in your dips, sauces, crackers, dressings etc) have a 275 percent higher chance of death from heart disease than those who get 10 percent or less.
The solution: There isn’t one—except, well, cutting back on sugar. Step away from the juice and eat a real (protein and fat-rich) meal.
That's your educational lesson for the week :)
I wish I'd realised this when I was young and foolish and raising children!
This is the most apt description of me ...
Now I am spending the afternoon studying.
Nite all.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Procrastination or Necessity?
There is so much that needs to be done and I feel guilty sitting down to study when I know things are being neglected.
So it could be seen as procrastination, but today it was necessary to do some cooking to replenish stocks that have diminished in the fridge in the last couple of weeks.
I need to clean the bathroom tomorrow and by then, the guilt should ease enough for me to study with focus.
Some more of Mother Nature's wrath hit our area in the early hours of this morning.
An earthquake registering 5.2 on the Richter scale hit at 2am.
This earthquake woke everybody I know, including Adoring Husband, who said that it sounded just like the tornado with a roaring sound that got louder and louder.
SEB's bird cage was moved almost 2 foot from it's usual resting place.
All three of the psychotic dogs (two of them sleep in our room) barked at the disturbance.
Others talked of rattling cupboard doors, the houses on stumps vibrated more than the new houses and some lighter items vibrated right off shelves. Some places lost power for an hour and others found cracked concrete and cracks in walls.
I slept through the whole thing!!
I vaguely remember feeling the bed shake and dismissing it thinking that Adoring Husband had woken up (he has Parkinsons and regularly wakes during the night causing the bed to vibrate) and I also heard the psychotic dog in the laundry barking, but ignored her hoping that she would soon stop.
But that is the extent of my earthquake experience and I am grateful for that.
AH was surprised by how it caused him to relive the fear of the tornado event, so I'm glad that I slept through it.
Apparently we live on a fault line. Who knew?! Not very happy about THAT!
Anyway, we survived intact, and hopefully that's the last of it!
Best go make dinner!
Nite all.
So it could be seen as procrastination, but today it was necessary to do some cooking to replenish stocks that have diminished in the fridge in the last couple of weeks.
I need to clean the bathroom tomorrow and by then, the guilt should ease enough for me to study with focus.
Some more of Mother Nature's wrath hit our area in the early hours of this morning.
An earthquake registering 5.2 on the Richter scale hit at 2am.
This earthquake woke everybody I know, including Adoring Husband, who said that it sounded just like the tornado with a roaring sound that got louder and louder.
SEB's bird cage was moved almost 2 foot from it's usual resting place.
All three of the psychotic dogs (two of them sleep in our room) barked at the disturbance.
Others talked of rattling cupboard doors, the houses on stumps vibrated more than the new houses and some lighter items vibrated right off shelves. Some places lost power for an hour and others found cracked concrete and cracks in walls.
I slept through the whole thing!!
I vaguely remember feeling the bed shake and dismissing it thinking that Adoring Husband had woken up (he has Parkinsons and regularly wakes during the night causing the bed to vibrate) and I also heard the psychotic dog in the laundry barking, but ignored her hoping that she would soon stop.
But that is the extent of my earthquake experience and I am grateful for that.
AH was surprised by how it caused him to relive the fear of the tornado event, so I'm glad that I slept through it.
Apparently we live on a fault line. Who knew?! Not very happy about THAT!
Anyway, we survived intact, and hopefully that's the last of it!
Best go make dinner!
Nite all.
Sunday, February 15, 2015
As Promised
Well, here are 'some' photos from my time in Brisvegas.
I currently have a big batch of chicken broth simmering away in the slow cooker .. it's been going for about 12 hours and I'll probably leave it on for another 24 hours.
This is what I made for lunch today. Chilli, chicken and prawn meatballs crusted in sesame seeds with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. Unfortunately, my chillies weren't very strong so I'll remedy that for the next batch!
I ate so many of them at lunch time that I didn't even have dinner tonight.
I used 500g each of green prawns and chicken mince.
I processed the prawns until they were quite smooth, then added 2 T of chilled water and pulsed it until the mixture was quite sticky. I then added the chicken mince, 2 T fish sauce, finely chopped chilly, garlic and spring onions and pulsed until it was mixed well.
I coated my hands in oil so that the mixture wouldn't stick and made some small meatballs, which I rolled in sesame seeds and then flattened slightly. I shallow fried them in coconut oil and after they were cooked, sprinkled them with himalayan salt and cracked pepper.
I made a dipping sauce with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, chopped coriander, chilli and fish sauce. It needed more chilli.
Anyway, that's it from me. I'll try to get some more shots from my week away, up here soon, but I really need to focus on the studies, so I don't know when that will happen.
Nite all.
The waiter (Carlos) was kind enough to take a group photo of us as our entrees arrived.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my tripod, so hand held in low light is not really conducive to crisp shots. They turned out 'ok', all things considered.
I currently have a big batch of chicken broth simmering away in the slow cooker .. it's been going for about 12 hours and I'll probably leave it on for another 24 hours.
This is what I made for lunch today. Chilli, chicken and prawn meatballs crusted in sesame seeds with a sweet chilli dipping sauce. Unfortunately, my chillies weren't very strong so I'll remedy that for the next batch!
I ate so many of them at lunch time that I didn't even have dinner tonight.
I used 500g each of green prawns and chicken mince.
I processed the prawns until they were quite smooth, then added 2 T of chilled water and pulsed it until the mixture was quite sticky. I then added the chicken mince, 2 T fish sauce, finely chopped chilly, garlic and spring onions and pulsed until it was mixed well.
I coated my hands in oil so that the mixture wouldn't stick and made some small meatballs, which I rolled in sesame seeds and then flattened slightly. I shallow fried them in coconut oil and after they were cooked, sprinkled them with himalayan salt and cracked pepper.
I made a dipping sauce with apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, honey, chopped coriander, chilli and fish sauce. It needed more chilli.
Anyway, that's it from me. I'll try to get some more shots from my week away, up here soon, but I really need to focus on the studies, so I don't know when that will happen.
Nite all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)