Quizzie in Pictures

OK, so I have to say that I took a total of no pictures at the Quizzie! BAD Wendy!!

Luckily Josie took a few which I will share with you. Our wonderful friend Louise took loads of shots on the night so I may share some more as we move forward...

The Hall - a local community hall. Not very attractive but a good size:

So then we decorated it nice and bright:

We had wonderful balloon helpers:

Then I had to do some cleaning (where are my Festivus gloves??) and prepare the kitchen:

There was a very important job of testing the keg... even though I am not in the picture, I can assure you that I helped out!! I am pleased to say it was GOOD!!

Beer testing again.... it is really important to be sure don't you think??

Louise and Josie were in charge of the fabulous photos (we bought this one! How cool is that!!):

It was so hot, our boys got tuckered out from all of the helping:

BTW the picture on the left was the one which Mr Adams "robbed" from my Hugh!!

A quick picture with our wonderful kids before we leave to get ready for the big night::

And then my favorite so far... but what on earth is he up to?? Can't be good I am thinking...

And later in the evening with about half of our guests... obviously any anxiety around whether people would come was clearly not required:

Hope you enjoyed sharing this!!

W xx

Quizzie

Last night We had our Quizzie and it was awesome!! So many people came along to support us and helped us in 100 different wonderful ways.

Let me share some interesting things with you. Hmmm, I think maybe a list is in order!!

1. Our kids were awesome. Helped out with setting up and catering and anything else we needed done
2. Friends came along and pitched in with setting up and tidying up at the end of the night. No-one was asked, they just did it!
3. We were running short of change, so a guest grabbed some notes and went out to a nearby store to get some change. Again without being asked. She just jumped right in and helped. Amazing!
4. Friends donated heaps of prizes which helped out immensely with keeping our costs down so that more money could go to the girls.
5. We had four teenage girls helping for their school community service program. They were absolutely amazing. Did everything they were asked to do and more. Always with grace. I hope their families and school are proud of them.
6. A friend brought along an old fridge which had been converted into a huge icebox to keep drinks cold. AND he brought it already filled with ice. How cool is that!
7. So many people helped out is so many ways. A big thank you to them all

The only "downside" of the night was the bidding war on one of the artworks which were being auctioned... Mr Adams apparently needed the Union Jack made of cars for his office more than we needed it for Hugh's bedroom! Luckily I know the artist (Hi Louise!!) so I can source one myself. Ha!

We ended up having a tie for first! Shame we hadn't thought to have some spare questions!! So Josie and I had to pop outside and come up with some. 

We had a really cool round of Josie and Wendy questions... Hugh and I had made cut out hand-prints so people could raise their hand for Josie (blue) or Wendy (purple). It was so much fun. 

I will share the questions with you... I wonder how many you can get correct! Be careful though... some of them might be sneaky tricks!

Question

1.       Who is taller? (easy one to warm up – shame on anyone who gets this wrong!)

2.       Who competes in triathlon

3.       Who would rather drink champagne that cycle

4.       Who loves French food

5.       Who wears size 5 sneakers

6.       Who was suspended from their exclusive private high school

7.       Who’s bike is called Stella? (Do it like on Sienfeld)

8.       Who is faster cycling up hills

9.       Who is faster cycling down hills

10.   Who represented their country in show jumping as a teenager

11.   Who’s favorite color is blue

12.   Who’s helmet is grey

13.   Who has pink cycling gloves

14.   Who rode further last Saturday

15.   Who has done more training km’s

16.   Who’s first boyfriend was named Herbert

17.   Who has been known to call a hill a small incline

18.   Who has been known to call a small incline a hill

19.   Who wants to reverse the direction of the ride due to prevailing wind direction

20.   Who was more surprised that Wendy agreed to do this cycle (issue just with cycling not the cause which is awesome)

21.   Who was more organized to the GGS Congo presentation

22.   Who worked as a professional hand model during university

23.   Who was first to become a Mum

Anyway, I am so proud of Josie and I and all of our helpers. It was a fabulous night!

I am just sooooo glad that I do not do that for a living!! I am exhausted!

W xx

Need more Torque

Yes I mean Torque not Talk. I was explaining to Paul that the little legs will only go so fast... and then I get all tuckered out. So I have started doing more strength training. I think I am a tortoise not a hare.

