That's the song ringing through my head at the moment although all I can remember beyond that bit as far as words go is "keep them...la la lala....something something something Rawhide!"
I don't have a rawhide, but I did make it to the $1000 target late yesterday which is a huge relief! My interview yesterday was ok, but I let my nerves get me a little and in a moment of babbling told them how I'd run out of tasks in my job and in a moment of boredom had stolen my boss' orange and held it for ransom till he gave me some more to do.....funny ha ha - yes, funny peculiar and not appropriate for an interview - definitely. They had asked how long until I finished working here - hope they see the funny ha ha side of my answer!
Yesterday I started writing to businesses asking for help with fundraising. I also wrote to the social club at work asking for their assistance and was surprised and giddy with prospective excitement when I got a call from the Vice Pres who just wanted to know when I was travelling - fingers crossed they might be able to help me do some fundraising!
Tonight I have an appointment with one of the PTs at the AIS to get a program but it also dawned on me today that once I've rebuilt some fitness I can start training with Sarah (another triathlon coach who has a great group of long distance/HIM/IronMan athletes which is where I'd like to get to and where I have sent a few people I used to coach). Looking forward to one day getting up to the level needed to train with that group!
Every single day 300 Australians are given the news that they have cancer. I was one of those people who was lucky to catch it in time. My mum wasn't. My challenge is to raise funds and awareness through embarking on a physically demanding trip through Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam so that Cure Cancer Australia can provide funding for doctors researching a cure. This blog is an honest unbarred online account of my journey to prepare and complete the challenge.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Slowly coming together
So looking back at my list the other day of things to do:
So here's hoping my next up date will include me saying I made the $1000 mark and that I have a new job and that the 100 club is underway with prizes coming in!
- Casino Royale - it was a brill night as you would've read in my last post.
- Dego - tentative date is Friday 10 Sept. Will be confirmed on Monday
- 100 Club - time to start writing letters...had hoped to get a local radio station involved in the advertising but they are doing another person's trek the next two months :P
- Race partner - had a sniff from a friend but I think they are just too snowed under at the moment.
- New Job - I have an interview this afternoon which is very promising.
So here's hoping my next up date will include me saying I made the $1000 mark and that I have a new job and that the 100 club is underway with prizes coming in!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
"My sides hurt!"
That was the most accurate call of Saturday night's Casino Royale antics. Pussy Galore was laughing so hard at one stage she gasped between giggles "My sides hurt from laughing!"
We started the evening with a potent cocktail that would render anyone incapable of driving and so you can imagine how our poker skills progressed from there. Thankfully our host come bar tender come croupier was on hand to make sure the game flowed.
All guests we assembled and advised that Mr Bond would not be joining us as he had been murdered and the assassin was someone within the room. Everyone was issued their clues to who wasn't the murderer and what wasn't the weapon and then it was all down to who was the best sluth. Detectives perused all the possible weapons in the eveidence room while some others settled at the poker table for a battle of wits. Those not playing poker assembled in the bar (around the kitchen bench) regaling each other with hilarity while carefully scoping out the opposition. In the end, there was a bit of a rush to guess the right answer with Xenia Onatopp (aka Tia) taking out the coveted prize of Detective Extraordinairre. Camille Montes (Peta) was not only the murderer but also won the Poker Challenge and Jaws (Paul) took out best actor for both his acting and his efforts to look the part. Most entertaining award though would have had to go to Solitaire (Sophia) who had us all in fits of laughter with her breezy enjoyment of all aspects of the evening (especially betting on the craps table).
All in all it was a great night. We raised $230 to go towards the research undertaken by those sponsored by Cure Cancer Australia which is a good effort.
Words can't encapsulate my gratitude to Steve and Dee not only for coming up with the idea, but all of the artwork, the food and the willingness for them to open up their house for the evening. It was amazing from having Bond movies theme music playing in the "bar" and Casino Royale being projected on the wall in the lounge near by the poker table to their efforts to accommodate the non-vegetarian guests (the fake ham in the cheese and ham triangles had everyone fooled as did the fake sausages in the mini sausage rolls). The evidence room was brilliant with 13 weapons ranging from nerve gas (in a scuba tank) to a voodoo doll and a sexual torture chair equipped with handcuffs and a whip. There were hand painted pictures of playing cards on the walls, helium balloons and everyone had their own name badge (with the funniest being Nick's which read as "Mr Big - Nick" for which many of us had to look twice on reading it. All details were covered with guests getting a character brief, chips and a packet of cards they could take home to practice their poker skills. There was nothing our fine hosts didn't cover and I just can't thank them enough.
