It's not even summer yet, and the forecast for today is 40 degrees. I'm sure we'll reach it as it was already quite hot this morning, when walking from the carpark to work. Then later this afternoon there should be thunderstorms and a bit of rain, which usually means that tomorrow it'll be about ten degrees cooler.
We don't mind that at all, as it also means that the bushfire risk goes down immediately. There are small fires in the State each day, and you wouldn't believe it, but a fair few are deliberately lit. I've heard that the police visits well-known idiots on fire danger days, to find out where they are and what they're doing, and apparently there is about 200 of them. There has been a big fire last week, on Eyre Peninsula, threathening homes in Port Lincoln, but that one is under control. Most fires seem to start off as a result of thunderstorms and lightning, when trong winds are present.
Age is home this week, which is nice, and at his office they're shuffling desks around at the moment, to make better use of the space, and because a new colleague has started this week. Being a small company with about seven employees, the boss himself went to IKEA with his ute, bought a few desks, loaded them in the ute, and brought them to the office, where they've been busy assembling them with one screwdriver.
They also have a Christmas tree in the office, which I totally overlooked and didn't see at all when I popped in to tell Age's colleagues that I forgot to bring their toilet key - the toilet key Age put in his pants and accidentally took home, and only discovered this while gone to Sydney for a week. Apparently the Christmas tree was white :-)
Pregnancy-wise we've reached the stage of a Turnip this week, at 16 weeks and 1 day. I've also had an amniocentesis on Monday, and apart from being quite sore (a battered and bruised feeling in my abs on the left side) afterwards for two days, everything went fine. Next up is the 20-week scan, just before Christmas. When we reach that milestone it means we're halfway!
Thursday, 29 November 2012
Friday, 23 November 2012
Wisdom from the Far East
Dr. Yu Tok Kak
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true? A: Heart only good for so many beats, and that it... Don't waste on exercise. Everything wear out eventually. Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster. Want to live longer? Take nap.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: Oh no. Wine made from fruit. Fruit very good. Brandy distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way. Beer also made of grain. Grain good too. Bottom up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio? A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one. If you have two body, your ratio two to one.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program? A: Can't think of one, sorry. My philosophy: No pain...good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU NOT LISTENING! Food fried in vegetable oil. How getting more vegetable be bad?
Q : Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?A: Oh no! When you exercise muscle, it get bigger. You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me? A: You crazy?!? HEL-LO-O!! Cocoa bean! Another vegetable! It best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure? A: If swimming good for figure, explain whale to me.
Q: Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle? A: Hey! 'Round' is shape!
Well... I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
And remember:
Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WOO-HOO, what a ride!!"
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Brits.
CONCLUSION: Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
Thursday, 22 November 2012
Avocado
I have been eating a lot of avocados lately. They are great in a mash with tinned salmon - and then spread onto a toasted bagel, for lunch. Or what about avocados in salads, with walnuts? Yummmm.
Coincidentally, baby's size is the size of an avocado this week (add legs to that :-)). I thought I'd decided not to blab too much about my pregnancy, but there we go, out the window already.
Adelaide is heating up too, which makes our search for a home with a swimming pool even more ... (fill in the blanks: urgent? applicable? nicely timed?). Whatever. Fact is that we have to choose by next week whether we want to stay for another year in our current place, or move out. We would like something in between, so we'll try to negotiate a bit more flexibility. In the meantime we're making ourselves crazy by sending each other dozens of properties on a daily basis that are on the market, either to rent or to buy. But there's always something wrong with each property, most of the time it's the price :-)
About heating up: there are three 35's in the forecast for the coming week, so that's what I mean. Soooo nice to have a pool!
Age has been in Sydney last week and this week. He'll be home next week, for a change. Who is that man at my breakfast table, eating cereals and yoghurt???
Coincidentally, baby's size is the size of an avocado this week (add legs to that :-)). I thought I'd decided not to blab too much about my pregnancy, but there we go, out the window already.
Adelaide is heating up too, which makes our search for a home with a swimming pool even more ... (fill in the blanks: urgent? applicable? nicely timed?). Whatever. Fact is that we have to choose by next week whether we want to stay for another year in our current place, or move out. We would like something in between, so we'll try to negotiate a bit more flexibility. In the meantime we're making ourselves crazy by sending each other dozens of properties on a daily basis that are on the market, either to rent or to buy. But there's always something wrong with each property, most of the time it's the price :-)
About heating up: there are three 35's in the forecast for the coming week, so that's what I mean. Soooo nice to have a pool!
Age has been in Sydney last week and this week. He'll be home next week, for a change. Who is that man at my breakfast table, eating cereals and yoghurt???
Wednesday, 14 November 2012
Curtains and blinds
Finally, after almost ten (!) months, the curtains and blinds in our rental place have been installed. One piece of advice: never buy anything from Sp*tlight. The curtain journey has been unbelievable. Measuring started early February, as well as choosing the right fabric for the blinds (the owner did this). After ordering everything, they soon found out that the chosen fabric was discontinued and undeliverable. So the owner had to choose again.
