text:
i am going to go swim laps
look at me going to go swim laps
here i go to swim laps
in a bathing suit to go swim laps
in public to go swim laps
i am terrified to go swim laps
why am i going to go swim laps
but off i go to go swim laps
stomach, jiggle, and all, going to go swim laps
gah! so nervous.
So this happened today:
I had lunch with with a girl I met in Big W (equivalent to Walmart). We were both looking for full length mirrors for our new places. She was from Portland. I was from Toronto. We were both in Melbourne. See where I'm going with this? We bonded instantly. 30 minutes later, after both searching for 'skinny mirrors' we were sitting in a little, cute, Melbourne cafe.
coffees skinny-flat-whites later the good, old, topic of weight and weight-loss came up. I should mention my new friend, who was about my age and height, must weigh in around 300 pounds. Give or take. Obviously I am not a pro at guessing people's weight. Anwyho, so yes. There we sat, chatting about how we both wanted to lose weight. She mentioned to me, "you don't need to." False. I do. But I thanked her, and told her, for me, for my body, I really do. I've lost my wardrobe of clothes, and I feel my recent weight gain all over my body, and how, well, I just feel gross. For me.
I wanted to tell her I thought she didn't need to lose weight either, but the reality of the situation is she does. Not for appearances. But for health. So I just sat there, and didn't say anything. Then she started talking. And I started listening. I heard how much her weight affects her life, how badly she wants to lose weight, how badly her mom wants her to lose weight. How she's been 'this way' since she was little. How mean people were to her growing up. And again, and again, how she's tried, and is trying to still lose weight.
Then. Then she went and bought herself a huge pastry, delight thing.
When she sat back down she made a joke about it (totally what I always do when i order bad food. Defense mechanism? Check), and she went on to tell me how she joined a gym, hired a personal trainer, has made schedules for the gym, is trying to walk more etc.
I saw myself in her so much. Really, I did. It was actually so bizarre how much I related to this girl I had literally met a mere 40 minutes before. As she talked to me about her weight, wanting to lose weight, and her plan, I could see through it. She wasn't ready to actually lose it. She isn't ready. She hadn't 100% committed. Simple, really. I know she's going to fail at whatever routine she is on now… why? because everything she said, also came with an excuse.
- I have a trainer, but she can't make me sweat too much because I have work after (RED FLAG).
- Well, calories don't matter because I work out (RED FLAG)
- I've tried everything! (me: Calorie counting?) No. I hate writing things down
- My mom, sister and brother are all over weight. It's in my genes (RED FLAG)
- Did you know it takes more calories to burn certain fruits, than eat them? (RED FLAG)
- It's 50% food. 50% exercise. (HUGE RED FLAG)
Honestly? To me? Sitting with her today it was so obvious that yes, she wanted to lose weight, get healthy, feel better about herself and all that jazz, but had she absolutely, 100% committed? No. She was still looking for an easy way out. And until she accepts weight loss is sacrifice, hard word, consistently doing things you don't want to, she won't lose it. She wouldn't be in the right mindset to.
And actually, I'm still looking for an easy way out. Despite my last 3 years being proof there is no easy way to lose weight. How no one will do it for you. And how yes, everything and every day counts.
I ran tonight. Then I ate that salad in the below post, and then I ate cheese and an apple. But. Not just a little, normal sized bit of cheese… I ate, like, a lot of cheese, like, umm, half the packet. I felt I deserved it. I did not deserve it. I don't know. It's such an annoying feeling to want something so badly, but feel deep inside you're not 100% committed. Frustrating, really. But I suppose very few people claim 'I'm going to lose weight!" and then from that day forth lose weight every single day, until they perfectly land on their goal weight.
Which is somewhat of a relief for me, I must admit. Knowing how I'm just like most people. Just like the girl I had coffee with today. Struggling to commit, struggling to reach her goals. Planning, and thinking, and then trying to do. I don't know where I'm going with this, I suppose it's nice to think I'm not the only one fighting myself every day, the only one half-assing it at times, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who hasn't actually done it. I don't know.
I am so emotional today. Like shit. Ups and downs. Then downs and ups. I am happy one moment. Freaking out the next. Have seconds of everything will be okay. Then fear and loneliness sweeps over my body. I am all over the place.
This morning I lay on the ground listening to the radio and staring at the roof. Then Avril Lavine's Complicated came on the radio. It had nothing to do with my life whatsoever, but something about it lifted me up. But then while doing dishes in the kitchen, my heart nearly stopped with fear of the future.
Today marks exactly 1 month of being in Melbourne. One. Whole. Month.
The last month has been emotional to say the least, but also so, soo, sooo good. I am happy. Overall, I am more than happy. Happier than I was in Toronto, which means the move was the right decision for me. But the biggest, most important, thing on my to do list, "find a job," has yet to be done - which is scary as hell when I watch rent cheques slip out of my account, and $20 here, or $48 there quickly add up.
That's the final piece to the puzzle. The job. Then I can breath easy, watch TV without feeling guilty, and, well, just be.
But I am also really proud of myself. In the past month I have done something I've dreamt about doing since I was in high school. I moved to new city, country and continent, and somehow found a place to live (with two great roommates), met some incredible people (through this blog, and otherwise), found a favourite coffee shop, drove Great Ocean Road with friends, went to fesitvals, and small beach towns, high end restaurants and taco trucks, took photos, went for walks, went for runs, was introduced to a the sport/world of footy, found a running group, went to some gorgeous beaches, and even went on five dates with some very, very Australian guys.
Overall the transition was easier than I thought it would be, and that is hugely in part because of the kindness of strangers. So thank you to Maeg, Luke, the lovely ladies of my hostel, all the people who have met up with me for coffee, and my two roommates (who don't even know about this blog - should I tell them? Hmmm) for making me feel so welcome.
1 [emotional, but bad ass] month down. Many to go…
Remember that time I was all sorts of dodgy when it came to updating Little Blog? Perhaps it's because I've been sweating my cahoonas off in this country they call Australia, or because I have been doing this, and that, and this, and falling head over heels in love with this new city I get to call home, and really, truly not being able to find time to blog! I know, whoa.
I'll dedicate this post to all you lazy readers out there (you know who you are) and will thus photo bomb my blog for you.
Let's start with Barwon Heads. I was lucky enough to have an old friend (he did an exchange with my university in Canada 6ish years ago) invite me to his beach house for a night. Lucky me! And as this was when I was still hostel-livin' it was a wonderful, and welcome opportunity to have a room with my own, personal door!
He made a delicious dinner. I tried calamari. I tricked him into thinking he was the one who wanted ice-cream after dinner. Mooohahahha. And I read. A lot.
Side note: Don't tell my family this, but heading to his beach house was the first time since I arrived in Melbourne I could see myself living in Melbourne, like, permanently. Shhhhh. Our secret though, mmmkay?
Then there was the St. Kilda festival. Pretty much there is a festival or something on every weekend in this city. I sat on the lawn and slowly got day-drunk (which turned into night drunk) with a friend, while people watching and watching an Australian flag fly in the wind. Every time I see the Australian flag I get soooo amazed. Oh my god - i'm in Australia!
Anywho, I ate street meat (NOM) like a champ, and vaguely remember getting home. Classy, I know. Although I do remember talking to a whole bunch of tween girls on the tram, where I accidentally offended them by saying, "Justin Beiber wasn't one of Canada's finest moments." Apparently he IS Canada's finest moment, and I'm a terrible person for thinking otherwise.
Then there was Victoria Night Market. Which is, you guessed it, a huge market with all sorts of delicious food (WIN!) on Victoria Street. It was massive, and hot, and full of people, and so, much, fun. I can't believe more cities don't offer night markets like this one. Cheap(ish) food, a fun atmosphere, arts n' crafts, and people everywhere you look!
