I'm wondering why I keep receiving notification that peak hour train services have been cancelled due to "driver training". Surely there's a better time to train.
I'm wondering why big organisations pass the buck and fail to take responsibility and help customers (ie citizens, the public).
I'm wondering how to extricate myself from a whirlpool of buck passing.
I'm wondering why hotel bathrooms are lit to make me look at least thirty years older than I am.
I'm wondering why caterers think that luke warm water is any way to make a decent cup of tea.
I'm wondering why rice paper rolls marked as "nut free" contained walnuts - the nut to which I'm most allergic. (I can answer this one, partially...because the chicken mix from the sandwiches was used to make the rolls and the chicken mix from the sandwiches contained walnuts. Still doesn't explain the sign.)
I'm wondering why there are still people in the catering business who think that food allergies are not serious, that is potentially life threatening.
I'm wondering why a person who has requested "fructose free" food is served a plate of fruit at morning tea. Sigh. It is marginally better than cake.
I'm wondering why I have to fight so hard to be paid for my services on a regular basis.
I'm wondering why I didn't decide sooner to call it quits with a couple of clients who are bad payers.
I'm wondering why people (ie politicians) don't take responsibility for their decisions to do something different from what they "promised" in the election campaign.
I'm wondering whether there's a definition of "promise" of which I'm unaware.
I'm wondering why people don't listen.
I was wondering why a nurse working in a health care organisation was doing theatre reviews until I realised that I'm the only embedded creative and that her theatre always involves blood, while mine involves blood only sometimes.
What are you wondering about?
* Posts will be erratic this week due to other commitments. *
Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sugar. Show all posts
Monday, 12 May 2014
Friday, 21 February 2014
Food samples and brand promotions
Sometimes food and drink is given away at train stations in Melbourne. Mostly, it's a way for companies to promote new products. Usually the products they are throwing at the public are sugar laden and therefore not anything I eat.
Yesterday, frozen pizzas were being handed out. It was fascinating to watch.
Very good looking people dressed in either very revealing clothing or something suggestive of scientific - or a combination of these (think very short lab coats) - smile at people and call out the brand name repeatedly. Before long, commuters are making their way to these very good looking people and clamouring for whatever is on offer.
If standing and watching this procedure was my first glimpse of Melbourne I would have thought that people who live here are reliant on UN food parcels for survival. It was like a flock of seagulls descending on a lonely dropped chip. No orderly queues to be seen here, just people on automatic pilot, lured by the promise of free fat and sugar, forgetting that it's actually advertising and a ploy to secure their money and loyalty down the track.
I wondered whether any homeless people would benefit from this commercial magnanimity but then realised the cruel twist of fate attached: frozen pizza is only edible if you can heat it in an oven first.
As I walked away, I saw a man wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "i Rock" emblazoned on his chest. Looking at him, I was unconvinced that he did in fact rock, but then looks can be deceiving. I wondered whether it was his looks he was railing against; that he'd had so many accusations that he did not rock, that he had hired a PR consultant and gone on the front foot with a declaration of his rockiness. Or perhaps he was trying to convince himself. Or, he was being completely ironic. Or he was making up for a lack of positive reinforcement from his parents during his adolescence. Or it might have been a statement of competency in his day job as a babysitter. Or he's a narcissist.
It struck me that the whole world is busy with image management.
I travelled home, without a frozen pizza melting in my handbag, and thought about the pleasure of making good food.
Yesterday, frozen pizzas were being handed out. It was fascinating to watch.
Very good looking people dressed in either very revealing clothing or something suggestive of scientific - or a combination of these (think very short lab coats) - smile at people and call out the brand name repeatedly. Before long, commuters are making their way to these very good looking people and clamouring for whatever is on offer.
If standing and watching this procedure was my first glimpse of Melbourne I would have thought that people who live here are reliant on UN food parcels for survival. It was like a flock of seagulls descending on a lonely dropped chip. No orderly queues to be seen here, just people on automatic pilot, lured by the promise of free fat and sugar, forgetting that it's actually advertising and a ploy to secure their money and loyalty down the track.
I wondered whether any homeless people would benefit from this commercial magnanimity but then realised the cruel twist of fate attached: frozen pizza is only edible if you can heat it in an oven first.
As I walked away, I saw a man wearing a t-shirt with the slogan "i Rock" emblazoned on his chest. Looking at him, I was unconvinced that he did in fact rock, but then looks can be deceiving. I wondered whether it was his looks he was railing against; that he'd had so many accusations that he did not rock, that he had hired a PR consultant and gone on the front foot with a declaration of his rockiness. Or perhaps he was trying to convince himself. Or, he was being completely ironic. Or he was making up for a lack of positive reinforcement from his parents during his adolescence. Or it might have been a statement of competency in his day job as a babysitter. Or he's a narcissist.
It struck me that the whole world is busy with image management.
I travelled home, without a frozen pizza melting in my handbag, and thought about the pleasure of making good food.
Saturday, 26 October 2013
Behind the scenes - my Million Dollar Minute
My latest outing on television game shows aired this week. I can now reveal, for those who didn't see Million Dollar Minute, that I am not a millionaire. Repeat, NOT a millionaire. I'm not even a few bucks richer. They gave me a box of chocolates - a nice gesture, but of course I don't eat sugar. It's moments like these that I realise how sugar driven the world is. Small rewards usually come in the form of sugar. Even an order of sock yarn arrived with a lollipop in the package the other day.
But I digress.
Watching the show was strangely nerve wracking, even though I knew the outcome. I think I was worried that my slow start would leave me looking like some dumb person who answered one question and it was about Versace. You know?
While there's lots I'm contractually bound not to talk about, I can say that game shows are a fascinating opportunity to examine a cross section of the community. A bunch of twelve or so strangers are flung together in the green room for hours on end. It's easy to spot the ones who are deadly serious about their purpose: they don't say a lot and when asked anything they are reticent. Being the extrovert that I am, I talk to everyone and find out as much as I can, meanwhile, there's a guy asleep on the couch (how did they remove the sleep lines before he went to air?)
With the daily newspapers at hand, I decided to lead the quizzes. This is a great way to test the mettle of the deadly serious ones. They can't help but reveal their knowledge. At this point I ask if anyone needs me to shut up. They laugh and the crew who is minding us says "no" in a "thank god you're here" kind of way. It's their job to sit in a room babysitting adults all day. They were terrific.
A television, tuned to the home network, plays in the corner. It's infomercial hour, so after ten minutes of that we're all ready to shoot the television. DVDs have been provided for our entertainment, as well as several jigsaw puzzles. No Scrabble set though. I choose a retrospective of the comedy show "Fast Forward" which proves to be a hit. We all marvel at the cleverness and the fact that much of the humour would not be allowed on television today (think Magda Subanski in black face!). Ages of fellow competitors were revealed as people in my age group could quote along with the skits and characters.
There were some formalities - rules, contracts etc - and the opportunity to practise on the buzzers and the touch screen. I was first in and happily got all five questions in the practise round correct. Julius, one of the other contestants, said my name was written down by everyone else when I got the question about the fennec fox correct . It's renowned for its large ears. Apparently. I fluked that one, but they didn't need to know that.
I was glad to have my knitting with me. It's always handy for passing the time when you have to just wait. Nothing else, just waiting. We were in a time vortex with nothing much happening, but immense anticipation in the air. Contestants would come back from their filming either jubilant at winning some money or devastated after losing their chance.
I will confess that I sledged the champ in between sessions. Nicely. But I did want to get under his skin and rattle him a bit. He was an air traffic controller and cool as a cucumber. Meanwhile, I was in some weird tunnel for the first round. It took ages for me to hear and process the question before I could even get around to pressing the buzzer. I gave myself a good talking to and things picked up from there.
In the end, I got the second last question wrong which locked me out for the next one (which I knew) and I was beaten by 15 points. The champ had bought 15 points earlier in the game. It was an exciting battle at the end. It would have been more exciting if it was me playing for $20,000, but that's life.
My next sit-com idea will be set in a the green room of a game show.
Have you won anything lately?
But I digress.
