I slept very soundly in this comfortable bed.
We've had an amazing day at the retreat and boy did I clear some crap! This crap clearing is fantastic! So many issues. Some obvious. Some surprising and unexpected. Some long standing.
As fantastic as crap clearing is, it is also freaking exhausting and draining. So many tears! Not just mine. There was a lot of heavy stuff happening in that room today and at the end of the day, you could feel the shift, feel the change in the air and see the lightness in people's steps and the light in their eyes.
Tonight before we left, we had a bonfire where we all stood around in a circle and threw the papers with our limiting beliefs written on them into the fire and watched them burn. We sang songs, we made jokes, we swayed, we danced and we hugged.
You know that I'm not usually a 'hugging, touchy feely' kind of person. I'm not one to easily shed tears or show any extreme emotion. I like to suppress my emotions, put a lid on them and pretend that I'm strong and tough.
I think I've done enough work on myself this month to let all the tough stuff go, feel ok about shedding some tears and to now feel the love and enjoy some warm hugs.
Not only that, I now know that I'm capable of, and that I'm good enough to create an abundant and fulfilling future for myself. There'll be no holding me back now.
Look out world! Here I come!
But not tonight because I'm buggered!
I'm going to have a lemon myrtle tea and then climb into bed so that I'm ready for another abundantly fulfilling day tomorrow.
I'm going to take some photos of the resort tomorrow. It is a beautiful place and one day I'm going to come back for a week, to just spend some time and 'be'.
Temple Byron
Have a lovely Sunday.
Nite all.
Saturday, February 25, 2017
Friday, February 24, 2017
Beyond Tired
We are exhausted.
The Motivator is sound asleep in bed and I can hear a few snores through the bedroom door lol.
It has been a huge day, including a Google Maps detour that almost ended our lives!
Maps sent us up this narrow, winding, white gravel road with a 200 foot drop down the left (yes that's the passenger side!) and cars were driving on it at astronomical speeds. Twice we genuinely feared for our lives and in one instance, a ute appeared around a bend in the opposite direction at about 100kmh and came horrendously close to wiping us out.
We thankfully arrived at our destination safe n sound, but once the adrenalin stopped pumping, I think we both experienced a little bit of shock.
We had 40 minutes to unpack the car, freshen ourselves up and head out to the resort for our workshop.
It started at 6pm and finished at about 10.30pm. We had to drive home and make some dinner because we hadn't eaten since lunch time and now I can hardly keep my eyelids open!
I must sleep.
It's now midnight and we need to leave here to start a 12 hour day at 8.30am.
Have a great Saturday!
Nite all.
The Motivator is sound asleep in bed and I can hear a few snores through the bedroom door lol.
It has been a huge day, including a Google Maps detour that almost ended our lives!
Maps sent us up this narrow, winding, white gravel road with a 200 foot drop down the left (yes that's the passenger side!) and cars were driving on it at astronomical speeds. Twice we genuinely feared for our lives and in one instance, a ute appeared around a bend in the opposite direction at about 100kmh and came horrendously close to wiping us out.
We thankfully arrived at our destination safe n sound, but once the adrenalin stopped pumping, I think we both experienced a little bit of shock.
We had 40 minutes to unpack the car, freshen ourselves up and head out to the resort for our workshop.
It started at 6pm and finished at about 10.30pm. We had to drive home and make some dinner because we hadn't eaten since lunch time and now I can hardly keep my eyelids open!
I must sleep.
It's now midnight and we need to leave here to start a 12 hour day at 8.30am.
Have a great Saturday!
Nite all.
Thursday, February 23, 2017
Another One of Those!
Yes, another 'hell of a day'!!
After falling into bed well after 1.30am, the alarm woke me at 6am.
I had a shower and cleaned the bathroom then methodically went through the remaining items on the checklist.
We left the house just after 7am to have our host's car cleaned, to get those last basic groceries that they would need upon their return and to buy some 'thank you' flowers.
We returned to the house, put flowers in vases, collected the rest of our belongings and finished packing the car.
It was a hectic 2 hours!
We decided to do breakfast on the beach at Manly, where there is a lovely little eatery right on the water. We were served by the most attentive and kind waiter on the planet, who tended to our GF dietary requirements with precision and care.
It was a delicious breakfast which we took our time over while admiring the view and enjoying the cool sea breezes.
We tipped our waiter and thanked him for his kind service, before heading to The Motivator's old stomping ground at Fairlight Beach. We sat on the grass in the shade of some big old trees and wondered out loud why anybody would want to leave such a beautiful spot.
It's so pristine, with deep blue water and the people were so relaxed and 'at home' there. I didn't want to leave!
Eventually, common sense prevailed and we decided to make a move.
We had to return to the house to catch up briefly with our host and about 90 mins later, when we were ready to leave Sydney, the car told us that the battery in the key needed replacing! Ugh!
This meant a trip back to Manly where the serviceman took an hour to fix both keys.
By now it was 3.30pm.
School time = 90 minutes to drive 42 kms.
So frustrating!
We finally made it out onto the highway and the traffic dissipated to give us a clear run.
Then we required a pitstop for peeing and eating (in that order) and found a fabulous organic take away food joint at a big service centre! What a find!! We stocked up on salads and GF chocolate brownies, all of which were bloody bewdiful!
From there, we drove and we talked and we sang and we drove some more, followed by lecturing other drivers, more talking and more driving.
It was 8.30pm by the time we drove into the motel carpark in Port Macquarie and not a moment too soon. It was the last 2 bedroom apartment available at a bargain price of $125 for the night.
It's a bit dated and one bedroom doesn't have a fan or air conditioning, but it's clean and tidy with good beds and a kitchen so that we could cook up our chicken and pork, which will be our protein over the weekend when they are feeding us vegan meals.
So it has been yet another long and tiring day. We are looking forward to getting a solid night of sleep and will head off between 8-9am tomorrow.
It will take about 5 hours to reach Byron Bay and hopefully we'll have a couple of hours rest before we need to register and begin our workshop.
Right now ... I need sleep.
Nite all
After falling into bed well after 1.30am, the alarm woke me at 6am.
I had a shower and cleaned the bathroom then methodically went through the remaining items on the checklist.
We left the house just after 7am to have our host's car cleaned, to get those last basic groceries that they would need upon their return and to buy some 'thank you' flowers.
We returned to the house, put flowers in vases, collected the rest of our belongings and finished packing the car.
It was a hectic 2 hours!
We decided to do breakfast on the beach at Manly, where there is a lovely little eatery right on the water. We were served by the most attentive and kind waiter on the planet, who tended to our GF dietary requirements with precision and care.
It was a delicious breakfast which we took our time over while admiring the view and enjoying the cool sea breezes.
We tipped our waiter and thanked him for his kind service, before heading to The Motivator's old stomping ground at Fairlight Beach. We sat on the grass in the shade of some big old trees and wondered out loud why anybody would want to leave such a beautiful spot.
It's so pristine, with deep blue water and the people were so relaxed and 'at home' there. I didn't want to leave!
Eventually, common sense prevailed and we decided to make a move.
We had to return to the house to catch up briefly with our host and about 90 mins later, when we were ready to leave Sydney, the car told us that the battery in the key needed replacing! Ugh!
This meant a trip back to Manly where the serviceman took an hour to fix both keys.
By now it was 3.30pm.
School time = 90 minutes to drive 42 kms.
So frustrating!
We finally made it out onto the highway and the traffic dissipated to give us a clear run.
Then we required a pitstop for peeing and eating (in that order) and found a fabulous organic take away food joint at a big service centre! What a find!! We stocked up on salads and GF chocolate brownies, all of which were bloody bewdiful!
From there, we drove and we talked and we sang and we drove some more, followed by lecturing other drivers, more talking and more driving.
It was 8.30pm by the time we drove into the motel carpark in Port Macquarie and not a moment too soon. It was the last 2 bedroom apartment available at a bargain price of $125 for the night.
It's a bit dated and one bedroom doesn't have a fan or air conditioning, but it's clean and tidy with good beds and a kitchen so that we could cook up our chicken and pork, which will be our protein over the weekend when they are feeding us vegan meals.
So it has been yet another long and tiring day. We are looking forward to getting a solid night of sleep and will head off between 8-9am tomorrow.
It will take about 5 hours to reach Byron Bay and hopefully we'll have a couple of hours rest before we need to register and begin our workshop.
Right now ... I need sleep.
Nite all
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Moving On
This is our last night in the big smoke.
Time to move on up the coast.
The Motivator picked up her new car today and we begin the drive to Byron Bay tomorrow morning.
It was another hectic morning at the Gift Fair.
Because the participating businesses sell off all the goods on their stalls on the last day, people come from all directions to get the final bargains. It's a mad house. Security stand at the door checking that everybody has a receipt for the items they are carrying.
We had a checklist of stalls that we wanted to order from, and a list of stalls where we had made purchases but weren't allowed to take them out of the centre until after 1pm on the final day.
Even though we were very organised, it still took The Motivator 2 hours to complete her 'to do' list and it took me 4 hours to complete mine.
The Motivator then had to navigate her way across Sydney, on public transport, to pick up her car, while I finished up at the Gift Fair.
When I left there, I found a nice quiet spot in a restaurant to enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by for about 45 minutes.