I also went to my first "Footy" game. Which yea, I too had never heard of before I met Australians. Pretty much it's a made up Australian game, which I found (in my extensive Sports knowledge) to be a mix of rugby and football. To say the people of Melbourne are devoted to this sport would be an understatement, which meant it was a requirement from the day I got here to go to a game, and choose a team to support.
And? It was awesome. With the exception of hockey it was one of the first times I genuinely wanted to watch a game. It's only pre-season now, but I'm excited for the huge games, apparently the fans get all sorts of rowdy and fun. We also went for pancakes after out meat pies. I know, I know, but holy hell - best. pancakes. ever. ((And Miss Jess! I'll email you today! Still so excited you spotted me!!!))
And then there was last Saturday. Saturday was a beach day. Saturday, to me, was a cliche Australian day. Which yes, means a very good day. I remember over Christmas, when it was cold, and snowy at home, I would think forward to what was in store for me in Australia. I would imagine days like Saturday. Sand that burnt my feet, a cold, super-salty, ocean, fish n' ships, beers on patios, and a kiss(!). All followed by a night of vodka, wine and beer (true story - so classy, I know), on a crowded patio somewhere in Melbourne.
AND. And of course I should also mention I am trucking along at real life things too. Like running, and job searching, and drinking delicious coffee, and trying to make new friends, and trying my best to eat healthy. The whole job-search thing is terrible too, and pretty much consumes my days, but I'm trying to stay positive about that one, and still enjoy (not feel guilty about) life. I also found myself a running group (woot!), and have my first run with them tonight, and I made myself a sexy running schedule for my next marathon…. training started yesterday. So yea… missed my first run. Hush you.
Anywho, that's about it from me. I'm going to try my bestest to keep this Little Blog updated from now on, as I really do like having a record of my days. I've actually been writing a TON lately, but just seem too self conscious to post those emo-type-what-is-wrong-with-me? thoughts. Hmmmm. BUT THEY'LL JUDGE ME FOR EATING THE ICE-CREAM and STAYING IN BED TILL NOON and THINKING THAT or DOING THAT. My drafts are about to hit 400… perhaps I'll word-bomb my blog soon. Perhaps.
Pssh, whatever, I'm going to write this anyways. Soooooo, I was, like, thinking… (oh shut it you, sometimes this is a gooood thing) anywho, so yes, I was thinking and enough is enough of this (online) pity-pity party for me-me-me. For Christ's sake, I am in MELBOURNE, A. U. S. T. R. A. L. I. A. That's, umm, like, awesome.
I went for a run tonight and while neandering (right word. see comments) along it occurred to me I can panic, and freak out, and blog about this n' that being hard and shitty and crappy until I'm blue in the face, but nobody is going to find that job for me, lose the jiggle off my ass for me, make friends for me, or create a good life for me.
Sounds so obvious, I know. But I do this thing where I just wait… and wish… and hope.. and do NOT actually DO, like I'll sit on the couch and eat ice-cream while wishing I was skinny while watching the biggest loser (#truestory happened yesterday) or wish I had a job while watching Vampire Diaries (#swoon Damon Salvador), ORRRRRRRRR I can make lists, and goals, and not refresh facebook a billion times a day, while trying to
creep do my (unpaid) private investigator work on facebook, when I have jobs to find, friends to charm into inviting me places (YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO MELBOURNE PEOPLE), and new running paths to explore.
So yup. Hello Internet. I am back. And ready to FIGHT. Bahaha. That sounds so lame, but whatever, I've done some soul searching in my bed at 11am the past week, and figured I gotta change, and as the proof is in the pudding, I do better when I DECLARE TO THE WORLD (you) MY GOALS.
So here they are. I wrote this list January 3rd, 2012:
I know, I know, I'm a little late to the New Years Goal department, but whatever, better late than never, I'm ready to be productive, not wish, but do, and find a balance in this little life I lead. After all, this is the only time in my life I'll be this young, this fabulous, this awesome, and all that jazz, so gotta make it count!
i am fighting off sleep as i type these words. but for whatever reason i feel the need to record this moment. whatever this moment may be. i have so much going through my head right now.
truth be told when i got out my laptop to write this post it was going to be about how i feel like i'm living in a movie. how the days keep passing, and how each one gets better, and better… but as i stared that the blank word document i was overcome with an intense feeling of uncertainty.
i miss home.
the people.
i miss the people so damn much.
i love melbourne though, i do. but there are no words to describe the desire i have to see, touch, hug, and be with my family and friends. to be with the people in this world that know me best. i am so far away from home right now. and the time difference… sixteen hours. well, it's hard.
i suppose this is the pattern. the days are good. so good. and then night falls, whether it be 9pm or 2am and it's then, when i'm laying in bed, they i feel lonely. I have friends here, I do, but… well, do not take the people who know you best for granted.
Catherine, what I would give to watch a movie on your couch with you, while looking at boots on pintrest, and discussing how cute Sally and Maple are…
Angela, to sit with you at Starbucks and hear in person the dozen red roses you got for valentines day!! and to help you plan for your new, big purchase!
Chris, to hear how school is going, simply to talk to you on the phone… i should have visited you while I was at home. so sorry.
Maria, to not have to write emails back and forth, but simply sit at a half booth at fynns and simply just hear how you are. to laugh with you again, like the old times.
Kavita, to eat delicious food with you, watch a movie, and wear elastic pants with you.
Sarah, to be in nyc with you, and I'm complete ass at fb, but I am so flattered you chose one of my ny pics.
and then there is my mom, who won't ever read these words, but I'm pretty sure I'd sell a part of my soul to be with you right now, if not just for a moment…
i miss home.
so much.
and I am so, so far away.
sometimes i get scared i'm never going to want to settle down somewhere. like. umm. i'm always going to be looking for something that doesn't exist. or that nothing will ever be good enough for me. i actually think about this a lot.
i used to blame everything on my weight. it was such a cushy, safety to my little life's problems. but now i've realized life has very little to do with the way i look, my weight, my eyeliner, or the perfect size two dress, it's about relationships, and people, and being happy. i am so happy in Melbourne. but my people. you people, you're all so far away.
i don't know. i hate how i've found a place i love, but it's lacking the most important thing in this world to me, my family and friends, my support system, my life. but of course i knew all this coming in. it's just, well, i hope home knows how much i miss them right now. that's all, i suppose. xoxoxo
There were no guidelines, no rules, no list of tasks to follow when I decided to move from Toronto to Melbourne. One day I was in Toronto. Then the next day I was in Melbourne. I even booked my Melbourne hostel four hours before my plane took off to show you how little planning I did.
Before I left home I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew I wanted to do it, and so I did.
As I'm sure most people would quickly figure out, and I did within hours of being here, I needed to get the following asap:
A local phone number (done!)
Open an Australian bank account (done!)
Find a place to live (done!)
Find a job (in progress…)
And then there was my secondary list
Find friends/company/people to entertain me
Learn the public transport system (done)
Find a running group
So yea… that was pretty much my entire "moving to a new city" list. Pretty simple, right? The past 17 days have been a whirlwind, I still remember the feeling of walking through the city alone on my first day here - I felt so little, so lost.
I was a nobody, who knew nothing.
But as the days ticked on, I started to learn new things; little and big:
where the best beaches are
who makes my favourite cup of coffee
the good areas.
the sketchy areas
where my local library is (even got a library card!)
how to set up Australian Internet (takes foreva)
how to get a tax ID number
how to get an Australian photo ID (pubs only take foreign passports)
the drinking age (18)
the driving age (18)
how an accent makes everything easier
that I can drive on the right side of the road
how it's the law to wear a helmet here when riding a bike
what the good local newspaper is
what tv channel hosts all my fav American TV shows
which electronics work here,
and which don't (blew out my blow dryer. tear)
where the cheap, but good clothing stores are here
to look right, then left when crossing the road (although I mess this one up daily)
catch phrase differences (saying "excuse me" here is rude, and "it's alright" means it's good)
where to find Internet in this city (harder than I would have ever thought!)
