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3月18日 Quick helloIt has been a while since I wrote in my blog. We've been busy working and travelling, both for fun and work. I've put up pictures from our most recent trips.
Copenhagen at the end of February. Robert was there for work so I travelled over for a long weekend. It is a really pretty town but it was freezing cold when I got there - 5 deg or something like that and I didn't really pack appropriately. That was just an excuse to go shopping for another layer of clothing!
The other new album is from Robert's birthday weekend 9-11 March. It was a surprise weekend, he had no idea where we were going so we went to London City Airport where I hoped Robert would think we were flying somewhere. But we just picked up a hire car. Then Robert had to drive but he didn't know where we were going. He is very patient though - I am terrible with surprises. Eventually we arrived at the Lighthouse and he was very suprised and we had a lovely weekend with great spring weather.
Hope you enjoy the pictures! 11月5日 That is what you get for being smugA quick hello to all who read my blog. We've been in Sydney for 4 days and those of you in London will smile to know that it has been raining every day since we arrived
 which of course everyone here is quite happy about because it means the gardens get water and they can leave their car out so it gets a wash. I've had to borrow a coat from my mum because I only brought one fleece and it is quite cold! Thankfully Broome and Perth are both very warm and hoping that our luck does not hold, we will be warming up on Wednesday. So far we've been catching up with friends and family. Thursday to Saturday was one long party - my birthday then my dad's party. It's nice to have a few quiet days at home before we head off to WA.
Can't upload photos yet as we did not bring the cable for the camera - doh!
Bye for now. 10月17日 We did it and I survived to walk another dayYes we survived the 60km ride, despite someone choosing a route that took us along some of the steepest hills in Southern England. I promise I am not exaggerating. It has been 2 days since the ride and my legs are starting to return to normal. The bottom was sore let me assure you, but after a while it just became numb and the pain of my legs took over. I think humans can only concentrate on one point of pain at a time
 We raised over £600 (THANK YOU EVERYONE) and with both our companies doubling this we will donate more than £1800 to The Princes Trust. Not a bad effort. It is what kept me going on those hills so thanks (I think). Slightly disappointed Prince Charles wasn't there at the end to shake my hand. But then again I didn't smell to great by that stage.
So the next challenge is 4 weeks in Australia on holiday. Tough eh... And then back to running with a few more 10 km races ahead. I need to get down to a respctable time as opposed to 'slightly faster than walking' pace.
Speak to you when I am back from Oz! 10月8日 Blog it while its hotWe did it - Suzanne, Kath and I along with 30,000 other people did the 10 km run in Hyde Park today http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6031775.stm. I did ok, it took me 70 minutes (not brilliant) but hey I've only been at it for 4 months and I'm going to keep on going! I managed to finish before a few hundred people in group two so at least I'm not the slowest in town. I've got a long way to go before I get to Paula Radcliffe's time - she did it in 45 minutes and she's 6 months pregnant (her usual 10 km is about 30 min!). So we're off to find the next challenge. 60 minutes here I come! 10月2日 8 km done, 10 km next, 60km to followMore on the running - the weekend before last I ran an 8km run at Windsor. It was very warm and sunny, and there are lots of hills in Windsor so it was pretty tough. But anyway I did it (very slowly) and now I am looking forward too
 my 10km run this coming Sunday with a few friends.Here is some evidence of my 8km run. The first picture is obviously before I started because (1) I look quite relaxed and (2) my headphones are on my head. My IPOD decided to die at 3km which really annoyed me. Damn Apple rubbish! By the third picture I am smiling gleefully as I see the finish line approach.
And with regards to the 60km - this refers to a bike ride Robert and I are doing in 2 weeks for the Princes Trust. Read more and SPONSOR ME here: http://www.justgiving.com/wickymast 9月21日 Running and travellingI hope you have all seen my Sri Lanka photos. We had a lovely trip. It was great to see my grandma who is still going strong as she approaches 84. We really chilled out, and I managed to read a novel which I never get the chance to do at home.
As for the running program, I am still going strong but not really getting much faster. I've done a few long runs (~10 km) and manage to get around in one piece. This weekend coming I am going for an 8 km race in Windsor. Well I use the word 'race' loosely, its more about finishing and getting my medal and goody bag! It will the first formal recognition of my running
 The bike training is also going well. We did a 43km ride a few weeks ago so I am feeling less scared about the 38 miles to Windsor in 4 weeks. I might just make it. Keep a look out soon for my charity website - I'll put a link up and you can all sponsor me for the Princes Trust.
8月23日 Keep on runningI've been taking this running thing quite seriously, with thanks to my friend Kath who is egging me on. We signed up for a 10 km run in October so in addition to running to work a few times a week (5 km) I did a 10 km run on Sunday. I was scared silly as I really didn't think I could make it, but I managed to do it and still walk the next day. I was very slow as far as runners go - 72 minutes which is more of a long jog than a run. But at least I did the distance and know I can do it, so I've just got to keep going and try and get faster. I'll keep you posted. 6月19日 Can Monica cope with chaos?Today we started the kitchen renovations. My laptop has a fine coating of white dust - hope ITG don't get annoyed with me! I'm gonna keep a photo journal of the 'journey', I've posted the before shots.
So far the fitters have got a fair bit done in one day: ceiling has new plasterboard and all the ugly tiles are gone.
