Blogging challenge 12WBT style - week 1

Another blogger, Kath from Courage to Start, on my 12 week body transformation (12WBT) program has again issued a weekly challenge for other 12WBT bloggers. I participated in those she offered in my first round, so thought I'd again join in the fun and frivolity. Plus, it means I don't have to think of something to blog about today.

1. Describe yourself in 25 words or less. You can get straight to the point - or bring your creativity into play.I’m a single 43 year old woman, slightly frustrated with her life. And my weight is only part of it. I’m one of those people who assume I can’t be happy, or that things won’t fall into place until I get my weight under control… or until I feel, and look, like a normal person!


2. What brings you to 12wbt? Getting fitter? Losing weight? (Gaining weight??) Are you first timer, a repeat offender??Losing weight. This is my second round and I mostly refer to the program as a weight-loss program, although a few other 12WBTers pick me up on it regularly, given that many on the program are doing the ‘Lean and Strong’ version. But for me – and where I’m at, at the moment – it’s all about losing weight.


3. Why do you blog??
Ha! I can cheat here as I wrote about it yesterday… but in summary I blog because I love writing and am sufficiently self-absorbed to assume my thoughts are of interest to others.


4. Who is your biggest inspiration in life and why (doesn't have to be weight loss)I’m not one to have idols. In fact, there probably isn’t ONE person I would like to be. Naturally I’d like to have the body of many-a Hollywood actress or almost any athlete (other than a shot-putter or female Sumo wrestler. Of course!); the mind of someone far more sane and intellectual than myself; or the money of any mogul. But… I’m inspired by lots of people who overcome everyday hardships and just get on with it without the self-pity and victim mentality which often consumes me. At the moment I’m in my hometown because my father’s in hospital. And, as I watch my mother’s patience and tenderness towards him I am truly touched.
5. What things in life bring you the most joy?I’m seriously tempted to say food and alcohol. But… because I’m now (well, ummm…. becoming) a more evolved and enlightened person I won’t say that. I SHOULD probably say, family and friends and that is true – in part. But the things I love doing the most are: writing, reading and watching television. Hmph, who says I’m superficial?!


6.What do you think your greatest challenge is going to be this round?Remaining as focused as I was in my first round. I wouldn’t have even considered eating chocolate or cake, biscuits, chips etc, BUT am not sure I’m as resolute as I was back then.


7. What are you most excited about 12wbt?The bloody weight loss. Of course!


8. And what scares the pants off you?Failure, a loss of motivation, distraction. Giving up.


9. Tell me - right now - today - how do you feel about exercise in no more than 10 wordsExercise something that HAS to be done, rather than enjoyed.


10. Complete this sentence - in 12 weeks time - on the last day of 12wbt I am going to be feelingA sense of pride at how well I’ve done, over the 12 weeks and in total. And… I will be even closer to my goal.

When I grow up; & why I blog

Today I've been scouring the recesses of my mind for something to write about and came up blank. As you do. So, in order to procrastinate (even more than the hour or two I spent on Twitter and TRYING to catch up with some other bloggers' blog posts) I decided to play about on my laptop a bit. As you do.


You may recall I'm in my hometown at the moment because my father's ill and currently in hospital. Yesterday was very scary as he was weak and frail and could barely move himself at all. They've found part of the problem so we hope he will start to get better.

Okay, so their computer isn't THIS old!

Anyway, although my parents have a computer (and prepaid broadband modem which I organised - and am now using) it is quite prehistoric, so when I visit I bring my trusty laptop. And when I say trusty, I mean old. Not as old as their desktop computer, but it's at least 6 years old. And, until I bought my new shiny (well, not shiny - but white) iMac late last year, I survived using ONLY this laptop for at least five years. It was faithful and served me well.


Except... now I never use it. At all. In fact because my place has been on the market, it's been hidden behind cushions for about two months, only to be dragged out for this trip.


Not only did nearly every program on here require updating, but the strangest thing has been the stuff stored on my FAVOURITES tab. And... it got me thinking how much has changed in the last year.