Being as how he is full of useless facts... I mean very interesting and pertinent information... he explained to me all about torque versus power. Here is what I heard... blah, blah, blah gear ratios... blah, blah, blah acceleration... blah, blah, blah... blah, speed, blah...... goodness me, is that a butterfly over there (obviously that was me and not him)... and so on...

If I had done him the courtesy of actually listening, I would now understand that torque makes things go fast quickly (acceleration I believe) but does not have a high top speed. Whereas power gets there more slowly but has a high top end. There were numerous examples provided of each... I know right!!??

So maybe saying I have power is nicer than saying I am a tortoise... so let's go for that.

76km this month to date. Hooray for me!

267km total training done to date. Less hooray for me... well I think it is totally hooray for me... but still short of the 399km of our ride.

OK. Back to today's list of urgent jobs!  Why does it just keep getting longer??

W x

One and a half hours!

So in a totally hooray for me day, I just cycled for one and a half hours on the TdF trainer!

So after spending the morning making 'hands' for the quiz night... can't tell you why because that will spoil the surprise... I chose the hottest part of the day to go and train. Note to self, maybe plan that out better next time.

So proving that it is all mind over matter, let me share my ride with you:

1. I really need to do some distance training so I will cycle 30km today on the flat
2. OK, I am feeling a bit puffed, maybe 25-30km
3. Look at the boys in the pool... it looks so inviting
4. Goodness, is that fan working? It is really quite hot in here
5. OK, I will definitely cycle for 1 hour and then jump in the pool
6. Oh dear, Paul put the cover back on... I guess I will not be jumping in the pool after my ride
7. OK, I can do one hour
8. Gosh, I am getting tired, perhaps just a little rest. Josie told me on her last ride in Cuba they would have a drinks break about every 45 minutes, and everyone would get at least a 10 minute break
9. OK, so I will definitely ride until the end of the next song and then I can take a small break
10. Maybe I should conserve my energy for tomorrow
11. OK, need to change my song list... choose shorter songs
12. I don't even like this song... perhaps I should just stop now
13. Oh, is the computer broken... it seems to have been on that time and distance for ever... must be broken... oh no, it just ticked forward
14. Oh look... I have done an hour! Surely that is enough... can I stop now?
15. No Wendy, you can do 25km
16. Do I have too?
17. YES
18. OK, that is just a few more songs... I can do 25km
19. That would be a record for me, so there is really no need to go to 30km
20. Oh my goodness, my patootie is hurting
21. OK, just one more song. You can do it Wendy
22. Actually, I am feeling OK
23. Yay, I am up to 25km
24. OK, I will stop now
25. But you could do 30km
26. But I don't want to
27. OK, I will split the difference and do 27.5km
28. What an excellent plan!
29. Good job Wendy
30. Again, choose shorter songs!
31. Do I really have time for this? I still need to make more hands.. and I need to buy wine and beer (for the quiz night!)... and I need to buy two birthday presents for next week... I guess I could do that on Monday... but if I do it today then I could stop now
32. OK, I made it to 27.5lm.
33. Good job Wendy
34. That is a new record
35. You can stop now
36. But if I keep going, I could make it to 30km
37. Well I really want to do 30km... but I would also like to stop now
38. OK, I can do 30km
39. Should my legs be getting this sore?
40. Just two more songs
41. WOW, I made it to 30km!!
42. Hooray for me!!
43. You know Wendy, it is almost one hour and 30 minutes... you can do a little bit more
44. But I don't want to
45. OK, it is just one more song... I can do this
46. Hooray for me!! One hour and thirty minutes!!
47. Awesome job!

So I rode 30.8km and burned 642 calories!!

And in other news... Paul was asked to be the scorer for the Quiz Night. So what does he do? Builds an app of course. A very cool app which is available on any smart phone... What, isn't that what everyone does??

Like I say to my boys when they say they just want to live in a "normal" family... who's to say we aren't normal?

Until next time!

W x

Dear Crickets and Tumbleweeds

I dear, do I sound really needy?? Just so you know... I get really excited each time I get a comment or +1 on my blog.And not to be a whiny baby, but it has been a while now people!! Even an email would help!!