Watching the show was strangely nerve wracking, even though I knew the outcome. I think I was worried that my slow start would leave me looking like some dumb person who answered one question and it was about Versace. You know?
While there's lots I'm contractually bound not to talk about, I can say that game shows are a fascinating opportunity to examine a cross section of the community. A bunch of twelve or so strangers are flung together in the green room for hours on end. It's easy to spot the ones who are deadly serious about their purpose: they don't say a lot and when asked anything they are reticent. Being the extrovert that I am, I talk to everyone and find out as much as I can, meanwhile, there's a guy asleep on the couch (how did they remove the sleep lines before he went to air?)
With the daily newspapers at hand, I decided to lead the quizzes. This is a great way to test the mettle of the deadly serious ones. They can't help but reveal their knowledge. At this point I ask if anyone needs me to shut up. They laugh and the crew who is minding us says "no" in a "thank god you're here" kind of way. It's their job to sit in a room babysitting adults all day. They were terrific.
A television, tuned to the home network, plays in the corner. It's infomercial hour, so after ten minutes of that we're all ready to shoot the television. DVDs have been provided for our entertainment, as well as several jigsaw puzzles. No Scrabble set though. I choose a retrospective of the comedy show "Fast Forward" which proves to be a hit. We all marvel at the cleverness and the fact that much of the humour would not be allowed on television today (think Magda Subanski in black face!). Ages of fellow competitors were revealed as people in my age group could quote along with the skits and characters.
There were some formalities - rules, contracts etc - and the opportunity to practise on the buzzers and the touch screen. I was first in and happily got all five questions in the practise round correct. Julius, one of the other contestants, said my name was written down by everyone else when I got the question about the fennec fox correct . It's renowned for its large ears. Apparently. I fluked that one, but they didn't need to know that.
I was glad to have my knitting with me. It's always handy for passing the time when you have to just wait. Nothing else, just waiting. We were in a time vortex with nothing much happening, but immense anticipation in the air. Contestants would come back from their filming either jubilant at winning some money or devastated after losing their chance.
I will confess that I sledged the champ in between sessions. Nicely. But I did want to get under his skin and rattle him a bit. He was an air traffic controller and cool as a cucumber. Meanwhile, I was in some weird tunnel for the first round. It took ages for me to hear and process the question before I could even get around to pressing the buzzer. I gave myself a good talking to and things picked up from there.
In the end, I got the second last question wrong which locked me out for the next one (which I knew) and I was beaten by 15 points. The champ had bought 15 points earlier in the game. It was an exciting battle at the end. It would have been more exciting if it was me playing for $20,000, but that's life.
My next sit-com idea will be set in a the green room of a game show.
Have you won anything lately?
Thursday, 26 September 2013
Quitting sugar - FAQ
Yesterday's post about the impact of a year without sugar raised some questions amongst readers. I'm happy to answer them all.
Lots of people wanted to know about the affect, apart from the lab results. I've dropped a dress size. I don't have cravings. My appetite is more stable. I eat less. My skin is clear.
I've really noticed the 3pm sugar run that people in the office have. There's a line to the biscuit tin, the chocolate box and the lolly jar. It's so great to be free from that kind of slavery.
The other question I received was about whether I eat fruit. The answer is: "rarely". I now eat fruit when I'm at an event and the only other food on offer is sugar laden cakes and biscuits. I will also choose the fruit carefully and pick high fibre or berries, ie avoid watermelon and dates and choose the pineapple, pear (skin on) or banana. I never have juice. Juicing the fruit turns it into almost pure fructose when the the fibre is removed. I also avoid dried fruit because the fructose becomes concentrated.
Some of you also wanted to know about my porridge. Breakfast was actually the meal that I had to change the most. I used to be a yoghurt, fruit and muesli girl. That had to go. I discovered Vita Brits, just with milk. As my palate adjusted I discovered a natural sweetness in many foods that I would not have previously identified as being sweet. Porridge is my new favourite breakfast during the week. Oats are also recommended for lowering cholesterol. I buy rolled spelt and mix it with rolled oats, cook it on the stove top with some added chia seeds and then serve with milk and a sprinkle of seeds and cinnamon. You can sprinkle the chia seeds on top instead of cooking them in if you prefer. This is a long way from brown sugar and maple syrup that I used to love.
If the supermarket has other rolled grains available I buy them and mix them in too. I cook two thirds of a cup of grains with twice the amount of water and find the stirring at the stove with my myrtle spurtle a quiet moment of morning meditation. This keeps me going until lunchtime. Ground cinnamon is an easy ingredient to sprinkle over if you need a little sweetening. With time, I've discovered that there is a natural sweetness in the oats and it's not needed. I haven't gone down the Scottish path of adding salt.
Anything else you'd like to know? Just ask me. Thanks for your interest.
Lots of people wanted to know about the affect, apart from the lab results. I've dropped a dress size. I don't have cravings. My appetite is more stable. I eat less. My skin is clear.
I've really noticed the 3pm sugar run that people in the office have. There's a line to the biscuit tin, the chocolate box and the lolly jar. It's so great to be free from that kind of slavery.
The other question I received was about whether I eat fruit. The answer is: "rarely". I now eat fruit when I'm at an event and the only other food on offer is sugar laden cakes and biscuits. I will also choose the fruit carefully and pick high fibre or berries, ie avoid watermelon and dates and choose the pineapple, pear (skin on) or banana. I never have juice. Juicing the fruit turns it into almost pure fructose when the the fibre is removed. I also avoid dried fruit because the fructose becomes concentrated.
Some of you also wanted to know about my porridge. Breakfast was actually the meal that I had to change the most. I used to be a yoghurt, fruit and muesli girl. That had to go. I discovered Vita Brits, just with milk. As my palate adjusted I discovered a natural sweetness in many foods that I would not have previously identified as being sweet. Porridge is my new favourite breakfast during the week. Oats are also recommended for lowering cholesterol. I buy rolled spelt and mix it with rolled oats, cook it on the stove top with some added chia seeds and then serve with milk and a sprinkle of seeds and cinnamon. You can sprinkle the chia seeds on top instead of cooking them in if you prefer. This is a long way from brown sugar and maple syrup that I used to love.
If the supermarket has other rolled grains available I buy them and mix them in too. I cook two thirds of a cup of grains with twice the amount of water and find the stirring at the stove with my myrtle spurtle a quiet moment of morning meditation. This keeps me going until lunchtime. Ground cinnamon is an easy ingredient to sprinkle over if you need a little sweetening. With time, I've discovered that there is a natural sweetness in the oats and it's not needed. I haven't gone down the Scottish path of adding salt.
Anything else you'd like to know? Just ask me. Thanks for your interest.
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Quitting sugar - it paid off!
It's been almost a year since I quit sugar. I did it at the suggestion of my doctor when my blood results showed an elevation in liver enzymes and cholesterol going in the wrong direction. That day, I read Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar and I started immediately. I viewed food with sugar as not being food.
So today, I want to tell you a good news story. I received my latest blood results today and I can tell you that I've never been so excited.
Those liver enzyme markers were back to normal. All the cholesterol and fat markers are back where they should be. Everything is looking great!
Here's the interesting thing - all I have done is cut out sugar (fructose). I eat a balanced diet but you should know: I eat cheese; I use butter; I eat red meat, sometimes with the fat on. I eat the skin on chicken. I do not eat fructose. I also eat multi grain porridge (oats, spelt, barley etc) sprinkled with chia seeds.
This is what all the books say will happen. The science around fructose is that the body processes it into fat through the liver and causes issues with cholesterol, appetite regulation and so on.
I was a bit nervous as I waited for my doctor to explain the results. I really hoped that the early struggle and now my mindset had paid off with positive health results. It did!
What's your view on sugar? When my doctor asked me that a year ago my answer was, "I love it!"
So today, I want to tell you a good news story. I received my latest blood results today and I can tell you that I've never been so excited.
Those liver enzyme markers were back to normal. All the cholesterol and fat markers are back where they should be. Everything is looking great!
