July 31, 2005

Weekend training

It's been almost 4 weeks since I've done a sunday training session that hasn't been cancelled! I was kind of desperate to get some kms up in training because it's a long paddle from Molokai to Oahu, people!! Luckily Red Ginger, who just came back from a holiday in Tahiti and San Fran, came up with a plan to borrow some OC1s kept at Voodoo's place in Five Dock. It was the first time i'd willingly paddled in an OC1 (single craft) that wasn't for a time trial!

The sun was shining, the water was flat (which is good if you dont want to fall off!) and the canoes were great! Talk about living the life - the three of us walked the boats over from the house to the bay (about 100m) and took off around Cockatoo Island for a short paddle - we estimate it was only 6kms or so, and then we made a pit stop to the Marina at Birkenhead Point and had a coffee on the dock while our little canoes were tied up between the big luxury boats. So maybe the 'break' was almost as long as the training session, but it was better than a sleep in which requires no effort! It's such a contrast to the cold and dark training sessions at night, in thermals with frozen fingers and toes.

Yesterday was day 2 of the OC steering clinic. On day 1 I could only manage a zig zag that involved me trying to avoid hitting a massive pontoon in the middle of the bay,, but this time I managed to poke and poke til the boat went straight... i think i'm getting the hang of it. slowly.

July 30, 2005

Hong Teong


HT, originally uploaded by creamy_mash.

HT is a ham. The top picture is a rare unguarded moment. He's a lawyer who likes cycling, facials and porn. He also has expensive taste in clothes and food (except when he wants to eat at Pailau). Nat agrees that he is a 'high maintenance boyfriend'. But he's cheeky and that's why it's fun to hang out with him. His favourite pursuit is checking out waitresses and make obscene comments about them within earshot...which is precisely what happening in the pictures below.

July 28, 2005

phat...without the ' ph'

Okay it's week 3 of my training plan and bikini body/athlete body diet. Training is going well - but the diet is not. I blame the cold weather, but now that it's warmed up there really is no excuse for excessive eating...other than lack of willpower! eek! Today one of the guys at work brought in some Krispy Kremes. I resisted...but by 9.01am I had already inhaled 200 calories from a chocolate cake glazed donut (so much nicer than your regular supersweet glazed). Anyhow I decided to look up the nutritional info and yes 12 grams of fat - which sort of doesn't seem like a lot since one GIANT cherry ripe bar has about 18 grams of fat (don't ask me how I know...), but then I saw the '100 calories from fat', which kind of hit home. It takes me 20 minutes running at warp speed 9 on the treadmill to burn off 100 calories. So technically to burn off my 1 krispy kreme donut I would have to run for 40 minutes. urghh..and last night I only ran for about 15 minutes during my basketball game. No wonder I still can't do a chin up!

July 26, 2005

Bombe Alaska at Bellucci's


On the table, originally uploaded by creamy_mash.

Went down to the snow this weekend. Not many photos of us at the snow or on the snow, but for some reason lots of pictures of food and us eating it. More pics if you click the image.

Anyhow to get the ball rolling...this is HT reviewing the bombe alaska dessert in Dickson, Canberra. (when he wasn't too busy checking out the waitresses and their ample bosoms)

July 24, 2005

suppertime


suppertime, originally uploaded by creamy_mash.

Thursday night in downtown chinatown. I drove out to the city to pick up Johanna for our snow weekend and was amazed at the amount of people in the city hanging out at midnight...I guess I don't get out much anymore on weeknights haha. Jpeg and Joe had just finished work and were starving - I'd already had dinner so I was just hanging out for dessert luckily for all of us Y2k cafe (which specialises in desserts) and Superbowl(which specialises in cantonese style food) both serve dishes at the same tables (they are next to each other). So Jpeg ate his fave bbq and rice, Joe had a pei-dan sul yuk jook (preserved egg and pork congee) and I got to try out the sweet tofu with puff pastry casing which was interesting and abit gimicky - like all hongkie things! Jpeg proceeded to entertain us with his stories and animiated hand actions - for some reason in this picture he looks like a pig. hee!!

July 19, 2005

The Chad

As demanded by The Chad. Here is an entry dedicated soley to him. Instead of talking about what a cool friend he is and how much fun we have together or how i will be using his very cool present from whistler (a funky knitted beanie/visor thingy) this weekend when i go to the snow, i've decided that i will attempt to draft a personal ad for him - now that he is technically 'on the market'.

25 year old Chad, seeks 18-30 year old fun loving companion, preferably non-smoker, non-mic hog who must be willing to help style hair. Willing to travel the world to have a good time. Enjoys cooking and eating malaysian food, singing karaoke, testing fishtank water to find nemo, and lots of sports - rugby, snowboarding, paddling, golf. Current relationship status: single parent (one year old bitch called Starla).Princesses are also welcome to apply.

"I dont want to meet your daddy, I just want you be my caddy
I dont want to meet your momma, I just wanna make you cumma".

July 12, 2005

birthdays


sylvia, originally uploaded by creamy_mash.

Been really slack this year but happy birthday to Wayne, Syl, Shar and everyone else i forgot to mention coz i'm terrible at remembering dates. Here's syl's bday card! Coz she's got her very own totoro and she hates rain. I dont know any japanese but i can read it says 'sung yut' in chinese so i know it says birthday!

July 11, 2005

Massive Arm..Pain

Did I happen to tell you all that my blog has gone from being a blog about trivial everyday stuff about food and things i like or find funny and is slowly morphing into crazy lady training blog (same time last year). The first section of this entry will be crazy training lady and then other crap I did on the weekend to make me feel like I have a life.....a very jam packed one though.

