The Hormone Strikes Back
Not long ago, my partner and I were discussing what to make for dinner. I suggested Spaghetti, no he didn’t feel like that. To which I replied “well if your not happy, make your own then”. Rather dramatic and so out of line. Did I mention I just stopped taking the pill after 16 years? Although you still get a little P.M.T. on the pill, I forgot about all the lovely monthly symptoms we (I mean myself AND my partner) have to deal with.
There are good and bad times when coming off the pill. The good is feeling like you’re getting your body back, almost cleansing it. And if you’re like me, and preparing it for something life changing and exciting, a baby, you tell yourself it will be worth it in the end. The bad, I think giving up that hormone controlling friend has unleashed a wild rabid beast. My moods change dramatically, and I find myself getting cranky and snapping at the smallest thing (like anything my b/f does). I work with children and after a raving 5 minute lecture on who knows what, I had the 4 year old telling me, “it’s not that bad, you just need to be more calm.” Well if a 4 year old is telling me to calm down it must be bad.
Some of the up sides include the return of your libido. I think I remember having that. If I knew stopping the pill would turn me into a sex crazed nympho (maybe not quite but definitely an improvement) then I would have gone off it sooner. Of course there is the down side of having to use condoms if you don’t want to hear the pitter patter of little feet just yet. I forgot how annoying and rubbery theses things are, but at least you can make the man in charge of buying them, after all its their turn after all the years of paying for and taking a pill everyday. You can of course try the withdrawal method. It does take precision timing and co ordination and as I was once told, a man always dribbles before he shoots. Enough said.
Another down side was waking up one day to look in the mirror and notice a pimple the size of Mount Everest on my chin. I rarely get pimples and haven’t seen one that big since I was a hormonal fuelled 16 year old. One good thing, my b/f said it made me look younger (that was the right thing to say). Again the always complimentary 4 year old told me I had a “big sore on my face”. The cravings for anything sugary doesn’t help this either. I found myself scoffing marshmallows by the dozen (and this was just a sneaky peak before dessert) and blaming it on my b/f, gee they do get the raw end of the deal don’t they? Although one thing he is enjoying is my ever swelling breasts. Come ovulation time and my nipples look like a flying saucer has landed on them, well they certainly feel that big. The problem is he can look but not touch. Any attempt to touch is met with a ferocious response. They do get so sore, even looking at them hurts. Maybe around that time I should hang a Do Not Disturb sign around my neck.
Ok, so far there seems to be a lot of negative sides to claiming my body back. But in the end it has to be better for my health, maybe not my sanity (or my boyfriend’s). Once the hormone shift has settled I may feel human again. I know I’m complaining already and I just went off the pill, wait till you’re pregnant I hear you all say. Well, you will all definitely be hearing about that journey when it happens!
Coming up next article, “Preparing for Pregnancy”. Now that should be interesting.
Posted in Life, Women's Issues on August 8th, 2010 by Blog Admin | | 1 Comments
School Holiday Fun
I write for an online magazine Connect2mums and here is my latest article, a little different to my usual.
Aren’t school holidays fun. Firstly you have to think of something to entertain the kid’s everyday, which usually sends you broke. Then put up with standing in extra long queue’s to get into any child friendly activity or place. Most parents are counting down the days till school goes back. Ok, I’m not a parent yet so what does this all have to do with me? I’m a fulltime Nanny, my job is looking after 3 children, 5 days a week. Yes I may get paid to do this but I also put up with all the same things parents do. And, I find school holidays hectic, chaotic and very exhausting.
So far in my first week of holidays I have experienced a few occasions which warrant writing about. Ill start with the times I wished it was time to go back to school. We decided to take a trip on the train with my sister and her kids to a Disney on Ice show, oh what fun. Miss four year old was very excited as I think she had only experienced the train a few times. We were enjoying the scenery when my nephew sneezed. What is so bad about that you ask? Well Miss four year old has a very weak stomach, and on seeing a tiny bit of snot coming out of his nose started heaving. Having dealt with this before I was ready, by the time she started vomiting I was in front of her catching it in my hands, to the amusement and disgust of all the other passengers. Well what did they want me to do, let her vomit all over the floor and seat? I calmly put the vomit in a plastic bag, cleaned her up with wipes and we were on our way. At least the show we went to see was tolerable!
Sometimes while I’m working hard, on my way to fun indoor playlands full of sugar fuelled screaming kids, I fit in a bit of shopping. Miss 4 year old does encourage me, she is always picking things out for me to try on and I can’t say no. On this particular day the sales were on (how cunning to time with school holidays). I had a few pairs of jeans to try on so we crowded into a change room with pram and all (nearly 2 year old with us too). As I’ve stripped down to my under wear Miss 4 year old says in her loudest voice, “Mel, your legs are so fat and wobbly”. I thanked her for pointing that out and asked her to keep her voice down, but inside I was cringing. But she wasn’t finished, “when you move they wobble”, followed by fits of giggles, and of course the younger one joins in, finding laughing catching. At this point I was over the jeans and whilst dressing, tried to explain how it’s not nice to say things to someone that may hurt their feelings, but knowing she was just being honest as children are. I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked why my boobies are big or why there is a red mark on my face (that damn pimple, only a child could point it out). Oh well, at least something positive came of it. I jumped back on the treadmill!