Here's the interesting thing - all I have done is cut out sugar (fructose). I eat a balanced diet but you should know: I eat cheese; I use butter; I eat red meat, sometimes with the fat on. I eat the skin on chicken. I do not eat fructose. I also eat multi grain porridge (oats, spelt, barley etc) sprinkled with chia seeds.
This is what all the books say will happen. The science around fructose is that the body processes it into fat through the liver and causes issues with cholesterol, appetite regulation and so on.
I was a bit nervous as I waited for my doctor to explain the results. I really hoped that the early struggle and now my mindset had paid off with positive health results. It did!
What's your view on sugar? When my doctor asked me that a year ago my answer was, "I love it!"
Monday, 15 July 2013
Oh that's right, I quit sugar.
It's been a while since I quit sugar. The days of withdrawal are long ago and now sugar laden substances don't even seem like food to me. This is the best place to be.
Last week I had a facial. I used to go once a month and then my financial circumstances changed and I couldn't afford them as often. Now I can, but I'm time poor. All of that means I hadn't seen my regular beautician since March.
She commented on how settled and clear my skin is looking. The usual problems I have with congestion (I've never recovered from living in northern humid lands) were much reduced. My skin wasn't as reactive and sensitive as it had been. She asked me what I had changed.
I couldn't think of anything. I shrugged. She continued to exclaim about how amazing it was. Then she asked me if I was still off sugar.
"Oh yes," I replied.
"Well that must be it," she replied.
"Oh yes, I suppose that's right. It's so long ago and so much part of my life now, that I forget that I've given up sugar."
She continued with the usual reactions about how hard it must be and it sounds like a good thing to do, but that she would never be able to do it.
I rested back on the pillow and relaxed.
This was a great moment of recognition and a reminder that the hard work and struggles of withdrawing from an addictive substance were worth the pain.
The other thing I've noticed is how much my palate has changed. I should disclose that I recently shared a macaroon with a friend. I didn't enjoy it and felt sick afterwards. Won't be going back any time soon. In the meantime, I now eat my porridge with milk and a sprinkle of chia seeds or a seed and nut mix. I make my porridge from a mixture of rolled oats and spelt and find they are naturally sweet. If you had told me this back in the days of brown sugar sprinkled on (or maple syrup on special occasions) I would have had you committed.
I told colleagues that porridge is naturally sweet and I had to run away.
This is a lifestyle change that was relatively straightforward to implement and is paying dividends in lots of ways. Now I'm off to feed my television and knitting addiction!
What choices have you made lately to improve your health? What's the hardest thing you've ever given up? How did you make it stick?
Last week I had a facial. I used to go once a month and then my financial circumstances changed and I couldn't afford them as often. Now I can, but I'm time poor. All of that means I hadn't seen my regular beautician since March.
She commented on how settled and clear my skin is looking. The usual problems I have with congestion (I've never recovered from living in northern humid lands) were much reduced. My skin wasn't as reactive and sensitive as it had been. She asked me what I had changed.
I couldn't think of anything. I shrugged. She continued to exclaim about how amazing it was. Then she asked me if I was still off sugar.
"Oh yes," I replied.
"Well that must be it," she replied.
"Oh yes, I suppose that's right. It's so long ago and so much part of my life now, that I forget that I've given up sugar."
She continued with the usual reactions about how hard it must be and it sounds like a good thing to do, but that she would never be able to do it.
I rested back on the pillow and relaxed.
This was a great moment of recognition and a reminder that the hard work and struggles of withdrawing from an addictive substance were worth the pain.
The other thing I've noticed is how much my palate has changed. I should disclose that I recently shared a macaroon with a friend. I didn't enjoy it and felt sick afterwards. Won't be going back any time soon. In the meantime, I now eat my porridge with milk and a sprinkle of chia seeds or a seed and nut mix. I make my porridge from a mixture of rolled oats and spelt and find they are naturally sweet. If you had told me this back in the days of brown sugar sprinkled on (or maple syrup on special occasions) I would have had you committed.
I told colleagues that porridge is naturally sweet and I had to run away.
This is a lifestyle change that was relatively straightforward to implement and is paying dividends in lots of ways. Now I'm off to feed my television and knitting addiction!
What choices have you made lately to improve your health? What's the hardest thing you've ever given up? How did you make it stick?
Monday, 20 May 2013
Ten questions for today.
1) Is advertising on hand dryers in public toilets effective?
2) Who ever uses a full bottle of nail polish?
3) Why does it rain whenever I have my hair blow waved?
4) Why can't people follow the instructions for recycling?
5) What is unclear about a sign that says "No Junk Mail"?
6) Why do people insist that you "need some sugar" when you tell them you don't eat sugar?
7) Why do businesses refuse to deliver to post office boxes?
8) Where do those text messages telling you you've won "a million pounds" come from?
9) Why, in the digital age, does it still take 3 business days for a cheque to clear?
10) What do visitors to Melbourne think when they can't top up their myki and they discover there are no toilets available at the station?
Answers to these questions are welcome.
What questions are you asking today?
2) Who ever uses a full bottle of nail polish?
3) Why does it rain whenever I have my hair blow waved?
4) Why can't people follow the instructions for recycling?
5) What is unclear about a sign that says "No Junk Mail"?
6) Why do people insist that you "need some sugar" when you tell them you don't eat sugar?
7) Why do businesses refuse to deliver to post office boxes?
8) Where do those text messages telling you you've won "a million pounds" come from?
9) Why, in the digital age, does it still take 3 business days for a cheque to clear?
10) What do visitors to Melbourne think when they can't top up their myki and they discover there are no toilets available at the station?
Answers to these questions are welcome.
What questions are you asking today?
Friday, 12 April 2013
My favourite things...this week
It's been a bit of a strange week. Not a week that I've been in love with. All the more reason to take the time to acknowledge the good bits.
1. I had the best sleep of all time at the Novotel at Homebush in Sydney on Monday night. I was exhausted, but that doesn't always guarantee a good sleep in a hotel. That bed was heavenly. The curtains didn't let in even a chink of light and I woke up in the morning wondering where the hell I was.
2. Work on a difficult professional relationship culminated with a request for a hug. Magic. Relief.
3. I tried on a dress and discovered that I have dropped a dress size. All thanks to quitting sugar! It's both the hardest and the easiest thing to do.
4. I received a glowing probation report in relation to a project I've been leading. I knew I had been doing good work but it's still great to see it in writing and have the conversation.
5. I enrolled in Bob Sedergreen's jazz vocal course. My Saturdays are free now so there's an opportunity, but I also want to tease out my inner jazz diva. Stay tuned.
6. Going out to see comedy on a school night! "Hot Box" on Wednesday and "Prick - the Musical" coming up on Sunday night.
7. Hearing good news on the work front for a good friend of mine. It's so good to share those moments with people who matter.
What was good for you this week?
1. I had the best sleep of all time at the Novotel at Homebush in Sydney on Monday night. I was exhausted, but that doesn't always guarantee a good sleep in a hotel. That bed was heavenly. The curtains didn't let in even a chink of light and I woke up in the morning wondering where the hell I was.
2. Work on a difficult professional relationship culminated with a request for a hug. Magic. Relief.
3. I tried on a dress and discovered that I have dropped a dress size. All thanks to quitting sugar! It's both the hardest and the easiest thing to do.
4. I received a glowing probation report in relation to a project I've been leading. I knew I had been doing good work but it's still great to see it in writing and have the conversation.
5. I enrolled in Bob Sedergreen's jazz vocal course. My Saturdays are free now so there's an opportunity, but I also want to tease out my inner jazz diva. Stay tuned.
6. Going out to see comedy on a school night! "Hot Box" on Wednesday and "Prick - the Musical" coming up on Sunday night.
7. Hearing good news on the work front for a good friend of mine. It's so good to share those moments with people who matter.
What was good for you this week?
Monday, 8 April 2013
Kid fix
Maybe you've noticed that I've been away from the blog. I had a little break over Easter and it felt good to go offline for most of that time. So I did.
I spent some quality time with nieces and a nephew: baking cup cakes filled with tiny Easter eggs with a seven year old girly-girl who is also a super organised perfectionist was great fun; throwing a frisbee with a nine year old tom boy as she stood dangerously - and nonchalantly - close to the septic tank; hearing about my 10 year old nephew's sporting and academic achievements.
