Heads, shoulders, knees and boobs…

As some of you may know I have injured my shoulder. It kept me off work for two weeks, and I was unable to do anything much. The novelty of sitting on my butt wore thin after a while… and it even hurt to type, so tweeting was sporadic. That hurt more than the injury itself.

So, earlier this week I managed to finally get myself to physiotherapy. And this is what I learnt there… Apparently I have bad posture. My shoulders are way too rounded.
‘It’s the first thing I noticed about you when you walked in’ said the lovely lady inflicting more pain on my shoulder.
Really I thought, really? Is is that bad? Because, let me tell you lady, if I really slouched you wouldn’t have to ask if I had any kids, you’d ask when the baby was due… because if I don’t stand up straight my jelly belly wobbly mummy tummy is all anyone can see, so, how bad can my posture be? Huh?
‘Look,’ she pointed out, as if reading my mind, even when you lie down your shoulders are not in the correct resting position… ‘
Oh great, so now I am at risk of not only having a frozen shoulder, but of becoming a hunched over little old lady… and I’m not even 40… yet.
So, after pushing and pulling my aching limb into some form of submission she showed me how I should be standing… where my shoulders should be. I felt like I was going to poke someone’s eye out with my less than ample bosom. She gave me exercises to do for my shoulder, and after I payed and made another appointment, she again said, now, remember your posture! It’s the last words I heard as I shut the door and stepped out onto the footpath. It was hard to forget it, what with the tape strapping my back and shoulder into a perfect postured, boobs pointed outwards at the world stance…. as I walked down to the butchers I wondered if he noticed how tall and erect I was standing as I asked for lamb shanks and beef sausages.
So, now, all I can think about is my posture. And my physiotherapist would be sure to award me a physio gold star if she could see how I am sitting now.
But, what happens when the tape comes off? Will I have the mind set to keep to my new posture? Perhaps I will, because all I can see now, with my newly trained eye is rounded shoulders and bad posture. Just last night as I watched Toni Collette as Tara, I thought, hmm, her shoulders seem a little forward, tisk, tisk. Before that I was impressed to note that Myf Warhurst seemed to be sitting very nicely indeed on Spicks and Specks, well, at least for a little bit anyway. Perhaps she too has a physio’s voice ringing in her ears, POSTURE! Don’t forget posture!
Anyway, my shoulder is hurting less, so perhaps there is something to this… and perhaps I will try to keep myself straight… but just be warned, I may take your eyes out!

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Tags: muffin top, people watching

Bloggers Without Makeup.

The inspirational Jodie from Mummy Mayhem wrote earlier this week about how we all like to see un-photoshopped pictures of celebrities and stars as well as shots of them without make up.  Jodie then issued a challenge… and it has set the blogosphere and twitterverse alight. This Friday, thanks to Jodie, is Bloggers Without Makeup Day. Read Jodie’s post here, and there will be lots of links to other lovely blogs that are joining in on her blogging good idea too, you can see them here.

So, why am I taking part?  Because really, if I talk about stars needing to bare all, then I should talk the talk… not that I’m suggesting by any stretch of the imagination I’m a star.  Also, because I am a mum, and I want my children to know it is alright to be seen sans makeup.  That although I spend time most mornings fussing over my face, and though I love a good excuse to glam up, it is also fine to be seen without.  That the world wont stop and people will still chat, and I will still be able to smile, and function and go places without makeup.  I do wear makeup most days, I am very conscious of the dark circles under my eyes… I have two products for that.  But, I am almost 39… I have lived my life (so far) with lots of laughter, my fair amount of stress and not too much (I hope) hard living… and you know what? I’m OK… even without my makeup. So thank you Jodie for your inspirational post, and the bravery to go first.

So, then, this is me… naked as it were.

*P.S I did edit this photo… I cropped it, just a little, because, really, no one needs to see two over full buckets waiting to go to the compost bin, trust me on that.

AND…. due to popular demand… the unedited picture WITH the compost! ta daaaa!

Tags: naked blogging, never say never

I have been bitten by the fox with his sharp sharp teeth, he has left his mark on my shoulder.

Well dear readers, (if there are any of you left) I have once again been neglectful of my little blog. Work began again this week, and I have been busy setting up, being at a conference, meeting and greeting new families, and doing paper work. Thrilling. I know.

I have also been rather absent from Twitter (insert small sob here) and from blog reading (insert pitiful sob here.)

It has, however been an interesting week none the less.  It was the week I got tattooed.  Yes, that’s right tattooed. I have been wanting a tattoo for a long, long time.  Once, some years ago I even made an appointment to have one done, but the tattooist in question looked at what I wanted and said ‘no, can’t do that, the line work is too fine.’ Well, you can imagine the confidence that inspired in me.  I cancelled the appointment.

Since then I have continued the search for the perfect image, and the perfect tattoo artist.  My search ended last week when I came across a web site. I rang, they said  just drop in anytime to discuss what I wanted, so I did, but the artist in question was busy.  It was a little confronting walking in to a shop front and seeing 2 people being tattooed right in front of me.  I wasn’t sure where to look.   I made a time to come back and discuss my ideas with my chosen artist – for artists these people truly are.

I returned two days later and discussed what I wanted with Ryan, my chosen tattooist.  He went away, drew it up and showed me… I beamed! It was perfect. So, as I waited for him to set up I signed the paperwork. A man about my age and his partner were there too, he was choosing his design, and another younger man was being tattooed as well. He had 2 hours to still go and  he had been there at least an hour already… so, I thought to my self, how much can it hurt really.  I was to be tattooed in the shop front, with people walking past me on Smith Street Collingwood looking in. People came in and out, chatting to various artists, showing what they wanted, where they wanted it… one bloke even dropping trousers… meanwhile, I’m standing there with one singlet top strap and one bra strap tucked under my arm, shoulder bared having the transfer applied.  No one batted an eye lid at any of this. It was refreshing actually, people of all ages, shapes and sizes, baring skin, baring body, without judgement, without fear.   I checked placement in a double mirror, and then it started.

The buzzing noise was close to my ear.  There was light pressure, a small scratching sting… this is Ok I thought… easy.  Fool.  The second part was right on my shoulder blade. I had heard people say that being tattooed close to bone can hurt.  They are right.  But it was a controlled pain, of my own choosing.  After about 45 minutes I was done.  My tattoos were covered in plastic wrap and I was ready to go home.  A marked woman.  I love my tattoo, and am already planning to add to this one, or get another one.

For me, being tattooed was very personal.  What you choose to have put on your body, and where you have it, it is very personal.  A friend said I will regret having it done.  But I don’t, and I wont.  Someone also said I may regret it when I’m 90.  But I wont. If I’m 90 I’ll be happy to still be kicking and I’ll be able to say that I made choices about my body for me. And at the end of the day, it’s me who has to like it!

Note – the title of this post is what I wrote as my status on facebook when I arrived home from having the tattoo done.  It is also a hint at the name of the place I was tattooed.

Tags: blog, never say never, tattoo, twitter