15 minutes tops to look back on the previous seven fourteen days, which I tend to do most weeks. Trying to get back to sharing these publicly (with some mindful edits/cut outs). Maybe something in here helps someone else. 🤷🏻♂️
Work
Nothing publicly about work at the moment. There’s a lot going on here.
Health
That was two weeks off the statins to see if they helped with the aches in my top half of my legs. That did not help. So it’s either the diabetes medication or there’s something actually not right with my legs. OK. (They'll hurt for sure in two-and-a-bit weeks after the marathon.)
This month I have nearly ran 99km in the month so far, not bad going. (100km is my usual low-enough target.)
Ran an organised race on Easter Sunday, the Brighouse 10k. Not so sure how much Brighouse it actually was — started at Elland, went out along the Calder & Hebble Navigation — “part-canal, part river” — to Brighouse, came back along the road to Elland. My first “racing” 10k for quite a while. Sometimes the being in a race gives me the mental push to dig in and dig on. It helped here. I bowed to the pressure of running alongside other people — targets to keep up with, targets to even get past. I bowed to the pressure of trying to get through the 10k in less than an hour. There’s a point from about 5.2km to about 8.2km where it felt like it was just uphill, and aggressively at three points. Those pushes helped. The run was timed at 50 minutes and 30 seconds, which Strava says is my third fastest 10k. Totally unplanned. And makes me faffing with my base layer for a couple of monutes halfway through the race seem a little regrettable now. I could have accidentally ran my fastest 10k on Sunday. FACE PALM.
Been a nice steady couple of weeks though, even if most of the runs have been out to Bingley and back.
Weight has been poking between 87kg and 88kg, which is signs of progressively dropping. Nice nice.
Home and house
Started digging up the front yard to put a flat deck in, just big enough to put a bench on. The windows on our mid terrace face the west and east side, so our yards do too. Hopefully a bench pout front gives people the chance to sit out and enjoy the sun in the afternoon. The other half of the front yard is going to be for fruit and veg. Probably need to lower the hedge height a bit more though. Rain ointment Easter Monday hit any plans to cut wood and screw it all together.
Kristin got in touch with some window people. Because we live in a grade 2 listed area/Unesco World Heritage site (whichever matters most… grade 2 because that’s a government thing?) we need certain windows, which means £££. It’s going to cost a fortune to get them all replaced so we’re prioritising. Lounge first. Hopefully it’ll be in in early July, just before we get married. How sweet. (Can already sense this will end up happening the day we get married.) We’re paying for them do all the local government paperwork stuff because… that seems to be the way government is leaning back into: Pay professionals to understand the jargon. (See also: UK taxes.)
Painted a number by the front door. Was fun looking through typefaces for a bit to find a 1 that we liked the look of. It's been a while since I've done that. A large part of me missing designing. The number needs touching up a little so the lines are sharper (would sturdier card made a difference?) but it’s getting there.
Stripping the inside doorframes is an itch that I am increasingly wanting to scratch. That’s a time sink right there.
Culture and that
Finally finished reading How the Post Office Created America. Kristin had a nap over the Easter weekend so I grabbed the chance to grab the Kindle. Noticed how Kindle has recently leaned into the fad for badges. I read the book over six months. Did I get a badge for that? No. Did I have an enormous sense of wellbeing from reading the book? Yes sir. A fine book anyway. Not sure what’s next. Something shorter so I feel I am picking the reading pace up?
New season of Doctor Who started. Watching it out of dedication and it’s light enough fun. The meta moment in episode 2 has me all sorts of wtf.
Tied up the most recent season of Daredevil, watching the last three episodes over Easter weekend. So so good. (And maybe a little close to modern politics in the USA?)
Started The White Lotus, right at the start with season 1. Dipped into The Righteous Gemstones. (Also maybe too close to modern politics in the USA?) Need to pick up The Studio again. The first episode was fun enough.
Missed out on …Earnest? at the theatre last Wednesday because the trains from London to Leeds were fucked. Annoyed, still. It looked FUN.
Miscellany
I’ve spent the last two weeks with a sort of sense of regret, the kids being off school. It’s the boy’s last Easter holiday at school. He’s at the age he wants to do his own thing, sure, but it was his last Easter holiday before whatever he does next. It’s been a while since I had a good week off. Got that freelancer’s guilt though: Being off for three months last summer wasn’t part of the plan, dipped into my savings more than I planned and taking time out now feels like turning down money. There was a point in 2019 when I got the balance good and right. And then in 2020 everything changed. Would've been nice to have a week off, do stuff with the kids. Anyway, enjoy your time with your kids. You don’t get a second chance at life.
How can Town still lurking in the fourth division playoffs having taken only two draws — and two points — from the last three games? It’s a proper any team can beat any team division. Aside: I like Artell’s regular references to “the journey” the club is on, how the team are still in that position despite “the bottom four budget” and being short of players in key positions for large chunks of the season. There’s a lot as a leader and a coach I like about Artell. Also, his regular reminders What Is Success? while being clear balancing the development — of player, of culture — with some sort of short term returns. We were still terrible against Swindon on Easter Friday though.
Looking ahead
Need to get the other house up for sale, at last.
Finish up the company accounts. (The joys of mainly working inside IR35 these days, the paperwork for an empty vessel…)
Get the front yard deck base in and made. (Stretch: Get the slats on top so it’s finished.)
The back yard needs a bloody good scrub.
Sort out what we’re doing after the wedding, ie. book somewhere. Yes yes yes.