My brother and I were entertained in the evenings with shows produced by the children - a medley of fairytales brought erratically to life was entertaining, surprising and better than anything on television.
I marvelled at the technological facility displayed by the children as I received facetime requests from their ipods. I laughed that they failed to understand the superfluous-ness...(superfluity? unnecessariness?) of communicating electronically when we were sitting in the same house. A sign of the future perhaps.
I laughed my head off as I heard my brother issue this instruction: "No running on the couch!" Hilarious!
It was my first sugar-free Easter. I did well, having removed sugar from my life months ago. It's not even a question for me anymore. I actually requested that the Easter Bunny not pay me a visit. (This was a big relief to my younger niece who was concerned the Bunny would be confused by the fact that I was sleeping in her room. She was deeply relieved when I advised her that if the Bunny delivered the eggs to me I would, in turn, pass them to her untouched.) I had cream in my coffee as a special treat instead.
I left my brother's house equipped with a big tray of home made lasagne which lasted, miraculously, almost a week.
Arriving back in Melbourne and taking off again for Sydney, I pondered the purpose of muzak in car parks. Why?
I spent some quality time with nieces and a nephew: baking cup cakes filled with tiny Easter eggs with a seven year old girly-girl who is also a super organised perfectionist was great fun; throwing a frisbee with a nine year old tom boy as she stood dangerously - and nonchalantly - close to the septic tank; hearing about my 10 year old nephew's sporting and academic achievements.
My brother and I were entertained in the evenings with shows produced by the children - a medley of fairytales brought erratically to life was entertaining, surprising and better than anything on television.
I marvelled at the technological facility displayed by the children as I received facetime requests from their ipods. I laughed that they failed to understand the superfluous-ness...(superfluity? unnecessariness?) of communicating electronically when we were sitting in the same house. A sign of the future perhaps.
I laughed my head off as I heard my brother issue this instruction: "No running on the couch!" Hilarious!
It was my first sugar-free Easter. I did well, having removed sugar from my life months ago. It's not even a question for me anymore. I actually requested that the Easter Bunny not pay me a visit. (This was a big relief to my younger niece who was concerned the Bunny would be confused by the fact that I was sleeping in her room. She was deeply relieved when I advised her that if the Bunny delivered the eggs to me I would, in turn, pass them to her untouched.) I had cream in my coffee as a special treat instead.
I left my brother's house equipped with a big tray of home made lasagne which lasted, miraculously, almost a week.
Arriving back in Melbourne and taking off again for Sydney, I pondered the purpose of muzak in car parks. Why?
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
We made it to 2013 - the Mayans were wrong.
Imagine that. The world didn't end. Who knows what the Mayans were up to? The world could have been spared numerous B movies, apart from any angst which may have arisen from the looming end of the world.
I like milestones. I like to take the time to think about what's next and get my mindset right for whatever is next. I'm not really a goal setter, but I do like to be purposeful about actions that I take. My experience over the last few years since I finished full time employment for other people in October 2008 is that things work really well for me if I think positively, don't get tense and worried and continue to act on opportunities. I also look for opportunities. They can be sneaky things and can easily be missed if you're not actually looking.
I just checked my New Year post for last year and am very pleased with the alignment I achieved between intention and achievement. I am pleased with what I achieved. I haven't tackled my lace knitting yet, but I have signed up to an online class and have the yarn wound and ready to go. Development as a performer didn't really happen last year, but I'm okay with that. I've been spending a lot of time developing my skills as an improviser and actor in a teaching and assessment setting. It's not performance as such, but I'm still exercising my acting muscles.
The spare room is still a disaster - perhaps smaller and a tiny bit more organised than it was this time last year.
I'm very pleased with how my business is developing. Bookings and interest is very strong right through the first quarter and prospects are already looking very good beyond that. I'm feeling good about 2013.
On a personal level, one of my major achievements in 2012 was quitting sugar! I made it through the eight weeks of having no sugar at all, just in time for Christmas. Over Christmas, I have allowed myself to share a small portion of Christmas pudding and last night at dinner I had a dessert that was far too big and far too rich, given that I'm off sugar. It's interesting that previously I would have been fighting the urge to have seconds, but that doesn't happen anymore. The quit program has worked and my habits and palate have both changed. Congratulations to anyone out there who has achieved the same thing! And if you haven't quite made it yet, keep trying - it's worth it.
My main focus for 2013 is to continue to build my business, using networking and good work as my main advertising tools. On a concrete, practical note, I do want to get my website up and running.
Incorporating volunteering into my life while I'm working freelance is quite challenging. Because I am only paid when I work, I need to prioritise paid work over volunteering. Contributing to my community is very important to me and I'm feeling a little frustrated that I haven't found a way of volunteering regularly in the way my life is currently running. I solved that problem in 2011 by knitting for charity. This worked because it was easy to incorporate into my usual leisure activities and didn't compete for priority with my paid work. In 2012 I started to crochet a granny square a day and these will be turned into a blanket for someone. I will explore further charity avenues for my knitting this year.
Floating around in my mind is the idea of going unplugged for a day a month. I need to think about this idea more and gain clarity about what I mean. At this stage I'm thinking about it in the context of being offline - that is, not dealing with email, social media and using the internet generally. I feel like this would be a good thing to do to clear my mind and make sure days aren't sucked into the web vortex.
On the practical side, the spare room has made it onto the list. I know that I need to be more specific in thinking about this as making a broad statement like "tackle the spare room" really hasn't worked. At this moment I'm thinking "turn the spare room into a useful, welcoming space, so that it is more than a storage room". And of course, I need a timeframe. By 31 August 2013!
I've done fairly well with saving money during 2012, but with no real plan other than to have money to tide me over during the dead period of December and January. I'm going to put a firm aim in place and put aside 10% of all invoices (after I've taken out tax and GST).
And I want to dance more!
My plans for divacultura are to continue to write daily as much as possible. This is no longer a chore and I find that most days the inspiration is readily available and the writing happens fairly easily. If I'm travelling it's often difficult to post each day, but I've decided just to acknowledge that and communicate with my readers. Given my work schedule I may need to cut back to five posts a week, but I'll let you know if that happens. With the development of my website for this year, I need to think about the relationship between my business and my blog and make sure I seize opportunities for cross-pollination.
Here are the top 10 most read posts on divacultura:
1. MYKI: it's your key to bureaucratic frustration
2. Quitting sugar - two weeks down
3. That's how you handle a complaint!
4. Emergency services call - communication failure
5. Missing in action
6. Photo a day June - from a low angle
7. If myki is the solution, what the hell was the problem?
8. I've got the public transport ticketing blues
9. Photo a day - June round up & July list
10. 2 Days in New York - giveaway
Post numbers 2 through to 10 were all written this year. The top post was written in 2011. There's a strong theme of public transport and community service being subjects of these most popular posts. And my photos have also received lots of comments and compliments, both here on the blog and on Instagram and facebook. The one I'm puzzled about is "Missing in action" at number 5...
Phew! That's a great list and I'm excited about what's to come.
What are you thinking about for 2013? What's your intention?
I like milestones. I like to take the time to think about what's next and get my mindset right for whatever is next. I'm not really a goal setter, but I do like to be purposeful about actions that I take. My experience over the last few years since I finished full time employment for other people in October 2008 is that things work really well for me if I think positively, don't get tense and worried and continue to act on opportunities. I also look for opportunities. They can be sneaky things and can easily be missed if you're not actually looking.
I just checked my New Year post for last year and am very pleased with the alignment I achieved between intention and achievement. I am pleased with what I achieved. I haven't tackled my lace knitting yet, but I have signed up to an online class and have the yarn wound and ready to go. Development as a performer didn't really happen last year, but I'm okay with that. I've been spending a lot of time developing my skills as an improviser and actor in a teaching and assessment setting. It's not performance as such, but I'm still exercising my acting muscles.
The spare room is still a disaster - perhaps smaller and a tiny bit more organised than it was this time last year.
