http://quikflik.wordpress.com
September 7, 2008
air supply is moving
http://quikflik.wordpress.com
August 3, 2008
Captains Fantastic
i will regularly mention that hes the man i am going to marry - and yes, this girl will be holding out hope til the day she dies.
Richie is not the first All Black Captain that i wouldnt kick out of bed for farting. most of the other captains are hotties in their own right. Its not just the jersey!
and just further to all that ...i'm sure most of you have received the Chuck Norris emails. Well I received this Richie McCaw version from a friend today. I passed it round the office and most found it pretty funny so I thought I'd share it with those of you who haven't been forwarded it yet.
1. When Richie McCaw goes swimming he doesn't get wet, the water gets
Richie McCaw'ed.
2. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet
for Richie McCaw.
3. Richie McCaw counted to infinity - twice.
4. Richie McCaw invented every colour. Except pink. Tom Cruise invented pink.
5. When Richie McCaw does a pushup, he isn't lifting himself up, he's pushing the Earth down.
6. Richie McCaw hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush.
7. Richie McCaw gave Mona Lisa that smile.
8. Richie McCaw can slam a revolving door.
9. Some kids piss their name in the snow. Richie McCaw can piss his name into concrete.
10. Richie McCaw once visited the Virgin Islands. They are now The Islands.
11. Richie McCaw's calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd; no one fools Richie McCaw.
12. Richie McCaw can speak Braille.
13. Richie McCaw's tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. Ever.
14. Superman owns a pair of Richie McCaw pyjamas.
15. Richie McCaw owns the greatest Poker Face of all-time. It helped him win the 1993 World Series of Poker despite him holding just a Joker, a Get out of Jail Free Monopoly card, a 2 of clubs, 7 of spades and a green #4 card from the game Uno.
16. Richie McCaw sleeps with a night light. Not because Richie McCaw is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Richie McCaw.
17. Richie McCaw doesn't pop his collar, his shirts just get erections when they touch his body.
18. Once a cobra bit Richie McCaw's leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died.
19. Richie McCaw divides by zero.
20. Richie McCaw is always on top during s*x because Richie McCaw never f***s up.
21. When Richie McCaw exercises, the machine gets stronger.
22. Richie McCaw doesn't use pickup lines, he simply says, "Now."
23. Richie McCaw sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled rugby ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Richie spear-tackled the devil and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should
have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.
24. Richie McCaw can kill two stones with one bird.
25. Richie McCaw once had an erection while lying face down. He struck oil.
26. Richie McCaw once devoured a whole wheel-barrow full of clay to prove to a friend that the expression "Sh***ing bricks" wasn't just a figure of speech.
27. The only time Richie McCaw was wrong was when he thought he had made a mistake.
theres a few more really funny comments on the Rugby Roundtable
July 18, 2008
the real kiwi test?
the automobile driving manual says that the average drivers reaction time is .75 seconds or 1 car length for every 16kmph. test your average reaction time;
http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody/sleep/sheep/reaction_version5.swf
July 16, 2008
July 15, 2008
religion
insults for today
of course the irritation with persons and things could be due to the excessively strong espressos i have during the day. is probably also the reason that it takes me ages to get to sleep at the moment.
i think this post could be sponsored by fixd cafe. in a good way. fresh beans! weeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!
.. Are you always this stupid or are you making a special effort today?
.. Right now I'm sitting here looking at you trying to see things from your point of view but I can't get my head that far up my ass.
.. I'm blonde, whats your excuse?
.. Damn not you again.......
.. If I ever need a brain transplant, I'd choose yours because I'd want a brain that had never been used.
.. He would be out of his depth in a puddle.
.. I'm not mean ... you're just a sissy.
.. How about a game of hide and go fuck yourself?
July 9, 2008
CONGRATULATIONS Ewi and Cat!!!
this post is a little overdue but i have been a little swamped.
