Blitzing Melbourne

[Blitz]

Those that know me moderately well - know that I'm a real big David Bowie fan.
Currently in Melbourne is a really cool Bowie exhibition on tour from the Victoria and Albert Museum full of stuff from Bowie's personal archive.
It closes soon so I've bitten the bullet and making a flying visit to Melbourne between 29th and 31st of October.

I've arranged to meet our Forum's very own Diva on the Friday.
We plan to have lunch and share weigh loss war stories and compare sail cloths (our old pants).
Should be a very interesting meeting - and exciting.

If anyone else would like to meet up while I'm in Melbourne...please do private message me.
It will be a great chance to see this wide eyed weight loss fanatic up close.
Come to see my old huge pants. Touch and see my weight loss book with all the gory numbers of my journey...
and if you play your cards right I might even show you a magic trick or two!

Kim

[Divalicious]

Hey Kim,

I'm looking forward to our meeting.

I've got my blouse (which could double as a tent to shelter a family!) ready and will (weather permitting) put it on over my usual day's attire.

I'm hoping not to have done too much damage in the days prior as I'm off to Sydney for two days on Wednesday (business) and there'll be lots of "luncheons" and "dinner" meetings that always spells trouble for me

Anyway, can't wait! See you Friday. It will be awesome to finally catch up.

[Blitz]

Yeah...I'm counting the sleeps too.
I was doing a 5 year olds birthday party today. It was very near the airport.
Every 5 minutes a jet was fly extremely low to land during my show.
Apart from wearing my voice down shouting above the loud aircraft noise I was looking wistfully and longingly at them.

Got loads of things planned when I hit Melbourne but meeting you will be a highlight for sure.
I think the lunch together will be psychologically interesting.
Do we dare eat anything of substance in front of each other and risk judgement?

See you Friday!

Kim

[Blitz]

The eagle may not have landed...but Blitz has landed!
Arrived safely in this fair city of Melbourne last night...if the seedier side of it.
I think that there is a brothel down the street from my hotel!...
I understand now why my hotel room was so cheap - I just hope that it isn't an hourly rate!
On the upside however I met a possum on the street last night.
Definitely a possum...far too large and slow moving to be a rat.

Kim

[Blitz]

Well I had the pleasure of meeting up with TWO fine ladies today.
For not only did I meet up with the mighty Diva but I also met the mysterious Admin herself!
My only complaint was that the time flew so very quickly.

Diva is even more inspirational in person.
I had real empathy listening to her talk...so much shared experience!
We talked of loose skin, sail cloth clothes, changed lifestyles and how much better our futures have become.
We posed for a fantastic picture of us holding Diva's top and my pants between us.
That's one helluva person that can fit into those glad rags!!!
Hopefully Admin will post it soon so you can all share in the sight.

I've always had a fear of Admin (she who welds god like powers...she giveth and taketh ) but meeting her face to face has squashed those ideas. Our "higher power" is a sweet, kind and caring person! And not mysterious at all...very friendly in fact!
After all you can't say anything bad about the person who picked up the tab! Many thanks!

Thanks Diva and Admin for a great time!
Kim

[CronicBadger]

The great thing about Melbourne is that the layout of the CBD allows a person to walk pretty much anywhere without getting lost. Last time I was there I went everywhere on foot. Amazing place.

[Blitz]

True enough Marc...but I still had the tourist map in my back pocket just in case!
I didn't bring my scales with me (didn't want to risk going over the luggage weight limit) so I was doing it blind on the holiday.
Also I was staying at a cheap hotel so there wasn't any gym or pool.
My only resource was walking. Which I did with a vengeance.
The hotel was on the edge of the CBD so the other end (the fun end) was a few kms away.
I managed a good run to the suburb of Brunswick and a walk back on the Friday night too that was fun.

It is a great way to see a place walking the streets. You see so many things that you would have otherwise have missed.
For example; walking to my hotel at 1am from Bus station I saw a possum.
On the Friday night after my Brunswick trip I again wandered down to the other end of the city at 4am in the morning.
On the way back bumped into another possum in the park near my hotel. Managed to get photos and a video this time of it.

Walked my feet off on the holidays.
Weighed myself when I got back. Only put on 0.4kg. Had that off and some more the next day - no problem.

Kim

[Blitz]

Here is a photo Admin took of Diva and myself holding Diva's old top and my old pants.
Between the two of us we've lost one heck of a huge person!

Kim

[admin]

Great to catch up with you Kim.....I hope you enjoyed the rest of your visit, great weather last week now it is bucketing down so good timing.

[Blitz]

I had a really good time in Melbourne except for the my Friday afternoon calls/rants to the bank about my late mother's account with them and the false promises they made to me. Finally sorted but not before I made some dire threats about complaining to the media etc.

I was very fortunate with the weather. It only turned on late Friday night but held off until I had walked back from Brunswick.
Towards the end of the walk it was getting nippy so I went to the hotel room to get a coat.
Messed around on line for a bit and heard it starting to pour down. A hour or so later it stopped so I went out to explore the city.
Not a drop fell until I got back in about 4am - then it thundered down.
Next morning I only got slightly wet walking from the magic shop to Queen Victoria Markets.
After that it fined up into a beautiful day.

Again thank you for your hospitality.
Kim

[admin]

What were you doing until 4am????

[Blitz]

Give me a break...I was still running on Perth time. It was only 1am that time!

What was I doing at that time?...walking the streets looking at the people dressed in Halloween gear,taking photos of very obscure architectural features and catching up with the possums (which I did...have the photo proof that they exist in the Melbourne CBD).

And above all...getting my exercise in!

Kim

[Blitz]

Exhibit one your honour...one possum picture.

Kim

[admin]

Your honour has found you not guilty!
Ummm possums...you either love them or hate them!

[Divalicious]

Hey Blitz and Admin,

So sorry for not responding sooner; really, I have a hectic job and there's absolutely little time to myself! In fact, the day I had the pleasure of spending time with you both with probably the longest "non-work related" gathering (during office hours) that I've had since I started this job!

THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH for the wonderful opportunity to meet you both, and (Admin) for generously picking up the tab, which I'm hoping I can return (the favour) in a follow-up lunch early in the new year (when things get a bit quieter for me)? Please do let me know what your movements will be in January and I'll work on us catching up for a lunch (on me, so this time LEAVE THE CREDIT CARDS BEHNID in the office).

Kim,
You look amazing, and so much thinner than I could have ever imagine. You're as lovely to chat to in person as you are here in the forum (only sorry I can't do more of both).

Thanks for posting the photo; wow! I REALLY need to shake those winter sins, and I so gotta stop wearing that blouse, It's an old fave from my bigger days and (although it hides a multitude of sins, does tend to make me look (albeit I'm far from "thin") bigger than I actually am).

Sharelle,
You're lovelier in person, and I agree with Kim, a gentler soul than the persona that Kim described "powerful" though as a woman, I'm sure you have oodles of that too!

As for me, I've been around, though haven't had the opportunity to "check in" much at all. I will try to do that more often, especially next month. I'm having surgery to get rid of my "water wings" on my arms. I'll be off work for most of December, so should be able to pop in here more regularly, and see how everyone is travelling (in between my visits to the gym?). Doctor says I can't do as much as I was/am, but should be able to walk on the treadmill (as long as I don't swing my arms) but definitely NO CROSS TRAINERS!!

Take care, and Kim, I'm so glad you had a good time in our fair city (even greeting a few of the locals I see?)

Ahhhhh possums......they hold a special place in my heart (and street)

xx
Josie