Looking back.

So, 2022 was pretty eventful. Professionally, it started well but ended like a damp squib due to poor communication from my leadership. In almost all other aspects of life, things just... were. I'm still single, and the Chloe thing has just reignited the desire to meet someone. This evening's last-minute memory of the near misses with CB haven't helped.

I've also not broken the habit of the past few years of being isolated since the start of Covid, so that's one of my goals for this year... just to get out of the house a little bit more. As I posted earlier, I miss KfW2. We've barely seen each other this year, despite my best efforts, and I'm really disappointed that we're growing apart. She did invite me down to her house tonight, but I'm feeling very low energy. It's partly disappointment of The Crowd not going out tonight plus still getting over the lurgy from before Xmas.

However, all being said, I wish you a Happy New Year. I hope your 2023 is successful and happy, and that you achieve whatever you set out to do.

Random access memory.

For some reason, it popped into my head that tonight it's the 10th anniversary of seeing CB in the flesh (in CB Pub) for the second time. I spent ages with GM, GB and MF, trying to come up with a plan for approaching her, but we never came to a solution. By the time I had the courage to just go and talk to her, I was horrendously drunk, and I had my hands full with a pretty redhead.

While I don't often do regrets, or big regrets, I have to say that missing both chances of chatting to CB (on two consecutive New Year's Eves) is probably one of them.

Party time.

KfW2 sent a message asking if I was going to go to hers tonight. Despite not going out with The Crowd, I'm not going to go. I'm still trying to shift this pre-Xmas lurgy so am feeling a little sorry for myself and I don't want o be coughing and spluttering in someone else's house all night. It was a nice message though. She said she misses me and it would be amazing to see me. The feeling's mutual. After all, I did post recently suggesting we were growing apart, having not really seen each other this year and our phone conversations are usually snatched when she has a few minutes of free time.

Best laid plans.

Surprisingly, someone has replied to the message about going to the pub tonight. FC messaged to say that he, and his wife, have picked up an illness over the Christmas period. Nothing at all from GM or S. FP is working, so a long shot of trying to get him out tomorrow is now gone. We've tentatively agreed to meet next week. It feels like ages since we last had a few drinks and caught up with each other.

Communication breakdown.

Unsurprisingly, I've heard absolutely nothing from The Crowd about my proposal for heading out tomorrow night for a few drinks. I'm disappointed, but I'm not going to chase people up on this, but I think it'd be nice.

As I've often said, and no doubt it's been posted on this blog several times, I don't mind that they don't want to go out, but I do think that no reply at all from any of them is really fucking rude.

Textually speaking.

I met Nerdy Girl this morning and we ended up having a late breakfast rather than the coffee that I had suggested. We covered a lot of ground, conversationally, including my recent dealings with Chloe (I've given up on giving her a blog name). I explained that I didn't feel that there was a non-platonic connection and that her tactile nature was just because she was thankful that I'd rescued her from unwanted attention... and a little drunk. 

Nerdy Girl was of the opinion that I should text her. Meeting people, especially new friends, was never a bad thing, she explained. And she's right on that. Except, how do you text someone out of the blue, two weeks after you met them and you've only known them a few hours? Nerdy Girl didn't have an answer because she supposedly never gives out her phone number and only shares her social media. But, she pondered, she did give me her number, so that was tacit approval to use it?

Something to ponder.

Happy Birthday!

Blog favourite Alison Brie is 40 today!

Hello!

I've put out feelers for a night out with The Crowd if we're not doing New Year's Eve. Maybe Friday, I suggested. I only sent the message about an hour ago, and the people are often slow to reply, especially if they don't want to reply negatively.

I've also arranged coffee with Nerdy Girl tomorrow morning. It's time limited. She has places to be early tomorrow afternoon, but this works for me. It gets me out of the house, for starters, plus talking to someone.

Post Christmas Blues

I've done two days at my sister's as is the normal Ruuude tradition at this time of year. It's probably partly the remnants of this 'flu or Covid coupled with me being an introvert means I really appreciated my own space today. 

I'd usually start posting about New Year's Eve, trying to get The Crowd to commit to heading out, but it seems like that's a bust already. I had asked the question before Christmas, but they were more interested in arranging a New Year's Day hike than discussing NYE.

It doesn't look like FP will be available for any socialising. I might give Nerdy Girl a call to see if she wants to meet for coffee or something.

I've also had this nagging thought at the back of my mind that I might have, or should have, texted Chloe. more from a point of view that she wanted me to rather than me wanting to. I'll rephrase... I wouldn't have minded seeing her again purely from the perspective of meeting someone new and opening up new opportunities. It probably wouldn't have gone anywhere romantically - I think I've already posted about her age and child status which are likely deal-breakers. It's too late now, though.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I know there aren't too many readers, but Merry Christmas to you all nonetheless. I hope you have a great festive period.

Summer Dreams.

I need cheering up, so here are some blog faves in swimsuits to take my breath away rather than the 'flu/COVID/cold that I got when I met Chloe.

Bah (cont'd)

Whatever it was that I caught last week is still hanging around. If it was C-19, I should be OK to do my Christmas stuff without worry of infection others having been isolated for an entire week now. I think the current advice is five days.

I think I'm on the other side of it. I am feeling better, but my throat is still giving me some grief and my nose is still blocked. The throat thing is the most annoying - it's a constant irritation. Some kind of infection of the uvula that feels like there's something stuck at the top of my throat. VERY annoying.

Bah!

Also, all day, I've felt that I have a sneeze on the way, but it just doesn't come. Now, I have been sneezing, but infrequently, and even when I do, the sensation of needing to sneeze does not go away.

Patient Zero (tolerance).

Urgh. I fucking hate being ill. I am not a good patient, even though there's no one to look after me. I'm grumpy and easily distracted and, when it comes to things like a cold, being congested and not being able to breathe through my nose is massively off-putting. 

I'm a little lucky that I've been off on annual leave over the past two days, but I am due back in the office tomorrow and I definitely won't be 100% recovered by then. I have two days of work to do until my Christmas holidays, but that'll be difficult if I am distracted by illness.

And so it begins (2022 edition).

