Lots to update - new gym, new holiday, new budget...

It's been a while since I last posted on here and lots has happened so I thought it was time for an update.

Firstly, it's payday (praise the lord) and that can only mean one thing. My bonus is paid too! I'm so pleased. As much as I would love to be spending in on clothes and trips away, this one has to pay off debt. I'm desperate to get out of it so it's all going there. Which is a shame really but basically that has paid for my trip to the Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix. It was amazing! We ended up with some really good seats (South Stand) which was where all the overtaking and action happened. So many people went off in that race and there were some great views across the marina too. But it was expensive, hence why it has taken me so long to pay it all back.

Next update. I quit the gym.......to go to the gym in my building. It's never busy but it's a huge room with plenty of space and a few weights which is perfect for my new favourite activity, circuit training. I've noticed some real improvement since I started circuit training and I combine it with a few weights to get the muscles pumping instead of just cardio. I started with an hour, which was intense but I managed it. Only to then be able to do 30 mins, 2 days later. Still I've had to cut down the time to less than an hour now but it's still working a treat. Beach body, here I come!

I'm now also off to Thailand. Never been but cannot wait. Only Hua Hin mind you. A friend won 9 nights hotel stay (2 in Bangkok and 7 in Hua Hin, although I can only do the Hua Hin part). I know you have to fly into Bangkok anyway but I can only be away for 7 days and private transfers were included in the break. Should be pretty amazing just to chill out and relax for a whole week! Woohoo!

I've also had to start thinking long and hard about my budget for when I move back to London. Some of the places I have seen are pretty rank, but I cannot afford to be choosy. I'm going to be on such a budget as I won't be on a particularly high salary and I'm dreading having to get the tube everyday. I'm hoping to get somewhere that I can walk or even take the bus. I find the underground quite depressing and you get to see so much more of London when you are out and about.

Sad news

Bit of sad news this week. My dog of 16 years (that's right, he was one hell of a trooper) had to be put down. His quality of life was fading away quickly, going blind and walking into things, incontinence, frail bones. It just wasn't fun for him anymore and he had a terrible fit that left him disorientated. Such a sad moment to find out but as one of my friends put it, he's in a better place with all the other doggies in doggy heaven :(

As much as I love dogs, I don't think we will get another one for a while as they are quite a big responsibility and me being me, I love getting away, more so now than ever and the likelihood is that I will be able to do more spur of the moment things without having to worry about a dog to feed and look after.

Next time I also think I will get a dog from a home like Battersea Dogs Home because I always find it terrible to see dogs left in such states. A friend got her dog from a home and she is the most intelligent dog I have ever know. Apart from the fact that she cannot get enough of catching a yellow ball. Only yellow mind you. Dogs are colourblind right? Maybe it's because it's a lighter shade perhaps? Who knows?

I have started looking at the dogs on the BDH homepage though which is making me way another one but I just have to be strong. I wish I had the regular time to go and help out down there and maybe take the dogs for a walk or something but I really don't. It's such a shame really. My life isn't regular enough to be able to do it.

Hong Kong or Washington......

So I'm planning my next holiday! Honkers or DC. Not sure which yet. It depends which works out better for flights, hotel and availability. Both are great city breaks though. I've heard a lot about Airbnb which is like a website offering accommodation in peoples' homes rather than hotels.

It seems like quite a good thing to do, especially if the host lives in the apartment too and is happy to take you out and help show you the sights. I've seen a few really cool places but I think if I were to go for it, I would rather stay with someone that is happy to be a bit of a tour guide and show me around. The accommodation does work out a bit cheaper which is good but at the same time, I do really love staying in hotels.

I know that Washington and Hong Kong are two very different places but if I were to stay in Hong Kong I should be able to get a good hotel rate. DC on the other hand, I think I would prefer to stay at someone's house. I'll be travelling alone and I get the feeling Washington is one of those places that can be done on your own but it might get a bit lonely, especially for those all important photo moments.

Hong Kong on the other hand, I can imagine can be a bit intimidating because it's so hustle and bustley. I don't mind that at all and I think I would feel less 'alone' in HK. I've always wanted to go to both , probably moreso with Hong Kong, despite people telling me that it can be a bit of a dive, however, I know I'm going to love it. I've never been to either so either would be great.

Will have to keep you all updated on which I decide!

The rents

So the parents have been visiting this weekend and actually it's not been too bad except for the fact that we don't have all that much in common. I like being active, sporty and keeping fit, they on the other hand are not so much!

Never mind, I got to see more of the city than I was expecting too and areas that I had never been before which was great. I've got a couple of friends visiting in April so I'm sure I'll be taking a trip with them.