We took a couple of shots which I will get on here shortly so you can all have a giggle.
We started the evening with a potent cocktail that would render anyone incapable of driving and so you can imagine how our poker skills progressed from there. Thankfully our host come bar tender come croupier was on hand to make sure the game flowed.
All guests we assembled and advised that Mr Bond would not be joining us as he had been murdered and the assassin was someone within the room. Everyone was issued their clues to who wasn't the murderer and what wasn't the weapon and then it was all down to who was the best sluth. Detectives perused all the possible weapons in the eveidence room while some others settled at the poker table for a battle of wits. Those not playing poker assembled in the bar (around the kitchen bench) regaling each other with hilarity while carefully scoping out the opposition. In the end, there was a bit of a rush to guess the right answer with Xenia Onatopp (aka Tia) taking out the coveted prize of Detective Extraordinairre. Camille Montes (Peta) was not only the murderer but also won the Poker Challenge and Jaws (Paul) took out best actor for both his acting and his efforts to look the part. Most entertaining award though would have had to go to Solitaire (Sophia) who had us all in fits of laughter with her breezy enjoyment of all aspects of the evening (especially betting on the craps table).
All in all it was a great night. We raised $230 to go towards the research undertaken by those sponsored by Cure Cancer Australia which is a good effort.
Words can't encapsulate my gratitude to Steve and Dee not only for coming up with the idea, but all of the artwork, the food and the willingness for them to open up their house for the evening. It was amazing from having Bond movies theme music playing in the "bar" and Casino Royale being projected on the wall in the lounge near by the poker table to their efforts to accommodate the non-vegetarian guests (the fake ham in the cheese and ham triangles had everyone fooled as did the fake sausages in the mini sausage rolls). The evidence room was brilliant with 13 weapons ranging from nerve gas (in a scuba tank) to a voodoo doll and a sexual torture chair equipped with handcuffs and a whip. There were hand painted pictures of playing cards on the walls, helium balloons and everyone had their own name badge (with the funniest being Nick's which read as "Mr Big - Nick" for which many of us had to look twice on reading it. All details were covered with guests getting a character brief, chips and a packet of cards they could take home to practice their poker skills. There was nothing our fine hosts didn't cover and I just can't thank them enough.
We took a couple of shots which I will get on here shortly so you can all have a giggle.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Back in the swing
At the start of the blog of my journey I promised a no holes barred/honest report. I think you can see that you've got that so far!!
Although I don't know how I am going to get there, I am striving ahead with my plan to do this trip. If I have to go back to retail/hospitality/cleaning work then so be it. Likewise if I have to sell my car to fund it that's ok too - I'm loving taking the bus to work (it almost feels like I'm back living in Sydney/Newcastle!).
Last night I finally did my first gym class at the AIS - by all reports from the regulars it was the hardest they've done in the last couple of years and I couldn't have picked a worse night! They welcomed me with open arms though, getting me through all the terminology for each activity and although I was completely demolished by the end of the session I was heartily satisfied.
Yesterday also saw me get good news from the doctor - my iron levels have returned to "normal" (with normal being what the average non active person should be). It was enough for him to give me the green light to ramp up my training from the occassional light session to gradually smashing myself. I do need to up my vitamin D intake for the next 4 months and I do need to stay with the iron tablets for at least the next 3 months, but I can drop the dose of that to one tablet/day now. So now it's just up to Steve the super huge boxing soft tissue therapist (that being the only thing soft about the guy who is 6"10' and 127kg) to give me the green light on power work using my shoulder.
As it stands I've had a significant blow with my job/income status being very shakey, but I've been waiting 2 years to get my iron levels out of the "reserves" - it was literally sitting between 12 and 18 and now has jumped to 79 - so that news is huge as it was the one thing that would physically prevent me from doing this trip. My resting heart rate has even come down from 76 3 weeks ago to 70 - what does that mean? It means I'm getting fitter and that my heart is starting to be more efficient. When I was at peak fitness, I sat generally between 48 leading into the end of the season and 52 at my laziest part of the off season. Still a way to go yet, but happy to be making some progress on the health front.
