Cate's Diary

Hi Sam, It may have sounded like I'm not feeling well but I actually feel quite good. I'm just a bit bloated & constipated & you know how that makes you feel. It's the price I pay for having such a great, "naughty"(read lots of beer probably) week-end in Melbourne. Mentally I feel fine & quite positive. I'm just having trouble finding the motivation to go back on the original program! We need a new thread for grumpy sometimes/happy others, fallen off the wagon, post Cohen's "oldies" but I may be the only one who fits the bill! Talk soon, cheers, Cate.
 
Hey Cate

Yes I knew what you meant. We have all been there at one time or another. It sounds like you had a great weekend and you will get back on track soon. Life is to be enjoyed:) this coming from a still sick Sam hoping to feel better by tomorrow. Hubby home to help today but nothings been done "yet"...mmmmmm very frustrating when the dishes are piling up and the washing is above the full washing load mark and I also have my ys home sick.
I have got to not stress.
Sam
 
Hi Sam, I see many parallels between you & my DIL. It's very hard looking after small children. At times I was crawling up the wall, wondering if that's all there was to life-never ending housework! Try to learn to relax a bit about it. Things need to be done, sure, but, in the greater scheme of things housework doesn't matter much at all. By that I don't mean forget hygiene altogether & all end up with some nasty bug but Vogue magazine are not about to arrive to take photos. Your husband sounds like he is fairly supportive & caring. Please try to relax a bit about it & enjoy your family & take care of yourself, xo Cate. PS I have a flu injection every year in April & no longer even catch a cold. I also take a Horseradish, garlic & Vitamin C capsule daily all year round.
My day-
I've had a really good Cohens(maintenence minus) day. No bread, no rice, Mango/natural yoghurt for brekky, crackers mid morning, egg salad for lunch, followed by an apple, beef rissoles & vegies for dinner, followed by stewed fruit & yoghurt. No alcohol at all. Lots of green tea & water. I haven't eaten any chocolate this week at all. I'm still retaining a bit of fluid. I bought some Bekunis tea today & have had some in my peppermint tea tonight so hopefully there will be "movement at the station."
My LH is working for the next 3 days so I am going to have a good go at listing on eBay. I have tried taking decent photos today but it's not as easy as I thought. I'll persevere. I keep adding to the things I want to sell. If I succeed in selling some it will be great!
I had better get back to the footy. Since half time, when the Saints were flogging Essendon we seem to have forgotten how to play footy!! I know, I know, It's just a game!
Cheers for today. If anyone can just say "Go the Saints!" it might just help.......cheers, cate
 
I really don't like to use the word hate but I am really getting very crabby with telstra. I typed a huge post about my wonderful day in great detail & lost the lot. They keep booting me off the Internet. It is very frustrating!
Great day- lost 1kg since Monday.
Started rearranging the 2 spare bedrooms.
Sorted out herb seeds that I have been collecting
Stuck to Cohens maintenence minus a bit
Did lots of housework
Sorted lots of stuff for eBay
Listened to some boppy, rocky music including Talking Heads & Jimmy Barnes
I feel really good!
I am enjoying not working
I am not going to risk losing this paltry, in comparison, post so will head, cheers Cate
 
Hi cate,

Congrats on the 1 kilo weight loss since Monday (thats better than what I have done) you should be celebrating that in the 5k Challenge, thats an awesome result. Way to go Cate!

Also congrats for son's win...wooo hooo!!Apart from crappy telstra you sound sooooooo happy !! Happy that your happy Cate.....you deserve this!

I am off cohens for a week (Greek Orthodox lent) it's easter next Sunday. I have explained in 5K thread.

Re: typing up long posts, why dont you start typing in a word document and as you type keep hitting save so if you get booted off you wont have lost anything, when done, copy and paste in here. Just a suggestion!

have a great week cate, keep smiling!