Off to Manchester next week for work and it's going to be a pretty heavy week. 12 hour shifts and no weekend makes me unhappy. Fingers crossed for days off in lieu. Will probably be taking them in March if I get them so would be good to get away and take a break. Perhaps somewhere with a spa. My Manchester hotel has little more than conference facilities and located by the airport so not the most ideal area either. Still, I'm hoping to meet up with a few friends during my rest times.

Very much looking forward to getting into my own bed tonight and not sleeping on the sofa bed. There's only so much of it I can take!

Weekend away

Well I managed to get away for a few days in....Abu Dhabi!!!!

Awesome place but I was on a real budget. It really helps to know someone in the airline industry. Managed to get cheap flights and spent most of the time on the beach which was great! A nice change to the cold and grey here in London. I did end up spending more than I was hoping but it was well worth it. I flew standby which was a little stressful to begin with but once I knew what I was doing it was fine. Definitely the way forward if you can be flexible.

I went shooting which was amazing and it turns out, I'm scarily good at it to the point where the instructor asks me if I'm a police officer! We also found this cool shop that basically imports loads of Japanese goodies and it's all really cheap. I was in heaven. Got a few joke presents and a couple of bits for the dog too. I'm sure he will love tearing them apart.

Came back loving 'Imagine Dragons - Radioactive'. It's a fantastic song and perfect to try and get a few extra reps out at the gym. The video is pretty cool too. My problem is that when I really like a song, I play it over and over again. Which is what I have been doing since I downloaded it on iTunes this morning. Only problem is, I downloaded it to my ipad but now I can't get it on my laptop where I transfer my music to my ipod. Damn technology.

I hope I get it sorted in time for the gym tomorrow. Any ideas anyone? I'm sure I will have it playing over and over again there. Thank goodness for the ipod invention otherwise people will probably start hating me. Some of their other music is good but Radioactive is by far my favourite one. Trying to keep positive about going back to work tomorrow. I need to book another weekend away to look forward to.

Sunday evenings

Sunday evenings for me is that time when you look back at the weekend and what you've done. Whether you've done lots, or just wasted it, this is when you actually realise. For me, what I hate, is when I look back and think, what a waste of a weekend that was. Either because I was hungover so didn't really want to do anything, or when I just didn't achieve anything, it gets to me. Especially with Monday morning looming.

So I make plans for the next weekend. I HAVE to do something with it. Whether it's go out to the coast and go for a bike ride, or see a show or something that will make me proud to go into work on Monday and say, "yep, this is what I did".

It's not so much a case of showing off, I just hate wasting time when I could have been doing something so interesting. Granted, lugging your mountain bike halfway across the country when the trains are messed up on a Sunday is never fun, but there are plenty of other things to explore. The other weekend I took a guide book and walked around London, exploring all the nooks and crannies that most people don't even realise are there in London. It's fun and you learn a lot too.

What I most want to do with my weekend is to do something adventurous. I had a look at paragliding in the French Alps. It was only going to cost £1000!!! I couldn't believe it. By the time I had flown, hired a car, and got up in the sky, that 1k mark had been achieved. Such a shame everything costs so much money!

New Year - New Start

So it's the new year and like all people I have my resolutions, mainly involving food and fitness. I tend to keep to mine though which are no alcohol for six months (a big one but I don't think it will be as bad as people are making it out to be) and no crisps, sweets or chocolate for the whole year. I've done the last one before and it was the initial stages that were difficult to get over. I've had my fair share of chocolate and sweets over the Christmas period so I've grown a bit of a sweet tooth and where I would have a chocolate bar in the afternoon, I'm having to replace it with a tuna wrap. I'll do it I'm sure.

The main aim of this is to get a six pack. I've always been quite fit and healthy and despite having suffered a pulled hamstring before Christmas, I do quite well. However, I do tend to eat junk and it's completely true, 80% of your fitness regime should come from food. It's fair enough to have the extra calories but when it's pure sugar instead of nutrient rich vegetables, that's when you start putting on the gut.

So back to the gym I've gone and with a new workout regime in place, I've also upped my nutrition supplements. I take protein shakes a couple of times a day but a friend recommended Tribulus Terrestris from Activate Nutrition which helps to build muscle by boosting testosterone and increasing endurance during workouts. This means you have more energy and power to lift more or higher weights. I've not noticed any size difference yet, but then we are only a few days in, however, I do feel like I have more energy at the gym, which is great but this could just be a psychological thing. Who knows but then if it's working, which it seems to be, then that's great!