I was feeling sorry for myself because of this lurgy, and with that was some thinking about KfW2. I saw on Facebook last week that KfW2 had been out with friends, at a bar, having a Christmas night out. Obviously, that made me a little downhearted. How long have I been trying to get KfW2 out for such a night, only to face apathy/lack of availability?

So it was surprising that she sent a text message last night to invite me down to her house for New Year's Eve. I don't know if I'll go down. I'd be stranded down there, plus there's still this thing where I always have to go down to hers rather than her coming up to mine. Plus, even if I do that, getting home on New Year's Day will be a disaster.

I still have an idea about getting S, GM or FC out for NYE to the CB Pub (or somewhere else local). We've not been out for NYE in a few years due to the Pandemic, so this might be a good opportunity to get out again. Plus with the interaction with Chloe (I need to give her a more accurate reference name), I've gotten the taste for going out again.

Sniff (Part 2)

As expected, S wasn't in contact to arrange whatever it was he had planned on Thursday night. Admittedly, that's typical of him. He probably can't remember half of what he talked about on Thursday. I barely remember what happened, and it was the most interesting night out I've had in years.

Still, my prediction from yesterday has come true: I am ill. It's just the cold, but I got zero sleep last night so the double whammy of no sleep plus the cold has had me in bad form all day. I just can't get comfortable.

I messaged FP to let him know there would be no beers tonight, and he was OK with that. Hopefully, I'll have kicked this to the kerb by midweek and get to arrange some pre-Xmas drinks with FP.

Sniff

In theory, I could be out again tomorrow night. It's been ages since I saw FP and we had tentatively agreed to see each other this weekend. S, too, was talking about going out tomorrow to watch the World Cup final. I've no real interest in that, but I'd not turn down a few drinks during the evening. Sunday night drinks can be relaxing.

However, I'm starting to feel a bit off. It feels like the beginning of a cold or a flu. I really hope it's not. I'd quite like to see FP (and maybe S) tomorrow.

Safety first... again.

I'll be honest, part of me half-expected, half-hoped that Chloe* would text, even if it was just checking to see if I was hungover. (I actually was, for the first time in ages.) Or repeating her thanks from the previous evening, only sober.

But the thing is, at over ten years younger than I am, and with at least 1 kid, she manages to have two of the (very limited) deal breakers that I have in potential dates. That is pretty much ruling out anything long-term, but I'd be happy to meet her again, just to learn how to talk to people again. She did seem fun and interesting.

*Still not her real name.

Safety first.

Urgh, my head.

I was out last night with FC, GM and S. Neither Mrs FC nor FP showed up. It was a great and interesting night. We ended up staying in our second bar, getting lucky with some seats. We discussed one of the bar staff - it was a cute girl that we'd had a history with when we used to go out regularly. It was surprising that she was still working at the same bar, though I've always suspected that she, and her older sister, were related to the bar owners.

Anyway, the interesting part of the evening was that I ended up "rescuing" an attractive blonde woman from some unwanted attention. Our paths had crossed all evening. She was originally being hit on by her boss's brother (I think it was a work night out), though I don't think she minded that and he really wasn't getting anywhere. He asked me how his date was going and I said that I really wasn't getting a date vibe off them.

We made small talk each time our paths crossed and she introduced herself and hugged me. That guy left though, and the next time I went to the bar she was talking to another guy.

We made eye contact and she immediately disengaged with the guy to give me another massive hug. I sensed something might be wrong.

"Do you need help?" I asked.

"Yes please!"

"I need to borrow Chloe* for a bit," I said to the guy and guided Chloe away to where GM and S were sitting (FC had gone home by this point). She settled immediately and chatted away with us until closing time.

We couldn't get a taxi, so I offered to ensure she got home safely. It was a choice between hanging around and possibly getting a taxi or walking home. We both live about an hour's walk from the bar in roughly the same direction. It was difficult to decide if there was a genuine connection or if it was just gratitude for making sure she was safe. Despite the fact that she was incredibly tactile, it didn't feel that it was going to lead anywhere. 

That was confirmed when she took a call as we were walking home from her Mum, who was also her babysitter. We parted ways around a third of the way home. She insisted that I text her to make sure I got home OK and we swapped numbers.

We did indeed swap a few text messages, confirming to each other that we made it home safely. And that was that. I doubt I'll text her, but let's see what happens if she texts. She did specifically ask me to save her number, though, so I am wondering.

*Not her real name

Party Season (cont'd)

Hopefully, I should be in the pub right about now with FC, GM and S. Possibly with Mrs FC and FP too, but I don't know right now.

So, have a pic of Alex Daddario in a little back dress with thigh-high boots and we'll pretend it's a prayer to the Christmas party gods that I meet someone like that tonight.

V impressive.

Oh, and seeing as V is in my head and I'm watching Argentina vs Croatia World Cup match on the TV, that reminded me that V claims triple allegiances when it comes to stuff like this. She's American, born and raised. But she claims both Argentinian and Italian heritage and is fairly close to both, as far as I can tell. I certainly remember her speaking both Spanish and Italian, if not fluently, then very well indeed.

Wonderland.

An old colleague of mine posted an update on Facebook. He's out eating at a Greek restaurant. As he's tagged the restaurant, Facebook posts a little map too. Something flashed up in my memory. I've been to a Greek place in that area. When? Then it hit me... it was Hallowe'en night many, many years ago. 

V had invited some of us out and when we showed up, she was looking both stunning and incredibly sexy in what I think was an Alice in Wonderland costume. Short dress, thigh-high stockings and there might have been pigtails involved. I might have blogged about this in the past, but mistakenly suggested it was Dorothy from Wizard of Oz or even Snow White,. but I feel these are incorrect.

My new colleagues knew I thought she was attractive though I had never any plans to make any move as we were only in the city for a short while, to do some training. It didn't stop them from trying to get us together at every opportunity though.

Not V:

Moody Tuesday.

