The F-Words

Fitness Fanatic

I think I may just be turning into one.....

Memo from Nat’s body to Nat’s brain:

“I’ve been putting up with a lot of uphill lately... mainly because you seem to always be charging up one, power walking your way to a new and improved Nat (Version 3.0). You’re not happy unless we’re out pounding pavements, public footpaths, woodland trails and muddy mires.


Yes, I know that 15 km hike (10 miles in old money) was worth it last weekend, if only for the photo ops at the end......

Blenheim Palace - read more here

The Grand Bridge

And I’ve resigned myself to thrice weekly physical assaults in the shape of those Aikido sessions and that boxercise class with Drill Sergeant #1.


But what on earth possessed you to sign up for a Boot Camp with aforementioned Drill Sergeant #1 ... early on the Sunday morning after the Saturday night the clocks spring forward and we lost an all too precious hour of sleep? Running around a cold misty field, leopard crawling under army camo, turning over massive truck tyres and just generally enduring pain and torture for several hours is not nearly as much fun as it sounds.


I am lodging an official complaint and staging a protest. Expect that excruciating pain in our legs, shoulders and butt to continue for several more days yet....”


Fat

I’m carrying a lot less of it around on my person lately... a consequence of the fitness fanatic lark (see details above) and just not stuffing my face with chocs and cakes and pies consuming as many calories as I used to do. I’m 22 pounds (10 kg)  lighter and feeling fabulous! My clothes are all too baggy but I won’t be buying new ones until I’ve shed about another 20 pounds and hit my target weight.

Feeling

Full of the joys of Spring! This is a beautiful time of the year in the UK... crisp blue skies, bulbs flowering everywhere, long evenings that will grow longer every day until June. The weather the past few days has been gorgeous... sunny and freakishly hot. Of course the newspaper headline writers just love a heat wave....

“Britain basks in balmy weather!”.

“Hotter than Barcelona!”

“Hotter than the The Bahamas!”

“Hotter than the centre of the sun!”

OK, maybe that last one is too extreme, even for the tabloids. They do quickly follow it up with a bit of scare mongering....

“We’re all going to die! Heat wave causes killer water shortage!”

Feline Friends

Apart from those ‘orrible nighbours’ cats with the overactive digestive systems, I am quite partial to cats. I come across many on my daily walks and they are always fairly friendly. Lately it’s been getting a bit out of hand ... like this one who kept following me around, meowing and preening for attention.

Poser!

I was beginning to wonder if I have some sort of animal magnetism for the little creatures or if I should reconsider my choice of perfume (maybe there’s a reason why Eau de le Tom Chat was going cheap). My wise friend soon put my fears to rest though...

“Cats are all in heat this time of year!”

... and she should know (she’s a vet specialising in feline disorders). So lock up your cats unless you want Pussy Galore (with apologies to 007).



Flying Fears

This time next week, I should be waking up and saying...

“Good morning, Vietnam!”

But I have an awful lot of flying to do before then.... and when I say “awful” I do mean dreadful. I fear flying more than I fear things that flap and buzz and crawl. I am going to have to pack some strong pharmaceutical aids to cope with the 12-hour haul from London to Kuala Lampur, followed by the hop to Hanoi, then two more internal flights in Vietnam, plus one to Cambodia before the reverse trip home via KL.



Freaking Out

I’m doing a lot of this lately. Apart from the flying fears, flapping about what to pack for Vietnam, and whether I have enough flippin' bug spray... I first have to wrap things up at work. No mean task and one that has me frazzled!

A major deadline last week, another this week... is it any wonder I am having restless nights with recurring dreams? Such as....I’m at the airport and my flight is being called but I am still trying to finish up something on my laptop... suddenly I realise that I haven’t packed anything (not a thing!) for the trip...!

I haven’t even told Annoying Demanding Client yet that “Girlfriend... I’m outta here for two weeks! Tell someone else who may care....”

She'll no doubt be reassured though, when I email her that "So-and-so-who-drew-the-short-straw will be riding herd on your projects in my absence."

 Fabulous Followers

I have been an appalling blogger the past couple of months... but hang in there, fantastically fabulous, faithful followers! I hope to return from SE Asia with a multitude of fascinating (and perhaps funny tales of my travels), and the odd 'foto' or two.

Bye for now....



Nat x