A quick start without much action

And just like that, we’re a month into the new year already and I feel like I haven't even made a start!

Read on for my monthly recap, where I take a look at the areas of my life that are important to me, that I’m working on or trying to improve.

Reading

I didn’t do a lot of reading in Jan. I’m not sure why. I haven’t been listening to as many audiobooks on the way to work, but even without that, it feels like I should have been able to finish more than ONE.

Finished

• David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. My hold came up so I dove back into this one and was able to get it finished. I quite enjoyed it. I don’t think Dickens (from the two I’ve read) is the type of writer where you rave about how amazing his works are. They are more solid, slow and steady type novels. But it kept me interested the whole way, and I didn’t have any spots where I got bored.

In progress

• Winter’s Heart by Robert Jordan. Still no progress . Do Hard Things by Steve Magness. Still on the hold list again.
• This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J Levitin. No progress, trying to get through ‘48 first, which is from the same Library app.
• Wizard and Glass by Stephen King. No progress, will allow myself another chapter when I finish The Fifth Season.
• A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain. Been pushing ahead on this one a bit. A little bit further through, hating this guy a little bit more.
• ‘48 by James Herbert. About two thirds through, and wondering if some of the things I remember from this book are actually going to happen, or if I have misremembered.
• The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin. Almost finished with this one. I’m enjoying it, but so far it hasn’t been as mind blowing as I was hoping.
• 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. Really enjoying it so far, still feeling weird about Murakami’s treatment of barely legal girls.

Health

Very slowly gaining weight again. I want to get this under control, but being honest with myself about what I need to change for that to happen is uncomfortable. I don’t want to stop snacking on delicious things in the evening.

I went to the five parkruns that happened over the break like I aimed for, so very happy with that. Missed one in Jan because I overslept and it was raining.

Muay Thai has been hit and miss. I could say because of S’s injuries, but I also haven’t pushed for it. I’ve been kind of itching to try some sparring again, weirdly.

I haven’t gone back to BJJ. I want to, but it means losing another evening, and I’m also paranoid about smelling like pee.

I went to the doctor in December because I suspected I have a pelvic organ prolapse. She confirmed this, and I’m now seeing a pelvic floor physio. I’ve had one session and I’m doing all the exercises, but I don’t really have high hopes. My main symptom is leaking when I do certain movements. In running and Muay Thai, it doesn’t really matter, wearing absorbent period panties stops anything from showing, and no one is close enough to the area to notice anything. That’s not the case with BJJ. It’s very close quarters and I don’t want to be the ‘pee guy’ that no one wants to roll with.

We now have heaps of weights at home, so I have zero excuse to not throw in some weights training at home. My pelvic floor physio also said it’s ok to lift light, just not big heavy squats or deads.

The ideal - 1 x Muay Thai, 1 x Parkrun, 1 x BJJ, 1 x Weights

Current - 1 x Parkrun, 1 x Muay Thai

Writing

Rejections continue to trickle through. I sent in a couple more entries as well.

I did some organising on the two longer works I have going. It’s all complied from short stories at this stage, but what I want to do is start connecting those stories and building up the actual meat and bones around them

For the short story group this year, I want to write two stories for each prompt. One for each of my two longer works. I’ll put forward the one that works better as its own thing, But I want to keep working towards one day having a novel.

My article on the Embroiderers’ Guild was published. I may have backed myself into a corner asking if anyone was happy to be interviewed. My article ended up not needing it, but now they are expecting me to interview them and have it published somewhere.

I’ve been seeing some cool writing opportunities pop up in my social media feeds lately. Some of them, I might even pursue.

Book of Stitches

As excited as I was about the new project, I’ve barely worked on it. I’m not sure why. It’s a difficult stitch, but it’s within my capability.

Have been playing with some other new ideas as well. Nothing concrete for a new project yet, but having fun playing.

I haven’t taken any action or made a decision on applying for the study grant.

Etsy seems to have had a bit of a bump. Not from anything I’ve done, just one of those things.

This month’s (and last months’s) stats are:

Views: 224 (167)

Visits: 130 (88)

Sales: 5 (2)

Finances

I got as far as photocopying our passports for the pension refund. Now to figure out the next step…

Back into a regular spending routine again after the move plus holidays. Will be much more conscious about what I’m spending money each week.

Goals

Goals for February.

• Do at least 1 weights workout
• Be further along in the pension refund process (don’t have to be finished, just at least one step closer than I currently am)
• Contact the education officer about the study grant
• Write 2 short stories for the February prompt

See you back here next month 🙂