I woke early this morning - 6 AM. I rolled over for another couple of hours of sleep and had a bit of a weird dream. It was all over the place, for starters, but there was a section that I do recall quite vividly. I was in the first house I lived in (as a kid). But KfW2 was there and QC2 lived next door. And for some reason, KfW2 went next door either to become friends with QC2 or to tell her about the massive crush that I had on her. I kinda woke up properly at that point, but the dream bemused me. 

Actually, I don't know if bemused is the right word but it certainly provoked some things. I miss KfW2. We are drifting apart and there's nothing I can to do stop that. To be fair, KfW2 is trying - she's the one initiating the phone calls these days while I'm texting. But she's not making herself available to meet up, face to face. I also miss QC2. While we were never massively close, I did enjoy the bi-annual drink and chat sessions. It gave me an outlet to offload some things, and get another female perspective. While I sometimes never covered what I always wanted to, meeting her never felt like a waste. And, as USHW was always fond of telling me, I'm a sucker for a pretty face, and I thought QC2 was attractive.

So, yeah, I'm in a decent, if slightly wistful, mood this morning.

Super.

I had a day off today, so after spending the morning shopping for Christmas, I spent the afternoon cocooned in front of the TV watching Black Adam starring Dwayne Johnson. It's a very middling superhero movie - reasonably enjoyable but instantly forgettable. But it did have Sarah Shahi in it, who I was introduced to in the excellent "Person of Interest" TV show from about a decade ago.

Raincheck.

I was meant to be going out with FP for a few pints and a catch-up. It's been ages since we last saw each other. Maybe a month or more. Definitely prior to G coming over for one of his flying visits and that was three weeks ago. I understand his reasons (Mrs FP has family stuff), so I might text him and invite him out on Thursday when I'm meeting FC, S and GM for a Christmas thing.

Rewind.

Facebook has reminded me that today is the anniversary of the night something weird happened with CH at our work Xmas party. She got very drunk and might have been attempting to initiate something, though GB was very protective.

There are times that I do still miss CH. I think that's more to do with the fact that she was attracted to me and the surreptitious touching rather than the friendship itself because it wasn't that great a friendship, was it? 

Oh, and it was also the night I danced with Quiet Girl, years before our paths would cross properly and we ended up on speaking terms/ as acquaintances. I must message her when I go back into work and see how she's getting on.

Party season.

 It's party season, so let's cheer Ruuude up with some of my favourites in black dresses, eh?

Here we go!

It was only yesterday, or maybe the day before, that I commented on the fact that The Crowd had been agreeable to the idea of a night out. Obviously, no one took control so, once again, it was up to me. Within half a dozen messages, we'd agreed to go out next Thursday and everyone was looking forward to it. A lot less stressful and work than with the other group.

It might be a good idea to get FP out too.

Shower thoughts.

What is it with Americans and their love of Adam Sandler? No one that I know is a fan (I'm in the UK), though people will admit to liking Happy Gilmore (and I'm a big fan of some of his female co-stars). 

V and some of her friends absolutely loved him and I spent an entire night being forced to watch several films that everyone, bar me, found hilarious. Admittedly we were not sober. 

I had a conversation with an American colleague yesterday and she was gushing with her praise. When I asked about his appeal, she seemed stuck for an answer.

Just shower thoughts for today, readers.

Just stuff

The demotivated mood continues. Just over three weeks to Xmas, only half the presents bought so far. No further socialising is on the horizon though The Crowd seem fairly keen on doing something, even if none of them will take the initiative. Plus I think it's S's birthday sometime soon, though he tends not to invite us out and prefers his OG friends.

So, to cheer me up, here are some pictures of Hayley Atwell.

About time!

We had our day out yesterday and despite KfW2 and Stalky Guy not turning up, it was still a great afternoon, catching up with old colleagues. We always got along great anyway, so our team was always social. Two guys left early-ish to catch the last bus. Two of us stayed on and it was quite late when I got back into the house. Well, 9 PM, which isn't late in itself, but when you consider that we'd met at 2 PM and had been boozing all afternoon, then I was very definitely not sober.

But it was a great afternoon and while I wouldn't say that it was worth the wait (this was our rescheduled event from this time last year), it was still a very enjoyable afternoon.

FFS

For the second time this year, I've just had a bit of a tooth fall off. This happened last night. It was, what, only 30 hours since I was at the dentist on fucking Thursday. So, it's not like earlier in the year when I was eating popcorn and an uncooked kernel caught me by surprise. This time? I was chewing some gum after a meal with some fairly potent garlic sauce. Was there no evidence that the tooth was showing stress or cracked? FFS. This is going to cost me to get fixed. I think I've used all of my insurance benefits for this year, too.

Sorry!

I've just sent Stalky Guy a message to say that I won't be going to the company-wide work event this evening. I don't know if he was relying on me for his own attendance, but I'm knackered. I had very little sleep last night, and what I did get was poor quality.

On the plus side, I have a long weekend, using up annual leave, and am meeting some people on Sunday afternoon for food and drinks.

Well, hello!

We had a work thing yesterday. Not the monthly company-wide thing that I've mentioned before, but specific to our team. My team is split over two cities, so half of them needed to travel to attend. And many of them did... only to leave at lunchtime and not participate in the fun stuff during the afternoon.

Anyway, that's by the by and not really the reason for this post. We ended up at the Christmas Market, had a few drinks then moved on to a decent bar just down the road, which was showing the World Cup matches.

I managed to get talking to this stunning-looking blonde woman. I don't think she was single, though she never mentioned anyone and there was no ring. Plus, a guy hovering nearby seemed a little protective or possessive of her. She never introduced us, so I'm guessing it's a work colleague who has the hots for her. I kinda recognise the signals from when I was that guy out socialising with QC2 and she was being hit on.

Anyway, recognising that I was probably too drunk and still not certain that she was single, I made my excuses and left.

But this morning, it brought a smile to my face. It's the first time I can remember in ages that I saw someone in real life that provoked something plus I also managed to get talking to her. And while I appreciate that I was drunk, I do remember this morning that she resembled AH, albeit much more attractive, with shoulder-length hair rather than the short 'do that AH typically sports.

Low energy.

KfW2 called at lunchtime.

"We've not spoken in ages!"

