New starts and old beginnings.........

I'm having a day off today doing nothing more strenuous than filing my nails lol. It's been a frantic week finishing off this course of mine: Monday and Tuesday I finished up my prac work at the nursing home.. Wednesday was study for the up and coming exam and Thursday, Friday was back to business finishing off my assessments and doing my First Aid. Tough venue, too (not!!)... we were at the Rowing Club House in Mount Pleasant... all sitting around inside as we watched the views of the water with lunch sitting on the banks of the river. The house here is so quiet today: its wonderful (girls, theres hope yet when the kids start to grow up... it's just fantastic.) Riley is on a two day sleepover with a girlfriend, and the other boys are all doing their own thing. Quietly!! MOTH (Man of the House) and I are also taking in a movie this afternoon. Anyone seen Wolfman? His choice this time so a spooky movie with a bit of blood and gore is what he's chosen. Good thing I like these kinds too. He's such a boy! 

Where to start on my week?  I guess band news first. My band has been a bit up and down these past few days. I've noticed I'm getting hungry again and I haven't been as focused on it as I should have been. Due to eating on the run a lot I have managed to chow down on a lot of rubbish - and not drunk as much water as I usually do. The good news is I haven't gained at all - the bad news is I haven't lost that kilo I really wanted to blow off to get into the 70's on the scale. In the first few weeks of doing this course of mine I was really looking at what I was eating - I was packing my lunch etc and it showed on the scale. This last week I have eaten bad foods until it's coming out my ears and I feel it in my body. My stomach feels a little bigger - and on Wednesday I had to come to a decision. No more small iced coffees. I found I was sneaking them in again. Whereas before being banded I would drink the large 600ml ones several times a day - now I only buy the small ones and I would only have one or two a week. Tuesday? I was horrified to find I had reached for one of these instead of food three times in one day. SO BAD!! I have the equivalent of Amy W's Sunkist addiction lol. Yow!! So I made a conscious decision to go back to basics. No more buying food..up the water intake and get busy whacking the weight off again. I have felt my control slipping and being so close to goal, it's the last thing I want. It's still such a joy to wake up in the morning and know whatever I choose to put on will fit and most likely look pretty good and I want to keep it that way.  

Last night MOTH (Man of the House) and I went to a dinner party. I wore my new royal blue trench coat (see girls/guys...... balance... even though I have been frantically busy, I still found time to run out and shop for this short trench-coat I saw on sale lol. Priorities!!!) Anyway, we went to this dinner party and had the best time. Our friends house is on the waterfront and we sat outside under the vine covered canopy listening to Sade piped through outside from the stereo accompanying the crashing of the waves from the beach. Seriously, does life get any better? Great company, plenty of champagne and red wine and beautiful food. I don't know how my friend does it, but every time she holds one of these things I come away thinking I've just eaten at a five star restaurant. She serves up what I would consider 'clean' food. This is light, tempting foods we should eat every day. Last nights menu she outdid herself.  Big chunks of chicken and marinaded beef on  skewers with lashings of onion with an interesting salsa. This was a huge bowl filled with finely chopped mango, avocado, red onion, capsicum (red pepper) and chilli... heavy on the chilli. I had to have another glass of champagne to put the fire out in my mouth lol. But it was delicious. Then for dessert we had chopped fruit salad with exotic fruits and King Island Double Cream. Shame none of this stuck with me. I had PB'd my lunch earlier in the day (more about that in a min.. the reason, not the nitty gritty of PB'ing lol) and did the same at dinner. Sigh.....

The new acquisition - I still don't think I have much of a waist and though I have noticed it's a little more defined it's still too chunky for my liking. 

To other news. I am - as of yesterday (Friday) now a fully qualified Aged Carer. WHOOOO!!!! I finished my assessments on the Thursday, and yesterday had my final exam getting through it with a 92% result. Not too shabby. Now we wait for the formalities. I know I have passed but until I have that Cert III in my hot little hand nothing is guaranteed. Oh, and I have an interview too, coming up, a week next Monday. I rang the nursing home complex I had contacted before I started the Cert III and double checked that I was still able to get an interview and I got the call back yesterday at 7.30am just before stepping out the door. Best thing is - it's for Community Care work (i.e. Home Care) which is exactly what I was looking for. After working in the nursing home sector I decided High Care wasn't for me (It just doesn't tap into that part of myself I know I am better at - that is getting to spend one on one time with the elderly.) So, I will let you know how that goes after the interview. Bit scary but I'm sure I can pull it off. I got a great reference from the nursing home I did my prac at - and also got additional comments in my book from the lecturer during the theory side so I'm sure I will do okay. Here's hoping.  

We finished the day after the exams with a send off lunch. Everyone who I had been through the course with bought in a plate of food so there was a lot to choose from. I don't know if it was the stress of the day, knowing I had an exam to get through or what, but nothing was staying put. The chicken, the curry, the small party pie I had, all came back up. Damn that tight band. And the food was so nice lol. So all in all, yesterday I didn't keep a lot down and yet today? I'm ravenous. So I will have to watch what I eat. 

Before I go I want to thank Band Groupie. She nominated me for the Sunshine Award but since I'm a little pressed for time, I will have to follow through on my end another time. Thanks, hon. That was very sweet of you for thinking of me. xx

Kay, I'm off to catch up on some posts. I am way behind. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend. Mwah to you all,

Cara xxxx