I dragged my goods up four ramps in the carpark to our motel, where our luggage was being stored until we could take it.
I settled onto a couch in the bar area of the hotel, where it was air conditioned and comfortable. It was a very pleasant hour and I sipped on a Vodka and Tonic with a twist of lime while I waited. When The Motivator arrived, she parked the car and we debriefed over a beverage before heading back to Mosman.
We ran some errands and bought some basics for the generous people who allowed us to use their home while we were here. Scoffed down a delicious dinner at the Mosman Pub and then came home to reorganise and repack our luggage so that it all fits into the car easily tomorrow.
There was mail to pick up from the post office, the car had to be fuelled up, there was washing to do, food to cook for our meals tomorrow, cleaning, blogging and so much more.
I'm exhausted. My back hurts from today's heavy lifting and my head hurts from thinking too hard.
We are not finished yet and it's almost midnight. So I'd best go and help The Motivator get the rest of this crap done.
Oh for a pillow to lay down my weary head.
Nite al.
Time to move on up the coast.
The Motivator picked up her new car today and we begin the drive to Byron Bay tomorrow morning.
It was another hectic morning at the Gift Fair.
Because the participating businesses sell off all the goods on their stalls on the last day, people come from all directions to get the final bargains. It's a mad house. Security stand at the door checking that everybody has a receipt for the items they are carrying.
We had a checklist of stalls that we wanted to order from, and a list of stalls where we had made purchases but weren't allowed to take them out of the centre until after 1pm on the final day.
Even though we were very organised, it still took The Motivator 2 hours to complete her 'to do' list and it took me 4 hours to complete mine.
The Motivator then had to navigate her way across Sydney, on public transport, to pick up her car, while I finished up at the Gift Fair.
When I left there, I found a nice quiet spot in a restaurant to enjoy a coffee and watch the world go by for about 45 minutes.
I dragged my goods up four ramps in the carpark to our motel, where our luggage was being stored until we could take it.
I settled onto a couch in the bar area of the hotel, where it was air conditioned and comfortable. It was a very pleasant hour and I sipped on a Vodka and Tonic with a twist of lime while I waited. When The Motivator arrived, she parked the car and we debriefed over a beverage before heading back to Mosman.
We ran some errands and bought some basics for the generous people who allowed us to use their home while we were here. Scoffed down a delicious dinner at the Mosman Pub and then came home to reorganise and repack our luggage so that it all fits into the car easily tomorrow.
There was mail to pick up from the post office, the car had to be fuelled up, there was washing to do, food to cook for our meals tomorrow, cleaning, blogging and so much more.
I'm exhausted. My back hurts from today's heavy lifting and my head hurts from thinking too hard.
We are not finished yet and it's almost midnight. So I'd best go and help The Motivator get the rest of this crap done.
Oh for a pillow to lay down my weary head.
Nite al.
Moan Groan Grunt
Nine hours on my feet, in heels!
What a day!
The gift fair was amazing. Two full floors of the Exhibition Centre. Nine hours and we still did not see all of the stalls. So much beautiful 'stuff'.
Clothing, home decor, shoes, jewellery of every description, artwork, stationery, linen and Manchester, toys, games, packaging, glassware, candles, watches, hats, party ware, silverware, cutlery, electronics, souvenirs, lighting, mirrors, fashion accessories, apparel, baby products, educational, cookware, kitchen utensils, tableware, storage, Christmas and the list goes on and on and on.
It was like being at a bigger, less expensive version of Eumundi markets!!
My idea of heaven.
I ordered beautiful journals and stationery and books. I bought gorgeous jewellery. I found fabulous packaging to colour co-ordinate with my brand. I plan on ordering some amazing educational resources for kids. I've taken information for colourful leather purses, wallets and handbags.
I'm so excited!
We are returning tomorrow morning in an attempt to see what we missed today.
By the time we were kicked out at 6pm closing time, our feet were so sore, we limped our way into a nearby arcade, found a nail shop, plonked ourselves down in their massage chairs and thoroughly enjoyed a pedicure and foot massage.
I can't even tell you how wonderful that was. I asked the girl who massaged my feet, to come home with me. She said that she would if I paid her a LOT of money.
We couldn't even bear the thought of walking back to our motel to get ready for dinner, so we hobbled our way to the closest restaurant on Darling Harbour, sat down and ordered a couple of cocktails and a delicious meal.
Two alcoholic beverages, a main meal each and two hours later we were climbing the carpark ramps to reach our motel room.
We didn't even collapse when we reached the room! Instead, we began sifting through all of our catalogues, price lists and business cards as if it was Christmas, and opening all the bags of jewellery that we'd bought on site, to drool over again.
We planned our outfits for tomorrow.
Repacked and reorganised our suitcases.
Changed into our pyjamas.
Climbed into bed with all of our catalogues and worked out which stalls we will order from tomorrow
Checked our emails to discover the invoices from today's orders.
Complained loudly about the aching feet and the seizing up muscles in every part of our body.
Made fun of ourselves for still being awake at 1.30am after such a ridiculously full day.
Found our essential oils to help ease our stress and sleep well.
And now ... it's time to give up and go to sleep.
Nite all.
What a day!
The gift fair was amazing. Two full floors of the Exhibition Centre. Nine hours and we still did not see all of the stalls. So much beautiful 'stuff'.
Clothing, home decor, shoes, jewellery of every description, artwork, stationery, linen and Manchester, toys, games, packaging, glassware, candles, watches, hats, party ware, silverware, cutlery, electronics, souvenirs, lighting, mirrors, fashion accessories, apparel, baby products, educational, cookware, kitchen utensils, tableware, storage, Christmas and the list goes on and on and on.
It was like being at a bigger, less expensive version of Eumundi markets!!
My idea of heaven.
I ordered beautiful journals and stationery and books. I bought gorgeous jewellery. I found fabulous packaging to colour co-ordinate with my brand. I plan on ordering some amazing educational resources for kids. I've taken information for colourful leather purses, wallets and handbags.
I'm so excited!
We are returning tomorrow morning in an attempt to see what we missed today.
By the time we were kicked out at 6pm closing time, our feet were so sore, we limped our way into a nearby arcade, found a nail shop, plonked ourselves down in their massage chairs and thoroughly enjoyed a pedicure and foot massage.
I can't even tell you how wonderful that was. I asked the girl who massaged my feet, to come home with me. She said that she would if I paid her a LOT of money.
We couldn't even bear the thought of walking back to our motel to get ready for dinner, so we hobbled our way to the closest restaurant on Darling Harbour, sat down and ordered a couple of cocktails and a delicious meal.
Two alcoholic beverages, a main meal each and two hours later we were climbing the carpark ramps to reach our motel room.
We didn't even collapse when we reached the room! Instead, we began sifting through all of our catalogues, price lists and business cards as if it was Christmas, and opening all the bags of jewellery that we'd bought on site, to drool over again.
We planned our outfits for tomorrow.
Repacked and reorganised our suitcases.
Changed into our pyjamas.
Climbed into bed with all of our catalogues and worked out which stalls we will order from tomorrow
Checked our emails to discover the invoices from today's orders.
Complained loudly about the aching feet and the seizing up muscles in every part of our body.
Made fun of ourselves for still being awake at 1.30am after such a ridiculously full day.
Found our essential oils to help ease our stress and sleep well.
And now ... it's time to give up and go to sleep.
Nite all.
Monday, February 20, 2017
Sydney I'm Baaa-aaack!
It was a very cold start to the day in Canberra! 6C with a strong breeze.
I checked out of the Hotel and caught a taxi to the airport. We drove past Duntroon but I didn't even recognise it until I saw the sign "Royal Military College" and I asked the driver "Is that Duntroon???"
He confirmed that it was and I said "I lived there 37 years ago! We were living there when my first daughter was born. I don't even recognise it as the same place!"
We agreed that 'plenty' had changed in 37 years.
The airport was a surprise too! What a beautiful piece of architecture that is!
My flight to Sydney was delayed by an hour, which was a little annoying, but I finally reached the motel on Darling Harbour at about 2.30pm. What a lovely view we have ...
The room is quite small, but it's clean and tidy and has everything that we need.
When The Motivator arrived, she unpacked her suitcase and we decided to go for a walk and find somewhere to have some dinner and a drink or two.
We found a great little place that sold Mediterranean food ...
... and we shared a bottle of wine over a couple of hours before walking it off around the harbour.
We didn't get back to our room until about 10.30pm and I was surprised by how many people were out and about on a Monday night!
So far, it has been a fabulous first few hours in Sydney and we are looking forward to attending the Gift Fair tomorrow. We've both got our outfits all laid out and we will be looking professional and amazing!
It's just ticked past midnight, and The Motivator is in the bed beside mine trying to sleep, so I'd best stop clicking away on this keyboard and give her some peace.
Nite all.
I checked out of the Hotel and caught a taxi to the airport. We drove past Duntroon but I didn't even recognise it until I saw the sign "Royal Military College" and I asked the driver "Is that Duntroon???"
He confirmed that it was and I said "I lived there 37 years ago! We were living there when my first daughter was born. I don't even recognise it as the same place!"
We agreed that 'plenty' had changed in 37 years.
The airport was a surprise too! What a beautiful piece of architecture that is!
My flight to Sydney was delayed by an hour, which was a little annoying, but I finally reached the motel on Darling Harbour at about 2.30pm. What a lovely view we have ...