She's right. It's been a few weeks, but to be honest, I've been tired, stressed and de-motivated in general. Reaching out to people is not at the forefront of my mind. Mostly that's due to the above, but the recent frustrations in trying to arrange something with KfW2 and the ex-teammates have also drained me.

We made some small talk, and then the subject of the socialising this coming Sunday was raised. I shared my frustrations with KfW2.

"I know I can't make it, but I really appreciate that you've put the effort in."

I was delighted to hear that. She has the ability to say the right things, even if I don't see her as often as I'd like these days and she can be a PITA at times.

"Yeah, well, someone else can arrange the next one. Stalky Guy was being awful too."

I explained what Stalky Guy had been up to (I've not blogged about it before, but he was being very immature).

"Yeah, that's SG for you."

"Well, maybe we can do something by ourselves?" I offered. 

It was a token suggestion. KfW2's availability at this time of year is pretty much non-existent, plus she's been difficult to get a hold of for quite a while now. After all, it has been at least 5 years since we last had a night out, just the two of us. KfW2, as usual, was excited.

"Yes, we should!"

At this point in the conversation, we were starting to move on to work-related stuff, but she was interrupted by her husband calling.

"I'll call you later" I promised. And we hung up. I don't know if I have the energy though.

Grrr...

Since I bought my current house, I've found it difficult to get people in to give me quotes for jobs around the house - upgrade heating, fix windows etc. I don't know why that is. Even before Covid kicked in, it has been a massive ball ache.

Another example is that my roof has been leaking. It's weird that it only happens when the wind blows in a certain direction and the rain finds a way in. But I first noticed it about 18 months ago and it has slowly, but surely, been getting worse. either that or the direction of the wind has shifted from west to east to the opposite direction.

I tried three or four people at the start of the year and everyone told me the same thing.

"Too busy."

"Can you come out, price up the job and pencil me in any way? The roof is leaking it needs fixing."

"Sorry."

Cut to a few weeks ago. I found another roofing guy. He promised to come round the next day and estimate. He never showed up. I followed up this week and lo and behold, he actually turned up today and quickly estimated the job.

And then the bombshell.

"I won't do it unless you get your neighbours on board. It's pointless for me to fix one side of the chimney and have it leak from the other!"

It made sense, but that meant I now have to go and talk to my neighbour about a job that will cost a couple of hundred pounds that he might not even need right now. Obviously, the emphasis is "right now". If his chimney isn't leaking, it will in future.

I need the work done. If I have to, I'll pay for the entire thing, which will add about a third of the price.

It's frustrating though because I hate talking to people that I don't know. And now I have to talk to my neighbour about money. There's other stuff that needs done - our shared fence is on its last legs, for example. So, if I pay for the roof work, he can pay for the fence. I just hate the conversation and I'm already stressed out about it, even though my neighbours are nice people (even if we don't really interact).

Happy Friday!

Nothing really to say today, but I need something to cheer me up, so here's a collection of Alison Brie pictures.

Countdown

At this time of year, things start slowing down, workwise. The performance reviews are locked in, so that can be put to the back of my mind until February. But with Christmas looming, other things start to ramp up. 

There's nothing planned, socially, though I am trying to get KfW2 and some work people out for drinks. Concerning The Crowd or FP, I've heard nothing, nor have I proposed anything, but that will change.

Come dine with me.

Earlier this week I sent a message to the WhatsApp group asking if anyone wanted to meet for drinks. I've been trying to arrange something for the past year. I was originally going to say "we've been trying..." but that's not true. it's always me who makes the suggestion, who tries to get people to make a decision or confirm their attendance.

Perhaps stupidly, I thought I'd give it one last go. One of the first to reply was KfW2. She was definitely interested. But was this the same KfW2 who told me she was too tired and stressed to think about going out for dinner and drinks? Yes, dear reader, the same.

You'll not be surprised to hear that I'm still waiting for final confirmation so that I can book something. How is it this difficult to get six people to agree to a date?

last minute.

Last night was a last-minute night out with G. Well, I say "night out", but it was a couple of pints in a quiet bar local to G's Mum's house. G had tried to get FP and M out, but they're both ill at the moment. Still, it's always great getting out with G. It was good to be able to talk, get some stuff off my chest and talk. G always proves a willing ear, should I want to open up.

THT

On Reddit, they have a thing called 'THT', or 'Thigh High Thursday' where people post pictures of themselves, celebrities, models etc. all wearing stockings or thigh-high socks. It's a good look.

What does that have to do with me? Well, it provokes a memory... several actually. FP and I used to hit a couple of bars on a Friday night. Over the space of several months, we'd see the same faces time and again. One of those faces belonged to an attractive woman roughly our own age. She had this habit of wearing short skirts and stockings.

On more than one occasion she caught us appreciating her attire, and though FP and I can't say for sure, we both believe that she gave us both a show. She would move her legs apart slightly or adjust her skirt to show a little more leg. Her boyfriend appeared to be oblivious.

One night, FP invited one of his work friends out. We never mentioned the woman, her attire or her behaviour, even though she was in the bar that evening. However, it didn't take long for him to nudge FP in the ribs.

"Have you seen that girl in the skirt and the stockings?"

We laughed and explained what had been happening over the past few weeks.

And then, one Friday, she wasn't there, and we never saw her again.

So, for my own THT, have some Cobie Smulders and Monica Belluci.

Lookalikes.

On a forum, a question was posed... "Post a picture of someone who is your type". Well, not a question per se, but a statement.

I think I have two 'types', both similar. One would be a tall, athletic brunette. So, Charisma Carpenter, Allison Stokke, KfW2, Daniela Ruah, Morena Baccarin and possibly Alison Brie and Jessica Alba etc. The other would be a petite version of that - Kate Mara, Cristin Milioti or Anna Kendrick.

Someone posted a picture of a redhead. She's possibly an adult actress and I don't know her name, but she really reminds me of Attractive Neighbour. And not in a "squint and you might see a resemblance" like I've mentioned before with Anna Kendrick and CAB, for example. But a genuine, "they do actually look alike" resemblance. Pity I can't find that photo now.

Happy talking.

