A relaxed Wednesday

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A nice day today!  Mum and Dad popped in on their way back home to Edinburgh after getting off the ferry.  Dad was feeling poorly due to some dodgy ferry buffet food, so they stayed for a few hours until he was feeling well enough to drive home, and we had a really good catchup (and Dad mended my broken dressing room stool.  Thanks, Dad!).

In the afternoon I did some work for a new client – international relations this time! – and Geth and I listened to all the bands that are playing an upcoming music festival that we’re going to.

SP day today, so I made a nice omelette for tea.  Hoping to get a few pounds off at weigh-in tomorrow, as I’ve got a big weekend coming up.

OOTD 22nd August 2018
OOTD: still enjoying being back in my jeans! Vest top B&C for Faderhead (2016), jeans Levi (2018), shoes Primark (2017).

Useful/useless knowledge

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One of those days working for lots of different clients, and hence reading lots of different interesting things.  I now know a bit more about astrobiology and financial trading than I did this morning.

Hardly any of the papers I edit for my clients (who are almost all academics) are on topics that I would ever have thought to look into for myself.  Nevertheless, I almost always find them interesting, and have added significantly to my stock of useless knowledge through my editing work.

I just need to find a pub quiz that regularly has rounds on sociological theory and statistical equations, so I can put it to good use!

OOTD 21st August 2018
OOTD: developing something of a uniform. T-shirt Tracker for Pride and Fall (2006), jeans H&M (thrifted from Steff 2016), shoes Vivienne Westwood Anglomania for Melissa (2018).

Background sound

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One of the nice things about working from home is that I can have whatever I like on in the background as long as it’s not distracting.  Usually, that’s music TV, but when Geth’s on holiday it tends to be whatever he happens to be using the TV for.  For the last couple of weeks, it’s been Final Fantasy XIII-2, but today it was the European Championships marathon on iPlayer.  Nice and relaxing to have on while I was working.

The next couple of weeks are going to be a bit hectic, so I’ve spent the evening planning my work out to make sure everything will get done.  A bit more writing tonight too – I won’t have the chance for the next wee while, sadly!

OOTD 20th August 2018
OOTD: working from home again. T-shirt Cyberdog (2008), jeans Miss Selfridge (2018), shoes Carvela (2018).

Another running and writing day

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I had a good long run this morning – 13k round Newcastle – but between that and yesterday’s parkrun, my legs are a bit tired now, so it’ll be good to have a rest day tomorrow.

I spent the rest of the day writing.  I have several projects that I’m very excited about at the moment and I’m really looking forward to getting into the meat of them.  I’m also already looking forward to this year’s NaNoWriMo – another reason I love autumn.

Back to work tomorrow – I’m working for a couple of new clients this week, so it should be interesting.

OOTD 19th August 2018
OOTD: it’s cool enough for cosy autumn outfits now! T-shirt Cyberdog (early 2000s, thrifted from Geth), belt H&M (2017), leggings Primark (2018), boots Carefree (2017).

What is this ‘quiet weekend’ you speak of?

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*blinks*  What’s this?  A couple of days where I don’t have to work, and my only appointment is parkrun?  It’s been a while since I’ve had this experience.

I really enjoyed parkrun this morning.  I wasn’t quite as fast as I have been recently, but I still got a respectable 31:30, my third best ever time.  It was nice to catch up with a few people we hadn’t seen in a while, too.

After we got back, showered and breakfasted, Geth fell back into Final Fantasy XIII-2 while I got some novel writing done.  Another thing that’s not happened since…actually, I can’t remember.

I do have another run to do tomorrow – and I should probably get some house stuff done, which is another project that’s looming ominously – but I’m hoping to have some writing time again as well.  The inspiration is strong at the moment, and I need to make the most of it.

OOTD 18th August 2018
OOTD: my fifth day in jeans in the space of a week! I’m really appreciating this cooler weather. T-shirt SF City Wear (2011), jeans Zara (2018), trainers Reebok (2018).

