Friday 27th March

I have been soooo naughty today!!
The computer system went down this morning, so instead of waiting and twiddling my thumbs.........
I snuck out and went and got a hair cut instead!
SO NICE to be sitting there having a head massage while everyone else would have been sitting there waiting for the computers to start working again!  
Hahahahaha.....
I noticed this morning that my neglected follicles were looking even worse than I remembered them to be, and were so dry and split at the ends, it was almost embarrassing to leave the house!!
But........... NO MORE!  
I feel lighter and less "split" already!  hehehe
She took about an inch off the length, so you can't actually tell that I have been to the salon, but I know.
God I love working next door to the largest shopping mall in the Wellington region!  lol
Although my credit card is not talking to me at the moment!  

Lunch time I was out on a mission to find the game "Rummy-O"  for my Mummy-O........ hahahahahahaha
Yeah - I'm an idiot!
Anyway, I couldn't find the bloody game ANYWHERE, but DID manage to find some casual pants for the Princess on the sale rack at Farmers.
My girl is growing so fast, the winter pants from last year are too short now, so at least she will have warm ankles when the weather gets cold again!

I wanted something "yummy" for lunch, and decided on Sushi.
We have a great little place in the Mall that sells individual pieces of Sushi, instead of the standard 8 piece pack that everyone else seems to sell.
So.......... with my eyes being bigger than my belly, I selected THREE pieces of Sushi, for the grand total of $3.60 thankyouverymuch.
Well, I have managed to eat 2 pieces without any hassles, but I have that "OhMiGosh I think I ate too much" feeling going on.....
You know how your stomach feels after that HUGE meal on Christmas day, and you need the rest of the afternoon to find a couch and lie down to sleep it off?
Yep - after just TWO pieces of Sushi, I am feeling full as a damn bull and LOVING IT!!!!!!!!
In the past, I would have gone for the 8 piece pack, then hit Muffin break on the way back to my desk to get "something sweet" for the afternoon!
I could quite easily kiss goodbye to $10 - $12 at least for lunch back in the day......
Now......... just a few measly dollars will get me my fix!
BRILLIANT!!!!!

I went over to see the Coffee chick today.
Usually I send one of the boys across to get my caffeine fix in the morning, so I haven't seen Chrissy for about a month.
I tell ya what - there was almost more steam coming out of her head than the milk steamer when she saw me walk across the road!
Her mouth dropped open and she just about jumped across the counter to hug me!
It was (and always will be I imagine) fantastic to have such a reaction from someone!
It just gives me goosebumps thinking about it all to be honest!

Oh yeah - I had a phone call this morning from the friend that I have been avoiding - well not really avoiding as such, just taking a break from the friendship at the moment.
Anyway, I do believe that she may have sensed my disinterest in the conversation, because she actually asked about ME!
About how the eating was going, about how Rhian is, about how Jeremy is, about how the house is going.
She NEVER asks about any of us or what we are doing in our lives!
But, I knew it was all too good to be true, because in true Sue fashion....... the next words out of her mouth were:
"Well, I never see you anymore, so you will have to come around tonight"
Hmmmm.......
Actually, Sue.  No I don't have to come around tonight.
And I wont.
It has been quite good just taking a back seat and not having to worry about her or her dramas.
I will carry on as I am for now, and just re-evaluate at a later date I guess.

Thanks to everyone for your great comments about my latest progress pictures.
It is really funny, because apart from the clothes, I can't really see that much of a difference....
And NO - I am not just saying that.
It must be a psychological thing that stops me from seeing it or something, because even when I showed Jeremy last night, he was stunned to see the differences, and couldn't understand how I couldn't.
I can feel it in my clothes, and I can sometimes catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror and think - wow!
But looking at pictures, I can't see it.
Maybe it is because I am too harsh on myself.  Maybe I am being too critical?
Maybe if I admit that I can see changes, then I will have to admit that it is working and that it WILL be successful?
I don't bloody know!
All I know is that the reactions I get from other people give me a buzz, and I walk a bit taller now with more confidence, and I love that.
I also know that one day, I WILL see the differences in the photos, and maybe I will be stunned too!!

Righto......... plans for the weekend?
DIY stuff at the house.
Jeremy ordered the paint for Rhian's room, and that turned up today.
So tomorrow I will be painting the princess's new room a delightful shade of purple!
She originally wanted purple walls with pink dots, but I drew the line at pink dots!
Not that Rhian knows it of course!  hehehehe.....
So that is my job.   Plus there is a little bit of "cutting in" to do on the walls in the hallway that the boy has FINALLY agreed to let me do (one less thing for him to do I guess hehehe)
And, once I have finished the painting tasks, I will be sanding the windowsills and skirting boards in the fourth bedroom, so that I can make a start on painting that too.
Jeremy has the ceilings to sand, and the walls to sand as well as finishing the plastering in the kitchen, so that the walls can be painted in there BEFORE the new cabinets go in.
Once it is all livable again, we will both be moving back in.
There is a huge list of stuff to be done, but Jeremy seems to think that in a couple of months it will be ready!!!

Here is the plan........
Rhian's bedroom:
Needs to be painted (easy job as it is just going over the top of the existing colour - no prep work to be done) 2 coats

Hallway:
"Cutting in" done around the skirting boards at the bottom and facia boards at the top - 2 coats

Fourth bedroom
Plastered walls to be sanded
Skirting boards & window sills to be sanded.
Ceiling to be painted (1 coat)
Walls to be painted (2 coats)
Sills & Skirting to be painted (2 coats)

Lounge
Light plastering to be completed on walls
Plastered walls to be sanded
Skirting boards & window sills to be sanded.
Ceiling to be painted (1 coat)
Walls to be painted (2 coats)
Sills & Skirting to be painted (2 coats)
Electrician to install more power points.

Kitchen
Cupboard to be built around hot water cylinder
Light plastering to be completed on walls
Plastered walls to be sanded
Skirting boards & window sills to be sanded.
Ceiling to be painted (1 coat)
Walls to be painted (2 coats)
Sills & Skirting to be painted (2 coats)
New Kitchen cabinetry to be installed and plumbed and wired in
New dishwasher, oven, hob & wastemaster to be purchased and installed.
New back door to be fitted.

Then, the last thing to be done before we move back in, is to have 2 new heat pumps purchased and installed, cos there aint NO WAY that I am moving back in there without some sort of DECENT heating system!  Hehehehe - yep - I can be a princess too!  
So there ya go!
A LOT to be done over the next few months before we can shift.
Then, once we are back in there, it will take a month or two to save enough money for the new carpet and lino, which will all go down at the same time.
Then, after that, more money will be saved for the bathroom to be completely re-lined and re-fitted.
Then..... the last thing to do will be the outside of the house, which needs to be re-painted, and have a new driveway laid.
Exciting stuff!
But of course......... good things take time :)

Rhian has a birthday party to go to on the weekend - it is the 5th birthday of her best friend Poppy.
Not sure if she actually realises that it means Poppy will be going to school and not going back to Kindy, but I guess we will cross that bridge when we get to it!
I am sure that there will be tears.... but I am also sure that by the time her turn rolls around to go to school, there will be loads of new friends.

So......... if I am not painting, or sanding, or at a 5th birthday party, then I will probably be sleeping!!!
Bring it on!!!!