2009 Round up!

I was out for coffee (read orange juice) on Saturday morning and we were talking about 2009.  She was saying that it was a non-event year for her and I agreed.  I felt like I have not achieved much this year – especially compared to other years. And then I actually thought about it. 

What the HELL was I thinking – this has been a huge year for me! 

Firstly sometime last year I discovered I actually quite liked cycling – who’d have thought!  Then in January I realized I more than quite liked it I was thoroughly enjoying every minute of it!!  This helped a lot with the Ironman training! 

That brings me to point number 2.  I completed my second Ironman.  This time I did not feel like I was faking it and was very proud of my finish.  I trained hard and enjoyed it.  Even though it was an absolute cooker, nearly 40ºC on race day and at one stage I was questioning my sanity I loved the race.  13hours 32 minutes later – I will now proudly say I am an Ironman.  After the first one in 2007, I was bit embarrassed to say I was an Ironman.  I finished in 16hours 36minutes but I really could have put more of an effort into my training.  I kind of felt that somehow I was not really worthy to say I had done one.  Doing a second one and doing it well proved that the first one was not just a fluke.  

Sports wise I had a lot of personal bests.  Not only did I have a PR in Ironman of over 3 hours but I also had a PR in every other distance I entered.  Who knew that training worked!  In the 21.1km I managed to get under 2 hours which I was very pleased about.  In the 10km I managed about 54 minutes and in the Olympic Distance not only was I 3^rd girl out the water, do a 54 minute 10km, come 6^th girl over all but I also managed to finish it in under 3 hours.  Happiness is! 

Also in April I graduated – I FINALLY received my degree.  A Bachelor of Commerce in Tourism Management!  Yes it took a while but I did it correspondence, I paid for it myself and I finally got it.  Whether or not I will ever work in tourism again is another question.  But at least I got the degree.  

Then the BIGGIE, on the 16 June I found out I was pregnant!  The baby is due on the 18 February!  

And I guess that is pretty much it.  So it looks like the 1^st 6 months were a lot more eventful than the past 6 months. 

I am very excited to see what (and who) 2010 brings.  It should be a good year!

Busy, busy!

I wanted to be busier at work and now I am – yippee!  (I think).

In other news Unisa FINALLY sorted out my degree.  I can now officially say that I have a Bachelor of Commerce degree!!!  Graduation is on Thursday in Cape Town.  Thanks for the advance notice….

A slight snag

So I went home last night with grand intentions of creating a vision board.  And then I hit a slight snag.  I don’t buy magazines, so I don’t have any pictures!  Uhmm, oops.

So I started a list instead, but I got a bit distracted.  Possibly not the best thing to do whilst sitting in front of the TV! 

I did at least start though…..

 Slightly off the topic – UNISA is making me pull my hair out.  Only because they are a correspondence university so to far away for me to pull their hair out.  You would think for an educational institute they might hire slightly more competent people.  I am about to scream!

Some Mondays are good!

Excellent News!!!!  In fact the only way this Monday could have started off any better was if I had also won the lottery.

 

I got my results back this morning for both my work related exam as well as for my final subject for my degree!!!  Wooo Hoooo.  I passed both.

 

So, finally after having been registered at Unisa for 8 years and 3 degree changes later I have a B. Com.  What a relief.  I must admit that I thought I had done a little better in my exam than my results suggest, but I will take that pass, even if it was only by one mark! 

 

The odd thing is that I really thought I had only scrapped though the work related one, and I got 94%!!!!  Holy crap, I have never got that in an exam before. 

 

What a way to start the week!

Obsessed!

So how often would you say is too often to check the internet for your exam results?  Once a day, twice, what about 5 times?  I think 5 times is about right.  Lets put it this way, I am about to check for the 2^nd time today and it is only 9:30am!

 

I have results pending for 2 exams.  The one is the final one for my degree and the other is a work related exam.  Both will be released “sometime” in November!

 

 

Thank you.

Thank you so much for all your good luck wishes.  I think the exam went well.  Or at least I thought it went very well until I started checking the answers!  I put the book away and will worry about it when the results come.  There is nothing I can do now anyway.

 

 

 

Then, I took these photo’s a couple of weeks ago.  It was the morning of the Ocean Race Series where I pulled out after a couple of meters because of my shoulder.  Now you can see why I was so miserable. The sea, although cold, was perfect for swimming!!!! 

 

 

 

Perfect Sea from Hobie Beach

 

 

Hobie Beach

 

 

 

Hold thumbs!

Hold thumbs for me!

