It's Time To Sleep You Crazy Sheep

... is Brendan's all-time favourite book and we don't know why.

Could it be the rhymes or the illustrations?

We've I've read it so often (at least twice a day: before nap and before bed) that I've memorised the first two pages. If I can memorise the whole book, that would be great - I'll just recite the whole book in the dark while he settles himself to sleep. Ha!

I thought our trip to the library on Wednesday was fruitful, with 9 books for him and 4 for me, but I realised later that night that 1/3 of the books were related to colours. Boring!

This book isn't too bad, although I try not to be bothered by the American spelling. :D

Except that I'm still trying to get him interested enough to read/go through the whole book! 

One of his other favourite book is called Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas and it's a pretty entertaining book. It was a birthday present and he happily shrieks "Nana!" when he sees the cover, although I do wonder if he's referring to the banana or the piranha.

I'm looking for more books to buy for him, although he's stopped flicking through a few of his Sandra Boynton and Dr Seuss ones. Noooooo ... I can't wait for him to be able to read so we can go through them together! :)

My little bookworm back in April. *heart*

Crap!
I just nodded off for a second here!

I think I better get to bed ... zzzz

If Only I Was Stronger

I tend to get rather down in the dumps after attending a revision session for the current subject which is fixed for exams on 23rd of May. Every time I log off the online class, it leaves me lost and clueless, and in my head I'd imagine myself running around without a head. 

Was that a pun?

I wasn't even deliberately making a pun, ha!

That's so lame...

Why is studying so hard when you're juggling work, taking care of the house or husband (geez!!) and trying to squeeze in adequate sleep, running and a bit of relaxation during the weekend? WHY??

I wish I was a bum again, and I'd have the time to do all of the above minus the work bit.

It is always hard to stop myself from whining and drowning in self-pity because I know it's just because I am tired and terribly bad at time management that I feel as if I am suffering.

Every time I feel this low, I'd mentally slap myself in the face and wobbly bum; tell myself that I am extremely lucky to be able to study, work, and reside in Australia. The school fees are terribly expensive (it has left a dent in our savings as I was not allowed to have an instalment plan #%#&$) and I tell myself that once I am certified insane qualified, I must earn that money back.

To keep myself sane for the next 2 months, I signed up for the Gold Coast half marathon and prepared a training plan to commit to. Unfortunately, it looks like I won't be able to do what I set out to do this week. Hopefully I will have the weekend to make up for it.

And do gazillion lunges.

And squats.

And box jumps.

And planks.

Etc.

In this exhausted state of mind, I wonder what I have done; how will I find the energy to do everything that I need to do?

OK, I am done lamenting to myself.

See, this is why I stopped blogging for so long, because I don't want to fekking whine and moan as if I'm a victim of uncontrollable circumstances!

I am just so bloody tired.

My birthday last Saturday was a low-key celebration, with the hubs taking me out for dinner at a Japanese restaurant. I wasn't expecting dinner out, to be honest, as I was planning on rotting on the couch at home and in front of the telly. (Well, I was hoping to study as well, but haha, fat chance.)

This was mine... I can't remember all the sashimi on this plate.

We both ordered a set each from the Chef's Degustation Menu and I tell you, we're not going to do it again. We were stuffed to the brim!

Wagyu Sirloin Tataki.

Wagyu Rump Steak was da bomb.

The steak left such an impression on us - it was so so so nice and tender and made the hub's Wagyu Sirloin Steak pale in comparison.

I am not much of a steak person, so I do wonder whether I was too easily impressed?

Assorted sushi.

By the time the 4th dish arrived, we were seriously ready to surrender. But oooohhhh, this piece of sea urchin sushi was so nice and creamy and this is me we're talking about - it was my first time tasting sea urchin! 

Loved it so much that we're thinking of coming back for more of this the next time. *drools*

Sake creme brulee with half a slice of rock melon.

Dessert was pretty good, too. I particularly enjoyed my green tea ice cream which I thought was quite intense in terms of flavour as compared to the creamy/milky versions from Haagen Daz / Hokkaido ice-cream back in Malaysia. 

The hubs enjoyed his creme brulee; not that I could taste the sake but it was equally delish. He says his dessert is better than mine. *shrug* Whatever.

I think we took a walk along the beach after dinner because our tummies were too stressed from the 'degustation'. 

Thankfully we did our long run the following day. :D

As I am turning into an eccentric old lady over here, I baked my own birthday cake but with no candles or grandeur to it. 

Mmm ... at least it was better than last year's one.

It's fattening!

I attempted to make key lime pie with our very own lime (plus 2 store bought ones) as the hubs has been bugging me to make key lime pie since ... last year. I referred to Jamie Oliver's recipe but used Arnott's Shredded Wheat for my base.