TTFN
Annie Lusion
 
Hi Annie, Great idea! I used to do that then got lulled into a false sense of security with my Internet connection. I'll start again.
I am just having a sneak look now as I am determined to start listing on eBay today. I had better change the order of my tabs on Internet Explorer so I'm not so easily distracted.
Annie- I would love to meet your family sometime. I simply must visit Greece. Tell me sometime where your parents originate from. I think I love almost everything Greek, especially the food, the family values, the hospitality, did I mention the food(LOL)
I had better get my a.... into gear.
Thanks for your visit sweets. I don't get so many posters anymore & love it when I do. Look forward to catching up with you again one day, xo Cate. (My LH says hi A! )
 
Another good day in my part of Paradise!
Kannadew is going to be here in a week. Woo Hoo!!
I had better get house-cleaning or she'll think I'm a slob. Whoops the truth's out!
I have learned to relax about housework which is good because by the time I get to one end of the house it's time to start all over again. Phew! There is so much glass which is great as you never feel shut in but sometimes I wish I had a glass-cleaning genie.
I took some half decent photos today for my eBay selling but then read that you should change the resolution so have got my camera book out & been doing more homework. I guess I'll get there in the end. Then I studied fees & tips…….
I forgot to do this on a word doc as Annie suggested so just quickly cut & pasted & saved. Thanks for that Annie. I must remember to do it all of the time. It’s actually way better typing this way anyway.
Tomorrow I must just make a definite start. I’m starting with something really small. I must weigh it in the morning & work out postage costs. I think I’ll start with Aust only until I get the hang of it.
This will do for today. No-ones about much anyway. Good night folks, Cate.
 
I seemed to be so busy today but don’t have much to show for it. It’s amazing how you can fill in a day so
easily! I did a lot of housework- ironing etc. It’s such a thankless task. No-one can see what you’ve done.
I felt like eating all day today which was unusual & not good. I ate lots of protein mainly & tonight I feel so full!
I am going bush-walking tomorrow & have my bag packed, lunch prepared etc & am determined to go.
My SIL rang today & we are going to visit her after my vein ap’t on Wed & stay for dinner, which will be nice. Her & her husband both are disability support workers & don’t have much spare time. It’s really hard to catch up with them so I am really looking forward to it.
If my SIL & BIL are not going to the Anzac Day march/lunch on Friday we may not go. I hope they do go. I had never been until last year & it was really good. We caught up with lots of people that we knew & it was a really emotional but positive day. My MIL is inclined to boss me about so I want more family with us to share it about!
I had better get on the scales in the morning after my over-eating today so that I get back on track. I still didn’t eat anything naughty, just too much.
I finished reading a book today which I really enjoyed. It’s Shane Maloney’s ‘Stiff’. We saw a book club show on the ABC whose panel were all crime writers, including him & he got a really good rap. I ordered his first book from the library so will now order his second. I am going to do this from now on, instead of buying books. It makes much more sense.
I'll be back tomorrow night with a bush-walking report, cheers, cate
 
Hey Cate!!

You are sounding really settled and relaxed these days!! Its so good to "see" after all the ups and downs of the last few months! You sound like you have found yourself in a good place and are generally at peace....

Can you believe there are only 6 sleeps (as I write this!) till I see you!! How cool will that be!? I am soooo looking forward to it!

It really is pretty quiet over here at the moment isnt it? This place goes through fits and starts of busy-ness, which is such a shame... that it cant be more consistent and constant... but its people like you and Sam and Annie and Lauren that really keep it going! Thanks so much you guys!!

