Who can predict the weather?

Well it's a Friday night and here I am lying in bed with the laptop listening to the glorious sound of rain falling on my bedroom window.

I could not think of a better place to be right now. And I don't want to share this with anyone else.

Is that strange? That I am completely and utterly happy in my own company?

Perhaps it's that my life is so extremely busy that when I get a night to myself, alone, with just the rain to keep me company - there's no where else I would rather be.

hard work never killed anyone... what a stupid saying of course it has!

Why is it that lately when I am at work and I complete a task, it feels like a major accomplishment and I find myself parading around the office boasting to my colleagues about how efficient I am like a cat carrying a lifeless gecko with its foot torn off. Bad choice of imagery?

Anyway my point is that simple things most people find routine in an everyday job (i.e. getting through your unread emails in the morning, replying to said emails, making a phone call, typing a sentence) makes me somehow believe I'm the world's best employee?

What the eff is wrong with me? I also find any excuse to make a cup of tea, go for a walk to the printer, check my hair in the toilets, tidy my desk for the 54th time that day.

I know, I know. I can see the critics waving their placards, chanting 'procrastinator'.

But I'm not sure if that is exactly true. I think it has something to do with the feng shui of my office.

I have the smallest office in the world. I like the quaintness of my office. But it's definitely missing some important feng shui material.

So here's Mel's* tips for good feng shui if, like me, you are finding yourself becoming a shit employee.

*Google's

Get a plant in a red pot to sit on the east side of your desk to encourage good health and energise your workspace

Red objects on the south corner attract recognition for your efforts

Don't work in a cluttered space

Fresh flowers attract positive ch'i (is that a chinese dish coz I could really go some chinese right about now)

Don't let the flowers go dead

Place the fax machine, telephone or computers in the 'wealth' area (the southeast) to encourage more business.

N.B DO NOT let your boss see you sitting like the lady in the above photo, hands behind head with a smug look on your face. It does nothing for your employment status.

Hello 2013

Well well well... hasn't January come around quickly?

I'm very disappointed in myself that I am yet to make any 2013 Resolutions. I don't know whether it's because I haven't had time to really think about it or I'm just being lazy. Ok I've definitely been lazy, I received an e-reader for Christmas and I haven't done anything but read since then!

Well I've been going into work but most of the time has been spent wishing I was home with my e-reader.

2013 - they say you should try to find one word for each year.
All I can think of is 'challenging' but I'm not sure if that will give me good karma.

2012 was definitely 'New Experiences' although really that's two words so I'm cheating.

I think I would like this year to be 'Capitalise' as in make more money, invest and spend wisely and set myself up because I'm pretty sure the next 4 years of my life will be crucial.

I'll be 26 in a month.

Change of plans

Well the last month didn't exactly go to plan...

I hurt my ankle - I was on crutches for a week and a half and still can't walk on it properly. That will teach me for even thinking that I might start training for a marathon next year! I felt a sharp pain on the inside of my ankle on my way home from a 6km trail run and slowed to a walk but by the time I got home and took off my shoes, I could no longer walk :-(

Attack training, preparation, time and money down the drain!

But in true Mel-style - I am looking at the positives. I have had a lot more time to myself to relax which I really forgot how to do. I've been cooking more, reading more and getting through my work like a trooper!

On the downside - no exercise, more baking and more time to eat has taken my fitness levels right down, I feel sluggish and 'fat' and I think I'm addicted to sugar :-(

So starts Day 1 of my NO SUGAR diet and my return to the fitness industry. I know I'm being dramatic, it seriously has only been 2 and 1/2 weeks since I hurt myself but if I don't move it I might lose it.

Of course the no sugar diet had to start after I had 4 mini croissants and two gorgeously creamy caramel and chocolate biscuits at work today. But I didn't have any sugar in my tea - that counts right?

I'd have liked to be at my prime by Christmas but that's only 29 days away.

It takes 21 days to break a habit and 30 days to retrain new ones

Bring on Christmas!

Booked out till 2013

So here it is - middle of October - and the rest of the year looks taken care of for me. No room to fit any more social events, birthdays, end of year drinks, Christmas parties, trips away or training workshops.

Although for once, I am really, really looking forward to the last couple of months of 2012. Usually I'm pulling my hair out by this stage with stress about what I'm doing and where I'm going in life.

I'm really looking forward to one of my best childhood friends coming home and we are spending a weekend in Airlie Beach.

I'm also heading to Sydney in early December for Attack Training - it's going to be full on but I'm really happy with my training progress so far. I still have a long way to go but it makes so much of a difference to your teaching style when you feel fit and energetic. I've started clean eating in the last couple of weeks as well and I think that has also made a dramatical impact on my training and energy levels which is great.

Wassup??

This weekend I'll be holding a BBQ at my little house. It will be great to catch up with some of my old friends that I haven't seen in a while. Although that reminds me I don't have enough chairs in my courtyard.

The weekend after is WALL CLEANING WEEKEND Yaaayyyyy!!!!!

Then I can put the Christmas Tree up which is what I'm mainly excited about!!

So basically there is lots to do before 25 December but I'm not stressed and I'm really looking forward to the journey into 2013.

YOLO!

6 months in a leaky boat...

The title of this post has nothing to do with what I've been doing over the past 6 months.

But thought I should provide an update on some of the major things to have happened.


1. New job - Media & Communications Officer

(that's not me and I actually don't sit on an exercise ball - instead I use my office chair)


2. Bought a house - check

3. Became a single lady (note single, not desperate)

4. Became an aunty for the third time... baby Leon is adorable and I was very honoured to become his godparent.

5. Went on a business trip to Melbourne - here I am sporting my new power suit and being very excited to be staying in a high rise apartment courtesy of work. I also experienced my first earthquake in that building.

6. Planted a herb garden. Thanks for the herbs mum!

7. Became an amateur Masterchef using said herbs.

8. Played with Ava

9. Created an Instagram account - it magically makes crappy photos not look as crappy! How fun are selfies??

10. Visited Eimeo Pub

11. Booked a holiday to Europe!!! More to come on that later.

12. Became an aunty for the fourth time to beautiful little Kaley Isobel... such a sweet little thing.

I did it!!!

Well I didn't think it would ever happen but I'm alive and here to tell the story. In April this year (coincidentally it was International Women's Day) I signed the contract on my first house... a cute little 3 bedder in West Mackay. Selling... selling...

Sold!! But of course buying a house means you have regular repayments to make and a little pot of money called 'travel funds' disappears. Anyway keeping in mind that my main goal was to go travelling this year, I decided I would sacrifice a few little extras and go on a budget 4 week holiday to Europe and London :-) More to come on that later....