Once I get the base consistent to what I prefer, I think it's going to be a hit (with me). The slightly tangy but sweet custard is complemented by the whipped cream ... I don't know how the hubs can eat this without the cream because it is AWESOME WITH CREAM!!

I gave away 3/4 of the "pie" to friends and colleagues, otherwise I'd be having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and turn into Humpty Dumpty.

In fact, I feel the fats in my arms rolling about right this minute - probably a sign that I'd best go do some push ups now.

Into Q2 of 2015

Time sure flies, whether you're having fun or not!

Sorry I've been busy and too exhausted to dust and vacuum the cobwebs off this blog. Every time I think there's a window of opportunity to rattle off a few words here, it disappears in a blink of an eye.

I want my old life back!!

Yet each time I yell out that phrase in my head, I feel guilty (for having such a thought) and tell myself that it's all good, blah blah blah, let's just make it work, it's all going to change soon.

*big sigh*

In a nutshell, I attend online classes once a week, have an assignment to submit every fortnight and an exam every 1.5 months. That's for 1 subject, and I have 3 more to go. (That is, if I do pass the 1st exam. Otherwise, I have to defer the last 2 subjects until I pass!)

It feels like I just sat for my 1st exam (for the 1st subject) last month and I have another one this month!

Oh hang on, it was just last month.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy studying as it is applicable to my current casual job, but I do wish that work wasn't that taxing, traveling time from home to work and vice versa wasn't so time consuming, and well, making sure that I have a 'balanced' life out of work and study is quite tough, too!

With not much time and energy for running, it's no wonder I'm looking like The Blerch's cousin sister at the moment. :(

Cranberry scones, anyone?

Someone said that I was merely making excuses (as above) for not signing up for races this year. 

Such unwarranted accusations piss me off big time.

I wanted to defend myself and argue my case but I didn't because reasoning with this person would not make any difference.

This is the same person who accused us (whether jokingly or not, I did not like it one bit) of being anti-social when we disappeared from the social running scene while my in-laws were here visiting for 2 months. We could not afford to spend 1 day of the weekend running with our friends as we were bringing the parents sightseeing - we had to make that our priority, as much as it was difficult for us to miss out on the fun of running with friends.

Hmmm, looks like I am keeping a grudge. :P

Used part of a mesh bag (from a bag of garlic) as a spice pouch for homemade beef pho. Pretty neat!

Anyway, I had tons of fun being back home with the family for Chinese New Year. It was tough to juggle time with family, running, studying, baking and babysitting my niece, and getting enough sleep.  The whole family was only together for dinner on the 2nd day as my youngest sister and husband flew in then, and we flew off the next day to spend the rest of the holidays with hub's family.

(I always knew that marrying someone from the same hometown would save you the hassle of spending Chinese New Year in two different cities! I did not, however, manage to find 'The One' from my hometown. :P)

A busy day at the office yesterday. Colleague's 1 year old rascal
preferred sitting on my lap and clacking away on the keyboard.
We couldn't get a lot of work done! :)

I am looking forward to the Easter weekend as we're having Good Friday and Easter Monday off! YAY!!! 4 day weekend, woohoo!!!!

It's going to involve studying, running, sleeping, studying, cooking, eating and catching up with some old friends. Oh, and some house chores and shopping, I hope.

Speaking of shopping, there isn't any time to go shopping at all! 

*pulls at hair*

Joined SCTR's #10 Night Run yesterday - we had a huge crowd!

We will be at Bright next weekend for the Buffalo Stampede. I'll just be crewing for the hubs and hang out with the rest of gang who'll be crewing for their partners as well. I am quite excited at the possibility of meeting some top trail runners!! Not sure if I'll recognise them but I'll try to grab some pictures with them, anyway.

I can't believe it's been a year since I ran Buffalo Stampede ... holy smokes!

I sure hope that there'll be some improvement from last year's event - re: the finish chute and time clock!!!

Can't keep my eyes open anymore ...

Happy January 2015!

Happy new year, everyone!

I hope everyone has had a pretty good new year so far! It has taken me this long to dust the cobwebs off this blog to let you know that I am pretty much alive, just barely, but yeah, I'll survive. 

Since we moved to a new place in November, we've not had internet access at home. We've had to struggle with a temporary mobile plan but coverage was so poor that I just didn't want to bother going online at all. There was a bit of a kerfuffle with the initial provider we wanted to go with, but due to lack of access or coverage, we had to go with an alternative, hence the delay.

We are crossing our fingers that we will have internet access today! *prays hard*

Be that as it may, I can't seem to find the time nor energy to spend too much time online. There's just so much to do!

