Archives for October 2024

Not quite sure if it’s the usual dip in energy before a school break or if I caught the boy’s cold (he stayed home today because he feels too bad for uni).

So yesterday I was extremely productive, including working on the novel up until lunchtime or so and then that was it.

Lunch was penne with porcini tomato sauce:

I miscalculated the time after lunch and had to skip my shower, taught until seven, then did bodyweight training with the boy, ate dinner and found that I really needed to go to bed early. I read in bed while the boy took a shower and turned the lights out early.

Today I’m ready to crawl back into bed but of course I won’t. I will go over my list for today, though, and take everything off that’s not absolutely necessary.

I love Monday, new start, energy!

As I said, I went to bed too late yet again despite having to get up at six. Which I did, then wandered off reading but I also managed the whole morning routine. First time meditating in over a week.

There was a somewhat tense breakfast because of the misunderstanding the day before but we talked, so that was good, and I managed to set up the next brioche part of the MKAL.

I was slow (again) but did finally plan the week and the day and then wrote my daily blog post. After that my husband and I had yet another conversation. At least some things got cleared up but also I’d rather not need these kinds of conversations as often. But it is what it is.

I did the dishes and listened to the day’s „Year of Wonder“-piece. That I didn’t particularly like. I’m suspecting it was more about not liking the singer than anything else. I found myself nitpicking her technique, sound and intonation, always a bad sign.

Then I went out for a walk, sigh. I really need to get out and moving more often, it does me a world of good.

While I was out, my husband was cooking lunch:

There was more talking up to the point where we continued while doing the dishes together. Again, I fell much better when I can move and do things, not just talk.

I had a short break where I read and played some silly games and ate chocolate, and then the boy came back home, all upset about some uni stuff. I peppered him with suggestions what he might do about it which had him leave in a huff. (It later turned out that all his panic was probably for nothing. This will be a long semester, he is already in a panic. Understandably so.)

And then I took a very hurried shower before my first student.

Had a short break, remembered that I need a birthday present for my mother, didn’t really have a good idea and ordered flowers and a cake to be delivered. I hope that works out. Then I tried making sense of my web hosting plans and contracts. At least I have the bills all printed out and am closer to figuring out how much I pay and for what.

Then there was more teaching until seven, I started writing this post, ate dinner, watched some TV while knitting, did Duolingo and the opened the manuscript for a bit. I am now more than 10,000 words behind, not quite enough to throw the towel but I might have to adjust my plans.

Some time in the afternoon the new pair of jeans that I had ordered arrived. Unfortunately, it was both too tight and too long. No problem, I thought, I’ll just return this pair and order a bigger one. Alas, that was already the biggest size. Sad.

Today will be loads of teaching again, the health food store and more of the usual.

And now I’m in a hurry again.

Yesterday was a mostly wasted day, we spent hours cooking lunch and it didn’t quite turn out as envisioned but that’s okay, new recipes are like that.

Two glasses of wine with lunch did make me completely unable to get anything done for the rest of the day and then my husband and I had one of those misunderstandings that drain all my energy.

I had the chips, ice cream and beer that I had been looking forward to for most of the week in the evening and just when I thought I’d go to bed with a book and move everything else to today the boy showed up with a problem with his calculator, so I researched that and ordered a new battery against his protest and was wide awake again, so I had a second beer in bed while reading. 

I’ve been awake since before six and feel like the day should be over already but I still need to get everything done from yesterday.

I went to bed almost at a reasonable time. Didn’t get much done yesterday but I did open the manuscript for half an hour and don’t seem to be as stuck as I thought I was. Of course, I then paid for that indulgence by having to eat lunch while being told by my husband how inconsiderate I was for not telling him I would be behind a closed door for 45 minutes when I had only told him I’d do Duolingo. And I had set the table five minutes too late! The nerve!

Lunch was okay, a little more salt would have been better:

It took me an hour to calm back down after that, I hung up a load of laundry, did the lunch dishes and talked with the boy and squeezed my shower in and then was a couple minutes too late for my author check-in Zoom call.

Since my husband feels very lonely we decided to watch the first episode of Columbo together and when the boy said he didn’t really want to do that today I moved it to last night only to find that the boy was uncommunicado. So it was just my husband and I.

Today there is a huge meal planned for lunch so there goes most of my day. OTOH, husband already started the marinating, so that’s good, and he offered to do the dishes while I call my mother.

Other than that I’d like to write 10,000 words, catch up with the MKAL, plan the week, play some video games and go to bed at 10 after pigging out on junk food.

I guess that won’t quite work out as envisioned…

I woke up with a fever from the flu and covid shots and decided to take it easy. I mean, I had expected to be knocked out, so no harm done.

I threw the boy out of bed who didn’t feel much from his vaccination and he actually got to uni in time. My husband felt even worse than me up to the point where not only he had a fever but was pale and shivering as well. Good thing we both only had two students each.

I ounged around playing silly games most of the day and read most of a Phryne Fisher novel.

I did feel well enough to go out, my husband had some medication to pick up and since I felt bad I wanted sweets and potato chips. I came home with everything I had planned plus pork cutlets and dishwashing liquid.

My husband did feel well enough to cook, apparently, I had offered to get takeout instead but he thought spaghetti with cherry tomatoes and shrimp would be easy enough to make:

I did quite a bit of knitting, the annoying brioche stitch continued but I’m happy to say that I’m currently back at some soothing stockinette stitch.

I folded two loads of laundry and did the dishes just barely in time to teach my first student of the day. Which was fun. Then I spent the break until my next student finally trying the new game controller out and I’m happy to say that all that running and jumping in „Gris“ actually is easier to do with the right tool. And playing it with the laptop plugged into my big monitor makes it more fun as well, the graphics are gorgeous.

I also saw an ad for the next game from the same studio and that looks great as well but was sensible for a change and did not buy it. Even at 15% off. I bet it will be reduced again at some other point in the future. Maybe I should first finish at least one of the games I already own.

Then I taught my second student of the day. I hadn’t seen her in a bit and it was nice catching up and singing is always a pleasure.

After that I had dinner and hung up another load of laundry until it was time for yet another Zoom call. I sat down in the living room, this time, with my knitting, started listening to the speaker and realized I didn’t have any energy for listening left. So I excused myself (it was a call with a big group, so not problem) and plunked down in front of TV. I watched an episode of C-drama and some YouTube video, started nodding off, decided to move all my usual evening things to today and took myself to bed. Turned the lights out at 10.30.

I’m feeling much better today but will be taking it a little slower anyways. And yeah, weekend!