Porkupricklies and Motorflys

Sometimes the best and only thing I can do to clear my mind is to get out of the city and go spend a night at my mums place in the country, and on Saturday, I did. I wasn't there for solitude - as usual there was a small crowd of people in residence, but just for that special sort of mental calm that happens when I'm sitting on the deck and realise that the only noises I can hear are the wind in the trees, the crackling fire, some distant voices and the shuffling of whatever small animals are going about their nighttime business. No cars, no sirens, no dishwasher, no dodgy music coming from the neighbours house. And, for that matter, no Internet, no TV and no streetlights messing with the ambience of the night sky. I've always been more of a country girl than a city chick. My brain needs regular breaks from the relentless input of city life. I can even handle it when I open the freezer and there is a whole pig in there. Or half a cow. Real meat, sans polystyrene tray and plastic wrapper.

Of course there is the downside of creepy crawlies and the bitey insects that Miss J calls the 'motorfly' - as in:
'Did you see the bug that bit you?'
'Yes it was a motorfly'
'Do you mean a sandfly?'
'No, it was a motorfly'
'Perhaps it was a mosquito?'
'No, I SAW IT, it was a motorfly'

You can't argue with a three year old. They know everything, including the fact that there is a porcuprickly living in the garden. On Sunday, the believers headed off to church and Miss J got dressed up in pink-on-pink-with-pink-shoes-and-a-pink-hairband and went with them. I think it was a bit of a let down. I talked to her later and it seems that she was expecting God, or at least Jesus, to turn up. There was a lady filled with the spirit and dancing in the aisle, but that didn't make up for the God and Jesus no show. Fair point.

A few hours later I was able to explain to Miss J that God didn't make it to church because he was too busy planning the thunderstorm that hit rather violently on Sunday afternoon. It was a perfect dramatic combination. Heavy hail followed by torrential rain, both accompanied by lots of thunder and lightning. Cool. We hardly ever get such wild weather and really, the drains weren't up to it, especially when they had just been blocked by hail! I was driving around, and in 10 minutes the roads had become rivers and shop owners were helplessly watching their premises fill with water. My sister took some pics on her phone which I will upload if I can ever get her phone to send them to me... it's refusing, for some reason that I haven't figured out yet, techno-glitch. I was so glad that the car could handle tyre-deep water. Judging by the stranded casualties, many couldn't. I wasn't quite prepared for the lack of braking power though and very nearly ended up in the back of a truck. It was close.

Last week I got back on the scales a few times and found that I'm now somewhere around 57kg (56.7-57.4) which is a nice weight for me. My ideal is about 52-54 so I'm pretty close to that now and should be able to get there in a few months. Nutrition is pretty consistent right now, but I've been quite unmotivated with exercise. I just 'don't want to' lift weights. I know that it's all about maintaining muscle and being shapely and all, but I just want to go running on the hills. I need to find my lifting mojo again so maybe it's time to investigate some kettlebells or get myself to a pump class. I'm seriously considering the Tuesday night boxing class at the gym. Maybe it's just time for something different. Do I really need massive biceps? Perhaps not.. I'll see how I feel tomorrow.. ;)