I also get really excited each time I get a donation. I have 11  - thank you so much my wonderful amazing friends!

Now last time, I promised a training update... so with 119 days to go... this is the story so far:
September:    80km - which is a 100% improvement on the previous 100 years (since I last rode a bike!)
October:        112km - which as a 40% improvement over September!!

So I think that is pretty amazing!

Things which need to be ignored for this to still be amazing:

1. My maximum distance in a day is 20km which is only 50% of the shortest day
2. I have not managed to cover the total distance we will be riding in 12 days in 2 months
3. 81 of the 112km in October were done in the first 15 days

Lucky this is a journey... and I still have time... there are 119 days to go!

Now November has started with a bang! Today I completed Stage 3 of the TdF "Fregneac". 

Distance:           18.6km 

Time:                 52 mins and 46 seconds 

Time Allowed:   53 mins and 21 seconds (romped it in!)

Average Watts: 114 (nearly 2x60 watt lightbulbs. Hah!)

Calories:           496 (5 glasses of wine!)

The steepest hill on this stage was a 7.5 degree incline. Definitely a hill! Quite a big one if you ask me... and it happened more than once. I didn't much care for them if truth be told... Lucky our ride is flat!!

OK... back to work.

W x

Sharing the Message

Today was such a fabulous day! Provided I ignore all of the work and the fact that tax is due and number 2 son trying to not go to school because he is so unwell (you gotta be kidding me, again??).

Josie and I shared our message with the Year 3-6 kids at our wonderful school. It was so much fun! We were sharing that some kids have no opportunities just because of where they were born and contrast that with all of the opportunities our kids have.

The kids were amazing. They totally got the message and got totally involved in the activities we had 'prepared'.. or would have had prepared and maybe even had a run through if Josie and I hadn't both been travelling last week and both crazy busy with work! But we had at least discussed them... briefly. Clearly planning is over-rated!

At pick up I became... Hey you are that "Because I am a Girl" girl!

Even my boys said I did an OK job... which I am taking to mean it was awesome!

Very cool.

We included a fabulous quote in our presentation which I thought you might all appreciate:

"The future must not belong to those who bully women. It must be shaped by girls who go to school and those who stand for a world where our daughters can live their dreams just like our sons."

President Barack Obama.



Hopefully in my next post, I will have some training updates. I haven't been on the bike in a week... now there is a phrase I never thought I would hear come out of my mouth!! Turns out that crazy busy and jet-lag are impeding my training schedule... or is that just a convenient excuse??

Until next time.

W x

Stage 2 Tour de France - Nailed it!

Never one to be defeated, I took on Stage 2 of the TdF again today and I nailed it!! Hooray for me!

I may have had to have a couple of wee rest breaks in the middle... and near the beginning... and maybe near the end... but let's not dwell on that. I did it in 39 minutes and 40 seconds.That is a huge 4 minutes and 22 seconds better than yesterday! Again hooray for me!! Shall I work it out as a percentage improvement? No, maybe that would seem a little bit obsessive...

So I proudly wrote my stats in my training log... 111.6km this month to date and a total of 191km since I started training.

I also proudly told Paul that my average today was 106 watts. Which I thought was totally awesome... can you guess what happened next? He said that is equivalent to a single light bulb. You know one of those old lights. How depressing. Then he said it was equivalent to two of our kitchen lights. For 39 minutes and 40 seconds. I know right!! Good on you Paul.. Have a nice day!

He then compared me to a horse! What was he thinking?? Well maybe he didn't really compare me to a horse, but pointed out that 1 horsepower equals roughly 750 watts, so I am equivalent to roughly 1/7 of a horse... I wonder which bit??

This apparently means that my pedaling would run the pool pump at approximately 1/7 of its required output. Again for 39 minutes and 40 seconds... and render the pool unclean. I may as well suck the water through a straw he says. Good grief... where did I find him? Now he is explaining that the chlorinator would not be working... La, la, la, la...

He has asked me to tell you all that I have his full support in my adventure!! And he did get my Big Jam Box and come down and train with me. So all is good!!

Oh dear... I need a bex and a little lie down again!

AND to top it all off... Josie is in Bali sipping cocktails! It is soooo lucky I am not bitter.

Anyhoo, better go and pack. Another plane to be caught.

W xx