Well you may want a grab a coffee/wine for this week’s blog.

Hope you have all had a good week.  I survived the 50 km.  I did it! There was a great deal of satisfaction to think I traveled that far on foot with no injuries except sore hips, terrible blisters and a missing toenail. If you had of asked me 5 years ago, if I ever thought I would do an event like this, the answer would have been to laugh and be repulsed at the thought.  How things have changed.  The route was tough, hot and sunny.  Even under a hat, sunnies and 55 layers of 50 Plus sunscreen, I could still feel my skin burning – the sun was harsh and it felt like it was biting through my skin.   Around the 35 km mark, the girls and I became quite silly and possibly delusional – cracking jokes that weren’t funny and breaking wind because we no longer had the energy to hold the sneaky little suckers in.

Crossing the finish line was an amazing personal feeling of achievement, a natural feeling of excitement that lasted for days –  I DID IT!

Yesterday my family, friends and I went to Bonnyvale – competing in the EF BonnyVale Bash!  What a great day! I had never been to Bonnyvale before.  I was roped into this event by my bossy trainer.  She is very persistent and as much as I tried to fight her, she knew I could do it and would enjoy the event, so before I knew it, our names were down on the list. I often tell her I am going to ‘break up’ with her – this weird relationship I have with this tiny little lady – whose voice gets into my head, pushes me outside my comfort zone and has me up and out of bed at 5.06 am to run the streets or sand-hills. Truth is, if I broke up with her, I would get lazy and wouldn’t be half the motivated person I am today. So for this I thank my tiny little trainer.

Back to Bonnyvale – just our luck – another stinking hot day. The start gun blows and we are all sprinting down the beach, well I felt like I was sprinting. We were all in teams of 4. The race involved: beach running, bush running, road running, 4 swims, 2 kayaks and a boogie board paddle!

Fantastic day! (All organised by that same disciplined, strong and tiny little trainer girl). The atmosphere was awesome, with all good sports around me, running past my friends and hearing “GO BraineO”, made me feel happy and part of a wonderful and caring community. Everyone cheered everyone on – we were all winners. It was a great display of friendships and sportsmanship – in that it was all for fun and we were all out there having a go! As I ran yesterday, the thing I enjoyed hearing the most were all the kids cheering on their parents, yelling out “Go Mum” or “Go Dad” – what great role models these people are for their children, teaching their kids to get out there and ‘have a go!’.

By the time we finished, my legs were shaking and I was stuffed. A quick beer to celebrate with friends, straight to the shower and lipstick reapplied.

So I guess my point of this week’s blog is – Just have a go! If I can, anyone can. Trust me…. The truth is, I would never ever dare to put myself in a category of being good at any sport, I can be quite inconsistent and, at times, I fall off the wagon – but I manage to get back out there, find the energy and the love of running.

I really feel my 40’s are going to be the best years. I have realised a few things about myself:

I am stronger than I think!

Now get out there and have a go Mate!

Giddy up……..

LB

TGIF! How many times have you heard that today? Well, apologies but I am shouting it out again.
Another week of full-time work down – first world problem but this week I had a bad stomach bug – I won’t go into the ins and outs of this bug, but let me tell you it wasn’t pretty.

After the bug passed, I couldn’t eat enough rubbish. It was on Thursday that I ate a whole packet of those strawberry creams, I sat in my car whilst I waited for my son to finish tutoring and I ate every single one of those suckers. It was like the world was running out of strawberry creams and I just couldn’t get enough of them. Of course, there was regret after I had done this – which leads me into the purpose of this week’s blog – thinking before I act.

Friday afternoons are great, we have no after school commitments, its a beautiful afternoon, my little boy’s birthday today and life is good. HOWEVER – I do have this feeling deep in the pit of my stomach lining, a feeling of being quite nervous and anxious. As my good friend pointed out to me today – I am constantly committing to things, only to get to the day and then dread it! Well this weekend isn’t any different, as this weekend I have committed to walking 50 LONG STINKING HOT KILOMETERS! Yes you read that correctly and it was not a typo. It sounded like a wonderful achievement at the time – now I am petrified I may fail, I haven’t done the training, I have a dodgy knee cap and even though I don’t look it, I am over 40. I just wish that my personality allowed me to think more before I opened my mouth.

To add insult to injury or salt to a dirty infected wound, I unfortunately have to report that the walk isn’t part of The Kokoda Track or The Great Wall of China – it gets better – it’s a scenic walk around the Shire – 50kms of THE SHIRE, all in one big fat hit. I do feel quite comfortable about this location and destination, as I know the route and I know where all the train stops are.

