Back in Newcastle again after a weekend in Lancashire for yesterday’s family gathering. We left the pub where we were staying fairly early this morning, so Mum and Dad were able to drop us off at home soon after one, and I’ve been able to spend the afternoon reading on the sofa, which has been the best.
A quick bit of writing to do tonight, but otherwise more of the same before an early night in preparation for work tomorrow.
OOTD: comfy travelling outfit. Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), jacket unknown brand (estimated vintage 1990s, bought at vintage shop 2003), Duran Duran t-shirt Amplified (2018), jeans Levi (2018), boots Primark (2017).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Post Malone and Swae Lee – Sunflower Flo Rida and T-Pain – Low Duran Duran – Lonely In Your Nightmare Transvision Vamp – I Want Your Love Elton John – Nikita Blancmange – Don’t Tell Me
I picked this book off Mum and Dad’s shelves while visiting as it looked really interesting. It focuses on the reflections and fears of women around my age (well, a little younger, I suppose – now that I’m thirty-four I’m very definitely ‘mid-thirties’!), but as it was written and released around 1980, it’s really about Mum’s generation. This made it even more interesting to me, as I’m fascinated by 20th century social history.
The author, Mary Ingham, based the book on interviews with women who had been in her year at school, all of whom had gone on to live very different kinds of adult lives – a stark contrast to their mothers’ generation, where almost all women ended up living a similar existence as housewives and mothers. In childhood, Ingham and her schoolfriends had expected that they would live similarly to their mothers, but as the world changed beyond imagination in the ’60s and ’70s, many of them found themselves working, studying, flatsharing, travelling, and only realising as they approached thirty still unmarried and childless that their lives had not gone quite as they planned. Others did live more traditional women’s lives, and the contrast in mindsets is very interesting.
For me, the best thing about the book is the very vivid picture it paints of the rapid societal change in the mid-20th century and the way it so drastically altered women’s options that many of them felt adrift. It’s also very interesting that, although we now see thirty as still relatively young, in 1980 the mindset seemed to be that if you’d focused on your career or studies during your twenties, it was probably too late to have a husband and family (this is very definitely prior to the ‘women should have it all!’ pressure that arose in later decades). Of course, this kind of thinking is strange in hindsight – my own mum spent her twenties working abroad and didn’t meet my dad until she was in her thirties – but the book demonstrates that at the time, it really was considered a decision that you had to make very early in adult life.
Mum said I could keep the book, so I expect I’ll reread it at some point!
Just a quick post tonight as I’ve only just got back from my cousin Jen’s 30th birthday family celebration, which was a textbook Cooke gathering. The Cookes are numerous and we eat a lot of cake. I was being good so I restricted myself to one slice, but I could have easily sampled all of the different types of cake on offer – they looked amazing. There was plenty of on-plan quiche and salad too, so lots of eating to be done! Thanks to Fiona and Bill for putting it all on.
It was so lovely to see most of the extended family, as we don’t get to meet up with each other an awful lot these days.
I also managed to get my weekend long run in this morning! This means I don’t have to do it tomorrow afternoon, which is great. It also meant I was able to test out eating prior to running, as I went out after breakfast.
I’ve also been able to sample a few good booze alternatives this weekend – R White’s Lemonade, Nosecco, and Britvic Ginger Beer – so I’ll be tracking them all down again in order to do proper reviews.
OOTD: party outfit! Jacket unknown brand (estimated vintage 1990s, bought at vintage shop 2003), skirt Reiss (2018), shoes Just Cavalli (2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Thompson Twins – You Take Me Up Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life Duran Duran – Come Undone Charli XCX and Troye Sivan – 1999 Avicii – Hey Brother
I did my first sober restaurant visit on Sunday night. San Lorenzo in Newcastle was a new find for me and Geth (as I’ve mentioned a coupleof times this week), and I picked it because they had an online menu so I could see what the non-alcoholic options were. They had loads – Becks Blue and San Pellegrino and Fentimans – and if it were a pub I could honestly have been there all day trying all the different options, which is a very good sign. I decided on a Fentimans Ginger Beer, and as it turned out, I only needed the one.
Fentimans Ginger Beer.
Fentimans Ginger Beer is extremely tasty. The ginger in it is very spicy, so I actually found myself choking on it a few times, but to be honest that’s probably for the best – I’d drink it a lot quicker otherwise, and this stuff is not as syn-free as Diet Coke!
I also found it didn’t set off my booze compulsions like the San Miguel 0.0 I’d tried a couple of nights previously – as I said, I only had the one, and didn’t feel the pull to have another – so this stuff’s probably safer for me to drink than non-alcoholic beer. It tastes nicer anyway!
Geth is really getting into the Slimming World plan – spending a lot of time working out his syns and Healthy Extras and everything – and so I find I’m thinking about the plan at mealtimes much more than usual. It’s sort of second nature to me now, but it’s always worth reflecting on just in case you’ve picked up any bad habits!
I got my work done in the morning today, as we were spending the afternoon and evening with Mum and Dad prior to my cousin Jen’s birthday party tomorrow. Quite a relaxed day otherwise!