what's open late besides McDs
So yup, there that all is. I also have to mention the kindess of people here have blown me away and made this transition smoother than I could ever have imagined. I lucked out in the roommate and friends (I'm looking at you Maeg/Luke) department, and have been fortunate enough to have everything go fairly smoothly. I'm still learning, still putting pieces together (job search. job search. job search.) but slowly, and surely, my new little life is coming together, and what I dreamed of way-back-when is becoming a reality. (!)
I don't really know what the point to this post was, except that I wanted to share that I didn't know anything on Jan 31 when I arrived here. Anything. I learnt it all, one day at a time. One mistake after another.
I often get emails from people telling me they want to travel, or move to a new city, but don't have the courage, don't have the guts, wouldn't know where to start…. But I'm living proof that that doesn't matter. You do it. Then it's done. And then you learn. Little, by little, day by day, pieces will fall into place.
Actually, come to think of it I'm not sure anybody knows exactly what to do when they leave home, but they figure it out, and if that's what you want to do, I promise you, so will you.
Today. Oh what a day today has been. A good day. A normal, regular, life day. This, of course, is assuming-you're-a-f-unemployed-bum like me, then it's a regular, normal day.
Minor details I woke up sweating my cahoonas off, because, well, sh*t. This country is smokin' hot right now and then combined with their serious lack of air conditioning everywhere I, Liz, am an unhappy camper #spoiledpeopleproblems.
Anywho, so I rose and shone and gave God the glory-glory way too early this morning and changed into my running pantaloons and top. I must admit I was worried by clothes wouldn't fit around the new lard which has made itself at home on my waist, y'know - given my recent increase in cheese consumption, but I'm pleased to report all was good. (thankyouverymuch elastic shorts. PHEW.)
I didn't run with my camera, so here's a post run photo. Remember kiddies, if you look hawwwwwt post work out, you didn't work hard enough.
Notes from my run.
ANYWHO, then I came home and showered up a storm in one of the worst showers my bod has ever graced (and yes, lucky me, this shower is in my new pad). The water literally falls around in a big circle and you can stand in the middle and NOT GET WET. This cannot do. Money spent on a new shower head will happen this week. You're welcome Roommates. Oh-oh-oh, and. My new shower is across from the mirror. And because it's a million and one degrees here I had a cold shower, which meant no steam, which meant I could watch myself shower. God that was awful. Must. Train. Myself. To. Look. Away. From. The. Car. Wreck. ((Note: I still have a pretty intense tan line around my ass I did not know about))
THEN. After creaming and lathering and blow drying the shit out of my hair (all while still sweating bullets). I popped my laundry in, and headed to the grocery store.
Look at me WINNING at this day. The Twitter does not lie.
The above is what I bought at Woolworths. It cost me AUS$51. That's C$56. That's US$56 (poor US$). Effing pricey if you ask me. Anywho, then I made a delicious lunch and am now obsessed with flavoured tuna cans. I'd tell you how many calories they are, except Australia doesn't work in calories (SAY WHAT?! <— you. I KNOW <— me). I didn't even know there was another system, they use KJs whatever the bollocks that is.
Anywho. Below was my lunch. That's right. You should be jealous.
And then I tidied my room and hung clothes and took photos to show you. BOOM. My new place.
Where the magic happens. And by magic I obviously mean sleep.
Ma closet
The kitchen/eating/chillin area
The Nomming area and balcony equipped with a sexy BBQ
Close up of dee view looking out over South Yarra (for Melbs peeps). Not picture my HUGE HUGE HUGE gym and HUGE HUGE HUGE LONG pool.
And my two new roommates are da bomb (remember Little Blog, we're bringing that term back), they even got mats for the
washroom toilet with all our initials on them. SO CUTE. LSD. What a classy non-drug-supporting trio we are.
And now I am job searching the shit out of… OH THE LIES. I am blogging in a café in Prahran (again, for Melbs peeps), which I am entirely not cool enough for. I'm looking at you… Piccolo Espresso and Wine Bar. Lucky you make delicious coffee.
But on that note I should actually be job searching. What's that, You?! You have a financial job for me in Melbourne?!?! Ohhhhhhhh…. firstname.lastname@example.com! :)
OH! And if you're bored I updated all my Picasa Pics.
I went on my first Australian date today. Hmmmm. Before I label every Australian guy in the world as "BOLD," let me explain what happened.
Okay. End. Of. My. Story. And end of him. So yea… ARE ALL AUSTRALIANS THIS BOLD? OR JUST HIM? AND WHY AM I TALKING IN CAPITALS? HMMM. AND I WANT ICE-CREAM, BUT THAT IS NEITHER HERE NOR THERE AS I TYPE THIS FROM MY BED WITH MY TEETH BRUSHED.
Despite having a place to move into this Monday (high-five! high-five! for that), I still feel like I'm traveling through Melbourne, as apposed to living in Melbourne. This, of course, is probably because as I type this I am surrounded by five other beds, with five other girls sleeping on them.
Hostels. Hostels are da bomb (deal with it, we're bringing that phrase back). I have stayed in a colourful array of places since September - some clean, tidy, just-like-hotels-really, and then I've stayed in umm… I shall not speak of Cambodia's hostels (cough rats cough).
ANYWHO, so a few days ago there was a turn over in my hostel (PHEW. As we had a serious snorer in here) and four lovely ladies moved in with me: Maileene (19 / Holland), Jasmine (24 / Swiss), and Cathy (42 / Irish) and within a few minutes of meeting we had hashed out a plan to rent a car, and hit up Australia's Great Ocean Road.
Spontaneous trips? One of my favourite things in the world.
Firstly, I was one of two drivers and y'all - with the exception of a few "wait. is this the wrong, or right side of the road? OHMYGOD I'M ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD" moments I was a complete rock star and we all arrived alive.
Onwards! To the coast!
The gang (L-R: Maleene, Jasmine, Mwah and Cathy) a mere hour or two into our trip stopping for some grub. And by 'grub' I mean pastries from heaven.
The actual drive is about 4 hours, but it took us 7 hours. Why? Because LOOK! STOP THE CAR! Photos. Photos. Photos. Photos. IT'S SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL. Kangaroo!! Self Portrait. Photos. I need to pee. STOP THE CAR.
Jasmine was very excited.
I've been lucky enough to drive Aruba's coast, Croatia's coast and now part of Australia's coast, all incredibly beautiful in their own way. (Note: if you are ever traveling I highly recommend renting a car to drive the coast - you won't regret it!)
Obviously this had to happen. Obviously. And don't mind the dirty, dirty hair.
We stopped to sea (tehehe) a lighthouse and get whip lashed by the wind.
AND. Then our car broke down. And by broke down I mean spewed oil all over its hood. Luckily four British guys came to our rescue. We like to think it wasn't the driving of a Canadian driving on the left, or an Irish who had never driven an automatic that killed the car. *insert shifty eyes here*
And then our little car was back on the road!
We missed sunset at the 12 Apostles by 3.2 seconds (true story), but still - it was gorgeous!!
Something I've realized-noticed-obereserved since arriving in Oz is how early everything closes. I'm used to 24 hour diners, Pizza Pizza, pubs serving food until close, but oh-no, not here. Which meant when we rolled into a tenny-tiny town at 10pm finding a place to rest our heads, and something to NOM on was incredibly hard. But once again, we pulled through, and I'm pretty sure I devoured the best. pizza. of. my. life.
It must also be noted that I tried and despised Vegemite.
And then suddenly we were back on the Great Ocean Road, learning about each others pasts, each others stories, and singing along to Gavin Degraw (seriously, the radio didn't work and we only had one CD).
Here some of my favourite photos, from one of my favourite road trips. If you get the chance, I hope you
dance drive Great Ocean Road. It's spectacular!
(Ps. You can view my complete Great Ocean Road photo album here)
~ notes for my traveling soul ~
take your shoes off and feel the grass between your toes
say yes, but know when to say no
listen to other people's stories
share your own
eat ice-cream on sunny days
stay in hostels, not hotels
travel light
never take bets
tell people you meet, you'll visit them
[mean it]
go for long walks where you get lost
take photos
[of people and places]
stay out late
sleep in
get up early when you have to
wear sunscreen
[and reapply after swimming]
always brush your teeth
charge your iPod
sleep on trains, planes, and automobiles
go without the Internet for at least two weeks
take chances
wake up to see sunrises
know there will be down periods
[always followed by ups]
skype your loved ones
send postcards
keep a blog
don't wear make up
visit the toilet before boarding planes
introduce yourself to your seat mate
