Weekend re-cap and my first day

Wow. I haven't written since Friday. A lot and not a lot has happened since then. I'll start with Friday night.

Friday night was the houses combined house-warming and for Kirsten's birthday as well as a celebration of the other housemates birthdays which were a month or two ago. Lots of people came and I had a bit of fun, but most of the time I just wanted to leave but I couldn't. I went out and socialised though and had some nice enough chats. I like Kirsten's friend Tina a lot. She's lovely. Towards the end I had a really nice drink with The Germans, as Kirsten calls them, Kat and Lena. Kat is with Stefan and Lena is their friend visiting. They made an awesome drink with muddled lime, 1 shot of vodka, 1 shot of lime cordial, and lots of crushed ice. I had two of those and didn't leave enough time to get sober before I went bed. I wasn't drunk, but feeling buzzed. I was hungover in the morning. Not fun. It sucked because I got into bed at probably 2 or 3 or something but couldn't sleep because I was worried someone would come into Kirsten's room with me in there and harass me. I put my heavy suitcase in front of the door but I was still a bit paranoid and completely aware of what was going on despite trying to nap. It didn't. So Saturday I was very tired.

On Saturday we cleaned the house. I was meant to go to a trial at Kamel but was feeling sick, and had been a bit sick, so I called up and canceled. I haven't heard anything from them since then. Hmm. I don't mind though because it will be better to get a job in the suburb I end up living in. It's easier that way. If I ever find a place to live that is. I want to live alone if possible. After the cleaning, Kirsten and I went to The Great Northern nearby for some chips and a coke/diet coke. The others joined us [Sandi, the other housemate, and her new bf Nick, Stefan and Lena] then Tom [Kirsten's bf] and two of his friends came along. We didn't stay too long. Home after that and a pretty early night. Kirsten stayed over at Tom's for the night so I got the comfy bed. I've been staying on the floor on lots of blankets and a thin camping blow up mattress, which is fine, but the bed is comfier. I have it again tonight too.

Sunday I slept in and it was bad because I found it hard to sleep last night. Once I got up and had some breakfast I went into the City. I wanted to find a backpack for Uni, and I did. I went to this Traveler and Souvenir shop and got a simple backpack for $20. Great! It does the trick. I also went to the National Gallery of Victoria. I didn't see all of it as it was an extremely hot day so I will go back another time and see the rest. I wanted to go to the Botanical Gardens but once again the heat zapped me of any energy so I went to the Victoria Gardens just across the road from the NGV. Then I went back to Kisten's. Later that night she went for a run with a friend and I came along and rode her old bike. It was nice and refreshing as the weather was still nice but the wind in my face as I rode was beautiful. I loved it. We went around this pretty big circuit twice not far from the house. Then I tried to get to sleep and failed.

Today I had my first day of Uni! I thought I was going to be late but the tram driver was awesome. They kept dinging the bell to make cars get out of the way. I still don't understand why on earth they should be allowed to drive over the tram tracks the same way the tram goes. It's ridiculous! It's totally insane and I think it should be dis-aloud. Anyway, I got to the classroom and the lecture hadn't started yet but almost everyone was there. I sat in the back. The lecturer introduced herself and we all did the same. The other students have amazing backgrounds and at least two did a Bachelor of Archaeology at LaTrobe. I'm so jealous. Maybe there's a postgraduate course in archaeology I can do. I'd love that. Then we got into the lecture. Well we read through the unit outline then got into the lecture. We have 3 assignments, one of which I have done part of a draft for tonight, and I'm worried about the last two. The first one should be easy enough to knock off, but it's the others I'll struggle with I believe. I'll get some help. This unit isn't all in the classroom though, which is exciting. We went to the Deakin Art Gallery in the afternoon and will be doing similar excursions on almost each other day we're there. We have 6 days and on 5 of them we'll be out in the field. Pretty exciting. We had a look in the small Deakin gallery then went outside and saw the many sculptures around the campus. Yet another hot day so I struggled. I went on the computers for a bit after the 'lecture' ended then went home. Got off the tram and caught the train but I'm not sure it was much of a time-saver, although the tram was going extremely slow. Kirsten made a too-spicy-for-me curry and I did some homework!

Tomorrow should be good. I need to get up and leave earlier to be able to get myself something to eat for lunch. There wasn't much available at Uni and I'll have to go to the cafe early to secure an apple and cinnamon muffin. Today I got a blueberry one and it was nice but not the same. I want to buy a salad or something so I'll have to go in a lot earlier than I did today. That can be done. I didn't like the stress. I can't remember where we're going tomorrow afternoon but it should be good. Then I'll have Thai Culinary for dinner. Mmm.