S had a guest over the weekend. It was the girl who used to be his great unrequited love. I think he's over it, though I couldn't say for sure. Plus, GM pulled her too on a previous visit.

Regardless, she's great fun and easy to talk to, so I do like it when she comes to visit. She seems to rub off on S too, so it's actually possible to have a proper conversation with him instead of the film-related nonsense that usually falls out of his mouth.

I think S might be a little like me in that he feels more comfortable talking to women rather than men. He opened up to KfW2 about one of his previous relationships. KfW2, in turn, was incredulous that I didn't know any of the story.

"He doesn't talk to me about any of that."

"You're not asking the right questions"

"I am... I just can't get him to talk about anything other than films. All he does is speak in film quotes."

And that's true. I've blogged about it before.

But it was great to get out of the house, to have a proper conversation with someone. We talked about dating, careers and some other stuff. She asked for some pretty serious career advice and was both surprised and pleased at what I said.

I need to do it more often.

Moments of madness

For some reason, over the past few days, I've had both RB and K on my mind when I wake up. I can't remember any recent dreams, so I don't know if either woman is featured. However, they have been in my thoughts almost immediately upon waking.

I doubt it's a coincidence that the most unpredictable women that I've been physical with (i.e. bonkers) are featuring heavily in my thoughts at the same time.

Back in time.

I still remember the bemusement from A and USHW when I admitted a liking for women's backs. I have to say that even after all this time, a well-fitted, backless dress really does do something for me.

Case in point: Christina Ricci

And Gal Gadot

Answers.

KfW2 replied to my questions after her concerns from yesterday. It's not surprising, in hindsight. I knew that she was frustrated with her new place. What I didn't realise was how bad things were. KfW2 doesn't like people knowing that she's underperforming to her own ridiculously high standards.

But I think there's an element of running before you can walk to her current crisis. Since she left our team, she's moved through three different jobs, all promotions. No sooner had she completed the minimum time in one role, then she moved into another. There was no time to gain experience, to become comfortable with what she was doing, to learn and to grow.

And this new job in the new company was similar, though the jump in knowledge and experience required for it was much bigger than she'd experienced before.

Bear in mind that she left because she felt she wasn't getting support. I am not sure that's correct, but I feel, sometimes, there's an entitlement to KfW2 when it comes to getting help from other people. She's complained about babysitting by her parents (or the lack thereof) and yet I've seen first-hand that her parents adore both her and her kids. Having been promoted three times in four years and had at least two opportunities handed to her on a plate, I don't think lack of support was an issue.

But it's kinda the same argument. No support, a perceived lack of efficiency, too much work for one person and she's stressed.

I tried to suggest dinner and drinks, but she claims she's too tired to do anything. So, who knows when we'll get out? I'll try and call her soon though. She sounds like she needs a chat at the very least.

Urgh.

So, guess who's just found out that he's not only put on his boxers back-to-front but also his tracksuit bottoms too?

Yup, this guy.

Fricking Mondays, man.

Surprise!

Tinder threw up a surprise this morning. I think I've posted before about the crushes from my primary school. Most of my male friends were fans of the blonde girl (mentioned in this post), whereas I was more drawn towards a brunette, elfin girl and another girl who I find difficult to describe (but I think I've mentioned that when I think of her, I'm reminded of Cristin Milioti).

Sadly, neither "Cristin Milioti" nor the elfin girl popped up on Tinder. But the attractive blonde girl did. She's still very attractive. Athletic, too, which ticks one of Ruuude's boxes. I've swiped right... I nearly always do with women I know, even though "know" is a bit of a stretch.

Similarly, a senior manager from my company appeared on Tinder a few months ago. Again, we know each other at least to say "hi" to, and she's also an attractive blonde woman, but I did not swipe right that time.

Comeback.

A somewhat out-of-the-blue WhatsApp message from KfW2 earlier. Not the fact she was in contact... despite not seeing each other face to face as often as I would like, we do message frequently. The "out of the blue" aspect was that she made a reference to perhaps not being as happy in her new job as she would have liked and said that she might want to return to her old place of work.

Now, while the tone of the message was that she was being flippant, she sounded frustrated any time I've spoken to her about work. It wouldn't surprise me if she wanted to return. The thing is, she never left for a pay rise. She left for a perceived lack of support. I say "perceived" because ever since she left the team where we worked together, she has constantly been rewarded, promoted, and praised. For KfW2 to cite a lack of support always seemed strange to me, but admittedly I knew little about her new team and department.

Obviously, I've replied with questions. Let's see what she says.

Chat and chimichangas.

CC sent a text.

"Dinner?"

I didn't particularly want to. It's been difficult forcing myself to leave the house recently. Plus, I have this weird thing going on with CC. I don't mind her company, but I really don't like the almost interrogation that goes on when we're out with the sudden shift in conversation when we're, IMO, halfway through a topic of conversation.

I agreed to an early dinner though. I was knackered yesterday and didn't want to be out late. I was also feeling a little under the weather, so not in great form. CC picked a Mexican place just a few yards away from CB Bar.

After dinner, CC suggested heading to her place for drinks. I had already explained that I wanted an early night, but she tried to force the issue and huffed when I declined the invitation.

Still, the food was nice, and we went for gelato afterwards.

Burn it down.

I've been continuing my bingeing of Burn Notice. I'm now at the start of Season 6, and quite frankly, it's now jumped the shark. Not even Lauren Stamile can save it as it stands.

Reminisce.

Facebook's memories from today involved a photo dump by GB. That's not unusual. We've been at so many over the years that they pop up fairly regularly. Today's one, though, reminded me of a specific night, ten years ago.

It was a Hallowe'en party. CH was out. We sat at the same table and CH was extremely tactile. There are pictures of us together.

I'm pretty sure this was the night that CC expressed an interest in GM, romantically. It's also the night that CH "grabbed" my butt. Well, not grabbed per se, but as we stood at the bar, chatting, someone came to take a picture. She put her hand on my shoulder. As the picture was taken and the photographer (probably JB or GB) walked away, she slid her hand down my back to my ass. And it just kinda stayed there for a bit.