Once we arrive home, we have to tend to the gardening, the laundry, cooking dinner and tomorrow's lunch, and oh gawd, a new one for me - studying.

I am stuck in the deep end here. 

Work is extremely challenging with the boss telling me to do this and that, that and this, and most of the time I'm running around like a headless chicken or I can't seem to work fast enough. By the time I arrive home, I just want to sleep.

But no. I have to force myself to do a bit of studying, and by a bit, I do mean a bit. 

And it isn't enough.

Just over the long weekend (Australia Day was on Monday, 26th January 2015), I struggled to finish up a poorly written assignment due on Monday. I was freaking out! I have sworn that I will not leave my assignments to the last minute anymore otherwise I will surely definitely 100% fail.

So I took the initiative to print out the next assignment's question to plan my written answer, only to find that heck, I'll need to read up on the relevant chapters first.

Dammit. 

No prizes for guessing how I spend my evenings at home these days. :( 

Chilli seeds are growing! *excited*

On top of all that, my uncle had his open heart surgery last week and I had to make time to pop into the Royal Melbourne Hospital to visit him at least twice a day.

He was in the ICU for a few days and I have to say that his nurses have been pretty easy on the eyes - particularly one of them. My friends and I think she's the sweetest of them all. :)

The good news is that he's recovering well and he should be discharged from the hospital either tomorrow or the day after. He's going nuts without his laptop or mobile phone, as he conveniently left them at home prior to the operation. Thank goodness for a spare laptop and prepaid WiFi modem thingy which I brought over for him this morning, he now has access to the world again.

Using crates as a flower bed. Here, we have spring onion and sweet basil.

I finally went out running again yesterday evening, even if it was a short one. It was great to be out again, and it's going to be hard to regain the fitness I used to have. I had a terrible chesty cough last month and it took me almost a month to recover. 

I don't like being unfit!

One of the best activities to de-stress is weeding. I hate weeds! With a filthy vengeance. The sight of them pisses me off big time so I am more than happy to yank them out as soon as possible. 

We are pretty excited to return to Malaysia for the Chinese New Year, splitting between KK and Ipoh. A shame we won't be able to spend time in KL but being far apart from my family has made me realise that I really must prioritise my family first. My mum is definitely excited to have the entire family together again, but I hope she won't give me too many chores because I just want to bake cookies for the family as well as play with my niece. I can't wait!

Okay then, I've taken up too much of work time to write you this update. It's good to write again but I'm not sure how coherent I am - it's been a while!

Happy Wednesday! :)

Still Alive

G'day.

I'm still here, if you're wondering.

If you're not, well, I'm still here, anyway. :)

It's been an exhausting 3 weeks since the arrival of my parents-in-law AND a new beginning - I have a job!

It's not much (of a job) at the moment, but I still have to get my ass out of bed by 7.20 am at the latest, and be in at the office by 9 am. I now have to make sure that my face is decked with war paint, otherwise I look completely washed out and deserve to hide out at home, like what I have been doing for the last year and a half.

I return home to home-cooked food and the urge to crawl into bed immediately. After-work runs have not exceeded 10km at most as we have to rush home for dinner.

I am just so knackered by the end of the day that I don't feel like doing anything after dinner. I can't even bear to sit in front of the laptop for too long!

Now that I work in the city, it feels cool to be part of the city crowd again. I need some new work clothes, that's for sure, but until I receive my first paycheck, I can't afford to go shopping!

Wearing a pair of trainers is so much more comfy.

The lobby area of the office building has mirrored walls that I can't help but to check myself out all the time, just to be sure that I'm looking prim and proper. Yeah, I take a lot of selfies, too. *vain*

I think my parents are relieved that I am employed again. They have been bugging me to get my ass back into the corporate world for so long, or at least be an employee somewhere, that a good friend told me the only way to counter their nagging is to get pregnant immediately. :P

My work requires me to converse in Mandarin a lot as most of the clients are from China. It irks me to be forced into this position where I fumble with my words, hoping that I'm making sense to the client and in return, the client would stare at me, hoping I'd make more sense by just staring hard at me.* 

The first week was rather scary as I don't like being thrown into the deep end and expected to swim to save myself. Being thrown instructions which I don't really understand and expected to deliver something immediately is not enjoyable at all. I have been on the verge of losing my temper and beseeching to the boss to make some sense to me, FFS!

My colleagues are friendly (so far) and we get along just fine. The office suite is filled with laughs and giggles on a daily basis, which suits me just fine. One of the bosses have bought me (and the colleagues as well) cups of coffee several times now. Yay to free coffee!