I just need to cope with a dusty house, which is pretty difficut for Monica (those who know me well will understand)!
Keep posted for more pictures. 6月2日 ice ice baby...We spent 4 amazing days in Iceland 26-30 June. Check out the pictures. We definitely want to go back, next time with a 4WD and camping gear. It is the only way to see the inland of the country, which is full of glacial lakes and absolute isolation. The whole population of Iceland is ~ 300,000 so you can imagine how 'quiet' it is. Yet you will find internet access pretty much everywhere and everyone speaks excellent English. It is definitely in my 'top 3' most beautiful places on earth, well from what I have seen so far.
5月12日 Latest picturesI've uploaded a few more pictures recently.
We went to Ireland over Easter which was great fun. We spent most of the time in County Galway, driving along the coast and stopping for seafood as often as we could, coupled with Guiness for Robert. The only small problem we encountered was on the first day of our trip. It was Good Friday and absolutely every pub was closed. We 'heathens' were very thirsty after a long day of driving we ended up going for dinner to a restaurant at 6pm so we could get a drink. Thank goodness the food at the restaurant was very nice as well.
The May Day bank holiday we went to Krakow. It is a very beautiful city. We travelled on Ryan Air (the ultimate in cattle class) and were entertained by a large group of Scottish rugby fans off for a weekend in Krakow. They were very rowdy and quite drunk on the plane but by the end of the flight one rather large lad looked very green and was given a plastic bag by the aircrew in case he decided to .... you can guess the rest.
The weekend in Krakow was fantastic. It is quite a small town and you can easily visit the whole place in a weekend. We were pleasently surprised at how great the food and hospitality was. We had a great meal in the Jewish quarter and also lots of nice meals in the Old Town. We also went on a day tour of Auschwitz-Birkenau which was incredibly sad. Growing up in Australia WWII always seemed very remote and unreal, like a story you know well but can't image it ever really happening. Visiting Auschwitz really made WWII a reality for me.
Hope you like the picutres. Bye for now! 1月28日 Frozen in LondonWe have the coldest night in London for 8 years and our hot water system decides to die
 We only replaced the boiler just under 2 years ago and it is still under warranty. The downside of getting it fixed under warranty is the crap level of service you get from the manufacturers! We got a temporary fix last week which lasted 4 days (until this morning, hence my grouchy-ness). And its not likely the new parts will be here for installation for another 4 days. Meanwhile we have 2 heaters going and we'll be boiling pots of water for a wash tomorrow.
Grrrrrrrrrr, or rather brrrrrrrrrrr 12月20日 Mr & Mrs Mast19th December 2005 - Robert and Jo tie the knot!
2005 has been a really special year for both of us so we decided to end it on a high note. We had a civil ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall and our closest friends Sarah and Kees joined us as witnesses. Sarah and her husband Carlos came over from Barcelona, and Kees came from Amsterdam and the five of us celebrated our wedding yesterday. Photos coming very soon! 12月5日 It's official - I'm a Brit!I received my letter today saying I've been approved for British Citizenship! It is quite unbelievable, mostly because I've been approved in 3 months - that is amazing! Even the home office website says it takes on average 9 months. I must be one of the lucky ones that made it into the 'must meet government target' bucket. Obviously as such a good citizen I ticked all the right boxes.
So all I have to do now is swear allegiance to the Queen, which seems a bit odd since as an Australian I'm already one of her loyal subjects. But never mind - from now on no more queuing at Heathrow airport with all the American tourists and African Refugees. Hoorah!
10月26日 Run Forest Run....So I am on a mission to shift the 10 kilos I have gained in the past 6 years, but I know it is going to take time. The bike riding hasn't done a great deal so I've moved onto running which is MUCH harder work!
 I run from home to work which is just under 6 kms. At the moment I am pretty slow, it's taking me 40 minutes to do it. But I feel much stronger and healthier already after just 10 runs. Robert has made a bet with me if I can lose 6 kilos by the end of the year we are going to a day Spa, an extra 2 and it will be a weekend Spa out of town. So the motivation is there, but it sure is hard work.
Fingers crossed! 7月14日 London silent once moreIt was really eery with the 2 minutes silence today. The whole city was quiet once again, much like it was last Thursday except there were no sirens. But today the sun was shining, in fact its very warm and makes everyone feel cheery. Life is returning to normal in London. 5月11日 Stuck in Milan!Our flight has been cancelled because a KLM flight is stuck on the runway at Heathrow. We are on a bus to another airport hoping to get another flight home. Boo hoo! 4月28日 Let's see if we can send a photo to my blogLet's see if we can send a photo to my blog
One more little test, I was wondering if I can send a photo to my blog from email. Maybe?? A friendly baby elephant in Sri Lanka. LOVE JO xxx 4月14日 Email to my blog - how cool!Email to my blog - how cool!
I’ve decided to try out emailing my block, so I can be clever and start using my blog when I go on holidays to keep my photos up to date and tell you all where I am and what I am up to. Not much new going on at the moment, I am studying a lot for my first MBA exams in June. I had a residential weekend from Saturday to Tuesday this week which was a really great experience. It was good to meet the other distance learning students and share our experiences with each other. I was pretty frightened by the dissertation discussion but I still have a year before I start that, although it will come around soon I am sure! Bye for now. End Test – Jo. |
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