• England holiday planning – take two

    Sunday, June 25, 2023 Permalink

    Five weeks ago I wrote a post about the fact that my holiday to England was only eight weeks away and I was yet to book anything other than my airfares and the tickets to Theakston Crime Writing Festival – which provided the impetus for me to travel.

    Almost every weekend since I’ve commented on my need to organise myself – maps and TripAdvisor tabs open on my laptop. Two weeks ago a friend even held an intervention of sorts – well, Facetimed me to give me suggestions and (ahem) encourage me to book. Something. Anything. Supposedly my accommodation in York which is where I’m heading after the writing festival.

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  • The parent child conundrum

    Friday, May 26, 2023 Permalink

    My mother lives in a nearby town about half an hour away. I stay with her one or two nights each week as my office is there and it saves me a commute or two. She’s still in my childhood home (my parents moved there just after my older brother was born). So it always feels like home.

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  • Holiday planning

    Saturday, May 20, 2023 Permalink

    Apparently my planned trip to England is eight weeks away. I know this because the other day I opened the Qantas app on my phone to check upcoming work travel and saw a reminder. Eek. 

    I’ve mentioned before I’m not a fan of holiday planning. When I went to Italy in 2018 I only made most of my bookings one month before leaving. And in the lead-up I wrote about the fact I was prevaricating rather than procrastinating, worried about making the ‘right’ decisions. Though ultimately reminded myself that any decision was better than no decisions. And in reality, given I left it so late my accommodation options were more limited than they might otherwise have been. (Although everywhere I stayed was fabulous, so regret was not an issue!)

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  • Life lately – April 2023

    Wednesday, April 26, 2023 Permalink

    I have a blog post about ‘creativity’ that I apparently started writing in late January. I keep opening it, intending to finish and post it but alas… The creativity I thought I’d discuss in that post seems to fail me. So today – to FINALLY write something other than a book review – I thought I’d just write about… stuff. About life lately – as riveting as that may be.

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  • Book review: The Half Brother by Christine Keighery

    Friday, April 21, 2023 Permalink

    The Half Brother by Christine Keighery is a bit like a car crash. Not in the sense it’s bad. More in the sense that you can see what’s coming but are powerless to stop it. Keighery puts us in the heads of sisters Hannah and Stef – dissimilar but close when we first meet them – and their half-brother Alex… who we learn from the outset has quite a dastardly agenda which means Keighery is able to create a sense of menace that oscillates throughout the novel.

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    three-half-stars
  • A thirst for knowledge

    Tuesday, March 28, 2023 Permalink

    It might not surprise regular readers to know that I’m a curious person. I ask questions. Why? How?

    Although I know this about myself I’m conscious that in some ways I’ve been cruising a bit for a while. I’d become complacent. Disengaged. Uninterested. Content in my own little world of books, television and the like. I mean, I realise we’re always still learning and I’ve had various jobs and gigs over recent years that have required me to learn all sorts of important (and useless) stuff. A means to an end, if you like.

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  • I can change the battery. And tomorrow will come. When things are not okay

    Monday, February 20, 2023 Permalink

    Life has been a bit up and down lately. Long story and nothing much I can really talk about. Last week was a bit of a challenge with some work stuff but also my mum had (minor) surgery and I travelled away to take her and moved out of my comfort zone multiple times over just a few days. It’s something that’s happened over the last few weeks in fact.

    You know that feeling when you drop (and shatter) your work phone and think ‘NOTHING MORE CAN GO WRONG’ and as the youngsters say, ‘nek minute…’

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  • The Domino Effect

    Friday, January 27, 2023 Permalink

    In returning to a more challenging role in government late last year it felt like I was finally find my feet again. Regaining some momentum.

    I actually thought everything else – that frustrated me about the life I’d been living – would fall into place… akin to the domino effect. I’d be based in an office (with others) most of the time so would spend less time grazing on snacks all day. I’d be forced to move a little – walking from my car to the office at a minimum and even during a quick break at lunch. I thought eating healthier and moving more might then motivate me to start exercising again.