It's been a weird few weeks...

My last few weeks have been a bit eventful and a bit weird, well kinda.  Started with me getting new carpet in the lounge, just before Labour Wknd, and Pa was here so I didn't need to take the day off work, thanks Pa.  Then we hung out on the Friday cos it was HB Anniversary, can't remember what we did but am sure we did something lol, pretty sure we went out for dinner nom nom.  Then on the Sunday I headed off to Mangakino for a few days, just to chill.  I had the week after Labour Wknd off plus a couple days of the following week, cos why not.

Mangakino was fun.  Didn't really do much, but that's what I like about visiting there.  Caught up with Bro in Taupo on my way through, then we both headed to olds.  Went for a walk along the lake with Pa one of the days, then another went running in Tokoroa while Mum met up with a friend, who I then met.  Then Mum and I went shopping.  

Then I came home for a day before heading to Chch for a long wknd with Bridie.  We may have both under packed for that lol, I put my beanie back and she put her gloves back before we left.  Both agreed that was dumb when we got there as it was cccccooooollllllddddd.  Felt a bit warmer after we went and bought beanies from a souvenir shop lol.  Overall it was a good long wknd, we did lots of chatting (shocking I know lol), some exploring, lots of eating, watching stuff, some shopping, some reading, played on scooters and I went for a run while she watched the All Blacks game.  Slight disruption on our last day when I got a msg that my flight had been cancelled and I was now flying home via Auckland the next day.  Not at all what I had planned but I went with it like I had to.  Air NZ put me up in the lovely Novotel at the airport and gave me a food allowance, which seemed nice and high till you realised how much the hotel restaurant charged and this is where you had to eat to get it charged to room and therefore for Air NZ to pay.  Oh well, I made it work and spent $2 less than my allowance which is all I cared about, I didn't want to pay anything hehe.

Then after coming home and working for two days, I had a wknd which was lovely.  Took myself out for brunch then to the beach to read on one of the days, the other I have no idea what I did lol.  Then work again for 2 days, one of which I didn't feel so great, then was even more meh on Wednesday morning so took at a rat test and have been isolating with Covid since.  Day 5 today and still feel kinda meh, wouldn't be well enough to work even if it was a work day, so tomorrow shall be off work again and go from there I think.

So yeah that's my kinda weird few weeks, started off really well but then took a bit of a nose dive.  Am still doing Marathon in a Month but might not make (probably wont if I'm being honest) the full distance I challenged myself to do.  I think I will make a marathon but not the half again on top of that.  Still happy for donations if anyone is still thinking of donating.

And to finish off here are some pics from Christchurch :)

And a random extra from the fancy dress party I went to recently, am rocking the70s chick look in terrible lighting lol

Marathon in a Month 2023

November is Marathon in a Month time again.  Marathon in a Month is a fundraiser for Cancer Society NZ, where people sign up to walk/run/swim/bike a marathon (or other selected distance) over the duration of a month.  If you choose to do a marathon this works out to be 1.4km a day.  

This year I have roped mum in to take part, she is going to walk a marathon over November and I am going to run 1.5 marathons over the month.  

If you would like sponsor us this would be amazing, but we are also after people supporting us with words of encouragement throughout the month so don't feel like you need to donate money to be supporting us, sending us msgs to keep us motivated will also be needed.

To check our progress, and donate if you would like to, here are the links to our pages:
Me - https://marathoninamonth.org.nz/jilly-miller
Mum - https://marathoninamonth.org.nz/christine-miller
Team page - https://marathoninamonth.org.nz/maycontainnuts

If anyone would like to also sign up and join our team then let me know, the more the merrier I say :)

Ps: you may start noticing that I am changing the spelling of Jillie, I have decided that I am going back to how I like it spelt not how my friends chose to have it spelt.  I don't mind which spelling you use though, and please also keep calling me JB if you are someone who does as that name is still my fav, its just not really used any more... dunno why but am happy for us to bring it back hehe.

It's crazy the difference a year can make

Just thought I would do a positive gluten free update, cos I think my last few have all been kinda on the not so fun side of being gluten free.  Small side note on that, did you know paper straws and laundry detergent can contain gluten?? I know, me neither.  This world is just ridiculous at times.

Anyhow, onto the good stuff.  I have decided it is time I do up my lounge, paint it specifically, so I borrowed a couple of sanders off dad to save me doing all the sanding by hand.  And this time last year I am pretty sure I wouldn't have even been able to hold onto one of them with it going, let alone sand the whole lounge in one go, then follow that with washing my hair cos someone forgot to wear a hat so her hair was covered in dust (whoops lol).  I then did some knitting in the evening cos why not :) Then today I spent most the arvo (well just over 3 hours of it) painting the undercoat layer.  This also would not have been possible this time last year, no way could my hands have held a paintbrush for that long.