One of my favourite times this week was when Miss 4 year old decided to throw a tantrum. And I’m not talking about your garden variety tantrum. No it was the tantrum that would win an Oscar, an award winning performance, and I can’t even remember what started it. Usually not much when you’re 4. Anyway at first it was crying and saying no, then she was screaming like a banshee. I was expecting her head to start spinning and vomit to start flying out of her mouth. In the end she was hysterical and got sent to her room to calm down. She fell asleep, obviously tantrum throwing is exhausting stuff, and woke up like nothing had even happened. It’s not the first and certainly won’t be the last. Especially since now Mr 2 year old has hit the prime tantrum throwing age as well.
I’m sure there are more stories to come, one week down, one to go. Don’t get me wrong, there are also lots of enjoyable occasions, but of course the memorable ones are remembered for a reason.
Posted in Family and Relationships, Life on July 18th, 2010 by Blog Admin | | 0 Comments
Winter Wonders
Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home. ~Edith Sitwell
I don’t like winter! I don’t like being cold or wet, it makes me wish I was a bear so I can hibernate all winter long. Although not eating for that long may just kill me. My partner has similar views so we make a great (but grumpy pair). Now winter has started and has quite a while to go, I needed to remind myself of all the good things to keep me going. And get me out of bed in the morning! So here’s a list of my 5 favourite winter pastimes to do at home.
1. Snuggling together with your partner under a great big soft doona and even better if you have an electric blanket. Although my boyfriend wasn’t impressed with my flannelette winter pyjamas. I’m not sure why, I thought love hearts and teddy bears were kind of cute.
2. Keeping it in the bedroom, I must admit sex is so much better during the colder months. Not having to make love on a hot day where you end up suctioned together with sweat. It’s so much nicer to feel soft skin, although I don’t think my b/f appreciates my hairy unshaven legs.
3. Hot bubble baths, especially when my b/f runs it for me when I get home from work (even better when given a glass of wine, hint, hint). Long hot showers, even better when it’s a shower for two and you don’t end up passing out from the extra heat.
4. Slow cookers. The best thing I ever purchased. What I love is that it is so easy to use. I can leave everything out in the morning get my b/f to throw it all in and cook for me. Dinner cooked to go with that bubble bath. I sound spoilt, don’t I?
5. Watching romantic movies curled up on the lounge with a big bowl of popcorn. I’m working on the romantic movie bit, but I am just happy to be inside with my favourite blanket keeping me warm.
Ok, that wasn’t as hard as I thought, but I did only keep it to things to do at home. I’m off to have my bubble bath, then heading to my warm bed to read my book. And who knows what else….
Posted in Life, Love and Relationships on June 10th, 2010 by Blog Admin | | 0 Comments
Bali Stories – Part 2
An all girls holiday, tropical destination. I know what your thinking, romance, nights out surrounded by exotic men, maybe even a little hanky panky. Well sorry to dissapoint but the only sex on the beach I got was in the form of a cocktail!
The purpose of our holiday was for relaxation, of course being 3 single women the idea of romance was there. Maybe our first mistake was to stay in a 5 star hotel in the classier (if you can call it that) Legian. Mostly full of families and honeymooning couples with sickening displays of affection for all to see, of course Im just jealous. We also tried as hard as possible to sit as far away from the childrens pool as possible, although all the good looking men were the dads, can’t hurt to look.
Now it’s not to say we didn’t attract attention, being darker skinned with black hair I got asked if I was Balinese and even Japanese. Obviously I blended in, on the other hand my fair skinned blonde girlfriend was well liked by the locals, even getting a marriage proposal from one Balinese man. He asked her if she had ever had a black man, to which she replied no. He then said “I may be small but Im good”. I don’t think he was referring to his height. My other girlfriend made the mistake of talking to an older French man in the pub, a simple “Bon Soir”, and she was stuck. He tried and tried to no avail to win her heart. If only he was 20 years younger and not French. Every day walking down the street men would call out, “hello darling, don’t I know you”, or “where have you been all my life”. Please, I came to Bali to escape all of that.
Our first night out to the local pub was probably the best. A great night of Bintang, Cocktails and Karaoke. We met a group of people from Oz, in Bali for a mates wedding, they had a week long party leading up to the nuptials. Thats my idea of a wedding. I met one of the male guests this night, a nice guy from Queensland. We got talking most of the night and ended up swapping numbers (on our Legian pub head bands covered in sweat, romance), and arranged to meet up the following night. I was pretty happy thinking I might just be in for some holiday romance. So we meet up the following night and were happily chatting at the bar when he dropped the bombshell, ” yeah my partner back home is coming over this week for the wedding”. He keep talking but my mind clicked off and went elsewhere. What the? Funny he didn’t mention her last night when he was chatting me up! I just kept smiling and nodding while my girlfriend kicked me under the table as if to say, what a jerk. Oh well another one bites the dust, it’s not the first and won’t be the last dishonest guy I meet. I seem to attract them. I decided then and there that this holiday was to enjoy and gave up on the thought of hooking up with anyone. Of course one of the girls did get a pash this first night but my lips are sealed.
