No news stilll......well sort of..UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought that they were meant to get back to me last Friday .......not the 11th like it said in the email from them. So I looked like a right dork on Monday when I called just explaining that I was away at a funeral on Friday and I may have missed a call.......let's hope it doesn't count against me........especially the attention to detail........OOPS!!!!

Saw the specialist today at Palmy hospital. I am under two different depts, the gastroenterology for the Auto-Immune Liver Disease and Rheumatology for the Sacroilitis. So anyway, it was about the liver disease that I saw him today, and overall he is pleased with how things are going. He said that my levels are still higher than they should be, but he is happy with the progress I am making. So much so, he has decided to reduce my steroids by 5mgs a day for the next month and then another 5 mg reduction for the following 2 months. After that we will review.

He was not too stressed about where my weight is sitting which is 104.7 kgs as at this morning......sure I would like it to be under that 99 kgs mark, and I can certainly feel the difference now that 5 kgs makes, whereas before I could not tell if I had put weight on or not.
I should be spending more time at Curves, I have been a bit slack over the last couple of weeks, partially I think because I have been picking up some shifts at the security job and partially as I could not be arsed.

One thing however he was a bit concerned with was my calcium levels and I am really bad at taking that particular supplement.......give myself a kick up the ass!!! He is also doing tests on magenesium, vitamin D, A and E levels. He wants me to try the iron with vitamin C rather than the iron with folic acid that I am on now. So many pills I feel like I rattle!!!!! Oh and I am also on some antibiotics as I have a little annoying boil/cyst thing that just won't go away and he said it might eventually need surgery..........let's hope not.

Tonight we managed to get the outside christmas lights up......not many, just a couple of strands under each front window......really hard to get a picture of them, maybe I will try and get a video instead, so you can get the effect........maybe tomorrow night!!!

Anyway that's me done, dishes are done, clothes are washed, dried and folded and the gardens are watered........nite nite!!!!

UPDATE: I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Starting on the 5th January 2009, I will be working for IRD!!!! It is a call centre position and is around 24 hours a week, however the first 6 weeks training are full time, so that is fantastic just after Christmas.

Oh - the other not so good update is that the borer issue in the house is worse than we thought and there is a possibility that the owners may decide to sell the house instead of spending the time to do the work. It would be a big job to do and I am not sure that we can handle the distruption, so we might be looking for another house.........again.............arghhhhhhh, I am an expert at moving as you know, but this is ridiculous!!!!!

No news.........

Nothing on the job front, they had sent me an email saying

We are aiming to be in a position to advise you on the status of your application by Friday, 11 December 2009. We appreciate your patience during this process and should you have any questions please do not hesitate to be in touch

Although I have not as yet heard anything. I get really frustrated when that happens and you can't help but let your midn think that it means that you have not been successful, although i do know that they had trouble getting hold of one of my referees. I so hope that I will get this job, even though the hours are not ideal, we will work around them and make it work.

Yesterday I went to my cousins husbands funeral, and it was a very very large funeral, and I learnt alot about him I didn't know from the speakers, although it was also a very long one about 90 mins all up by the time we got out to the car and heading for the cemetary. Got home about 7:30 last night, and just relaxed and watched some telly. This was the second funeral I had been to since Mum's and the first burial.......was a couple of times there that were a little hard, although it was much easier than I expected. I always get teary though as I find it hard seeing other people upset....although I managed to control it most of the time, the odd tear escaped and ran down my cheek.

Today I have been out in the garden already and done the minor weeding and watered the tomatoes and capsicums. Everything is coming along nicely and seemed to have had a huge growth spurt with the recent rain although because I have not been so vigilant, I managed to let the cauliflower go to seed. It is so amazing how nature can change something overnight from ripe and ready to over ripe and useless for what I need it.

I am going to get some more baking done today, we seem to be demolishing any baking that I do, which is normally only bran muffins and gingernut biscuts......but I might try something different today. Tonight we are going to have a BBQ dinner, just the family but salads (lettuce from the garden) and new pototoes with some rump steak and sausages done on the BBQ.

Tomorrow we might try and head out for a picnic lunch somewhere, just to go for a drive and to get out of the house. Will see if we feel like it tomorrow.

