Den här bilden från i söndags hittade jag hos Marie. Jag fuskar!!
Jag var för tung/svag för att orka utföra övningen som man skulle :)

I två dagar har jag försök ta mig upp i tid för att hinna springa en snutt innan dagens förpliktelser kallar. I två dagar har jag skyllt på den dåliga sömnen och på att alla (ok, jag har bara en) mina varma springtröjor är för korta/trånga och att jag kommer frysa i tio minusgrader och således ställt om klockan. Imorn är det tredje gången gillt. Då ska jag trotsa trånga kläder och eventuell dålig nattsömn. Imorn är jag nämligen ledig och kan vila senare på dagen om så behövs.

Men tror inte att jag ligger på latsidan bara för att det inte springs. Nä, igår var det body balance som var i fokus och idag är det armyinstruerande. Deltagarna ska få köra tester, omgång två. Hur mycket starkare har de blivit måntro? Mycket starkare tror jag.





Just in case you were wondering what Getaway Reporter Catriona Rowntree has been up to over the past 12 months, I have put this little photo essay together for you.
In short, she has been getting pregnant, having a baby, getting back into her jeans, getting pregnant again and cashing cheques at the Woman's Day offices.

















I told myself I wouldn't jump around once I started posting Christmas cookies, but I ran out of daylight today, so I am going to have to fall back on a cookie I made over the Thanksgiving holiday. I know we have seen sock monkeys recently, but since I was on a cupcake kick, and I was just playing, I decided to try the cuppie as a sock monkey. I like this guy! Stay tuned for a short baking tutorial in the next few days and tons and tons of Christmas cookies!


Day 22



By now you know I'm pretty uptight about things.
Routine after school is one of them.
It helps me to manage the whole homework, dinnertime, bathtime, bedtime thing without resorting to using illegal substances.
But I'm slowly learning that while routine is great, it won't kill me to just chill out a little bit either. I blame this radical attitude shift on sheer gratefulness in being back in my own home.
The last few days here in Perth have been unexpectedly hot. The air con is back on here and while it is truly magnificent, it's also responsible for the fine film of dust the offspring, husband and I are permanently covered in.
That's one of the gifts that keeps on giving from the renovation works. They are still carrying on around us so my life is a parade of painters, builders and carpenters for the forseeable future as well. Luckily we've learned to co-exist peaceably enough. They may even get a Christmas card.
So last night,
I didn't cook dinner.
I got some turkish bread, extra virgin olive oil and some dukkah and served it straight up.


Then I packed all 3 hot, over tired and super cranky small people in the car and headed to the beach.


And came home covered in sand, blissed out and super happy.
It feels great to break the rules.
Especially when they're my own ones.



Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup

Last night the second Cupcake Club took place! There were cakes, prizes and good company. The tube strike kept a few people away but we didn't let that stop us.

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
The prizes to be won

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Anne's Quality Street Cupcakes

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
The inside. I love cupcakes with stuff in the middle. The Bailey's frosting on these was so nice. It really went well with the chocolate cake

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Anne also kindly made us some of her award winning Sprout Cakes! I really liked these. They had raisins, walnuts and grated sprouts inside. I couldn't really taste them but Anne insisted she could.

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Ellie made the biggest cupcakes I've ever seen. I really liked these black bottom cupcakes. They were very rich.

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Ellie also made some Salted Caramel cupcakes. I was impressed caramel is very hard to make. I've never made it from scratch before.

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Here's some of the happy people. Marcus kindly made brandy snaps but I stupidly didn't take any photos of them

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
I love how happy Manny looks. Wonder how bad his sugar crash was later? He ate A LOT of cupcakes!

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Marcus was super pleased with his cupcake ice cube tray

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Anne already has big plans for her jumbo cupcake! She's such a trooper. She had a really bad cold but came and stayed the whole time anyway.

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
We all ate a lot of cupcakes!

Cupcake Club X-Mas Meetup
Me after I got home already feeling the sugar crash

I was going to plan another Cupcake Club, January 18th, at Tart Bar (a cocktail bar in Clerkenwell). If anyone is interested in future Cupcake Club events let me know if you prefer the casual setting of a pub over a fancy cocktail bar or if we should wait until February.