Our single girls holiday was a blast. We swam, we ate, we sang, we drank and ate some more. And I loved every minute of it, the freedom to do what I wanted, when I wanted. I spent all my money on myself, and my biggest worry was what to wear to dinner. I didn’t see the news for 9 days which was not a bad thing, had no internet, and only sent and recieved a few text messages. I didn’t have a care in the world and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Of course it all had to end, back home to reality and the freezing cold. Until next time anyway.
Salamat Berpisah
Posted in Life, Love and Relationships on June 18th, 2009 by Blog Admin | | 0 Comments
Holiday Stories-Bali Part 1
Lets set the scene a 5 star hotel, with lush tropical gardens, air conditioned Chalet, huge pool with a swim up bar and endless sun lounges. What a great start to our 9 day single girls holiday to Bali, Indonesia. I thought I’d post a couple of diary like entries over the next week and share with you my thoughts and experiences on Bali and travelling as a group of single women.
On arrival in Bali you immediately feel the heat and extremely high humidity, especially waiting what seemed like hours to pay a visa to even enter the country. I must admit I was a bit worried about the whole luggage thing and someone putting something illegal in my bag. But after padlocking my bag so it was harder to get into than a bank vault, I felt a little safer. I don’t know why I was worried, we walked straight out without even being stopped by anyone, into our waiting car transfer.
The drive to the hotel gives you a brief glimpse into the poverty surrounding many places in Bali. Once you step outside of your plush hotel, that’s when you get a real insight into why even though it has a high tourism rate, it is still classed as a under developed country. You really have to pay attention to where you’re walking, the sidewalks are uneven and full of cracks and potholes, even exposed sewers, the buildings are dilapidated and streets narrow and dirty. The first thing you learn is that the drivers in Bali are crazy. There appears to be no road rules, no one gives way, indicates, there’s no lanes or markings. Taxi’s and scooter type bikes fill the busy streets, constantly using their horns, overtaking and driving erratically. I decided on the first day I would stick to walking and maybe give the bike thing a miss, I wanted to get home in one piece. Every time we walked out of the hotel we were harassed by locals shouting from all directions, “you want transport?”. Taxi’s following and beeping until you say no, even though it was quiet clear you wanted to walk. I found I really had to breathe and practice patience, because as I found out, being harassed and followed is a regular occurrence.
The streets are lined with so many shop fronts all competing with each other and mostly selling the same things. This is where the haggling or bartering starts. Some locals are friendly, most pushy and will try anything to get a sale. At first you get ripped off until you get to know the average price for items. I think the first day I bought a Bintang singlet and pair of rip off Dolce and Gabon sunglasses for 220,000 rupiah, which is equivalent to about $30. I learnt this is far too much, you can get sunnies for 20,000 rupiah. But it is part of the fun, and the shop owners follow you, they drag you to look at stuff. They tell you “I give you morning price” or “cheap price for you”, as if I’m special or something. You also learn never to give your real name because they remember, and call out to you when you pass, especially if you promise to come back. You can also end up with a “silver” bracelet made up quick as a flash with your name on it, that you then feel obliged to buy. We learnt to shop later in the afternoon when it’s cooler and the locals have calmed down a bit. It also helped to have a few beers with lunch. You often get a good price too if they have had a “quiet day”, although this seems to be everyday.
One of my fellow travelling girls went down to the beach one day and got bombarded by street sellers. They were all fighting for a sale, throwing things at her to buy and starting foot massages she didn’t want. She said the only way to get rid of them was to buy something, but then of course more came along to plead. Her friends she was visiting being regular visitors to Bali thought this was hilarious and eventually told her to just say no, and mean it. She did however arrive home with about 20 crappy plastic bracelets, more sunglasses and her hair braided with added extensions. And of course, no money! Basically if you want to relax, don’t go to lie on the beach, stay in your hotel. The whole shopping, haggling with locals is part of the Bali experience, and after a couple of days you do get used to it. Sometimes you may even get a bargain that’s what I like to see.
Coming up in Part 2 of Bali Stories is our experiences with romance (or lack there of), sampling the night life and our many culinary experiences.
Posted in Life on June 8th, 2009 by Blog Admin | | 0 Comments
New Networking Site- Sassymamas
Hi all, I recently joined a new webste called sassymamas “where women of influence, mumfluence, & blogfluence love to sass!”
This is a new social networking site. It is a “sassy new hangout where netwomen can blog, create, laugh, cry, sell, chat, fave, meet old BFF’s & new, + shop til they drop. Get sassy today, mama”.
Please visit the link below and pass it on!
Posted in Life, Media on March 5th, 2009 by Blog Admin | | 1 Comments
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