The room is quite small, but it's clean and tidy and has everything that we need.
When The Motivator arrived, she unpacked her suitcase and we decided to go for a walk and find somewhere to have some dinner and a drink or two.
We found a great little place that sold Mediterranean food ...
... and we shared a bottle of wine over a couple of hours before walking it off around the harbour.
We didn't get back to our room until about 10.30pm and I was surprised by how many people were out and about on a Monday night!
So far, it has been a fabulous first few hours in Sydney and we are looking forward to attending the Gift Fair tomorrow. We've both got our outfits all laid out and we will be looking professional and amazing!
It's just ticked past midnight, and The Motivator is in the bed beside mine trying to sleep, so I'd best stop clicking away on this keyboard and give her some peace.
Nite all.
Sunday, February 19, 2017
Photography Free
I find it odd that I've had no desire to take photos while on this self made personal retreat in Canberra.
The photo opportunities have been many and varied, with beauty and colour and energy and movement and dance and costumes and so much more!
In a bid to keep this retreat as my own private and personal journey that remains captured in my head and my heart, I've kept my phone/camera securely zipped in my bag.
It's been a fabulous two days and I've thoroughly enjoyed this 'me' time. I can't even remember the last time I did something on my own, so far from home ... eating when I feel like eating, going wherever my little heart desires, whenever my little heart desires and not having to take anybody else into consideration.
No sacrifices, no compromises, no second guessing and being completely and totally selfish.
I'm certain that it wouldn't be so enjoyable if my life was like that all the time, but once a year would make me very happy!
Today, I commissioned a lady to create a turquoise and silver pendant. She is a silversmith by trade and was selling gemstones at the health and wellness festival.
Today, I was asked for my website details by two stall holders and I issued my business card to them! Woot Woot!
Today, I was given my numerology details. He took one look at me and announced "You have something big and new and amazing happening at the moment!" and asked me for my date of birth.
I am a SEVEN. I'm philosophical and imaginative. I don't take things at face value and I need to study, test and analyse everything. I must learn through personal involvement and that makes it easier to share my experiences and apparently that makes me a good teacher. I find strength within myself and I am reluctant to ask for the help that I need.
I repel conformity. I strive for mental growth and development. My later years will be filled with writing and research.
I don't suffer fools. I struggle to finish tasks (ain't that the truth!). I need to be free to be me, so don't put me under the thumb. I have a magnetism that draws people to me (yeah whatever).
That's a brief summary of my 'life purpose' and my 'inner qualities'.
Anyway, after that, I could hear the sounds of the Multicultural Festival calling me, so I walked in the direction of the music and found myself being forcibly moved through the crowds. It reminded me of 'Finding Nemo' when the turtles were swept along the ocean currents! I had to pick my moment to jump free!
There was food from every nation on the planet - none of which was advertised as gluten free and the queues were so long, I wasn't going to join them if it meant finding that I couldn't eat it. So I moved to the entertainment area and found a seat to enjoy the dancing and the costumes and the music.
My favourite, by far, was the Greek music and when everybody joined in the Zorba the Greek dance. Everybody from every age group joined in and were having such fun! My cheeks ached from smiling so hard.
After I'd spent time sitting at four of the many live music stages, I decided to call it a day. It was 4pm and I was starving, so I found a restaurant that had takeaway roast pork and veg and then I went in search of a familiar landmark so that I could figure out how to get back to my accommodation.
I ate dinner, watched the women's cricket, read for a while and here it is after 9pm already!
Best pack my goods and make sure everything fits in the suitcase!
Nite all.
The photo opportunities have been many and varied, with beauty and colour and energy and movement and dance and costumes and so much more!
In a bid to keep this retreat as my own private and personal journey that remains captured in my head and my heart, I've kept my phone/camera securely zipped in my bag.
It's been a fabulous two days and I've thoroughly enjoyed this 'me' time. I can't even remember the last time I did something on my own, so far from home ... eating when I feel like eating, going wherever my little heart desires, whenever my little heart desires and not having to take anybody else into consideration.
No sacrifices, no compromises, no second guessing and being completely and totally selfish.
I'm certain that it wouldn't be so enjoyable if my life was like that all the time, but once a year would make me very happy!
Today, I commissioned a lady to create a turquoise and silver pendant. She is a silversmith by trade and was selling gemstones at the health and wellness festival.
Today, I was asked for my website details by two stall holders and I issued my business card to them! Woot Woot!
Today, I was given my numerology details. He took one look at me and announced "You have something big and new and amazing happening at the moment!" and asked me for my date of birth.
I am a SEVEN. I'm philosophical and imaginative. I don't take things at face value and I need to study, test and analyse everything. I must learn through personal involvement and that makes it easier to share my experiences and apparently that makes me a good teacher. I find strength within myself and I am reluctant to ask for the help that I need.
I repel conformity. I strive for mental growth and development. My later years will be filled with writing and research.
I don't suffer fools. I struggle to finish tasks (ain't that the truth!). I need to be free to be me, so don't put me under the thumb. I have a magnetism that draws people to me (yeah whatever).
That's a brief summary of my 'life purpose' and my 'inner qualities'.
Anyway, after that, I could hear the sounds of the Multicultural Festival calling me, so I walked in the direction of the music and found myself being forcibly moved through the crowds. It reminded me of 'Finding Nemo' when the turtles were swept along the ocean currents! I had to pick my moment to jump free!
There was food from every nation on the planet - none of which was advertised as gluten free and the queues were so long, I wasn't going to join them if it meant finding that I couldn't eat it. So I moved to the entertainment area and found a seat to enjoy the dancing and the costumes and the music.
My favourite, by far, was the Greek music and when everybody joined in the Zorba the Greek dance. Everybody from every age group joined in and were having such fun! My cheeks ached from smiling so hard.
After I'd spent time sitting at four of the many live music stages, I decided to call it a day. It was 4pm and I was starving, so I found a restaurant that had takeaway roast pork and veg and then I went in search of a familiar landmark so that I could figure out how to get back to my accommodation.
I ate dinner, watched the women's cricket, read for a while and here it is after 9pm already!
Best pack my goods and make sure everything fits in the suitcase!
Nite all.
Saturday, February 18, 2017
Happy Times
I must send a 'thank you' to Leonie Dawson!
This weekend was supposed to be a retreat, learning about running a website as a business. I was very excited about this retreat and I can't explain to you how disappointed I was when it was cancelled a few weeks ago. *insert sad face here*
I must also send a 'thank you' to Adoring Husband .. who suggested that I still come to Canberra anyway, treat it as my own personal retreat and have some 'me' time. *insert happy face here*
I knew about the 'Health and Wellness Festival' which is held in the Convention Centre, but there are two big bonuses to add to that. There is also a Wine and Food Festival in the downstairs section of the Convention Centre AND The Canberra Multicultural Festival is being held in the centre of Canberra, which is just a block away from where I am staying!
Streets have been closed off and there are hundreds of stalls with food and products and crafts from so many different countries, it's impossible to describe. So much colour and music and dancing and happy positive energy ... even bigger than the Childers Multicultural Festival, but with the same vibe.
I'll have more time to take a better look tomorrow.
The strange thing is that even though I am alone here, I don't feel alone at all. When I walked through the entry of the health and wellness festival, I immediately felt like I was surrounded by friends. I felt safe and secure and welcome.
I felt no hesitation when I saw the stalls that I was interested in and I walked right up and asked for what I wanted. For the stalls that I didn't understand or wasn't familiar with their product, I satisfied my curiosity with questions - something that I would normally be too shy and afraid to do by myself prior to the Journey work that I did in Sydney the other week!
I had a psychic reading with a lovely lady named Jenny. I selected her from her photo and bio on a big poster with eleven other psychics.
I discovered, after I sat at her table, that her father has Parkinson's disease. I think the universe brought us together for that reason. Our 30 minutes together was more like a couple of friends catching up, than a psychic reading!
I had a whole body/health scan. It seems that I have Epstein Barre Virus, an overload of copper and lithium, hyperacidity, a minor infection in my intestines, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries in my neck - but not around my heart or head), chronically low magnesium and an allergy to gluten, wheat, barley, rye, oats, egg yolk and buckwheat.
To fix these problems, I need to take digestive enzymes twice a day, a milk culture that I have to make myself, apple cider vinegar twice daily, magnesium bicarbonate, hydrogen peroxide, vitamin C and Astragalus.
Using the magnesium bicarbonate and the milk culture, it will take 2 years to clear my arteries. It will take up to a year to reach the correct levels of magnesium and then I can stop taking the magnesium bicarbonate.
Funnily enough, when I had the palpitations last year, I started taking magnesium, so that and stopping caffeine was enough to stop the palpitations. I also have digestive enzymes in the cupboard at home.
Raw garlic cloves and shallots will also kill the bad bacteria in my stomach.
I can only eat Kimchi and Sauerkraut once a week because it is too acidic for my body.
So there you go. I am very happy with this outcome. Even with my healthy eating and lifestyle, I knew there was still something 'not right' and if this scan is correct, I will be the healthiest person on the planet very soon.
This gentleman (Phillippe - whose clinic is based in Double Bay) said that even though it seems like a lot, compared to most people, I am very strong and healthy. My problems are minor and easily fixed.