I'm very pleased with how my business is developing. Bookings and interest is very strong right through the first quarter and prospects are already looking very good beyond that. I'm feeling good about 2013.
On a personal level, one of my major achievements in 2012 was quitting sugar! I made it through the eight weeks of having no sugar at all, just in time for Christmas. Over Christmas, I have allowed myself to share a small portion of Christmas pudding and last night at dinner I had a dessert that was far too big and far too rich, given that I'm off sugar. It's interesting that previously I would have been fighting the urge to have seconds, but that doesn't happen anymore. The quit program has worked and my habits and palate have both changed. Congratulations to anyone out there who has achieved the same thing! And if you haven't quite made it yet, keep trying - it's worth it.
My main focus for 2013 is to continue to build my business, using networking and good work as my main advertising tools. On a concrete, practical note, I do want to get my website up and running.
Incorporating volunteering into my life while I'm working freelance is quite challenging. Because I am only paid when I work, I need to prioritise paid work over volunteering. Contributing to my community is very important to me and I'm feeling a little frustrated that I haven't found a way of volunteering regularly in the way my life is currently running. I solved that problem in 2011 by knitting for charity. This worked because it was easy to incorporate into my usual leisure activities and didn't compete for priority with my paid work. In 2012 I started to crochet a granny square a day and these will be turned into a blanket for someone. I will explore further charity avenues for my knitting this year.
Floating around in my mind is the idea of going unplugged for a day a month. I need to think about this idea more and gain clarity about what I mean. At this stage I'm thinking about it in the context of being offline - that is, not dealing with email, social media and using the internet generally. I feel like this would be a good thing to do to clear my mind and make sure days aren't sucked into the web vortex.
On the practical side, the spare room has made it onto the list. I know that I need to be more specific in thinking about this as making a broad statement like "tackle the spare room" really hasn't worked. At this moment I'm thinking "turn the spare room into a useful, welcoming space, so that it is more than a storage room". And of course, I need a timeframe. By 31 August 2013!
I've done fairly well with saving money during 2012, but with no real plan other than to have money to tide me over during the dead period of December and January. I'm going to put a firm aim in place and put aside 10% of all invoices (after I've taken out tax and GST).
And I want to dance more!
My plans for divacultura are to continue to write daily as much as possible. This is no longer a chore and I find that most days the inspiration is readily available and the writing happens fairly easily. If I'm travelling it's often difficult to post each day, but I've decided just to acknowledge that and communicate with my readers. Given my work schedule I may need to cut back to five posts a week, but I'll let you know if that happens. With the development of my website for this year, I need to think about the relationship between my business and my blog and make sure I seize opportunities for cross-pollination.
Here are the top 10 most read posts on divacultura:
1. MYKI: it's your key to bureaucratic frustration
2. Quitting sugar - two weeks down
3. That's how you handle a complaint!
4. Emergency services call - communication failure
5. Missing in action
6. Photo a day June - from a low angle
7. If myki is the solution, what the hell was the problem?
8. I've got the public transport ticketing blues
9. Photo a day - June round up & July list
10. 2 Days in New York - giveaway
Post numbers 2 through to 10 were all written this year. The top post was written in 2011. There's a strong theme of public transport and community service being subjects of these most popular posts. And my photos have also received lots of comments and compliments, both here on the blog and on Instagram and facebook. The one I'm puzzled about is "Missing in action" at number 5...
Phew! That's a great list and I'm excited about what's to come.
What are you thinking about for 2013? What's your intention?
Tuesday, 18 December 2012
Quitting sugar - Christmas party challenge
Yesterday there was a Christmas lunch at my new workplace. Everyone brought food, including an incredible array of desserts. There was everything from pavlova to cheesecake, strawberry moose to cupcakes, as well as Christmas pudding and custard. All home made by staff.
I used to love cheesecake and pavlova, but this week, I wasn't even tempted! When I was asked why I wasn't having dessert, I patiently explained that I don't eat sugar. I'm becoming accustomed to the reactions now - they range from the innocuous to the intense looks that suggest people think you are weird and the mocking statements. These statements usually sound something like, "You can't give up sugar!" or "Come on! It's Christmas! A little bit won't hurt you!" or "Oh yeah...is that some strange new diet fad?"
I'm refining my reaction to this. Sometimes a polite refusal is sufficient. With some people this just puts more fuel on the fire. If I've been asked a question, I usually ask the other person whether they are interested in my rationale for giving up sugar. If they say they are, then I'll give them a quick summary of why sugar is bad. If they're not interested in finding out I'll usually just shrug and remind them that I'm not questioning or judging their food choices.
So there I was, surrounded by sugar and it wasn't even difficult to resist! It's seven weeks since I've had sugar and it's very exciting and reassuring to know that my body and my mind have adjusted and I just don't want it anymore. Interestingly, probably the hardest thing for me to resist were the juicy fresh cherries!
It would be difficult to quit sugar just before Christmas and be in the first two weeks of withdrawal right now. I think I may have caved in and tried a piece of cheesecake if I'd been in that situation. I hope I wouldn't, but I think I might. Anyway, that's not the situation I'm in and that's good. My challenge is that I will be through the 8 week quit program and technically will be allowed to reintroduce sugar if I wish. I aim to stick with the cherries and avoid the pavlova.
What's your Christmas sugar avoidance strategy?
I used to love cheesecake and pavlova, but this week, I wasn't even tempted! When I was asked why I wasn't having dessert, I patiently explained that I don't eat sugar. I'm becoming accustomed to the reactions now - they range from the innocuous to the intense looks that suggest people think you are weird and the mocking statements. These statements usually sound something like, "You can't give up sugar!" or "Come on! It's Christmas! A little bit won't hurt you!" or "Oh yeah...is that some strange new diet fad?"
I'm refining my reaction to this. Sometimes a polite refusal is sufficient. With some people this just puts more fuel on the fire. If I've been asked a question, I usually ask the other person whether they are interested in my rationale for giving up sugar. If they say they are, then I'll give them a quick summary of why sugar is bad. If they're not interested in finding out I'll usually just shrug and remind them that I'm not questioning or judging their food choices.
So there I was, surrounded by sugar and it wasn't even difficult to resist! It's seven weeks since I've had sugar and it's very exciting and reassuring to know that my body and my mind have adjusted and I just don't want it anymore. Interestingly, probably the hardest thing for me to resist were the juicy fresh cherries!
It would be difficult to quit sugar just before Christmas and be in the first two weeks of withdrawal right now. I think I may have caved in and tried a piece of cheesecake if I'd been in that situation. I hope I wouldn't, but I think I might. Anyway, that's not the situation I'm in and that's good. My challenge is that I will be through the 8 week quit program and technically will be allowed to reintroduce sugar if I wish. I aim to stick with the cherries and avoid the pavlova.
What's your Christmas sugar avoidance strategy?
Wednesday, 5 December 2012
Quitting Sugar - 5 weeks down
So, three weeks have passed since I wrote my first post about quitting sugar. I'm now in the fifth week and I'm going very well. In the first eight week period, I'm not having ANY fructose - so that means no fruit for now.
The main thing I've noticed is how different my mindset is. I'm actually not interested in cake or biscuits or icecream or chocolate. That's a pretty big change as I'm a baker with a sweet tooth. I would always look for something sweet after a meal. I had already discovered the value of liquorice tea as a naturally sweet after dinner drink and I still like to have it after a meal. If it's not available, it's okay. I'm not craving something sweet to finish.
The biggest challenge is still the catering provided by clients. They often cater for a lot of different dietary requirements, but "sugar free" still seems to raise an eyebrow. Last week the food on arrival consisted of soft drinks and juice, along with chocolate bars. Lunch was delicious, consisting of salads and fish. The dressing was on the side, so that was excellent. Afternoon tea was chocolate cake, brownies or beautiful looking mini vanilla slices. I resisted them all, but was quite hungry and very pleased I had packed my own snacks. Activated nuts and sesame crackers are now a fixture in my handbag.
My eating patterns have also changed. I'm hungry earlier, wanting lunch before 12 noon and ready for dinner at about 5pm. Interesting. If I can, I do eat when I'm hungry rather than waiting for some artificial notion of meal time to arrive.
