Spring Note

• 🎶 1, 2, skip a few, 99, weeknote-100. I missed another didn't I.
• Chillis are planted. The last couple of years I've used the heat from the modem router to help them germinate, but this time I've upgraded to a heated propagator. I bought the smallest propagator I could just for the chillis and then bought a whole bunch of other exciting seeds – I'm going to need a bigger propagator 🌱✨ (or put the heating on, not in this economy!)
• I'm still enjoying sandwiches with a dollop of chilli jam made last year. We also have home grown, home made fermented aji paste left which is oh my God so bloody tasty.
• We visited Alnwick (pronounced Annick) which was delightful. There's a fabulous garden – I mean I imagine it's fabulous outside winter, because it's pretty good now – where we learnt a lot about water dynamics from their sculptures. I also learnt how to murder my enemies with a tour of their poison garden.
• I went for a beautiful run in Alnwick but made my injured knee much, much worse. Gutted I couldn't run more whilst there. I've not run much the last couple of weeks and not at all this week to rest up. Today I'll go for a short recovery run to build back up 💪
• At least I could still swim. I mean. Try to. After only 2 lessons I'm making great progress. This week I swam a length freestyle with confidence, without a little floaty board – the boards all have kids teeth marks in them which makes me snigger, they're for floating not for eating.
• Father and handy man Alan were a great help again, fixing up that step among other things.
• More decorating! Less sick of it and more excited as the image comes together. We've ordered a bed and a new carpet should be fitted in a couple of weeks.
• Oh my goodness everything is so expensive. Little cash flow issue over here. Looking forward to my bonus at the end of this month 🎉
• Work continues to be tricky at the moment. Having moved I can't commit to the new in the office 2 days a week or equivalent requirement so am uncertain about the future – among other uncertainties for the team. I've locked work away in a little 9-5 box for now where it's safe. A partial success...
• My sleep is suffering. For the last few months I've been sleeping so much better than I have in years. This week I've had a couple of terrible nights and have suffered migraines in the day. How did I ever live like that!? This week I'll be more conscious of my sleep hygiene to get back on track. It helps to have a good book to read before bed. Something that's engaging but doesn't need you to think too hard. So I've put down How the World Thinks: A Global History of Philosophy in favour of Crying in H Mart, which I picked up in a fantastic independent in Alnwick. I'm a few chapters in and already my heart has broken.
• I'm heading into the office in a couple of weeks and paid for a hotel to spend a couple of days there. I'm so looking forward to mingling with colleges IRL.