Waiting Game

So now it is just a waiting game to hear about the job. I completed the testing for them on Friday so now it is all in the hands of the test results and my referees......I had a call from one of my referees today who said that apparently I had done well on the testing....but at the end of the day it will come down to a team fit. Isn't it funny how I really didn't want this job but now after being through the process I will be so disappointed if I don't get it.

This week however will probably go quite fast as I today flew by, I started the day with some baking and then had Dad & Val over for afternoon tea. When we lived walking distance to them Dad used to drop by when he walked the dog, but now I hardly see him at all. I was hoping to get out in the garden today but just as I put my gumboots on it bucketed down. Actually Dad and Val seemed really impressed with my vege garden so far.

Tomorrow, I will have a pretty quiet morning, will try to get to curves and then back home to listen to Diva Taunia's radio show....then off to work from 2pm till 6pm. It will be a bit odd just going in for 4 hours, but it is all money. Wednesday is pretty much the same as Tuesday, although will swap a walk with the dog for curves if the weather is fine enough.

Thursday looks as though I will be going to a funeral. My cousins husband died suddenly over the weekend and it is a huge shock for all of us and certainly makes you realise that you have to live each day to the fullest.

Today I also finished decorating the Christmas tree, which our main one is not traditional, but while with little blue bows.......the others are fibre optic ones which are quite a bit smaller. I have taken some pics below.

Getting excited

Now that my birthday is done and dusted for another year I can now focus on Christmas and get a little excited about it......I didn't think I was going to look forward to this Christmas, but now I think it is going to be great. We are trying to do things on a tight budget, but that is looking okay, and I am hopeful that things will all fall into place. I am going to start getting the Christmas decorations out and up, although this house will be a bit harder to do the outside decorations.

I also have some regular work at the security firm for the next month, it is only between 8 & 12 hours a week at this stage but it does mean that it is a little extra for Christmas and maybe we can go up to the caravan between Christmas & New Year for a little break.

I went for the assessment day for the job at IRD, which I was not looking forward to, but it went really well, and the actual environment and team seem great, and now I am really hoping I get the job. Yes the hours are not 100% ideal, but they give me a great income with only working 24 hours a week, and I have the days to do stuff for myself. It was funny with the assessment, 7 of us started it, but only 3 of us went for the interview in the afternoon. We joked in the morning it was like IRD Idol and we would get voted off........and it kinda felt like that as well. They have now said they just need to do a physcometric test and reference checks, as well as the police check and tax check, and I am pretty sure they should go okay.

So the plan today is to get the decorations out of the garage, head around to Dad's to pick up our gardening tools that I had forgotten I had left there....get the loads of washing out.......(hoping it doesn't rain) and then try and weed the garden in the wind. Also need to get some dog roll for the dogs and I might go to the warehouse and get a couple of things. Oh and to the garden centre as Dad & Val gave me a gift voucher for there........yay!!!! I think buying some potting mix is on the cards so I can get more tomatoes and capsicums into the greenhouse.!!!!

Okay well, I am obviously rambling........and this is not getting any of it done!!!

Wonderful Weekend.....

I had the most wonderful weekend away and the a great Sunday home with Si. It could not have been a better lead up to me turning.................................

I loved all my time in Christchurch and as I said in my facebook, I am one very lucky lady to have such a wonderful family in my life. I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to get to know them better. I had full intentions of using my camera alot when I was down there, but didn't even pull it out of it's case........so much for doing my video posts from there as well......oops.

So today is my Birthday, what is on the cards for today......welll, a walk with the dog to get the car as it failed its WoF and the mechanic has had it since Thursday, so hopefully the bill is not too big, then it is off to lunch with some great family friends, and then just relaxing in the afternoon. I thought I had a meeting tonight, but it is not till next week, so all good there. I am popping on a casserole for dinner, nice and easy and I can leave it cooking all day. We are going to Dad's for dinner on Wednesday for my Birthday, so that will be nice.

I do have some prep to do today for an assessment day for the part time job at IRD. If I am successfull the hours suck, but it does mean that we will have some extra income and be able to be finacially ahead. I am also still looking into the party plan situation, and I rreally do like the range, but will most likely start this in the new year. I do however need to organise the parties now......!!!So if you are say Waikanae to Wanganui I would love to be able to host a party for you.......you get 1/2 price and free stuff!!!!