I had my first cup of strong latte last week and I couldn't sleep that night!

I've soon found out that a cup of strong latte has 3 shots of espresso so I've resorted to having a cappucino instead. :)

I am rambling.

I can't keep my eyes open any longer so goodnight, folks.

Have a great weekend, all.

I miss you.

I don't even know what's happening with everyone right now.

*my Mandarin is rather poor.

7-Day Project Gratitude

20th September 2014.

I was hoping I wouldn't get tagged but haha, trust an ol' buddy to tag me on Facebook!

Instead of boring everyone with a daily status update, I thought I'd chuck it here, somewhere private, where only those who accidentally stumble across this blog have the misfortune to read my mundane ramblings. :)

I'm not sure how it works - do I come up with something new to be grateful for on a daily basis or can they be the same thing over and over? Do I need to elaborate or shall I just leave them in point form?

Hmmm.

Day 1 - 21st September 2014.

1. To be alive and well!

2. For a loving family, both immediate and extended. 

No wars or rifts at the moment! Well, not that I know of ... but anyway, I miss being a kid all over again so that I can be at home with the family. That's just my indirect way of saying that I really miss my family. And to be able to watch my munchkin of a niece grow up! :)

3. To still be able to walk and run. 

Why not? I'm always thankful that my legs are still holding up pretty well. Having said that, the DOMS I suffered from Saturday's hill reps are torture! I thought by running our usual undulating 11k route on Monday would eliminate the DOMS but hahaha, they returned as a result of Monday's run. How ironic!

Day 2 - 22nd September 2014.

1. To be able to devour my chick lit novels. 

I love that the library is just within walking distance! I really enjoy spending time with novels. Seriously. It's a childhood pastime, just reading and reading and not having a care about the rest of the world. A shame that I have terrible memory and a week later I won't remember what I actually read!

2. To be able to hug my husband on a daily basis.

3. For good friends whom I know I will be able to count on when I need them. 

There are friends who would hesitate and mull over whether to assist you or not, before giving you an answer. There are others who'd agree to help without any hesitation at all. :)

Knew of the movie before I spotted the book at the library. A good read.

Day 3 - 23rd September 2014.

1. I still have hair! 

Despite the grey roots, I still have hair.

2. I still have teeth! 

I had a nightmare back in high school once about my teeth going all flappy like flap doors for pets to enter the house. It was horrible. I couldn't speak properly in my dream and my teeth would just flap!

3. Bargain $1 bags. 

Bought a bag of loose longan and another bag of french beans - what a steal! I love a great bargain!

Day 4 - 24th September 2014.

1. A smartphone. 

Although the screen has cracked and I've taped it, it still works. Whatsapp chats with friends are awesome.

2. For Skype! 

Otherwise I won't be able to watch my niece's antics and my parents won't see how fat I am. Haha! It's the only way to have decent chat with everyone, although the niece is always demanding for attention. Argh, she's growing up too fast for me!

3. For ol' friends. 

So happy that Marie will be helping me buy and bring some stuff for me - she'll be here next month to visit her adorable chubby niece who is turning 1! (Whoever plans to do their shopping in Australia when they're here, think again. Nothing here is cheap, NOTHING. Except for McDonald's soft cone ice-cream...)

Monday And The Last Blueberry Muffin.

The last blueberry muffin.

It's a gloomy Monday morning and where did the weekend go?

Dunno.

I had a brief chat with my parents on the phone yesterday. With my mum, it was the usual nagging, and I did my best not to be a sullen teenager and grumble my replies. With my dad, it was about latest antics of my little niece. 

And its the latter stories that never fails to make me smile.

It seems like she is picking up the Hokkien dialect quite well, and sometimes to annoy her Hakka-speaking dad, she'll speak to him in Hokkien. Once, she asked him, "Do you understand?"

The cheek!

We were running at the Tan last Saturday evening and bumped into Shaun, who was training for her upcoming event. Later on, we bumped into Jon, her hubby, as they had to take turns to run while someone takes care of their daughter. We haven't seen much of our running friends lately so it was great to catch up and chat, even if it was just for a few minutes.

I am currently testing out my new pair of HokaOneOne Clifton's and right now, all I can say is that my calves are being made to work out more than I expected. They are soooooo tired!

Training on my own is tough but easier than I expected. I don't have to wait for anyone, I don't slow anyone down, and I don't have to talk to anyone. It's a good mental workout, and it's really easy to pretend to be robot and keep moving my legs. I think I'm getting the hang of it.

The hubs is feeling rather strained when the weekend comes, as he is forced to run with me on both days. Not a great way to spend the weekend, I know, but unless I move the back to back runs to the middle of the week, I would still need a long run during the weekend, anyway! He can't escape, regardless. Muahaha!

