No More Dexter!!

I just hate it when you get into a television series that has grabbed you so much, that you're sad when the finale is over.
We now have to wait a whole year for Dexter!!

I just love that show!

I think I even dreamt about it last night after watching the finale.

So I thought I'd put a few of my thoughts about the show down and maybe we'll all see why I'm so fascinated by this show.

There's something a little icky about watching a real life husband and wife team playing brother and sister. It could be worse I guess, they could be brother and sister playing husband and wife... but even so, as they go through their lines acting their parts I wonder if they've just had a domestic squabble about who didn't take out the trash, or who left the toilet seat up again...

or what about Dexter's love scenes with Rita?

He usually doesn't have any but they got pretty close in that last episode and it one point, his face was smothered by her voluptuous breasts. Was his wife watching on as they filmed that scene?

I don't care how much you want to call it acting, it can't be good for the spouse to see that!

Speaking of Debra, Dexter's sister on the show, isn't she tremendously skinny? I'm fascinated by it! Each scene she's in I can't help but look at how small her frame is, how small her clothes are, and how no matter how tiny her clothes are, she still swims in them! There is not one ounce of fat on her! I'm sure if she takes off her clothes all we'll see is a skeletal frame!

I don't understand why they had La Guerta and the other cop marry. Was that just to throw us off the story line??? Seemed to come out of nowhere or maybe they're setting something up for next season?

The final five minutes were totally unexpected and horrifying as they were, were not without their own relief too. I say that because I find the Rita's character just so annoying. She's so sickly sweet yet manages to incite such a dislike. She does nothing all day but then throws the children at Dexter when he comes in from his work/killing duties. A man can only handle so much! She will tell Dexter she's unhappy with a smile on her face so how do you know she really means it? No wonder Dexter is often confused emotionally and has no clue what his reaction should be. Any small effort on Dexter's part to do something nice is met with an over exuberance of love and gratitude from Rita. It's not that she's too perfect, it's just sick!

And it goes without saying that I'll never be able to watch John Lithgow in the same way again.

And now what am I going to do? I have to wait twelve months for new Dexter!!!

I guess I'll just get immersed in my next lot of shows...House, Lost, 24...

TV addict? Who me?

Just when you think you've seen it all

I can't believe it.
I had my phone in my hand, the camera option being a click away, and yet I was too dumbstruck to do anything to record the moment.

When I left the building for lunch today, I exited out into the back alley. There was a girl walking towards me from the other direction. She had the shortest skirt on I've ever seen worn in public!

Ok so that wasn't the sight that made me think of my camera... it was when she turned into a street moments before me, making her now ahead of me, that I noticed she had a split up the back of her skirt.

This skirt, which barely covered her panties, had a split that showed half her bottom! it was the funniest thing.
She didn't even seem embarrassed!!
She didn't seem anything.
In fact, she looked surprisingly normal.

It was just hilarious. How could she not know that her pink polka dotted panties were showing through the split in her skirt?

Just when you think you've seen it all!

Florentine Junkie - A Temporary Obsession

I know you're just dying to find out what my latest obsession is....

Yoghurt Florentines from the health food shop!

Actually, the last thing they are is healthy but they are definitely heavenly divine and heaven is associated with being good, so I'll accept that the yoghurt Florentines are good!

And no, the photo shown on the right is not of my actual Florentine. They don't last long enough to be photographed! It's just an accurate replica I found on the web.

I love the Florentines so much that I'll have them instead of a regular lunch. I've always had a sweet tooth and would prefer sweets any day, but I feel strange going in there and asking for three yoghurt Florentines so I'll pretend I'm getting some for others "Can I have those in separate bags please?"

I sometimes ask for a few different items as well, so they don't think I'm just Florentine obsessed... like I could just take or leave them..
I think they're on to me though...
Luckily, I only work a few days a week...

There is one girl in the health food store who kind of annoys me because no matter what I choose to buy, she always says "good choice".
The first time she said it, I felt like I'd been a good girl! You know, like when the teacher asks you a question and you get it right!Now it just seems fake and it's a little disappointing. Does she even remember that I'm the yoghurt Florentine girl? Am I just another faceless person in the crowd that she says "good choice" too?

Hopefully the extra running mileage I'm doing these days is taking care of what those Florentines are doing to my hips!

Which reminds me...
I read a funny quote today
"There's a skinny person shouting to be heard inside every overweight person, who can only be shut up with chocolate"

Well, peace and quiet is better than shouting isn't it?

Now, enough chatter, where's my Florentine....

Retirement

A colleague retired today. He'd been with the company for forty two years! That's an amazing feat! He said it was the first and only job he's had.

I've only really known him for the last year or so as we've normally been in different teams but over the last few years, have heard the different customer stories he's shared.

Today as he was reflecting on his years at the company, he told us about the time a customer called in to say they wanted their meter red and the response they got was "I'm sorry ma'am, it only comes in grey".

And another time when a customer wasn't satisfied with what my colleague was telling her about the account and said "I want to speak to someone higher" and my colleague replied "Well I could always stand on the desk for you"

Things certainly have changed a lot in the last forty two years!! Anyone caught saying anything like that these days probably wouldn't have many more work days to worry about!