Other than that I might make it to curves this afternoon, I am expecting the lawnmower guy any minute......although, I am wondering if I have gotten my weeks mixed up........but the lawn is getting awfully long........Oh, the garden is going well, although I just found out that I have to weed the ohter plot, which has the potatoes in it, as apparently youhave to mound potatoes, otherwise they don't grow properly.......and this plot has heaps of dock and stinging nettle, so I am going to have to done the rubber gloves and long sleeves..........and hopefully I can salvage the potatoes........oh well, we will see!!!!

New Moon.........

Roz and I went to the new twilight movie today......was fab!!!! I only watched the first one a few days ago as Roz had mentioned that we might be going, and I really enjoyed it, and am now going to read the books as I have heard that they are really good, and I love reading, so will be nice to get lost in them. And man- the buff chest of the character Jacob!!!! NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I am down here in Christchurch and the flight was late, but really nice to have a drink with Si at the airport before I left. We headed home and had a lovely chicken salad for dinner, and spent some time chatting before heading to Riccarton mall....man that place is huge..........and it has some amazing shops that we don't have have in Palmy. There is an amazing clothing store called TS 14+ and from the brief look at their stuff I LOVE some of it, ......but anyway, I have emailed them as they are apparently opening a store in the plaza in 2010, and I have said I want to work for them!!! Will see what happens.

I went to my nephew's school assembly today as he was in a short skit about Choices and Conscience and it made me think that I have some choices to make in several aspects of my life, and that I need to find what is right for Simon & myself.......isn't it amazing where some lessons present themselves in life?

I have to say that I am really happy that some many of you delurked and commented. As I mentioned I know that some of you read in google reader or have no access to comment etc, but the comments do really keep me going some days. I also know that I don't always know what to say in comments and sometimes it really feels like it has already been said.......but it is really nice to see the support and encouragement. Oh and to answer one question......................NO he doesn't seem to mind........!!!!!!!

Anyway, need to get off Roz's laptop, have a quiet day planned tomorrow at this point as Roz & her husband have a course and then we are just having a meal together with some of the extended family. I will have use of their car tomorrow, so might go and take some pictures around the city and maybe out at the beach. Will see.

Busy Day.....and some movement

UPDATE: - Someone recently said in a blog that comments actually help them to stay motivated....I am the same!!! I see you all visiting like sometimes 50 people in a day......but you don't comment. I know some of you don't like commenting, or are reading in google reader or like me just can't think of the right thing to say.....but honestly, sometimes it kinda hurts that you all breeze in and out and don't leave me anything constructive....positive or negative. I also know that I write this for me, however is still would be nice to hear your thoughts and comment, even if it via email if you want to comment privately. Okay - enough said.


Started the day off going to the Curves, and although my weight is up I am very very happy to report that my cm's have changed....in fact I have lost 15.5 cm's in total in the last 5 weeks of attending curves, so something is working.....

I have actually lsot a huge amound my middle - a whopping 6 cms from my abdomen.....we measured it like 4 times because it just didn't seem right. I also lost 2.5 of my bust, 3 cm from my waist and 2 of each thigh.........SO super stoked about that, oh and my body fat % went down by 1% so I guess that means I am building muscle........super cool and came just at the right time to remotivate me.

Came home and walked the dog after my protein shake and a catch up on some blogs etc........then made Si some lunch before he went back to work and then I headed out to the garden to do some weeding......there was this one plant that looked kinda like a celery although the leaves were wrong......so I pulled it out....only to discover it was parsnips......so I have two fully grown parsnips from the garden that will no doubt get used.

Have a busy week ahead this week, as I am heading down to Christchurch for 3 days to spend some time with Roz. Will be fantastic to catch up with her and get to know her family better. Oh and I love the spring weather in Christchurch.

Not much on the work front - nothing I apply for I get passed a first interview for.....I have an assessment day on Tuesday next week for IRD, although it is nights and weekends and I don't really want it because it would mean not seeing Si a hell of alot. I am also looking into doing a type of party plan and I am looking at starting it in the new year...it is a product I really like, and there is no one in this area doing it, so hopefully that means I could capture the market......will see. There are no start up costs........just 6 confirmed parties......so if any of you in the area from say Waikanae to Wanganui want to help me out by hosting a party drop me an email and I will let you know more about it......would have to be in late Jan/early Feb to get me started, and there is absolutely no obligation to buy....I just need your house and a few friends......hehe.

Anyway, off to see what Si is up to outside.........he is pottering in the garage!!!