Sunday 24 February 2013

Latest Lustings

Every birthday and Christmas I am asked what would I like, I usually respond with not much at all, I tend to buy things myself if I want them. Only recently I realised that that was a lie, I often find things I really really want but don't buy because it's not financially logical to waste money on this or that. Here is the latest stuff I really really really want!

I have wanted a wiz bang new camera for ages but now that my current camera has basically carked it, I want a wiz bang camera even more. I was lucky enough to take my mum's reasonably wiz bang camera to Thailand recently and now I don't want to travel again until I can get my own wiz bang camera, my current one is six years old and pretty dated plus I need sticky tape to hold it together! So please Alex or some present fairies buy me a wiz bang camera!! 


I also reasonably desperately would like a video camera, I hate to think of all the awesome moments passing us by that haven't been caught on video. Although a camera is my first priority, when little kidlets come to the scene down the track I must have a video camera. And with a decent handful of nieces and nephews now I could really do with a video camera already.


OMG who wouldn't love to have these earrings? as well as every other pair form downthatlittlelane.com.au. They have some of the greatest earrings I have ever seen. Not to mention pretty much everything else that they sell. Finally, something on my must have list that wont cost thousands of dollars! 


I have wanted a KitchenAid Mixer since I was a little girl and who knew they had a hot pink one? Now I want one even more. One day I will own a KitchenAid Mixer as well as the awesome pasta attachment.

Okay so I think I have determined that I have expensive tastes, no wonder I never have any present ideas when people ask! Let my aim be to post again with cheaper must haves.

Talk soon,


Friday 22 February 2013

You're either about to fall or you have just fallen

The saying goes that there are two types of cyclists, those who have just fallen or those who are about to fall. Well having bought my bike in September last year I didn't really consider myself a cyclist, I merely used my bike to commute to and from work each day. It's convenient, efficient and healthy, why wouldn't I!  I was just starting to want to go riding with friends on the weekends or group rides after work and felt as though although I was reluctant I was starting to enjoy cycling as an activity, shock horror! 
me with my bike when I bought it 6 months ago
It turns our since September I was the cyclist about to fall. I didn't really think I was ever going to fall badly, my ride to work wasn't very dangerous being mostly along a flat bike track and it was a short ride so the likelihood of falling seemed pretty slim to me. I knew it would probably happen eventually but I wasn't too scared, I know plenty of people who fall off their bikes and they never hurt themselves too much. But Wednesday last week I had my first wake up call and unfortunately for me it wasn't a small fall, not the kind where you brush yourself off and continue on your merry path a little embarrassed. My fall was the kind where you end laying in the middle of the road with your belongings strewn everywhere, embarrassed but not being able to do anything about it. Luckily for me a kind lady stopped and helped me, she didn't have much choice I was sitting in the middle the road, she could hardly go around me! 


I had been recording my rides on my Strava app on my iPhone and each day I was trying to record faster and faster speeds down the two hills in my route. I must admit, one day I recorded 56km/h and I was getting pretty pleased with myself and a becoming a little bit of a dare devil. Well that came back to bite me, severely, on the knee. The morning of Wednesday 13 February 2013 I prepared myself for my morning ride to work in my usual way, I went outside and checked the weather, it had been raining (after some really hot and dry weather) but it had stopped so I decided to ride, I always prefer to ride to work but hate getting too wet with the whole day ahead of me so I avoid it if it is raining. At 7.35am I set off down my street, I live at number 13, I crashed outside number 1! Yes I travelled the distance of six houses before completely stacking it, could this crash get any more embarrassing!

my super steep street
As I was going down the hill my speed was building up, the hill ends in a turn so I have to brake going downhill to correct my speed in preparation for the corner. As I was approaching the corner I knew I was going too fast to make it safely around the corner on my own side of the road, I could see there was no traffic in sight so decided to cut across onto the other side of the road. I could see a manhole lid in the road but I knew it was too late to try and dodge it in the wet as I would only fall, I hit the manhole lid and hoped for the best, the bike wobbled for a second, then bam I went down on my right side. My foot left the pedal (if only I had clipless pedals) and my knee bent with my foot facing behind me. The inner part of my knee, leg and foot hit the road as well as the back of my shoulder and my head. I then slid along the road for a few meters with the rest of me still holding onto the bike. My handle bar, pedal and seat also took some of the fall. This all seemed to happen in slow motion and if felt like I could see it happening before it happened. At one point I realised my head was sliding uncomfortable across the bitumen, this really scared me, thank god for my helmet.


