Early morning, the best time to be up and about here in Australia!
From Redbacks to the venomous Dugite, it almost feels like Australia is trying to kill you!
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So here goes, after a month break I'm finally going to do some typing. To be quite honest, my fingers are feeling a little stiff, but that can only be expected after so long. I have lost a lot of muscle mass in my left hand as well, which initially was cause for concern, until I spoke to my hand specialist this week. She explained that that was just part of the course. When your hand has been in a splint for so long, the muscles will become significantly weaker. With time and hand exercises, the hope is, I can build up the muscles once again and return to normal.
This week I have had a wonderful four-day weekend. With Christmas well and truly over, I am back to having a Saturday off from work, once a month, and with Australia Day falling on Friday, I was able to take some well deserved time for myself. These extra few days have been much needed, especially after Christmas, and with my hand in a splint, it just feels good to relax, unwind and just take it easy for a change.
Yesterday we travelled to Scarborough beach, here in Australia. Now, this Scarborough is as far removed from its British namesake as you can get — the pure white sandy coastline was a joy and there wasn't a fairground, donkey, or stick of rock in sight. This was the first time Darrell and I have been to the beach, since we arrived in Australia in 2022. Both of us just haven't stopped working, and haven't had a chance to spend any time on the coast. That isn't too much of an issue for me, since I have never really enjoyed getting covered in sand, but for Darrell, it is a great source of annoyance. I think if I am honest, we would both love to live near the coast again, as we always have, but the costs involved in Australia are astronomical, and certainly not something we would consider right now.
Darrell and I had lunch at a lovely restaurant called Bay Bay's; the food was delicious and actually reasonably priced for Australia. The weather was decidedly cooler down on the coast compared to inland Midland and as I sat there drinking a few pints and eating my lamb shank, I really was transported back to our many times in Croatia. I have missed that European feel, and Scarborough was as near to that continental ambience as it gets in Australia. For a country with such a beautiful coastline, you would think they would make more of it — more bars and restaurants, please!
Today, I have just got back from a rather long walk — about six miles in total. I thought it was about time, I got back to doing what I do best, since I started my weight loss campaign in 2019. Losing weight has always been difficult for me, and this is the longest period I have managed to keep the kilo's off. Today, my weight hovers between 73–75 kg, up from a low of 71 kg. With this in mind, I believe it's important to get back to a level I feel comfortable with. I am aiming for 68-69 kg, so have about five or six kilos to lose.
People keep telling me I am fine as I am, but I know my own body and want to get to a weight I personally feel happy with. It is a bit of a tall order, but I hope to do it by the time I go on to Vietnam in April. Planning for a holiday is always a great excuse for me to get fit, especially because of all the food and drink I will be consuming, while I am away. The only thing I need is motivation, that has always been my stumbling block, but unlike the past, I am surrounded by positivity, which makes the task that much easier.
With my arms starting to ache, I think it's about time I stopped typing now. My Doctor has told me to limit the time I spend on the keyboard, so I don't cause any more damage. It really has felt good to be typing again, and I hope to eventually be blogging with gusto, as I did in the past. Until then, this was a great first step, and I am personally happy with what I have achieved today!
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'A small Christmas gathering — not like the parties of the past, but nevertheless, a welcome break, after such an exhausting year!'
It is important for me to surround myself with decent people. In the past, I haven't had such a good experience with work colleagues or indeed so-called friends and family. However, that all changed when I worked for Tesco, Cancer Research and The Newcome Arms. Admittedly, I haven't always been complimentary about my time in Portsmouth, but the difficulties I went through, had nothing to do with friends and the people I worked with. I look back with fondness at my time in Fratton, it was a huge part of my life and I have many fantastic memories. Work colleagues got me through the dark days, and ever since, I have always sought out a similar group of people.
Luckily, in my current job, I have some wonderful staff, who are most certainly akin to those I knew in the UK. These people have welcomed me as their new boss, with open arms and with my one-year anniversary approaching, I thought it was time we celebrated Christmas together as a team.
We spent a relaxing night at The traditional Woodbridge Hotel, in Guildford, surrounded by memories of home. The walls of the beautiful building are adorned with old tin signs and pictures of the home country and Ireland. This is a pub where I feel at home and with a group of folk singers playing throughout the night, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time.
Moving to Australia wasn't just about forging a successful career, it was also about enjoying a work/life balance that suits me at my time of life — so far I've achieved that in every respect. Australia has never been an easy country to live, but it has certainly given me far more, than the UK ever did and for that I will be forever grateful!