ENGAGEMENT CONGRATULATIONS AND HUGS!!
this event is definitely worthy of capital letters! and mad lots of exclaimation marks!
their engagement party was held in london in days just gone past and mom and i are now planning our trip to the UK for the wedding in august next year.
bad Apple
seriously ... standing in line for more than 24 hours in the middle of winter outside a store??
http://gizmodo.com/5022869/this-may-be-the-first-man-on-the-planet-to-get-an-iphone-3g
July 8, 2008
this ASSHOLE needs the bash
prick should lose his job. hear that TVNZ!
clint brown paid the price for a punch in the nose - tony veitch deserves that and more for kicking a woman in the back and into a wheelchair for months. and in the head too apparently!
i now hear that he has resigned - or stepped down temporarily. someone should step ON him and permanently!
edit :. 09/07/2008
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10520758
he admitted it. he apologised for it. good for him.
Cozzie Poker Tour - Tour 1
last night was the final round - Round 10 - and it was held at the grumbles house.
i provided the dinner, as my house is wayyyy too small for all that poker testosterone, and away we went.
final results for Tour One :
1. Cozzie (24 points)
2. Goldfish (34 points)
3. Barron (36 points)
4. Grumble (37 points)
5. River Phoenix (38 points)
6. Scum (43 points)
7. Tara (47 points)
8. Aslan (51 points)
9. Russell (52 points)
July 7, 2008
dive! dive! dive!
i was planning on taking the rest of january off when nell and i got back from south america - but certain property purposes whilst i was away meant i had to get my unemployed ass into employment as soon as possible.
leigh and i were going to spend a month up in tutukaka doing the course full time when andrew and anna were working there, but now that they are back down in auckland and working at Global Dive (westhaven marina), squidleigh and i are going to do the course now, together and with them. woooooo! plan the dive and dive the plan?? something like that.
squidleigh got his dive name through a very unfortunate incident on our advanced open water course. i think its a whole nother blog entirely. in fact, just about everyone we know has dive names.
squidleigh on the left, me (chichi) on the beanbag and anna (sensei) our instructor on the right
january would have been a much better time to do it - considering new zealand is right in the middle of the icy grip of winter. luckily enough for me, the first round is an open water course being held in the heated olympic pool in newmarket.
and i want to give the big ups to mr cossie who managed to collect my dive computer after it had its battery replaced (nearly three months ago). luckily he works near the shop - cos i am too unorganised to do it myself!
so here we go .... PADI Divemaster! the next button on the list.
PADI Divemaster Course Details
Your adventure into the professional levels of recreational diving begins with the PADI Divemaster program. Working closely with a PADI Instructor, in this program you expand your dive knowledge and hone your skills to the professional level. PADI Divemaster training develops your leadership abilities, qualifying you to supervise dive activities and assist instructors with student divers.
During the PADI Divemaster program, you learn dive leadership skills through both classroom and independent study. You complete water skills and stamina exercises, as well as training exercises that stretch your ability to organize and solve problems. You put this knowledge into action through an internship or series of practical training exercises.
- Knowledge Development: 12 topics ranging from dive theory to assisting student divers in training
- Prerequisites: PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization), PADI Rescue Diver (or qualifying certification from another training organization), 20 logged dives, 18 years old.
- Minimum Number of Logged Dives: 60 for certification as PADI Divemaster
June 9, 2008
good ol' times
June 4, 2008
its cheaper to be fat and die young
i was in the supermarket last night after going to the gym. i was looking for some fruit for the week, some meat to make a stew for dinners and a nice piece of steak to have with salad for dinner that night. apples - over $5.00 per kilo! tomatoes - over $5.00 per kilo! lamb - over $18.00 per kilo! i just about died.
and jontie, who has just gotten home from seeing his parents in australia, was so astounded at the price of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, took a pxt and sent it to his dad. i could have gone to mcdonalds for all my meals that week and paid less than one trip to the supermarket (possibly as i dont buy bread, cheese and milk which have risen in price at even more astronomical rates).