Oh hey!

The sun is out. Yay!

Oh, about that blueberry muffin? I've found a recipe which really works, especially with frozen blueberries. I've made them twice already, and I reduced the sugar and added some choc chip the second time round. They may not be as gigantic as Starbucks' but they taste equally good, if not better. 

*does a Snoopy jump*

Hooray!

May Day!

Holy cow, it's the month of May!

How time flies.

WHERE IS THE PAUSE BUTTON??

I found some chocolate eggs at the passenger's door in the car that Easter weekend.
The hubs put them there to 'surprise' me!

April flew by in a flurry. I'm not sure what happened, really. I must have spent too much time recovering from the Buffalo Stampede Sky Marathon!

With nothing much happening, we volunteered at TrailsPlus' Brimbank Urban Trail Run last weekend. The race director must have been worried to have us as his newbie vollies (I am picking up some Aussie slangs here!) and good gawd, I'm sure he received a couple of complaints about this bimbotic girl who fumbled BIG TIME!

The marathon runners about to head off at 8.30am.

I was expecting to be briefed before we headed off to our station but we found our instructions in the box. Setting up our aid station was a bit stressful as the wind was blowing the paper cups and containers away, but we eventually managed to shield the wind with the water containers.

I am too embarrassed to share my fumbles here, but I do apologise to any of the runners who were probably annoyed with me that day - I didn't know anything! I was so concerned with the table setting that I failed to register the details of the run itself. My bad.

Most of the runners were really nice, and it was amazing that some of them went out to say more than a few words.

You know how most of us will just mutter a "Thanks!" and head off back into our run? Some of them actually said to us, "Thank you so much for being here today!"

Awww ...

Some spent some time chatting with us and munching the food available. I had brought my own supply of chocolate (to share) and it was surprisingly a hit!

I realised, upon hindsight, that the sign should have been placed at the edge of the table,
and not on top. D'oh!

Our aid station was a central, where the half marathoners would make a u-turn and head back the finish. The ultra and marathoners would go past us and head off to another aid station before turning back and come by us again, before heading to the finish line.

A few runners asked us for some Coke, and I had to apologise that we didn't have any. Some of them stared at us in disbelief, suspicious, as if maybe we had some stashed away but not letting them have any.

I found out later that every aid station had Coke except ours!

Whaaaaat ...

Anyway, running aside, the weather is getting rather chilly these days. It doesn't help that the building we're staying is old and most likely not very well insulated. It's colder indoors than outside!

I'm not supposed to complain about the cold (since the crazy heatwave in January showed me just how terribly hot it can get), but it's really miserable! 

I don't like going into the bathroom or washing my hands, or even getting out of bed to get changed, or even hopping into bed (unless the electric blanket warms it up just a little), and especially feeling hungry all the time!

The only time I forget about the cold is when I'm having hot soup noodles for dinner (it's happening quite regularly these days) or am bundled up and running along the trails.

Crap, am I talking about running again?

Well, I have a fancy dress running event coming up in a few weeks and the theme is Superheroes or Supervillains. I have been looking for something easy to assemble and to run in, but it still looks like I've got to do some shopping and sewing!

It's February Already??

I told myself that I must not buy any more yarns because I still have tons of them.

But I couldn't resist this pastel rainbow ball which cost a mere AUD$2.00.

I started on something the minute I got home, and halfway through, I got frustrated. It takes too darn long to finish a project! Grrr. Almost finished!

Meatless Monday dinner last week was an Indian theme.

Not very impressive looking, I know. :)

Capati with aloo gobi, palak paneer, curried potatoes and dhal. We could only finish half of the meal and the rest was lunch for the next day.

Well, I have 2 small tubs each of aloo gobi and dhal in the freezer. I should have halved the recipes!

Recipes on the SBS website were referred to:

Palak paneer (I halved the recipe) 

Toor dal tadka

Aloo gobi - Oops, I forgot where I got it from.

Capati's easiest recipe?

1 cup flour

1/2 warm water (mix hot water and some cold water)

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP vegetable oil

 One of those fatty breakfasts:

Quesadila.

I shall do some strength exercises now to make myself feel better ... 

I am on a self-imposed baking ban and it's killing me.

Well, not really but it is a torture.

I want to bake cookies to eat and share with friends.

I want to bake cakes to eat and share with friends.

I must stop looking at recipes, like that shortbread cookies with chocolate drizzle.

I spent too much time baking Chinese New Year cookies last month and hence the baking ban.

Hopefully I can set up a shop next year. :D

And the need to lose a couple of kilos before I return home and pig out on mum's homecooking!