Blessya
Kannadew
 
Hi Kannadew, Maaate- only 5 more sleeps now!! I do feel happy & much more relaxed. The other Cate has disappeared again & maybe won't reappear unless I find myself another stressful job. I love not working. I'm back to enjoying life again & looking on the bright side. Life [/B]is good! I'll talk to you soon, cheers, Cate
My day-
The Wacky Walkers went to Chasm Falls, which is near Mt Ironstone. It was a very hard walk for me for a few reasons-
1. I hadn't been for quite a while & was not as fit as I could have been.
2.Half way through the walk we crossed a chasm(hence Chasm Falls name) walking on a log, perched high (20m+?) above the water, with strands of wire either side. Once I would never have even thought about doing this as I have always suffered badly from vertigo. I even feel nauseous seeing someone else standing near a drop of any height. I did it!! I even stopped half way over & had a good look down & didn't even feel dizzy or sick. Wow. I still can't quite believe I did it!
3. There was a lot of mossy rock clambering & I had a fall & jarred my back.I fell & twisted my body at the same time. It really hurt but I jumped up & said I was ok but shook about 5 minutes later. This was only just over half way on the walk & I knew I had a long way to go, including crossing the chasm again on the log. Ouch!
4. I have been having pain in my left arm for ages & can't seem to get it fixed & am not sure what it really is.
5. We also had to cross water a couple of times each way walking over slippery rocks & I did get my feet wet on the way back when I slipped.
After saying all that I am so glad I went because I did it!
A couple of women did not cross the chasm. Going back one year ago I would not have been able to do this walk. In fact I don't think I ever could have done this. My fears would have stopped me. Fear of failure, fear of heights, lack of confidence, not wanting to embarass myself, horror of peeing behind a bush, fear of snakes....... I could probably go on listing them forever but I won't because I am facing my fears & overcoming them!
It's a very liberating feeling. It sometimes feels like there is a clique with the walkers & I felt outside the loop. I decided not to let that worry me either. I am just being myself, being honest & open. If someone doesn't like that I can cope with that as well. I am buddying up with a few & feel I get on well enough with most of them. I am not going to worry too much with those who stick together & don't take the time to try to understand people & their differences. I like to try to draw people out & often find insights into their perceived personalities or quirks. Believing that people are basically good & have value rather than looking for faults often, I think can accentuate their good points. I prefer to focus on these if I can. I don't dislike many people. I can get very hurt though mainly when I think someone is nasty or unfair. I love honesty.
I had a hot bath as soon as I got home with 'lectric soda & don't hurt too much. Whenever I get up it takes me a while to get on the move but then I am nearly 55!!
I just realised I wasn’t typing in a Word doc so quickly cut/pasted etc . Whoops- Annie I’m a slow learner!
I had better quit now before I seize up totally. I’m off for vein treatment tomorrow again but will have a look in the morning. Cheers everyone, Cate
 
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Didn't get that chance for a look this morning but have just got home from dinner in Launceston. My LH came too & we had a lovely day. Dinner at my SIL's was delicious, relaxing & we should do it more often. We get on so well. It's just relaxed & comfortable & we can be ourselves.
Now, I have always been fairly honest in here so feel I should 'fess up. My SIL works one day a week with the client I used to work with & chatted to me about her tonight. No pressure at all. I asked how she was going & admitted that I missed her. Apparently she often asks about me & how I am. My SIL suggested that I could perhaps go back & work just one day a week so......I am ringing in the morning to say that I am available one day a week, preferably Saturdays.
My husband & I chatted about it on the way home. I really think a lot of the problem before was that I spent so much time in the home. Often I worked 3 or 4 days in a row for 8 hour stretches. I have thought about how I would approach the job if I go back.I cannot change the world. I cannot change her home life but I can make a little bit of difference. If I can work Saturday it will provide me with enough pay that I won't need to worry about looking for another job, especially if I start selling on eBay.
I might ring in the morning & they may not want me at all. So be it. My SIL thinks they will agree though. It would be much easier to stay employed with them than have to start all over again when I really only want 1 or 2 days max per week. I feel much better now & more like my old self. If I do go back & find I am getting miserable or even not wanting to go to work then I will pull the pin & quit altogether.
My husband got a call this morning from an old boss asking him to do some work in a couple of weeks. They had a brief discussion & we are calling in tomorrow to have a chat. I have discussed with him that he should not work for them unless they are prepared to pay him more & he has agreed. He is very popular & is a great worker & I think he should be valued & paid accordingly. He is also only going to work a couple of days a week, during the week, not week-ends as they do not pay penalty rates & only if his current employer does not have work available during that time. He works casually & there is not much work available at the moment. He really enjoys cooking where he is.
Hopefully he does not get talked into doing more than he wants to. He hates saying no!
I had better get some sleep. I am fairly stiff and sore but don't seem to have done myself too much harm with my fall yesterday. The vein specialist noticed that I was bruised badly & commented that my walks were 'obviously not a walk in the park'!
Good night folks, cheers, Cate
 