I finally stopped sliding and I was sort of tangled up in my bike. I took my backpack off, wiggled out from underneath my bike and tried to sit up. My knee was killing me, I was in a bit of shock, then I realised my ear phones were still in my ears with my music still going (no this did not contribute to my accident whatsoever!). James Blunt was singing You're Beautiful, exactly those lyrics, in my ears. At this point in time, this was the most annoying thing ever, I angrily ripped the ear phones from my ears feeling a lot less than beautiful.  All chance of that song being featured in our wedding video is gone, I am not sure it will ever be the same for me! 

the base of the street before the intersection and where I crashed
I could see a car coming down the road but I didn't even try to move, I knew they would stop. The car pulled over, a kind young lady walked over to me and said 'did you just crash?', (nah I just thought I would sit in the middle of the road with my bike like a derelict) I shouldn't be so mean she really was super amazing. She got my bike, backpack, drink bottle and earphones which were all strewn across the road for me, then she helped me up. I stood up, leaning against the traffic barrier and assessed my body, I had the littlest tiniest cut on my finger, for some reason this was my biggest concern. She stayed beside me talking to me about bike accidents etc. I called Alex, I could still see our house but there was no way I was walking, he drove down to me. The kind lady stayed with me the whole time, even though she clearly had to get to work. Alex parked the car, I hopped in and burst into tears while he walked my bike back up to the house then returned to get me. The super kind lady left, the garbage truck went pass, the drivers staring at me, again like I was some derelict. Alex took me home and I managed to hop to the couch and started shaking and crying because my knee was absolutely killing me to the point where I felt sick, I called mum and work and then cried some more. 
my helmet, without it I think I would be dead
I managed to limp into a medical centre at 9am to see a doctor who prodded and twisted my leg, told me I had sprained my knee and I should just walk on it and it will heal over time. Off I went to work, in agony. The damage to my knee is now a whole other story. So there you have the details of my crash, I am not sure when I will get back on my bike and how I will feel about it but we will just have to wait and see. Please if you ride a bike or any other mode of transport, slow down and drive to the conditions, this was way too scary and painful but could have been a lot worse!


Talk soon

 

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Anyone for some concrete?

You may have noticed after a long weekend of blogging I was a little quiet the weekend just gone. Well my mind (and body) were not in the best place. I injured myself in a bike crash last week (more on that to come) and was limping around in pain for three days at work, add an extra stressful working week and I wasn't the nicest girl to be around. I figured I wouldn't force my nasty mood onto anyone who didn't have to listen to me, hence I refrained from blogging. Sitting at the computer desk was also not the most comfortable either. 
me grumpy after a very wet ride home a few months back!
Is my mind much better a week later? No, not really. To be honest, I need to swallow a cup of concrete and harden up. Limping around for week is really nothing to be upset about compared to what others have to deal with. Alex told me yesterday that I need to stop feeling sorry for myself. But in my defence, I am getting extremely frustrated with the amount of time it takes to do the most simple things and my muscles are aching and begging for a stretch because I am walking differently and carrying my weight differently. If I could just sink into some amazing yoga stretches for the hamstrings and hips I would feel so much better but with a knee that barely bends or straightens this is kind of impossible, sometimes I am so agitated I just want to chop my leg off. 
a very fat and ugly knee of mine
I am off to the doctor tomorrow to get the final verdict on this knee of mine, is it just a simple sprain or have I done something more serious? After throwing a heap of money at the doctor and a machine I might just find out it is merely a sprain in which case I will feel rather silly and embarrassed, and all sympathy from Alex will be out the window from that point forward. But of course that would be the best outcome. Having never had a sprained knee before I am not sure how long it should take to recover and regain the movement of my leg. Having sprained my ankles numerous times they usually heel up to normal walking point within 3-4 days with pain continuing for specific movements for a few weeks depending on the severity of the sprain. Well I currently cannot straighten my leg or bend it at more than a right angle and twisting is out of the question. I have been limping for a week and my calf muscle is pinching and aching, I think from walking differently. 

