take advantage of weekends to move forward in life

so life is one great long weekend :)

I’ve been to my last Pilates class of the year yesterday, and today I had a really lovely long walk in the sunshine. The photo above was taken on this walk, and shows pohutukawa trees which are just coming into flower all over the city. These trees were only planted a couple of years ago so they are quite small, but already the effect is impressive.

I’ve been doing some final tidying up, before I go away next week. I haven’t done any vege or supermarket shopping, which was wonderful. I’ve been wrapping Christmas presents too.

as Christmas approaches. I managed some housework and fruit and vege shopping. I went to Pilates yesterday but skipped the gym today.

For relaxing things, I went to a movie with a friend last night. It was A Serious Man, by the Coen brothers. Really good movie! I’ve browsed in a local art gallery tosay and spent this afternoon doing still life things with my camera. Not highly productive but fun anyway.

while phun was sleeping, i went around snapping. i’ve been babysitting him for half week now. his mom is in chiangmai boothing with her company. she will be back today, though..

i wanted to try black and white today.. so i walked around the house looking for something to shoot.. i wish to snap everyday but some days i feel like i don’t know what to shoot.. however, today the muse was running wild, so there are some to share.. have a great weekend to you all…

more photo here

read the whole story here

This weekend was a bit different from my usual weekend. I didn’t go to Pilates on Saturday morning because I had the most awful stomach upset during the week, and I was still feeling queasy on Friday. I suspected I probably wasn’t going to be up to exercising core muscles, so I cancelled in time not to have to pay for the lesson. This was a good decision, because I still felt weak on Saturday, although my eating pattern got back to normal. December boot campers might like to know that this particular ailment caused me to lose 1.5 kg overnight, and a total of 2kg over 2 days.

Today I had invited people over to look at the bathroom (didn’t go as far as calling it a bathroom shower), so I did a bit of housework and shopping on Saturday. I bought food, rather than attempting to make anything, which made it easier. The afternoon tea went well, and people admired the bathroom. Everyone agreed that the laundry bench was a great idea, and several remarked on the vinyl flooring, which took me quite a while to choose. It was a really enjoyable social afternoon, although I’m feeling a bit tired now.

The other significant happening this weekend is the art sale to raise funds for a local community gallery. It’s the same one I entered last year, and this time I entered 3 works and they all sold! That means a cheque for $150 will be landing in my letterbox soon.

Apart from all this, nothing much happened. I did a really quick trip to the markets this morning, mainly to buy strawberries because I have all these veges I failed to eat last week, so I didn’t really want to get much more.

I spent time at home babysitting Phun and playing with Py. When it was not so hot outside, Py and I went out taking photos. On Sunday morning, my sister and I brought Phun on a motorbike to visit Phu. Py was already there with her mom. So, we wre there for a while playing and blowing bubbles. Later in the evening on Saturday, I asked Py and her mom to join me on running on the hilly road. We walked and Py biked along the road. When I started to run, Py sticked around with her mom walking leisurely. When we walked back home, she didn’t ask me or her mom to carry her back bc she had her bike to ride home…

I drove back to hatyai with Kla on Sunday afternoon and then got back to running on treamill and got ready for Monday.

On Saturday the weather was truly foul – wet and cold, and most unspringlike. I went to Pilates in the morning, and then came home. I spent the afternoon doing housework and reading. My dreams of a nice early night snuggled up in bed were disrupted by people down the road who had a party with a loud thumping bass track. Three calls to noise control eventually got that sorted.

Today was so much better. Bright sunshine with just enough breeze to get the washing dry. I started by going to the market and buying strawberries and asparagus, and broccoli was only $1. Then I went to an AA meeting which was full of inspiring sharing.

After that I had a stroll along the waterfront and bought a gelato (raspberry and dolce di latte – yum). I went to the city market which has all sorts of expensive gourmet goodies, and bought some frankincense myrrh and gold chocolate. I had some of this last Christmas and it is absolutely delicious!

Back home, I did more housework and rang my mother. One of the other townhouses in the complex is being sold, so I went and had a look. It had a bathroom in very original condition, so I’m feeling even more pleased about my own place.

As it was such a nice day, and more rain is forecast for the next few days, I went for another walk. Half of Wellington decided to do this too, so I ran into various people I know. I went in the other direction along the waterfront and spotted the luxury yacht above. It was moored at the same wharf as a visiting French naval vessel which, as you can see, it pretty much matched in size.