never put anything in the front, seat pocket
put fun, bright markers on your backpack
[and give it a name]
take things with a grain of salt
ask a local their favourite restaurant
get people's emails
bring zip-lock bags with you
always have a pen and notepad nearby
get up high in new cities
always have a good book with you
go swimming
feel the sand between your toes
camp if you can
appreciate everything
count your blessings
live, love, laugh.
I got an apartment!
And it's awesome!!
And wonderful!!!
And so many exclamations!!!
But YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!
Huh. How about that.
One week ago from this moment I was on a big, jumbo plane moving my belongings, my life and myself from Toronto to Melbourne. I can't quite pinpoint whether time has been ticking incredibly slowly, or the past week has gone by in the blink of an eye.
I wanted to write this post mostly because my blog posts the last week have made everything look so happy and dandy, and look at how easy it is to move to a new continent! And I do admit it's certainly been easier than I thought it would be due to the kind people I've met, but there have been moments.
Moments where I'll find myself nearly panic stricken with fright.
Moments where I feel tears about to fill my eyes.
Moments I don't want to wake up in Melbourne
Moments I feel so alone
Moments I don't know what to do
Moments I haven't written about on this blog.
The moments, of course, come and go and then I'm back to planning and emailing and searching ways to create myself a life, but tomorrow marks one week since I've been here and I still have no permanent place to live, or job to go to. I think a lot of my worry comes from money feeding out, but no money feeding in. Which of course we all know can't last forever.
Apartment hunting is proving harder than I thought it be, and it takes a lot of time emailing, planning, and viewing places only to find out the people are odd, or place is not livable, which gets frustrating quite quickly. I'm using a temp agency to help find me a job, but may casually serve at a restaurant until I land a 9 – 5, just to earn some extra cash. So yes. It hasn't been all wine, coffee and sunshine, I promise you that. Im also still living in a hostel (although I lurrrve my roommates), but it's no fun sleeping with 5 other people in your room.
But. Despite the panicky moments, and terror that I'm sure sweeps over my eyes a couple of times a day, it's been incredible and I have not regretted this decision for a single moment. The kindness I've received from strangers has absolutely amazed me this past week and I will forever be indebted to several people here (most notably Maeg and her husband Luke for welcoming me with open arms (and cheese)).
I'm already signed up for 20k team race with a bunch of people, have a high tea date with an old friend from college (who I completely didn't know was here! Thankyouverymuch facebook). Had lunch yesterday with an Australian who did an exchange with my university in Canada - he also invited me to his beach house next weekend (so. kind.). Last night was invited to Maeg and Luke's place for a homecooked (delicious) meal. This Saturday I'm meeting a group of friends who (wait for it…) are my sister's friend's boyfriend's friends from when he did a semester here. Am having a (delicious) coffee with a guy someone from my running group knows here. And of course all the lovely people who have read this blog and offered me their help – I'm slowly making my way through the emails! Promise and thank you!!
I have been in awe of people, really, it's been incredible.
I haven't yet felt lonely, but have no doubt in the next few months I'll find myself hit in the face with it, and fighting off tears on a more permanent basis. Skyping my brother, sister and parents help, as do emails from friends, but that will only go so far. I also haven't found time to go running (which always puts me in a happy mood! C'mon Liz! Go Run!!), find a running group, or even go swimming in the ocean yet! But all in good time, I suppose.
And so back I go, sitting in Melbourne's public library, to emailing and emailing and emailing "can I live with you" requests, and reviewing my resume to hopefully land a job within the next month.
Oh! And of course, Facebook tells me it's the Super bowl today! So happy SB N. America!
When I moved to Melbs all I thought was beaches beaches beaches sharks beaches kangaroos beaches spiders beaches SNAKES beaches, never remembering Australia makes some of the world's best wine!
And yesterday I was lucky enough to hitchhike my way to Yarra Valley (wine country) with Maeg and Luke to enjoy the oh-so-very-close-to-the-city wine country Melbourne offers.
It was gorgeous. Like whoa, are you serious? gorgeous. Like, as if this exists gorgeous.
The highlight was probably the cheese platter (i'm chubs like that), but the company, huge blue skies, wine tasting, and stunning views were tied for a close second.
I'll let the photos do the talking, because I could seriously ramble on, and on, about how amazing the day was, how much laughter there was on the road trip, how I DROVE US BACK ON THE
WRONG OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WE DIDN'T DIE, and how much I am loving Melbs.
Huge thank you to Maeg and Luke, for allowing my Canadian butt to share the day with them and their generosity!
Last night was my first night out (in the let's drink too much and do stupid things way) with Australian people. And it was ummm, interesting.
Firstly, I must confess that since I arrived on Tuesday I've somewhat felt myself slip into the whole I am really not good looking enough for this part of the world thing. People here are beautiful. People here are fit. People here are skinny. Which has resulted in this overwhelming sense of not feeling like I'm good/pretty/skinny/fit-enough to live here. All very recognizable feelings which at some point in my life was the norm.
So yes. Back to last night. I met up with two friends (the twins), who I was put in contact with through a friend. They were ridiculously welcoming, and included me in their group of friends right away. Awesome. It's hard to make groups of friends. (Y'know… with the whole girls being bitchy thing, and then guys just wanting in your pants thing. ANYWHO.)
I thought we were heading out for a casual night on the town, but was unfortunately mistaken – it was a high-end, high-heels, short-skirts, low-tops kind of night. I was not prepared. But as my entire outfit was all black, I figured I'd just wing it – but my new Australian friends would have none of it.
They wanted me to borrow their clothes. Eff. No. Wait. What. No. I'm okay. Thanks. But they insisted and in my head I was all like OH HELL NO. ALL YOU GIRLS HAVE A 0 OR 2 WAIST. THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'LL FIT ANY OF YOUR CLOTHES. And no. This is not a happy ending story. I was right - none of their clothes fit me and I was soooooooo embarrassed for it.
Of course they were polite after they saw that literally none of their dresses or tops slightly fit me, but still, the damage was done and I felt myself recede back to my grade 10 self of why the hell haven't you just done it? you're so useless etc. thoughts. I actually felt like sh*t about myself to an extent I couldn't explain. It sucked. A lot.
Anyway. That wasn't actually the point of this post. The point is this. None of us had eaten since about noon (we had spent the day together), which meant come 10pm I was hungry. Wait, shouldn't everyone be hungry? I didn't mention being hungry because, well, obviously, but then the topic of dinner still somehow came up. And this happened:
Girl 1: Tonight's gonna be a liquid dinner!!
Girl 2: For sure. That way we skip the calories
Girl 1: Yea. The guys will probably order a pizza, but I find it embarrassing when girls eat in pubs.
Girl 2: Me too!!
And then that was that. No dinner. Less calories. And I was starving, but didn't say a thing. The rest of the night was actually still quite fun (thankyouverymuch accent), despite me feeling huge (and really, I know comments and everything will come in about how I'm not that big, and all that jazz), but I was without a doubt the heaviest girl at the three bars we went to. Without a doubt. So yea… I'm a little nervous of the pressures I'm going to feel this upcoming year living in the land of the beautiful.
Australia actually has a huge (PUN!) obesity problem so I know this was an isolated time and place incident, but moving here has somewhat started to give me a complex of, I'm not good enough….
Hopefully once I find a place, job, routine, start running again on a regular schedule and eating healthy I'll feel better about myself. I think that's why it's hard to see all the skinny/beautiful girls around, because I'm not even being that proactive about my weight, just wishin' and hopin' which we all know gets you nowhere.
And I should mention I am still loving this new city of mine, and don't regret the decision in the slightest, despite it apparently giving me a complex.
finally! :)
Let's not go sappy at this, mmkay? So instead I'll simply just say thank you, and hope you know I really (really!) mean it.
So thank you, Little Blog, thank you so much for everything. xo Liz
And here's to another 3 years.. :)


