Who believes in making New Year resolutions? Normally over the years I don't intend to make any because I know my opportunity in achieving my resolutions don't intend to work but this year I thought it is about time I stick to at least one resolution.
My goal for 2012 is to lose weight as I am tired of seeing what I don't like to see myself in photos. After Christmas weekend I decided it was the best time to change my ways by changing my eating habits and take up walking again while my kids were away on holidays. My walking distances were short kms at start but now I am making some further progress of walking more kms each week.
Today I went to the department store to do some school shopping but I came across the AB circle pro at Big W. It might look simple to use but it isn't and it sures works where you think it doesn't normally work. It's quite challenge to get the movement of both legs together, side to side for three minutes. When you remove the holding pin, you will be able to do both the left and right crawls and then the butt and thigh movement (that's when your legs go apart to each side and go up). Be warn! You will know this movement will hurt at first but you will get used to in time.
Remember the old record player you or your past generations (who are still alive) put out for the hard garbage around two decades ago? You’re not alone!
Well, things have turned the full circle and what many assumed was "dead" technology has been rediscovered by both the oldies and the new emerging generation of young music fans. Vinyl, as it is now affectionately referred to by advocates, will probably never completely die and the people who love them are rabidly enthusiastic - including us - about the medium. Just you need to know where to shop for vinyls.
Surprisingly, vinyl records offer the potential for sound quality that's far superior to what many are now hearing from their CD collection or MP3 player.
Thanks to my friend who made me discover there is a music store who still sells vinyls. Only three days ago I was at this store purchasing some past vinyls to add to my collection I have got. But I realised I needed a turntable to play our collection so I went out this afternoon and purchased one. It looks very retro but the system can play and record to CDs or MP3 players.
Guess you will know what I will be up to later on as I am home alone this weekend. Play those vinyls that I haven't played in such a long time. YEP! It will be like the good old days that will bring back some memories.
This week marks the first anniversary of the Queensland Floods that hit Toowoomba, country towns in the Locker Valley, Ipswich and Brisbane. While we had weeks of rain last summer, this week we are experiencing a heatwave with temperatures scorched to mid-late 30's for afew days.
Normally I can handle summer days with temperatures up to around 32 degrees, but once the temperature gauge hits past our normal body temperature, it becomes unbearable and generally nightime is the hardest time to have a good sleep pattern.
This was the wrong week to have a heatwave as I planned on spring cleaning downstairs. Except for today I basically stayed upstairs in the comfort of my air conditioner in the main living room for quieter times here at my office table.
This evening I thought about going for a swim but I was quite surprise to discovered the pool water was very cold when I added my feet in for 10-15 minutes. The pool is under ground so it might be the reason why the water can stay cold for days after days of hot days. My feet still feel like a block of ice, half an hour or more later.
Haven't barely consume alot of foods this week as it is too hot to eat. But I have lost count on how many litres of cold liquids I consumed through. Hot summer days like this, ice-cream, cold fruit and salads are generally the best thing to consume. While I was out for lunch with a friend today, I consumed a nice club sandwich, freshly made with a filling of green salad and chicken. Don't know what to have for dinner as yet.
How about you? How do you cope with a heatwave over summer?
Inspite our country is now half way into our summer season, some areas of the country have been issued severe storm warnings like in the Northern Rivers of NSW right now. Most of the warnings generally state damaging winds, large hailstones and flash flooding and going by the latest on radar I am sure there will be some good rainfalls happening in this area as listed this afternoon.
SE QLD has been forecast possible storms later on today. I wouldn't be surprised if we get a good storm later on because the clouds have started to form and we had a hot day. Not sure what Brisbane city and bayside temperatures would of had been up to but where I live it reached 36 degrees and further west from Ipswich and beyond I heard they had their temperature max to 38. Only now the temperature is starting to drop since the winds have picked up here. But if this rain or storm does come, the temperature will drop even faster for tonight which would be good to have some real sleep as it was very humid here last night.
But just a friendly reminder for all, if you have a severe storm warning issued in your town of Australia, please take note what our officials say what to do:
* Move your car immediately to an undercover area and away from trees.
* Secure or put away loose items around your property (including baloncies).
* Keep clear of fallen power lines. Make sure your kids get that clear message!
* Keep clear of creeks and storm drains. Make sure your kids know to not swim here.
* Don't walk, ride your bike or drive through any flood waters.
* If you are trapped by flash flooding, seek refuge in the highest available place and ring 000 if you need rescue.
* Unplug all computers and electrical appliances.
* Avoid using the phone during the storm.
* Stay indoors away from windows, and keep children and pets indoors as well.
* For emergency help in floods and storms, ring SES on 132 500
As I sit here typing away on my blog, the currrent temperature outside is 33 degrees and it even morning tea hours yet. I love hot summer days! I love to dress with limited amount of clothing on freely at home and do water fun activities in the pool or visit the waterpark.
We were warned a couple of days ago we might experience a heatwave this week. Really.. define what a heatwave means because I live in a sub tropical state. All the years I can remember living here it's normal to have hot and humid days and nights but I think in the last couple of years we had more unaveraged temperatures and residents have forgotten what a true summer is really about. Further out west would be about 5-10 degrees hotter then the coastal areas. It's really them who get the heatwave more then coastal towns.
Around this time last year, Locker Valley experienced their inland tsunami and about 24 hours later, Ipswich and Brisbane was unindated with floods. The last time this happened was back in 1974 which I was abit too young to really remember what the experience was like for us residents.
I don't know what the insurance companies (that's if they existed in 1974) was like back then but I did hear last year alot of people had serious dramas with their insurance companies. Most of the companies didn't wanted to pay these people their claims because they believe the floods was invented by man.
Realistically, this weather pattern known as La Nina or whatever you call it, is just part of the life cycle. If everyone reads more about the history of the weather pattern, this weather change was due to happened after such a long draught for many years.
Unfortunately our great Grandparents aren't alive anymore to share their experience of their weather patterns they experienced. I am sure they had experience similar wild weather patterns over summer too.
But you got to remember population has increased over the years so more housing estates are up and it means more drainage is required and so on. Could bad drainage could be the main issue too??
Tonight on Channel seven news will have a report about what happened to residents twelve months on. It will be interesting to watch to see if these residents have really moved on with their lifestyle or still having dramas with rebuilding their properties. From what I heard it could take a couple of years before these residents really get back to normal on their feet. And the last thing on their mind is more wild weather to hit this summer.