I feel like this last month has been so full of positive outcomes for me mentally, emotionally and physically and I still have two more events to attend in the next week, which will only add to my wellbeing.
Life is good.
I am happy.
Nite all.
This weekend was supposed to be a retreat, learning about running a website as a business. I was very excited about this retreat and I can't explain to you how disappointed I was when it was cancelled a few weeks ago. *insert sad face here*
I must also send a 'thank you' to Adoring Husband .. who suggested that I still come to Canberra anyway, treat it as my own personal retreat and have some 'me' time. *insert happy face here*
I knew about the 'Health and Wellness Festival' which is held in the Convention Centre, but there are two big bonuses to add to that. There is also a Wine and Food Festival in the downstairs section of the Convention Centre AND The Canberra Multicultural Festival is being held in the centre of Canberra, which is just a block away from where I am staying!
Streets have been closed off and there are hundreds of stalls with food and products and crafts from so many different countries, it's impossible to describe. So much colour and music and dancing and happy positive energy ... even bigger than the Childers Multicultural Festival, but with the same vibe.
I'll have more time to take a better look tomorrow.
The strange thing is that even though I am alone here, I don't feel alone at all. When I walked through the entry of the health and wellness festival, I immediately felt like I was surrounded by friends. I felt safe and secure and welcome.
I felt no hesitation when I saw the stalls that I was interested in and I walked right up and asked for what I wanted. For the stalls that I didn't understand or wasn't familiar with their product, I satisfied my curiosity with questions - something that I would normally be too shy and afraid to do by myself prior to the Journey work that I did in Sydney the other week!
I had a psychic reading with a lovely lady named Jenny. I selected her from her photo and bio on a big poster with eleven other psychics.
I discovered, after I sat at her table, that her father has Parkinson's disease. I think the universe brought us together for that reason. Our 30 minutes together was more like a couple of friends catching up, than a psychic reading!
I had a whole body/health scan. It seems that I have Epstein Barre Virus, an overload of copper and lithium, hyperacidity, a minor infection in my intestines, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries in my neck - but not around my heart or head), chronically low magnesium and an allergy to gluten, wheat, barley, rye, oats, egg yolk and buckwheat.
To fix these problems, I need to take digestive enzymes twice a day, a milk culture that I have to make myself, apple cider vinegar twice daily, magnesium bicarbonate, hydrogen peroxide, vitamin C and Astragalus.
Using the magnesium bicarbonate and the milk culture, it will take 2 years to clear my arteries. It will take up to a year to reach the correct levels of magnesium and then I can stop taking the magnesium bicarbonate.
Funnily enough, when I had the palpitations last year, I started taking magnesium, so that and stopping caffeine was enough to stop the palpitations. I also have digestive enzymes in the cupboard at home.
Raw garlic cloves and shallots will also kill the bad bacteria in my stomach.
I can only eat Kimchi and Sauerkraut once a week because it is too acidic for my body.
So there you go. I am very happy with this outcome. Even with my healthy eating and lifestyle, I knew there was still something 'not right' and if this scan is correct, I will be the healthiest person on the planet very soon.
This gentleman (Phillippe - whose clinic is based in Double Bay) said that even though it seems like a lot, compared to most people, I am very strong and healthy. My problems are minor and easily fixed.
I feel like this last month has been so full of positive outcomes for me mentally, emotionally and physically and I still have two more events to attend in the next week, which will only add to my wellbeing.
Life is good.
I am happy.
Nite all.
Friday, February 17, 2017
I Think I'm Done!
OH-EM-GEE!!
What a day!
I had a 4am start because I needed to wash and blow dry my hair as well as get dressed, add my face and finish packing (just my toiletries and make up).
The sun was rising as we drove the fifteen minutes to the train station, which provided a very pretty sky to capture our admiration.
There were so many people waiting to catch the train, that the conductor asked if there was anybody left in Howard! Despite the numbers, my carriage was reasonably empty and I had two seats to myself.
It was the Tilt Train, it was on time and all was quiet and relaxed in the carriage.
Showing on the television screen was Andrew Denton interviewing Steve Irwin. Steve has been gone for ten years now and during the interview, he talked about Bindi being 5 yrs old, so the interview was historic and hilarious. The few people scattered throughout my carriage all giggled in unison as we watched the screens.
It was an easy and uneventful trip. One of the passengers was from NSW and I eavesdropped on his phone conversation declaring that Queensland trains 'had it all over' NSW trains. He loved how clean and comfortable they were. He loved the TV screens. He loved how quiet the other passengers were and how friendly the staff were. By the end of the call, he was strongly considering gaining employment with Queensland Rail!
We arrived at Roma Street Station about ten minutes late. It cost me $18 for the train ticket to the Domestic Air Terminal ($5 dearer than the equivalent train in Sydney).
Checking in at the Brisbane airport took about ten minutes - a whole lot LESS busy than Sydney!
I found a quiet corner where I made a couple of phone calls, drank half a coffee, played Words With Friends on my iPad with Tweedle Dee and then went in search of my departure gate, which, the check in staff told me was Gate 40B (it was even hand written on my luggage ticket).
When it was time to board, the announcement stated Gate 47, so I hightailed it to the other end of the terminal to gate 47. I needed the exercise anyway. pfft
The flight was on time. The plane was full. We had to take a detour around some severe storms in and around Sydney, which made the flight 10 minutes behind schedule. We flew over a massive bushfire .. so big that the pilot made an announcement that if we smelled smoke in the cabin, not to panic, and that it was only from the fire on the ground.
It was a bumpy landing .. though not anywhere near as bad as the landing in The Bay last week!
When we landed, they wouldn't allow us to alight through the rear doors because of the strong smell of smoke outside, so it took a while for everybody to get out through the front doors.
It took even longer for our bags to reach the conveyor belt in the baggage collection area.
My original plan was to catch the shuttle bus, but due to our delays, I would have to wait 45 minutes for the next bus, so I bit the bullet and caught a taxi instead.
My taxi driver could easily have competed in the Bathurst 1000 very competitively. He weaved in and out through the heavy afternoon traffic driving at 10kms over the speed limit and literally driving through two red lights.
The trip cost me $25 and five years from my life expectancy.
I checked into my hotel and was served by a very friendly and happy staff member. I found my room easily, closed the blinds, turned on the air conditioner, unpacked some stuff and even though I planned on searching out a nice restaurant, I decided instead to order room service.
I feasted on Wild Caught Tasmanian Salmon, with creamy potato bake and broccolini, followed by a dessert of Ice Cream Trio served with fresh berries and strawberry coulis. Full of sugar and dairy, but at least it was GF. I am sated!
I am now in my pyjamas, draped across my king sized bed and looking at the clock wondering if it's worth sleeping so early in the evening. It's just after 9.30pm (only 8.30 in QLD). I guess an early night, will mean an early start to the day tomorrow!
I'm done for the day. I've been on the go for 17 hours and my stress levels have been on a few mini rollercoaster rides throughout the day. It's time to rest.
Nite all.
What a day!
I had a 4am start because I needed to wash and blow dry my hair as well as get dressed, add my face and finish packing (just my toiletries and make up).
The sun was rising as we drove the fifteen minutes to the train station, which provided a very pretty sky to capture our admiration.
There were so many people waiting to catch the train, that the conductor asked if there was anybody left in Howard! Despite the numbers, my carriage was reasonably empty and I had two seats to myself.
It was the Tilt Train, it was on time and all was quiet and relaxed in the carriage.
Showing on the television screen was Andrew Denton interviewing Steve Irwin. Steve has been gone for ten years now and during the interview, he talked about Bindi being 5 yrs old, so the interview was historic and hilarious. The few people scattered throughout my carriage all giggled in unison as we watched the screens.
It was an easy and uneventful trip. One of the passengers was from NSW and I eavesdropped on his phone conversation declaring that Queensland trains 'had it all over' NSW trains. He loved how clean and comfortable they were. He loved the TV screens. He loved how quiet the other passengers were and how friendly the staff were. By the end of the call, he was strongly considering gaining employment with Queensland Rail!
We arrived at Roma Street Station about ten minutes late. It cost me $18 for the train ticket to the Domestic Air Terminal ($5 dearer than the equivalent train in Sydney).
Checking in at the Brisbane airport took about ten minutes - a whole lot LESS busy than Sydney!
I found a quiet corner where I made a couple of phone calls, drank half a coffee, played Words With Friends on my iPad with Tweedle Dee and then went in search of my departure gate, which, the check in staff told me was Gate 40B (it was even hand written on my luggage ticket).
When it was time to board, the announcement stated Gate 47, so I hightailed it to the other end of the terminal to gate 47. I needed the exercise anyway. pfft
The flight was on time. The plane was full. We had to take a detour around some severe storms in and around Sydney, which made the flight 10 minutes behind schedule. We flew over a massive bushfire .. so big that the pilot made an announcement that if we smelled smoke in the cabin, not to panic, and that it was only from the fire on the ground.
It was a bumpy landing .. though not anywhere near as bad as the landing in The Bay last week!
When we landed, they wouldn't allow us to alight through the rear doors because of the strong smell of smoke outside, so it took a while for everybody to get out through the front doors.
It took even longer for our bags to reach the conveyor belt in the baggage collection area.
