This is my article from BEO.ie November edition. In this I write about iOS, Android and Web apps and sites that can help you stay healthy. Perfect timing I think for anyone planning to turn over a new leaf in January. I even spoke about my recommendations below on a recent broadcast of Splanc on Newstalk.
 
Táim i mo shuí sa chistin agus tá an bháisteach ag síorthitim amuigh. N’fheadar an é seo an t-am is fearr chun scríobh faoi theicneolaíocht a chabhróidh leat aire a thabhairt dod’ shláinte? Níl uaim ach tine mhór the theolaí, an dá shlipéar agus m’fhallaing sheomra. Bhraithim ciontach faoin alt seo a scríobh go háirithe ó nár rith mé féin ar maidin le drochaimsir. Ach coicís ó shin bhí mé an-mhórálach asam féin ó chríochnaigh mé clár ‘Couch to 10K’. Seo clár 13 seachtain ina ritear trí uaire in aghaidh na seachtaine. Siúlfaidh tú ag an tús le giotaí reatha anois is arís ach ag an deireadh san iomlán tá tú in ann rith gan stró ar feadh 10 ciliméadar. Bhí traenálaí agam i mo phóca i rith an chláir ar fad: feidhmchláirín beag, Couch to 10K
 
Ach in am scríofa an ailt seo, tá an aimsir go hainnis agus is deacair brú a chur ort féin aon ní a dhéanamh nuair mar sin atá sé. Ach, mar a deirim go minic, níor chóir dúinn in Éirinn go háirithe aon ní a chur ar ceal mar gheall ar chúpla braon báistí. Caithfimid coinneáil orainn!
 
Sin ceann de na tréithe is tábhachtaí faoi réim shláinte nó bhia: leanúint leat – is féidir le teicneolaíocht cabhrú go mór linn é sin a dhéanamh. Má choinníonn tú taifead den obair atá curtha isteach agat freisin, is spreagadh mór an méid sin ar laethanta dona dorcha dhúluachair na bliana. Is féidir breathnú siar ar an dul chun cinn atá déanta go dtí seo. Más féidir do chuid éachtaí a roinnt le daoine eile atá den tuairim chéanna. Beidh tacaíocht agat freisin. Más féidir leat léargas a fháil ar imeachtaí lúthchleasa do chairde féin nó daoine a bhfuil meas agat orthu, gríosófar thú chun iarracht a dhéanamh tú féin.
 

Beartas Sláinte

 
Mar sin, lena n-áireamh, is iad beartas, taifead, spreagadh agus tacaíocht na ceithre rudaí is mó cabhair nuair atá tú ag tabhairt faoi réim shláinte. Féach nodanna eile ar shuíomh iontach an rialtais Get Ireland Active – tá neart ann chun thú a ghríosadh ó eolas agus firicí faoi shláinte go cluichí liathróide is rannta. Is fiú go mór roinnt ama a chaitheamh ar an suíomh seo.
 
“Ach Roseanne,” cloisim uaibh, “is colún teicneolaíochta seo, ní slí maireachtála! B’fhéidir gurb ionann an dá rud duitse ach bhí mise ag súil leis an alt sin faoi iOS5 nár scríobh tú go fóill!” Ach, a chairde, tá neart suíomhanna is feidhmchláiríní iOS is Android ann a chabhródh leat beartas agus taifead a dhéanamh agus spreagadh is tacaíocht a fháil nuair a bheas tú ag tabhairt faoi rún sláinte. B’fhéidir go mb’fhearr i bhfad an t-alt seo a scríobh do Bheo mhí Eanair nuair atá dea-mhianta na hathbhliana snasta úr ar bharr d’intinne. Ach dar liom, tá tú i bhfad níos fearr tabhairt faoi dhea-mhian ag am a oireann duit in ionad am nuair atá brú seachtrach ort é a dhéanamh.
 
Seo mo rogha de fheidmhcláiríní idirlín is gutháin a chabhródh go mór le duine atá ag tabhairt faoi.

  
Couch to 10K

 
Seo an ceann ar bhain mise feidhm as, ón tolg i leith. D’éirigh liom meachan a chailleadh lena chabhair agus, ar a laghad, tomhas ghúna amháin. Thaitin sé go mór liom mar lig sé dom taifead a choinneáil, chabhraigh sé liom mo dhul chun cinn a fhorbairt de réir a chéile agus má bhí fonn orm, lig an feidhmchláirín seo dom mo dhul chun cinn a roinnt le mo chairde ar Twitter agus ar Facebook. Fuair mé an-chuid tacaíochta ó mo chairde dá bharr. Is féidir éisteacht le do cheol féin ar d’iPod le linn a bheith ag rith. Le fáil mar fheidhmchláirín iOS.
 