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By John B. Taylor

The world's financial leaders are again on their way to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for what will be the 30th annual monetary-policy symposium in the Grand Teton Mountains. Anticipations are running high that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke will say something in the opening address to move markets, like he did last year.

Some even attribute a stock-market rally this week to rumors that he will hint at new interventions, like a third round of "quantitative easing" or an "Operation Twist" to lengthen the maturity of the Fed's Treasury portfolio.

I attended the first monetary-policy symposium in August 1982, and I plan to be there for the 30th meeting this week. I expect that the Tetons will still be there, but virtually everything else will be different. And there are lessons in those differences.

Paul Volcker chaired the Federal Reserve Board back then. He came to the symposium, but he was not on the program to give the opening address, so no one was speculating on what he might say. The conference was only half its current size in 1982. No other Fed governors were there, nor governors of any foreign central banks, and certainly no one representing an emerging market. In contrast, this week more than 40 foreign central bankers will likely come, of which about half will be governors from emerging markets. Only four financial journalists came in 1982 -- William J. Eaton of the Los Angeles Times, Jonathan Fuerbringer of the New York Times, Ken Bacon of the Wall Street Journal and John Berry of the Washington Post -- and there were no television people, compared to the scores we have now.

The economy was a mess in August 1982, though a different kind of mess than today. Largely because of those economic woes, a Gallup poll showed an approval rating of only 42 percent for President Ronald Reagan. President Barack Obama's rating now is even lower, at 38 percent. Interest rates were still very high in 1982: 30-year fixed mortgages were at 16 percent, compared to 4.2 percent now, and the federal-funds rate was over 10 percent. The unemployment rate was 9.8 percent and still rising; it would reach a peak of 10.8 percent in November, the trough of that very deep recession.

As I recall the 1982 meeting, it was clear to everyone that Volcker had a policy strategy in place: it was to focus on price stability, despite high and rising unemployment, and thereby get the inflation rate down. This would then restore economic stability and sustainable growth, create jobs and eventually reduce unemployment. The inflation rate had already been cut in half, to 6.2 percent at the time of the meeting from 13.5 percent in 1980.

So Volcker didn't need to use Jackson Hole to announce a new policy intervention. It was clear that he had a strategy. Some at the meeting, such as Nobel Laureate James Tobin, didn't like Volcker's strategy, but others did: for example, my contribution at the conference was to present a framework to explain the benefits of such a strategy, which could also be used to guide monetary policy in a world of price stability, which would come later.

Therein lies the first lesson: The Fed should come to Jackson Hole with a clear strategy that people know and understand, so there's no need to make a volatility-inducing speech with hints about the next new intervention. This is difficult now, of course, with sharp disagreements within the Fed, but setting a course toward clearer strategy and less intervention would reduce policy uncertainty, which is already very high. And the Fed could still honor the tradition, which began under Alan Greenspan, of having the chairman give formal opening remarks: there are other good topics to talk about besides new interventions.

A second lesson is to listen carefully to the central bank governors from emerging-market countries that were not even represented in 1982. Agustin Carstens, governor of the Bank of Mexico, has a clear strategy for monetary policy. As he says, it is simply one of "monetary policy pursuing price stability," adding that Mexicans are fortunate to have "a prudent fiscal policy" with few interventions.

The result is a strong Mexican economy despite the troubles of its trading partner to the north and the devastation wrought by the drug war. Mexico has an unemployment rate of 5.4 percent compared with 9.1 percent in the U.S. While struggling policy makers in the U.S., Europe and Japan chose not to pick Carstens to lead the International Monetary Fund, he and many of his colleagues in the emerging-market world are well worth listening to at Jackson Hole this week.

(John B. Taylor, a contributor to the Echoes blog, is the Mary and Robert Raymond Professor of Economics at Stanford University and the George P. Shultz Senior Fellow in Economics at the Hoover Institution.)

To contact the author of this blog post: http://johnbtaylorsblog.blogspot.com.

To contact the editor responsible for this blog post: Timothy Lavin at firstname.lastname@example.com.

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Texas A&M has been on an incredible run of producing NFL left tackles the past two seasons. First, Luke Joeckel went #2 overall in 2012 to Jacksonville. This past year, Jake Matthews went 6th overall to Atlanta. Now, Cedric Ogbuehi will slide to left tackle and have his opportunity to make his case as a top prospect and has a chance to be the third top 10 pick in a row at that position for the Aggies.
Ogbuehi could have done well if he declared last year, but he followed in the footsteps of Matthews, who stayed for his senior year to play left tackle and protect Johnny Manziel's blind side. Now, Ogbuehi will get a year at left tackle and get to answer that question for NFL evaluators. Matthews was able to improve his game and go higher than he was expected to had he declared as a junior in a deeper draft. Ogbuehi avoided a stacked group of offensive linemen and has a shot to be the top one this year.
Ogbuehi is a terrific pass protector because of his fantastic lateral agility, balance and how smooth he is able to operate. Additional strength would only help him there. As a run blocker, Ogbuehi is an effective positional blocker that really does a great job from the waist down and shields opponents from the play. More power would help him get a little more of a punch, but he is not weak.
Ogbuehi just seems to have a very methodical, logical approach and does not play with a ton of emotion. He could use a little more of a mean streak and look to dominate opponents, but he can do an effective job as it is. Ogbuehi has the frame to continue to fill out and be a more complete prospect that can really hammer out details of the game as opposed to learning it while showing NFL teams he will be perfectly capable of playing left tackle. Had he declared last year, Ogbuehi was likely a first round pick but could make himself into a top 10-15 pick this year with the chance of being the first tackle off the board.
Vitals & Build
- Born April 25, 1992 (Will turn 23 right around the time of the 2015 NFL Draft)
- 6'5″ 300lbs (Listed)
Ogbuehi has a sleek, athletic build with little if any excess body fat. He is a little too thin at this point and needs to continue to add strength, particularly in his upper body. Ogbuehi has the frame to continue adding bulk and overall strength while maintaining his overall athleticism. More strength in his legs would likely help him sit a little more effectively in pass protection as well. Ogbuehi is in great shape and should only continue to get better with another season of development, giving him high potential going forward.
Ogbuehi's athleticism and range are both outstanding. He has no problem sliding in pass protection and staying in a good position, rarely having to reach. As a run blocker, he has the ability to get to the second level and the Aggies have been comfortable enough to wrap with him and go from his right tackle spot all the way around and outside the left tackle. His speed, burst, and overall quickness are extremely impressive and more than enough to play tackle in the NFL.
Run Blocking
Ogbuehi wins largely in the running game with his feet. He gets in position, cuts off opponents with good angles and steers them away from the play. He can lack some functional strength here and while he is good in terms of executing what his assignment is, he tends to clock out as soon as he has knocked out his initial assignment.
- This is a situation where Ogbuehi misses with his initial punch, but instead of looking to get to the second level and potentially finding another block, he has already moved onto the next play.
Ogbuehi does not show much of a killer instinct or mean streak and rarely finishes an opponent. Some added strength, especially in his upper body would help him, but this is something he needs to try to develop as a senior and really start punishing opponents and tire them out from picking themselves up off of the ground.
There are some times where he seems to get lost on what he should be looking to do and just sort of stops, occasionally without making a block. Most of these are situations he is not likely to be asked to do in the NFL but they would only make him more dangerous for the Aggies as a senior.
- This is a situation where Ogbuehi just needs to pick a target, break down and hit them. He gets caught in between, ends up blocking no one and the play is blown up in the backfield.
Ogbuehi will sometimes end up drifting too high with his pad level and end up playing too tall when he is run blocking. At that point, he can be at risk of being knocked off balance and occasionally is put on the ground in the process. If he can get a little stronger in his seat and avoid needing to stand up to exert that extra bit of power, this should be all but erased as a senior.
- Here is pass play and run play on back to back snaps, but Ogbuehi is thrown out of the way on the first one and crumpled on the second by Trey Flowers. This is where that lack of strength and drifting pad level becomes really obvious.
Although Ogbuehi is extremely effective when it comes to getting to the second level, he does not do a good job of landing that block. He needs to do a better job of breaking down and making sure he lands the block. There are some issues with indecisiveness, but largely he just ends up too tall and has trouble adjusting to hitting targets in space.
Pass Blocking
Ogbuehi has the ability to and mirror extremely well in pass protection. He is able to maintain his balance and keep his shoulders square to the target and keep them centered in front of him. Often times, Ogbuehi is able to beat the opponent to the spot, remain calm and patient in blocking them. As a result, he almost never has to reach out and lose his balance trying to make a block.
- Ogbuehi keeps Dee Ford in front of him, keeps stopping from getting any momentum and has great body lean in the process, allowing him to maximize his strength. Fantastic job here.
- Ogbuehi never gets overly stressed, panics or changes the pocket. The result is that Manziel gets around 5-6 seconds of protection before taking it down and scrambling up the middle.
In terms of recognizing blitzes and stunts, Ogbuehi does well when it comes to seeing what opponents are doing, suggesting he is extremely proficient when it comes to preparation in the film room. It is extremely rare that he just makes a bad read in pass protection and goes with the wrong target. It also allows him to adjust and take on multiple rushers in the same play.
- Ogbuehi takes on the initial block, gets rid of it and adjusts outside to cut off the outside rush, recognizing the stunt quickly and reacting accordingly.
Ogbuehi is also patient when he is in space and will hold his water as a rusher will present himself. Blocking for a quarterback like Manziel forces an offensive lineman to remain disciplined and not overreact, because he was so mobile and improvised so much that even if Manziel were running away from him, he had the potential to bounce the play back and need him in his normal spot. The offensive line was predictable whereas the quarterback was not. Manziel used that to his advantage at times.
Ogbuehi's technique is a work in progress. He knows what he needs to do, particularly when it comes to his hand placement and how he can control the opponent. The issue for Ogbuehi is that because his upper body strength is somewhat limited, he can have trouble keeping opponents out of his body. It gives opponents the ability to take control and shed him. This can make it more difficult for Ogbuehi to sustain and finish some of his blocks.
In pass protection, Ogbuehi's feet are fantastic. There is nothing he cannot do and he looks the part of a franchise left tackle. He makes it look easy and rarely has to make up ground, but does have the athleticism to recover should it come into play.
- Ogbuehi is able to slide in pass protection almost effortlessly while maintaining his balance and position.
When it comes to the running game, Ogbuehi can get anywhere he wants on the field, but just needs to break down, sink his hips and block. Second level, pulling or kicking out, he can do it all, but then will handle like a rusty shopping cart at times. Athletically, he can do it all. He just needs to get down the technique and do it.
The clips were provided by DraftBreakdown.com