I want to thank everyone that came! I hope you all had a good time. I had a great time and I can't wait till our next "meeting"!



[Image: Wallpaper by Studio Carnovsky, via Creative Review].

This wallpaper, designed by Studio Carnovsky, changes images depending on what color light you view it under. As such, it could be an incredibly interesting thing to experiment with in other contexts—including outdoor urban lighting, public signage, and even film animation.

[Image: Wallpaper by Studio Carnovsky, via Creative Review].

In the latter case, imagine a hallway whose wallpaper is printed with six or seven closely related scenes from an animated clip; each "scene" is printed in a different color. A light programmed to move through the appropriate sequence of color changes is then installed in the same corridor; as it flashes from color to color, changing perhaps every half-second, you see what appears to be a moving image on the walls around you.

It would be a kind of unmoving zoetrope—a stationary cinema in printed form (or a stationary cinema in stationery form?).

[Images: Wallpaper by Studio Carnovsky, via Creative Review].

Even if only used for interior decoration, however, the effect is well worth exploring further.

(Thanks to a tip from Tim Maly).



500







Even Ducks bow to people who have Blogged 500 times.

Today is my 500th Blog. 

It seems almost impossible that someone with so little useful to say could blog 500 times and not be hunted down and killed by Blog Vigilantes – who I am sure exist somewhere. Perhaps I have survived because I am not listed in any telephone books and am effectively invisible in Vienna.

In 2009 there were 126 Million Blogs. That is a lot of Blogs. The figure now is probably 200 Million. If you looked at one new blog every second and never stopped it would take you more than 6 years. You would never reach the end because Bloggers multiply like rabbits  - and are indestructible. The only things that grow faster than Blogs are the Chinese population and Wall Street bonuses.

I have read a couple of books lately about the gigantic global catastrophe that was the financial crisis.

I wanted to know who stole so much of my pension fund. I now know – I even know most of their names – and how big their houses are (REALLY big!).

I am pleased to report that they are all doing pretty well. The ones who left did so with colossal payouts and enormous bonuses – and those who stayed are making more money than they ever did. Wall Street is on track this year to pay record bonuses – so it is nice to know that my money and your money (well – the money we used to have anyway) is being put to good use.

And with what the government gave them and what we contributed - every day is Christmas day in that fairytale land of financial derivatives.

The Republicans managed to emasculate any legislation tightening controls on Wall Street and the financial sector in general so any time they want to they can take us on another gigantic roller coaster ride,  invent new and improved worthless products - and take us again into the Land of the Massive Goat Fuck.

Except this time I am watching them very closely. If I see any warning signs I will let you know. Tip – if Sarah Palin looks like becoming President it is time to buy gold – but bury it real deep!





· women


At the American Alpine Institute, we love mountains for their beauty and challenge, and for the livelihood they provide us as guides and teachers. But there are ample reasons for flatlanders to love mountains as well. Mountain ranges function as engines of water production, provide habitat for game, and supply resources for industry. In view of the universal value of mountains, the United Nations General Assembly established International Mountain Day on December 11th of each year to celebrate this shared natural heritage.

 
This year, we have decided to benefit the Central Asia Institute with our International Mountain Day activities. The Central Asia Institute is a non-profit organization with the mission to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in the remote mountainous regions of northern Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Greg Mortenson, whose story was chronicled in the best-selling books, Three Cups of Tea and Stones to Schools, started the Central Asia Institute in 1993. Mortenson was inspired to develop a program to build schools at the foot of the Himalaya after he stumbled into a remote village in northern Pakistan following a failed attempt to climb K2. The villagers took him in, fed him, and gave him a place to rest while he recovered from his Himalayan failure. After Mortenson regained his strength, he vowed to come back to the village in order to help them to build a school. His return some months later marked the start of his quest to bring education to some of the poorest and most remote reaches of the world. Since 1993, Mortenson has helped build 145 schools throughout central Asia.

You can develop your personal climbing skills, your avalanche awareness skills and help us to benefit this important cause by participating in our International Mountain Day events.