Cate's monologue, continued (typed at lunch-time today, copied & pasted now as there is nothing in here to add to)
I rang my work supervisor & told her that I felt good & was now available to work one day only a week. I said that I thought that I had been working too many hours in the household & she agreed that is an issue with this particular client. She is going to talk to the management team & call me back. She said they have a new employee which I knew about. I also know that there is a problem with another employee on the roster & it looks like there will be a need for another worker very soon. Personally I think it would be best for all staff to only work one day a week in this home & it sounds like they have realised that it is an issue. It’s a much better idea to not burn people out. I hope they have learned form my experience. I know I have!
I am not going to worry either way. If they want me back that’s ok. If they don’t that’s ok too. At least I know that the client & her mother are not saying anything nasty about me & have been enquiring about me & showing seemingly, sincere concern, which is nice. It shouldn’t matter to me but it does. I am only human. I care. I have missed the girl & have been wondering how she is going but did not want to ask my SIL in case she told me they were saying horrible things about me, eg. I deserted her.
We really enjoyed yesterday. Dinner at my SIL’s was so nice. I do love her. I love her honesty, her determination, loyalty, almost everything about her really. I also enjoy the company of the vein remedies staff. I almost always have a laugh with them & a good chat about very diverse things.
My husband is only going to work 2 sessions with his old employer. He rang rather than visited. His current employer has given him enough work around the same time so that he doesn’t really need or want anything more. He seems relieved about it. I think he quite enjoyed the camaraderie in the workplace but not the stresses of being a supervisor. It was also very physically tiring & lowly paid as are a lot of jobs in Tassie. His current employment, whilst only casual, has excellent pay & conditions. I noticed he did not mention that he thought he should be paid more if he did go back to work for them. He is never assertive & can be taken advantage of unfortunately. It’s very unusual for someone not to like him.
We are having a bit of a lazy day today. I’m not getting much housework done. He’s reading the book I finished the other day. I can’t be bothered doing much housework today. There’s always tomorrow & Saturday before Kannadew gets here!
I am going to type off-line from now on & save so I don’t tie the phone line up so have not checked my diary yet to see if anyone has posted. I’m expecting a call soon so will save this now & edit later.
Cheers from Wacky Cate. (dual meaning there- Wacky Walker & I can hear someone out there saying I must be wacky to consider going back to my old job!)
Just got a message that our son & family are about to arrive for a visit. Woo Hoo!
P.S.-
Great visit. Lovely. We hadn't had lunch yet & they had a picnic lunch with them so we combined forces & they stayed for a few hours. Nice. Later my SIL called in to pick up some rocks for their landscaping.
An excellent day. Didn't get a call about the job. It doesn't matter at all.
Cheers, Cate
 
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Whoah! I had no idea I typed so much yesterday!
i'll keep it brief today-
Great day-
Went to the Anzac Day march in Deloraine, lunch at the RSL with my MIL; my LH, BIL & a SIL(different ones); a niece & great niece; a nephew,his wife, their baby son & another BIL (the husband of my favourite SIL).
Had a good day even though my MIL was a bit of a pain.
Our OS called in on his way home from work & I have organised to go with Kannadew for a cave tour which will be nice.
I feel as fat as a pig tonight & can only put it down to having a sandwich at lunch-time at the RSL.
I had never been to an Anzac Day march until last year. I used to think it was a glorification of war but it is nothing of the sort. We should give thanks for what we have, especially our freedom. It feels good again to be Australian. Hopefully from now on we will be able to be more openly friendly to refugees & those who are not as lucky as us.
Next year we will take one or two of our grand-kids & explain what it's all about. We enjoyed being with family. My husband's brother led the singing. He was only 5 when their father died but wore his dad's badges & his step-dads. My MIL actually served in WW2, packing parachutes. I can understand the feeling behind the ceremony. It is not at all about saying war is good. It is just the opposite.
Kannadew has rung & I am so looking forward to meeting her on Sunday. It's very funny as we are both going to check out our respective photos so that we will be able to find one another!
No-one about so will head. Cheers to all, Cate
 
