Reality check: rocking the retro version in Hot town, summery in the city - 2017

WHERE: this is where I’m rocking the retro… I’m in the bath, not sure I’ve done a bath realty in a LOOONG time!! It’s an early evening bath so I don’t interrupt T’s shower, I have a little over half an hour to relax so I need to relax now, now, dagnabbit, come on ermen, RELAX!!. anyway, on Spotify is a playlist that Rich made when he worked in the states a few years ago. It’s a playlist of songs that make him think of me and it’s LOVELY if slightly mad sometimes 😍😍

WEARING: well… an ankle chain, a gold one. I always had an ankle chain on in the 90s and early 00s (How do you say that last number btw?) and I took advantage of T being in college to sort out almost 4 decades of jewellery. I got rid of all my ankle chains but this and a pretty silver one because the rest were costume jewellery and a little discoloured. I also have my original belly button bar in, the one I had it pierced with originally (about 16 years ago). I also found that in my sort out and it has always been my favourite. It’s silver with a turquoise stone that sits in the belly button. I have various bracelets supporting various causes (ocean clean up, save the turtle and lgbtq+). I’m also wearing a, dang what’s it called? Blue shell type stuff that’s used in jewellery. Anyway, it’s a “that” and silver teardrop pendant which Rich bought for me. I have two ocean wave earrings, a lizard earring, a ring in my tragus, a star and an unclosed hoop. As well as that I have wedding ring, engagement ring, forever ring and the ring I bought with the money my nana left me.

FITNESS UPDATE: hmmmm. I was not kind to myself in the two months leading to to school/college/work restarting. I did a lot of anger eating and the bathroom scales broke (not because I stood on them, because the shower curtain wasn’t tucked in properly and water got into the chips inside it). I don’t know what I weigh but I had to buy a couple of choice pieces of clothing at Asda to be able to leave the house decently… the weight has affected my ability to run, it isn’t possible to put so much on in such a short time and expect the running muscles to accept it with grace. I’m still doing the distances but they’re very slow and have walk breaks. However, I have grasped the tiger by the tail (as that awful Rick Springfield whined about) and am happily just over a week into eating sensible food without counting or weighing. And I can’t weigh myself!

IN THE NEWS: oh good god. The news. Effing hell. Is it worth it? Without caring if anyone calls me a pinko commie bastard (it wouldn’t be the first time, Trust me), my bug bear, money, is at the centre of the Covid waves and the ecological disaster that is this planet. Money was the worst damned invention EVER! I have felt this way for a looooooong time. I mean, there has to be a better way, no? Tit for tat without a tally, just people doing their bit. The trouble, of course, is the inherent need for Bigger, Better, Faster, More within the human psyche. le sigh

READING: I just finished (in British English) My Grandmother Sends Her Regards and Apologies (in US English) My Grandmother Told Me To Tell You That She’s Sorry (I much prefer the US title version) which I LOVED! I’m back onto the Comet series. I think it’s self published and the premise is great, the twists, continuity etc are great and the writing isn’t utterly shit so it has that going for it!! The writing also isn’t half way to Pulitzer Prize level either… there are glaring mistakes and too many paragraphs talking wistfully about back story instead of creating that out of dialogue and situations. But, it’s good enough that I own the first four books.

ACTIVITIES TODAY: ahhh, today. Wednesday. Yes, a mad day I must say. T goes into college twice because of a long lunch break today and Covid making friend making a little tricky. There isn’t quite enough time in the afternoon for me to do anything while she’s in college but this morning I curled up under a quilt and watched Bletchley circle in San Francisco. I was veeeeery tired after a veeeeeeeery late teen problems induced night and 5:45am running alarm. Anyway. T has her Camhs on Wed afternoon and L had football training almost straight afterwards. Wed is a simple dinner night, and why I’m in the bath.

THINKING ABOUT: starting to advertise my business properly. At the moment T is the focus but soon I should be able to waft off to people’s houses and decorate their nails. I learned something that should be screamingly obvious at the weekend. I use gel nail which doesn’t dry naturally, requiring a UV lamp to cure it. A client suggested we go in the garden to be Covid safe and my gel varnish congealed! Of course, outside is full of UV light!! Lesson learned 😍

PLANNING: getting out of the bath pronto. It’s nearly time for T to monopolise the bathroom in the way only a teenager truly can 🤣🤣 also, Spending the time that T is at college to get off my arse and Edit my book…