Operation Move #walk400 wrap up and this month

I managed to meet my target of 800 minutes for #walk400. My final totals were 822 minutes and 22 seconds of walking which was 60.38 km. I am a little disappointed that I didn't make 900 minutes but I did double what was required and I think I should be very happy with that. I also walked 22 times in January which is 21 more walks than I did in November and 22 more that I did in December.

So now that #walk400 is done and dusted, what's next? Well over at Operation Move the gang are doing a few things. Because of the success of #walk400, February Op Move walkers are aiming a little higher with #Feb450. And if that's not enough to keep you moving, there is also a learn to run program. You can check that out here. I have signed up for both groups and I'm hoping to reach both goals.

The Learn to Run (LtR) program is taking place over 12 weeks and takes three days a week and encourages a rest day between each. I'm hoping to do LtR Monday, Wednesday and Friday and use my 'rest' days to do my #Feb450. The whole thing is geared to get people up to running for 30 minutes straight in 12 weeks. That's a big goal but something I'd really like to achieve. Who knows perhaps I'll be so inspired I'll continue on or even sign up to do a Fun Run (oxymoron, perhaps?) in the future.

I did a 30 minute walk on Monday (Week 1 of LtR is just a walking week) but I've started back at work this week and I'm tired. So I'm going to push my LtR days back so I can get to bed early tonight and hopefully manage to do it tomorrow.

Good Luck to everyone doing Op Move and anything else to increase your health and fitness. Here's to a happy and healthy 2014.

 

The July School Holidays - Away

This time around the school holidays have been lovely. We have done quite a few things at home and away. Given the photo intensive nature of these posts, I’ve broken them into parts. Here is a pictorial view of our holidays when we went to Sydney to stay with family.

We saw some of the 18th Biennale of Sydney at Cockatoo Island. For those of you who have no idea what the Biennale of Sydney is (I didn’t) here is the blurb:

Held every two years, the Biennale of Sydney is Australia's largest contemporary visual arts event, showcasing bold and innovative contemporary art from around the world.

In order to get to Cockatoo Island we went to Circular Quay and boarded the Ferry. The Biennale have free Ferries running to and from Cockatoo Island but if you can’t be bothered hanging around for the next free one you can pay and ride on the normal ferry services.

Watching Circular Quay as we pulled away

Sydney Opera House – taken by Girl Child on my phone

Installation by Jon Pylypchuk in the Dog Leg tunnel. Image found: here

We also really liked the other installation in the Dog Leg tunnel by Daan Roosegaarde. 

The Sydney Harbour Bridge from the top of Cockatoo Island

Accommodation on Cockatoo Island – campsites (with the tents already set up) also available

Luna Park on the way back to Circular Quay (Girl Child’s photo)

We went to the beach but didn't swim, much to the kids disgust.

We did the usual things we do when we go to Sydney, hang out with family, eat at Boy Child’s favourite restaurant (it’s in Coogee).  This visit, the Biennale at Cockatoo Island was almost the icing on the cake. For me though Mr E. had two bunches of flowers and dinner waiting when we got home.

The 18th Biennale of Sydney is open from 27 June to 16 September 2012 and is held in various locations around Sydney.  Check it out!

First world vs Third World - inspired to do good

There have been things going on in my world that are so totally first world problems.

Things like the frustrating wait in the supermarket on Saturday or Sunday afternoons trying to get the fastest check out operator and still getting stuck for 30 minutes while your ice cream starts to get soggy and then leaves a melted trail from the trolley when you put it on the conveyor belt to get scanned.

Or how about the time when someone hit the mini electricity box in our street with a car? The electricity company sent people to repair it and they just cut the power to the box and therefore probably 100 or so houses without giving any warning. This caused absolute outrage in some people. They were angry that they had no prior notification and that they couldn't save the document that they had been working on. They swore at the electricity people because "I work at home and you have no right to turn off the power without giving us notice." Of course when the person was told it would take about two hours to repair the problem, it seemed the world was going to end. I wonder how that person coped when the power was actually off for about 3 hours?

I can understand, as I work at home and had a sick child with me that day, but would they have preferred the electricity box to have blown up at some point? As that was a very likely scenario.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't happy with the situation either. After all I couldn't have a cuppa. However, we are lucky enough to have a gas stove so I boiled water in a saucepan. But the reactions were so extreme I got to thinking about our first world priorities and problems.

Are we so enamored with and dependent on our comforts of life that a little hitch causes a major issue in our lives? I'm guessing for many of us the answer is a resounding Yes! The thing is, those little upsets, those things are really so meaningless in the grand scheme of life. Take for example what some of the bloggers I read have been doing to raise awareness and funds for others.

Image from http://www.business2community.com/social-media/14-trends-of-social-media-culture-0136261

Those of you have have been out of the blogosphere or not on Twitter for about a week may not know that Eden Riley from Edenland went to Niger with World Vision to see the conditions and the people affected by the West African Food Crisis. You can check out her posts about it. You can either start with this post and go on to the newer posts or click on this link to take a look at all the posts tagged I have a world vision.

Lori from Random Ramblings of a Stay At Home Mum also blogged about Eden's trip but also about the Vicks Breath for Life campaign which aims to help increase awareness of and prevent pneumonia in children under 5 in Bangladesh. Check out her post Inhale.

Lee from Mummy Issues: Part 2 is a girl after my own heart. However Lee is giving up chocolate and barista made coffee for the month of May. She will be planning on donating the amount she saves to the Australian Red Cross. Her link is here. You can sponsor her too, if you like.

Nathalie from Easy Peasy Kids is inviting bloggers to get together and each donate an amount of money which will be combined to make a difference. Check out her post here.

I'm in awe of the amount of bloggers who have been inspired to do something to help improve the world. I hope you are too.