Nearly an Accident!

Each week there is a public speaking requirement for class.  On a recent prep session we decided to teach the class how to make Play-Doh.  After a test run at home to make sure it would work when being done in five minutes by a child with no parental supervision, I set about writing up the instructions.....

Needless to say whilst you do need one of these, you can actually get by without using it in the recipe!  It is actually much safer to mix it all up in a BOWL.  I am sure that would have made an interesting discussion in the year 3 class room.

New Goal - Create Company

Over the past 8 months I have been doing a range contracting and consulting roles.  I am often asked by recruiting companies about my company details.  After some consideration, I thought I might explore the option a little further.  I am trekking off to visit an accountant today, and a lawyer later in the week to review options and solicit some guidance.

The one great thing about not being 120% busy every minute of every business day and often many hours outside of this, you have time to embrace your entreprenurial side.  Throughout the ages I have often thought it would be great to run your own company, be your own boss, and not at the whims of bad managers who often have terrible self serving interests rather than great vision and strategic direction.  I regular read snippets of media documents from Ramit Sethi, the founder of 'I will teach you to be rich', renowned author, blogger and financial guru.  I have yet to actually undertake one of his courses, but many of his emails talk about the procrastination of people, often linked to their self imposed restrictions about 'finding an idea'.  I also had been struggling with the 'idea'.

So I now see a potential opportunity on the path ahead, but I need to align a few things to potentially bring the concept to fruition.  The good news is that both existing clients are keen for extensions that carry on for the next six months of next year, and both are flexible in terms of hours, locations etc which is an excellent starting position to be in.  I am not in need of raising capital or finding my first client which is fantastic, and the thought of starting something new and building it up, is providing a little spring for my step.

Goal 41. Catch Barramundi

The 65 year plan was crafted over twenty years ago, but this goal was one of the earlier ones added to the plan.  Unlike other goals, it was actually trickier to achieve, which makes it all the more enjoyable to tick off the list.  So here it is, my first...ok...only barramundi which has been safely landed on the shore.

p.s. - no animals were harmed in the taking of this photo, and said barra is now back swimming with his/her mates in the pond behind me :-)

Our First Ekka

Ekka, what the heck is an Ekka?  Turns out it is a fancy name for the local show.  Growing up in a regional area of Australia, I had avoided the huge crowds of the Ekka safe in the thought that I had seen all the animals I needed to, and avoided all the motion sickness rides I could.

The year 3 school excursion is to the Ekka, so I took advantage of spending some time with my dear child and her peers, and headed off to share the day.  Thankfully it was a work day, so the crowds were bearable.  The school also had enough parents volunteer, that we really only had to spend time with our own children.  Big downer for them, they had to wear school uniform and complete a work book!  Despite all of that, we had a ball.

 

 

After busting to try out one of those dagwood dog things that people had been talking about and walking around with....Mum can you take off the batter stuff so I can just eat the hot dog?!  We also managed to fit in one of those award winning strawberry ice cream cones, and that was delicious.  All the little ones enjoyed the day, but were quiet on the train ride homes, exhausted from the activities.

 

 

Happy 9th Birthday

After an awful childhood experience of no school friends over for birthday party celebrations, this year I did agree to hosting something.  After about two months of deliberations, the youngster decided that she would much rather spend her birthday celebrating with the extended family. 

I had arranged an ice skating morning, or so I thought.  Turns out "arrange" means to actually phone the public centre and confirm that some special event is not on that is booking out the entire block of ice!  After some quick public ridiculing about my ability to organise a birthday, we headed off to ten pin bowling instead.  Turns out this was a much better option and even the Grand Father got in on the action.  After 2 years of dating, I still learn new things about my adopted family, the old fellow hates to lose and is extremely competitive about bowling!  After looking at the scoreboard, I doubt that I will be invited back for the next outing, unless it is revenge he is looking for! 

After bowling I had to endure a session at Sizzler's.  Despite cheesy bread being a favourite of the youngster, my ability to consume food that may have been touched on the salad bar of life is fairly limited.

Rear fencing Progress Update

Remember that little fencing project we were finishing off http://65yearplan.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/rear-fencing-project.html?  Well the mid point looked like the Great Wall of China being constructed in our back yard.

As I was down having a look at the progress, I noticed that the off cut boards were making their way into landfill.  Of course this saves on the tipping fees as the guys simply throw the boards behind the retaining wall and then place the fill on top.  Trouble is the frugal side of me sees potential and burning money, or burying money!  The boards are quite expensive, and already cut into metre or so lengths.  I see a future project of little vegie garden patches being a great outcome. 

The picture shows the retaining wall at a metre high, so I carefully balance my way along the 50m wall, bending over and picking up the off cuts and throwing them over the wall.  Then I have to walk along the wall and pick up the off cuts to carry them....

.....around the big holes, up the small hill, past the chicken pen, across the yard and put them in a new pile for construction on another day.  By now I am smiling at the conversation playing through my head from my adorable partner....you need variability in your fitness program, otherwise you will get bored.  I am fairly sure that this was not the variability that was being suggested!  And the love of outside landscaping is a very one sided passion in this relationship.  After a few more boards, the weight of them starting to bite into the legs and arms, and I am sure the chickens began to laugh and giggle each time I passed their pen.  Good news for them, even if I want to reach in and strangle the little darlings, I doubt I could have closed a fist to make a difference!

At the end of daylight my pile looked like this....

 

Fitness Update

Whilst the initial plan was to complete 30 days of burning 200 calories each day, life has thrown a couple of curve balls.  The first one was being struck down for a couple of weeks with a nasty head cold, which I am still trying to shake the last remnants of.  One also has to be super careful of balancing the fitness with prevention of an AS flare up, which I can feel lingering along in the background.  So to counter the time off, I though I would make things simple with aliging the challenge to being an August challenge.  That way, in September I could start the next one, and it would be easier to count the months rather than 30 days.

Next curve ball arrives with my sister announcing she needs some help.  In preparation for a 4 month work trip, she needs to shed more than a few kilo's and beef up her fitness levels.  What easier way to do that than to move in with Ms Motivation!  Right I say, after the bags were semi unpacked around me!

Day 1 and I am on the spin bike completing my 200 calories, sister is on the couch with iPad and watching television.  How the guilt didn't get to her I will never know, but each person is different.  Day 2 she wakes to a lovely note on the kitchen bench, week 1 weigh in!!!  The note is now complete and sitting on the fridge as a reminder.  I must say as a single working parent, life is a juggle, and we often don't have the time to do all the health and fitness things I would like to.  With another adult in the house, it is much easier to share.  I could one night, and sister cooks the following one.  So in truth, we are motivating each other.  We share out journey at the end of the day, laughing and giggling about the good and the bad points of maintaing our daily calorie journey.  It has been great to share setting goals and supporting each other to achieve them, it is one thing I love about life, and pretty central to someone who maintains a 65 year life plan.  I have been feeling a little lost of late with my focus.

In having some closer support around we have spurred each other on and created some very real accountability, both essential in the achievement of goals.  I am by nature a competitive person, not so much with bench marking myself against others, but using others to drive myself even further.  With my sister around, I will actually do some time on the treadmill and then the spin bike, increasing my daily calories burned.  It is not about beating her on the scales, it is about pushing my own results, and also setting some stretch incentives for her.  When the training and diet goals are pinching, it is important to know that the path will work, you just need to keep on trying.