You can now register online by clicking here. Registration is optional, but space is limited and those who register will be given priority.
  • Rock Rescue Clinics  We will be offering four two-hour rock rescue clinics at the YMCA climbing wall in downtown Bellingham. The clinics will focus on the baseline skills required to perform a rescue in a high angle environment. We will be offering these from 8am-10am, 10:30am-12:30pm, 1pm to 3pm, and 3:30-5:30pm.

  • Avalanche Awareness Seminars We will be offering two avalanche awareness events to celebrate International Mountain Day. The first event will be at 7pm at Western Washington University on December 2nd and the second event will also be at 7pm on December 11th at the American Museum of Radio and Electricity in downtown Bellingham.
At all events we will be selling raffle tickets ($5 per ticket) to raise money for the Central Asia Institute. Many sponsors have donated to our event. To learn more about International Mountain Day and our events to celebrate it, please click here.

--Jason D. Martin





Sorry that I am so late to post. Life got in the way. I got a visit from two friends, and it was definitely worth the hold up. It surely made my day. I have so many Christmas cookies I want to make, and I cannot figure out how I am ever going to find the time to make them all, but I sure will try!Day 22




The American Alpine Institute just received the following email from Denali National Park:

The National Park Service (NPS) is examining approaches to recover more of the cost of the mountaineering program in Denali National Park and Preserve. As part of the public involvement process, the NPS is hosting two public open houses in December and two in January to provide information on the  mountaineering program and how the special mountaineering use fee is utilized. The cities, dates, locations, and times of the open houses are:
  • Talkeetna, Alaska, Tuesday, December 7, Talkeetna Ranger Station, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. 
  • Anchorage, Alaska – Wednesday, December 8, REI, 1200 W. Northern Lights Blvd., 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. 
  • Seattle, Washington – Monday, January 17, REI Flagship Store, 222 Yale Ave. N, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. 
  • Golden, Colorado – Tuesday, January 18, American Mountaineering Center, 710 10th St., 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Park staff will give two 20 minute presentations on the mountaineering program and fee at each open house, beginning at 15 minutes after the hour. Official public testimony will not be taken, but park staff will be available before and after the presentations to provide additional information and answer questions.

Currently each climber of Mt. McKinley and Mt. Foraker pays a cost recovery mountaineering use fee of $200. Income from this special use fee funds some of the cost of the mountaineering program, including preventative search and rescue (PSAR) education, training for rescue personnel, positioning of patrol/rescue personnel (including volunteers) at critical high altitude locations on the mountain, the CMC (human waste) program, and administrative support. Since the cost recovery fee was implemented in 1995, the number of fatalities and major injuries has decreased significantly. This is directly attributable to the increased educational and PSAR efforts made possible through the cost recovery program.

When the special use fee was initially established it covered approximately 30% of the cost of this specialized program. Even though the fee was increased from $150 to $200 in 2005, current fee revenue only covers 17% of the cost. McKinley/Foraker climbers make up less than 1⁄2 of 1 percent of the park’s visitors, and in 2011 Denali will expend approximately $1,200 in direct support of each permitted climber. The average cost for all other visitors is expected to be about $37. In recent years, the park has diverted funds from other critical park programs in order to fully fund the mountaineering program. This has negatively impacted funding available for interpretation, wildlife protection, resource management, and maintenance.

The NPS is seeking input and ideas regarding two key questions:
      1) Is the current mountaineering program the most cost effective,
      efficient and safe program we can devise?
      2) How much of the cost should be recovered from users, and what
      options are there for how those costs can be distributed?

Comments from the public will be accepted through January 31, 2011. Comments may be submitted via email to: DENA_mountainfeecomments@nps.gov or faxed to (907) 683-9612. They may also be sent to: Superintendent, Denali National Park and Preserve, P.O. Box 9, Denali Park, AK 99755.

For additional information on the mountaineering program or the cost recovery special use fee visit the park website at www. nps.gov/dena. If you have questions about the fee you may contact Chief Park Ranger Peter Armington at (907) 683-9521 or peter_armington@nps.gov. Media inquiries should be directed to Public Affairs Officer Kris Fister at (907) 683-9583 or kris_fister@nps.gov.

