spin spin spin

Oh boy...
I took a spin class this afternoon. The best way I can describe this class: sweat dripping off you, sore legs and red faced while riding a bike.
Ha!
Really, its amazing... You get on and at first its all going well, can handle it, right, here I am, taking a spin class... ok, now they say to crank up the pressure, so its like your going up a hill... ok, can handle that. Full now, really going up a hill. And then they make you stand up..
Now, I don't know why, but I have never really got the whole standing up while riding a bike. Never mastered properly... So, it was quite a feat. And I am quite impressed that I managed to do it without falling off my bike, or stopping. Okay, so that isn't to say that I didn't have a break every now and then... Its unbelievable how hard you have to work in this class. I knew it would be hard, don't get me wrong, but still, to have sweat dripping off you, is just quite astonishing. Ok, so its not very pretty, but at least everyone else in the class is doing the exact same thing, dripping. Even the instructor, and he's the INSTRUCTOR! Hah!
Very happy to see everyone else red faced and dripping, its like a kinship!
The best thing about the class, is the music. They choose music that has a good beat, and you kind of just tune out and concentrate on that beat and pedal to it. Sounds strange, to be riding a bike to music, but it works really well. My favourite one was when they played Black Eyed Peas: Pump It. You had to do this really fast sprint during the chorus. I got my legs going so fast that I thought they were going to fly off!!
Managed to get through the class, legs were feeling a little weak after it though. Shaky. Walking down stairs was a little difficult.. you know that scene in Bridget Jones, when she gets off the bike and her legs give out. Haha, that was what I was thinking when I was walking down stairs.. oh christ, my legs are going to give out!! But they got me home alright.. done some more stretches just now. I hope I'm not so sore tomorrow that I can't walk.
I had planned to go to another class tomorrow during lunch... But I think you have to pace yourself with these spin classes. Maybe Thursday night instead... although thats when a dance class was on that I wanted to try out... (see what I mean about trying to decide which class to do, VERY DIFFICULT)
Ride baby ride!

namaste

Yoga class last night was just what I needed to wind down from the week... It was great.
They turn off the lights, so its nice and dark and you can really relax. I have never done a proper Yoga class like that, always thought about it but never actually went. I like it. Will definitely schedule some more in.. :)
Something I just found out:
Hatha Yoga came from the words "ha" which means "sun" and "tha" which means "moon". It is often translated as the branch of Yoga that brings union of the pairs of opposites referring to the positive (sun) and negative (moon) currents in the system.
Just perfect!

earthed

I just finished my first class at the gym I joined.
Yes, you read right. I joined a g-y-m! WOAH! Never thought that would happen... But, this isn't your standard run of the (tread)mill gym... oh no. Its much much cooler. Because it offers a variety of classes, all sorts, such as Bellydancing, Dancing, NIA, Pilates, Yoga, Skip, Ride, and all sorts of other ones.
So, tonight, I tried out a NIA class. What is NIA you ask? Well it stands for Neuromuscular Integrative Action. Uh-huh. Sounds technical.. but its not. Its a form of expressive dance, an expressive body-mind movement and lifestyle practice, embracing fitness and health.. is how they describe it. Sounds a little intimidating..but its actually really fun. You have steps, but basically anything goes. The music gets you moving, and you just let go... Hah. And its quite surprising at how much it gets you going. And smiling!
So first class is a success!
Tomorrow I have an assessment. Yes, I have to meet with a trainer and they will have a look at my level of fitness and goals etc. The form you fill out at the start, when you join the gym, has a section where you are meant to circle your goals. Things like: increase endurance, increase tone, increase flexibility etc. etc. Well I looked along that list, thought, well yeah, that would be a plus, but they aren't really goals as such. I mainly just want to mix things up a bit. *shrug*
The most difficult thing is choosing which class to do!! Hah. I sat here last night with the timetable planning everything I could do. This class is on at that time, oh but that is when that class is on.. oh, I have to choose one!?! TOO HARD.
Friday, I have decided to try a yoga class.
Monday, I have planned to try out a spin/ride class. Thats the bike class I was really wanting to do. I peaked in through the window tonight as I left my class, they turn the lights out in there, so its nice and dark. They were working pretty hard! Lookin' forward to it actually... Is that insane? haha..