I just can't imagine how I'd feel if I were in his shoes. Yes I'd be happy at being "free", but what would you do with your time now? It would be easy to get caught in a rut... My colleague says he will treat it like a holiday at first, and then get involved in volunteer work. What a great idea!

So today as been a bit joyful, a bit sad, a bit filling (lots of food!) as we watch one of our longest serving employees finish his career.

Well done.

If only I can last as long!

Would you do this job?

I had to sit in a doctor’s waiting room for an hour or so this week and it got me thinking, isn't being a doctor one of the worst jobs you could have?

No doubt, they are worth every penny they get because I for one wouldn't want to be doing what they do!

I looked at the people around me in that waiting room, and wondered what ailments they were going to bring before their doctor. Which bits of their body were they going to expose? What disease ridden or germ infested part of their body did they need help with?

Now obviously we all need the doctor from time to time and I'm certainly not saying anything about the people needing to see one, but imagine BEING that doctor and having to see one ugly sight after another!

There's just no let up! All day long they hear it all and see it all. Where is the joy? What kind of patients/ailments do they hope to see? Which ones do they dread?
Look at the people immediately around you. Imagine you were a doctor and you had to look at them naked. I mean it's not quite as glamorous as Grey's Anatomy might make it seem! Normal people normally aren't pretty, and especially when they have things wrong with them that require a doctor’s attention!

People seem to fall into a couple of categories; those who go to the doctor on the whim of a potential sickness, and those that delay going until their tumour makes them look nine months pregnant.

The internet has made this problem so much worse hasn't it? How many of us (yes me included) have looked up our "symptoms" only to be convinced that we have a life threatening condition. In fact, miss 15 once told me that one of her friends had a certain disorder. I asked her what her doctor had told her about this situation and miss 15 said "no, my friend diagnosed herself from reading about it on the internet" and she said it with all the sincerity and naivety of a fifteen year old girl.

So after seeing diseased body parts and hearing the wails of the hypochondriacs AND dealing with genuine patients who need care and understanding, it's a wonder anyone continues to do this job!

But I'm glad they do because you see, I have this curious looking thing here...

I DID IT!!

This is a completely personal entry but I need to write it because I want to document how good I feel right now!!!

Today I completed one of my goals/resolutions for this year. That was, to run 21kms, or a half marathon distance.

I knew I was going to do it soon. I'd mapped out the distance using "Map my run". I'd chosen a route that I was familiar with so that it didn't look like I was running any further. The first 7kms and the last 7kms were part of my regular route... it was the mid 7kms that were new! (And they were the toughest)
Running is so much about have the right mental frame, little things like a different route can throw me off mentally.

I didn't tell anyone I was going to do it today. Actually I was debating whether to do it today or leave it for Tuesday (my birthday) as a birthday present... but decided to go for today in case I chickened out later in the week when I'd run more kms. Didn't want to do the distance on tired legs!

Everything was perfect this morning! the wind seemed calm, the temperature was fresh... I left the house about 6.15am and got to my starting point. Checked the time, 6.21am. Got my mp3 started with my newly acquired running songs (gotta have Morningwood and Juliette & the Licks!) stretched and off I went. At one point I had thought about taking pictures with either my phone or regular camera while running but knew they wouldn't come out anyhow... too much shaking, so why take the extra weight... but it's a shame because I would have liked to have had a photo at every kilometre!

As I was doing the first kilometre all I could think was "no way, I'm not going to be able to do this" but then my encouraging inner voice spoke "just run, you've done this part before, see how you feel when you get to the turn off and go from there"

So, trying to keep my mind blank, I just ran.
At about the 6kms mark I started to feel pretty good. I started to get into 'the zone'. I think what I mean by that is that my muscles just go numb and I can't feel them so as long as I keep moving, I'm ok!

At the 7kms mark my route changed and I went into a new bit that I'd never run before. It was ok until I reached a part that at that time in the morning, was pretty desolate. Nothing like a bit of fear to keep those legs moving!!!

Finally I hit the halfway point and it was time to turn around and go back. I had a brief moment of euphoria then, knowing that I was going to do the distance, even if some of it was going to include walking... after all, I did have to get back to my car!

When I got to point where I had 7kms to go, and was back in familiar running territory I felt pretty good. I thought if I just keep going like this, enjoying my music, not caring about how fast or slow I'm going, I'm going to make it!

As I started to get closer, 4kms to go, 3kms to go, 2kms to go, I just wanted to shout out to everyone I saw that I was about to complete my first half marathon distance!
I really couldn't believe that I had done it!

When I got back to the car I had such a huge grin on my face and really must have looked strange to anyone who saw me. I started walking around stretching a little, getting out my phone ready to text my feat to my nearest and dearest, when I remembered I had to check the time!
Checked the time and the car showed 8.20... which means I had run it in 1.59 at the worst! I just couldn't believe it!!!
I wanted to throw my hands up in the air and scream it!! "I've just run a half marathon in under two hours!!!"

But I restrained myself and instead, finished stretching then got back in the car to go home to the nice warm hot bath I had planned to aid recovery.

Now I need a new goal!!