eat all day

I know there was something else I had to do besides eat twice as much food every day, but I just can't remember what it was.

In other news: absolutely everything the Abbott government is doing is grotesque, and it is like the Howard years in 3D and smellovision. And this is only the first few weeks.

When I rode my bike home down Lorraine Crescent today I saw a white thing on the road which I assumed was a plastic bag or (not that I have ever seen such a thing in our street) a nappy on the road. In fact it was Butterball, happily sitting square in the middle of the road. I chased him off but I fear that if he makes a habit of that kind of thing he might not retain his good looks for a long time.

fitness

If I remember correctly one of the early threads in this blog was about my attempt to give up coffee. I still have failed to do that (or rather, I have succeeded at it a number of times - way to be positive). I no doubt have banged on about a number of attempts to be healthier too. I am now embarking on my newest attempt, which is also my last. If this doesn't work, then fuck it.

So, I have a trainer at the Broadmeadows Fitness Centre, Karen, who is a delight, and who is advising me all about agave syrup and quinoa, etc, and who is going to get me on the cardio machines any day now (I have to get an OK from 'my' doctor that it is alright for me, with my cholesterol madness and asthma, to do these things). Any day now means, when she gets back from Fiji. But she also told me to eat six meals a day (not conventionally sized meals I assume, though she actually didn't specify) and told me how she made yoghurt out of coconut milk which I have to tell you, sounds amazing and I want to do the same. She also told me that next time I took the dogs out I should walk and jog in a proportion of 2 mins to 1.

So this morning I tried it. I failed. Did I mention I am spectacularly unfit? I have some stamina, I suppose, to the extent that I can set out to walk to Keilor or somewhere else 5 or 10 km away and I will get there; I won't sit on a wall after two blocks and light up a fag. But I wasn't even sure what jogging was (still aren't) and while I did try, I certainly quickly found that it made my gorge rise and my heartbeat quickened, very unpleasant experiences, especially the first.

I thought it would be interesting for Barry and Ferdy if I drew away from them with speed and it was, eventually. At first they didn't notice (or did but didn't care). Then they figured it was a lark to chase me. Then Ferdy figured it was a lark to chase a bicycle passing in the other direction, which is a worrying development. But ultimately it was all fine. It was all fine. And it will be finer.  I'll keep telling myself that.

throat

I lost my voice on Saturday, & have had a sore throat every evening and morning (until the sun came up) which has been fairly unpleasant, today the pain was most unpleasant (and why am I saying 'was'? Still is) and seemed to be spreading to my left ear, so I went to a new doctor in Airport West (it was on the way home) and he laughed and said there was absolutely nothing wrong with me.

So that's quite a story.

Me and Jemima on Saturday. It was her 1st birthday. I don't know why I feel this is fine to post here but not on my facebook page. I may take it down. The bottle was empty. I don't know who the other two are sharing the step. Jemima is my niece (1 of 8 neicephews).

2:54 am and a little after

I woke up at 1 am from a bad dream in which Australia's conservative coalition parties were in power. I imagine this will not be the last time this happens. I went outside and Ferdinand was sitting on the step, looking a bit dazed. Barry was out in the garden somewhere, but soon came back to the back door and we had some interaction. From my personal point of view, contact with friendly domestic animals takes the edge off almost any angst you can imagine, and I don't care if it's shallow (it might be) or deep (who knows?) it is just really... nice.

That said, I haven't been able to sleep since, and I'm not sure if I'm hot, or cold.

hater's going to hate

I stopped hating John Howard the day he lost office. It just went. I also stopped hating Jeff Kennett pretty much once he lost power, though I still think it's an incredible irony that such an abusive person could head a depression organisation (at least, one that wasn't promoting depression). When he made that weird pitch a few years ago suggesting that he would come back to lead the Liberals again, I did start to gear up to hate him a little, so I guess there's residual fear and loathing.

I have hated Tony Abbott a long, long time. But I think I have really not yet begun, and I will know the true depth of my hate in about a week. My one consolation is that a lot more people will be hating Tony Abbott before long. A substantial number of people who vote for him on the weekend will probably hate him all the more for having given him that power.