i believe that we should be rewarded for eating healthy food, working out and taking supplements. instead it appears we are penalised by exhorbitant prices for food. surely the idea that other countries can remove the goods and services tax on fresh foods means new zealand can investigate that further? i have read commentary that suggests that a flat low tax rate hinders tax avoidance - but with only a small tax cut in sight and taxes on petrol set to increase, surely enough is enough. why not consider using gst as a luxury tax?
the government doesnt want to regulate advertising for junk food in childrens viewing times ( i dont know why) but it should be encouraging adults to eat healthier and exercise more and therefore set a good example. changing advertising rules isnt going to help but there is more than one way to trap a kiwi, and the wallet is a good start.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/topic/story.cfm?c_id=206&objectid=10506604&pnum=0
Prime Minister Helen Clark has said it is unlikely GST on food will be removed, despite growing support for the tax's abolition as consumers struggle to cope with rising prices.
The cost of filling the average supermarket trolley has jumped by more than a quarter in the past year, as the effect of international food shortages hits New Zealand.
A Weekend Herald comparison showed butter, cheese and some varieties of bread had more than doubled in price. Most meat, vegetables and fish were also much more expensive.
But Helen Clark this morning told Newstalk ZB it was unlikely the Government would make any changes to GST.
"GST has been in place since the mid-1980s and that was when schemes like family support, which has now become the much bigger and more significant Working for Families, began," she said.
"Obviously there will be some tax relief announced in the budget and I think it's going to be very, very timely for families."
A petition urging abolition of GST on food is gathering support outside Auckland supermarkets.
is it possible to have a discount offered on our healthcare as we take responsibilities for our heart and lungs and liver? i appreciate that my health care insurer is a private company - but i still pay my premiums as well as my gym membership which in turn keeps my claim rate down. actually at nil.
in australia it was estimated that if each person lost 1 kilogram of body weight, they could save approximately 30% of their healthcare budget. think what that would do for new zealand - for our education, transport, world cup stadiums!!
and dont even get me started on supplements ... over 50% increase in the last 12 months.
its so much cheaper for me to be fat, eat unhealthy food, take no supplements and get the goverment to subsidise my mobility scooter to haul my lard ass around. besides, i will probably die younger too.
May 25, 2008
my ears are dead but i am still smiling
May 24, 2008
dirty, sexy, happy
May 21, 2008
potty mouth
May 12, 2008
running with scissors
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!!
First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can, and didn’t get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-based paints.
We brushed our teeth with toothpaste from lead tubes.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, booster seats, seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a ute on a warm day was always a special treat.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.
We ate pikelets, white bread and real butter and drank Mello Yello made with sugar, but we weren’t overweight because, WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s, X-boxes, no video games at all, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet or chat rooms……. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not poke out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
May 10, 2008
CONGRATULATIONS sarah and andy!
i got a call while i was in the supermarket buying wine, so i bought a little bit more just to celebrate. i am super super super stoked for them and cant wait to maid of honour at the wedding in 2-3 years (although i would put money on it being sooner)
however, i will not wear pink, lilac or any other pastel colour! but i will get drunk and make fabulous speeches.
now i have lots of maidy duties to look forward to - including, helping the bride choose her dress, helping the bride consume vast quantities of champagne, presenting the bride with her wedding cutout scrap book, slapping the bride when she turns into a monster.
love you darlings!
mood : super stoked and slightly tiddly
April 29, 2008
tuesday is mondays evil cousin
for anyone who knows me knows that spells trouble.
you see, i'm a bit of a food nazi and i dont really eat anything processed or junkie.
thank god for nell. she saved me from timtams with the best piece of comedy that i have seen .. ever. i kill you!
mood : rebellious
April 28, 2008
food - week one - planning
thats a good thing though. there is nothing left - so there is nothing that i shouldnt consume. the trick now, is to make sure that the next trip to the supermarket ensures that it stays that way.
i have been reading about putting my body in a catabolic state - and this can be aided by eating catabolic foods. the reason i started looking this up, is that this is the state that my trainer recommended i put my body into.