I've also had a 'Why I blog' post started for some time and so finally I get to finish that. (Actually, when I say I've had it started, what I actually mean is that I had the title and NOTHING else. In fact, I can't even recall why or when I decided I want to write about it... but now it's quite timely. Synergistic if you like!)


I've mentioned before my love of writing. For all of my adult life I've enjoyed writing, but until about 5 or 6 years ago, it only took the form of epic (and most definitely hilarious) letters and emails to friends and family.


Finally I decided I felt brave enough to join the State Writers' Centre and enrol in an 'Introduction to Creative Writing' course, assuming it would be appropriate for a beginner such as myself. So there I was, a complete newbie, but - unbeknown to me - in a room with people who were already doing A LOT of writing, despite the introductory nature of the course. It seems there were a lot of aspiring writers wanting to be put on the 'write' (hee hee - sorry, I have to entertain myself sometimes!) track.


The course was conducted over a four week period on a Wednesday night and there I met a couple of women with whom I am friends to this day. It was challenging for me, as I am nervous about people reading what I write (in front of me), so I very rarely contributed my work publicly. But... it gave me a taste and I wanted more.


Over the next year I did a few other courses, though never really found my niche. I did a short story course, a freelance writing course and a course to overcome writer's block. But... still, nothing jumped out at me. Finally a year ago I enrolled in an online Year of the Novel course. I had the makings of a novel in my head - which I'd never done previously. And, the online (lack of confrontation) aspect of the course appealed to me. I still had no serious desire to be a novelist (other than aspiring to a lifestyle of a drunken millionaire hermit living on the beach and writing all night and sleeping all day) but I liked the idea of focussing my writing on SOMETHING.


I didn't mind the course, though the instructor went AWOL in the latter part and we participants pretty much lost our momentum. So, my Young Adult novel (crappy as it is) sits incomplete.


Despite this I wanted to do MORE. So earlier this year I enrolled in a Blogging and Social Networking Course for Writers, which the Centre ran. AND. I. LOVED. IT. Love love loved it!


At the same time I was just starting to follow a number of bloggers whose work I adore. Many are the mummy-blogger type (which has less relevance to me), but because they are just hilarious I love their work. I watched via Twitter as they attended conferences and received sponsorships etcetera. And... I wanted to be there. I wanted that life.


So I'm almost embarrassed to admit (for fear of people knowing my aspirations) that I realised WHAT I wanted to do; or what I wanted to be. Not a novelist. Not a writer of short stories. But a blogger.


I have a more-public blog which is attached to my Facebook page and more-public Twitter account, but sadly I don't post in there much because I edit and edit my posts to death and then leave them as drafts as I fear they aren't good enough or of any interest to potential readers.  Whereas in this blog... I type straight into the program and my writing and words are akin to a brain fart. They just flow. (Mostly.) And it is a HUGE release for me. I can be myself. I don't have to stress about the words being perfect; or even about being judged for what I say. Here, in this blog, I lay myself bare.  Which gives me pause for thought... Which blog reflects the real me?


So, back to my original point: today, as I cleaned out my Explorer Favourites tab, I found so many writing-related websites - full of resources, as well as publishers and editors who blog. And whereas once upon a time I checked out those sites almost daily, I realised I had no real interest in them now.


Instead I follow the bloggers I really like for entertainment value; as well as those writing about health-related issues - of particular interest to me as I continue on my own weight loss journey.


So.. there you have it. That's my dream. My desire. My aspiration. When I grow up I want to be a blogger.

Things you may not know about me....

Some bloggers I follow recently posted lists of ‘things we may not know about them’. Although completely unrelated to the usual theme of this blog, I enjoyed reading their confessions; and - because I know you all find me so interesting - I thought I’d share my own secrets. 


