I am the Champion!!!

I won the foos-ball competition we had at out work. I am officially the champion of the whole of the company.

It seems I have turned into a bit of a Victor Meldrew in my old age. It all started last Monday. My boyfriend and I were meeting a group of people we used to work with. We were all having a meal in honour of one of them who'd just returned from her OE. Anyway, most of us ordered entrees and we all ordered a main course. One of the guys ordered a bottle of wine, and quite a few guys had a beer or 2. We didn't have any alcoholic drinks, just water (from a tap) and a diet coke. When the bill came, the guy who had ordered the bottle of wine decided it was easiest just to split the bill 9 ways. Well, I was a little mad at this. We ended up paying a LOT more than our entree and main course actually cost. One poor guy who only had a main course ended up having to pay double what his meal cost! No-on else seemed to care, or they didn't want to seem cheap by speaking up or whatever. All the way to the cash register I maintained what a rip off it was to the ones who weren't drinking and how unfair it was. In the end I had to pay as everyone else was.

Last night we went out for dinner to a Belgian beer cafe we've been to several times before. I ordered the chicken breast stuffed with spinach and feta with a green salad and fries. When it came out, they brought me my salad, but no fries. Then, when I cut into my chicken, I discovered it was just a plain old chicken breast, with no spinach or feta. I complained, as you do. I ended up getting some spinach and feta brought out to me in a wee bowl, as well as a wee plate of chips. I also got a free dessert.

This evening, I went to the supermarket. I was buying some yoghurt and I was checking the best before date as the previous Sunday I'd discovered the shelves were full of out of date yoghurt. The previous Sunday I'd told a member of staff who'd taken the yoghust off the shelves. I couldn't believe it when I discovered the same out of date yoghurt had been put back on the shelves again. I asked to speak to the manager and he was pissed off, as rightly he should be. He told me the staff member would be reprimanded, but I'll still be checking those dates next week.

What about you guys? Do you complain when something isn't to your satisfaction, or do you let it go?

The weather here has definately shifted. It's freezing, with torrential rain and thunder storms. Yet again, I'm astounded that these kiwis suffer freezing cold homes, year after year. I want central heating! I can't stand being cold all day, every day!

There's nothing much to do when the weather is like this either, except hang around the house, being cold, or go to the mall and shop. And so, everyone heads to the mall. That means you need to get there early to get a parking space, or you end up driving back home again. That's exactly what I ended up doing last week.

Might try my luck after lunch. We're having pizza's that we made ourselves. Pretty healthy pizza's too, except for the cheese and the salami. The base is organic wholemeal, and we have lots of veggies. When they're cooking, the meaty, cheesy smell is so good!

Just recently discovered My Space through MSN, so I've created a blog on that. I figure I can update both from time to time. Not that I have anything that interesting to say, but I can add lots of photos to the other one. Kind of handy.

Anyway, off to watch Lost.

Well, it's official. My clubbing days are over. I am old.

We were at a birthday party last night, and at 11.30pm when taxi's were being booked to take everyone into the city to go to a club, we were checking our watches and making excuses to go home.

People were knocking back drinks and popping party pills in preparation for a night at a hip hop club, and we (by we I mean the folks over 30, or just about to turn 30) were deciding whether to go or not. We decided not to go because a) they were going to a hip hop club, and b) it was 11.30pm.

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s getting up to an alarm. Unfortunately, I’m in work for 8am every day, so I need an alarm to wake me up. I detest it though. It’s not natural to be woken up by a loud repetitive buzzing, and it’s stressful too, having to pounce on the source of the noise and cut it off before it really wakes your sleeping partner. I also don’t think it’s natural to have to start your day when it’s dark outside. When it’s winter and it’s dark in the mornings, and dark at night early, then we should have a shorter working day

It seems getting up early is also too much for our junior developer here. Just popped my head round his cubicle and he’s fast asleep at his desk!

Anyway, what have I been up to lately? I was at a wedding the other week. I don’t know if it’s typical of kiwi weddings as I’ve only been to the one, but there was no singing in the church, no throwing of confetti and no throwing of the bouquet. We were only in the church for about 10 mins, which we were all glad of as it was a hot day and so stuffy in the tiniest wee church I’ve ever seen. The reception was held at a golf resort nearby, which had great views over the harbour. Most of us stayed overnight in the luxury villas they have for guests at the resort. They were really nice, with huge beds, a spa bath and great views. Next morning we were tired, hungover and crabby (not nice being hungover when it’s really hot). Breakfast was Pringles and pikelets (pancakes) as we drove back home. We had a babysitter for the dog who stayed the night to make sure she was ok. She was still asleep when we got in and all we got in the way of a greeting was a slight wag of the tail. I was a bit miffed.

At the weekend we went to a concert at Auckland zoo. We went early to have a look around the zoo first. It was pretty good. They have a glass viewing area where you can get as close to a lion as you’d ever want to be. There were several of them and they were really interested in who was behind the glass. We also saw some really huge hippos. They were pretty cool. After we had our walk round the zoo, we pitched our blankets on a spot on the grass in front of the band stand where Don McGlashen (former Muttonbirds member) would be playing. He was really good. It was a nice night, sitting with a group of friends, having a picnic, drinking wine, listening to good music.

I have a bit of a problem at the moment. It's called a pot belly. Mine it seems, doesn't want to get any smaller. It wants to sit over the top of the waistband of my jeans. It wants to jiggle when I run. It wants to expand to twice it's size after every meal. Most of all it wants to ruin any chances I have of wearing a nice, fitted dress to a wedding next Friday.

I actually have the dress. I got it for my university graduation ball and have only worn it that once. It's an expensive dress, very nice, and perfect for wearing to a wedding. The only problem is that when I wear it I look about 3 months pregnant.

I have bene trying half heartedly to lose weight in the weeks leading to this wedding. Ok, I haven't been trying at all really. I just hoped that I'd wake up on the day and my pot belly would have miraculously disappeared. I think I'm quitre an active person in my day to day life, and I don't eat that much, but the weight keeps creeping on.

I'm giving myself a week. A week of cutting down and exercising (exercise bike every night), and we'll see how I look after that. Hopefully I'll be able to wear some stomach control pants and look fantasic in that dress, with not a bump in sight!