Yesterday I set off with some mates to map out the route for a trail run across Fraser Island to be hosted later in the year. I hiked / jogged 25km from Kingfisher Bay Resort to Eurong Resort the width of Fraser Island. We ran though bush, soft sand and beautiful rain forest. The 25km part of the trek took 5:45mins with a few breaks.

After lunch & a recharge break at Eurong the boys headed on further completing another 23km’s going up the beach to Lake Wabby, tackling a huge sand dune and came back around to meet us at the 4wd.

We were all thoroughly exhausted at the end of the day. I enjoyed a huge steak before we got the 8.30pm barge home last night.

It was an AWESOME ADVENTURE but I’m very stiff today!

Well I can already tell this is going to be a very long month!

It’s nearly the end of day 3 without an alcoholic beverage and I’m quite surprised I haven’t got the shakes yet.
It’s strange, when you can’t have a beer at the end of the day; you tend to think about beer all day!!
I’m certainly craving a Pure Blonde! 

What is Feb Fast?
Participating in a Booze Free February!!!

What’s in it for me?
Lose weight, save money, gain more energy and raise money for charity!!  All very positive outcomes! 

I’ve finally got my registration in order so; if you would like to make a donation to support me on what I consider to be a huge challenge please click here to make a donation that goes straight to charity.

Proceeds raised through registration and fundraising go towards the Australian Drug Foundation, YSAS (the Youth Substance Abuse Service in Victoria), Mater Hospital’s Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Withdrawal Service (Queensland), The Ted Noffs Foundation (NSW and ACT) and FebFast’s grants program for smaller grass-roots organisations.

On the weekend a friend asked me what I though the definition of ‘Love’ was, to which I found I was not able to articulate a very informative answer. I said the best definition I had heard so far was from Choeying my Buddhist Nun friend so I decided to email Choeying and seek her wisdom on this matter……..

Hi Jeanette

Lovely to hear from you. 

This is a very big question that takes more than five minutes to answer so I have borrowed concepts from Thich Nhat Hahn who I believe is the world’s expert on love. Okay, Love has many parts and levels. 

However ,when trying to understand love we also need to contemplate what is NOT love. Most love we experience is clouded in attachment especially when our minds are obstructed by our delusions mostly, in this case our desire, passion etc. When we “fall in love” as they commonly say it is mostly due to our karmic connection with the other person and the delusions of desire and passion. We  deludedly think this passion will sustain our love forever and are devastated when it doesn’t. We don’t see that love is like a a beautiful garden – it only stays  vibrant and alive and beautiful with tender loving care,  nourishment and the understanding of the needs of the soil, plants etc. 

I have attached the rest as it is easier then typing on email. (download pdf here) Of course as always these are just intellectual concepts and are not very useful unless one meditates Firstly find self love and then the ability to love others. If we cannot love ourselves how can we possibly love anyone else. We will continually expect the “other’ to fill this loveless barron self and this is a recipe for destoying self love – we become a barron dessert thirsty for love  destined to a life of looking for love, “in all the wrong faces in all the wrong places” as the song goes! 

I hope you both benefit from this and may you meditate to find “self love” so abundant that you have no choice but to share this abudnace of love with others.

Love and prayers

Choeying
www.oddiyanadharmasanctuary.org

These days, ‘working your way to the top’ is almost unheard of, but not for chartered accountant, Toni McCulloch, who has just celebrated her 15th year with a Local accountancy firm … Accounting North ….

PLUS had been an awesome business mentor & best friend to me for 19 years…. (I wonder which has been the hardest job!)

To learn more about this inspiring & motivated business woman and her remarkable achievements please click here and read her Profile Magazine editorial.

This weekend I did a flying overnight trip to the Novotel Twin Waters which is such a beautiful resort.

Upon check in was a quick costume change and off to climb Mt Coolum which is 208metres in height.
It took me and my mate 14.30mins to run and climb up to the top.

Upon returning we jogged around the whole Novotel resort, then enjoyed a swim / spa and settled in at the bar for the rest of the night!!

Sunday it was up early to check out Bli Bli Castle then off to climb Cooroora mountain at Pomona.

It took us 30:10mins to reach the top and we got caught in an absolute down poor; the mountain had water running down it like a waterfall.
This made the climbing conditions a little difficult especially with a hangover on top!

Certainly felt Awesome to reach the top, though backing up with Bootcamp this morning my legs are starting to ‘Feel the Burn’!

 This popular mountain walk that rises to 439m is a steep and difficult. Every July the Pomona King of the Mountain challenge takes place and the record is about 20 minutes to the top and back. Allow two hours and that will still be some effort on this steep climb with some loose stones.

I’ve decided to finally wind down from the festive season and have decided February is the month to do it, so today is the start of Feb Fast for me, one month without alcohol!!!

