Saturday 31 October 2015

October 2015

It feels like a really long time since the beginning of October. Some months feel a bit like that, don't they?


A common theme this month has been me behaving like a procrastinatey 'flumpy guts'. EVEN NOW I am procrastinating something else while I write this.


Fortunately, for me, procrastination usually involves being incredibly productive in other areas. This time, I finally did another project I’d been meaning to get around to for ages… I had this really unflattering zippy hoodie so I added black panels to either side and now it looks amazing and is way more comfortable and cosy to wear. Pretty pleased with myself.


I asked Alex to take some pictures of me wearing it, but unfortunately Alex is incapable of taking a non-blurred photo, so this is the best you’ll get: unnecessarily jubilant.


For the first time in my adult life I feel like I’m actually mostly prepared for rain: I have a good long raincoat and good long boots. However my thighs remain vulnerable. I really need to make myself some kind of waterproof knee length skirt (or can anyone direct me to somewhere where I might buy such a thing?)


I made two batches of cookies for the Great British Bake-off finale. Both were terrible in their own special way (I really struggle with cookies for some reason), but fortunately I can rely on housemate Justin to eat even my worst baking.


YEAAAAAAAH! Sorry Nadiya. I’m not very good at drawing people, but you’re so great I wanted to try.


Dance classes have started again on Sunday afternoons. Woop woop woop woop!


First cold of the winter. Self portrait which doesn’t 100% look like me, but definitely captured the overall face vibe that day.


Was cheered in my malaise by a number of unexpected visitors. (And, as a non-tea drinker, a frankly inordinate amount of tea)


Didn’t get any better though. Ended up having to take some days off work. Had a bath, which is really not something I normally do (baths are too hot and then immediately too cold, plus wallowing in your own filth? Nope.)… I decided this once it might be a good thing, medicinally. I was wrong, it just made me feel worse. I did enjoy playing the same imaginary game I always did in the bath as a kid though: imagining that whatever parts of my body emerged from the water were shifting landmasses over the course of millions of years, slowly being submerged and re-emerging, drowning and creating new minute cities and towns and villages and countryside. Bathtime god if you will.


Being ill is BORING.


Felt a bit better by the weekend and managed to get over to Chris and Anna’s housewarming. Suitably warm. Amazingly huge garden.


Then basically spent another couple of days moping around being unable to eat much and napping lots.


Playing our final game of Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective (which comes highly recommended btw), so we all dressed up in period costume for the occasion.


(Wes not pictured as he was taking the shot. We're all saying 'sleuth', which is definitely not the most photo-flattering word.)


Justin’s gone back to India for a big chunk of time for more PhD research. Before he left, a bunch of us went for a lovely long walk around the outskirts of Shoreham. It was a bit rainy but infrastructure-tastic and we had a bonus Stompy-dog to look after so it was even better.


Stompy is just the best.


And now Justin’s gone for a while, leaving a Justin shaped absence in our lives.


Sorry guys. I love you all, but I hate halloween. Hence why I'm sitting here writing this rather than out being social. Don't take it personally. This is a pretty good outfit idea for next year though...

Now, without further ado, onwards to November!