Wednesday 1 October 2014

Septemburary

The general impression you may get from this month's visual diary is that I'm miserable. At least that's how I feel like it looks. Allow me to reassure you that I'm mostly fine, and am facing October with optimism. It's been a tiring month in a vague, non-specific, just, everything-all-at-once-but-nothing-in-particular kind of way. Plus it's starting to get dark, and with every year that passes, this seems to make me more miserable. I really need to get back into loving autumn again.

Anyway, without further ado...


Basically this involves us buying a rowing machine, a couple of projectors and a dedicated computer to play appropriate visual scenes. (I'd particularly like this) We then set up the rowing machine in our decidedly compact and warm cupboard-under-the-stairs (which Justin didn’t realise we had until we started talking about putting a rowing machine under there, despite it currently containing such crucial things as THE HOOVER and TOILET ROLL)
Then you just row away and watch the (virtual) world go by. 


This is what it’s like at work when things go well (this scene actually happened).
Not my style, but fancied doing something a bit ‘adventure time’… Despite having never watched it, it's now synonymous with awesome fistbumps in my mind.


Me and Alex went to play on the ‘laser light synths’ on the front of the unitarian church. Basically just hitting glowing buttons which, no matter how terrible your musicianship, sound great and flash big shiny lights up the building. SUCH FUN. Basically left convinced me and Alex should be a musical duo performing on stages worldwide. (The illustration here is what the buttons you were hitting looked like close-up)


When one of the directors comes in to the office, he usually brings his lovely rescue lurcher, Rosie. She's not a big fan of offices, but she's very patient.


Sometimes I worry I’m not very good at this*

(*Graphic design, illustration, functioning as a responsible adult, coping with life’s trials and tribulations)


I really can’t. I signed an NDA.


First cold of the year and IT'S NOT EVEN OCTOBER


I get cross with people about a lot of things when it comes to maintaining a tidy, clean, organised house, but my one hypocrisy is that when I have a cold I just leave tissues everywhere. Alex hates it and shouts ‘GROSS’ whenever he comes across one.


(Slight melodramatic exaggeration alert)
Had THE WORST night where it got to 3.30am and I STILL couldn’t sleep, despite having been lying in bed since about 10. Every time I’d just start to drop off, a tickle in my throat would catch, leaving me coughing a really horrible, dry, retchy cough. Alex, being a night owl, was still up at this time, and when I forlornly came through into his room, sleepy and upset and miserable, he went downstairs and made me a hot lemon and honey and bought it up to me, and, much to my surprise, IT WORKED and my throat was cured! (At least long enough for me to finally drop off). My cynicism about hot lemon and honey is officially gone.


Pardon my French. To be honest though I reckon I could get pretty far in politics in Brighton if I pinned this up around town as my campaign poster.


Turns out the answer was nay. Oh well Scotland. A pity, I think.
We had (veggie) haggis on referendum night to get in the Scottish mood. (Also deep fried vegan mars bars, neeps and tatties and cranachan)


Some days. SOME DAYS. *hands clench very tightly*


I have a problem. Can we have some kind of party sometime when we all wear our too-risque charity shop purchases? Or maybe I just need to go out on West Street on a Saturday night.


A not very good self-portrait that nonetheless accurately conveys my state of mind that day.


Answers: “yes, a bit” and “yes, but not enough to do anything about it”
Upsettingly, I’m now officially overweight on that BMI chart malarkey (only just on the line), which seems ridiculous to me, because, despite being unhappy about my pudgy tummy, to look at me, you honestly wouldn’t think of me as ‘overweight’… WOULD YOU? (Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer that). I’m just really struggling to make any changes to my lifestyle because I hate all exercise (although remain convinced that one day I’ll find ‘my sport’ and all will be well) and LOVE FOOD. (I am still full-vegan though, and it’s proving surprisingly effortless)
I’m just trying to be just a teensy bit healthier and a teensy bit more active within my daily routine and hopefully that will be enough to, if not lose some weight, at least keep to my current weight.
And I know. I shouldn’t care. But I really do. My self-image is important to me, and since 2009 I’ve put on TWO STONE which is kind of unbelievable. (I was quite ill with IBS back then though, so the weight sort of fell off without even trying, but EVEN SO.)


Just when you think you've tried all the things on the Wagamama menu that you'd like, along comes the Yasai Yaki Soba to prove you wrong.


HERE COME THE WINTER SADS.
Let's stay strong together with cosy nights in and bracing walks along the coast and big bowls of hot winter stew.

Come on October. Let's do this.