What is FebFast?

FebFast is a charity that is now in its third year of operation.

We work to reduce the impact of alcohol and other drugs on young Australians by raising funds to support organisations working in research, prevention and service delivery concerning alcohol and other drugs use by young people.

We conduct a national education, awareness and fundraising campaign that invites people to sacrifice their alcohol consumption during February, and at the same time raise funds to support youth alcohol and other drug services.

Over the past two years we have seen more than 3,500 people take up the FebFast challenge to give up the grog for amonth. Collectively these people have raised more than $700,000 to support our cause

This is going to be hard work, so lucky for me I’m very good at achieving anything that is hard work + you can always buy a ‘Time Out’ (phew takes the pressure off a little)!!

Buy a Time Out; You don’t have to miss out on a special event! You can purchase a $25 date stamped Time Out Certificate to have a guilt-free day off from your FebFast.

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure.

I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle.

But if you can’t handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don’t deserve me at my best.”

— Marilyn Monroe

(My thoughts exactly!!!!)

Another beautiful day in Hervey Bay, that’s what!

This morning’s exercise regime:
10km bike ride, 3km run, 1000 steps, 300 sit ups + some SUPping (Stand Up Paddle Boarding)
…. followed by bacon, eggs and coffee.

The ocean was crystal clear this morning.

Life is good! 

Donate here

Voluntary Administration to Managing Director in FOUR MONTHS!!

Well welcome to Hervey Bay Malcolm Quinn!
Will you now be giving me back my $2,505 you owe me for my ticket to the Donald Trump seminar?! (Read more here.)  I’ve have been secretly hoping Karma (or the courts) would deal with this.

Wow and you’re starting a new advertising firm after putting your last one the ‘Concept Store’ in Voluntary Administration just four months ago, after racking up the below debts?

To cap off Quinn’s woes, the creditors are mounting up.

So far, just 1500 tickets out of 8000 have been sold, and those ticket holders are owed an estimated $1.5 million.

Trump himself is demanding the further $950,000 he says he is still owed, whether the tour goes ahead or not.

Sponsor Sarina Russo faces a loss of nearly $50,000. Gold Coast Convention Centre is owed $16,000. Sydney PR guru Max Marxson says he’s “sold a few tickets” to the event, but is probably going to have to “write it all off to experience”

“Think Like a Billionaire” had been badly promoted by Mr Quinn, whose background was in newspaper publishing and advertising. ………. “I think it was amateurish and unprofessional. It was obvious the promoters here bit off more than they could chew.”………..

….. click here to read more …… or here  …… or here …… or here …..

Superior Advertising, poor Mr Quinn would be lucky to manage a chook raffle with his track record!

Anyway all the best ………. I guess I can always start a competition publication….. Mr Trump may like to buy my first Front Cover!

For HONEST, PROFESSIONAL & OUTSTANDING Marketing & Advertising on the Fraser Coast make sure you utilise a professional with a proven & award winning track record DESIGN HOUSE!!

Blast from the past for my readers, some info on my experience in the 2001 Darwin Beer Can Regatta:

Though I did WIN:
2001 -Winner Darwin Beer Can Regatta; Best Beer Can Boat (A trophy)
2001 – Winner Darwin Beer Can Regatta; Best Beach Attire (A cheque) 

 I had the initiative to contact XXXX head office in Brisbane and asked them if they would sponsor my boat and supply me 3,000 sealed cans.

They were happy to do this and freighted the cans in two large boxes to me in Darwin plus supplied some mens XXXX t-shirts, a flag and stickers.
All I had to do then was enclose the cans in chicken fence wire to make my 6 seater catamaran as the cans were sealed.
There were no gluing cans together so I saved heaps of time and knew I would float! (Quite ingenious really!!!) 

I and my team of friends had an Absolute ball!!!

THE TEN CAN-MANDMENTS

1. Thou shalt enter the event in the right spirit

2. Thou shalt build the craft of cans.

3. The craft shall float by cans alone.

4. Thou shalt not drown.

5. Thou shalt not take the name of the craft in vain. Any craft bearing signs or lettering that may be offensive will be barred.

6. Thou shalt not drift from the straight and narrow and end up at Mandorah.

7. Thou shalt not protest too much.

8. Thou shall honor thy Committee.

9. Thou shalt not commit adultery – nothing really to do with the Regatta, but it gives us an air of responsibility and respect.

10. Thou shalt go back and read the first can-mandment again.

That’s my New Years Resolution!

And unfortunately it’s not a 6 pack of Pure Blonde BEER, it’s to do with my stomach muscles!!!! OMG

Today’s training 12km bike ride, 1500 stairs, 200 sit ups + 80 push ups! TICK!