My original plan was to catch the shuttle bus, but due to our delays, I would have to wait 45 minutes for the next bus, so I bit the bullet and caught a taxi instead.
My taxi driver could easily have competed in the Bathurst 1000 very competitively. He weaved in and out through the heavy afternoon traffic driving at 10kms over the speed limit and literally driving through two red lights.
The trip cost me $25 and five years from my life expectancy.
I checked into my hotel and was served by a very friendly and happy staff member. I found my room easily, closed the blinds, turned on the air conditioner, unpacked some stuff and even though I planned on searching out a nice restaurant, I decided instead to order room service.
I feasted on Wild Caught Tasmanian Salmon, with creamy potato bake and broccolini, followed by a dessert of Ice Cream Trio served with fresh berries and strawberry coulis. Full of sugar and dairy, but at least it was GF. I am sated!
I'm done for the day. I've been on the go for 17 hours and my stress levels have been on a few mini rollercoaster rides throughout the day. It's time to rest.
Nite all.
Thursday, February 16, 2017
One More Sleep
My four days at home have been very relaxing and rejuvenating and just what I needed before the next leg of fun and frivolity.
I have to be up bright and early to catch the stupid o'clock train tomorrow morning.
It will be a four hour journey to Brisbane by train, then I need to make my way to the airport for a two hour flight to Canberra. The shuttle bus will then transport me to my motel.
By the time I open my motel room door, I will have been travelling for twelve hours. I can only hope that the bed is welcoming and comfortable!
I'm almost packed and I have a checklist ready for tomorrow morning.
The heat got to me a bit today and I lay down for a nap before Adoring Husband turned on the air conditioner and cooled the house down considerably.
Obviously, I'll need an early night so that I can be bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow.
One thing I know for sure. The temperature ranges in Canberra will be 27 on the hottest day down to 9 on the coolest night. Sydney will range from 24 down to 18. Byron Bay will be 29 down to 21. So much cooler than here.
This means that I need to pack accordingly, which might be tricky! Layer upon layer upon layer upon layer.
Ah well, I can always go shopping haha!
Nite all.
I have to be up bright and early to catch the stupid o'clock train tomorrow morning.
It will be a four hour journey to Brisbane by train, then I need to make my way to the airport for a two hour flight to Canberra. The shuttle bus will then transport me to my motel.
By the time I open my motel room door, I will have been travelling for twelve hours. I can only hope that the bed is welcoming and comfortable!
I'm almost packed and I have a checklist ready for tomorrow morning.
The heat got to me a bit today and I lay down for a nap before Adoring Husband turned on the air conditioner and cooled the house down considerably.
Obviously, I'll need an early night so that I can be bright eyed and bushy tailed tomorrow.
One thing I know for sure. The temperature ranges in Canberra will be 27 on the hottest day down to 9 on the coolest night. Sydney will range from 24 down to 18. Byron Bay will be 29 down to 21. So much cooler than here.
This means that I need to pack accordingly, which might be tricky! Layer upon layer upon layer upon layer.
Ah well, I can always go shopping haha!
Nite all.
Wednesday, February 15, 2017
Date Day
I had two dates today!
Before my dates, I had to book my train ticket to Brisbane for Friday. ✓ check!
My first date was with Tweedle Dee for coffee this morning, and I had a thoroughly lovely time. Tweedle Dee has fabulous listening skills and I really enjoy spending time with her. We have some good laughs, but there was no snorting today!
She delivered, straight from her garden, this delicious Dragon Fruit!!
I also had my first coffee in more than six weeks!! I did not enjoy it, but it caused no adverse effects, so at least I know that once in a while, I can have a coffee in a social situation and not worry.
Adoring Husband picked me up from my coffee date and we headed into The Bay for some grocery shopping, to restock the chook food and to get supplies for the maintenance business.
We were hoping to eat lunch at the new 'Happy Days Diner' on The Esplanade in Scarness, but their kitchen is not finished yet. They only have coffee and slices available at the moment, but the diner looks amazing!
The staff wear authentic 50s/60s gear. There are the old fashioned booths to sit in and chequered tiles/lino on the floor. There is the back end of a car with it's bench seat, old vinyl record albums on show, chrome chairs with laminated tables.
It has a great feel about it and I was disappointed to find their kitchen not working yet. We will definitely return in a few weeks and review it!
We decided instead, to eat at Cafe Tapas and enjoyed lamb cutlets with pesto, pumpkin, spinach and pine nut salad, grilled calamari and prawns on skewers. It was just right.
There was no retail therapy today. No shoes. No clothes. No jewellery. No make-up. No journals! I did buy some cell food face cream and cell food drops for ingesting - does that count as retail therapy?? Nah.
We were home by 3.30pm and the psychotic dogs were happy to see us. The house was lovely and cool, due to the air conditioning .. we love our air conditioning! Although the weather has actually cooled down enough to turn it off tonight!
Tomorrow is packing day and it's now after 11pm, so I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
Before my dates, I had to book my train ticket to Brisbane for Friday. ✓ check!
My first date was with Tweedle Dee for coffee this morning, and I had a thoroughly lovely time. Tweedle Dee has fabulous listening skills and I really enjoy spending time with her. We have some good laughs, but there was no snorting today!
She delivered, straight from her garden, this delicious Dragon Fruit!!
I also had my first coffee in more than six weeks!! I did not enjoy it, but it caused no adverse effects, so at least I know that once in a while, I can have a coffee in a social situation and not worry.
Adoring Husband picked me up from my coffee date and we headed into The Bay for some grocery shopping, to restock the chook food and to get supplies for the maintenance business.
We were hoping to eat lunch at the new 'Happy Days Diner' on The Esplanade in Scarness, but their kitchen is not finished yet. They only have coffee and slices available at the moment, but the diner looks amazing!
The staff wear authentic 50s/60s gear. There are the old fashioned booths to sit in and chequered tiles/lino on the floor. There is the back end of a car with it's bench seat, old vinyl record albums on show, chrome chairs with laminated tables.
It has a great feel about it and I was disappointed to find their kitchen not working yet. We will definitely return in a few weeks and review it!
We decided instead, to eat at Cafe Tapas and enjoyed lamb cutlets with pesto, pumpkin, spinach and pine nut salad, grilled calamari and prawns on skewers. It was just right.
There was no retail therapy today. No shoes. No clothes. No jewellery. No make-up. No journals! I did buy some cell food face cream and cell food drops for ingesting - does that count as retail therapy?? Nah.
We were home by 3.30pm and the psychotic dogs were happy to see us. The house was lovely and cool, due to the air conditioning .. we love our air conditioning! Although the weather has actually cooled down enough to turn it off tonight!
Tomorrow is packing day and it's now after 11pm, so I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
Tuesday, February 14, 2017
Another Day of Rest
On the way to coffee this morning, I stopped in at The Motivator's house to deliver her Valentine's Card to The Fisher King and also to pick up mine and Woman of Many Talent's Le Reve delivery. The Fisher King just happened to be on the phone with The Motivator when I arrived, so I had a quick chat with her before departing with my goods.
It was a nice morning to have coffee (or in my case, water) with The Blonde Bombshell and The Reality TV Queen.
The weather was warm but bearable and TRTVQ brought along Archie and Kara, two dogs that she is looking after while their Mum is in hospital. They are lovely and affectionate little things.
I returned home and sat on the couch for four hours, catching up on MKR, which Adoring Husband recorded for me while I was away.
That was such hard work, I had to go for a nap at 2.30pm and slept for more than two hours!
Dinner was easy. Grass fed rump with leftover roast vegetables and gravy from yesterday and some steamed broccoli. That took less than 30 minutes to prepare. Easy peasy.
As keen as I am to get back into my workspace and make some headway with my website, I only have four days with Adoring Husband before I head off again, so I'm trying to make the time count. It will probably be the end of March before I really get moving and make a serious go of it.
There is no point in making the site 'live' when I'm not going to be here for 3 of the next 5 weeks. I need to make a commitment to be here solidly for 6 months following it's launch because if it is as successful as I hope it to be, I am going to be busy!! Busy!! Busy!! Busy!!
I certainly can't rely on someone else to do my dirty work ... not just yet anyway haha.
I subscribed to Mayim Bialik's youtube channel this morning and watched half of her short videos, (around 4 minutes each) this being one of them ...
Too Emotional
Even after more than two hours sleep today, I am still going to have an early night.
Nite all.
It was a nice morning to have coffee (or in my case, water) with The Blonde Bombshell and The Reality TV Queen.
The weather was warm but bearable and TRTVQ brought along Archie and Kara, two dogs that she is looking after while their Mum is in hospital. They are lovely and affectionate little things.
I returned home and sat on the couch for four hours, catching up on MKR, which Adoring Husband recorded for me while I was away.
That was such hard work, I had to go for a nap at 2.30pm and slept for more than two hours!
Dinner was easy. Grass fed rump with leftover roast vegetables and gravy from yesterday and some steamed broccoli. That took less than 30 minutes to prepare. Easy peasy.
As keen as I am to get back into my workspace and make some headway with my website, I only have four days with Adoring Husband before I head off again, so I'm trying to make the time count. It will probably be the end of March before I really get moving and make a serious go of it.
There is no point in making the site 'live' when I'm not going to be here for 3 of the next 5 weeks. I need to make a commitment to be here solidly for 6 months following it's launch because if it is as successful as I hope it to be, I am going to be busy!! Busy!! Busy!! Busy!!
