The list of candidates has been published for my area’s elections. The reform candidate lives on our estate and worse, all other parties are represented many times, he’s the only one for reform. I’ve already located stopreformuk.vote to do my part. It’s going to be tough I think 😢

Just hearing the Amy McDonald cover of Mr Brightside. Who knew I needed that?! Wow.

If there’s anything more delightful than this, do let me know! 😆 Love this boy!

There aren’t words that express what these are beyond: Dangerous. Don’t say you weren’t warned. Wow.

I’ve been doing a solid amount of curtain twitching today. Riot van showed up, lots of police in/out of it. Not a clue what’s going on but the narrative we’re working with it the neighbour’s a policeman. Who knew?

Achieved a personal triumph today, I hope you can celebrate with me! I have successfully negotiated that we decrease from 2 to 1 the number of door mats at the front door. I’ve had to bide my time and pick my battles for months to move the situation to my liking. Basically: I’m today’s winner. 🥇

😍 My loves

I need to do something. Of course, it’s now time to panic about the thing or think at length about the things I need to be able to do the thing. I’ve worn myself out before I’ve begun.

Why yes he’s chomping on the sofa. It’s his happy place.

Of course- today I’m doing a low activity, pacing day, so the pooch has decided it’s a playtime opportunity of a lifetime 😅😅😅

Copilot is working out to be a better life coach for me than chat gpt. Apparently I peaked on today’s required activity before breakfast, which is good. Of course I could start 10 more things I won’t finish but no.

9 years ago today, I was managing a team and we had an annual meeting and jolly at Drayton Manor and I was more than a little irked that I didn’t get the Thomas the Tank Engine themed bedroom. I’m not sure what that says about me.

Bananas don’t travel. A hill I will die on

What time is it? It’s public transport time

I’ve just found a long and pale hair on me. I don’t know if it’s a long grey one that has graduated from off my head or if it belongs to my dog’s tail. Not sure why you need to know but just putting it out there. One of my morning coffee musings (there’s thousands)

Hang on what?! Is this a fever dream or did I miss something important? Iiiisn’t that what he wanted? Or…? So confused.

Hot take: neurodivergence isn’t on the rise. The internet helped those who knew actively challenge the gatekeepers of diagnosis and could no longer be gaslit in the way that people were before.

Will nobody in the Secret Service take one for this 7 billion strong team and just put that fucker down?! It’s like a rabid dog biting children already. Make it stop.

Is there anything more adhd than having the form, being 1,000,000% behind filling in the form, and yet still not filling in the bastard form? Maybe that’s how they measure it, not by what you write but by how long it takes you to get it back to them.

Hoping to be finding my way out from under this heap* over the next few days, have begun the tapering off process *promised great treatment for my pain

No fucks given there. Bravo.

One of the kids in the street misheard the puppy’s name, and has been calling her Viper ever since. Never a more apt mishearing, other than the common Hyper, also apt. She’s Piper, our hyper viper! 😂

Well, I got up, made coffee, hugged my beautiful boy, sent him out, put the dishwasher on and I think it’s back to bed with me. Have wobbled and weaved each step and feel truly vague. Painkiller? Yeah, I’m not so sure. Unable to function? Definitely

As a lifelong chronic over explainer, AI has been coaching me. Who knew you could say something so minimal when you call in sick such as “experiencing side effects from a medication change” and leave it there? In the past it would have been a 10 min rambling explanation.

I mean I know I’m in agony much of the time but I’m not loving the psychotropic effects of the treatment for it. No wonder they control this shit, can’t imagine why anyone would want to take this for fun!

Had a big roast dinner with the shades down on the patio doors because still got the migraine and can’t cope with actual light. Likelihood of me going to work in the morning: slim chance. I’m now about to take the 2nd dose of the day, where I’m sure it will all escalate.

I’m day one of the pregabalin experiment. So far, migraine aura, being very emotional and a series of clear indications I shouldn’t drive anywhere. I wonder if it gets better?! Not sure about any pain to be honest, I think my body pain is calmer

Pleased to report no sign of bins everywhere but note the ongoing storm and the village idiot has washing on the line! He’ll probably find it along the seafront in a bit 😆 I wonder if all the crashing around last night was him taking the bins to the garage? Haha.