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Everything you love is here
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" Imation LightScribe - 5 x DVD+R - 4.7 GB 16x - LightScribe 1.2 - storage media "
* Prices may differ from that shown
With Imation DVD+R discs, you can store literally thousands of digital photographs. Or, store up to two hours of digital video in SP Mode or four hours in EP Mode. The DVD media recording speed of up to 22 MB per second which is equivalent to a CD-R recording speed of 140x. Imation DVD+R discs are ideal for anyone requiring data-intensive, high-performance data storage.
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Definición de subtraction en inglés:
subtractionSaltos de línea: sub|trac¦tion
Pronunciación: /səbˈtrakʃn /
sustantivo[mass noun]
1The process or skill of taking one number or amount away from another: subtraction of this figure from the total
Más ejemplos en oraciones
- Roman numerals are fine for recording numbers, and for doing simple additions and subtractions, which meant they were adequate, if somewhat cumbersome, for commerce and trade.
- They were all excited doing their addition, subtractions, multiplications and divisions, mentally and with abacus.
- Apart from additions and subtractions, they also multiply, divide, calculate square roots, etc, all in a matter of seconds.
1.1 Mathematics The process of taking a matrix, vector, or other quantity away from another under specific rules to obtain the difference.
Más ejemplos en oraciones
- If the spectra are dominated by fluctuation of the motor charges, subtraction of two spectra obtained at different pipette potentials should have a similar relaxation time.
- 'The Analytical Method of vector addition and subtraction uses vector components,' I reminded Mr. Shah.
- The processing can be extremely fast, requiring only the time to record a patch from a camera and then carry out the subtraction and a single matrix multiplication.
Definición de subtraction en:
- el diccionario Inglés de EE.UU.
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Palabra del día noisome
Pronunciación: ˈnɔɪs(ə)m
having an extremely offensive smell


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Select () or exclude () categories to narrow your recipe search.
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1/2 Photos of Manchurian Shrimp (Garlic Flavored Shrimp)
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I haven't tried this one... I am posting it in response to someone looking for Manchurian Shrimp. I found it on thali.com.
Units: US | Metric
Serving Size: 1 (132 g)
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Your life in the kitchen will never be the same.


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Goodbye PS
Maybe I'll be back for more someday. I like you guys a lot. See you on Facebook.
- Re: Goodbye PS by NoHardFelines
printed October 25, 2014
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Content on this site may not be copied or republished without formal permission.


text:
Today, we remembered the King of Pop at the poignant Michael Jackson Memorial. During that ceremony, Lakers legends Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson spoke about M.J. It was nice to see Kobe speak on behalf of my generation, a generation that was reared by the fully arrived King of Pop. But what was really amazing was seeing Magic, no stranger to tragedy himself, speak about his friend and a family he had known for 30 years.
What stood out to me? Magic calling Mike his idol. I really found it interesting that an entertainer motivated him to become a better point guard. I guess we all can relate to that, as our sports idols often motivate us to be better at what we do. That also shows just how great Jackson truly was. I mean, when the Magic Johnson calls you his idol and says he looks up to you, that's really something.
Of course, the story about him going over to M.J.'s crib for dinner was also a highlight of this speech. How hilarious is it that Magic got a chef-prepared gourmet chicken meal and Mike got a bucket of KFC? I literally lost it when I heard Magic talk about that. Dude even said it was "the best moment of my life." Pretty sure you shared those with people like your wife and Kareem, but I'm sure it was right up there.
The biggest thing I took away from this is a better understanding of the scope of Michael Jackson's death. The loss even hit Laker Nation hard.
Here's the video of the Lakers two biggest stars remembering M.J.:
Also, check out this video where Kobe says M.J. was misunderstood. Good stuff.
Tags: Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson Michael Jackson


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City Advances Speedy Bus Plan
Resurfacing, signage will start to appear; complaints about Turtle Bay transit access
Beginning this month, East Siders can expect street resurfacing to start on the first phase of the "Select Bus Service plan for First and Second avenues. Street repair crews will roll into Lower Manhattan and work their way up to Harlem to create dedicated bus and bike lanes along the 8.5-mile route.
If all goes as plans, Select Bus Service is expected to be up and running by October 10. At a recent community advisory meeting, Ted Orosz, director of long-range bus planning at New York City Transit, described the completion date as "pretty firm.
The corridor follows the route of the M15 along the East Side. The MTA anticipates that the 57,000 passengers who travel the corridor on an average weekday will soon see reduced travel times and improved reliability.
The new route will feature on-street fare collection machines, dedicated colored bus lanes and separate bike paths. Over the next six months, East Siders can expect to see freshly paved streets, new lane markings, pedestrian refuge islands and overhead signs.
While curb parking regulations will stay roughly the same, about 20 percent of parking spaces will be lost along the route, according to Joseph Barr, director of transit development for the city"s Department of Transportation.
"It obviously has an impact on parking, Barr said of select bus service, "but [we] felt that the tradeoff was worthwhile.
At the meeting, held April 29, Adam Brickman from Assembly Member Jonathan Bing"s office spoke about plans to install security cameras to prevent cars and taxis from using the bus lanes.
"We think it is a pretty essential piece for the ability to enforce these bus lanes, Brickman said.
Cars that do enter the bus lane, which will be colored red, will be required to take the next available right turn. Legislation to allow bus lane cameras has been stalled in Albany, though lawmakers may try to roll the provision into budget negotiations.
One group that is not happy about the current Select Bus Service plan is the Turtle Bay Association, which is displeased that a stop originally planned for East 49th or 50th Street has been eliminated. Currently, the neighborhood is served by the M15 Limited stop at East 49th Street. According to Bruce Silberblatt, the association"s vice president, Department of Transportation and New York City Transit officials took plans for the stop off the table around September 2009.
Charles Seaton, a spokesperson for New York City Transit, confirmed that there are no plans for an East 49th or 50th Street stop because boarding for that area was "far below the average, compared with other stops along the Select Bus Service route.
That means Turtle Bay residents will have to take local buses to either the East 42nd or 57th Street stops to get on a Select bus.
Compounding the problem are proposed bus cutbacks to the three crosstown lines serving the area. The M104, which travels between Harlem and Murray Hill along Broadway and across 42nd Street, will terminate at Times Square instead of heading over to the United Nations. That means residents traveling to Lincoln Center or the Theater District will have to transfer buses to complete their trip. The M27, which travels across 49th and 50th streets between First and 12th avenues, is being eliminated all together. And the M50, which follows a similar route, is being cut on weekends and nights.
"We are better off without the [Select Bus Service] because at least we have a Limited bus we can get on and off, Silberblatt said.
Elected officials, including Rep. Carolyn Maloney and Borough President Scott Stringer, have sent letters to Metropolitan Transportation Authority Chair Jay Walder protesting the cuts and the elimination of the Select Bus Service stop.
"These cuts amount to a double whammy for residents of Turtle Bay, and add to the perception that the neighborhood is being singled out and isolated, Maloney said in a statement. "The MTA is proposing to virtually eliminate crosstown bus service for the neighborhood and to have the new Select Bus Service skip the 50th Street stop. These moves will be a harsh blow for the neighborhood, and I urge the MTA to reconsider them.
Community Board 6"s full board is scheduled to consider complaints about Select Bus Service stops at its May 12 meeting.
With additional reporting by Charlotte Eichna.