Crap, I'm not even ready to return home next week.
Time really flies!

As Bad As Store Bought Cookies

I made a huge batch of choc chip cookies yesterday, and made a mistake of reducing the sugar by half.

I baked them longer than required,  giving it a nice crisp and crunchy bite.

But as a result of the lack of sugar, and with dark chocolate chips, they taste pretty flat.

Like Coles' or Woolworth's store brand $2 cookies. Hah!

So there's go my Chinese New Year cookie gifts and these 'gems' will remain in my kitchen for the occasional munching. It'll serve their purpose, I suppose, when we need a biscuit or two.

On the other hand, my batch of peanut cookies are the BOMB. My friends are sharing photos of their peanut cookies and they look equally good.

But I'm so happy with mine, because I know it's what my dad would like, as he previously hounded me for a salty version. So to finally succeed in achieving it, I am happy.

On the other hand, I am really sad that I won't be spending CNY with my family(ies). They are my best fans. I've been making them CNY cookies for the past 2 years! I was hoping I'd be home this CNY but the hubby has work stuff on that weekend, which I think is fekking bollocks. 

*sniffles*

*takes a deep breath*

Anyway, the beef casserole has been simmering since last night, and I can't wait for dinner!

Previously I didn't reduce the stock enough so the pie was a bit too wet. So I'll have to make sure I do it right this time. It just smells horribly, ridiculously, amazingly mouth-wathering argh!

Gotta go!

Brushing Off The Cobwebs

I should be going for my run now, or preparing dinner. But my butt is glued to the couch, hoping that Nadal will beat Dimitrov in the Australian Open semi-finals. (Well, he did!)

I have baked some peanut cookies this morning, so I'm pleased that at least I've got something done. Though it seems like I may need to bake another batch. Ahh, how the aroma reminds me that Chinese New Year is around the corner.

A shame that I won't be home and have my families wow over my cookies...

Lunch: Couscous with smoky paprika prawns.

I am trying to eat plain and uninteresting food until I knock 2kg off my tubby trunk, sticking to the motto that we eat to live, and not vice versa.

Less carbs and small portions are the key, and sometimes I get a sense of satisfaction with going to bed with a growling tummy. 

Because then I wake up the next morning looking forward to a grand breakfast of toast or cereal with 1 soft-boiled egg...

And then starve until lunch time arrives.

And boy, am I ever eager for the clock to strike 12!

Dinner and leftovers for lunch the next day: Cottage pie with sweet potato.

A few weeks ago, I made cottage pie for the first time and it was great. The aroma of the beef stewing in the pot wafting through the air was so mouth-watering. Recipe was taken from Coles' website. I am drooling as I recall the taste ... so I'm hoping to make it again tomorrow! :D

Caring For Green Babies Ain't Easy

Caring for any babies, for that matter.

I can't even take care of myself and hubby, let alone plants. This is the stress I don't need.

Thankfully, most are surviving in my clumsy non-green hands, except for 3 coriander seedlings.

Taking care of our handful of potted plants are pretty time consuming for me. It takes practice to talk to them as nicely as possible, treating them like human beings, in hope that they'll give you plenty of flowers and fruits. It feels awkward at first but once you get the hang of it, talking happy gibberish to them will get easy.

This green post is to avoid having back to back running posts, before I share with you my Razorback Run race recap. :) My poor non-running friends are already bored to tears with my Facebook pictures and updates about running, that some of them even gave up liking my Facebook page. 

Bet you didn't think I'd notice!!

You've met Lemmie, our dwarf Meyer Lemon tree. He's having babies! 

Which is a relief, because I have been worrying about whether I have been caring for him properly and sufficiently. Wish I could do more about his leaves being chewed by pesky insects!

Lemmie is still a midget in a dwarf plant's world - he has only grown an inch or so since we bought him in October. 

I really hope he's healthy! *motherly worry*

At the same time, we also bought a chilli firecracker plant. I couldn't decide between Senorita HotStuff Firecracker or just HotStuff Firecracker, so YB calls her Senorita while I call her HotStuff.

And she is having babies, too!

Despite only growing about an inch or so, too. *worries*

Should I be worried her babies aren't growing upwards?

That Monday Morning Excitement

I was going to title this post 'Nothing Interesting Happens When You're At Home' when I just remember that I did have a bit of excitement the other day.

Two weeks ago, if I remember correctly. It was quite an adrenaline rush for me and for a moment, I felt ... 15 years younger.

Hah!

Wait, am I revealing my age here?

Anyway, I stepped out of our flat to do the laundry (each floor has a communal room with washing machines belonging to each flat) and I pulled the door to our flat shut.