Runkeeper.com

 
Seo an suíomh atá in úsáid agam anois, tharla an Couch 10K críochnaithe agam. Anois tá an nós agam, ligfidh seo dom taifead a choimeád. Tá suíomh ann, www.runkeeper.com, a ligeann duit taifead a choinneáil ded’ chuid cleachtadh lúthchleasa, bealach a leagan amach roimh ré, foireann sráide a chruthú agus ranganna áitiúla a aimsiú. Chomh maith leis an suíomh iontach, is féidir RunKeeper a chur ar uirlísí iOS, Android, Windows 7 agus le déanaí Symbian (e.g. Nokia). Ar iOS is féidir éisteacht le ceol ar an iPod le linn do chleachtadh aclaíochta (seachas snámh…!)
 

Nike Training Club

 
Seo ceann do na mná amháin. Is sás é ó Nike ar ndóigh atá lán le gnáthaimh aclaíochta idir 15 agus 45 nóiméad. Tá físeanna le gach gnáthamh a thugann treoir duit conas gach cuid den ghnáthamh a dhéanamh. Tá treoir ann freisin faoi na huirlisí a bheidh de dhíth (liathróid leighis, mata, meacháin, tromáin lúith srl.). Tá trí léibhéal difriúla ann do thosaitheoirí, idirmheánach is don ard-lúthchleasaí. Is féidir éisteacht le do cheol féin ar an iPod le linn an bhabhta traenála agus is féidir do dhul chun cinn a roinnt ar Facebook agus má tá ballraíocht agat ar Nike.com/NikeWomen, is féidir é a roinnt ansin. Má bhíonn ballraíocht agat ann freisin, gheobhaidh tú gnáthaimh bhreise mar dhuais. Thaitníonn an feidhmchláirín seo go mór liom: tá cuma an-dheas air agus tá na gnáthaimh crua, an-chrua! An t-aon míbhuntáiste ná nach bhfuil an feidhmchláirín seo ar fáil ach don iOS.
 
Chomh maith leis na feidhmchláiríní seo ar mo ghuthán, tá ceann a ligeann duit do ráta chroí a thaifead, tá feidhmchláirín eile Nike a d’fhéadfadh comhrá a dhéanamh le mo bhróga (tá slis sa sáile s’acu) agus ceann darbh ainm de MoodAgent a ligeann dom líostaí ceoil a chruthú bunaithe ar an bhfonn a bheadh orm féin. Tá feidhmchláiríní ann freisin a déanann cluiche de thraenáil: féach mar shampla Fitocracy nó Zombies Run. Má tá tuilleadh uait féach an liosta ar Greatist.
 
Má cheapann tú go bhfuil sé dochreidte go mbeadh do bhróga in ann teachtaireachtaí a chur chuig do ghuthán, nó chuig bunachar éigin sa néal, breathnaigh ar Withings. Pleascfaidh d’intinn!

 
I crocheted this necklace as a birthday gift for my cousin. I think it looks great on her.  
It’s a pattern from lion brand that looks very unpromising on their site but turned out gorgeous.

Here I am wearing one of my creations, holding my sister’s beautiful creation. If I had known I was being papped I would have smiled. I’m having a very bad photo day: there’s not much more ignominious than getting your photo taken in the chemist. I don’t know why I do it: always appalling results.

This top is the first piece of clothing I’ve crocheted for myself. It was not difficult but some aspects of the pattern were a little difficult to follow. I didn’t get much assistance from Rowan Yarn when I asked them, so the edges turned out quite wonky hence the belt. You can get all the details from my project on Ravelry. including yarn and links to where you can buy the pattern. You can also see how it turned out for other hookers.

In this picture we’re in the café of the Royal Hibernian Academy. We were there to check out VUE, the annual art fair. It was amazing to be able to see the work of so many different artists curated by so many different gallery owners. I understand that this exhibition previously took place in the RDS but the RHA strikes me as a much more pleasant venue. We were there to support my common law brother John O’Reilly and my actual brother Blaise Smith of course but I have to say I was totally smitten as usual by Patrick Redmond’s work.

VUE is finished up but I would recommend a visit to the RHA just off Stephen’s Green where there is always someting inspirational to see in a beautiful space.

I’ve completed a couple of projects lately of which I am inordinately proud so please excuse my bragging for a moment. First up is this delirious tea cosy which I made as a birthday present for Abigail.

I followed this easy pattern which I originally came across on Ravelry.com. The wool is mostly from Springwools although I haggled he orange wool from a woman on Meath st. I haggled rather a lot from her so if I make something for you expect some orange in it. The beige I picked up for a song in Oxfam. The buttons were a total find in A Rubanesque which is, apparently, Ireland’s only passementerie boutique. Yes you do learn something new every day.