Why did I say yes to this? Well… basically it has come down to this. A few weeks back our family had some bad news about a very dear friend’s health – and for some reason me signing up to walk 50 km – for him, made me feel like I was at least doing something. Not sure if there is any rationale here but that is how I felt at the time. I will walk tomorrow and I will think of my friend and his strength.

I also did it for the friendships. I am doing this walk with some wonderful ladies, who make me laugh. We are all in the same boat or on the same route!  We will have a good laugh, possibly a good dummy spit and possibly another great dummy spit as we crusade around the SHIRE!

So.. I leave you on this note, enjoy your weekend and think of me and my friends if it is a stinking hot day tomorrow.

Giddy Up!

LB

 

PS: the bit about me not looking over 40! Well that was a joke! If you didn’t get it the first time 😉

So it’s the end of week and  a lazy sunny Sydney Sunday is in store for my family and I today.

Another week has crept on by at a rapid pace – more so than usual as this is the first time in 13 years that I have worked full time.   I have just completed my second week.  Not to be blowing my own horn too much, as it is only a casual arrangement for four weeks, it is very close to home and it is school hours.

I seriously, and I mean seriously take my hat off to all the Mum’s and Dad’s out there that work full-time.  Being a Mum/Dad is full-on, throwing full time/part-time work into the mix creates chaos – the key is to be organised, however this is more easily said that done!  Most of your spare thinking time is now wondering and working out which task or job to do next.

I really love working in the city – I must say that I do get a feeling of joy when I step off the train for the first time in the mornings. To hear the city clock tolling and to see all the office workers rushing to be at their desks by 9 am.

I feel quite free, quite free to be out of the Shire and stepping back into the same work life I have had since I was 17 – it is comfortable and all I know – it’s a way of me remaining the young woman I like to believe that I still am at heart.  I have a whole other life in the city that my family don’t really understand – I laugh and smile often during my working day and I work (and shop on my lunch hour) hard supporting lawyers with their pressured jobs.

Working in an office is quite exciting! There are all walks of life who come together each day – most of us have at least one common interest – which is to feel a a sense of achievement.  I love my job, just to be clear here and I work for lovely people who genuinely enjoy working with me and vice versa.  I am lucky.

A corporate environment thrives on humans having a goal to succeed and gain respect from their superiors – it’s like a jungle of politics and only the very fittest survive (or climb up the corporate ladder)  (NO!!!! This not going to be a Jerry Maguire Mission Statement! I promise).

Which bring me to the point of this blog!  I have been a legal secretary for 23  years.  It’s not the career I wanted, I did want to be a model or a movie star – but as fate as concluded, this wasn’t going to be (LOL!).   I have worked for many great and inspiring professionals and many not so great and uninspiring professionals.  Being successful in your career is one thing and treating people with respect is another.

For any professionals out there reading this blog – its not hard to make your PA or assistant feel appreciated – I will outline below:

1.  Use the word please  more often.

2.  Say thank you.

3,  Remember your assistant’s birthday and acknowledge it.

This may seem easy enough but for many it is not.

My worst secretarial experience was my very first job, I was only 17 – I worked for the managing partner of the firm, back in those days junior secretaries had to get the lunches for all the lawyers.  This particular partner asked me to get him a salad sandwich with pineapple.  This I promptly did! On returning to the office, I heard him yelling and then appeared from his stinky, dark and farty office and he threw the sandwich at me complaining it was tinned pineapple and not freshly cut!  I had a white shirt on this day and I had beetroot all over it, I was incredibly embarrassed and upset.  I went to the toilets and I cried.

I worked for this man for sometime and I was quite intimidated by him on a daily basis, but now as a 40 plus year old woman, I can see how weak he really was.  All his power came from his position in the workplace – in my opinion, whatevs mate!  If he threw that sandwich at me today, he would have had it back right in his big red nose.

So again, any professionals reading my blog! You treat your PA bad, he/she will leave as soon as a new opportunity comes along – quite simple really.

Loyalty in the workplace is very hard to find and it can’t be bought.

I found this little poem  on Google – thought I would share for all my fellow secretary buddies – thanks girls for the years of fun and friendships.Your bosses are so lucky to have you!

 

On another note, thanks to you all for your support in me starting to blog – I am loving sharing some of my stories.

