Mama and The Batwoman

While I am looking forward to sightseeing and shopping in Vietnam and Cambodia, The Batwoman is and has been collecting money and stationery for the school kids. Both our hotels work with local families, kids and schools and so Batwoman wants to help.  I love to hear school children read so I hope there are some little ones for me to enjoy books with.

There is a mountain of stuff to do before the Grand Adventure. Pack, clean house, organize the puppy and Grumpy Cat. I also need to cut out and sew a bed throw for The Batwoman. Get my hair cut, lose twenty kg. find clothes to fit or rather camouflage my Buddha figure. It will be fine. 

Batwoman and Mama On the Move

My daughter and I are venturing overseas again. We are visiting Vietnam and Cambodia for two weeks. We have been to Vietnam and looking forward to returning. Cambodia is the next point of call. I can't wait to see the temples of Angkor Watt.

We had a brilliant time on our last holiday and expect nothing less on this trip.

So there will be lots of sitting by the pool sipping cocktails............what? Sitting by the pool no........adventures first........pool sitting later.  

First stop Ho Chi Mihn. The wonderful cheap tourist markets call.

Siem Reap is the second port of call. The temples, the silk factory, the pottery factory, shops, shops, shops, markets....Old Market, New Market, Night Market...oooh so many things to do and so little time. Oh and then there is the pool, oh yeah!

We spend a week in Hoi An. Our hotel looks amazing...just a a few minutes to the beach. An Bang is set in the midst of a fishing village. We are staying in the Papaya House. It looks lovely.

There are schools near both of our hotels so Kel has been collecting stationery and books for the children. She is looking forward to seeing the kids. 

Hoi An is well known for its tailors............last time we visited we both had clothes made............shoes made, jewelley made to your own design........shops, galleries, markets, cooking classes.....I could go on forever. 

So there we have it, lots of holidaying, tours and really lots and lots of shopping.

Madame madame you buy you buy........watch this spot!

Cooking for Dummies/Cooking for Demented Older Person

I am taking part in the Michelle Bridges 12 week challenge.  I have pages and pages of healthy recipes to follow so I chop and weigh everything to the enth degree.  I have new kitchen scales (the cat has been weighing herself on them, I believe she thinks she is going to Cat Weight Watchers) oh yes new scales.  So with everything being measured, weighed, cut, scraped, sauces made, food cooked according to directions.......................you would think that nothing can go wrong.  WRONG!

Tonight my dementia struck in full force........everything was ready to cook...................the noodles were softened in warm water and decanted out of the saucepan when tragedy struck.................the noodles fell into the sink.  Not all the noodles but enough so there wasn't enough for two people to eat.

Bad you think, you don't know bad.  I reached for the chilli.....................the spice bottle had a big C on it so I sprinkled a bit of chilli in........................it looked strange................it smelled strange...................possibly because it was C for cinnamon.  Oh well.  I gave the dish somewhat of an aromatic nature.  It was edible....................there was not much left over.................but it did lack something.  I think that the something was a cook whose brain is not addled.

I think it needed ginger..................it didn't call for ginger but hey if I can put cinnamon in the dish then a couple of cloves of garlic is not going to end the world the world as we know it.

I reckon I do that I should go back to the dash of this and a dash of that, throw the ingredients in and hope for the best like I always used to do.  I can give the kitchen scales back to the cat she is obviously getting more out of them than I am.

I am very happy with the 12 week programme but I am not so hot at following the recipes.  Look Ma I am losing weight, you know why? Because I am so busy following stupid recipes I have no time to exercise.

Just when I think..............................

I have eaten what I am supposed to eat, I have exercised all my exercising, drunk all my drink BUT I cannot get the computer to do what I am supposed to be doing on it.

Let's face it many older people take longer to learn new things.  I know that sooner, rather than later I will cotton on to what I am supposed to do.

In the mean time, however, I am driving my friend crazy.  She works with computers all day and knows a thing or two about them but I don't think she realizes that I am very very very slow to catch on to things.  Of course I am talking about computing; oh and maths of course!

I am not hungry, however since I cannot really put some of the stuff on to my tracker I don't know how many calories I had today.

Never fear the old duck will get with the programme..................................oh yeah!

12week Challenge

I did not know I didn't like ricotta! Actually, I loathe and abominate it. It tastes like revolting mushy chalk with a teaspoon of cement. Not that I have ever partaken of these substances....but what I imagine them to be.

My breakfast was surprisingly filling even though I forgot the walnuts. I used the walnuts as a little snack later.

I am off to the shops soon to get my lunch and tea time ingredients.

If I buy things bit by bit I won't have gruesome mouldy bits of stuff hiding behind food in the fridge.

Let's be clear here, my fridge will no longer be pre-compost bin. I will eat fresh ingredients fresh.

So good luck to me, good luck to one of my friends who is undertaking the challenge with me, and to all the participants.

Michelle Bridges and Me

I think I may have lost my mind.  Really.....yeah really, or on the other hand I may be saner than I have ever been.

My daughter has signed me up for the 12 week challenge.

My goals are not exceptionally high........only a loss of about 10kg to start with.

If I manage to lose enough weight I will have a lovely holiday in Vietnam and Cambodia, if not I will tour both panting and sweating and being a thorough pain in my daughter's royal backside.

I am massively overweight.....not 5 or 10kg but about 45kg above my ideal weight.  I was about 54kg years ago but now I aspire to something about the 70kg.  That is good for a start!

I am working with a friend so we can spur each other on.  She will be the spurrer.

She is a self starter and absolutely driven to win at all costs.

So here I am a 69 years old, silver hair, a bit wrinkly and terribly overweight; but I am enthusiastic.

Oh and by the was I call myself Cushie because I am round and fat and sit on the lounge a lot.
That just has to change!

Cheers to the other challengers....................good luck.