1. Fat calipers are cold. Went back to my nutritionist with new meal plan and lots of talk about stuff that I know i should be eating and what i'm actually eating for marathon training. More carbs is good for more training. Revelation: For years I had snobbed off 'ice confectionery' (paddle pop) the poor cousin to real 'ice cream' (magnum) - coz who wants inferior milk fat content?! Only to find out that ice confectionery is now the good option for current diet program and ice cream is the 'once a week treat'...bah!! Anyhow the good news is that I haven't gained more fat - I'm back to my pre-training weight same time last year. no more no less. In 4 weeks I hope it will be less...again.

2. Went to 'globo gym' FF at Randwick with Mel and tried to do a tricep push-up. Cannot push 'up' on toes...gravity is too great. But can do it on knees. In 4 weeks I am to be doing them on toes.

3. Technique training on saturday - sydney harbour was so peaceful and beautiful in morning light - apparently there were penguins but I blinked and missed them! My neck has been really stiff since starting outrigging but now a technique check has now opened a new 'window' for me - apparently my head was too locked into the boat, I gotta remember to look out the window of my arm and tilt my head with my body...

3. Tried out Kait's sunbeam standing mixer and baked some cupcakes for the bbq on sunday. I am so in love with super powerful motor and stainless steel mixing bowls and sexy retro design and.... Cupcakes and icing were a breeze. Pink Icing action and hyperactive sugar and domestic bliss all over again!

4. Satay Queen Sharlene Wong impresses me with her talents in marinading and quality control on skewers! The bbq was great and it didnt rain and I caught up with the girls and their children (soooo cute) It was nice to see old faces and hear new stories.

5. Breakfast at Tradewinds/Tiffany's. Sunday's trainign got cancelled due to high winds (woohoo) so mel and I hightailed it to Tradewinds (see the connection) and scarfed down some amazing lebanese oregano bread (i think it had z'aatar or something) and pancakes to compensate for bad dinner the night before at Wagamamas. Watched Breakfast at Tiffany's at Maks with Tiffy and girls after BBQ - i love that movie but the book is also great!

6. Vodka dry and limes x 10! and Tequila! There's something special about dry ginger ale....

Okay that's about it.

Special thanks this week go to:
Gregan - for helping fix my computer
Shar mars tracey for satay skewering and taste testing cupcakes
Mak - for 'tough' wallet
Mel - for clean sheets and strong 'roadie' mix.
Kait - for putting abit of sunbeaming into my life!

Things to look forward to this week - hanging out with YDG, sleep, self inflicted muscular pain at Globo Gym, more carbs, less icecream and more ice confectionery, more moisturising.

July 05, 2005

FFF!(Farkin' Fitness First)

Yes. After much anticipation and a slight setback(hamo trip), I finallly made it down to the new FF at Rockdale. And it was HUGE. LIke mega 100 times bigger than my old women's gym. I've never been a fan of big gyms - particularly unisex ones. but for ages I lamented at the quality of equipment, lack of classes and breathing space at other gyms. My last gym was a womens only one and there wasn't much visual and aural motivation to get my body pumped next to the middle aged post baby no.3 mum's who just didn't want to live in tracksuits anymore. So when the opportunity came to sign up and join the brand spanking new FF down the road, I couldnt' resist. (plus my old gym moved). So i went bymyself and within 2 minutes I was lost. Couldn't find the changerooms at first coz they were right down teh back, and when i did i got lost in them trying to find the toilets in the maze of lockers. Oh yes - relaxation zone - my ass!! So i went to use the weights and I seriously felt like a country hick. I ain't seen so many weird looking machines and all, Jethro! haha. It took me 2 rounds to find the lat pulldown machine! Anyhow it was abit weird, like being in the Westfield's of gyms. or abit like Globo gym in 'Dodgeball'...but I bet i'll grow to love it soon..since i'll be spending so much time there in the next few months!

First training. then party

So tonight was our first official molokai training session - we tried the Lisa Curry Kenny format and it was quite effective. Sat in seat 2 behind Mel. Lovin her 'hit' and setup of her stroke, makes it easy to follow her rhythmn. Feeling uber tired now, but good tired. Still have abit of dog cough and snot head.

There's so much training to be done. My goals by the end of the 11 weeks are:
1. Paddle like a mad woman but in control of her own destiny!
2. Be fitter than I have EVER EVER been in my life (as far as i can remember)
3. No chicken wing arms - there will be NO flapping!
4. Smaller gut than post China trip (oh yes. I WILL fit those size 12 Diesel jeans that would now require two people to peel onto me if i attempted to put them on).
5. Do a change into seat two like a seal. or maybe more like a orca whale stealing a seal from the beach. All stealth like and then 'whooooshka' in and out before you know it!

July 04, 2005

Change is good

I moved jobs today. I used to sit near a big sunny window that looked out onto the massive St George Bank building. Now I sit 5 steps away from my old desk, behind a big carpetted partion which blocks out all morning sun and makes me feel like a caged rat, in a dark room with only artificial light. But by lunchtime I changed the whole feng shui of my area. I switched to a lower partion to let sun in and so I can pop my head up and say hi to my old work section, moved the old partion to shield me from bad vibes from another section and stole my old chair back and changed the positions of the files. I feel much happier now and everyone who walks pasts comments on how much better the section feels. All in a day's work I say, now if only I could start doing some work...