The other completed project is that I completed the Couch to 10k programme although I’m still not convinced that I have actually run 10k but I can now run non-stop for 50 minutes

I have finished the front and while it was a pain at the time I’m very glad that I decided to rip and redo the side panels. It might actually fit me now!

I had to take an afternoon off today. We’ve an unfortunate gap in our childcare arrangements. As if I don’t get enough of it in work, we’re interviewing a couple of people over the weekend. Fingers crossed we’ll have it sorted.
So I’m making the most of it: we have a classmate over which, as a family with two parents in full time work, is a rare occurrence. While Nipper 2.0 and his chum are off building something glorious with Lego, I’m fitting in some daylight crochet. I blogged about this top before and have since ripped back the two side panels, removing the beetroot stain in the process, and redid them. It’s turning out much better this time.

I’ve been busy thanks to some time off. I had to train it up and down to Dublin so I had an opportunity to crochet like a crazy lady. Don’t tell Himself but it was one of the best parts of the holiday
While I was on the train I worked on this green top from a Rowan pattern. It worked out really badly as you can see. I got stuck and asked Rowan Yarns on Twitter for help. I tried to ask them on Facebook but for some reason was unable to post to their wall. (Maybe Facebook has me tagged as a crotchety auld one…) Exasperated I tried to email them but could only fill out a contact form. I HATE contact forms. Website owners if you MUST have a contact form please make sure to email a copy to your user. So a week later I finally get a response at which point I had made the best I could of the indecipherable instructions. As you can see it turned out really well – NOT. Oh and my beetroot soup leaked on it. Disaster. So I’m going to rip that side anyway. The first time I actually make something to wear myself and it’s a complete show. Sigh.

However this next item was a gem. I can’t remember where I got the pattern but you can get it here. I made this for my friend for a significant birthday and was completely delighted with how it turned out. And so was she. I’m glad I dragged the poor Nippers half way across town for the yarn.

This is the back of the cuff. Thanks to my aunty for sewing the buttons on while I got ready for the party!

The pink number here was the trial run which I did on Friday night. I’m really glad I did because the yarn was wrong and I made a few rookie errors.

Finally here’s an update on the blanket that I’m working on for my cousin and his new wife as a wedding present. The first pattern I worked on did not work out. It was too finicky for a blanket, the tension was all wrong and it was turning out the wrong, wrong size. So I ditched it in favour of the Granny Stripe Blanket from Attic24. I’ll probably make a little cushion out of the crazy squares to go with it. I hope I don’t break the wedding present rule and fail to give it to them before the first anniversary. It’s turning out well and it’s a very easy, relaxing number to do.

I do this though:

A while back I did an advanced crochet course in Springwools . While I wouldn’t consider myself half as advanced as some of the women (and of course they were ALL women in the class) I was made very welcome indeed. I looked forward to the class every week and knowing that someone would be able to untangle any knots I got into I became more adventurous in my choice of patterns.

One of my classmates had a bit of an obsession with booties; converse style ones in particular. She made all sorts but recommended this pattern in particular. I have now made two pairs and this is the second below. I hope this pair actually get to the lucky child before he/ she is too bug for them. The last pair will make a nice Xmas tree decoration. Oh well.

For my brand new niece.

Work in progress. It’s a great phrase. It’s all action and forward motion. I like to think of my life as one big work in progress. That’s why I called this blog One of these days… One of these days the work in progress will be finished.

But you know what? Other work will always be there to take its place. A while back Keith Bohanna recommended a book called “Getting Things Done” (not directly to me, mind!) and as I was always impressed with his modus operandi when working with him I thought I’d give it a look. I picked up a copy before my leave between finishing with the IIA and starting with Prosperity. I got a fair bit done on my holiers. I didn’t actually get the book read! It’s a work in progress.

I also look on my body as a work in progress and thanks to my childbearing of recent years it’s definitely been a work in progress. A friend recommended Couch to 10K and I’m on week 4 so far. It’s going well but a new pair of runners has destroyed my heels with blisters which makes it very difficult to get going in the morning.

Finally I’ve had a few crochet projects on the go. I created decorations for a farewell plant for my colleagues. I also gave them and my mother iPhone cosies. I’m also just about finished a little cardigan for my gorgeous new niece – another fabulous work in progress. You can see the beginning of the first row below. I had planned a beautiful blanket for her. You can see that I started it below. I had to frog the whole lot as they seem to say online. Rip every last stitch. It just wasn’t right. So that’s another work in progress.

I’ve also had to rethink the wedding present I’m working on as it was also not turning out as I expected. So all in all lots of work in progress!

And I haven’t even mentioned the garden this time round! What works in progress have you on the go at the moment? Anything you are especially excited about? Go on, tell all!