So while my super strict gluten free diet might suck, and quite badly at times, it is so absolutely worth it.  Just thought I would share that with you all :)

Anyhoo how are you?  I hope you are well and happy.  I am pretty good, feel like I'm not really up to anything at the moment but I am just sorta doing me things.  Me things like crafting, reading, hanging with friends, going for run when have the time and I feel like it.  Decided against one this wknd but that was cos I wanted to get lounge to the stage that next wknd I can just paint it and not worry about any of the pre-proper-painting stuff.  Am very happy with progress though I did miss getting a run in.  And ok if I hadn't caught up with Penny and Bex ystdy morning, Jenny this morning and Maggie and Paul this afternoon then I prob woulda been able to fit one in.  But me give up catching up with friends, haha yeah that aint so likely to happen lol.

I have survived

Survived what you ask, well another full trip around the sun of course :)

That's right, I aged again last week.  And if I may say so myself I am getting the hang of this aging thing I think, definitely getting better at it.  This year it was a 4 day event.  On Wednesday Bro and I took the day off work and hung out.  We ran some errands, played some Switch and some N64, drunk some cocktails and ate fish and chips (not in that order).  Thursday I went down to Feilding to get another tattoo, this one is a biplane and is very awesome (in my opinion).  Friday Jenny took the day off work and we went out for brunch then treated ourselves to massages, then Jenny and a few friends came round for cocktails and pizza (nom nom slurp slurp).  Saturday Mum and Dad came over and Mum and I went to a Celiac NZ event in Havelock North which was actually pretty good (and I got a bag filled with groceries just for attending, mega score).  For dinner all of us headed round to Jenny's for dinner and she put on a scrummy dinner for us.  And no I am not mean taking my visitors to Jenny's instead of cooking for them, Jenny actually likes cooking just not for only one person, so she likes having more than herself to cook for.  Plus she likes my family (I know, she is weird... lol).

So anyway that sums up my bday for 2023.  And I hope you all had lovely days on my bday as well <3

Just when you think you have it figured out life throws you a spanner...

Wow, it's been ages since I've posted anything.  Sorry about that, time just got away on me (like it does sometimes).  This is another gluten free themed post, I know I am getting so good at these.... lol.

Got some gluten free soy sauce in a recent grocery shop, and decided to have some with dinner last night.  Which I would say went rather well, until I was partway through my run at the gym and realised something was not sitting quite right... got home in time (thankfully), turns out the gluten free claim on the bottle was not something my body agreed with.  Spent a fair chunk of the night awake with a crock gut, thankfully didn't vomit too many times as it wasn't that much gluten that I consumed, but there were plenty of moments when I wasn't sure that I wasn't going to.  Needless to say I had today off work, have been mostly napping and finding energy to get up and get something to drink/eat.  Not sure I will ever get used to how drained eating gluten makes me, the effort it took to just get up this morning was incredible.  And to think before I was diagnosed that was my standard day, no idea how I coped back then but I guess you do what you have to so I just did.

I did some investigating (thanks Celiac NZ website) as I was curious as to how something labelled gluten free wasn't totally gf and it turns out that products made in NZ and Aus have to meet strict criteria to be able to put the words gluten free on their labels here.  However foods imported from other countries have no checks and it's basically a trust thing, I get to trust that they are actually telling the truth and it is gluten free.  Seems like a big trust to me... And I'm not sure I am down for it at the moment, to be honest.  So for the next wee while atlst I think I am going to be a NZ and Aus product only celiac (with a couple exceptions of tried and true brands of course). 

To end on a happier note I have just finished being stage hand for the show Company done at Theatre Hawkes Bay.  It was a fantastic show, great cast and boy did they have good voices (it is a musical).  And unlike some shows I have been involved in, the cast chatted with us backstage helpers which made each night real fun.  Some shows the cast feel they are above us and we don't get spoken to at all unless it's something they aren't happy with.  This one thought we were included, of course we had our own jokes and whatnot, like backstage crew do hehe.  My next show is Jungle Book which is being done through Aubyn Live in September, it should also be a good show.  As much as I say I don't like kids, it turns out kids in a theatre are tolerable so I'm looking forward to it lol.

Take care all, eat some gluten yumminess for me please (pink iced buns, the long ones, with butter on them is what I'm craving at the moment (moment being the last few months lol)).