I miss those days. I miss the ambiguous stuff with CH. And I miss actually feeling something for someone... I genuinely can't remember being genuinely excited by someone since the days of CH and CB.

How to brighten your day.

Over the past while, I've been binging "Burn Notice" - a weekly action series that's utter nonsense, but that I've always enjoyed. I've never sat and watched it religiously though. It's always been the kind of thing that I'll randomly find on the TV and end up watching, then lose track of for a while.

I might have mentioned it on the blog previously since it stars one of Ruuude's old crushes, Gabrielle Anwar and one episode featured another old crush, Stacy Haiduk.

So, guess who's been in recent episodes? Only Lauren Stamille (from Community), who gives off KfW2 vibes every time I see her.

And an added bonus in the latest episode that I've just finished... Charisma Carpenter! In a bikini!

I'm actually seeing, for the first time, definite similarities between CC and LS.

Bah, humbug!

Hallowe'en is over, which means the race to Christmas starts now. I've probably said before, but this time of year is easily my least favourite. The seven weeks between Hallowe'en and Christmas Day just depresses me - the days get shorter, the weather gets colder, and Christmas is shoved down your throat.

The flip side to the above is that the week between Christmas and New Year is one of my favourites. I tend to be off work, seeing friends, and the pressure of buying presents etc. has gone for another year.

So, here we go...

Told ya!

To absolutely no one's (well, mine) surprise, S was not in contact last night. I knew he wouldn't be. GM had implied that he couldn't come out. FC and Mrs Fc had gone back home for the weekend, so that just left S and me, and whatever friends we could scrounge together.

FP wasn't available.

I guess S didn't fancy a night in the pub with just us.

Sigh.

KfW2 sent me a message at 4 PM.

"Are you in?"

"Yeah. What's up?"

I was expecting her to ask for some kind of favour. That's how pessimistic I am these days.

"Nothing. Was going to call in, if you like?"

"Oh, yes please!" was my reply.

And so, 20 minutes later, KfW2 and her kids arrive. I make us coffee and we chat while the kids browse my Disney+. I'm enjoying KfW2's company but it feels weird... stilted. We talk about our weekend plans. I might be meeting S for drinks later, though I reckon he'll not be in touch. KfW2 is hosting friends for the evening.

Then somewhat inexplicably she goes to the car and brings in Hallowe'en make-up for the kids. It turns out that they're going to a kid's Hallowe'en event in town once they leave my place, and they've just come from a birthday party.

So, did KfW2 call in because she genuinely wanted to see me or because I was going to save her nearly an hour of driving home and then returning to the kid's event?

I should make another attempt to get her out before we get into the whole Xmas season. That's when she's least available.

Vibin'

Going back to the post I made a few days ago with regards to Alison Brie and giving me a CH vibe, here's Anna Kendrick giving off a CAB vibe.

Denied.

Another dream last night though the details are, once again, already fading. It was a dream that featured me meeting someone in a hotel for sex, but then getting blocked every time we found some privacy and time to do the deed. By BW of all people! Unsurprisingly, when I woke properly this morning, I was extremely frustrated.

And then I remembered that I had to go to the dentist.

Awful morning.

At least I was able to treat myself to a really nice coffee once the dentist had robbed me blind.

Mouthing off.

Alison Brie giving off real CH vibes? Oh, go on then.

It's definitely the mouth/smile.

Payday.

Despite my boss being fairly optimistic a few weeks back about an outcome I was chasing, he was much more guarded today when we met. I still have a chance, but it's a lot less likely than I'd originally anticipated.

Still, it could all be worth it for a few hours of extra work this week.

Catching up.

KfW2 called this morning as she was going to work. We chatted about a few things. She mentioned that we arrange a night out. However, not a "me and her" night out, but with another group. Then I was chatting about the meeting I had with my bosses. Once again, the advice and feedback she provided were at odds with what she has said before. This has been an annoying thing that I've noticed with KfW2 recently.

It's been frustrating recently.

But, as always, it was nice to actually chat. Still disheartening that I can't get her to commit to a night out, given how long it's been since our last.

What about?

KfW2 was featured in a dream last night. The details have slowly disappeared throughout the day, but the core concept was that I was chasing her, romantically. Other factors and people were involved but were secondary and now forgotten.

Of course, this put me in a foul mood this morning, and it was Monday, and I was returning to work after a week off. So yeah, Ruuude was not in a good mood.

I fired KfW2 a quick text. She replied a while later, ignoring my questions and suggesting that she could meet tomorrow. This is a follow-on from last week when she arranged to meet, then never went into the office. it's implied that she wants to meet at lunch.

I can't meet her at lunch. I have meetings with my boss about stuff. I suggested that we could, if she had the time, meet after work. She's yet to reply. I hope she can spare some time, even half an hour for a coffee. But I'm pessimistic.

Bored.

Another day, another bored browse through Tinder. The number of new faces? Pretty much zero. A couple of promising-looking women who don't live locally and are presumably visiting for the weekend. Oh, and the blonde Emma Willis lookalike. Again, I swiped right, but I dunno what I'd do if we actually matched. Just like my sis's attractive university friend.

Still, have a pic of Emma Willis.

I was wrong...

...but not totally. FP did, in fact, get in touch. But I was correct in that FP doesn't want to go out tonight. He said nothing about tomorrow night, but as I said earlier, he's predictable that way.

Calling time.

I messaged FP last week to let him know I was free all week, what with taking some personal time, and suggested we meet for drinks and a catch-up. He was keen, but he's never been the most proactive when it comes to doing that kind of thing.

However, I had hoped that he'd be in touch today.  It's either tonight or tomorrow night and I'd much rather we went out tonight. Tomorrow is my last day off before work on Monday. I don't particularly want to be out late or drunk when going back to work. But... it's 6 PM, so FP is unlikely to call.

For some reason, FP has always preferred a Sunday night to a more traditional night for socialising, but I prefer a Friday or Saturday for the people-watching opportunities, plus it's busier. We would likely not go into town and just head to CB Pub, but it's a decent local bar that can have a good vibe on a busy night.

Maybe he'll prove me wrong?

Yawn.

