GoodGym

I don't run, and I don't live in London, Bristol or Liverpool - but this sounds like such a brilliant idea!!!! One off missions to run and help someone like changing their lightbulb, or running to visit someone a set distance away who would welcome a social call - they get called your coach cos they are the ones motivating you to run, and sharing their wisdom with you. Hats off to the dreamers of this scheme :)
If it's not in your area and you want to set one up, there's an option to do that. Apparently you need to be energetic, a keen runner, and want to help people - I only fit one of the criteria so this scheme is not for me. But I think it's such a corking idea I'm going to see how I can promote it...

http://www.goodgym.org/how_it_works

monumental

I've been trying to do less skimming of radio channels, and give each a chance now, whether it's playing classical music or something of a more recent bent. Occasionally I linger on the talky bits but my journey to work/between clinics etc isn't long, so I don't feel I have time to join their station's community and don't like getting just a bit of the topic and then having to stop. I did catch the other day that there is a national problem with loneliness. I can relate to that. Who knew how much I'd have missed the dog these last two days - I hadn't realised the part he plays in keeping some of the loneliness at bay. The cat just wasn't the same somehow, which is odd as my entire childhood involved sleeping with a cat on my bed.
I do know that in the end, the real answer isn't trying to keep the loneliness at a distance, filling my time and space with people and events - I know lots of us use TV and alcohol and all kinds of things to numb the doubts rather than face the feelings. What does help time and time again - and I'm so grateful to be part of circles of people who do this for me as I also do it for them - is to have people listen well to my doubts and then offer the contradictions: I am not alone, I am doing well, I have not monumentally mucked up, etc etc. Problematically, such people are really only available by day, and I've noticed that for many of us the loneliness, the doubts, surface at night when we are of course most alone. Tonight the dog is back - maybe I shall tie a contradictory message to his collar? Or I could write a message on my bedroom ceiling... I guess the only limit is my imagination.

shrugging off the bullies 28 years later

Wishing I'd booked more annual leave - will have to make sure I take lots at Christmas.

I was doing my usual radio flick the other day and stayed to listen to the whole of the Prokofiev piece playing. This is unusual - as soon as I hit Classic fm I go straight on. But I love Romeo and Juliet - even tho it's now hard to shift images from The Apprentice when I listen to it.
Until 1985, my favourite type of music was Classical music. Then one day I discovered someone had written on my school pencil case "I love Mozart" and it hurt. No-one likes getting picked on, and sadly I wasn't at the time strong enough to be proud of all my uncool tastes - I was already perceived as uncool as I was smart and loved learning.
Last week I explored in my head that one of the reasons I never linger at Classic fm is the fear that if I crashed listening to it, any passers by or ambulance folk would judge me for being uncool.
I am trying to be less concerned about how others judge me. And I'd like to think ambulance drivers follow some kind of code of conduct that they treat people well, irrespective of their musical preferences. So the question is, am I more confident now than I was at 12? I guess as I listened to the entire piece last week rather than dash on to the next channel, then maybe I am. Perhaps now is the time to look again at what it was I enjoyed about Classical music and see if the passion's still there - it might not be. But I know sometimes I couldn't get to sleep, I'd been so inspired by what I'd heard. We'll see :)

relaxing

It feels a bit like Christmas. Board games with my son, endless films on the TV, and copious amounts of chocolate. Shame I'm heading home today as I have work the next three days. I do so like it here tho, so will have to arrange another visit soon. I don't know yet what's happening over Christmas but will ensure it includes some relaxation here.

r and r

I'm looking forwards to time in Dufton, (just have Sunday School to lead first). Unfortunately as the dog hurt his paw last week and is not supposed to be getting it dirty, the cowpat strewn roads may be off limits. So apart from a day out to a cheese place (cracking Wensleydale Gromit) I fully intend to mainly hang out in front of the roaring fire, catching up with my parents. My clever son has even found my knitting bag, just in the nick of time. It's hopefully all coming together at last :-)

This too shall pass

My parenting shift yesterday was far too long. I did have a couple of hours sleep but didn't get to clock off properly til 6am. I'd have a word with my union, only parents don't have unions. Tho there is the mother's union - perhaps I should try them. I really had no idea it was going to be this hard. I can't have read the job description properly.
As a result I'm an odd mixture of soppy and grumpy. Can't promise what you'll get if you encounter me... which will either be under a duvet in the lounge, or later we're hoping to go eat pizza. and I shall treat myself to my fave warm cookie dough.

Friday feeling

Whilst flicking through the radio channels, I often hear comments about how near it is getting to the weekend. This saddens me, that we would be fixated on wishing time away and just "living for the weekend". That we dislike our jobs and colleagues so much that we can't wait to have an escape before then having to come back and do it all again on Monday. I realise that I'm lucky to love my job, but I do wonder, if people really don't like what they do Monday to Friday, if there's not other passions to be explored, or other ways of viewing all that they do Monday to Friday. Of course it's fab that we look forward to special time with our loved ones, and time away from work means we can do fun stuff that we can't do in work. But life is too short to discount 5/7ths of it.
My jobs are such that I often work for bits of the weekend anyway, though I'm determined to try and take a few days off and have a proper break with the kids. And despite all I've said above, I love Fridays so get excited about them coming. I'm not so keen on saturdays, so it's not a weekend countdown, it's just that Fridays often have lots of cake, singing and community. This morning's meeting with my colleagues includes extra guests so hopefully extra cake, and I love getting together with them as otherwise that particular job could be quite isolating.
Whatever your Friday holds I hope you can feel some excitement - and if that's mainly about your working day coming to an end, I encourage you to think about what else in work/other work might make your days more exciting in and of themselves...
Big Friday love :D