Bring it on, HOOYAH!

Sorry everyone for the loss of images. Technical Support is working on  the issue.

…… Hmmmmm, it appears over 800 images were deleted from my blog………!

Apparently my blog wasn’t even backed up to the server so the images could be retrieved.

I guess I have some uploading to do over the Christmas break!

Honestly if you want things done correctly it’s best to do them yourself!

I now am hosting my own website on a new server that is backed up DAILY!!!

Should be back on track soon ……………

OMG for the last week I must have received at least 30 nuisance phone calls!

Most being about INSULATION!!!!
My work phone especially but even on my home phone number which is a private number! (Nice one Telstra, what am I paying for there!)

If you are fed up like me register your number here. (Please note I have all ready previously registered on here and still am getting bombarded but I will try again!!!)

Click here to Register or re-register your home or mobile phone number!

I decided this week’s new challenge would be ‘Giving Blood’. I’ve never done this before but have wanted to for ages. Therefore with a best mate of mine Emma in town, who is an experienced blood donor I ceized the opportunity and asked her if she may like to take me for my first experience! 

We had a big lunch, drank heaps of water and headed to the Hervey Bay Blood Bank. After filling in our forms we had our blood pressure taken, followed by a finger prick test to read if our Haemoglobin levels were within a healthy range and were then taken into the blood taking room. 

As Emma was quicker than me with the paperwork being a regular donor you can imagine my surprise when walking in and finding her nearly upside down, legs in the air, ice pack on her arm and damp cloth on her forward!!! I just thought OMG what am I in for deciding whether it would be rude or not to giggle at Emma!!!! Poor Emma’s experience didn’t go as well as usual this time (even though she still had a smile on her face!), but being such a great mate I busted her in this amusing position saying to the nurses “quick, quick get me right before Jeanette comes in and sees” (not wanting me to freak out!) then saying, “see I told you she would take a photo!”

Next it was my turn. I was a little nervous before I had even seen Emma  and had already gone to the toilet 3 times as you have to drink heaps of water, 2L is recommended! I was fine with the needle, everything was going well, the nurse asked me how I was feeling and I said maybe a little light headed but that could be due to nerves. I then mentioned that my hands were starting to sweat, she decided that was enough for my first time. They took 270ml out which I thought was not too bad for my first go. 

1 in 3 Australians will need blood products.
1 in 30 Australians give blood.

Donating blood – Giving blood takes just 5-10 minutes but you should allow about an hour from arrival to departure, which includes time for your interview and refreshments. You’ll feel a small pinch as the needle goes in, but it feels no worse than a pinch on the inside of your elbow. If you’re nervous about donating blood, let our staff know.

Safety – All equipment is sterile; needles are used only once and then discarded. In the great majority of individuals, a donation of 470mL is less than 10% of your total body volume and may be given safely every 12 weeks. Your body keeps on discarding and replenishing blood all the time whether you give blood or not, so this amount is quickly replenished.

Click here to learn more

Not the best odds, so get involved!

The Law of Attraction says people’s thoughts (both conscious and unconscious) dictate the reality of their lives, whether or not they’re aware of it. Essentially “if you really want something and truly believe it’s possible, you’ll get it”,… click here to learn more.

The Secret teaches us that we create our lives, with every thought every minute of every day…. click here to learn more.

I am a huge believer in this theory and see the effects of it in my live on a very regular basis. What you put out to the universe is what you will recieve. Only you have the choice of whether you attract good or bad into your life.

This Tuesday when our Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was in town on Melbourne Cup day for talks re our health system I put it out there to have a photo with him on my facebook profile stating, “The PM is in Hervey Bay today, hope I see him to get a snapshot!!!”

The following day we both made the front page of the local newspaper!!!! (I am the small picture top right ha ha!)

Unfortunately on this occasion I made a slight flaw forgetting to put it out there to meet and be photographed together in person, not at different events!  

Ok time to put it out there again, see how I go this time….

“Dear Jeanette, thank you so much for visiting me in New York, I am so thrilled we finally have had a photo taken together. I would love to pay for your trip! “…. lol your mate forever Donald Trump

[Some info & images via Wikipedia, The Secret & Donald Trump websites]

Today at 10.30am I went to Changes Gym in Hervey Bay for my first ever ZUMBA class.

Ricky Salomao our Instructor is from Rio in Brazil and certainly put us through a FUN & High energy workout!

Ricky was extremely funny as he instructed us how to do our Latin fitness moves to the pumped up Latin music.

The Zumba® program fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a one-of-a-kind fitness program that will blow you away. Our goal is simple: We want you to want to work out, to love working out, to get hooked.

….. click here to learn more.