Anyway I will find out tomorrow and maybe then my mood might get better, at least then I will know what I am dealing with. 

Talk soon,

P.S. we should get our wedding photos very soon, plus our printed coffee table book which I am really excited about! It is the book that is holding it everything up but I am sure it will be worth the wait.

Sunday 10 February 2013

Marge, Marge, the rains aren't here!

Yes you read that correctly, the rains AREN'T here and boy does poor little Tassie need some rain. Our little island state of Tasmania has been battling bushfires on and off across the last two months. Our weather conditions have been hot and windy and with plenty of dry vegetation to burn, once a fire has started it has been difficult to stop. With Hobart reaching its highest temperature ever recorded on 4 January conditions were bound to get worse. Fire fighters from far and wide have pulled together and defended the homes and lives of the locals, and they really have done a fantastic job but unfortunately it doesn't seem to be behind us yet. 
A bushfire rages through the Lake Repulse / Meadowbank area, as seen from the village of Hamilton, Tasmania, 4 January 2013
I am shocked every time I turn on the news to hear that another fire has sparked up somewhere across the state, although they don't all turn out to be as bad as the worst it is still devastating to here. To think that some of these fires are deliberately lit absolutely disgusts me and sometimes those who light these fires never get caught. Why someone would do such a terrible thing astounds me, I just can't understand it. What I wish would come to such people is not appropriate for me to say but no doubt they will never get the wake up call they truly deserve.

Yesterday I found myself complaining that my washing on the line would smell like smoke, then I gave myself a virtual slap in the face for being so selfish and ungrateful. My problem was pathetic compared to the people who were worrying about their own homes or the fire fighters putting themselves in harms ways defending these homes. I can't imagine how hot and physically and emotionally difficult it must be to fight a fire. 
A bushfire smoke plume is visible from Park Beach in Forcett, south-east of Hobart, the state's capital
So please take this time to spare a thought for those under threat by these fires, or who have already suffered from the fires last month, or those whose family members continue to go and fight the fires day after day, or those even making sandwiches for the fire fighters, anyone involved in fighting these fires deserves our thoughts and our thanks. In the meantime all we can do is pray to mother nature for less wind and more rain. Lucky for me in my inner suburban home I have nothing to worry about but not everyone is that lucky. 

Talk soon,

Happy 1st Birthday

That's right about a week ago my little corner of the world wide web turned 1! Hakuna Matata has (barely) managed to stay up and running during its first year. My first year blogging was almost a failure, not enough postings from me, not enough replying to the comments of my lovely readers, not enough photos and not enough references to everything wonderful, but I survived. 

Year one for my little blog was nothing like I had planned, with inspiration and encouragement from others, this time one year ago I decided to start my blog. Hoping to do many updates, share details of my wedding planning and to share my experience with depression, I was excited and nervous to finally publish my first post after spending months thinking about. Looking back I didn't share nearly as much as I had hoped. Why?? Well life got in the way I guess! I still have a long list of blog post subjects I can't wait to post about and I rarely lose the inspiration to do so, just the time and sometimes my ability to write. Sometimes I know what I want to write but putting sentences together to get the feelings I have across can sometimes be very challenging. Luckily though I am still as motivated, passionate and inspired as I was on day one.

So lets try this all again in year two! Lets hope for more posts, updates and more honesty from me. Thank you to my readers for standing by me this past year, thank you for your love and support and please keep reading during year two. 

Happy Birthday to my blog, thanks for being my outlet for all of my thoughts and emotions this past year. Here's to a second year of more posts, photos and readers as well as a brand new blog header to come very soon!

Talk soon, 


Saturday 9 February 2013

Crazy little thing called....Sleep??