The village idiot is out doing his empties run with his bin. Sounds like he’s also had to pick tins up from the lawn. A smart person would now relocate the bins to the garage, but he’s the village idiot, so I’m probably listening to this row until sunrise 🙄

Well, I did a (reasonably) thorough search & didn’t find the laptop charger. At £12 for a new one, I’m not committing more time to the hunt for the one I have. Life is too short & I’m too tired. I don’t care how extravagant it is to replace when we must have it somewhere. Not seen for years mind…

Got to go out. Don’t much fancy it but I need to go to the pharmacy. It’s Easter so the wee delivery man is off. I hope he’s got all the chocolate, we’re super grateful for his work.

In preparation for the storm, I’ve turned the wheelie bins around in their half built bin store. If it’s still there, we’ll have to finish making it 😂😂😂

I see from upstairs that the village idiot at the end of the garden has bought 2 olive trees today. Where better for them than near your car and front window ahead of Storm Dave? What’s the worst that could happen?? 😏

I don’t normally let Ben into the swamp garden anymore because he usually gets excited and does silly stuff - digs or eats everything. But he went out this morning and did a spot of dog yoga & lay there! 😭😇 He’s growing up! His little howl in the mornings is so precious too!

Literally every evening when we’re supposed to be going to sleep. Exhausting, but also not optional.

We’ve been to a few golden meets for other dog birthdays but decided not to do it because of Easter and luckily not because of the weather today. Very breezy with showers. They’ve had a lovely time just the 3 of them, I’m glad we didn’t go bigger. Someone always embarrasses themselves (usually Ben!)

The babies all together, Ben, Piper and their mate Willow. Alas we caught some rain, but for the first time, they’re both flat out snoozing and she isn’t in her crate! She’s growing up!

Piper’s 1st birthday cake. Made with lots of love (not by her, cheeky!) 😂

Happy Easter to you all! Today is our wee baby’s first birthday! I am about to bake her cake!

So. I just had a meeting with my doctor and he told me to get screened for ADHD. What to make of that?! Interesting we hadn’t spoken about ADHD at all.

Having a pity party for myself today. Monday and Tuesday I took my dog on a gentle off lead walk. Wednesday I’m riddled with whole body pain. It’s not fair. I’m sick of this.

Would you look at that face! 😍

Quite proud of myself- did a whole 3 day weekend without checking my email. It’s Schrödinger’s report right now, either exists or doesn’t and I’ll be expecting to get paid to review it as well. I’m done with ruining my weekends. Let’s just hope I sleep 🤞🏻

Yesterday I started the day with 2 jobs in mind, of course, mission creep set in and I ended up doing loads of different stuff. Today, we resume the tidying. The office looks awful: bathroom stuff in there (decorator tomorrow), old curtains & pole, along with assorted life debris. Enough!

I’ve started an experiment. Been reading about it for a while and waking up every day and feeling awful has felt relentless, so I was open to it. It’s basically mouth taping while you sleep, to ensure better breathing and less/no snoring etc. might be a game changer. Anyone else tried it?

Paint shop said machine can’t make a 10% less saturated version of a colour just by adjusting the saturation so I’ve had to go analogue and I’ll have to take it in 😂

Having a hoot trying to get chat gpt to match a colour to try to decide what colour to paint the bathroom.

Bought a ‘lounge’ suit in light grey (avoiding darker colours due to dog hairs) and it’s a cuffed trouser and basically a sweatshirt. But put it on this morning and honestly, I think it’s giving prison tracksuit.

I’ve just turned off my email notifications and hidden the app to turn off the muscle memory of checking. It’s all fingers in ears and “Lalalalala not listening” today!

The weekend is here! As a treat to myself, I’m not opening emails all weekend. Waiting on something pretty hefty for work but really, it needs to be handled on work time. I need my time for me. Today, it’s appointments. Doctor and parent dentist. I also really want to get to a garden centre!