I only remember part of the dream from last night. My sleep this week hasn't been great. Plus, with the neighbours' building work ongoing, and starting at 8 AM, it's not like I'm getting a lie-in with my week off.

However, the bit I can remember was travelling with E's sister, somewhere cold and snowy. Then I got chased by bears and then I got saved by KfW2.

Weird. And I'm knackered.

Testing...

After chatting with Nerdy Girl on Monday night over coffee where I suggested that I might show some symptoms of autism, I found a UK-based website and took their course. Nerdy Girl suggested that it might not be autism per se but rather personality quirks. She might have a point, but it's pretty difficult to know without sitting down and spending time with someone for a full-blown diagnosis. If KfW2's experience is anything to go by, these can cost up to £1000 and have a year-long waiting list... if you're lucky.

Anyway, the results of the test weren't that shocking. I've done several over the years and they all return broadly similar results. I experience a lot of the symptoms though not to a high degree, so it's always been a borderline kinda thing.

Your score suggests you experience many or all of the most common traits experienced by autistic people.

What should I do now?

The assessment for autism is very in-depth and will go into a great more detail than the above quick indicator test. You may therefore want to consider whether a full assessment will be helpful for you – our triage team can explain this in more detail. A full assessment will also look at other common mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety and ADHD – it’s common for autistic people to have another issue as well, and often these can be successfully treated.

If you are at all concerned about how you are feeling, we would always recommend speaking to someone. Our team of clinical advisors are all trained professionals who are able to help identify if there might be a problem that we can help with. We can arrange private psychiatric assessments and therapy sessions at one of our 21 nationwide locations.

The difference this time, that would actually make me consider this is the fact that this particular site suggests that an assessment might also consider other factors. I've never seen that mentioned before and is actually making me seriously consider this. I still have the links that the attractive blonde HR girl gave me at the start of the year that I have yet to use, but I wonder if this is something I can do through work?

Cheers.

I'm off work this week: PTO. I messaged FP and suggested we could meet for drinks this week. He was very keen. I left the ball in his court. I do that an awful lot because everyone else is busier than I am. I had hoped to hear from him by now, but no dice.

There's still plenty of time, though.

"lol"

On my way to meet Nerdy Girl for a walk last night, I sent a message to KfW2.

"Are you in the office tomorrow? If you are, I'm going to be in town, shopping. Wanna grab a coffee or lunch?"

I had been planning on getting into town early, doing what I need to do, and then coming home to chill. But if KfW2 was available, then leaving it a little later was worth the price.

To be honest, I knew there was a good chance she might be in the office. She did share with me a little while ago that Mondays or Tuesdays were her potential "in-the-office" days.

She replied that she was going to be in the office and that she was looking forward to seeing me. And off I went to meet Nerdy Girl.

Nerdy Girl had injured her back, so we popped off to get coffee instead of our usual walk. It was a great chat. KfW2 phoned as we were finishing up. I didn't answer the call, but I sent her a quick message.

"I'm out with someone at the moment, I'll call you in an hour or so."

Nerdy Girl and I said our farewells and I trundled off home. I called KfW2. She never answered. That's fairly typical of her, though. And I wasn't that concerned. After all, I was meeting her for lunch, and we've only seen each other twice so far this year, I think. So, yeah, not picking up wasn't a big thing, but I was looking forward to the coffee or lunch or whatever it is we were going to be doing.

So, this morning, I got out of bed, showered, did some chores and left the house at 11 AM. I fired off a quick message just before I left.

"What do you want to do?"

90 minutes later, a reply finally comes through:

"I didn't go into the office today lol"

The 'lol' angered me. She could have sent me a message at 9 AM letting me know. I could have gone into town hours earlier and been back chilling in front of the TV by lunchtime and avoided the lunchtime crowds. It implies a... lack of seriousness? A jokey thing that means little. It's flippant and fucking rude is what it is, in my opinion.

So, no lunch. No coffee. No catching up with KfW2 and trying to arrange a night out. I sent a reply saying that I was disappointed, and she did at least apologise, but it doesn't stop it from being a frustrating day.

Out out.

It was a relatively quiet night last night. We moved on quickly from our starting pub because of a loud guitarist. It's a plague in my hometown at the moment. Barely competent guitarists playing pretty much the same songs, albeit far too loud. When you're in a bar that holds, at best, forty people, the last thing you need is someone drowning out all other noise.

It's got a great vibe ordinarily, but this was awful.

While we found seats easily, we could barely hear each other speak. So, we before we'd even finished out first drinks, we decided to try a new bar. It wasn't bad but didn't have the same vibe as the one we'd left.

Regardless... it was still a good night out. Am really tired today though.

Plans.

I'm looking forward to tomorrow night. It's a night out with D, FBS and Friction Guy. No word on whether Opinionated Guy is showing up. For some reason, he's not in the WhatsApp group and refuses to join. But it'll be good to see the rest of them. Plus, I do enjoy a night in the pub.

Looking up.

I had a chat with my boss today. I meant to do it yesterday, while we were in the office, but I was too busy networking with my teammates given our limited face-to-face time. Plus, I was semi-distracted by the tall, cute girl clearly giving me the eye.

Anyway, I managed to get a meeting with my manager for ten minutes today. We talked about something that I'd raised months ago: a pay rise. I'd assumed that it was taking so long to get a reply because the news was bad, but it's not. It's not good news either. Our HR department wants more information, so we have to create a business case. I thought I'd done that already, but there you go. it's still taking the piss that it's taken THREE MONTHS to get to this stage.

So, I've booked in some time with my manager to draw up a business case to give to HR, and who knows? Maybe I will get the pay rise that I'm looking for, albeit four months later than I'd have liked.

Girl talk.

I was actually in the office today. I have decent employers, for the most part. So, today was less work and more fun. But I made myself scarce for half an hour to get some fresh air due to a splitting headache, and when I did that, I had a quick browse of Tinder and Bumble.

Highlights were one of the local celebrities (I may have mentioned a blonde Emma Willis before) and my sister's attractive university friend. I swiped right on both, of course, though I always wondered what I would do if my sister's friend reciprocated the 'like'. I find her attractive, and I'm really attracted to her, but I'm not sure we'd make a good couple. My sister has said a few things in passing that would make me think she's a bit... out there.

