Heat, Dry-January & Resolutions

​It’s Australia Day, huzzaahhh!!! Australians like nothing better than a paid-day off work, especially if it’s summer, occurs during the Australian Open Tennis on Melbourne’s doorstep and falls favourably to make a long weekend. Since I work a nine-day fortnight anyway, this makes it an extra-long weekend. Double huzzaahhh!!!

Bouchard taking on Serena in her Green-Lantern outfit

Yesterday I spent a glorious sunshine-filled day pottering around wineries with my girlfriend and friends, eating my bodyweight in cheese platters. During the week the mercury skyrocketed to 41C/105F degrees, causing friends in wintery London to jealously wish me a slow and painful death without realising no one leaves the house in that temperature. Then again, they probably don’t either after imbibing 67 units of alcohol a week during the festive season, which launches Dry-January efforts nationwide viewed in the same light as rescuing orphans from minefields. That doesn’t seem fair - what if the orphans were carrying kittens as well? Or had leprosy? Leprosytic kittens! One argument goes that it's so depressing during the winter months, what options are there but to assuage your aching soul than through alcohol? Sweet Jesus! What next, crying because it’s drizzling? Bouts of farting because it’s a bit windy?  Alcoholics anonymous are around if you need it.

Its good to look at yourself

In the last year I try to dedicate my weekends to relaxing and being more present with the people I love, and mentally it’s been a lifesaver.  I never make new year’s resolutions, but instead make plans and review regularly. Making one plan for the entire year seems to lack ambition. So, here’s a 2019 update on my to-do lists I published three months ago:

• Am reading less but working more (10-11 hours a day) at the office BUT I am involved in a project with a limited lifespan that I really enjoy, an am learning a great deal. Incidentally, I did re-read Flashman at the Charge and am reading Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.
• I’m still walking 100k steps weekly and doing Pilates as exercise but included swimming weekly too, more than I ever have in my life and I’m loving the tranquillity of it
• I’m still studying Spanish daily, and have added in ten ideas a day and ten jokes a day
• I am still flying my drone, taking photos, buying myself some ND Filters and going through a photographic course by Marc Levoy weekly
• I am still writing and contacted a publisher about my book this week, and will continue to reach out to several over the coming weeks – it’s good to spread the rejection out I think ha ha
• I am not learning much in alignment with an MBA but the books and the additional learning at work all help so I won’t push it
• I am helping a friend with hair-dressing app start-up, another friend on her IOT start-up, and continue to help a friend on his motorcycle website
• Needless to say, I’m still drinking tea but trying to eat fewer biscuits (my fat Buddha belly thanks me!)

 
Well done Osaka! Come on, Nadal!