 We recently wrote about this particular issue in a blog on November 5th.  To learn more about the issue and what you can do to help keep mountaineering fees low, click here.

--Jason D. Martin



Brasil is known for its coffee bean industry, having a great climate to produce rich flavor and a variety of bean options. When I came to Brasil, I was eager to sip and taste test its coffee, but I found that it was not easy not to find. Most of the coffee bean production in Brasil is exported leaving Nescafe as a staple and a few other grounds for experimentation. One thing that will always remain in Brasil is the unique preparation of your coffee and the experience of going to a café, where you get more than what you ordered.

Cafezinho Brewer with cups and saucers
In Brasil coffee shops like Starbucks and Pete’s Coffee are not very common, in fact the whole idea of “To-Go” is not very common so everything you decide to do you have to factor in that you should set aside time for it. At the café you can go up to the counter and place your order, and then either wait at a table to enjoy or stand at the counter and drink it there. I ordered a caffezinho and was waiting for my single shot of espresso at a table, and was truly amazed at the festive platter of goodies that was brought to me.

I received a long plate with individual compartments for all the items that were served along with the cafezinho. The espresso was hand made and was topped with the crème de café, which is a thin layer of froth that is so delicious I wanted to learn the Portuguese version of, “Mamma Mia!” I could feel my eyes grow larger as I happily observed the little bite of brownie next the espresso to sweeten your mouth after you drink the deliciously bitter beverage, and then continued on to see the tiny cup of água com gás which is sparkling water that is served to wash everything down at the end.


Tiny cafezinho cups at the end of a meal
A platter like this encompasses the attitude in Brasil, that this coffee is not just here to shoot down and go, but is meant to be an experience of flavors and sensations in your mouth and is there to use the whole experience of drinking as a time to recharge rather than just running off the caffeine rush of shooting down the espresso.

The cafés in São Luis are always busy but I never saw one that was too crowded, providing a calm atmosphere to take a break. Whenever I ordered my cafezinho I only paid after I was done with my coffee and ready to leave, and I was never rushed.I was truly delighted when I continued on to test the cafezinhos at other cafés and found this was not a fluke experience but an across the board service with a foundation in enjoying the moment.

Fun Fact: In Portuguese when you add the ending –inho/a it makes the word refer to a smaller version or a little cute version, so a cafezinho is a little tiny cup of café or coffee. As someone who is used to huge mugs of coffee, cafezinhos really are cute, itsy-bitsy sips of delicious coffee.




You know I have a very clever, dear friend called Kate Sutton, aka Uberkate. I have written about our friendship before. Well she goes to ground at this time of year. Because she is busy hand making jewellery. She is a little bit like Santa for grown ups. So I do not get to see much of her. And that makes me sad. But I did manage to spend a day with her while I was modelling for her new catalogue.


And she is super busy because she has launched a new collection, The Living Range, a series of organic pieces that have been designed for both men and women. And each piece continues to be handcrafted by Kate herself. Which I think is so bloody amazing. No Made in China here!

So Uberkate, tell us about your new range.

“My inspiration for this range was plant life. The metal has been shaped to emulate growing vines, especially the way they twist and turn. I have also named it the Living Range because the pieces can be added to as the family grows and changes over time.”

Excellent. Can I have a necklace to give away to a lucky WoogsWorld reader?

"Yes, if you buy me a beer and a chicken parmigiana at the pub."

RESULT!

To win a set of large and medium Living Circles, valued at $480 and personalised by A-La Uberkate, leave a comment on this post telling me why you like Uberkate's Beautiful Designs. It is seriously that simple.

Unfamiliar with the Uberkate Range? (Living under a rock have we?) Check out http://www.uberkate.com.au/ and fall in love. And drool. And forward the site onto potential folk who might purchase you a piece for Christmas. Oh and drooooool a bit more.

Random.org will select a winner on Friday 10th December and it will be published here, at WoogsWorld. So please check back in to see if it is you! And SawHole, you are ineligible to enter.