Breakfast is completely different from what it was before I quit sugar. I was a muesli and yogurt girl in summer and porridge in winter. On my porridge I would sprinkle some brown sugar. Gone is the muesli (I put it in a ziplock bag and gave it to a friend who loves muesli. He also took my stock of muesli bars) and natural yogurt makes a great accompaniment to a curry, but I just can't do it for breakfast. Vitabrits with milk and nothing else or porridge made from oats and spelt with milk and nothing else feature regularly. I've just bought a jar of toasted cereal topping to add some interest. It contains sesame seeds, linseed, buckwheat kernels, sunflower kernels, sliced almonds and cinnamon. I like it with everything, including salads and sprinkled on vegetables.
If I'm home during the morning, I'll have toast with a scrape of butter and sometimes vegemite or toast with an avocado and pepper. Again, if I'm at home, I'll eat my main meal during the day and be satisfied with a light salad at night. Gone is the balsamic vinegar which I loved on salad greens. I've replaced it with red wine vinegar and am still deciding what I think of a sugar free mayonnaise I have found. The currants have also gone from my favourite brown rice salad. I've replaced them with more seeds, nuts and finely chopped parsley and mint. It's still delicious.
I do miss sweet chilli sauce. I would have it on everything from scrambled eggs to cheese on toast to steak. It's gone.
The other thing I'm missing is the ginger cordial I loved to have with lime and mineral water, or even as a mixer with gin (Hendrick's is the best).
Commercial baked beans are also banned, which is a shame as I enjoyed them as a light snack to have in a hurry. I'll have to get back into the habit of making my own, but even that will require some adjustment as brown sugar was a feature of them in the past.
Today I had coffee with a friend and two gorgeous looking macarons arrived along with the coffee. He didn't know that I've given up sugar and I didn't want to offend him. I thanked him and gently explained my sugar free quest. He did say something about it being Christmas, but I'm proud to say that I held firm.
The fuzzy headed feeling is gone and I'm sleeping very well. Friends have told me they can see I have lost weight and I'm having trouble keeping my jeans up without a belt.
Christmas will be the next challenge and I'm really glad that my new eating habits will be well entrenched by the time it's in full swing. I'm exploring sugar free Christmas menus to find ways of satisfying everyone. I'm confident that I won't be tempted - I'm just not interested anymore. Sarah Wilson has a handy Christmas menu planner on her website.
I regularly check David Gillespie's Sweet Poison quit plan and it goes with me to the supermarket.
What's your favourite sugar free snack or breakfast?
The main thing I've noticed is how different my mindset is. I'm actually not interested in cake or biscuits or icecream or chocolate. That's a pretty big change as I'm a baker with a sweet tooth. I would always look for something sweet after a meal. I had already discovered the value of liquorice tea as a naturally sweet after dinner drink and I still like to have it after a meal. If it's not available, it's okay. I'm not craving something sweet to finish.
The biggest challenge is still the catering provided by clients. They often cater for a lot of different dietary requirements, but "sugar free" still seems to raise an eyebrow. Last week the food on arrival consisted of soft drinks and juice, along with chocolate bars. Lunch was delicious, consisting of salads and fish. The dressing was on the side, so that was excellent. Afternoon tea was chocolate cake, brownies or beautiful looking mini vanilla slices. I resisted them all, but was quite hungry and very pleased I had packed my own snacks. Activated nuts and sesame crackers are now a fixture in my handbag.
My eating patterns have also changed. I'm hungry earlier, wanting lunch before 12 noon and ready for dinner at about 5pm. Interesting. If I can, I do eat when I'm hungry rather than waiting for some artificial notion of meal time to arrive.
Breakfast is completely different from what it was before I quit sugar. I was a muesli and yogurt girl in summer and porridge in winter. On my porridge I would sprinkle some brown sugar. Gone is the muesli (I put it in a ziplock bag and gave it to a friend who loves muesli. He also took my stock of muesli bars) and natural yogurt makes a great accompaniment to a curry, but I just can't do it for breakfast. Vitabrits with milk and nothing else or porridge made from oats and spelt with milk and nothing else feature regularly. I've just bought a jar of toasted cereal topping to add some interest. It contains sesame seeds, linseed, buckwheat kernels, sunflower kernels, sliced almonds and cinnamon. I like it with everything, including salads and sprinkled on vegetables.
If I'm home during the morning, I'll have toast with a scrape of butter and sometimes vegemite or toast with an avocado and pepper. Again, if I'm at home, I'll eat my main meal during the day and be satisfied with a light salad at night. Gone is the balsamic vinegar which I loved on salad greens. I've replaced it with red wine vinegar and am still deciding what I think of a sugar free mayonnaise I have found. The currants have also gone from my favourite brown rice salad. I've replaced them with more seeds, nuts and finely chopped parsley and mint. It's still delicious.
I do miss sweet chilli sauce. I would have it on everything from scrambled eggs to cheese on toast to steak. It's gone.
The other thing I'm missing is the ginger cordial I loved to have with lime and mineral water, or even as a mixer with gin (Hendrick's is the best).
Commercial baked beans are also banned, which is a shame as I enjoyed them as a light snack to have in a hurry. I'll have to get back into the habit of making my own, but even that will require some adjustment as brown sugar was a feature of them in the past.
Today I had coffee with a friend and two gorgeous looking macarons arrived along with the coffee. He didn't know that I've given up sugar and I didn't want to offend him. I thanked him and gently explained my sugar free quest. He did say something about it being Christmas, but I'm proud to say that I held firm.
The fuzzy headed feeling is gone and I'm sleeping very well. Friends have told me they can see I have lost weight and I'm having trouble keeping my jeans up without a belt.
Christmas will be the next challenge and I'm really glad that my new eating habits will be well entrenched by the time it's in full swing. I'm exploring sugar free Christmas menus to find ways of satisfying everyone. I'm confident that I won't be tempted - I'm just not interested anymore. Sarah Wilson has a handy Christmas menu planner on her website.
I regularly check David Gillespie's Sweet Poison quit plan and it goes with me to the supermarket.
What's your favourite sugar free snack or breakfast?
Wednesday, 28 November 2012
Travelling musician brings joy to travellers (+giveaway)
I stepped into a train carriage travelling into the city the other day and saw a group of high school children sitting in a group an intensely talking amongst themselves. I took a seat nearby. Soon music started to fill the air. Usually when this happens, I move. It's generally someone listening to an ipod with the volume set far too loudly so that the sound bleeds through their earphones; or it's someone listening to music without even the courtesy of using headphones.
This was different though. It was good music and it was being played live. There was someone playing the guitar, who was very, very good. There was an air of quiet appreciation from the people sitting with him as his artistry gave pleasure. I didn't recognise the music but did recognise a musician with rhythm who communicates through his instrument. He finished one piece and then started something familiar. His fans clicked their fingers crisply at regular intervals. He was playing the theme from the "Pink Panther". I've never heard it played on the guitar before and he made me wonder why I had never had the pleasure.
We pulled into North Melbourne Station and I turned around to see him and acknowledge him. He had only one friend left sitting with him and he was playing with intention and joy. He looked up as I turned around. Our eyes met and we acknowledged each other - I was acknowledging the gift of his music and he acknowledged the gift of my appreciation.
He finished the piece and I applauded. Others on the train looked up and smiled, but didn't join me in applause.
This young man was a pleasure to hear. I may never hear him play again. I don't know his name, but I'm sure I would recognise his playing if I heard him again. I really hope I do hear his music again.
On another note, here is the sugar laden afternoon tea that I resisted when working with a client today. In the fourth week of sugar-free life, I am very pleased to say that I wasn't even tempted! I was, however, very hungry and will take an alternative snack with me tomorrow.
GIVEAWAY:
TO WIN a double pass to see "2 Days in New York" comment on this post, telling us where you'd like to spend two days and why. Entries close next Friday, 30 November. Winners will be announced on the blog. Don't forget to check back and see if you've won - you'll need to provide your mailing address details.
Passes are valid during the season in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and the ACT.
Good luck!