 

I am on study leave from this afternoon and will only be back at work on Tuesday! So NO internet access for me.  I must study, so no visits to my moms to use her computer either! 

 

I write on Monday, and am pretty nervous.  That could be down to the serious lack of studying done though.  At least I have read through everything once already and it does not appear to be too complicated!  This weekend I am going to have to knuckle down.

 

I have sent my bike in to the shop to have the setup adjusted (hopefully that is the source of my shoulder problems) and although they said it would be ready tomorrow I have said I will only go and fetch it on Monday.  So I can’t be tempted to ride over the weekend!  I never thought that would be problem.  That I would actually WANT to ride.  It used to be my least favourite discipline of the 3 and now it is my most favourite – well after swimming. So make that my 2^nd most favouite! 

 

So all other distractions aside – like weeding the garden and cleaning my cupboard – I will be studying! 

Ask a busy person – just not me!

As I have mentioned on my blog somewhere or other, and at least once or twice I have one more exam left, which if I pass will see me “learned” or “degreed” or something equally as useful in my daily life.  Well this morning my Mr O and I were discussing what I would study once I had finished this and I said “NOTHING!”  His answer however surprised me greatly.  He said “GOOD”.

 

Not at all the answer I was expecting.  I asked him why he said good and he said he thinks I should take a year or so break.  I said yes, I probably need it, I have been studying for a while and with training for Ironman I will be quite busy anyway.  He then said he thinks that’s the way I like it?  Hmmmm????  “With the studying, the training, the painting, the garden, my blog and all the other stuff I do I am always busy and that this was probably the way I liked it”.

 

Now that just struck me as odd, because I have never thought of myself as a busy person?  I know I am a person that needs variety, and a bit of a challenge but busy….. nope, never seen myself as busy.  Someone who spends too much time in front of the TV in the evenings possibly, but busy….nope? 

 

I suppose I could blame (or thank) my mom for me always doing something.  When we were kids she would not let us watch TV or even go to the movies during the day.  She always said to us, “It is a beautiful day (no matter the weather), you need to be doing something not just sitting watching movies”.  In fact it became a standing joke amongst all my friends and if some body asked me to movies during the daytime they would say “She can’t go she needs to be doing something.”  I later found out that my sibling’s friends all repeat the same thing back to them as well.

What goes up must come down

Why is it that good news always seems to be followed by some not such good news!

 

Take yesterday for an example – actually wrong wording because yesterday was followed by today – and today is Friday so that is good news!

 

But take what happened yesterday – I PASSED my exam!  Yippee, that was the good news. The not so good news was because I managed to pass that one I had to write another one today.  This time a long questions one!  Hmmmm another exam!  At least it is over now.  I am not sure how I did on it as it needs to go to an invigilator to mark and usually takes about 6 weeks for the results to get back.

 

Now I just need to study for my UNISA one on the 27^th and everything is done!  If I pass that one I get my degree – 8 years after starting at UNISA – 4 degree changes later!  Well let’s not get ahead of ourselves.  I still need to pass it.  So for the next 3 weeks I will be studying my butt off!!!!

 

And then in I guess some what related news.  The good news – a bailout, the bad news…..  Well just read this article.

I found the link on The Tao of Roo’s site.  Would you be happy if this was your money???

If you are happy and you know it clap your hands!

For some reason I feel happy – AND I AM NOT SURE WHY!!!!!

 

On Sunday it was the first swim of the Ocean Swim Series and I was SO looking forward to it.  The swim only started at 9 but I got there at about 7 just to check out the water etc.  I registered for the 2 km swim as the sea was flat, clear and it looked lovely.  It was slightly cold but other than that it looked to be perfect.  Hmmmmmm!!!!!!  I got about 20m and had to turn round.  My shoulder totally bombed out on me and was in absolute agony!!!  So much for taking a weeks rest and thinking it would be fine.  I now have booked a physio appointment for Wednesday!

 

Then this morning – I failed my exam!! And yes I have got the results back so it is not just a feeling.  I needed to get 75% to pass and I only got 68%.  That sucks big time!

 

So who knows why I am feeling happy, but long may it continue.  Maybe it is a nervous reaction to failing???? 

 

Very ironically as I walked out the exam room and put on my phone I received a message from UNISA (not who I was writing this exam with) saying “Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success. Good luck/ endurance and wisdom towards your exams”.  Talk about perfect timing!!!

 

I write my UNISA exams at the end of the month.  Before that I need to write this one again and then another – all before Friday!

 

Yikes!