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.

Work travel

My new job involves a bit of travel as my team members are spread across Queensland. So as well as a couple of trips to the state’s capital (to head office) I’ve been to the north and far north. In March I went to Cairns and Cape York. In Weipa we were welcomed to Queensland’s west coast and it was surreal to remember that we do indeed have one!

And just last week I had my first trip to the mining communities of Mt Isa and Cloncurry. Both trips have given me the chance to chat to people from parts of the state I’ve previously never visited.

I talked a while ago about being pleasantly reminded that I actually [do] enjoy learning new stuff but wonder if old stuff seeps out of our brains to make way for the new stuff.

life lately

Weipa sunset

Reading & watching

Travelling means I’ve done less reading and a more-intense work environment often means I don’t have the headspace I need to sit and write. Either reviews or navel-gazing insightful blog posts.

Instead I’ve been watching a lot of television. I resubscribed to Apple TV+ again recently to watch the latest season of Ted Lasso, so naturally had to watch Shrinking and am currently watching The Last Thing He Told Me. I feel like I’ve read the book but perhaps just one (or several) similar.

I’ve also been watching: The Night Agent, Manifest, Mr Malcolm’s List, Wednesday, Unstable, Alice in Borderland, Irreverent, Emily the Criminal and many more on Netflix. I also need to resubscribe to Prime/Amazon to watch the final season of The Marvellous Mrs Maisel, which is one of my fave shows.

Holidaying

Longer-term readers may recall I’d planned to go to the Theakston Crime Writers Festival in Harrogate last year but changed my mind given COVID concerns. I’d booked my tickets for the festival but got no further.

This year stars and planets aligned and I’m planning to attend. My festival tickets (including accommodation and author dinners) are booked along with some very expensive flights to the UK. Nothing else, but it’s a start. I arrive in England just in time for the festival so am thinking from there I’ll head south. I’m very ignorant about all-things-England so continuing to eye off places with names one sees in Agatha Christie novels or Escape to the Country. I’ve got about two weeks to make the trek back to London (where I’ll spent a day or two before flying home) so starting to scour maps!

Any suggestions for holiday destinations or accommodation welcome.
And TV viewing recommendations invited as well! 

16 Comments
  • Joanne
    April 27, 2023

    We enjoyed The Night Agent a lot. I hope you have a wonderful time at the festival!!

    • Debbish
      April 27, 2023

      I couldn’t believe the lead actor in The Night Agent was the same nerdy, pimply kid I’d seen in a heap of shows years ago!

  • Debbie
    April 27, 2023

    Great to hear you’re going to the festival Deb, hope you enjoy the time away exploring new areas. We’re off to the UK in two week’s time but mainly to visit family. Do you know i’ve not heard of most fo those shows you listed?? I must live a very sheltered life! Your job sounds interesting and glad to hear you’re enjoying it all with many new aspects. Good to read your updates!

    • Debbish
      April 27, 2023

      Ah Deb, you get out and do things rather than sit at home and watch TV! Although I do only watch TV at night….

      I’ll follow your UK trip to inspire me to book mine!

  • Min Write of the Middle
    April 27, 2023

    Hi Deb – I think it would be fun travelling to all corners of Queensland especially those never visited before. I love learning stuff more now I’m older but like you I do wonder if old stuff falls out to make room for new cos my head can’t hold too much these days! lol Fabulous you’re going to the writing festival in the UK! Sammie (The Annoyed Thyroid) might be able to give you some travel tips on where to go and stay and what to see and do etc? It’s nice to have something to look forward to isn’t it?!

    • Debbish
      April 27, 2023

      Hi Min it is nice to have something to look forward to. I kinda keep forgetting about it though and then suddenly remember I need to start booking things! I know I booked a lot of accommodation for my Italy holiday only weeks before going so don’t want to leave it until the last minute this time around.

  • Sue from Women Living Well After 50
    April 27, 2023

    HI Deb, you’ve certainly been busy lately. My daughter has recommended Ted Laso and Mrs Maisel. We have watched The Night Agent but wasn’t overly impressed. So exciting for you to be travelling OS soon. We are off to PNG next month and Europe in November – it is wonderful to be able to travel again. x

    • Debbish
      April 27, 2023

      Oh wow Sue. Both trips sound good. I don’t actually love travelling and I’m not a great tourist. I often think I’d prefer to spend the money on housey things for example. Paintings or rugs. But of course I think back to my holiday in Italy fondly, so reminding myself that it’ll be great.

  • KymPossible
    April 27, 2023

    That’s great you’ll be able to attend the festival this year! I haven’t been to England myself so no suggestions, but I adore the idea of visiting places from Agatha Christie’s novels (or other books)! Visiting from Wednesday Words & Pics

    • Debbish
      April 27, 2023

      Oh absolutely. Some of the places I want to visit: Chipping Norton and Stratford Upon Avon I’m sure I only want to visit cos of Agatha… though think her novels mentioned a ‘Chipping Cleghorn’ so maybe that was a fake place name!

  • Lydia C. Lee
    April 28, 2023

    oooh! I’m excited about this. Will send you some things to do. What are your dates (you can PM me on twitter if you prefer….) I didn’t realise it was a UK thing when I saw you mention it on twitter.

    • Debbish
      April 28, 2023

      The Crime Writing Festival starts with a party on the Thursday evening (20 July) and goes until Sunday afternoon. I arrive in the country on the Tuesday morning early so figure I’ll head straight there – or overnight nearby and stay til Sunday and then start travelling. I think I fly back on 3 August or so. Flights were soooo expensive that I tried to find cheaper days to travel, but still almost $4000 return – ridiculous!!!

  • Denyse Whelan Blogs
    April 28, 2023

    Oh I loved reading this…and I am so pleased you are enjoying parts of the job which take you to new (to you) places in your state. I have really enjoyed your updates about the places too. Far too often, city based peeps have NO idea of the vastness of the areas you have visited and some of the good things about those places as well as what is lacking. I became a Ted Lasso fan a bit late and had to pay for Apple TV to do so, but it is a clever and extremely creative show. Love too that you are doing the trip to the UK. Yay! Great to see your post in the link up for Wednesday’s Words and Pics. Thank you! Hope to see you next week too. Denyse.

    • Debbish
      April 28, 2023

      I’m lucky I grew up in regional Queensland so always had a bit more insight than city-dwellers did even when I lived in the city. My team is all about rural and regional Queensland so it was fortunate for me that my position was able to be (well, had to be) based in a regional location in Queensland. I’d travelled a bit in previous jobs and certainly with sport as a kid but am going to places now I haven’t been to before which has been great.

  • leannelc
    April 28, 2023

    I enjoyed the Night Agent and Mr Malcolm’s List – I’m not a huge Netflix fan, so it was good to find a couple of shows that ticked my boxes. Great to see you out and about in Qld and planning a big overseas trip. I still haven’t found anywhere that even remotely tempts me to get back on a plane again – but who knows what the future holds?

    • Debbish
      April 29, 2023

      I must confess I’m not ‘excited’ about my overseas trip but perhaps that’s because it doesn’t feel very real yet. Maybe when I do some more planning or start booking things…

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