This was different though. It was good music and it was being played live. There was someone playing the guitar, who was very, very good. There was an air of quiet appreciation from the people sitting with him as his artistry gave pleasure. I didn't recognise the music but did recognise a musician with rhythm who communicates through his instrument. He finished one piece and then started something familiar. His fans clicked their fingers crisply at regular intervals. He was playing the theme from the "Pink Panther". I've never heard it played on the guitar before and he made me wonder why I had never had the pleasure.
We pulled into North Melbourne Station and I turned around to see him and acknowledge him. He had only one friend left sitting with him and he was playing with intention and joy. He looked up as I turned around. Our eyes met and we acknowledged each other - I was acknowledging the gift of his music and he acknowledged the gift of my appreciation.
He finished the piece and I applauded. Others on the train looked up and smiled, but didn't join me in applause.
This young man was a pleasure to hear. I may never hear him play again. I don't know his name, but I'm sure I would recognise his playing if I heard him again. I really hope I do hear his music again.
On another note, here is the sugar laden afternoon tea that I resisted when working with a client today. In the fourth week of sugar-free life, I am very pleased to say that I wasn't even tempted! I was, however, very hungry and will take an alternative snack with me tomorrow.
GIVEAWAY:
TO WIN a double pass to see "2 Days in New York" comment on this post, telling us where you'd like to spend two days and why. Entries close next Friday, 30 November. Winners will be announced on the blog. Don't forget to check back and see if you've won - you'll need to provide your mailing address details.
Passes are valid during the season in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and the ACT.
Good luck!
Saturday, 24 November 2012
Music, food and laughter cancel out train trauma
For the first time in a while, I woke up hours before the alarm. The sun was coming in my window and I felt well rested. I had time to lie in bed and think. Read. Consider the day ahead. I was hours ahead of schedule. I had an all day vocal group rehearsal today and had to make the salad I was taking for lunch (sugar free, of course) and be ready to catch the train at 9:38am.
I proceeded at a leisurely pace and was ready to enjoy the walk to the train station. I arrived with about five minutes to spare. There seemed to be more people there than usual for that time on a Saturday morning, but I figured everyone had woken up to the glorious day in the same way I had. All of us were running ahead of schedule, except for the trains.
The automated timetable announcement proclaimed at about 9:35 that the 9:18am train would be departing in about six minutes. The one I was there to catch, the 9:38am - was about 17 minutes away. Oh well, I'd catch an earlier train and leave later than I anticipated. Only Metro trains could make that happen.
A few minutes passed and a manual announcement was made, advising that due to something-or-other, all trains had been suspended until further notice. When you're at an unstaffed station, this is the most frustrating kind of announcement. No details are given about alternative services and there is no one to ask.
Luckily I hadn't been waiting for that long, so I was still within the window to be able to touch off my myki and not be billed for a trip I wasn't going to take. I made my way back home and started my car.
It's so annoying to be forced onto the road when you're committed to public transport and try not to clog up the streets with one person car trips that could otherwise be taken on public transport. And on the weekends, the price of travel is capped at $3.30 for the day, so it really is better than taking the car. At least I have a car and could easily take alternative transport to get to my rehearsal. In Melbourne's western suburbs, if the trains go down, there aren't a lot of other options.
While I missed my reading time, I did enjoy the airconditioning and radio discussion about the colour of a kitten's fur being a big factor in determining whether it will have a home or have to be destroyed. (Black cats aren't really agents of Satan you know.)
We had a great rehearsal and one of those wonderful shared lunches where people generously provide food and it all works together to be a bountiful and delicious meal, made better by good company and the sharing of music.
One of my fellow singers confided in me that she had misread my recent blog post about my discovery of the television show "Survivor". When I wrote that I'm "hooked" on the show, she read it as "booked". She suddenly saw me in a whole new light. We both thought this was very funny. I concluded that I'd be able to play a great social game, but would be a waste of time in the physical challenges. I'd have to make everyone love me enough not to care.
I drove home and spent the rest of the afternoon at the piano. A great way to spend Saturday.
GIVEAWAY:
TO WIN a double passto see "2 Days in New York" comment on this post, telling us where you'd like to spend two days and why. Entries close next Friday, 30 November. Winners will be announced on the blog. Don't forget to check back and see if you've won - you'll need to provide your mailing address details.
Passes are valid during the season in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and the ACT.
Good luck!
I proceeded at a leisurely pace and was ready to enjoy the walk to the train station. I arrived with about five minutes to spare. There seemed to be more people there than usual for that time on a Saturday morning, but I figured everyone had woken up to the glorious day in the same way I had. All of us were running ahead of schedule, except for the trains.
The automated timetable announcement proclaimed at about 9:35 that the 9:18am train would be departing in about six minutes. The one I was there to catch, the 9:38am - was about 17 minutes away. Oh well, I'd catch an earlier train and leave later than I anticipated. Only Metro trains could make that happen.
A few minutes passed and a manual announcement was made, advising that due to something-or-other, all trains had been suspended until further notice. When you're at an unstaffed station, this is the most frustrating kind of announcement. No details are given about alternative services and there is no one to ask.
Luckily I hadn't been waiting for that long, so I was still within the window to be able to touch off my myki and not be billed for a trip I wasn't going to take. I made my way back home and started my car.
It's so annoying to be forced onto the road when you're committed to public transport and try not to clog up the streets with one person car trips that could otherwise be taken on public transport. And on the weekends, the price of travel is capped at $3.30 for the day, so it really is better than taking the car. At least I have a car and could easily take alternative transport to get to my rehearsal. In Melbourne's western suburbs, if the trains go down, there aren't a lot of other options.
While I missed my reading time, I did enjoy the airconditioning and radio discussion about the colour of a kitten's fur being a big factor in determining whether it will have a home or have to be destroyed. (Black cats aren't really agents of Satan you know.)
We had a great rehearsal and one of those wonderful shared lunches where people generously provide food and it all works together to be a bountiful and delicious meal, made better by good company and the sharing of music.
One of my fellow singers confided in me that she had misread my recent blog post about my discovery of the television show "Survivor". When I wrote that I'm "hooked" on the show, she read it as "booked". She suddenly saw me in a whole new light. We both thought this was very funny. I concluded that I'd be able to play a great social game, but would be a waste of time in the physical challenges. I'd have to make everyone love me enough not to care.
I drove home and spent the rest of the afternoon at the piano. A great way to spend Saturday.
GIVEAWAY:
TO WIN a double passto see "2 Days in New York" comment on this post, telling us where you'd like to spend two days and why. Entries close next Friday, 30 November. Winners will be announced on the blog. Don't forget to check back and see if you've won - you'll need to provide your mailing address details.
Passes are valid during the season in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Adelaide and the ACT.
Good luck!
Monday, 19 November 2012
My reading list
The pile never seems to get smaller! I'm actually quite content with that - I know I will never run out.
My book group met yesterday to discuss "The Secret Scripture" by Sebastian Barry. It was given to me as a birthday gift last year by a friend who adored it. She and I generally like each others' choices, so I knew it would be a winner when I recommended it to my book group.
If you haven't read this book, put it on your "must read" list. Roseanne Clear is one hundred years old and living in an asylum in Ireland when she starts to write down her life story. Dr Grene is the resident psychiatrist faced with the demolition of the asylum and the need to decide where the patients should go. He is trying to discover Roseanne's story, in particular, the circumstances of her committal. Through these two characters we are exposed to the twists and complications of twentieth century Irish history. Again, I am left wondering about the role of love in the Catholic church.
I'm revisiting the beginnings of New Journalism with a collection of essays from Gay Talese. His book, "Thy Neighbour's Wife" was on the reading list for the New Journalism subject I took at university. I read all the others, but somehow missed this one. One of his most famous essays gives the title to the collection I've borrowed from the library, "Frank Sinatra has a cold". It's marvellous. The first essay in the collection is called Vogueland and was written in 1961 about Vogue magazine. He is a wonderful writer and I'm enjoying these shorter pieces.