Sleep, there are so many articles out there about it, how much should you be getting, how important it is for the body, how to get to sleep, the best way to sleep...the list goes on. When you're a infant your parents are begging you to sleep more, then as a teenager you can somehow sleep all day, work comes along and you find yourself losing the ability to sleep-in on the weekends, then maybe as a parent you become the one begging for your babies to sleep more, before you know it you're getting older and wake up at the crack of dawn everyday!

I think I am currently at the teen stage of sleep (even though I am 25!), I can usually sleep at any time of the day, on the couch in broad day light, in the car, on a plane - easy peasy. Unlike Alex I need at least 7 hours of sleep to function properly, left to my own devices I can easily sleep 10-12 hours a night, not something I am proud of but I have come to accept it. I am also an intense over thinker and like to be insanely organised and in the lead up to the wedding I found myself tossing and turning trying but failing to get to sleep until the early hours of the morning. There were still months to go until the big day and I knew I wasn't going to make it alive if this continued. I still had to manage to get through the work days and try to eat healthy, all easier to do when you aren't sleep deprived. That's when I found this app for the iPhone. 
Relax and Sleep Well is a hypnosis recording by the UK’s best selling self-help audio author Glenn Harrold. It wasn't recommended to me, I simply searched for sleep apps and selected this one from the list. There are probably many out there, some maybe even better than this one but this one has been an absolute life saver for me. I used it in the months leading up to the wedding and even the night before the wedding with mum listening too, we both fell asleep like cats (I had babies here but then realised babies don't fall asleep that easily)! I have even been using it post wedding too, I hope I don't become reliant on it but it hasn't failed me yet. Seriously every time I play it I fall asleep, without fail! Some nights I have tossed and turned for hours and then I have finally played the recording and fallen asleep within thirty minutes. If you have trouble getting to sleep I highly recommend you give this a try, what have you got to lose? Certainly not a good nights sleep!

I have my phone by my bedside when I am asleep, as well as a really bright alarm clock and a TV and DVD player in my bedroom, all things that aren't recommended by the experts but I just don't want to give these up. I also look at my phone (facebook, instagram etc) before I go to sleep and as soon as I wake up, bad I know! I sleep on my stomach even though I wish I didn't (I have tried everything to combat this one). I would love some help to continue getting good quality sleep. What are your tricks for getting a good nights sleep? Do you have a bedtime routine to support your sleep? 

Talk soon,

Saturday 2 February 2013

Where did the time go...


















The 12th of January 2013 has been and gone, that's right my wedding has happened!! My honeymoon has happened! Where did the time go? Life is slowly getting back to 'normal'. In theory now that the wedding is over I should have plenty of time to blog but lets not make any promises just yet!

My wedding day was truly brilliant, the best day of my life so far. Once I receive my professional photos (which should be soon) I will post more about the day but, in short, it really was a perfect day which couldn't have been any better. Plenty of guests left saying it was the best wedding they had ever been too. There were tears and laughter, dancing and singing and plenty of love. 

The honeymoon in Thailand was also very awesome, I am in love with Thailand and can't wait to go back there someday. Thai people are so giving and their food is amazing plus they live in a very beautiful country.

Lately I find myself wasting hours re-reading our wedding cards, re-reading our guest book and going over the same photos on facebook. I just want to relive our wedding day, I am sad it's over and that I never get to do it again but it's also very awesome being married and being able to call Alex my husband.

We both went back to work this week which was a bit of a challenge and our body clocks are taking sometime to get used to the working hours after five weeks away. My body is also begging me to eat a little healthier and get moving a little more. Back riding the bike to work was also a little challenging after not riding for a month but that should get easier and quicker over the coming weeks. 

So now the weddings over what do I plan on doing with all my free time?? Well lots of blogging of course, I think now I will post more about the wedding then I did leading up to it. A little backward I know. Some travel posts are also in the works. I would also like to focus on doing some more exercise and riding on the weekends, spending time with family and getting my house organised. I really need to clean out cupboards, de-clutter and spring clean (in summer?). 

Talk soon,