I went to bed last night feeling so fat & horrible & uncomfortable & can only assume it was having a sandwich for lunch. I have hardly eaten any bread since finishing Cohen’s & am starting to think it was my biggest downfall. It really is just a facility for spreads & fillings. It’s very filling at the time but I am hungry soon after & it is obviously not good for my system. I had a Lemon Saline, took a laxative, woke up this morning feeling a lot better but had some Metamucil to make sure(!)
I am currently 2.5kg over my top of goal weight range, which is 5.5kg over what I got down to.
I have to decide what I am going to do about it. I need to go back on the original program 100% to ensure that I lose the weight I feel I need to. I have a feeling meeting & seeing Kannadew in the flesh is going to inspire me. I’m hoping so. There is also the issue that my scales were inaccurate all along & that I weighed 6kgs more than I thought I did. I would not have stopped when I did if I had known that. I probably would not be having the trouble stabilising that I am if I had actually got down to my intended weight.
So many people have said “don’t lose any more,” including my husband but I would prefer to lose at least 5-8kgs. My legs are still big & I often have a fat stomach (bloated.)
I cannot believe how hard it is to actually re-commit to Cohen’s 100%.
It is raining quite hard at the moment. We have hardly had any rain for months but I would have preferred it waited until next week. Kannadew arrives tomorrow & if it stays this way she’s not going to even see any mountains. They are not at all visible for cloud & fog. Mind you, I just looked out the window & a scarlet robin is sitting on a post looking very happy about life. My garden is going to love it!
I have not had a look yet to see if anyone has posted so will add to this if they have. Otherwise it’s cheers from me, Cate.
PS No posts so just copied & pasted without any changes!
But just remembered I looked at Kannadews photos@New You & that is why I think she'll inspire me to go bacK 100%!! WOW!
 
It was a lovely clear day when I woke up this morning. Cool, but clear. Picked Kannadew up & we went to Cataract Gorge, in the heart of Launceston. It's a beautiful place. I was quite nervous & excited picking her up from the airport, but mostly excited & looking forward to it. I like her as much as I thought I would. I really am chuffed that she would go out of her way to meet me.
We chatted & chatted as I drove home.....well I did mostly! We had a lovely lunch at the Christmas Hills Raspberry farm/cafe, then picked my LH up from golf, came home, checked out one another's photos, more chatting, had dinner & watched Robin Hood. Kannadew has only really had a bit of a nap in the last 24hrs, on the plane, so has crashed early.
Tomorrow we are off touring. Unfortunately Tassie has put on a cold snap for her & the expected overnight temp is 0c! OMG. That was sudden. We went from Summer to Winter almost overnight.
My SIL rang me today to ask me to fill in for her 1 day next week so, guess what? I am working for one day, back with the same client. She is going to let the boss know that I am doing her shift. She says they have absolutely no reason at all to object. I have worked out strategies for me to help make the job easier to cope with. This is a good way to see how I go.
I'm hoping that we see snow tomorrow as Kannadew has never seen it. I think we're a chance. I had better have an early night, cheers,Cate
 
Kannadew & I had a great day touring. We went to Sheffield, via the scenic, longer route, looked at the murals, from the warmth of the car & then headed for Mole Creek, checking out the view from a couple of look-outs along the way. The day was cold but clear & Kannadew got to see what Tassie is about. We went to the Mole creek caves & were given a personal tour by our lovely OS.
We then ventured on to Deloraine, via the Chudleigh Honey Farm, which is fascinating & had lunch at the Deloraine Deli at 2.45! After shopping (needed yoghurt urgently!) we arrived home only just before my LH. We had a really nice day & I enjoyed being tour guide. I absolutely love Tasmania & never tire of the sights. It's great to be able to show someone else. I am still hoping for snow. I think we may head for Devonport tomorrow, via the cheese factory, chocolate factory.....
I'll say goodnight for now, cheers, Cate
 
