As you probably know by now, I have a very large soft spot for Mrs Woog from Woogsworld, primarily because I think she’s hilarious, but also because she gave me a chance and published something I wrote on her blog, which resulted in me starting this blog. Mrs Woog has taken up the challenge from another blogger (Pip from Meet Me at Mikes) to do some personal stock-taking, and then challenged others to do the same. I do love a challenge that doesn’t require me to shift my substantial arse off my comfy chair. The challenge involves being given a set of words, which you then apply to what’s going on in your life so it becomes a stock-take of sorts. Possibly not the kind of stock-take I am normally attracted to because the word ‘sale’ is missing, but let’s give it a crack.

Making: Plans for all my guest posters to share their stories for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. There’s still time to put your hand up to be involved.

Drinking:  To my shame, a glass of diet fruit cup cordial with dinner every night. During chemo I developed a complete and utter distaste for water (it tasted like vinegar – apparently quite common) so I started drinking cordial to stay hydrated. Cue unshakeable addiction to a drink universally loved by 3 year olds. I don’t frequent bars, but I do love a kid’s birthday party.

Reading: I read alllllll day for work – plans, reports, studies, emails. What have I learned from all this reading? People don’t understand how to use apostrophe’s. (See what I did there? It hurt me.)

Wanting: A week off to sleep. I am tired.

Looking: At caravans. I have long-held a desire to own a caravan, park it at Coolum Beach, and live there for the summer.

Playing: Words with Friends. I win some, I lose some.

Deciding: Whether or not wanting a caravan makes me a dyed brown but actually grey nomad.

Wishing: That I could bottle how I felt during my amazing birtholiday in Sydney, so I could crack it open and take a little sip whenever I start to get the shits with the daily grind.

Enjoying: Taking my boy for a hot chocolate at the deli after his swimming lesson every Saturday morning. It’s become our little ritual, they know us by name and always put Hugh’s marshmallows on the side because otherwise he’ll dig them out of his drink with his fingers.

Waiting: For the next season of The Walking Dead to start. It’s so bad that it’s good.

Liking: The fact that today is Friday, and on Fridays a little guy called Bob spends the day at my workplace.

 

Wondering: How my mammogram and ultrasound will go in October. Oh, and whether my ‘so do I get it half price?’ gag will get a better response at the breast clinic this year than it did last year.

Loving: These two. I honestly never knew that such love was possible, until I was lucky enough to experience it.

Pondering: What to talk about when I do my first ever guest speaker gig at a breast cancer fundraiser in October. Any suggestions?

Considering: What shoes to wear to above-mentioned first speaking gig, then realising that if people have noticed what shoes I’m wearing, this may also be my last guest speaker gig.

Watching: Utopia on the ABC.  Advertised as a comedy, but if you’ve ever worked in a government department, it’s more like a documentary.

Hoping: That Hugh’s multiple ‘melted poos’ that commenced at 4am are the result of a dodgy chicken nugget and not some dreadful contagion.

Marvelling: At the interesting, clever, hilarious and loving human being Dave and I created. He can be a little shit too (quite literally today), which is considerably less marvellous, but on the whole, he is a mighty, mighty kid.

Needing: These earrings, in multiple colours. Perfect for those of us with super short hair. 10 bucks from Lovisa.

Smelling: Coco Chanel. I’ve worn this for nearly 20 years, and never tire of it.

Wearing: Sensible shoes. Pair those with my caravan love, and it’s painting a pretty sexy picture, am I right?

Noticing: How long my hair is getting. I’ll be seeing my fabulous friend and hairdresser Tracy next week to get the greys and the length sorted. I want to stop for a moment and tell you about Tracy. She was so kind to me when I was diagnosed, spent lots of time cutting my hair gradually shorter and shorter (and would never take any money for it) and then when my hair came back grey and crazy with a mixture of curls and spikes, she told me I looked like a stylish Parisian which was just about the best thing you can say to someone who’s been bald for seven months. A few weeks after Tracy gave me that compliment, I sent her this photo of my hair first thing in the morning. I still can’t believe she didn’t want to use this on her website.

Knowing: That one day I will regret posting that ^^ photo on the Internet.

Thinking: About my friend Deb, who had her first visit from the palliative care team yesterday. No words Deb, but so much love.

Admiring: My ability to keep going with this challenge, despite the fact that I thought it would be easy but it’s actually quite hard.

Sorting: Stuff in my mind.

Cooking: A cake for a work colleague’s baby shower. What do you think?

Buying: Well it was going to be hot chips for lunch. But suddenly I’m not hungry, and especially not for cake.

Getting: Excited that it’s 58 days until we go to Thailand for a holiday. Not that I’m counting.

Bookmarking: My friend Julia’s brand new blog.

Disliking: The size of our electricity bill, and the fact that a single provider has a monopoly on our suburb, so will continue to shaft us royally for the foreseeable future.

Opening: My mouth at lunch time to shove those hot chips in.

Giggling: At Hugh’s use of the term ‘melted poo’ to describe diarrhoea.

Feeling: So pleased that I have my online cancer support group. Before becoming a part of this group, I had no idea that online friendships could be so real. But they are real, and honest, and incredibly meaningful.

Snacking: I purposely didn’t buy any chocolate when I went to the supermarket, so I could not be tempted to snack on it after dinner. Cue last night’s frantic search through the cupboard for anything resembling chocolate, followed by Dave and I eating half a packet of white chocolate melts.

Helping: Myself by starting a gentle exercise plan. My joints are so sore from the anastrozole, but I need to do it. Slowly, slowly.

Hearing: And loving the new Megan Washington album – There, There. Did you see Megan on Australian Story? Fabulous, courageous young Australian artist.

Coveting:

 

Wishing: I was too cool to admit coveting a caravan.

Anyone else up to the challenge? Caravan porn totally optional.