Well Well

Hello again after a nice little break!

Those of you who had 'She'll Never Update This Regularly' on your Kayleigh's Blogging Again bingo card can stamp that one off...

It seems that as time goes on it becomes more obvious that procrastination is my only strong suit - literally I am currently writing this in place of an essay I have due on Tuesday - and it's kind of the only way I can comfortably function, despite being beyond stressful and not actually comfortable at all. It’s really not a superpower, it’s super frustrating, but I can’t seem to operate unless it’s with a sense of urgency. One year later and I’ve still not had anything further in terms of ADHD-based helped and it’s getting to the point where some days feel unmanageable.

Anyway, tangent aside, a lot has happened since I last posted here, and I’d like to do a little roundup before I post another three things and disappear until 2028. I mean hopefully that won’t happen, but none of us will be surprised if it does, right?

First of all, I finished 2022 on 35 books read, missing my target by one (very on brand) but pleased overall that I actually managed to concentrate on 35 different books. This year my target is 36 again and I’m 22 in so far, which is two behind target according to Goodreads (also very on brand) and I’ll likely end up hyper focusing my way through 9 different books in December alone. Time will tell, as they say, but I think a lot of it is to do with summer. Reading is just not happening in good weather. The heat bugs me, I hate being too hot and picking up a book is a comforting cosy activity to me…summer is neither comfy nor the time to be cosy, so let’s see if I can smash the last ones out now that the ‘ber months are upon us!

You’d think that having much more free time would be great for reading more, and who has more free time than someone with no job? I was made redundant in January, which was a curse at the time that I’m now very much seeing as a blessing. My old job was somewhere I wasn’t happy, in a place of people that mostly made me miserable. However, it was convenient and fit around Jackson brilliantly, which is why I stayed so long. Much as I class the redundancy as being set free it’s been a hard slog in the interim. Five months of no job took a massive toll; mentally I was bored, financially things were a shitshow and I honestly do not understand how some people choose not to work. Why? How? I cannot understand it!

In June I began my new job and it’s like everything that I’ve been wanting over the last few years has clicked into place. It was a process that took from January to June, lots of waiting and assessments and interviews and security checks, but so worth it. The people are great, the work is interesting, a routine is re-established, I’m earning my own money again, and it will link in nicely with the career path I want to forge.

I have done a few wry chuckles when thinking about how I’ve aced my way into an important job within a government department but got turned down for basic admin roles in local places. But it’s the one I wanted from day dot, and I guess being hopeful worked well for once.

 

What else? Let’s start with vanity; I’ve been blonde, I’ve been dark, I’ve had my first lot of Botox and weight-wise I’m exactly where I was this time a year ago after dropping 35lbs between February and June, and then putting 15 of them back on over summer.

But I'm back on it, back to dark hair, and very much feeling back to myself, but here are some light haired pics for posterity...

Early in the year I finally reclaimed my spare room back from my ex hoarding his things in there, so I now have a nice little guest room. There is no bad blood between myself and said ex, but I am happy not to be in charge of his things after splitting back in May 2021. He moved to America in February, and I’m beginning to introduce the idea to Jackson of getting on a plane to see his dad…though his reactions suggest that’ll be more than a little way off yet.

Last weekend I decorated Jackson’s bedroom with the help of my mum and my partner. It is much more suitable now for his age! He loves the layout, he really enjoys his new lightning wallpaper and he is super happy about having his Switch set up, as well as his own Alexa. His speech is pretty incredible now, he’s still obsessed with numbers, and he’s been asking to go back to school since about week two of the holidays. He’s out of his phase of hating baths – and actively asks to have them now! – and, while his food is still limited, he’s choosing more new things and asking for specific bits to eat and drink. He is a whirlwind of love and happiness, my constant light, and the reason that any little bit of life ever makes sense to me.

Lastly, love-wise I am very content. Some things just make sense as they do with my partner (I feel far too old to use the word ‘boyfriend’!), and we have a beautiful time together be it playing board games, eating out, exploring new places, having family time with both of our boys together…or anything in between. He works a job that takes him away for months at a time, so it makes the time we do have together all the more special! We’ve known each other for more than two years, officially coming together at the beginning of this one, and, if it’s not too soppy to say, the days he’s home are better than the days he’s not. 

I've clearly gone for a brief roundup of the last ten months here, partly because my brain can't remember most of it, but mostly because documenting every single thing would bore us all senseless, most of all me.

So I guess I'm just here to say hello again. Let's go v.2!

K x