32 by 32 - Go Parasailing

This week I celebrated by 31st  birthday. Normally I make big plans but this year didn't really feel like doing much - just dinner with friends, as there were other substitute birthday plans happening already. I went to a gig, had a family dinner with the in-laws and...parasailing!

My brother and I have a tradition where we buy each other adventure vouchers every year for Christmas and/or our birthdays. Invariably these end up being used in a rush around my birthday because they're summer events and expire soon. As it was with parasailing, which is why I put it on my 32 by 32 list. It's a nice easy win ;)

D, my brother R and I drove to Rye, along the Mornington Peninsular. The day started our overcast with rain forecast but ended up sunny - thanks global warming! We didn't really know what to expect and we were the last ones on the boat, then off we went.

R and I about to take off

A couple of people went before us, then it was time for D and I. We strapped in and up we went! It was a lot of fun and very relaxing. We could see for ages and the water was the most amazing colour. When we eventually came down we thought we would get dunked in the drink, but only our legs did. 

Weee!

I went straight back up again with my brother, and was able to lie back as I was seated a little differently and really enjoy it. It was a little windier so we were buffeted around more, which was a lot of fun. We did get dunked.

Almost...

We then checked out Gannamatta beach, which is the ocean side of the peninsular where all the surfers go. Man, it looked awesome! Pretty rough though - not sure if I want to surf there any time soon!

All in all it was a great day out. Parasailing is really peaceful and easy, and not at all scary. If you're thinking of doing it definitely give it a go.

Hope you all had a good weekend!

Ridiculous runs and Domestic Goddesses

This weekend has been a great one! Saturday I bit the bullet and went shopping for new runners. After getting shin splints from my last ones (which were gain analysed and all that jazz) I was a little concerned about getting new shoes. After spending more than I planned on, I have shiny new runners. Perfect for running in my first Hash House Harriers. 

After signing up to a random HHH a year ago, I was finally able to attend a meeting. Basically HHHs are known as drinking groups with a running problem, or running groups with a drinking problem (depending on your view point). So I knew it would be a good day.

Dan came along and we met up at a pub in the city, with about 13 other people, many of them HHH virgins as well. We got told what it's all about and then off we went. It was hilarious. Running through the city yelling "On on!" or "On left" while tourists and locals stared at the rag tag group of crazy people running was awesome.  

Running down Little Bourke St (Chinatown)

After 11kms running through the city and surrounding areas, we ended up back at the pub for a drink and an initiation into HHH culture. After chatting and promising to come back next month, Dan and I decided  hearty Mexican was in order, so Taco Bills was the next port of call. Being a birthday club member meant that my meal and a slice of Mexican cake was free (SCORE!). I always forget that you really should wear your stretchy pants when you go to Taco Bill. We rolled ourselves home and parked on the couch to watch much more fit and talented people than us dance on TV. 

Truth

Today I was feeling all domestic goddessy and made some zucchini muffins from the epic haul in our garden. 

I made the muffins using this recipe as a base, and substituting the ham, capsicum and mushrooms for a grated zucchini, 1 small carrot and three sundried tomatoes. It was pretty awesome.

Delicousness

I also made vegie stew with lentil dhal for meals during the week. What I'm really happy about though is that I've only had 5 drinks this week, so I've stuck to my resolution of only having 6 drinks a week, even though drinking is a large part of HHH culture. Next week is my birthday week though so that will be quite hard, but this week it's been easier than I thought. Hooray! Fingers crossed for next week.

32 by 32

When I first started this blog I had a 30 before 30 challenge where I aimed to do 30 things before I turned 30. Since 30 is a seminal age, the items on that list were bucket list items and smaller yet still significant items.

I'll be 31 on January 15th, and would like to redo this list. However this time there is a random mixture. Some big things, but many little things. Some are things that are on my new 'one day list', which is a list of those things that you'll always say you'll do one day then forget about. I did one of these things today but will post about it another time. Some are other ones that I had on my big list but couldn't get around to.

So, in no particular order, here is my 32 by 32 list.

1. Do the splits
2. Cage dive with great white sharks
3. Learn to surf
4. Do a ghost tour around Melbourne
5. Do vertical splits again (i.e. splits up a wall or pole)
6. Go parasailing
7. Get my chest to the ground when stretching my legs out
8. Run a marathon (or another half marathon, but let's aim high shall we!)
9.  Bike ride along the beach
10. Do a somersault on the trampoline
11. Visit the Melbourne Museum
12. Have high tea
13. Visit Scienceworks
14. Register for Tough Mudder or Oxfam Trailwalk
15. Do Febfast
16. Sew a skirt and love it (or at least one that I can wear often)
17. Try aerial or hooping
18. Do Bikram yoga
19. Bake bread from scratch
20. Cook with Rhubarb
21. Make a delicious three course meal
22. Make Ice cream or sorbet
23. Cook one meal per month that I've pinned to my Pinterest board
24. Play golf
24. Read at least one classic
25. Do the Bay West Trail
27. Do Barefoot Bowling
28. Have dinner at Milanos
29. Go to the Art Deco 1920's pub/restaurant
30. Wednesday night trivia at the newly discovered pub up the road
31. Do the entire Yarra Scenic Drive
32. Sail a long ship

Join me as I do my 32 by 32 challenge. Do you have any items you've always wanted to do?

Brand new year

I love this time of year. The craziness of Christmas and New Year's is over, and it's a brand new year. Everything is filled with opportunity and there is a chance to wipe the slate clean and think about what you want the coming year to be.

I have many plans for 2013. One of my favourite things to do is go to the hills and hike for a while, find a nice spot to settle in and then go through my goals from the year before and see how it went. I didn't do this for 2012 which made it a little difficult to assess the year against my goals. Since it's been such a crazy year though it's not the end of the world. There were things I definitely accomplished, and things I didn't have on my list which I did accomplish, so it's all good.

I have a long list of things I plan on doing this year. Here's what I have so far:

2013 goals

• Do the splits
• Run uninjured (i.e. do stretches and exercises EVERY DAY)
• Drink no more than 6 alcoholic drinks per week
• Do the vertical splits for pole dancing
• 5 deadlift chin-ups
• Pay back uni debts
• Get my chest to the ground
• Start saving for a house
• Learn to surf
• Swim with great white sharks
• Be less bitchy and judgmental
• Be more calm
• Do more yoga
• Eat clean 70% of the time
• Make new friends
• Make fitness friends
• Go to the hills once a month
• Volunteer regularly
• See things through to the end 
• Be more proactive
• Be disciplined
• Use social media less
• Lose 3kg of fat (more than happy to gain in in muscle)
• Be more loving
• Call my best friend more

There are too many items on the list and I know there are many items which don't have anything easily quantifiable. This is my wish list though, and I think I will start trimming it down into easily achievable goals. I also have something big planned for the coming year, so watch this space!

2013 - it's gonna be a good one!

;)