NOW – GET OUT THERE AND ENJOY YOUR SUNDAY.

 

Giddy Up

 

LB

 

 A whole new world, my own little world to tell my stories. Thanks for your support and for reading my “blob!” as my Mr 7 calls it.

Do you ever have moments during your day when you hear your Mother’s voice coming out of your own mouth? You may even look in the mirror and in some weird way you can see her face starring back at you?  You smooth your crows feet with your fingers and pout your lips, convince yourself you still look 21 and off you go.

This morning, my Mother’s voice came flying out of my mouth, with NO warning whatSOever:

“Get up? Are you up? I am NOT going to tell you again! Get up! Get dressed! Make your bed! Eat your breakfast! Make your bed! Eat your breakfast! Did you flush the toilet? Oh who did that? Stop pulling your sister’s hair! Stop hitting your brother, stop rolling on the dog! Blow your nose! For the LOVE OF GOD- GET BLOODY DRESSED! Wipe your bottom!  I have told you ONCE, I have told you TWICE, I won’t tell you AGAIN! Now, have you brushed your teeth? Don’t you snarl at me! Put your shoes on, feed the dog and NOW GET IN THE CAR FOR THE LOVE OF MARY, JESUS and JOSEPH!

We’ve heard it all before, I know, and yet, we really have no control over this voice! NO control whatSOever…..

(NOTE:  Chances are you will repeat the above words tomorrow!)

The beautiful lady who you harshly, yet loveably, cursed many times throughout your teenage years, really does have an impact on the person you are today – she’s always there in your genes deep in your tiny little DNA cells.

Quick, Mum is on her way to visit us –  the following ritual in my home is performed at quite a fast pace, by me, of course:

• Puff cushions
• Clean the pantry
• Spray and wipe the benches
• Strategically vacuum whole entire house.
• Squirt squirt a little lavendar Glenn 20
• Squirt a good amount of bleach in the toilet bowl!
• Spray and wipe benches again
• More bleach in the bowl!

Why is this?? Is it that there is a deep part of us all that craves her approval?  Even as we start gliding into our 40s, 50s, 60s and above?

When does the little girl in all of us disappear?  Does she ever?

So I didn’t become the Hollywood Actress!  I also didn’t become the Professor of Nuclear Science and Brain Surgery Mum MAY have dreamed of when I was born.  You may be surprised to read that  I didn’t even become a super-model or an Olympic Gold Medalist! Nope… Nothin……. I am just average. Nothing more or nothing less of Miss Average.

I know one thing definately, I am one very good thing.  I am my Mother’s Daughter and nothing will ever change that no matter how average I look, how average I feel and how old I am.  Thanks Mum, I love you xx

Giddy Up.

 

LB

Well here I am! A forty one year old wrinkly mother of 3! LIVE on the web! Woo hoo! I don’t know how this will go, but I am going to have a go!

Its Monday, it began like any other Monday! Alarm went off at 5.05 am! I had promised my friends I would meet them for a run, and there I did! I stuck to my promise and didn’t ROLL OVER!

I dragged my lazy butt out of bed and headed to our usual meeting place! 

It was here I was greeted by 7 other sleepy Mums! All aiming for the same thing – to look half descent in a bikini by summer! For crying out loud – we only have approximately 6 weeks, 3 days and 12 hours before this time! BUT hey who is counting!??

Holy smoke! A good run followed by a body weight circuit – possibly burnt about 300 calories and discussed the dreadful result on The Block last night – however, lets not go there!  SOB SOB – first world problems hey!

Home. Breakfast. Shower. Get cranky and tired kids up! Little one cries he is so tired and hates school! I sing to him -a song about a nice morning – he gets so angry he tells me to get out as he is trying to sleep!

It’s 7.15 by this stage and I have 43 minutes to get these kids fed, dressed and out the door and me onto the train! I have also have to feed little Marley, our gorgeous cavalier.

I slide on the train, one high heel on my foot, the other in my hand! Sit in usual suspect spot – sun beaming down on me through the window!

Off to sleep I go! LOVE IT! 

Ask myself – “Why I can’t I fall asleep this easily at night???”

I sleep the whole way to Martin Place…….

Have a few head nods, I am not sure if I dribbled or possibly farted. Only fellow commuters could answer these questions and to be honest, I don’t want to know the answers.

Arrive at work – greeted by cranky boss! Whats new!? Coffee. Chat with good friend KP! Boss shouts coffee – the day is looking good!