Another weirdness in my gluten free life

I have been reacting to the plasters that I wear in the last few months, and while it is annoying I didn't really think too much of it.  Then last night I decided to Google if they were gluten free, for a bit of a laugh cos come on why wouldn't they be.  Well it turns out that the brand I like is not gluten free!! I mean what on earth... How is that even possible??!!  But according to Google the companies response to is it gluten free is 'not gluten-free', and according to the celiac forums I am not the only one reacting to this brand.  The good news is that most others seem ok with other brands, just not Band-Aid brand, so I should be all good to just find another brand I like.  A few can only handle medical tape, though am guessing they are reacting to something else as well, not just gluten.

But yeah, just when you think life can't get any more complicated or weird something like this comes along and shows you that oh yes it can.

On the bright note I am finally back to my old average pace for 5km, being 6 minute kilometres.  So I am happy with that and it gives me to confidence to push for further :) just no falling over till I find me some new plasters lol.

Some creative goodness for your Sunday

I have been doing a bit of creative stuff lately, its the WI arts festival on Friday which is the main driver for most the stuff I've been making but I am also doing it cos I want to and its fun.  Thought I would share some of the things I am most proud of with you all :)

1: This is a dress that I finished off today, am very pleased with how it fits and looks on.  Cannot wait to wear it, so bring back some warm weather please lol.

2: This cloak/coat I made from two old woollen blankets.  It is the first time I have ever made bound buttonholes and while a couple of them leave room for improvement I am still very happy with my effort. And also can't wait to wear it though its very warm so need some cold weather for this one, that can wait tho I think, just for a little while...

3: It took me almost exactly 6 months to knit myself this jumper, then about another 6 weeks to get round to sewing it together lol.  I am not a fan of sewing up knitting or crocheting.

4: This is a vest I made for Henry, he's 1.  So I know he'll like it cos he's too young to know any different (atlst in my mind he is hehe).

5: And this jumper was made using leftover fabric from two jumpers I made myself last winter and is for the only small human I kinda like.  She has seen a photo and loves it which is cool.  She also can't believe her Aunty Jilly made it which is cooler lol.

It really is the little things sometimes

I took Freddie to the mechanics today for her WoF and Service and I was reminded why I like my mechanics so much.  When I picked her up they commented that they hadn't met her before (yes they used the word met) and I really liked that they noticed she was new to them and that they therefore hadn't been introduced.  They said she was lovely, which I know but it's nice she was lovely for them as well <3 

They also checked she was my car and that I was to get sent the bill, as if I had brought her in for someone else they could be sent it.  Did not expect them to offer that and while it was tempting to give them someones email addy (like dads hehe) I wouldn't actually do that lol :)

So yeah, my mechanics are lovely, all of them there at that garage, in my opinion.  And the reason I started going there was that the other one I went to gave me a quote for work once (early on in me being over here) and it seemed a bit much to me so I rang Uncle Bob and he confirmed it was likely a 'female' rate and to look elsewhere, so I went to Dave Jones just to see what he would quote (he supports Radio Kidnappers so I figured he had to be a good guy) and he told me I had been given a 'female' price and that it would cost much less.  Costed even less than he said in the end as it turned out I didn't even need all the work done that the first place had said I would, bad first place!!  And since then Dave Jones Motors has been my go-to and I have been happy as (mechanic-wise) since then :) and my Cleo and Freddie have never complained either, I personally think they like the eye candy there lol

My hair is everywhere...

It's not even what I would call long yet but my hair is already getting everywhere, it's insane how much of it is apparently not on my head lol.  I had totally forgotten (as you do) what my hair is like when it is longer so it's been a bit of a surprise that it is getting into everything.  Even the brownies I made couple weeks back managed to get some hair in them, as have some dinners.... doesn't mean I am going to be cutting it again, cos I am growing it, but I may moan about it sometimes lol.

Anyhow this is a gluten free update for you all, cos I figure the world always needs good news and it is now at the definitely good news stage :) I know yay right.  I have been on the strict as gf diet for a couple months or more now, and while it is still tiresome and tedious at times it is proving to be worth it as I have been able to start running again (am up to 5km which I think is still not very far but I try to keep reminding myself its still a good effort lol) and I definitely have more energy at the end of a work day than I used to.  Total plus that :) Have even found that in wknds I am getting way more done than I used to be able to, and the amount of time to recover from doing something is less than it used to be.  Also a total perk, and def a reason to stick with the boring strict gf diet.

I think even my hands are improving, not in everything but I can def knit for longer than I could before and can sew for a decent period not pin then break then sew then break then overlock then break then pin etc.  Now can do pin sew overlock pin sew overlock repeat.  Not endlessly, still need breaks but the improvement is there.  Sadly driving is still not great, but I also don't have a steering wheel cover and used to need one of them before all the other stuff got bad.  Freddie is one of those cars, the ones with the weird sized steering wheels that you can't easily find a cover for, I do still love her though, so have ordered her a cover from overseas and hopefully this will help when it arrives (fingers crossed).