stopped in my tracks

What a lovely start to the week.
I got stranded on a train this morning. Well, not stranded... more stuck. Boarded my normal train, going to work quite happily, when there was this strange *pop* sound. "Hmm.. that was not normal..." After using the train system for 7 years, you get to know the sounds of the trains... that pop was definitely not right. Then we just start slowing down... and eventually stop.
Okay, so we're stopped, on the tracks between Brunswick Street and Central Station. Central station is my stop... a little frustrating. We sit there for a few minutes, and then the lights go out. Darkness. But at least the airconditioning is on. Not for long. The airconditioning turns off. Hmm.. this is not going to be pretty.
So, here we all are. A peak hour train, chock-a-block full of commuters on their way to work. We all pull out our mobiles and start calling and texting through to various workplaces. "Stuck on a train, will be late." 5 minutes pass... Then the airconditioning starts again. We all sigh in relief. At least we can breathe. Another 5 minutes, sitting in darkness. Some random puffs from the train, and then there is an announcement.
"Passengers, this train has a fault and we will be moving as soon as we can."
Well, duh!
Another 10 minutes tick by... people start getting anxious. Can see them looking around nervously, like they are about to press the emergency button and get out and walk. Another announcement.
"This train has broken down, and we will be moving on as soon as another train comes along to push us through to Central Station. Should be about 5 to 10 minutes. We apologise for any inconvencience caused."
That is repeated a few thousand times, obviously Queensland Rail want to cover their backs for the train's decision to break down.
Then finally a very big *bump*. Ah, that must be the train behind us... Slowly slowly we get pushed through to the next train. Reminds me of Thomas the Tank Engine! Hehehe.. when they have trains that break down, and Thomas comes along and pushes them through... Good ol' Thomas!
So, I get to Central, which normally takes me 10 minutes from my station, and this morning has taken about 45 minutes!
Gotta love Mondays!

booty

My first pair of boots!

Booty-ful yes?

I really wanted a pair of boots this year. So, I went out and found these today... cheered me up. Was feeling a little stressed out and over worked and worried, but buying shoes helps. I never used to be one of those "shoe" stereotype women.. but seems I have turned into one, slightly. ;) I like shoes. They are quite nice... heh. And these boots are super sweet!
So, just a little stressed, I have a slight issue with a students visa that I was helping with his extension, friend of a friend... long story, hopefully he won't be booted (hah) out of the country. Taking two days in Noosa was great, however, I seem to be working for both schools now, Brisbane and Noosa. Just until they get their heads around the new system anyway. Plus, have to catch up with everything here in Brisbane... so working flat out! Thinking all the time of everything I need to do... busy busy bee.
Missing Marcel like crazy. At least when he was here I could see him and take some time out from work. Being together helped a lot... And, he has gone north north again, to Cooktown! His team and another team (that are the two top teams) went up there to work for 10 days. And it looks like I won't be able to talk to him either... can't get through to his mobile. Must be terrible phone coverage up there. *sigh* So I will miss him a lot more now.
I am planning to take a holiday in the first week of June. If I can... I might visit him up there, not in Cooktown, but when he goes south again to Proserpine, I might go to Airlie Beach for a week! Beach in winter... :)

I want to put my boots on now... I looooooooooOOOve them! ;)

earth intruders

We are the earth intruders we are the sharp shooters
^The song I have stuck in my head today^

Saw the video clip on the weekend, and now I have it playing in my head. Its got a catchy little beat. We are the earth intruders... do do DO do do do

Monday monday... start of the week. Long week this week, well, 5 days. Its long, compared to the 4 day weeks we have had recently. I'm heading up to Noosa tomorrow and Wednesday. Going to the Noosa campus to help them out with setting up a new database. Hopefully it will all go smoothly. Have to help them set it all up and get everything working properly, merges working, categories set up, etc. etc. Get to stay in a hotel up there as well, company paid! Don't think its a really fancy one or close to the beach or anything, but still, might be nice...

Got lots of things I would like to start/do these days. Have been thinking, I might start a proper budget budget, strict. Shopping money, bill money etc. etc. I have sort of, kind of, always did have one, but I didn't actually write it down and set aside money for it... I might try it, see if that can get me back on the saving train...
Thinking I might start going to a spin class once or twice a week. If I can find a good one. Apparently in the new gym in the city they have the room painted with a streetscape of Rio De Janeiro! So I want to check that out. And it would be something different.. fun. Hard, but fun! I will try and get around to having a look at that this week, let you know if I go. The problem is, going to a gym... :/ Hmm.. you know what I mean?
Keep seeing all these great winter-ish clothes around lately. Not that we can really call it cold over here in Brisbane... but I want to add a few new wintery things to my wardrobe... wintery warm things. Maybe a pair of boots, some new work clothes. I'm so sick of wearing the same work clothes all the time. Yes its practical, but not very exciting! And there are all these great jackets and little jumpers and long sleeve tops...boots *rubs hands with glee*

Heh.. yes.. feeling like i want to change some things. Just start doing some new things, and update things a little too. Is it still spring? Ah yes, maybe thats what it is... spring cleaning... ;)

grumble

Whats wrong?