Anabolic vs Catabolic State
One way of categorizing metabolic processes, whether at the cellular, organ or organism level is as anabolic or catabolic. Catabolism is the part of metabolism that breaks down molecules into smaller units to generate energy and simultaneously takes measures to conserve energy. Stress, such as during weight loss program, can put the body into the catabolic state, in which the body can experience muscle loss, reduced metabolic rate with a corresponding reduced calorie expenditure and lower perceived energy levels, and weight gain in the form of fat. One aspect of the catabolic state is that it can be characterized as having high cortisol (a catabolic stress hormone) levels and low testosterone (an anabolic hormone) levels.
Conversely, in the anabolic state the body experiences muscle maintenance or growth, normal metabolic rates, and weight loss in the form of fat. The anabolic state can be characterized by relatively low cortisol levels and high testosterone levels.
catabolic foods burn up more calories than they supply. for example :
a medium sized apple (which is catabolic), would provide an average of 85 calories, however your metabolism would require an additional 99 more calories to metabolise it.
so in writing this weeks shopping list, i will be purchasing the following :
fruit - limes, pineapple, grapes, apples, tomatoes
vegetables - celery, kumara, cucumber, brocolli, spinach and carrots
seafood and any white meat without fat.
YUM!
( ** all dietary information taken with a grain of salt mind. the only rule i really follow - put less in!)
mood : hungry!
April 27, 2008
exercise - week one - planner
this is the book i write all my supplements, meals and training in which i have found helps immensely in changing my body.
instead of buying a new one, i'm going to record it all on my blog.
i used to train with angie and she would check it - this way, when i publish it online, theres a fair few people that will be looking at it. in a round about way, i think it might help. and i dont want to become completely obsessed with the last 25kg i want to get rid of, so i am mixing it up with everything else that goes on in my life, my head and on the internet.
so each sunday, i plan out the training week ahead.
this week is going to look like this :
sunday
- supposed to be cardio training (but something fun came up)
monday
- cardio training
tuesday
- 06:00 yoga at home / 16:30 geoff the trainers weights programme
wednesday
- 06:00 yoga at home /.. possibly .. 17:45 body combat
thursday
- 06:00 yoga at home / 17:30 weight session with geoff the trainer
friday
- day off!!
saturday
- cardio and stretching session
so lets see how this goes.
next planning session, the food session (as i have no food in my house and this is when it gets dangerous!)
mood : enthusiastic
March 28, 2008
March 26, 2008
choo choo
aside from the fact that utilising more rail services is pertinant to the government working to reduce greenhouse gas ommissions, think of all the other benefits.
1. transporting freight - rail is far more efficient - except when you are waiting at the crossing for all those carriages and containers to pass.
2. additional train services - additional employees required (we already have low unemployment - but hey!)
3. allow other companies to use the tracks bringing a new industry and competition into the mix.
my number one is scenic rail.
new zealand has un-real scenery. no one disputes that.
the rail tracks go through places you cant see from the road. but there are only a very small number of train journeys you can take - and thats for tourism and general getting-there-ness!
there is the auckland to wellington (the overlander) service. which is overpriced.
there are 2 trips you can take in the south island. the tranzcoastal from picton to christchurch and the tranzalpine between christchurch and greymouth. i havent travelled by train in the south island yet - so i cant comment on those.
i'm seeing the money earned from these types of scenarios being invested back into the rail and ferry system. and high speed electric trains better be next!