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Wizards vs. Bucks in 12 Frames
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 24, 2009
The Wizards beat the Bucks 109-97 on Wednesday night. Here's some of what happened in 12 frames.
Wizards-Sixers Post Game Locker Room Portraits & Quotes
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 23, 2009
Matching up Wizards locker room quotes after the Sixers game with corresponding facial expressions. Nick Young When asked what the team needs to do to build on this one victory: "We...
Flip Saunders' Wholesale Third Quarter Substitution: Wizards Top Sixers 105-98
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 23, 2009
Flip Saunders didn't care about Tuesday night's win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Well, not like he didn't care, care. If you ask him, I'm sure he'll tell you that he was...
Quintessential Instances of Wizards Defense
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 21, 2009
Flip Saunders and I may have different perceptions of the Wizards. And for good reason, we are different people. He's a professional, experienced coach. He sees countless things I don't see...
Chronicling Bad Wizards Defense vs. Phoenix
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 21, 2009
Why is Gilbert Arenas always so ready to give up a foul after he or his team commits a turnover? Why is Caron Butler always shuffling/switching his pivot foot when he...
Wizards Game 24 at Golden State: What You Need To Know
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 18, 2009
Time for a win folks. I'll be on ESPN's Daily Dime Live around game time to discuss. Got a good feeling about this one. The Wizards don't want to be number...
10 Reasons Why Wizards-Kings Is Must-See TV
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 16, 2009
1 ) Added attention It's a nationally televised game on ESPN (10:30 pm EST). Actually, this is probably a bad thing for the Wizards. 2 ) It's going to be a close game...
Wizards Locker Room Portraits After A Win Against Milwaukee
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 4, 2009
I experienced a "first" on Wednesday night. In the Wizards locker room before the game, I noticed a stack of duPont Registry magazines under one of the huge flat screen televisions....
Wizards at Raptors in Seven Frames: Jamison Yells Early
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 2, 2009
{keys to win vs. raptors} Active Hands … especially from Jamison and Butler, the latter racked up three steals. As a team, the Wizards had 10 steals (their second highest total...
Imploring Gilbert Arenas To Be Himself
►Kyle Weidie | Dec 1, 2009
Yesterday, reports surfaced that Antawn Jamison was emphatic about his advice for Gilbert Arenas to stop listening to everyone and just play his game. The implication is that there's a dire need for Arenas...
Wizards vs. Sixers in 10 Frames
►Kyle Weidie | Nov 27, 2009
I got a text message from a good friend during Tuesday's Wizards-Sixers game: "#4 is playing his a** off" — The message really came with the asterisks, he doesn't like to...
First Impressions of Abe Pollin; Wes Unseld: "He was a Washingtonian"
►Kyle Weidie | Nov 25, 2009
Mr. Pollin was a good owner. Not particularly adept at guiding a franchise toward winning (at least in my lifetime), but a good owner. He was a loyal man, a trait...
Don't Call It A Statement, Call It A Rivalry: Wizards Spank Cavs 108-91
►Kyle Weidie | Nov 19, 2009
Don't want to call it a rivalry? There are too many coincidences in the series surrounding these two teams not too. With a Wizards six game losing streak that began in...
Wizards Game #8 at Miami: What You Need To Know
►Kyle Weidie | Nov 10, 2009
The Wizards are in Miami tonight for a rematch with Dwyane Wade and the rest of whomever he plays with. The sense of urgency is elevated. Yea, yea … it's early....
Videos: Flip and Antawn After Thursday's Practice & Irene Pollin Talks With NBC's Lindsay Czarniak
►Kyle Weidie | Oct 30, 2009
Flip Saunders talks about the opening night win against the Mavericks and looks to Friday's game against the Hawks in Atlanta. He also praises JaVale McGee for a hard practice and...
Oberto Gets In Where He Fits In
►Kyle Weidie | Oct 26, 2009
His teammates might not understand what he's saying, even when he speaks English. Nick Young doesn't even use the guy's proper name, electing to call him "Roberto" instead because according to...
Antawn Jamison Out 3-5 More Weeks (Damn)
►Kyle Weidie | Oct 23, 2009
Hot off the Wizards press … unfortunately, this ain't too hot. Washington Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that forward Antawn Jamison's right shoulder has been re-evaluated and that the findings were...
Wizards Practice Video, Must-Read Links and An Appearance By Sleepy Floyd
►Kyle Weidie | Oct 23, 2009
On Saturday from 1:30-3 pm at the Potomac Yard Best Buy in Alexandria, NBA great and Georgetown alum Eric "Sleepy" Floyd will be making an appearance. The event is in conjunction...
Where Jim Zorn Wants To Be and Wizards Links
►Kyle Weidie | Oct 19, 2009
Sure this is a Wizards blog, but as a DC sports fan, I can't go without poking fun at the pathetic state of my Redskins. Now that his play-calling duties have...


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Just Like Home Family Day Care Service locateds is a Family Day Care Service located in Tarneit.
Is your child at this service? Make this your homepage and the service's contact details will always be only a click away!
All details are our best information at the time of last update - May 2014
The Australian Child Care Index has no affiliation with this centre - This listing is provided as a public service to the parents of Australia.


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A montage of clips from Ally McBeal... --dedicated to Brandon.
i found out what the derp song and the oogachaka baby needed....
From one of my relatives CD's. Released in 1998 & as seen on Ally McBeal, apparently. If you like seeing a baby dance, shadow box & do somersault's then this...
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Palliative Care Center
Pediatric Palliative Care: Easing Your Child's Suffering
Pediatric Palliative Care: Support for the Whole Family continued...
"If your child never leaves the hospital, we need to make those things happen for families, to give them some of those memories. Because that's what will get you through later," Zrenda says.
Child life specialists help patients and siblings make memories together and express anxiety-causing emotions through guided art and play activities. They also help demystify the hospital experience for patients and siblings by always preparing them for what's next.
Before a sibling enters a hospital room for the first time, Frederick might take a photograph of the room and explain to the sibling everything he or she will see in the room. "I talk to them about the pumps they might see, the tubes, what bags of fluid and medication are hanging, so they're not overwhelmed when they come in," she says.
Frederick tells WebMD that siblings need a lot of attention at this time. Depending on age, they can feel grief or guilt over the sibling's condition or anger over the attention the sibling is getting. Many hospitals offer groups and activities for siblings. Experts advise parents to accept help from friends and neighbors to help keep siblings' lives as normal as possible by keeping them in their regular routines.
Pediatric Palliative Care: Managing Symptoms
PAC teams help primary care teams manage the symptoms of illness and the side effects of treatments, such as pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, sleeplessness, and anxiety. Symptom management often requires "thinking outside of the box," says Yale's Jayanetti.
Most pediatric and neonatal palliative care programs offer patients and families alternative therapies, such as aromatherapy, reiki, massage, hypnosis, reflexology, acupuncture, and guided imagery.
Massage has helped relieve pain in children with sickle cell disease. Reiki has relaxed children who are having trouble sleeping and eating. Reflexology has stimulated appetite, and aromatherapy has relieved nausea, Jayanetti tells WebMD.
In some neonatal ICUs, parents learn to use massage to ease their babies' pain. The aroma of a lemon-scented cotton ball has helped ease infants' pain as well, says Major-Kincade.
Where/When to Get Pediatric Palliative Care/Pediatric Advanced Care
Experts agree it is ideal to integrate pediatric palliative care with curative treatment at the first diagnosis of a chronic or life-limiting condition. If that does not happen, O'Donnell says there are other points when PAC should be brought in:
- If first treatment is unsuccessful
- If symptoms worsen, or if previous symptoms recur
- If parents are being asked to make increasingly difficult choices
- If parents feel they need more support
Doctors may suggest a consultation with the PAC team, and parents may also request it.
Pediatric palliative care is a relatively new medical specialty available in all major children's hospitals, academic hospitals, and in many mid-sized children's hospitals. But it is not available everywhere.
If a hospital does not have a palliative care program:
- Primary caregivers will perform some palliative tasks.
- You could ask your primary caregivers if it is possible to be referred to an outside facility for palliative care services.
"Parents need to know they can ask for palliative care and it does not mean giving up on treatments," McCabe says. "We work with the treating teams to get the best care possible for their children."