An unexpectedly quiet Friday

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I was meant to go for a long run this morning and then come home and get on with some work to the sounds of Geth playing Final Fantasy XIII-2.  Unfortunately, the first thing we discovered this morning was that we’d accidentally left all my essential running stuff in a drawer in Edinburgh at the weekend, so Geth had to get an emergency train up to Mum and Dad’s today and collect it.

As such, there was no run for me, and Geth did not have the quiet videogaming day he was planning.  I will be cramming all my running into the weekend instead.

We’re now watching Disenchantment, the new Matt Groening cartoon on Netflix.  I’m quite enjoying it!

OOTD 17th August 2018
OOTD: quiet workday outfit. T-shirt Gildan for Stranger Things (2017), jeans Vivid (2018), shoes BHS (2016).

Woman of the year!

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I didn’t feel like woman of the split second today (I was a bit delicate after a few drinks last night), let alone woman of the year, but that’s the award I got from my Slimming World group this morning!

Lilies and roses
I got these lovely flowers to celebrate.

I sort of feel like I didn’t earn it, because we didn’t vote on it like we usually do.  The reason is that I’m the only person in my group who qualifies for the regional competition, because I’ve lost more than four stone.  I have to fill in a questionnaire for my consultant to send in along with before and after photos, which is a bit nervewracking!

After group and a bit of email admin, I had a nice afternoon off.  Back to work tomorrow!

OOTD 16th August 2018
OOTD: posing with my Slimming World award goodies! Blouse H&M (2018), vest top Primark (2016), leggings Primark (2018), boots Primark (2017). Photo by Emma Butler at my Slimming World group.

Phone Box Thursday: Upper Street, London

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We move on today to a series of Islington phone boxes from November 2016.

Red phone box
Red phone box, Upper Street, London, 12th November 2016.

(Coordinates 51°53’40.8″N, 0°10’52.3″W.)

Geth and I have been going to London in November for a few years in a row, due to the Beat:Cancer charity gig taking place at Slimelight.  Unfortunately, we’ll be giving it a miss this year, as we already have too many gigs going on in the autumn.  As such, I will have to wait until the London Marathon in April before I can start collecting pictures of London phone boxes again!

In the meantime, I have a lot of them to show you.  Stay tuned for the next few weeks for more Islington examples.

Update 5th February 2026: added coordinate link.

A Wednesday out

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I’m not usually out and about on Wednesdays, but seeing as Keith and Helen were in Newcastle today, it was nice for me and Geth to be able to show them around town.

After they visited the house (and gave us some good advice about uprooting some of the garden trees we have inadvertently inherited), we went into town and had a good walk around the Quayside.  Afterwards, we went to Uno’s Trattoria for a nice meal.

Back home now, and looking forward to a quiet weekend!

OOTD 15th August 2018
OOTD: shirt Topshop (2003), jeans Levi (2018).

Drawing in

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I mentioned the other day that I was looking forward to the weather cooling down in preparation for autumn.  Well, it looks like I got my wish, because I’m back in full-length jeans and boots for the first time since the spring.  It’s still a bit stuffy upstairs in our house though.

The nights are getting a little darker too, although I’ve not really noticed due to the fact that I’ve been finding myself putting the lamps on at around seven o’clock all summer long, because it’s felt bizarrely comforting.  I don’t know what that’s about.

Also, they’ve started announcing the Strictly contestants, which definitely means autumn is on the way!  So far, I’ll be voting for Danny John-Jules (due to my massive love for Red Dwarf), but I’m looking forward to finding out the rest of the lineup.

Today was a nice normal work day, with a bit of cleaning and tidying involved because Geth’s dad and stepmum, Keith and Helen, are visiting us tomorrow.  Looking forward to a good day spent with them!

OOTD 14th August 2018
OOTD: that is my ‘telling Geth to focus the camera better by looking at the print on the boardgames’ face. I clearly need to work on that one. T-shirt Space Tribe (2006), jeans H&M (thrifted from Steff 2016), boots Carefree (2017).