I wanted to have the door slightly ajar and not wide open, so honestly, I had no intention in pulling it completely shut.

'Oh, shit!' I exclaimed.

I jiggled the door and tried to open it but nope, it was definitely locked.

I had just locked myself out of the flat.

There I was, standing outside my flat, still dressed in my pajama pants and a long sleeve top. (Thank goodness I had my undergarments on!)

My mind whirred into action - what do I do?

I had three options and only one of them was the best, if luck was on my side.

The door to my neighbour's flat next to mine opened and a lady peeked out. She asked me what's wrong. I told her that I locked myself out of my flat and she went, "Ohhh..."

I asked her if she would let me climb from her balcony, and she asked if that was what I really wanted.

OF COURSE!

I told her I had done it before back in college and she said that was then and I ain't young anymore.

Gee, thanks.

It took me 2 tries because during the first try, she was so nervous and jittery that it affected my confidence. I even asked her to hold on to my right arm while I climbed over.

I made it on the second try after positioning myself properly - climb over the balcony first, then move over to the left to my balcony railing, before climbing over it and into my balcony.

It was easy!

But I admit I was a bit worried for a moment. My pajama pants were a bit loose and I was afraid it would slip off and I would accidentally moon the whole world as they passed by. :D

Phew!

My first option was to find the caretaker of the place and see if he could take out the ladder (if any) from the shed (if any) lend me ladder so I could climb into our balcony and I'd be OK. The door to our balcony wasn't locked and I had left the window slightly ajar. (Oh, and I'm on the 1st floor, by the way.)

My second option was to climb through my neighbour's balcony to get to mine, but I knew he was probably at work.

The third option was to knock on the neighbour's door (across from my place) to borrow their phone to let my husband know and well, wait for him to come and save me.

My other option was to ask the neighbour in the flat below mine if I could climb up to my balcony, but that was the last option because heck, I do not have a strong upper body and there was no way I'd have the strength to pull myself up. I can't even do a chin up!

The husband didn't believe me when I told him what happened. It was 9.30am and I had to disrupt his morning with such excitement. Hah!

Anyway, since then, I've made sure that I change out of my pajamas (and put on decent underwear!) and put the house keys in my pockets before I step out of the flat to do the laundry. 

The skies at the Cathedral Range on 27th October 2013.

I haven't shared with you my race recap of Lake Mountain Skyrun 2013 yet, which took place on 20th October 2013. It's just that I end up being enveloped in a cloud of humiliation unaccomplishment dissatisfaction lack of achievement blah when I recall the moment we crossed the finish line. I need to snap out of it!

[You may read the hubby's account first and you will note that the last photo of me is very nice. *ahem* *cough* :)]

As you're well aware, I have been busy wasting my time crocheting owls and other whatnots, including this hairband. It has been given to my friend's 5 year old daughter for her birthday.

Pink is just a girly girl's colour. :)

I've made her a bracelet, too, which I think is pretty neat!

I am currently working on a spring/summer scarf which I honestly don't know why I started it in the first place.

It's too bright and doesn't match any of my clothes!

But I will finish it. I was hoping to finish it tonight but it's already late so ... maybe tomorrow.

Why, why must I waste my precious time doing nothinggggg ... *slaps self*

Anyway, did I tell you that whenever I catch up with my niece on Skype, she makes me want to have my own baby? She's turning 2 in a few weeks' time and sometimes I forget that she's only 2.

I asked her if she had eaten and instead of saying yes, she answered, "Eaten."

Once I asked her, "How are you?" and she answered, "Good girl!" which made me laugh!

Ah, kids. They are cute when they're young. :)

It's My Party And I'll Do What I Want To

Trying on clothes at
lululemon athletica.
They put my name on
the door of my fitting
cubicle.

*humming to Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop"*

It's a week after the Melbourne Marathon and life seems so empty without a goal to aim for.

Or so we think.

After 2 days of wincing at every step, the legs are back in action and I am hopping with excitement, hoping to have a splendid time up in the Victorian Alps. We are taking part in the 31KM run of Lake Mountain Skyrun which is on tomorrow, i.e. 20th October 2013. I'm soooo relieved to know that the weather is going to by bright and sunny, so I don't need to be wrapped up like a marshmallow to run!

It was initially expected to be cold (and a wee bit of snow?) as the winds went crazy around Melbourne on Thursday. But looks like it's all clear now. Yessss!

I do hope, however, that there will be a few snow capped peaks dotting the horizon for a picturesque run, as I am looking forward to be trigger happy with the camera! :)

First attempt of Cantonese Fried Kuey Teow ... I would give myself a fail, with so many things
wrong with it, but erm, it was regardless, still edible!