There are a few more houses I need to have a look at online. There is a bit of a crappy looking one in Richmond. The ad says it's good for older people or something but I may as well take a look. You can grab the keys from the real estate and go to town. There is one in Elwood that looks nice but Kirsten says that's ages away. I remember going to St Kilda with Amy in 2005 and loved the area but I seem to recall that Elwood wasn't that far away from there and the tram ride didn't seem to take all that long. I guess we'll see. Sarah knows a guy [Nick Cupit] who is moving to Melbourne soon and looking for someone to live with. He went to our high school and apparently knows me as I have served him at thebeach, not that I remember, but Sarah and I talked on the phone about it and us living together. I'd rather my own place, at least I think so, but I might get lonely. Then again I might feel resentment living with others, regretful. There's no need to be scared. I'll be busy enough and can go and see my friends when I feel sad. I don't want to impose on Kirsten and her flatmates for too much longer. It's been a week already! Crazy. Hopefully I get the Hawthorn house for $150 a week in Mary St but I've started looking at what's closer to $200 but still under. The Elwood one is $165 I think. Hmm. I'll see what happens.

My customised weight-loss plan from Jillian Michaels

I can't wait to get to Melbourne and start my new exercise regime. I want to get a treadmill and I can do that for say $10 a month. I want to get into the habit of bicycle riding and walking and running and doing aerobic dance classes as well as eating better. I can't wait to eat better. I will change my life!

1. Sweat

"You're a Pear - but you can pare down!

Like all pears, you tend to store fat in your lower body, so you're probably carrying extra weight around your hips, buttocks, and thighs. Anyone can be a pear, but this shape is more common among women, and it actually evolved because fat stored in these areas aids in fertility and breast-feeding. It's an interesting fact — but I know as well as anyone that this type of fat is harder to lose.

Not to worry! I have exercises that will target your fat storage areas. My personalized program will help you alter your pear shape. But you got to get a grip — you can only win against genetics up to a certain point. Once you understand this, you can let go of unreachable goals and replace them with real ones.

I'll create your personalized exercise program based on the days you prefer to work out, the goals you set for yourself, and the exercises you enjoy. After all, if you enjoy your workout, it's easier to stick to.

I'll encourage you to:

+ Have fun aerobic dancing! Depending on intensity, you could burn 500 calories an hour.
+ Cycle — indoors or out. At 13 mph, you could burn 600 calories an hour.
+ Power walk. You can do it anywhere, and at 4 mph, you’ll be burning at least 250 calories an hour.
+ Run indoors or out. All you need are good running shoes. And at 5 mph, you’ll burn over 400 calories an hour."

2. Science

"You're a balanced oxidizer.

Because you crave fruit and bread as well as salty foods, cheeses, and meats, you may be a balanced oxidizer. This is the fancy term for your metabolic rate. It simply means that you need equal proportions of protein, carbs, and fat to process the nutrients in your food optimally, and to produce and use the resulting energy. Lucky you — your diet is the easiest to follow! You feel your best on a diet that incorporates a wide range of foods, and your ideal macronutrient ratio is 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat.

But the bottom line is, you have to burn more calories than you take in. That's it. And to really do this successfully, you have to eat the ideal diet for your body and metabolism. Believe me — I've struggled with this myself. And I've done a lot of research and work to figure out my ideal diet. And now I want to share my findings with you. I have recipes and snacks that will help you eat better for your body type. And I have secrets and tricks to make it easier. (I didn't say "easy.")

3. Self

"1. Avoid dangerous situations. STOP driving by the doughnut shop on your way to work. When you go out to dinner, ask the waiter not to bring bread to your table.

2. Get a hobby. Start taking your dog on longer walks. Fix up your attic. By focusing on positive activities, you'll find yourself becoming more relaxed, happier, and thinner!

3. Curb mindless eating. Don't eat while standing up, and don't skip meals. Brush your teeth after every meal and snack. Food never seems as appealing when you have that toothpaste taste in your mouth."

* I was just thinking about the toothpaste thing the other day! I hate eating after I've brushed my teeth and I thought that if I do that when I want to eat but am not hungry then I can stop eating unnecessarily. It'll work too.

Bicycle dreams

When I move to Sydney [I am not moving to Melbourne -- hate it] I want to get a bicycle, a retro one from years past, and have just found a site in Sydney that has an eBay link! Something like these --

It would be a great way to get around, to get to and from Uni specifically, and will be a great form of exercise. I'll hate getting sweaty before class but hopefully it won't be too bad. These bikes cost a lot though [approximately $500-$700] so maybe there is a tip shop or something where I could get one for a lot cheaper. It's a nice dream.