It then took weeks before the blinds were made and ready to install. No, stop. Before a couple of the blinds were made and ready to install. The others were all too wide or too narrow and had to be remade. A couple of months later they were ready to install the remaining blinds. Pardon me, to install some of the remaining blinds, as the rest had gone missing.
They then had to order and make the missing blinds again, which took another couple of months, and when these were ready, they didn't fit the hanging mechanism. So the hanging mechanism had to change. They changed it into another model, excuse me, thought they changed it, but didn't, so the installer couldn't install them the second time, and had to re-order the hanging mechanism again.
Don't forget that one of us has to be home on those days, between 8 and 4 (basically the whole day), as they can't tell you when they'll show up. I think we've had to be home about 10 times in total. Then last week the installer didn't show up, and now finally, today, the job has been finished. Hurrayyyy.
And now for something completely different: I'm three and a half months pregnant :-)
It then took weeks before the blinds were made and ready to install. No, stop. Before a couple of the blinds were made and ready to install. The others were all too wide or too narrow and had to be remade. A couple of months later they were ready to install the remaining blinds. Pardon me, to install some of the remaining blinds, as the rest had gone missing.
They then had to order and make the missing blinds again, which took another couple of months, and when these were ready, they didn't fit the hanging mechanism. So the hanging mechanism had to change. They changed it into another model, excuse me, thought they changed it, but didn't, so the installer couldn't install them the second time, and had to re-order the hanging mechanism again.
Don't forget that one of us has to be home on those days, between 8 and 4 (basically the whole day), as they can't tell you when they'll show up. I think we've had to be home about 10 times in total. Then last week the installer didn't show up, and now finally, today, the job has been finished. Hurrayyyy.
And now for something completely different: I'm three and a half months pregnant :-)
Monday, 5 November 2012
Tropical. And Christmas is nearly here...
We hit the 34's for the first time this season, yesterday, in our suburb, and that's always two degrees cooler than in Adelaide city. I found it quite hot, but if you're inside with the aircon running you don't really notice.
What I like very much are the balmy evenings that come with the warmer weather. You don't have them in The Netherlands, or very seldom, and not in New Zealand either (not where we used to live). But here the evenings are the best part of the day for a nice walk. Or for a swim - only we don't have a pool. That's something that's on our wishlist at the moment.
And you wouldn't believe it, but it's all Christmas in the shopping areas. Age's Arcade has been fully decorated, I saw David Jones's exclusive food court, with tons of beautiful Christmas hampers, and delicacies from far away. My calendar is full with work-related Christmas events early December, and our team is having troubles finding a nice spot for our Christmas lunch, as we apparently seem to be quite late in organising something.
Last week Age was in Sydney for a conference and workshop, organised by his own company, so he's had a really busy week and lead up to it. Came back with a snotty nose, which developed in a full-blown cold later in the week and over the weekend. This is the second time within a month that he's knocked out, so we're now boosting his resistance with orange juice, vitamin supplements, and freshly made smoothies. He's much better now, by the way, but still. I noticed I don't have much patience with him when he's having a cold, treat the poor man like it's his own fault, which it actually is in my opinion as he never eats fruit. And that drives me bloody mad. It doesn't get much better fruit-wise than in Australia. The fruit is beautiful here.
By the way, about these smoothies, they're divine: for two serves - take a mango, add a banana, some milk and thick greek yoghurt, and blend!! Or a banana, frozen raspberries, yoghurt, milk, maybe some vanilla icecream, and blend!! Much better than in any cafe, as mine are not so sweet and fat, just great in taste. Two minutes work, and yummmmmmm.
What I like very much are the balmy evenings that come with the warmer weather. You don't have them in The Netherlands, or very seldom, and not in New Zealand either (not where we used to live). But here the evenings are the best part of the day for a nice walk. Or for a swim - only we don't have a pool. That's something that's on our wishlist at the moment.
And you wouldn't believe it, but it's all Christmas in the shopping areas. Age's Arcade has been fully decorated, I saw David Jones's exclusive food court, with tons of beautiful Christmas hampers, and delicacies from far away. My calendar is full with work-related Christmas events early December, and our team is having troubles finding a nice spot for our Christmas lunch, as we apparently seem to be quite late in organising something.
Last week Age was in Sydney for a conference and workshop, organised by his own company, so he's had a really busy week and lead up to it. Came back with a snotty nose, which developed in a full-blown cold later in the week and over the weekend. This is the second time within a month that he's knocked out, so we're now boosting his resistance with orange juice, vitamin supplements, and freshly made smoothies. He's much better now, by the way, but still. I noticed I don't have much patience with him when he's having a cold, treat the poor man like it's his own fault, which it actually is in my opinion as he never eats fruit. And that drives me bloody mad. It doesn't get much better fruit-wise than in Australia. The fruit is beautiful here.
By the way, about these smoothies, they're divine: for two serves - take a mango, add a banana, some milk and thick greek yoghurt, and blend!! Or a banana, frozen raspberries, yoghurt, milk, maybe some vanilla icecream, and blend!! Much better than in any cafe, as mine are not so sweet and fat, just great in taste. Two minutes work, and yummmmmmm.
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