I don't know, just grumbly... got sprung with extra work today. Have to train people with the new system, which isn't hard to do, its just extra work that I don't feel like doing. Also tired of this job... tired of doing all this.
Tired of being apart.
Bored too. I have things I could do, like study or cleaning or other things... but buggered if I could be bothered.

I just feel grumbly.
Grumble grumble work grumble grumble study grumble grumble distance grumble grumble bored grumble grumble me

sarina

Back from the sticks!
Well, Mackay... what can I say... a little boring. But maybe thats because I spent most of the time there in Mackay bored and waiting around.
But the weekend was good. I actually stayed in a little town south of Mackay, called Sarina. Its next to the beach... well its a small beach. There are lots of industrial lots around there. Not sure, coal maybe (?), and fishing trawlers... At least I think they were fishing trawlers. So, it wasn't the most beautiful, but there was a beach!
Its quite a little multicultural community. The whole Eucalyptus planting gang are staying in a caravan park, Australians, New Zealanders, French, Swedish, Italians, Brazilians, Colombians... Very interesting mix. They all work 9 hour shifts, one beginning at 2am or 3am, depending on how hard they want to work and how much money they want to earn, until midday, and the other group work from midday to 9pm. Planting planting planting... all for wood.
They come back from work COVERED in mud and exhausted. They were pushing for me to go out for a shift with them.. heh.. maybe next time... ;)
I even had a full day with Marcel! I didn't expect it, he was meant to be working the whole time, but the tractor broke down on Sunday. Which was great because we got to spend the whole day together... :)
The teams will finish in that area in a week or so, and then they will move on. I think the next place is Cooktown, or somewhere... Might get a chance to see that part of Queensland too!
We're both concentrating on work to get through these weeks apart. Hopefully, it will pass quickly!

Looking forward to the next visit already!

forests

Please be happy for me, I have never been so happy in my life.
I've never done anything thoughtlessly, this included. I know its hard to think of what may be in the future, but I have never had this feeling before...
We both feel this is everlasting. It is early to say that, but I can't explain the connection without the cynics stepping up and saying something cynical... heh

*love*

If my life should take this turn, I would like you to be confident in my choice... and happy for me. There is nothing more that I could ask for.

northward bound

So I'm heading north... Northward bound... Up to Mackay! Why? Well, Marcel has headed up there to work on a farm, he is planting Eucalypts. Not sure what they would be planting them for, wood purposes or envirnomental purposes, but anyway, thats what he's doing at the moment. Marcel first went to Innisfail, to work on a banana farm, much to my amusment... and now has found this job in Mackay, which he started this morning. They start working from 3am! Work until midday, and have the afternoon off.
So, I've decided to go up there and visit him for the weekend. These weeks without him have been terrible, and its a perfect oportunity to go up and say hi!
I can't remember if I've ever been to Mackay... maybe when I was young? But, I am looking forward to it... not sure if its the prospect of getting away for the weekend, or just seeing Marcel again...hehe. Plus I believe there are some beautiful beaches up there, so I'll check them out. :)

Its been lonely without him around... and its a little unsettling to have to deal with distance again. Not my ideal... However, it has given me a great opportunity to get back into my TESOL course. I'm working my way through it, trying to build up my confidence to tackle some practical lessons here at work. The Director of Studies would love to have me teaching here... so, that is positive, just have to work up the courage to step inside the classroom as a t-e-a-c-h-e-r.
Its all well and good doing the front desk and occassionally helping students with English questions, but actually teaching an entire lesson, no, wait TWO lessons.. that turns me into a teeny tiny shy girl and I start to freak out about boring lessons, not being able to answer questions, getting too embarrassed and freezing up.. etc. etc. etc.
*deep breath*

One day, soonish, maybe, possibly.... :}

Have to finish the other side of the course before I start the teaching part anyway, so that gives me some time... hehehe