Oh Boy…

Man, I am totally pooped and I haven’t even started driving to my new job yet; let alone STARTED it!  I’m going to make this more of a picture blog today as I have to get all my packing done today since tomorrow is a big Family New Years party at my aunts with all the traditional Japanese food I can inhale! Hehehe!

So, here is Monday night from my Family Christmas dinner…it went well…

 

It was a late night and we ended up watching home movies from 1992…it was hilarious…i don’t know how they all put up with how annoying I was in those videos! Geez!! Haha!

Yesterday was a relaxing day but had to run lost of errands. Started off the day w/ special k berries, blueberries and a container of fage 0%.

Headed out to REI to take my bike in for a tune up, then had to buy some rain pants, fleece, pocket knife and shoulder sling bag…the bill was 125 but I had a $50 gift certificate, then received $50 from another aunt and uncle so I only spent $25! Yay!  Oh yeah, and here’s my bestie with her new coat…she didn’t buy the beanie though.  Hilarious!

We had lunch at this little place called Tacone.  I love their wraps and paninis…sooo good.  I had a spa wrap w/ balsamic vinaigrette and roasted veggies…and a side of sweet potato chips.

Did more shopping at the mall where I scored a great pair of jeans, two nice pairs of running shorts and other nick nacks for my travels starting Friday! Geez!

Came home, had a snack of apple and some kokimochi (not pictured) and then both me and the bestie fell asleep on the couch watching my brother play Call of Duty on his new playstation 3…I seriously don’t know how they can play those games for so long!

I had leftover spaghetti squash that needed to be used, and I believe it was Meghann who made pancakes out of them, so I gave it a shot.  1 egg and 2 whites with spinach, spaghetti squash and taco seasoning, grilled like an omolette but not folded over.  I had it with a piece of bakery bread w/ laughing cow..soo good.

We spent the rest of the night watching The Bad Girls Club…since it’s besties guilty pleasure…man, those girls are NUTS.  Absolute psychos and drama queens…all I did was criticize that whole show, but it gave a good laugh.

Alright, I’m off to start packing.  Posting might get a bit infrequent but I will def make an effort to post as I travel since I’ll be seeing lots of new things and PEOPLE (aka BLOGGERS!!!!!).  Oh yeah…and

HAPPY NEW

YEAR’S EVE!! 

I’m chill’n and staying home since it’s Mom’s 51st bday…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

MOM!!!

 

What is up with my toes?

Sooo…I went for a nice relaxing no radio/ipod or watch run (which i lurrrrve to do!) this afternoon and everything was fine and dandy until I got home and started doing some strength training.  I was doing lunges when I noticed that a few of my toes hurt.  Odd.  Kept going and finished all the weights and ab work and stuff and finally took a shower before the rest of the family got here for our third christmas celebration.  Anyhow, upon observation of my toes (only 4, the middle on my right, the big toe and middle and 4th on the left) were super red and swollen as hard as rocks.  I could still feel them but they were quite numb and they hurt to the touch.  I went through a process of elimination with my dad to figure out what it could be, from new shoes/socks to weather to running style…and nothing has changed or done differently.  anyone heard of this or had it happen?  I’m currently propped with my feet up and popped a few advil in hopes it would die down and go away…it’s totally weirding me out!

Anyhow…Today was a pretty good day.  I woke up with a pretty itchy throat and automatically hit up the tea pot.  Two cups of smoke’n hot tea later and I was feeling a bit better.  Then I got to making some more ting-a-lings for tonight’s dessert and helping clean up the house.  I eventually had breakfast and decided to try something different.  I’m a creature of habit and normally you see walnuts in my oats…but today we had some peanuts left over from the tin-a-lings so I decided to use those instead…Verdict?  Soooooo good with the cranberries and the banana!  I wasn’t a fan of pb w/ my oats so this was great to try!  I think it’s because it included the crunch I love in my oats; I’ll def be using these again!

After all the cleaning I made lunch out of the great bakery bread we picked up at the farmer’s market on Saturday, along with the fresh sun-dried tomato pesto hummus we got there too.  Fabulous sandwich…along with the blueberries and kiwi. Oh yeah, I had an apple before eating lunch…i was ravenous!

Before heading out I had this wonderful bar….then went to Costco to get some more goods for tonight…

Got home and went for my run and snacked on some TLC crackers and laughing cow cheese (sorry, no pic!)  while waiting for everyone to show up…

But, I did get a wonderful surprise in the mail today!!  Sharon from Snippets and Bites sent me a little something for the Gnu bars I sent her just before Christmas!  I was way excited to open it and enthralled at what I got!  I’ve been meaning to get a new book and she said she read this one and it was good so I’m excited for that.  And of course, a girl can never have too many pens and pencils…

THANKS SO MUCH SHARON!!!!

And of course I had to try the tea as I wait for dinner and my throat is starting to feel scratchy again…

I’ll post dinner tomorrow! Have a good night everyone!

Australia Part Two

Hi Everyone.  As always, thank you so much for your comments on yesterday's post.  I'm doing better today as I had some time to think while I birded for 8 hrs today but not as good as I could have been if i'd read your comments before I left!  

Alas, I'm feeling kinda sickly (I blame the early morning wake up and the freezing 30F temps this morning!  Bring me back my heat!!!) so I'm going to post the last of my "trip" posts for you all that I've been preparing.  

Hope you all had a great Christmas weekend and if you have to work tomorrow, I bet it's not that long of a week and that you have New Year's off!  Look forward to that!  

Oh yeah, and I'm going to try my hardest to post tomorrow night but I'm not sure.  We're having another Christmas celebration with my mom's side of the family at our house so it's going to be madness tomorrow.  wish me luck, i'm a little anxious about it...but keeping all your thoughts/comments right in the palm of my hand. :D

~~

As you can tell, I loved my first trip to Australia and all the different places I went to.  I traveled that time with a friend from the program I had studied at, but this time, I went by myself.  Funny thing was, I bought the ticket and then told my parents, so there was nothing they could do about it! LOL!  it was the greatest trip every though.  I spent a month starting at Cairns, then down to Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, over to Melbourne then further over to the 13 Apostles (but not as far as Adelaide).  

I plan on going back a third, fourth, fifth and more times to go back and have more adventures.  I really love the country, the people and everything they do and have there.  Seriously, I think one day I just might have to live there! haha!

Anyhow...here's more visits!

Frasier Island, Brisbane:

Surfer's Paradise, Brisbane:

Brisbane:

Melbourne:

Blue Mountains, Sydney:

Beaches, Sydney:

Sydney: 

Bus trip from Sydney to Melbourne: 

Tablelands, Northeast Queensland: 

Great Ocean Road Tour (travel from Melbourne, loop out and then back to Melbourne):

Can't wait until next time! :D