The next selection for the book group was featured recently on the Tuesday Night Book Club on ABC television. I didn't see the program, but the woman who served me at the bookstore told me they have sold three hundred copies since the show aired. The book is "Crossing to Safety" by Wallace Stegner, with an introduction by Jane Smiley (one of my favourite authors). Apparently he's one of the most important American authors of the late twentieth century. It's incredible that I've never heard of Wallace Stegner as the last fifty years of the twentieth century American literature is where I focus a lot of my reading, starting with subjects at university. Very happy to discover him now. The book looks terrific.
Hilary Mantel's second Man Booker Prize winner is "Bring up the Bodies" which my book group will read over the summer break, as is our custom with the Booker Prize winner. It's (mostly) an enjoyable tradition. Some of us are feeling less than happy at the prospect of this one.
On the non-fiction pile are:
"How Music Works" by David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame)
"Flourish" by Martin Seligman
"Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer
"I'm Ok - you're Ok" by Thomas A Harris
"As One - individual action, collective power" by Mehrdad Baghai and James Quigley
Lastly is "The Sweet Poison Quit Plan" by David Gillespie. It's become my go to guide, rather than a book I'm reading from beginning to end.
That should keep me occupied for a while. What are you reading?
My book group met yesterday to discuss "The Secret Scripture" by Sebastian Barry. It was given to me as a birthday gift last year by a friend who adored it. She and I generally like each others' choices, so I knew it would be a winner when I recommended it to my book group.
If you haven't read this book, put it on your "must read" list. Roseanne Clear is one hundred years old and living in an asylum in Ireland when she starts to write down her life story. Dr Grene is the resident psychiatrist faced with the demolition of the asylum and the need to decide where the patients should go. He is trying to discover Roseanne's story, in particular, the circumstances of her committal. Through these two characters we are exposed to the twists and complications of twentieth century Irish history. Again, I am left wondering about the role of love in the Catholic church.
I'm revisiting the beginnings of New Journalism with a collection of essays from Gay Talese. His book, "Thy Neighbour's Wife" was on the reading list for the New Journalism subject I took at university. I read all the others, but somehow missed this one. One of his most famous essays gives the title to the collection I've borrowed from the library, "Frank Sinatra has a cold". It's marvellous. The first essay in the collection is called Vogueland and was written in 1961 about Vogue magazine. He is a wonderful writer and I'm enjoying these shorter pieces.
The next selection for the book group was featured recently on the Tuesday Night Book Club on ABC television. I didn't see the program, but the woman who served me at the bookstore told me they have sold three hundred copies since the show aired. The book is "Crossing to Safety" by Wallace Stegner, with an introduction by Jane Smiley (one of my favourite authors). Apparently he's one of the most important American authors of the late twentieth century. It's incredible that I've never heard of Wallace Stegner as the last fifty years of the twentieth century American literature is where I focus a lot of my reading, starting with subjects at university. Very happy to discover him now. The book looks terrific.
Hilary Mantel's second Man Booker Prize winner is "Bring up the Bodies" which my book group will read over the summer break, as is our custom with the Booker Prize winner. It's (mostly) an enjoyable tradition. Some of us are feeling less than happy at the prospect of this one.
On the non-fiction pile are:
"How Music Works" by David Byrne (of Talking Heads fame)
"Flourish" by Martin Seligman
"Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safran Foer
"I'm Ok - you're Ok" by Thomas A Harris
"As One - individual action, collective power" by Mehrdad Baghai and James Quigley
Lastly is "The Sweet Poison Quit Plan" by David Gillespie. It's become my go to guide, rather than a book I'm reading from beginning to end.
That should keep me occupied for a while. What are you reading?
Saturday, 17 November 2012
Quitting sugar - two weeks down
It's now two weeks since I had my last serve of sugar. At the recommendation of my doctor I am following the eight week program devised by Sarah Wilson. I'm also reading David Gillespie's book, The Sweet Poison Quit Plan, which has lots of useful information about how to interpret food labels and understand what's what.
I have a sweet tooth and some bad habits have crept in - like the standard piece of white chocolate with my evening cup of tea. I also am often fed by the clients I work with. Generally the lunches include a selection of salads and sandwiches, so that's easy enough. It's the morning and afternoon tea plates that are challenging - plates of fruit and plates of cakes and biscuits. Fruit juice is standard and soft drinks are sometimes offered. (During the detox phase, there's no fruit allowed and fruit juice is off the menu completely.)
During the week after a long day, I walked towards the train station. It was after 6pm and I was feeling tired, hungry and generally strange. I knew that I was feeling the symptoms of withdrawal. My path home was flanked by all kinds of temptations and perhaps I would have stopped to have a smoothie from a juice bar. I now shudder to think what I was actually ingesting.
I made it home without succumbing and made dinner as soon as I arrived. It was healthy and satisfying.
Yesterday was another day of feeling flat with a dull headache and a sense of cotton wool wrapped around my head. My skin is breaking out at the moment too - this could be down to the liquorice, fennel and spearmint tea I now have after meals to satisfy my craving to finish my meal with something sweet on my palate.
Trips to the supermarket take a lot longer now. I've always spent most of my time in the fruit and vegetable section, but there's always the need to visit other aisles. I'm now aware of the danger lurking in the breakfast cereal section. Sauces are another danger zone. I now no longer visit the confectionery aisle or the biscuit section. The health food section was fascinating. Even amongst the packages proclaiming "gluten free", "low fat", "suitable for people intolerant to lactose" sugar lurks.
I'm one quarter of my way through withdrawal. Six weeks to go and so far, so good. I'm very pleased that I've never taken sugar in my tea or coffee. I'm also pleased at my decision to go cold turkey. If I was to wean myself off sugar, I don't think I'd ever make it. Rather than thinking of it as deprivation, I'm gathering knowledge and embracing the idea that sugar is poison in the quantities found in the modern diet - I'm not depriving myself, I'm boosting my health.
I've found some great organic sesame crackers which are sugar free and can be kept easily in my handbag for afternoon and morning tea. And the avocados are sensational at the moment! Great time of year to be doing this.
Have you quit sugar? I'd love to hear your stories.
I have a sweet tooth and some bad habits have crept in - like the standard piece of white chocolate with my evening cup of tea. I also am often fed by the clients I work with. Generally the lunches include a selection of salads and sandwiches, so that's easy enough. It's the morning and afternoon tea plates that are challenging - plates of fruit and plates of cakes and biscuits. Fruit juice is standard and soft drinks are sometimes offered. (During the detox phase, there's no fruit allowed and fruit juice is off the menu completely.)
During the week after a long day, I walked towards the train station. It was after 6pm and I was feeling tired, hungry and generally strange. I knew that I was feeling the symptoms of withdrawal. My path home was flanked by all kinds of temptations and perhaps I would have stopped to have a smoothie from a juice bar. I now shudder to think what I was actually ingesting.
I made it home without succumbing and made dinner as soon as I arrived. It was healthy and satisfying.
Yesterday was another day of feeling flat with a dull headache and a sense of cotton wool wrapped around my head. My skin is breaking out at the moment too - this could be down to the liquorice, fennel and spearmint tea I now have after meals to satisfy my craving to finish my meal with something sweet on my palate.
Trips to the supermarket take a lot longer now. I've always spent most of my time in the fruit and vegetable section, but there's always the need to visit other aisles. I'm now aware of the danger lurking in the breakfast cereal section. Sauces are another danger zone. I now no longer visit the confectionery aisle or the biscuit section. The health food section was fascinating. Even amongst the packages proclaiming "gluten free", "low fat", "suitable for people intolerant to lactose" sugar lurks.
I'm one quarter of my way through withdrawal. Six weeks to go and so far, so good. I'm very pleased that I've never taken sugar in my tea or coffee. I'm also pleased at my decision to go cold turkey. If I was to wean myself off sugar, I don't think I'd ever make it. Rather than thinking of it as deprivation, I'm gathering knowledge and embracing the idea that sugar is poison in the quantities found in the modern diet - I'm not depriving myself, I'm boosting my health.
I've found some great organic sesame crackers which are sugar free and can be kept easily in my handbag for afternoon and morning tea. And the avocados are sensational at the moment! Great time of year to be doing this.
Have you quit sugar? I'd love to hear your stories.
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