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Hey Guys, Long time no hair talk, huh? Sorry about that but there is a reason for that. Well if you follow me on instagram (and if you don't, you totally should because I post cool pics) then you'll know that I put some individual braids into Jordyn's hair back at the end of June 2014. Prep: To prep the hair for braiding I pre-pooed her hair by saturating it with coconut oil overnight, next I washed her hair twice using Alba Botanica Shampoo Next I deep conditioned with Aussie Moist 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner for an hour. Then after rinsing I applied my Cantu Shea Butter Leave-In Conditioning Creme. I banded her hair and let it air dry overnight. While braiding I used my homemade Shea Butter mix to seal in all the moisture I put in. Hair Used for Braiding I used the Batik hair which costs $9.99 a pack but it's the best synthetic hair that so close to human hair. It was well worth the price, and you should be able to find it at any local beauty supply store. I bought two packs but … [Read more...]
Individual Braids with Extensions (Synthetic Hair)
Flexi Rod Set on Natural Hair
Hello beauties :) My mother-in-law recently gave me set of flexi rods and I decided to give them a whirl. I started on dry semi-stretched hair I sectioned my hair off into 5 sections and I only had 12 flexi rods to work with so I had to be creative and make it work honey! I used plain water from a spray bottle and a little Cantu Shea Butter Leave In Conditioning Repair Cream for moisture and some of my Wise Made pomade to seal in my moisture. This is the size I used, they are small but you can fit a good amount of hair on one rod surprisingly. Now can someone please tell me why I thought I could sleep comfortably in these things?!?! I was fooled by their soft foamy texture. Needles to say I didn't sleep well AT ALL. So now I know for next time I'll air dry all day or sit under my hooded dryer. Anyhoo the next day I used a little oil to separate and fluff and here are my results: I loved my curl definition! I received so many … [Read more...]
Knot Genie Detangling Brush: Review
Disclaimer: **I was sent this product free of charge for the purpose of this review. As always all thoughts and opinions remain my own.** Hey Guys, After yours truly (really it was just a snippet) was featured in the article about natural hair for Today.com I was contacted by Knot Genie to try out one of their detangling brushes on Jordyn's hair. Knot Genie was invented by a Denver mom of three daughters, Rikki Mor. The secret to how Knot Genie works is two-fold: 1) the bristles vary in length, so hair glides through it; and 2) there are no little balls at the end of each bristle, which pull and damage hair. I'll admit I was a little skeptical about trying it out and almost declined the offer. But I said to myself: "Self, be open-minded and give it a try." So I did just that. Knot Genie comes in a variety of sizes from regular to teeny to the supreme. I had the pleasure of trying out the supreme Knot Genie. The company listened to their customers … [Read more...]
DIY: Shea Butter Mix for Hair
Hey Guys, So I ran out of my last batch Shea Butter Mix and I looked on youtube to find a new mix, just to switch things up and try something different. After watching a few videos I just decided to use what I had on hand. So I used the following: Raw Shea Butter (purchased locally from an African Store near my job) Tropical Tradition Coconut Oil Extra Virign Olive Oil Avocado Oil Vitamin E Castor Oil I used a large mixing bowl and mixed the following together: 5-6 tablespoons of raw shea butter 3-4 tablespoons of coconut oil 1/2 teaspoon of EVOO, Castor oil, Avocado oil 8 capsules of Vitamin E oil (1/2 teaspoon) My Vitamin E is in capsules so I just poked a little hole in each capsule until I got enough for 1/2 teaspoon. The vitamin E will act as a preserver for the mix so it won't go bad so fast. I used my hand mixer and whipped everything up together until I got a nice and fluffy consistency. Then I transferred my mix into an old hair … [Read more...]
Hair Thearpy Wrap Thermal Turban Heat Wrap: Review
Hey Guys! It's review time! A while back I received an email with a discount code I believe it was either 20% or 25% off with free shipping to Curl Mart. So I went to their site and browsed around and then this caught my eye. Hair Thearpy Wrap Thermal Turban Heat Wrap Retail Price: $21.95 The Claim: The Hair Therapy Wrap applies gentle heat for up to 30 minutes, encouraging conditioner to penetrate the hair follicles. It helps activate treatments, hot oils, or re-constructors and can also help to control a dry, flaky scalp. You can use the Hair Therapy Wrap while bathing, relaxing, or around the house. My Thoughts: I love it! Once I inserted the gel packs, I popped the entire wrap in the microwave for about 45 seconds, let it stand for a few seconds and then reheated it for an additional 30 seconds. I've used it several times on Jordyn, while her deep conditioner is in and she has a plastic cap on I put this heat cap on and let her watch TV or dance around … [Read more...]
How we Straighten Naturally Curly Hair
Hey Guys, Today's post is going to be a step by step tutorial for how we straighten our naturally curly hair. I know there are different ways and methods and so we wanted to share ours! First step is to make sure your hair is thoroughly clean, next I applied a deep conditioner and then used my Hair Therapy Wrap (review coming soon) and let it sit for an hour. After rinsing out the deep conditioner I sectioned her hair in four sections like so: Then I applied a small amount of leave in conditioner to each section Next I banded her hair to air dry overnight. Since I am already using enough heat with the straightening process I like skip a step if I can and for us this method of drying allows us to skip blow drying and allows the hair to be nice and stretched. The next day I took one section down at a time and begin to straighten her hair. This is what her dry stretched hair looked like after taking out a banded … [Read more...]
Diva's Length Check: Natural Hair
Hey guys! So I realized the other day that I haven't done a length check on the diva's natural hair in quite some time. I have trimmed her hair a little and also dusted the ends several times since our last length check. Here are the stats from the last length check Jan 2012 Front: 7.5 inches Top Middle: 11 inches Sides: 12 inches Back: 9 inches July 2012 Front: 10.5 inches Top Middle: 12 inches Sides: 11 inches (notice we lost an inch due to our trim) Back: 10.5 inches Here is a pic of her hair in July 2011, I should kick myself for not making her change into a lighter shirt so you can really see wear the braids fall, oh well next time :) Here is her hair now, this pic was taken today :) Enjoy! … [Read more...]
Hair: Rant
Can we talk? (Joan Rivers voice) Okay so for all my readers that actually care/enjoy/or are interested in my hair talk, styles, tips, product reviews or what have you, you may have been wondering: "Why haven't I seen any hair stuff lately?" Or maybe you haven't anyhow I'll tell you why you haven't seen any hair posts lately, well for me I haven't been doing anything amazing with my hair as of late just a lot of buns and ponytails and then ponytails that turn into buns after a few days :) I did one braid out which will be a post soon yay! Okay maybe I'm the only one excited about that. As far as the diva goes her hair styles have been very basic nothing to write home about so to speak, but I will be doing a length check post on her hair soon as well as my own because we are a little overdue on that, however this time I won't be flat ironing our hair as in previous length posts but the numbers will be up for comparison :) I will also be talking about some new products … [Read more...]
Twist Out Ponytail
Do You Dust?
I recently began focusing on the diva's ends more and "dusting" them more often. I would say I dust her ends at least once a week or once every two weeks. Her hair tends to split easily at the ends I've noticed and to help control this, dusting is a great method.Dusting your ends or sometimes called search & destroy involves grabbing a small section of hair and looking for split or damaged ends and cutting them using hair shears right before the point of the split and/or damage. I take a section of about 10-15 strands of hair and go through that section and look for the damaged ends.You will not lose any length by doing this method as you are merely cutting the split end, this method is great to catch split ends or damaged ends before they travel up the hair shaft and cause further damage to your hair. This is also a great alternative to cutting your hair and can help you in between trims. This method can be used on all hair types, curly, kinky, coily, wavy, or straight!I … [Read more...]


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