OOTD: it’s really cold in the room we’re in, hence the coat! Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), coat Burberry (vintage 1980s, bought on Etsy 2018), jacket unknown brand (estimated vintage 1990s, bought at vintage shop 2003), t-shirt Punk Masters (2018), jeans Vivid (2018), boots Primark (2017).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Adam Ant – Puss In Boots 5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood Duran Duran – Night Boat A-ha – I’ve Been Losing You Ariana Grande – Thank You Next Duran Duran – Girls On Film Bananarama – Love In The First Degree Mark Ronson and Miley Cyrus – Nothing Breaks Like A Heart
It’s been an interesting Thursday! I got up early and went for another run. Thursday runs on my marathon programme get longer every week, but I’ve got into a good pattern of doing them first thing in the morning, so I’ll be getting up at the crack of dawn once I get into the really intense part of training in a couple of months’ time. Hopefully the daylight will be more on my side by then!
Afterwards, Geth came with me to Slimming World this morning so that he could join the group. We’ve been working out what would be best for him to eat on the plan, and it sort of feels like starting again for me because I’ve spent two years falling into particular habits in terms of what I eat. We’re having jacket tatties tonight, which I honestly don’t think I’ve had since long before I started Slimming World.
I had a quiet afternoon, which is becoming another Thursday habit, followed by Pilates class. I’d have preferred not to have to go out so much today – it snowed heavily this morning and then froze, so it’s really icy out there – but Pilates is really helping with the overworked muscles at the moment.
OOTD: my favourite jumper is becoming a Thursday habit too. It’s so cosy for when I’m out and about! Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), jumper Carlo Colucci (vintage 1980s, bought at vintage fair 2017).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Thompson Twins – Hold Me Now Duran Duran – Union Of The Snake Eddie Murphy – Party All The Time Rick Astley – Together Forever Cass Elliot – Make Your Own Kind Of Music Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf Dusty Springfield – I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself Katy B and Ms Dynamite – Lights On Cardi B, Bad Bunny and J Balvin – I Like It Zara Larsson – Ruin My Life
I’m moving onto a series of pictures of phone boxes that Dad has sent me in the course of his and Mum’s travels. This first one is from Dundrennan in Dumfries and Galloway.
Red phone box, Abbey Park, Dundrennan, 24th June 2016.
This phone box goes beautifully with the pretty church behind it. Rural boxes in the middle of nowhere, like this one, tend to be less at risk from councils attempting to ‘modernise’ things, so you still see lots of them about.
Today was really productive. I got in a full day of writing and editing, which was great. I’m working on about five different writing projects at the moment, which is a lot to keep track of in my head, but it’s making things really interesting.
In the evening, I went to my first ukulele class at the Sage Gateshead. I’ve found over the last few years that going to classes and groups is the best way to keep myself focused on something, and I was pleased that there was a new ‘absolute beginners’ course starting so soon after I got my ukulele. Half the people in the class had also got ukuleles for Christmas – apparently that’s very common among people coming to the spring term courses! We’ve learnt two basic songs already, so it seems as though the course will zip along really quickly.
It’s my usual busy Thursday tomorrow, but I’m looking forward to a bit of breathing space in the afternoon.
OOTD: a comfy jumper for a writing day! Glasses Emporio Armani (2017), jumper Jac (vintage 1980s, bought at vintage fair 2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Travis – The Last Laugh Of The Laughter Jools Holland – Enjoy Yourself Bros – When Will I Be Famous? Spandau Ballet – True Bros – I Owe You Nothing Marshmello and Bastille – Happier Wham! – Club Tropicana Bruno Mars – Just The Way You Are Duran Duran – Hungry Like The Wolf Duran Duran – Winter Marches On
And a bonus track that Geth was humming earlier:
Patrice Rushen – Forget Me Nots (although it was the ‘black bin bags’ version from Phoenix Nights)
As I’ve mentioned before, Geth and I went to a new (to us) Italian restaurant, San Lorenzo, on Sunday night. New Italian restaurant equals new pizza to try! There were various veggie options on the menu, but I went for a Margherita con Bufala.
San Lorenzo Margherita con Bufala.
They also had a regular Margherita on the menu, but this one was advertised as having buffalo mozzarella in addition, so obviously I went for it. I love buffalo mozzarella. Unfortunately, the chef was a bit stingy with said buffalo mozzarella (this was a bit of a theme, as the caprese salad I had for a starter had barely any mozzarella on it as well) and so you couldn’t really taste any difference in the cheese, which was a bit disappointing.
The tomato pizza sauce was absolutely delicious, though!
Overall an okay restaurant pizza, but I think I’ll be trying a pasta dish next time I go there.
I went for another run this morning – finally starting to speed up after the winter slump. My muscles have stopped protesting now as well, which is great – I think my legs have accepted the fact they’re back running again.
The rest of the day has been a mixture of work for clients and getting on with my own writing. Looking forward to another relaxed evening!
OOTD: the girl in black. Top LK Bennett (2018), skirt unknown brand (2005), shoes Vivienne Westwood Anglomania for Melissa (2018).
Today’s earworm playlist:
Men Without Hats – Safety Dance Bros – I Owe You Nothing Florida-Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha – Meant To Be Duran Duran – Late Bar Bros – When Will I Be Famous? Marshmello and Bastille – Happier Howard Jones – Life In One Day A-ha – I’ve Been Losing You
