Happy Birthday..........

It's my Dad's birthday today.

One of my fondest memories is of him singing "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen"

 to me as it played on the radio.

An amazing man!

 

Pa and the lad on holiday at Lorne

 

 



Slow and Steady.......

The back issue is on the mend with some expert attention from

 Dr. Alex Baxter and Mr. Voltaren.

As much as the Plan has been dumbed down to accommodate said back there is

no time like the present

 to begin.

SO each day there will be

* walking and stretching/strengthening,

* a squeeze of lemon juice with water

I can manage this; rain, hail or shine

*two shorter walks until the back is strong again and then I'll progress into the longer ones with inclines 

Part of the plan is to supplement the walking with pilates, swimming, bike riding and skipping.

Stretching and strengthening is a "must do" with the walking.

Sounds pretty good so far; stay tuned!  

 

The Plan.........

I've had a self imposed week off to re-evaluate, sort, catch up

and generally have a rest from books before it starts all over again at the end of July.

Yesterday I even went to the football and cheered on Essendon.

 Young Joe Daniher, who is a mere 202cm in height, played his 2nd AFL game and shows great promise in his football career.As part of the re-evaluation process I have decided to formulate

 "THE PLAN"    

a mix of stretching and strengthening exercises, smarter diet, and a timetable that leaves

time

for me as well as the books.

The plan has to wait for a little longer -

I woke up this morning and am unable to stand up straight.

My lower back is telling me that it needs more than a week.

It's a bit sad really.

I can't sit unless I'm bent over the back of the couch, any forward motion is painful and lying in

bed is boring and unproductive.

Oh well, back to the ice packs!

 

Study............

The last 5 months have been fairly intense around the home.

I went back to school this year;

 Certificate IV in Massage Therapy was the goal.

I'm very pleased to report that the log book, and all exams, both prac. and theory have been successfully completed with the only thing left to hand in being some reflective activities. 

It has been a challenge to go back to study after such a long time.

I still get desperately nervous with exams and funnily enough caught myself momentarily
 hoping that I'd be ill so that I could miss out on one!
Being a "mature age student" has had its own challenges but I would highly recommend it to any of you who are thinking about it.
Our approach to study is entirely different;
the focus being on subjects we want to learn rather than having to learn.
Years of practice at being employed, on time, responsible for one's own actions, and having better time management have made this an experience that is precious.
All this as well as the people that I've met and new friendships forged.
WOW!
So, get out there and do it; not because you have to but because you can.
You won't regret it.



Set up for Puffing Billy Run

 

 

Tillman and Adrein, waiting for the first runners to come in 

 

The runners were most appreciative of post sports massage