I certainly can't rely on someone else to do my dirty work ... not just yet anyway haha.
I subscribed to Mayim Bialik's youtube channel this morning and watched half of her short videos, (around 4 minutes each) this being one of them ...
Too Emotional
Even after more than two hours sleep today, I am still going to have an early night.
Nite all.
Monday, February 13, 2017
A Day of Rest
I didn't do much at all today.
I left the house this morning to feel the sauna-like heat hanging in the air.
I rode to the shops at about 8.45am and was surprised to see the boys still at the Seat of Knowledge, so I stopped for a quick chat with them.
I checked the mail to discover that the parcel I sent from Sydney on Friday morning, was here already (today is Monday)!
I bought up big on vegetables so that I could do a tray of roast vegetables with a leg of lamb and gravy. I made that for lunch and we had just a light dinner tonight.
I contacted Virgin Blue and changed my flight so that I could fly directly from Canberra to Sydney.
I confirmed my place on the Conscious Abundance workshop in Byron Bay.
I booked our accommodation in Byron Bay and got a good deal because the Manager had just had a run in with some nasty customers and she needed a shoulder to cry on ... I was happy to oblige and got a reduced rate for my troubles. She actually sounds really lovely.
I mixed together some essential oils to rub onto the pressure points of Adoring Husband's head to ease his headache.
I woke Adoring Husband from a sound sleep and sent him off to bed.
That's about it!
Happy birthday to my little possum, Chicklet. She is six today! How time flies. She is so grown up now and I can't wait to see her in March.
The original birthday plan was to attend Luna Park for the day, but they arrived to find it closed. Chicklet took it really well and instead they found a fabulous park with a flying fox and a trampoline and other fun parky things.
My gift for her, which was ordered on 29th January and supposedly shipped on 2nd February, still hasn't arrived. That was disappointing.
Chicklet had a good day.
Anyway, it's my bed time.
Nite all.
I left the house this morning to feel the sauna-like heat hanging in the air.
I rode to the shops at about 8.45am and was surprised to see the boys still at the Seat of Knowledge, so I stopped for a quick chat with them.
I checked the mail to discover that the parcel I sent from Sydney on Friday morning, was here already (today is Monday)!
I bought up big on vegetables so that I could do a tray of roast vegetables with a leg of lamb and gravy. I made that for lunch and we had just a light dinner tonight.
I contacted Virgin Blue and changed my flight so that I could fly directly from Canberra to Sydney.
I confirmed my place on the Conscious Abundance workshop in Byron Bay.
I booked our accommodation in Byron Bay and got a good deal because the Manager had just had a run in with some nasty customers and she needed a shoulder to cry on ... I was happy to oblige and got a reduced rate for my troubles. She actually sounds really lovely.
I mixed together some essential oils to rub onto the pressure points of Adoring Husband's head to ease his headache.
I woke Adoring Husband from a sound sleep and sent him off to bed.
That's about it!
Happy birthday to my little possum, Chicklet. She is six today! How time flies. She is so grown up now and I can't wait to see her in March.
The original birthday plan was to attend Luna Park for the day, but they arrived to find it closed. Chicklet took it really well and instead they found a fabulous park with a flying fox and a trampoline and other fun parky things.
My gift for her, which was ordered on 29th January and supposedly shipped on 2nd February, still hasn't arrived. That was disappointing.
Chicklet had a good day.
Anyway, it's my bed time.
Nite all.
Sunday, February 12, 2017
Short but Sweet
That's me!! Short but sweet haha.
No, that was my visit to Gerringong.
Fourteen short hours.
Enough time to meet and chat with each member of a lovely family, sit at a huge table to share a meal, sing happy birthday, sit out a big storm while discussing all things that interest me with like-minded people and then sleep before the big train trip back to Sydney.
It was well after midnight by the time I got to sleep, but the bed was comfortable and I slept soundly until 4am and then dozed on and off until 5am. I cancelled the alarm before it went off and I was dressed, packed and ready to climb into the car twenty minutes later.
The Motivator was awake, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to drive the fifteen minutes to Kiama where I was catching the train. What a trouper.
A good portion of the train trip from Kiama to Sydney had beautiful ocean views and even included a pretty sunrise. The journey was supposed to take two hours and five minutes, but there was a brief hold up just before Wolli Creek, so we were on the train for an extra ten minutes, which meant I missed my planned connection to the Domestic Airport.
I had to wait another fifteen minutes for the next train.
I may have to practice some weight training. I struggled with my two pieces of luggage, especially having to lift them over the large gap between the trains and the platforms! I certainly made good use of the lifts at the stations.
After such a relaxing train trip, it was a rude shock to enter the airport and see the massive crowds of people waiting to check in!
The queue was to the door. I walked past the end of the queue and found a gap further along that I discreetly manoeuvred my way into, without being noticed. Very cheeky, I thought!
It still took thirty minutes to reach the bag drop off. At one stage, a stray piece of luggage had been left in the middle of the check in area, and we (the people in the queue and I) were concerned that an evacuation was in order, but a security guard came along and removed it.
As I reached the check in counter, I received a text from Virgin, telling me that my flight had been delayed by one hour. It was quite a relief because I was beginning to feel the pressure of time.
So I found a juice bar and ordered a 'stress less' which was strawberry, apple and ginger juice. It was very effective.
We finally boarded an hour later than expected and had a perfect flight home to The Bay, until the landing.
OMG
The first landing was abandoned when we were about twenty feet from the ground. It was a very turbulent descent and just as we thought we were home, the engines roared and the plane began a steep ascent back to the sky. The pilot blamed a change in wind direction.
The second attempt was abandoned much earlier. The pilot blamed 'traffic'.
The third (and successful) landing was almost a crash landing! It was turbulent all the way down and we landed with such a loud and back breaking thud, that there were audible screams, grunts, gasps and two women at the rear of the plane who laughed hysterically for a full two minutes. It can only be described as nervous laughter!
What a relief to survive that!
It was great to see Adoring Husband's smiling face there to greet me.
Even though I was very lucky with beds on this trip, I am still looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.
I need to regenerate and rejuvenate for the next four days, ready for the second leg of my February jaunt. I feel like we've been in Sydney for a month instead of just ten days!
Time to rest now.
Nite all.
No, that was my visit to Gerringong.
Fourteen short hours.
Enough time to meet and chat with each member of a lovely family, sit at a huge table to share a meal, sing happy birthday, sit out a big storm while discussing all things that interest me with like-minded people and then sleep before the big train trip back to Sydney.
The kitchen
The butler's pantry (I want one of those)
Looking inside from the deck
The view from the deck
Table for eleven
Some of our dinner
The Motivator was awake, bright eyed and bushy tailed, ready to drive the fifteen minutes to Kiama where I was catching the train. What a trouper.
A good portion of the train trip from Kiama to Sydney had beautiful ocean views and even included a pretty sunrise. The journey was supposed to take two hours and five minutes, but there was a brief hold up just before Wolli Creek, so we were on the train for an extra ten minutes, which meant I missed my planned connection to the Domestic Airport.
I had to wait another fifteen minutes for the next train.
I may have to practice some weight training. I struggled with my two pieces of luggage, especially having to lift them over the large gap between the trains and the platforms! I certainly made good use of the lifts at the stations.
After such a relaxing train trip, it was a rude shock to enter the airport and see the massive crowds of people waiting to check in!
The queue was to the door. I walked past the end of the queue and found a gap further along that I discreetly manoeuvred my way into, without being noticed. Very cheeky, I thought!
It still took thirty minutes to reach the bag drop off. At one stage, a stray piece of luggage had been left in the middle of the check in area, and we (the people in the queue and I) were concerned that an evacuation was in order, but a security guard came along and removed it.
As I reached the check in counter, I received a text from Virgin, telling me that my flight had been delayed by one hour. It was quite a relief because I was beginning to feel the pressure of time.
So I found a juice bar and ordered a 'stress less' which was strawberry, apple and ginger juice. It was very effective.
We finally boarded an hour later than expected and had a perfect flight home to The Bay, until the landing.
OMG
The first landing was abandoned when we were about twenty feet from the ground. It was a very turbulent descent and just as we thought we were home, the engines roared and the plane began a steep ascent back to the sky. The pilot blamed a change in wind direction.
The second attempt was abandoned much earlier. The pilot blamed 'traffic'.
The third (and successful) landing was almost a crash landing! It was turbulent all the way down and we landed with such a loud and back breaking thud, that there were audible screams, grunts, gasps and two women at the rear of the plane who laughed hysterically for a full two minutes. It can only be described as nervous laughter!
What a relief to survive that!
It was great to see Adoring Husband's smiling face there to greet me.
Even though I was very lucky with beds on this trip, I am still looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight.
I need to regenerate and rejuvenate for the next four days, ready for the second leg of my February jaunt. I feel like we've been in Sydney for a month instead of just ten days!
Time to rest now.
Nite all.
Saturday, February 11, 2017
Gerringong, I am in you!
Just a quick note to say that I am in Geringong, just south of Sydney and I need to be up at 5am to catch a train from Kiama to the airport.
I've had a lovely time meeting The Motivator's family, who are all really nice people, just as I expected!