Things to do:
Although I don't know how I am going to get there, I am striving ahead with my plan to do this trip. If I have to go back to retail/hospitality/cleaning work then so be it. Likewise if I have to sell my car to fund it that's ok too - I'm loving taking the bus to work (it almost feels like I'm back living in Sydney/Newcastle!).
Last night I finally did my first gym class at the AIS - by all reports from the regulars it was the hardest they've done in the last couple of years and I couldn't have picked a worse night! They welcomed me with open arms though, getting me through all the terminology for each activity and although I was completely demolished by the end of the session I was heartily satisfied.
Yesterday also saw me get good news from the doctor - my iron levels have returned to "normal" (with normal being what the average non active person should be). It was enough for him to give me the green light to ramp up my training from the occassional light session to gradually smashing myself. I do need to up my vitamin D intake for the next 4 months and I do need to stay with the iron tablets for at least the next 3 months, but I can drop the dose of that to one tablet/day now. So now it's just up to Steve the super huge boxing soft tissue therapist (that being the only thing soft about the guy who is 6"10' and 127kg) to give me the green light on power work using my shoulder.
As it stands I've had a significant blow with my job/income status being very shakey, but I've been waiting 2 years to get my iron levels out of the "reserves" - it was literally sitting between 12 and 18 and now has jumped to 79 - so that news is huge as it was the one thing that would physically prevent me from doing this trip. My resting heart rate has even come down from 76 3 weeks ago to 70 - what does that mean? It means I'm getting fitter and that my heart is starting to be more efficient. When I was at peak fitness, I sat generally between 48 leading into the end of the season and 52 at my laziest part of the off season. Still a way to go yet, but happy to be making some progress on the health front.
Things to do:
- this weekend is the Casino Royale night
- still need to finalise the degustation date which has moved back to early September
- still need to get prizes for the 100 club raffle
- still need to find a race partner
- still need to find a new job
Offers of assistance very welcome! :)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
All over red rover
It's been a sad couple of days after a lot of soul searching but it does appear that my challenge is over. When I made the decision to take on the challenge it was with a number of factors in mind - I had a team mate to take on the challenge with; I was going into a much better financial position and so it was part of a social responsibility; I had been improving in my health; and, my studies were looking to be strong.
Now, I don't have a team mate, I am still sick, my job has fallen over (the work I did drove the change to abolish my position - go figure, you can actually do yourself out of a job by working hard) and the subject of my research paper for uni has lost interest in my studies.
So it's back to survival mode where I just have to find a way to get through the day while saving as much money as I can until I catch the next wave of stability - turns out this wave was a huge flop. My mindset has changed from the beautiful mantra Jason gave me a few days ago to this - Life's Lessons: Hope only ever leads to devastation. When you're on your own it just sucks.
I'm back in the office today attempting to hold it together in the knowledge that I only have a few weeks left here and yet I am working on future engagement strategies - an insane waste of energy given they are scaling back engagement and yet it fits so well with the APS's ability to maintain bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy.
Living as a blue collar born and bred in the white collar world is just too hard when you have no-one to help you up when you're feeling down or being fucked over. So it's time to return to the ranks of unskilled labour where people tell it how it is rather than get your hopes up for something that was never going to be. I wish they never found my tumor and that it ran its course - my life has been a series of battles and failures ever since and yet I'm told I should be grateful I still have it? I have nothing to be proud of and even less to be grateful for.
Now, I don't have a team mate, I am still sick, my job has fallen over (the work I did drove the change to abolish my position - go figure, you can actually do yourself out of a job by working hard) and the subject of my research paper for uni has lost interest in my studies.
So it's back to survival mode where I just have to find a way to get through the day while saving as much money as I can until I catch the next wave of stability - turns out this wave was a huge flop. My mindset has changed from the beautiful mantra Jason gave me a few days ago to this - Life's Lessons: Hope only ever leads to devastation. When you're on your own it just sucks.
I'm back in the office today attempting to hold it together in the knowledge that I only have a few weeks left here and yet I am working on future engagement strategies - an insane waste of energy given they are scaling back engagement and yet it fits so well with the APS's ability to maintain bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy.
Living as a blue collar born and bred in the white collar world is just too hard when you have no-one to help you up when you're feeling down or being fucked over. So it's time to return to the ranks of unskilled labour where people tell it how it is rather than get your hopes up for something that was never going to be. I wish they never found my tumor and that it ran its course - my life has been a series of battles and failures ever since and yet I'm told I should be grateful I still have it? I have nothing to be proud of and even less to be grateful for.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Let the pain begin!