This evening I got my Christmas cards done, so I only need to post them now.

i am still at my parents’ helping babysitting phun while his parents are at work..

the flooding is getting intensive again in hatyai. many villages have been flooded and under water.. it’s been raining days and nights since friday. some schools are closing for a day or two for students who are in faraway areas. so, kla is still at home with his parents as his school is one of the schools that close..

as a result, i didn’t do many things during the weekend while being confinded at home. however, i managed to finished one book ‘long way down’ yesterday and i am thrilled to start a new one…

py is still on a roadtrip with her parents and will be arriving home tomorrow.. she seems to own a travelling bug like her auntie…

nontheless, kla and i are going to drive back to my shop in hatyai this afternoon to resume our weekday life…

i wish you guys have a great week..

Started on Friday evening by dropping off 3 matted prints to be exhibited in a local art sale (the same one I sold 2 prints at last year).

Saturday was very self-indulgent, with Pilates followed by a massage, then to the movies with friends.

Today I’ve been domestic and bought veges and done washing and ironing. Strawberries were really cheap today, so I’ve made some strawberry jam, plus I’ve got some left to eat for breakfast for the next couple of days. I did go to the gym too, so I’m feeling quite healthy.

saturday morning, i had to wake up and got ready earlier to accompany my sister to bring phun to hatyai for his monthly vaccination. he was a big boy, didn’t cry when the doctor jabbed the needle into his chubby left thigh. if anyone looked at me closely while he was jabbed, he/she could see my tears.. yeah, i cried (but managed to hide) while he was pierced.. hell.. it was good nobody noticed it!.. (however, i was better than my brother.. he cried and sobbed in the hospital toilet when py was vaccinated at the first time..)

saturday night, it was pouring hard outside all night long. i thought it was going to flood again. (if it flooded, i would be able to use it as an excuse to stay home one more day!) but no, it stopped before daylight broke in. it was a cold morning and i liked to stay under my thick blanket as long as possible. but you couldn’t do that if you live under the same roof as a baby. they always wake you up. my sis holding phun in one arm knocked on my door at 6.30 am. it was time for auntie to bring him out for a walk again. sleepily, i walked out of my room to check if it rained. the boy was lucky. it was just misty and not a drop of rain. the all night rain left fresh air and creamy fog around the house..

at 7 am, i gave phun back to my sister and laced up for a morning run. i left late this morning but lucky that the sun didn’t shine. the village was still thick with the fog when i left my home. i walked slowly through the village and started running from the temple and ran towards the market. i ran slowly along the hilly road for the whole 5k. it was a fresh and quiet morning and it felt good to run alone. as the road was hilly, i didn’t want to speed up. i wanted to save my legs for the next day for a long and quick run on the treadmill. since coming back from holiday, i felt that they hurted easily after a hard run, so i needed to take it easy and stretch more before starting running.. it took me 40 minutes this morning to complete my 5k run. i didn’t sweat much as the sun didn’t shine. but it felt good to run and managed to get it done. i felt a bit lazy before i left the house and unsure if i would run or not.. but i convinced myself that i would feel good if i went out.. that’s why i laced up and left my house..
in the afternoon, i had an appointment with dave but didn’t know what time. he told me he would call me when he left home for the airport. at 1.30 pm, he finally called me saying that he just woke 30 minutes ago and leaving for the airport.. and he flight was 3 pm… shit! he gave me such a short notice to drive to see him at the airport. still, i went. leaving home at 1.30 pm, i arrived at the airport and saw him at 2.10 pm. i asked him what time his boarding time was, he said 2.20 pm. so, i drove from home nearly 30 kms. just to see him for 10 mins! (dear god, boys are still boys, day and night!) ..

i joined him and martin at a coffee shop inside the terminal, had a quick chat for 10 mins and then parted. he gave me 2 books and i gave him one box of chocolate. martin asked dave why i gave it to him, he said it was just her.. yeah, it was just me. most of the time when meeting a friend i gave something to them, as a gift. it’s my tradition.. (except if i am the one who travel, as i try to travel light, i send them after instead..)

after seeing dave off, martin and i walked to our cars. as it was still hot and baking and i was lazy to drive to my shop and i still had few hours, i drove back home. my sis and her hubby were surprised seeing me again. i told them my mission was completed and i wanted to be home on the few hours left. they looked pleased and happy.. and so was i.

we ganged up in my sister’s room, taking turns playing with phun and surfing the net to pass the time before i drove back to hatyai again with kla at 5 pm.

it was a glorious weekend and i can’t wait to spend time with them again next weekend.. it was a pity that py was away to trang during the weekend and will be on the road to the north with her mom and dad for 8 days next week. so, our next weekend will be hugely quiet and peaceful. we will miss her loads.. hope you guys live life to the fullest..