Thank goodness the temperature has dropped from 42C to a pleasant 24C. Crazy!
Now I need to sleep.
Nite all.
I've had a lovely time meeting The Motivator's family, who are all really nice people, just as I expected!
Thank goodness the temperature has dropped from 42C to a pleasant 24C. Crazy!
Now I need to sleep.
Nite all.
Friday, February 10, 2017
A Bubbly Day
What a great day!
I started by packing a box with some of my purchases and walking to the post office to send it home. While I was there, I asked if they still had my sunglasses that I left behind 18 months ago ... I know ... wishful thinking. They weren't there.
Bubbles and I had agreed to meet at Westfield Miranda for breakfast and we chose Rubyniks restaurant where I thoroughly enjoyed French Toast with bacon, caramelised banana and maple syrup. YUM. Bubbles selected a chicken and avocado wrap.
For drinks, we chose a chocolate thick shake and a fresh juice drink of orange, pineapple, watermelon and coconut water. I'm sure you can guess which drink went with which person haha.
I bought another journal (seriously!) and a plaque with my favourite quote from AA Milne.
We decided to bring them back to the motel room before catching the train to Cronulla to see this movie ...
It was a great movie. Very emotional, stirring, shaming and uplifting. The cinema was quite full so there were some animated responses throughout, and then a round of applause at the end.
We did some browsing and shopping on the way back to the train station and we caught the train to Caringbah, where we alighted and headed to Bubbles's house.
I haven't seen the last two houses that she has lived in, so I thought it was time to go for a visit, even though it was 39C and a decent walk from the station. It contributed to my 11,000 steps (according to my watch) for the day. Her house is a beautiful old place with some of the original fittings dating back to 50s or 60s.
Bubbles had a shower and got changed and we called for a taxi to take us to the motel at about 6pm. After an hour and four texts from the taxi company telling us that there was a delay, Bubbles suggested that I download the Uber app and book a car.
So I did.
It took 'Dan' less than 5 minutes to arrive at our doorstep in a luxury car with lovely air conditioning. He was wonderful and the trip cost me $9. The last time I caught a taxi, it cost me $16 for a shorter distance.
Then tonight, when we left Miranda Diggers RSL after dinner, we walked to the motel and I booked another Uber driver to take Bubbles home. It was this driver's second day on the job and he got a little lost on his way to the motel. What should have taken 3 minutes to reach us, took about 8 minutes, but Bubbles said he was lovely and got her home safe n sound.
So, in my opinion, Uber rocks!
I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow, and it's almost 1am, so I'd best get some sleep!
Nite all.
I started by packing a box with some of my purchases and walking to the post office to send it home. While I was there, I asked if they still had my sunglasses that I left behind 18 months ago ... I know ... wishful thinking. They weren't there.
Bubbles and I had agreed to meet at Westfield Miranda for breakfast and we chose Rubyniks restaurant where I thoroughly enjoyed French Toast with bacon, caramelised banana and maple syrup. YUM. Bubbles selected a chicken and avocado wrap.
For drinks, we chose a chocolate thick shake and a fresh juice drink of orange, pineapple, watermelon and coconut water. I'm sure you can guess which drink went with which person haha.
I bought another journal (seriously!) and a plaque with my favourite quote from AA Milne.
We decided to bring them back to the motel room before catching the train to Cronulla to see this movie ...
It was a great movie. Very emotional, stirring, shaming and uplifting. The cinema was quite full so there were some animated responses throughout, and then a round of applause at the end.
We did some browsing and shopping on the way back to the train station and we caught the train to Caringbah, where we alighted and headed to Bubbles's house.
I haven't seen the last two houses that she has lived in, so I thought it was time to go for a visit, even though it was 39C and a decent walk from the station. It contributed to my 11,000 steps (according to my watch) for the day. Her house is a beautiful old place with some of the original fittings dating back to 50s or 60s.
Bubbles had a shower and got changed and we called for a taxi to take us to the motel at about 6pm. After an hour and four texts from the taxi company telling us that there was a delay, Bubbles suggested that I download the Uber app and book a car.
So I did.
It took 'Dan' less than 5 minutes to arrive at our doorstep in a luxury car with lovely air conditioning. He was wonderful and the trip cost me $9. The last time I caught a taxi, it cost me $16 for a shorter distance.
Then tonight, when we left Miranda Diggers RSL after dinner, we walked to the motel and I booked another Uber driver to take Bubbles home. It was this driver's second day on the job and he got a little lost on his way to the motel. What should have taken 3 minutes to reach us, took about 8 minutes, but Bubbles said he was lovely and got her home safe n sound.
So, in my opinion, Uber rocks!
I have a big day ahead of me tomorrow, and it's almost 1am, so I'd best get some sleep!
Nite all.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Maybe Not
So maybe I wasn't all shopped out yesterday!
Bubbles, Knight in Shining Armour and R1 arrived at precisely 11am to pick me up from Mosman and drive me across to the other side of Sydney to The Metro Hotel, where I am staying for two nights.
I like this motel. I've stayed here a couple of times before and it's very comfortable with good beds and it's right across the road from Westfields Miranda.
Westfield Miranda has had huge renovations since I was last here and it's bigger and brighter than ever with so many new shops, it would take more than a day to see everything!
Bubbles and I spent the afternoon having a look around a few shops. Shoes and jewellery were our focus. Two pairs of shoes and two necklaces later, we decided to sit down for some lunch.
I enjoyed some grilled salmon with a garden salad and Bubbles ordered a Wagyu beef burger and chips. It was a long leisurely lunch and we caught up on all of our news.
From there, we escaped the shopping centre and come back to the motel room so that I could change my shoes.
We lazed around on the bed relaxing for more than an hour before heading off to the local RSL for a flutter on the pokies and keno and then some dinner. GF chicken schnitzel with GF chips and salad. It was a huge meal and we followed it with delicious desserts, also GF.
We walked back to the motel again, watched some Big Bang Theory and then Bubbles walked the two blocks to her home, while I talked to her on the phone.
Now, I and my electronic devices are spread out over this deliciously large and comfortable king sized bed, and I am watching a movie.
Tomorrow, we plan on having breakfast together, then catching the train to Cronulla to attend the cinema to see 'Hidden Figures'.
The temperature is forecast to be 36C tomorrow and 38C on Saturday, so a dip in Knight in Shining Armour's swimming pool might be in order! Thank goodness we are not in Western Sydney, where the forecast is for 44C!!! Ugh!!
It's after 11pm, so I'm off to get some sleep.
Nite all.
Bubbles, Knight in Shining Armour and R1 arrived at precisely 11am to pick me up from Mosman and drive me across to the other side of Sydney to The Metro Hotel, where I am staying for two nights.
I like this motel. I've stayed here a couple of times before and it's very comfortable with good beds and it's right across the road from Westfields Miranda.
Westfield Miranda has had huge renovations since I was last here and it's bigger and brighter than ever with so many new shops, it would take more than a day to see everything!
Bubbles and I spent the afternoon having a look around a few shops. Shoes and jewellery were our focus. Two pairs of shoes and two necklaces later, we decided to sit down for some lunch.
Bubbles' boots
My boots
I enjoyed some grilled salmon with a garden salad and Bubbles ordered a Wagyu beef burger and chips. It was a long leisurely lunch and we caught up on all of our news.
From there, we escaped the shopping centre and come back to the motel room so that I could change my shoes.
We lazed around on the bed relaxing for more than an hour before heading off to the local RSL for a flutter on the pokies and keno and then some dinner. GF chicken schnitzel with GF chips and salad. It was a huge meal and we followed it with delicious desserts, also GF.
We walked back to the motel again, watched some Big Bang Theory and then Bubbles walked the two blocks to her home, while I talked to her on the phone.
Now, I and my electronic devices are spread out over this deliciously large and comfortable king sized bed, and I am watching a movie.
Tomorrow, we plan on having breakfast together, then catching the train to Cronulla to attend the cinema to see 'Hidden Figures'.
The temperature is forecast to be 36C tomorrow and 38C on Saturday, so a dip in Knight in Shining Armour's swimming pool might be in order! Thank goodness we are not in Western Sydney, where the forecast is for 44C!!! Ugh!!
It's after 11pm, so I'm off to get some sleep.
Nite all.
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
All Shopped Out
The Motivator had a meeting to attend this morning.
I had the opportunity to go shopping for the duration of her meeting, but instead I chose to laze in bed til late, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, pamper myself in the bathroom and then sit in the giant comfy lounge right under a beautiful window with filtered sunlight, reading a book.
It was a perfect morning which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Motivator arrived home after lunch, so we snacked on some leftovers from the fridge before deciding to head off to Chatswood for a spot of ... you guessed it ... SHOPPING!
We started at Chatswood Chase and then headed over to Westfield. We didn't get to Chatswood until after 3.30pm, so there wasn't a lot of time for the heavy duty kind of shopping with which we are most familiar!
I was in search of a small suitcase combined laptop carrier on wheels and with an extending handle and found this ...
It's the perfect 'carry on' size and carries enough clothes/toiletries/shoes/stationery etc for three or four days + my laptop/iPad and all the cords and chargers for my devices.
It also came in very handy for carrying the remainder of our purchases in the short time that we had to indulge.
I got a business card container, a journal (another one!?), a folder to take to the gift fair next week, two pairs of shoes (one pair for Adoring Husband) and a top.