March 25, 2008
horrible person
yesterday i had to do something that i would rather i didnt have to do.
i had to tell one of my best friends that i wasnt in love with him.
telling another person that you dont feel the same way is devastating. and i know it is even more so for the person who has to hear it.
you think that telling him that i would always love him and still wanted to be the best of buds would make it easier. but no. its only easier for me. and still - not that much easier in the end!
dont you just wish that all breakups could by achieved by starting a fight and yelling and screaming? isnt verbal abuse just so much easier to give and take at a time like this?
so what now?
i need to give my friend time and space. i dont want to though! all i want is to hang out and laugh and talk just like nothing ever happened.
but thats going to have to wait a while. and i am going to have to get used to that fact.
and the fact that i feel like a horrible horrible person.
mood : melancholy
March 3, 2008
i will be half the woman i was
over a two year period, i lost approximately 60 kilograms.
i'm still working towards my goal - 2 months in argentina eating steak and drinking red wine didnt help - and when i reach my goal, i will be half the woman i was.
i had always accepted that i would be one of the bigger girls.
the only time i ever thought that i could – and would be slim – was when i found out that i had polycystic kidney disease and i ended up in hospital.
after i got better and learnt to manage my illness, the weight piled back on.
i have been your classic yo-yo try-all-the-fads dieter.
i went to weight watchers – lost about 10 kgs and then gained about 20.
i went to jenny craig – lost about 22 kgs and then gained about 30.
back in june 2004 - i weighed alot. the only time I remember weighing myself, i was 147kg.
i know i got bigger after this, but i didn’t get on the scales again.
then at the end of that year, dan broke off our relationship and i realised exactly what i had done to myself.
i reduced my portion sizes, but started skipping meals. i was taking a thermogenic product as well as starting to walk to work and short distances.. not having a car helped.
i quickly understood that work was in walking distance and there were other ways of getting around however it was very easy to get disheartened as any exercise was really hard work and i was the only person that could motivate me.
and then people started to notice the changes in me.
and finally i started to notice the changes in me – more energy and a much happier outlook on life.
by may 2006, i had moved out of our old house and into a flatting situation and was making the most of only having to cook for one. this was good for me and i continued trying to lose weight by myself until the beginning 2007 when i realised that i was actually starting to put it back on again. at this stage, i was around 123kg. i had lost 24 kg (that i will admit - theres an ish in here of 10kg).
nell introduced me to kickboxing at a gym in town. i started attending the class 3 times a week and increased the other exercise that I was doing. i met angie matthews through the kickboxing class – and i found the motivation, support and knowledge that i needed to continue.
in order to get the most from your supplementation, you must take the best supplements you can get your hands on. angie asked me to start keeping a food diary to understand what I was eating and doing each day. after completing this for a week or so, angie introduced me to GNLD.
now i'm not writing this blog to sell anything.
i just wanted to say how i deal with the fact that i have always been a big girl.
one of my oldest friends had the following things to say:
Tara is the most intellectual, generous and thoughtful person I know.
I have always known Tara to be a confident person in both her personal and professional life. It was not until Tara starting losing the weight did I really notice how much happier inside she is.
I have seen Tara put herself through a staunch series of diet and exercise. And with the positive support of Angie and all her friends, Tara is achieving her goals.
I know that this is only the beginning for Tara. Now that she has changed her lifestyle there is no looking back. She will never be a yoyo again.
Tara has worked really hard and I am so proud of her and what she has achieved.
those jeans, i can now fit both legs in where one went before.
those jeans, i jump up and down and they fall off.
after losing weight in peru and bolivia, i put some on in argentina.
you need support. its a fact.
and i keep a food and training diary.
other than that, the rules are simple :
2. exercise more than you want to. my office is on the 5th floor. i hate the stairs but theres 100 of them and now i dont notice it until the 4th floor. soon it will be the 5th.
3. i'm not on a diet. i am in control of what i eat.
4. every day i tell myself i am fabulous. if i dont believe it, it doesnt matter what i look like - no one else will either.
and i have my friends to thank for a lot.