Besides posting of pictures of food and talking about running, I honestly have nothing else to talk about. Nothing exciting is happening in my life as the Housewife Bum, that I am starting to sink into my shell, completely embarrassed that I am hopelessly unproductive and unambitious.

Who The Hell Plans Their Weekly Menu?

A few months ago, I noticed a friend's Facebook status saying that she had completed her grocery shopping list for the week and was ready to head to the supermarket (or market, I'm not sure).

I nodded to myself, thinking that it was indeed a clever idea to shop for the entire week. I should be like that, too!

(But then I would be left with bumming at home and with no reason to take my daily walk to the shops...)

Example of my shopping list.

How detailed must one's shopping list be?

'Vege' is left as general as possible, depending on what was on offer ("Oh hey, cauliflowers are cheap, today! Oh, choy sum is 4 for AUD$2.50!") so that's the "3x" I have to tell myself to buy 3 types of vegetables for the week.

It also depends what I planned on making. As I was thinking of veggie burger patties (really!), I was therefpre specific with the celery and mushrooms. But I forgot to buy the celery and changed my mind about the breadcrumbs. :))

But I don't necessarily get everything on my shopping list, though. I like to spread it out so I can go and buy them the next or following day. Even walking out to buy a new loaf of bread is my exercise. (Hey, bored housewife here needs a reason to get out of the house, remember? There are no soap operas worth watching in the afternoon. :D)

I suppose what my friend meant was that she had planned her week's menu and then  her shopping list, before going to the supermarket.

So I tried, too.
The last time I planned the week's menu was just a general idea:

Monday - fish, soup, vege, rice
Tuesday - fish, vege, couscous
Wednesday - chicken, vege, rice/couscous
Thursday - fish, vege, couscous
Friday - pork, soup, vege

Which I think is good enough. 

Come on, do you want me to be so specific like naming the type of dishes; sweet and sour fish, curry grilled fish, steamed chicken, etc. I can't!

The worst thing is having ideas or cravings to derail the entire week's menu.

Honestly, I have been thinking of nasi lemak for the past few days and it is SUCH a torture. I've never cooked it before and I would love to take the opportunity to do so BUT MY BELLY AND ROUND FACE are telling me that NOW IS NOT A GOOD TIME. ARRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!

And then I suddenly feel like cooking tau yew bak.

I feel like eating bibimbap, too.

So, which one of the above cravings will go onto this week's menu? The healthiest dish, of course! It shall be Friday's carbo-loading session for Saturday's 28KM long run. *pretends to be excited*

Sigh.
I fear that I will remain a fat blob if I don't up my vege ante to 3 times the regular portion. Muffin top! *sobs*

p.s. I dropped AUD$20 the other day after paying for an item and I only realised it when I got home. I didn't stuff them into my pocket properly so now I'm left with a smaller budget for the week. :((

p.p.s. We had squid last night but I must have overcooked it. It was still lovely, though as it was a pleasant change to our usual fare. How long am I supposed to stir fry them for, 5 minutes?

The Housewife Bum

Really.

There's so much I want to say and share but I'm not sure where to start. I may go crazy and start talking to myself, but I thought, what the heck, might as well 'talk' here and pretend you're listening. :)

It's 2 weeks since I'm here and you can say that I'm enjoying my life as a housewife bum at the moment. The hubby wakes up and makes coffee and breakfast for himself and of course there's some for me when I wake up. He goes off to work while I wake up whenever I'm ready. Bliss, eh? :D

Sadly, my complexion has drastically deteriorated and I'm staying off coffee for a while. Boo hoo!

Should there be a need to leave the house (which I make sure I do, because daily fresh air is good), the outfit of the day is dependent on the temperature for the day. Usually it's a long sleeve thermal top with a t-shirt over it and jeans, and a jacket. Gloves are optional, depending on how windy it is. Socks and trainers to complete the outfit, as it is more comfortable for that 10-minute walk.

I honestly don't know how I'll be able to be a fashionista with my mismatched clothing. Sigh. I've been trying to observe the fashion over here and well, it looks like a season for boots. And my boots are still on the way via sea freight. 

I was quite colour coordinated for my You Yangs Trail Run but because it could be a bit windy at times, I kept my thin jacket on. Hmmfh. If I was climatised enough, maybe I would have discarded the jacket. Maybe.

The dinner menu is my responsibility. It's mostly Chinese cooking as the ingredients are cheaper this way. So far I've cooked sweet and sour chicken, turkey sausage spaghetti, stir fried seafood glass noodles, ABC soup, and stir fried vegetables to complete the meal. 

Oh, and braised Vegemite chicken! :D

Not very photogenic, sorry.