Now, with two pieces of luggage, I have just enough room to pack everything to take home!
Tomorrow, I leave The Motivator for a couple of days to spend time with Bubbles and Knight in Shining Armour. Then on Saturday, I return to The Motivator to spend the evening with her family as they celebrate Mum's and Dad's special birthdays.
I fly home on Sunday to catch up with Adoring Husband for a few days. I'm looking forward to seeing him before I head off for another 12 days.
Even though I'm not a big fan of Sydney, I have enjoyed my time here with The Motivator and feel refreshed and rejuvenated!
By the time I arrive home, the air conditioning will be installed and life will be cooler and happier in our home. *happy dance*
It's well after midnight .. again .. so ..
Nite all.
I had the opportunity to go shopping for the duration of her meeting, but instead I chose to laze in bed til late, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, pamper myself in the bathroom and then sit in the giant comfy lounge right under a beautiful window with filtered sunlight, reading a book.
It was a perfect morning which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The Motivator arrived home after lunch, so we snacked on some leftovers from the fridge before deciding to head off to Chatswood for a spot of ... you guessed it ... SHOPPING!
We started at Chatswood Chase and then headed over to Westfield. We didn't get to Chatswood until after 3.30pm, so there wasn't a lot of time for the heavy duty kind of shopping with which we are most familiar!
I was in search of a small suitcase combined laptop carrier on wheels and with an extending handle and found this ...
It also came in very handy for carrying the remainder of our purchases in the short time that we had to indulge.
I got a business card container, a journal (another one!?), a folder to take to the gift fair next week, two pairs of shoes (one pair for Adoring Husband) and a top.
Now, with two pieces of luggage, I have just enough room to pack everything to take home!
Tomorrow, I leave The Motivator for a couple of days to spend time with Bubbles and Knight in Shining Armour. Then on Saturday, I return to The Motivator to spend the evening with her family as they celebrate Mum's and Dad's special birthdays.
I fly home on Sunday to catch up with Adoring Husband for a few days. I'm looking forward to seeing him before I head off for another 12 days.
Even though I'm not a big fan of Sydney, I have enjoyed my time here with The Motivator and feel refreshed and rejuvenated!
By the time I arrive home, the air conditioning will be installed and life will be cooler and happier in our home. *happy dance*
It's well after midnight .. again .. so ..
Nite all.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
A Day of Fabulousness
We woke to rain, rain, rain and more rain!
It was lovely because the temperature dropped considerably, which is just what the doctor ordered.
We drove to Balmoral for breakfast at The Boat House and even though it was already raining steadily, as soon as we parked the car, the heavens well and truly opened!
We sat in the car wondering how we were going to manage paying for the parking and then getting to The Boat House without being absolutely drenched.
Suddenly there was a tap on the driver's side window and there appeared an elderly gentleman with a giant umbrella, offering to shelter The Motivator while she paid the metre and then accompanied her across the road to our destination! What a lovely man!
There was only one table free for us to sit and it was partially in the weather. We didn't mind though because it had some shelter and we weren't getting wet. We ordered our breakfast of avocado and tomato on GF toast (the nuttiest and most delicious toast EVER). I had watermelon, raspberry, mint and lime juice, while The Motivator drank peppermint tea.
Even though it was raining, it was a very pleasant spot and we enjoyed ninety minutes of idle chit chat and delicious food. We could hear the gentle rumble of thunder in the distance, but it didn't seem to be building into anything.
All of a sudden there was this bright flash right beside us, followed a second later by a massive exploding crack of thunder that scared the pants off everyone! There were gasps and screams everywhere and I've gotta say, I almost soiled my pants!
About thirty minutes later, we experienced a repeat performance and the rain got even heavier.
We must have waited thirty minutes for the rain to ease, but it didn't even look like stopping any time soon, so the girl who served us suggested that we take a big black garbage bag and rip it up the centre so that we could share it over our heads til we reached the car.
What a great idea!
Needless to say that my Italian leather sandals got drenched because the pathway and road were flooded and the water completely covered our feet as we rushed to the car.
We weren't going to let a bit of rain dampen our spirits! It was time for some RETAIL THERAPY!
Manly was our shopping destination of choice and six hours, many shopping bags filled with goodies later, we decided to head straight to Hotel Mosman (aka The Duck) and climb the stairs to the top bar to eat dinner.
What a great pub that is! Relaxing atmosphere, friendly staff, mood lighting, easy listening music and wonderful food. We were surprised when we noticed that three hours had passed and it was time to head home!
Here it is after midnight already! Another full day and possibly an equally big day tomorrow, so ...
Nite all.
It was lovely because the temperature dropped considerably, which is just what the doctor ordered.
We drove to Balmoral for breakfast at The Boat House and even though it was already raining steadily, as soon as we parked the car, the heavens well and truly opened!
We sat in the car wondering how we were going to manage paying for the parking and then getting to The Boat House without being absolutely drenched.
Suddenly there was a tap on the driver's side window and there appeared an elderly gentleman with a giant umbrella, offering to shelter The Motivator while she paid the metre and then accompanied her across the road to our destination! What a lovely man!
There was only one table free for us to sit and it was partially in the weather. We didn't mind though because it had some shelter and we weren't getting wet. We ordered our breakfast of avocado and tomato on GF toast (the nuttiest and most delicious toast EVER). I had watermelon, raspberry, mint and lime juice, while The Motivator drank peppermint tea.
Even though it was raining, it was a very pleasant spot and we enjoyed ninety minutes of idle chit chat and delicious food. We could hear the gentle rumble of thunder in the distance, but it didn't seem to be building into anything.
All of a sudden there was this bright flash right beside us, followed a second later by a massive exploding crack of thunder that scared the pants off everyone! There were gasps and screams everywhere and I've gotta say, I almost soiled my pants!
About thirty minutes later, we experienced a repeat performance and the rain got even heavier.
We must have waited thirty minutes for the rain to ease, but it didn't even look like stopping any time soon, so the girl who served us suggested that we take a big black garbage bag and rip it up the centre so that we could share it over our heads til we reached the car.
What a great idea!
Needless to say that my Italian leather sandals got drenched because the pathway and road were flooded and the water completely covered our feet as we rushed to the car.
We weren't going to let a bit of rain dampen our spirits! It was time for some RETAIL THERAPY!
Manly was our shopping destination of choice and six hours, many shopping bags filled with goodies later, we decided to head straight to Hotel Mosman (aka The Duck) and climb the stairs to the top bar to eat dinner.
What a great pub that is! Relaxing atmosphere, friendly staff, mood lighting, easy listening music and wonderful food. We were surprised when we noticed that three hours had passed and it was time to head home!
Here it is after midnight already! Another full day and possibly an equally big day tomorrow, so ...
Nite all.
Monday, February 6, 2017
Day of Rest (or not)
What a beautifully lazy start to the day!
I woke up just after 8am and lazed in bed until after 10am. It felt decadent after the last 3 days of jumping out of bed early, showering, eating breakfast, preparing lunches, making ourselves presentable for 12 hour days and then navigating through 30 minutes of peek hour traffic to reach our destination!
We left the house at lunch time, test drove some cars, lunched at a pavilion full of furniture shops, test drove some lounges and outdoor settings (Adoring Husband, you almost got a phone call!) and then drove to Manly beach where we frolicked up to our ankles in the COLD sea water.
There were a hell of a LOT of people at the beach.
They were playing beach volleyball, surfing, body boarding, sunbathing, canoodling, wading, swimming and body surfing.
The tide was on it's way in and the waves were very unpredictable, sometimes tickling my toes and sometimes pounding almost up to my knees!
It was very refreshing after a very hot day. The 'grounding' was therapeutic and the wind blew all the cobwebs out ... even though we were left very windswept.
We had a few items to buy to restock the pantry before we headed home, so we stopped off at that wonderful market place again.
This was our dinner tonight, which was washed down with vodka, tonic and lime.
We have spent the evening surfing the net and listening to relaxing, soothing music.
I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now I must attempt to climb into bed before midnight! (oops! too late!)
Nite all.
I woke up just after 8am and lazed in bed until after 10am. It felt decadent after the last 3 days of jumping out of bed early, showering, eating breakfast, preparing lunches, making ourselves presentable for 12 hour days and then navigating through 30 minutes of peek hour traffic to reach our destination!
We left the house at lunch time, test drove some cars, lunched at a pavilion full of furniture shops, test drove some lounges and outdoor settings (Adoring Husband, you almost got a phone call!) and then drove to Manly beach where we frolicked up to our ankles in the COLD sea water.
There were a hell of a LOT of people at the beach.
They were playing beach volleyball, surfing, body boarding, sunbathing, canoodling, wading, swimming and body surfing.
The tide was on it's way in and the waves were very unpredictable, sometimes tickling my toes and sometimes pounding almost up to my knees!
It was very refreshing after a very hot day. The 'grounding' was therapeutic and the wind blew all the cobwebs out ... even though we were left very windswept.
We had a few items to buy to restock the pantry before we headed home, so we stopped off at that wonderful market place again.
This was our dinner tonight, which was washed down with vodka, tonic and lime.
We have spent the evening surfing the net and listening to relaxing, soothing music.
I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
Now I must attempt to climb into bed before midnight! (oops! too late!)
Nite all.
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