Sure, I know, the title should be in the vein of all things sporting and good and thus read "let the games begin" but as far as fitness, if there is one thing I've always been terrible at, it's my abs. When I was younger they were always just there and were pretty strong/good (as you would expect of someone who was active). Since I hurt my back....whoa...different story.
Tonight we're off to do "TO THE CORE"...eek! My panic is starting to set in as I realise I am about to kill myself with exercise. I was going to see Steve the super giant soft tissue guru in the morning, but now I am riding my bike to work so the editor from "Inside Finance" (our dept's internal newsletter) can take a picture of me on my bike to go with an article about this trip. Not sure which activity tomorrow morning would've been worse, but needless to say I need the exercise.
My cold is finally starting to dissipate and I'm beginning to get some energy back even though my eyes/head is telling me to sleep. I'm getting through work by rocking out to the Glee albums on my iPod and am limiting myself to one coffee in the morning and a chai latte in the afternoon so I get a better sleep at night (so the theory goes). I couldn't sleep on saturday night because of the mess in my house - I am working every day now until the Casino Royale fundraising night and my house is still not organised and nor is the spare bed built (the room is working great as my chinese laundry drying space at the moment!). Although Jamie and Pip are old friends from my ADFA days I can't have them sleeping in a messy house! So one night at a time I am going to start the clean up. Tonight is the smallest room but the most loaded - the understair storage closet....bring it on! Sore abs and all :P
Tonight we're off to do "TO THE CORE"...eek! My panic is starting to set in as I realise I am about to kill myself with exercise. I was going to see Steve the super giant soft tissue guru in the morning, but now I am riding my bike to work so the editor from "Inside Finance" (our dept's internal newsletter) can take a picture of me on my bike to go with an article about this trip. Not sure which activity tomorrow morning would've been worse, but needless to say I need the exercise.
My cold is finally starting to dissipate and I'm beginning to get some energy back even though my eyes/head is telling me to sleep. I'm getting through work by rocking out to the Glee albums on my iPod and am limiting myself to one coffee in the morning and a chai latte in the afternoon so I get a better sleep at night (so the theory goes). I couldn't sleep on saturday night because of the mess in my house - I am working every day now until the Casino Royale fundraising night and my house is still not organised and nor is the spare bed built (the room is working great as my chinese laundry drying space at the moment!). Although Jamie and Pip are old friends from my ADFA days I can't have them sleeping in a messy house! So one night at a time I am going to start the clean up. Tonight is the smallest room but the most loaded - the understair storage closet....bring it on! Sore abs and all :P
Saturday, July 10, 2010
mmmm...swimming....
The swim yesterday was brill! My first time back in the 50m and I'd forgotten how lovely the AIS main pool was. It was so good DJ and I went back for more today and Dee and Steve joined us. Earlier today Steve, Dee and I all joined the AIS gym too. It's a great deal - $57/month for as many classes as you like. You have to go out there to pay which sounds like a hassle but it isn't - if you're away or you don't get out there by the time you're due to pay, you just pay the next time you're there. So for now my payments are due on the 10th of each month, but when I go away on the trip I don't arrive home until 2weeks after that so I just pay then and it'll start from that date (say the 24th) and run to that date and no longer to the 10th. Does that make sense?
So on Monday we're doing "To the core" and on wednesday I'll do my first spin class ever - super excited and super crapping my pants at the same time! I'm so glad to have compression gear to get me through it. Tomorrow it's off to work at DFO again and then back to the pool for a swim and well earned spa. Right now though it's off to bed - this keeping healthy stuff is well tiring!
Oh, forgot to mention that I spoke to my Uncle William and Aunt Pauline today over skype. It was so good to see them (first time in 18 months) and was a welcome boost to have a chat with them.
So on Monday we're doing "To the core" and on wednesday I'll do my first spin class ever - super excited and super crapping my pants at the same time! I'm so glad to have compression gear to get me through it. Tomorrow it's off to work at DFO again and then back to the pool for a swim and well earned spa. Right now though it's off to bed - this keeping healthy stuff is well tiring!
Oh, forgot to mention that I spoke to my Uncle William and Aunt Pauline today over skype. It was so good to see them (first time in 18 months) and was a welcome boost to have a chat with them.
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