Kannadew has headed off on the next leg of her holiday. It was a lovely stay. I felt so relaxed & comfortable in her company. It was great! We have spent the last 3 days touring around looking at the sights. The weather was brisk, fresh, invigorating, crisp, refreshing…… In other words, pretty damned cold. She survived intact, with probably her ears being the biggest casualty(from being ear-bashed!)We have enjoyed good food, including delicious desserts & gourmet chocolate & cheese & have both lost a little weight while she was here, by sticking to the basic Cohen’s maintenance principles. Meeting Kannadew & especially seeing her has inspired me to re-commit to the original program to drop those kilos that I know I carry because of the scales being inaccurate. At her suggestion I will start on the 19th of May, the day after my 55th birthday. I don’t think it will take me long to lose them as I think I will drop down a bit in the next 2 weeks anyway. She looks wonderful.We shopped in Devonport yesterday & I bought some runners. I told her that I have been secretly running a little & have been wanting to take up running again. I had not told anyone that including my LH. That’s the Psychologist in her drawing out my inner person! I think she would be very good at her job as she’s a natural. A people person who really cares about people.We dropped her off at the airport in Launc. & I have been to the local medical centre & obtained a clearance to go back to work. I have faxed it but have not heard yet if they want me to work tomorrow or not. Communication is not good with this employer. I will ring at 4pm if I still have not heard from them. I don’t want to risk turning up if I am not expected or welcome.The client is meant to have been contacted to make sure that they are happy to have me back. My SIL can’t imagine why I would not be welcome. It was amusing that they required a certificate but it didn’t bother me much. They’re covering their derrieres in case I go bananas & claim workers comp I suppose!I am going to check out starting a blog of my own elsewhere so I can do more things with it. I am also going to check out some computer courses.Thanks Kannadew for taking the brave step to come visit me. I appreciate & welcomed your input & encouragement. I am happy to have met you & to call you a valued friend, cheers & bless you, Cate
 
I faxed my clearance certificate today & by 4.45 I still had not received a call from my work supervisor. I rang & she was not there but the man I talked to thought that tomorrow's shift had been cancelled. I said that it would have been nice to have been informed as I would have turned up tomorrow & it would have been very embarrassing. He agreed & said he would get her to ring me in the morning. I am not at all impressed & it brought back some of the old feelings. A week ago I was not considering going back, then I was excited about it. Now......??
I will spend my day at home instead doing some research into courses. 'night, Cate
 
Got a call about 11am from the woman at work who was meant to phone me yesterday. She said the client & her mother are happy to have me back one day a week & that I will be on the next roster. She did not mention not calling me so I did. I said it was lucky that I rang yesterday or I would have turned up this morning & been embarrassed. She then apologised & said she remembered when she was about to go to bed last night.
I will have to ensure that I protect myself this time. I will say no to any shifts that do not suit me & will not work any more than 2 shifts a week with this client. One shift will be a regular shift, any extras will be just that- a fill-in. I am going to take breaks every day & actually leave the home. I am not going to do the mother’s housework or get tangled up with their personal problems. I am going to learn to switch off.
This, of course, is for me, but by typing it will re-enforce it in my mind.
I will still keep looking around, especially at courses. I hope the physio gets organised soon as I am looking forward to starting an exercise program. I now have a good pair or runners. I joked to Kannadew that today’s wage would pay for them but didn’t get to earn it after all.
I am in 2 minds about going back. Until yesterday I was feeling quite excited about it but not getting the promised call back refreshed my memory of how incompetent my employer actually is. They have very poor communication skills & are very disorganised. I must be very careful & strong.
Today is a miserable, foggy, rainy day. Talk about good timing getting such lovely clear days while Kannadew was here! She took the sunshine with her!
I haven’t had a look to see if anyone has posted in the forum yet as I don’t expect anything. Will add a P.S. if necessary. I’ll try not to duplicate my post today as I did the other day. No wonder it looked huge!
Cheers, Cate
 
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