Ricky also mentioned to me he would be training people to take over to tackle the Kokoda Trail plus doing adventure & training days on Fraser Island. I’m in!!!!

I can’t wait till he returns from vacation in January so I can start attending regular ZUMBA classes!

WTF What a waste of rate payer’s money!!!

$150,000 spent on an eyesore!

What a disaster to have a council in power that would approve to waste that much of rate payer’s money on a sign!!! ….. and then they had the hide to make it look UGLY!
OMG how embarrassing for Hervey Bay!!!

Councillor Anne Nioa who approved this sign states she wanted, ‘something that would represent a contemporary community’.  I’m at a lost how a sign that utilises cluttered collage design trends from the 70’s could possibly be passed off as a modern or contemporary representation of our area. 

From a Qualified & Experienced Professional Designer’s point of view:
It is far too BUSY & CLUTTERED, does not look BALANCED, the colours CLASH, the YELLOW is not part of the Style Guide The Council had designed in Brisbane!!, the word FRASER COAST is lost over the waves & far too small to be read by passing vehicles, the WHALE looks like a grade 3 student drew it & congratulations to them if they did, the structural framework is distracting (wood & aluminium) or is that supposed to be part of the design? …. and that’s just a start, pity I can’t see the whole sign in the editorial. 

Comment from Councillor Sue Brook’s blog when she saw the initial proof…. 

In the FCC today we see a depiction of the new entrance sign for Hervey Bay. I do think that community consultation would assist the development of what I believe are community signs rather than ‘Council signs’ and I do have some concerns that this particular sign is a bit too ‘busy’ and that the free standing bits and pieces won’t stand out against a varying background. 

Another comment from the blog of Councillor Sue Brooks: 

I noticed that the Hervey Bay entrance sign due to be installed on the Hervey Bay Maryborough Rd was shown in the weekend edition of  The Independent. While I like the general look of the sign I worry that the detail will get lost in the background once installed. I must be old fashioned as I prefer a simple stone wall and the words ‘welcome’ and ‘farewell’ on city entrance/exit signs. The sign has been workshopped through Council after being developed by Cr Nioa and the Marketing and Tourism Portfolio team. It will be a relief to finally have a sign for Hervey Bay so fingers crossed that ‘it works’. 

No you are not old fashioned Sue, you clearly have an eye for design plus the elements that will and won’t work and probably should have pushed harder for a professional & community opinion to be sought on the draft. Anyway from past experience we all know how the Council operates on these matters……. 

Oh Dear! How long till the next election………??!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday night was the hugest Salsa Party to date with over 200 people dancing up a Salsa storm @ the Bayswater. 

The fun started at lunch time with Hervey Bay’s Jeanette Maynes from Design House and event manager of the Salsa Group parading the incredible Latin dance performers from Vida Latina Dance Co. along our Esplanade at Torquay promoting their upcoming performance; Latin Fantasy “Lolita’s Story’ creating quite a stir ….. click here to read more about the party and view the gallery.

A big Thank You to the Vida Latina Dance Troupe, I Harte Latin, the Bayswater Hotel, Design House, Fraser Coast Chronicle & the Salsa Group and all those who attended making these nights possible!!!!

On Friday night at business drinks I was handed a business card stating BOTOX • FACELIFTS • IPL and I thought how very interesting, here is a subject I don’t know much about. After chatting at length with Viv, wife of local Doctor Peter Ironside she mentioned if I would like to learn more I could visit the surgery the following day and watch her have the procedure. I jumped at the chance!

This is what I learnt from Viv and Dr Ironside:
-       Pain factor: Different for everyone, some people choose to use ice or a cold pack. Viv mentioned you may feel pressure and sometimes the needle can be a little ‘stingy’ but I guess that is standard with having an injection. Watching Viv she was quite relaxed, showed no visible signs of discomfort and didn’t require a cold pack (very brave lady).
-       It can take one week to see the full effect.
-       If you hit a blood vessel with the needle you may get a bruise, which could end up as a black eye.
-       You must relax and only do light duties after the treatment (no massage or exercise) to avoid getting the skin hot.  This prevents the circulation from spreading the Botox to your upper eyelids which could cause ‘lid lag’.
-       The treatment might only last eight weeks the first time and 10 -15 weeks the following times.
-       If you choose not to continue your face returns to normal.
-       Viv had 8 injections in the frown and 3 on each side for the eye regions.
-       The Botox is watered down with sterile saline to allow for accuracy of the dose in each little injection.
-       The cost of her treatment would have been $360 (+gst) 

Click on these links for more information on how Botox Works + possible Side Effects.

For more information pease contact Dr Peter Ironsides Surgery, ‘Ultimate Skin Clinics Australia’ on 07 4124 6211. Shop 8, 7-11 Central Ave Pialba (Next to the Chronicle)