Going Insane Here

Look at this! Blogging only a week after my last one, get me! This is how I intended it to be.  (Firstly, apologies for lack of pictures but I don’t have any new ones since the last blog!)  Well I am feeling a lot more  motivated in every aspect this week, and I reckon I owe that to my great friend and inspiration for a lot of things, Alexandra Cameron-Smith.  Yeah. You Batman.  She has introduced me to a wonderful fitness regime which is bonkers.  Pure insanity.  In fact, that’s what it’s called, Insanity.  It is beyond intense and, to keep it short and not sound like I’m selling it, it’s a 60 day, 6 days a week workout regime.  I’m on my third day and am actually enjoying it – today I managed to do one of the moves that I couldn’t even do yesterday so I am obviously improving – happy with that!  It is a great way to clear my mind everyday – if you know me well you will know how I struggle to not think about things and if I have too much time without focusing on something I start thinking stupid frustrating thoughts. For example, I’m shit at Spanish, I should be learning quicker, should be fluent by now.  Or ugh I feel so fat today, blah blah blah.  Silly things, like I said.  But whilst doing this hardcore workout I seriously don’t have any time or opportunity to think about anything other than how the hell I’m going to perform the next movement for a full minute whilst defying death.  It’s brilliant.  I’m sleeping better at night, looking forward to each different workout video for the next day, and looking forward to seeing/feeling some results. YEAH! Plug over.

Might as well take advantage of being here typing away and update you properly besides my new crazy fitness thing.  So last Thursday, I met with a friend Dani and we took a nice quick walk along the river to the Old Port.  It was such a perfect day, sitting out on the steps outside Zaharra Bar in the blaring sunshine with a drink, was cold but sunny – I like those days.  And I was speaking good Spanish to him too which always makes me feel better.  Our intercambio was cut a little short because Ana phoned to say she was going to Decathlon and do I want to come (she knew I was wanting some trainers) so I jumped in the car with her and Mama-Grande (her ma) and off we went.  I got some decent trainers for 15euros (nice) and then I got treated to lunch in Ikea.  Love the food there.  I was extremely sensible and to try to keep in line with my daily workouts pre-Insanity, which started this Monday, I had salmon and vegetables and orange juice.  And shockingly enough was full! Stomach is finally shrinking, wop wop.

Friday I had a great class as usual with Ana and then met Lucil for another nice walk to the Old Port where we met my English teacher friend Nikki for a drink on the same steps on yet another sunny day. Lucky us. Pah. Wait until you hear what the weather is like here now.  Jeez, Brits really do just speak about the weather all the time don’t they? Anyway, I did my usual daily workout in the afternoon before the girls came back from school and then we played on the Wii for about 3 hours so I slept very deeply that night! I intended to do another workout Saturday morning before Javis but woke up with a huge feeling of nausea so thought it was best to have a rest.  I went upstairs to teach the kids at 12.30 which was so nice to get that done at the start of the weekend and then have Sunday evening to chill and wind down with the man.  We had a very lazy, indoorsy weekend as this is when the monsoon season started here in Bilbao.  And it hasn’t stopped yet.  Today is what, Wednesday. Day 5 of non-stop rain.  I did glimpse the sun today but he had one quick peek and disappeared under his cloud again.  Sod. Sunday we took Lucil to the amazing chocolateria across the river and she treated us both which was very kind of her.  Skyped mother and father in the evening, it was a lot of time talking but they both ‘met’ Javi haha.

Monday = Insanity! Loved it so much I did one of my own workouts straight after and forgot I was meeting Lucil for lunch in Bilbao, woops! Made it just in time (somehow it seemed to stop for me) and we had a 10euro menu, yummy.  I ordered salmon in pastry thinking I was being sensible but it was a roll of pastry the thickness of my forearm, with quite a big chunk of salmon inside, to be fair.  But that was after you got past at least one pint of thick creamy sauce – I scraped that aside.  Yesterday, Tuesday, I had an excursion with my class to a Fernando Botero exhibition in town, was quite good but his art is not my style.  Everything is fat (that’s his thing, to make everything like balloons), none of his subjects ever smile, and there’s a lot of nakedness.  But hey, it’s got to float someone’s boat.  Sunk mine.  Did my workout in the afternoon at Javi’s house – so useful, not doing it while Ana is working in the house and my room is far too small for all the jumping around.  Saw his gorgeous face in the evening last night for some down time and then boom, that brings us to today already.  Shortest blog yet? 931 words right here.  Today I skipped class (computers on a Wednesday, some good teaching there) and went to meet a new Spanish girl in Bilbao but I never found her, so had a little wander and came straight back home to do my Insanity day 3 workout – Cardio Power and Resistance today, raaar! Did it.  Tonight Sofia has her Wednesday appointment with her eye doctor so it’s just Ines to have tonight. Good thing about Wednesday is that no one has ballet so they’re usually in bed on time but that might change with Sofi’s eye thing every week.

Tomorrow I’ll do my workout first thing and then I am meeting a different Spanish girl (trying to make some girlfriends if you hadn’t guessed, miss my girls from UK/NZ!) just here by the bridge.  Friday I’m starting meeting my usual lovely intercambio Veronica again, and then early Saturday morning me and Javi are off to Burgos! Yay, really looking forward to a change of scenery and to take photos like a tourist.  Not a Japanese one.  But a tourist.  Maybe it’ll be romantic aye… woops, forget you now stalk me on here Javi, heehee, better watch what I type.

Right, an hour after my workout my body is demanding food so hasta pronto, amigos, gracias por leer y agurrrr! (1175 words, that’s short right? Oo, crampy fingers…)