My childhood best friend (and neighbour) and I wrote a book while at primary schoolThe book was called Tania and we wrote alternating chapters. I was unhappy with the ending (she’d taken something out of a Mills and Boon novel which was a bit OTT to a pre-teen like myself) so – in a fit of temper – I ripped the entire thing up. Unbeknown to me my friend, Michelle, got it out of my bin and pasted the pages together (it wasn’t that long obviously), made a cover and presented it to me. Years later I gave it back to her as a gift. I would like to think she still has it. The book, incidentally, was a pre-teen romance type thing. Of course. Much of the novel was spent describing the clothes; and naturally Tania, the novel's namesake wore attractive pantsuits and muted makeup, whereas the school bi-atch (and Tania's rival-in love) wore lime green and purple and too much makeup (which back in the 70s was just not done in polite society)!


My childhood best friend (same one) and I used to stage showsIn our pre-teen years my bestie and I staged a couple of shows for our friends (one of which was captured for posterity on Super 8 film and features a number of us performing plays and dancing for a small audience of friends sitting on plastic chairs in my backyard). I recall another show staged (in our carport) for our mothers. I remember that the latter involved Abba songs as, back then, I had a particular penchant for Tropical Loveland. Although not a natural performer, as a youngster I used to climb onto a large barbeque structure we had in our backyard, using it as a stage. So much so that another neighbour presented me with an old silver non-functioning microphone he found at the local dump (in the days before toy microphones were readily available. Obviously.) By the way, it's important to understand at this point that: I cannot dance; and I cannot sing!


For such a heathen I had a relatively-religious upbringingYou wouldn’t know it now, but my brother and I both attended Sunday School as youngsters. I followed in my mother’s footsteps and even taught there briefly but really only recall getting the kindergarten kids to colour in pictures of Jesus, wise men, donkeys and the like. For his sins (Hee hee!) my brother was briefly an altar boy (and we have the pictures to prove it!). I now class myself as agnostic, but my brother probably would say he’s an atheist. My mother still attends church religiously. (Hee hee! God, I’m on a roll today!)


I loved (loved loved) Barbie dolls.I had a few other dolls (but really only remember one or two of them – including one whose auburn hair grew out of a hole on top of her head when you pushed a button - but was mad for my Barbie dolls. I inherited some from my aunt or someone, but scored them as presents on a regular basis.


My mother, who occasionally made my clothes back then, also made me a heap of clothes for the original dolls. As a result, my collection of Barbie dolls and their wardrobe was impressive!


Better still (given my love for all-things-television) I also had a Steve Austin (Six Million Dollar Man) doll – purchased as a surprise gift after becoming inconsolable when Jamie Sommers (the Bionic Woman) died in the TV show. Little did I know she came back to life (a couple of times) and later had her own TV show. I also later got a Jamie Sommers doll. I loved that you could roll up the skin on their arms or lift the flap in their legs to see their bionic bits. And... just as amazing (and in retrospect, tragic!) I also had a set of Charlie’s Angels dolls, including the three originals from the TV series, and Cheryl Ladd as Farrah Fawcett’s replacement.


I had a ‘thing’ for Rocky Balboa in my early – mid teensI know, I know, WTF was I thinking? I now agree, but at the time I LOVED Rocky. Not Sylvester Stallone of course, as I was possibly in denial that there WAS a Sylvester Stallone, who was significantly older than the teenaged me but by the time Rocky III came out I was besotted. My brother (who was much nicer to me way back then and who lived in a capital city with non-tragic radio stations) actually TAPED a radio ad for the movie when it came out. I listened to the 30 second ad so much at the time I still remember the lines!

Rocky to Adrian: “Nothing is real if you don't believe in who you are."


Mr T (Clubber Lang) to Rocky: "I’m gonna bust you up.”
Rocky to Clubber Lang: “Go for it.”

So there you have it - a few things that (unless you were there at the time) you didn't know about me. Obviously I haven't delved into any childhood traumas (other than the mistaken perception that the Bionic Woman died) or uncovered any deep dark secrets in my past... but I tried to think of tidbits that had previously remained hidden. The more embarrassing secrets (pissing on the stage during a dance performance when I was 5yrs old; or TV commercials I did in high school) will have to wait until another time!