Jan 4 - Improvements All Round

  Despite having been up quite late, lost in an online world of fantasy and violence, I managed to get up in time for physio this morning.  Rush was pleased to hear that my back has improved substantially so we went straight to the gym and spent my appointment learning the clinical pilates equipment and exercises that I will doing from now on.  I'm starting my clinical pilates classes on Tuesday next week and will go once a week.  Strength training at last!
  The first machine was called a Trapeze Table but I'm not getting up to anything to circus-y on it.  It has a spring-loaded bar at one end of the table and I have to push the bar down to the floor with my leg slowly 15 times on each leg.

Image by DMA Clinical Pilates

  The next machine I managed to find a picture of, a Clinical Reformer.  My exercise involves standing next to the machine and putting the leg closest onto the foot hold, the arm closest on the bar, and then extending my leg backwards.  Again, 15 each side.
  Next I hop onto a huge pop-proof gym ball and roll myself forwards so that I am lying on the ball support myself with my hands on the floor and then I lift both legs backwards up into the air.  That was the hardest one I think and I have to do two sets of 10 on that!
  Then I put a resistance rubber ring around my knees and do 15 squats.  Actually maybe that one was hardest!  And then the only other one was standing on one leg with the knee slighting bent atop a squishy foam rubber mat.  The squishyness makes it really hard to balance, which is the point.  All I have to do is balance on each leg for as long as I can.
  The classes each week also start with some group floor exercises and then I go straight into my custom exercises above.  Rush chose each exercise because they all focus on improving the muscles around my back problem areas.  I'm looking forward to the classes!
  On the way home from physio I stopped off to get some ingredients for dinner tonight.  Knowing it was going to be hot I wanted to get all the cooking done early in the day.  I will confess I gave in to temptation and went into Spotlight again.  I managed to spend another $35 on Christmas fabrics.  I shall have to steer clear of Spotlight for a while!  After that I managed to get the groceries and head home.
  I set about making dinner, a homemade potato salad with egg and a sour cream and chive dressing, a cucumber, avocado and dill salad dressed with fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a smoked salmon quiche.  None of it was particularly complicated though it took me a couple of hours what with all the cleaning up before, during and after.  I felt a real sense of accomplishment at having prepared a lovely dinner for me and Mr Smart.  It's certainly a healthy improvement on takeaways and it's certainly cheaper than eating out.

  I had a quick lunch after everything was safely stowed in the fridge then joined Mr Smart online for a two-player Torchlight match.  I've never played a two-player game before and there are some notable differences.  It takes a lot less time to complete a quest but there is not as much time for scavenging and ensuring every single foe is vanquished.  Foes are vanquished rather more effectively and I certainly lose less health but it's no longer a simple case of 'if it moves, whack it with your hammers' and I can no longer tell how effective I'm being as opposed to the other player.  It was fun for a change though and with Mr Smart's help I went up three levels to Level 22!
  Once we finished our online time, Mr Smart headed over for the evening. We played Scrabble (I lost again but I'll get there eventually!) and then watched a little TV, ate dinner (the quiche was a big hit!), Mr Smart fixed up my WDTVLive thingummy then we watched Sideways, a movie I've been wanting to watch for ages.  It's been a nice night, mostly escaping from the heat except for a brief trip to Jaycar for a 2 metre network cable!

  Today's food and exercise were:

• Breakfast was a diced mango with Jalna Greek Vanilla Yoghurt.
• Exercise was learning my clinical pilates equipment and exercises.
• Lunch was a Mission Whole Wheat mini-wrap topped with 106g Olive Mortadella, cucumber slices and sliced Perino snacking tomatoes.
• Afternoon snack was a slightly unripe banana.
• Dinner was three slices of homemade smoked salmon quiche with two serves of cucumber, avocado and dill salad and two serves homemade potato salad with egg and sourcream and chive dressing.
• Dessert was a big glass of Baileys and milk on ice.

  Have a wonderful weekend everyone, and if you're an Aussie outdoors, "Slip, Slop, Slap!"
I think we should include 'Slurp' too, so important to keep your fluids up in the heat!
  Jess

PS: For non-Aussies, slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat.
Keep yourself safe from the sun basically!