Hand delivered prize in Germany

What do you do when you get an opportunity to drive to Germany and hand deliver a Saturday Quiz prize?

Go for it!

Turns out the my husband's bike launch was a mere three and a half hours drive (that turned into five) from Top Gun Tenor, Garrie - who lives in Germany... and yes, he is a top gun tenor.

Garrie correctly guessed Saturday Quiz No.3 and I couldn't resist the temptation to personally deliver the Eiffel Tower key ring.

So here I am, on his couch (which I'll be surfing later on), writing this to you.

Now I'd love to sit and chat some more, but I have to get ready to indulge in a very cultural evening of German opera. I'm seeing Mozart's Die Zauberfloete (The Magic Flute), featuring the very gorgeous Margaret Koenn (Gazza's missus).

So I have to dash.

Until tomorrow, find ways to get more culture than a tub of yoghurt.

Grace xx

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A winner, hot yoga and a half-birthday dance party

Congratulations Jaala, you guessed correctly, an eye, heart and ewe (female sheep) decodes to I LOVE YOU - well done!

Please go to my Blogger Profile Page and contact me via the email link so I can arrange to have your prize delivered. Just remember to let me know which prize number you'd like to claim and know that you can have it delivered to anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Well that was a bit of fun!

Okay, so what's new today?

I found a hot yoga place near here on one of those 'find your local blah blah' websites. As they're notorious for being outdated, I rang to see if their advertised 9.30am class was still running. They didn't answer, so I left a message (I still haven't heard back from them).

I was left wondering, "Will I? or won't I?" and then I thought, "Bugger it!" and went anyway. The freeway was like a car park and I very naughtily drove on the inside lane (which is supposed to be for emergency stopping, but I was emergency going).

I arrived at the studio three minutes past the scheduled start time. The door was locked. I could hear people talking and laughing so I gave a gentle knock, but it was in vain. I returned home feeling deflated. "Bugger 'em," I thought.

Upon entering my abode, I decided to empty my fridge of outdated, half mouldy and 'we'll never eat that in a bunker' food (as you do when you're rejected from yoga). I felt much better. Then I remembered that today is my half-birthday, remember them?

I know most people outgrow celebrating half-birthdays when they stop playing on the monkey bars, though I never did (stop celebrating half-birthdays OR playing on the monkey bars). The reason for this is that I have a cousin that was born exactly six months before me. As long as I can remember, whenever it was her birthday - it was my half-birthday.

Well today is her birthday - so a BIG happy 40th to my cousin Rachel, and a not quite as big '39 and a half' birthday to me. I'm celebrating tonight by going to a Zumba dance party at my gym. $10 entry, finger food, drinks and a master Latin dancer teaching us some grooves - what a perfect celebration - woohoo!

So it' s hip, hip, hooray from me.

Until tomorrow, decode 'eye heart ewe' to someone dear to you.

Grace xx

Phuck it, I'll do it anyway

After completing my first blog entry yesterday, I made a dash to our new local gym. I strapped on my Mum's old 'Stackhat' and climbed on her retro 1980-something Apollo mint green girly bike and off I went in search of my former self.

I arrived at the gym with my free pass in hand to 'sample' what was on offer and then it started - that disconnected feeling...

On the inside, I was feeling positive - but then I caught sight of myself in the wall of mirror and I looked like a walrus out of water.

How can I feel one way and look another...?

After overheating, uhem, warming up on the cardio equipment I made way to the labyrinth of weights. This was once my domain, I reigned over it, I was the Queen and I loved it.

Now it terrified me.

As I looked around I was sure that I resembled those little kids that get lost in shopping aisles, "I want my mummy" (for my American and Canadian readers, all two of you, we say Mum, not Mom).

I opted for the free weights and did some simple upper body exercises. I strategically stood in front of the mirror so my face was covered by an A4 'Please return weights after use' sign.

As I stood watching my technique (I'm a stickler for that) I noticed the muscles twitching under the skin of my shoulders and for a split second - I saw me.

The me that LOVED going to the gym and pumping iron, the me that got so strong, became so lean and so toned that Guy Leech (yes, the Guy Leech - Ironman champion and my 80's heartthrob) once said "wow, you've got great calves"... but alas, just as quickly as it came, it went away. I was lost again. Lost in the shroud of my blubbery flesh.

At the end I was fighting with myself - what to do? And then I remembered Project Grace 2010 - and despite all my fears, worries and over thinking, I said "Phuck it, I'll do it anyway" and signed up for a 12-month membership (Pat said softening the 'F' word would make this blog more palatable for sensitive readers).

So that's it. Day 1 complete.

I have an appointment with Vince in an hour where we'll be doing an assessment (yikes!) and discuss my goals so he can devise a program. Vince is also training one of the current contestants of The Biggest Loser, which I find rather uncanny, seeing how I was runner up in a body transformation competition 7 and a half years ago (see photo). Perhaps the universe has brought us together for a reason...? I'm interested to see how it unfolds before me.

Thanks for reading and to everyone who has commented and sent me emails and Facebook messages - WOW! Thank you for making me feel like I'm someone worth finding!

Love and hugs,

Grace