Day 3 of Boot Camp

We focused on stomach and core muscles today. Some I could do well but others I could barely lift my legs off the ground! The running is still good - the guys set up two distances; one three metres longer than the other. I've been running the shorter distances but will give myself one more day and then move to the longer distances. We have to do an exercise, run to the first line, do the same exercise, run to the second line, do the exercise and run to the third line.

I've buddied up with a Norwegian girl, she's doing Boot Camp with her mum. But she calls me her hero and I call her mine! We seem to pushing each other and making each other sprint from the last line. I remember trying to encourage another girl in the evening camp on the first session but I think she was ready to plant my face in the sand so I kept quiet! So my Norwegian pal is happy to be encouraged and so am I.

I am not aching anymore, and I do not feel stiff. I just felt really tired this morning. But once I got going and got into the exercises, the adrenaline kicks in and it was just great fun again. The sea was gorgeous again. I did have a migraine when I got home though and another one this evening...absolutely no idea why...I wondered if I strained my neck doing the crunches.

We're off to the desert this weekend. Can't wait, I just hope I'm migraine free. We were invited to the South African Guild of Oman's annual desert trip to the Empty Quarter but we can't make it this year. I was so keen, I was hoping I could pick up a geod...but looks like I'll have to wait a bit longer again!

Have a good weekend/end of week whatever applies to you! x

Has anyone had to renew their passport whilst here in Oman?

The British Embassy do not renew passports or issue them anymore; it is done centrally in Dusseldorf now. The turnaround is about 4-6 weeks which isn't bad I suppose. The issue I have is that I was born outside of the UK and it says I need to give evidence of my parents marriage along with my own birth certificate. I can't remember doing this last time? I'm in my thirties...when do you stop showing proof of your parents' marriage???!

My Birthday continues!

Well, not exactly … I’d love a month-long birthday celebration! Ooh, maybe not … Anyway, I received two more birthday presents today. We had to wait for the visitors to arrive to bring it with them: A USB card reader and 3 x 8gb memory cards for my new camera (this is mega for me as I was using a…ahem…256mb card!!) AND the big surprise, Bryan Elkus’ Cape Hatteras Photo Book. I was expecting a large and heavy coffee table book but it was tiny! It was pretty much highlighting the best bits of Hatteras through Elkus' photography. But I love the place so much so this is a very special pressie! Thank you Captain, you can still surprise me!

 I don’t think I mentioned my neeeeeeeeew Camera. It deserves a capital letter. It is fab. I’ve gone to a Canon 550D, which has 3 times as many pixels as my 300D, which had 6.4mp…aren’t some camera phones this size now? And the ISO ability is brilliant. It’s renewed my creative urges although my first trip out held no inspiration really….although it was mostly to play about with the functions. I went to Shatti so I can’t say it was the place, I think it was me.

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We’re just watching ‘Come Dine with Me’ on BBC Lifestyle…I think this is on the cards for me, ZQ and Champagne Charlie to do over the next few months…did I mention I hate cooking?

Day 2 of Boot Camp

Awesome. Loved it. Despite loads of the exercises and running, I still had enough energy to feel like a 7 year old again (AGAIN?? Theme here?) and run in and out of the sea! Feeling GOOOOD! Not aching too much anymore. Not bad for a thirty-blahblahblah year old!

Gardening Update early January

It's been a while since I put some pictures of the garden up. To me it doesn't look any different, I'm so impatient! However, I do have my first fig on the tree!!!!! Squeeeeeeeal!!!!

I'm afraid we lost Muncher (I named the caterpillar, I'm sorry...). I think he/she was picked up by a bird for breakfast. :-(

The garden centre we went to last week had some pots of Rosemary. The Captain and I got quite excited at this...Cap'n because he could grow it right by the barbeque, pick it and put it fresh on the lamb leg; me, because I had a beautiful rosemary bush growing outside the front door of our house in Sussex. (Remember, E and R!??) I rubbed the leaves on my hand and it instantly took me back to the old house. All I need now is some Lavender and it'll be home from home!! Not quite, hey...!

I've got hold of Anne Love's much-thumbed-already book 'Gardening in Oman and the UAE'. Again, thumbs up to OPNO. Me at the garden centre: show picture of Carissa macrocarpa (Natal Plum): "do you have this?"Canna Indica (Indian Shot) on the opposite page: "do you have this?" Had to stop there, planning hasn't really been a massive feature of the back wasteland project, it is more, well...evolving! I seem to garden with the book in one hand, a trowel in the other and the poor plant at my feet. I put 'em in and see what happens!

Almost complete kids tent in background,
bougainvillea along the line and ixora in the pot

A new leaf (one of a few) on the lemon tree.
Look for the dark leaf-shape in the centre.

A freshly mown lawn!

Which made me think, rather randomly and maybe in my dazed state after Boot Camp one morning, but aren't all plants, flowers and trees weeds...I mean, they must have originally been growing in a free, wild state before humans cultivated and controlled them? Or have I missed some vital horticultural sciencey bit?

1 down...17 to go....

Sorry thighs...upper arms...we will get through this!


First Boot Camp last night and I LOVED it! [Note: please watch the tone of these boot camp posts over the next 6 weeks...I wonder how they will change!]


It reminded me of my Navy fitness training and I remember just loving that too. I think I was smiling 50% of the session last night! The Captain asked what we did and I couldn't remember, the exercises all merged into one at one point! Does that mean I'm not trying hard enough...maybe they were being kind to us! OH NO!!!


But I know that I did better on the running than I expected and just need to focus on the exercises. And I'm not aching half as much as I thought this morning!


We keep a record of measurements, weight, BMI etc over the weeks so I'll post that when I'm done. Let's see if it's worth it!

Hello 2011!

Wow, another new year. That has gone so, so fast… Happy New Year y’all.


Here are the last few weeks in bullet form:


 - The kids’ school productions, so sweet, funny and tear jerking all crammed in to two half-hour shows;

- A brilliant Christmas in the back garden finishing up with me acting like I was 7 years old bouncing on the trampoline laughing until my sides hurt;

Thank goodness for M and S!

- A hilarious new year’s camp at Sifah, gorgeous, sunny and fun-filled which resulted in my 4 year old son and his beautiful little friend publicly declaring their love for each other and their wedding plans;

- My birthday, resulting in the bi-annual ‘what have I achieved/what am I going to achieve’ fret, leading to a stern talking-to from the Captain about my attitude to long-term goals and planning… :-/


But hey, he did make some peanut butter and chocolate slices as my birthday cake (based on Reese's Peanut Butter cups...my breakfast, lunch and dinner given half a chance). Is it ok for a 30-something girl to sulk because she thinks she's not getting a birthday cake? I put the hint in for a Patisserie cake but this was a lot better! Yomnomnomnom...


2011? Who knows…inshaAllah, every Boot Camp session, plenty of visitors, I will take that breathtaking photograph, our garden will flourish, I will find a geod, maybe do the Muscat half marathon…oh, and the Captain makes it to Everest Base Camp! More on that next time, I'm so excited for him, what an amazing experience and achievement even just to get there.


Enjoy the year, treasure each month, savour each day x