But then something else happened. I may have said that I started working in a new team and department at the start of the year. So, I've not really met a lot of my co-workers and even fewer of the wider department. But who was paying particular attention to me, pretty much all day? Only the cute, drunk woman from this post. I'm pretty sure she was giving me the eye. Am I likely to do something about it? Probably not.

Bah.

I stumbled across something today that I really should have seen sooner...  like three weeks ago. It kinda reminded me of how quickly this year seems to be passing by... especially the past few months. September's low blog post count, for starters.

But we're now heading into my least favourite time of the year. I've often posted about my dislike of the Christmas period and all that goes along with it. That extends from the middle of November (or after Hallowe'en) until Boxing Day. It's not just the festivities, it's work stuff too. Approaching the end of the year means completing projects and the dreaded performance reviews (well, they're strictly in the New Year, but I still have to collate evidence).

Plus, it's cold and dark. Bah.

Ouch

On Sunday, I helped a friend move house. Yesterday, I went out on my bike for the first time in months. Today... today I ache all over. muscles I didn't even know that I had are stiff. It hurts, but in a good way.

As you were.

I know I've been quiet this month on the blog front. I have been feeling a little down, to be honest, and that has meant less energy to post. Plus, if I am being honest, it's not been the most exciting month. kfW2 has just called, and I've had the same update for the past few weeks: I've not left the house nor spoken to anyone.

Still, to make up for my silence here are some attractive women.

Christina Hendricks:

Alison Brie:

Morena Baccarin:

Jessica Alba:

Gut Feeling.

I can't remember if I ever posted about this before, but for some reason, this popped into my head earlier this afternoon. It's about FA2, and specifically my suspicions about her feelings towards me much earlier than when we first started fooling around.

The thing is, there have been few times where hints have been given, by women, and I've noticed them. QC1, FA2, and QC3 of those mentioned on this blog, are good examples.

When FA2 first announced her availability, she specifically asked BW to let me know. The thing is, while I'd met FA2 a few times, it struck me as weird that she insisted that BW share the news. I thought nothing of it at the time, assuming that it was all BW's doing. FA2 admitted later that it was her doing.

BW got a contract to work abroad for a few months. He asked me to look after FA2. I called her randomly one evening and asked if she fancied doing something. She declined and I thought nothing of it. I reported back to BW.

Again, there was a night when FA2, BW, me and others went out to see an ABBA tribute band. There was lots of booze and dancing, and I caught FA2 giving me looks. Again, nothing concrete, but I had a hunch that something was up.

Then we get around to the night we first kissed. I had arranged a night out with FA1 and her friends. BW and FA2 were meant to turn up, and they did... albeit hours later as they'd gone out for dinner while I was trying to figure out FA1. I had suspected that FA2 was interested in me, but I also thought that there was an outside chance that BW might have been interested in FA2. 

It later transpired that when I called her to do something, she assumed I was asking her on a date. But I wasn't. I didn't view her with romantic ideas until she kissed me. it was the BW influence. If he wasn't interested in her, they were close friends, and that needed to be managed, so I think I kinda refused to consider something romantic/physical.

Of course, a mutual friend then explained that BW had been interested in FA2, but he'd never said to me.

But still... I wasn't always useless at picking up signals. Just most of the time. And even when I did, I tended to second-guess myself.

Happy Monday!

So, off my recent "Women in suits" post, I present Alexandra Daddario. Maybe not in a full suit but looking stunning nonetheless, with cute hair and brightening my Monday morning.

Surprise!

The details are already starting to fade, even though I only woke an hour ago. In the dream, I was getting paranoid about my friends. They were blowing hot and cold. Specifically, I couldn't get a read on both KfW2 and QC2 who knew each other at least in this dream. KfW2 also knew about my crush on QC2 because I'd confided in her and she was doing her best to subtly match-make.

Towards the end of the dream, I was summoned to a gathering of friends. I expected it to be an intervention of sorts, though for what I couldn't figure out. When I got there, it wasn't an intervention but a surprise party in my honour. QC2 approached, kissed me, gave me a massive hug and walked away. Was it romantic? Platonic? Who knows.

And I kinda woke up. There were more details to it, but they've rapidly faded from memory. As you might expect, waking up with this on my mind has left me somewhat deflated and feeling a little lonely.

Sigh-prisingly.

Surprisingly, the chat with my ex-work peeps about meeting up hasn't died. And doubly surprising, it was KfW2 who kept the topic going.

And then I got a message over WhatsApp, from KfW2 suggesting we do the long-overdue night out that she's promised me since Summer 2021 and asked when suited.

I gave her the answer that I've given her for the past few years - whatever suits her. This isn't just pandering to her. My diary is currently empty, she has commitments and rather than have a back and forth about availability, it's easier (IMO) just to let her pick a date.

Then came a question that made my blood boil.

"Should we ask the work peeps along?" I assume this would be instead of doing our planned dinner and drinks (date TBC).

I was instantly super-paranoid... again. Why would she ask that?

I was reminded of a Reddit post I saw yesterday:

And I was reminded of CC's self-invite to the dinner and drinks that KfW2 and I had arranged not that long back. In all honesty, I'd thought that KfW2 would have known enough to tell her that she wasn't welcome on this particular occasion.

Clearly, it's not a date for me and KfW2. But I will admit now (and have done previously) that there are times I want to get a friend out, just the two of us, and chat. It's one of the reasons that my friendship with CH bit the dust. It's been over five years since I last recall having done so with KfW2. Again, I don't count sitting in her house with her kids running around as fulfilling this. There's something that changes when we're out, with a kind of privacy and a completely different tone. The conversations become more personal.

My reply to KfW2's question was that I thought we should do this thing by ourselves. The work peeps stuff can be something else. Let's see what the reply is.

Sigh.

I spent last night in two WhatsApp conversations. One with D, FBS etc. and the other with old teammates in my current workplace, including KfW2. The aim was to arrange some socialising.

I partly succeeded. I've tentatively booked a date with D, FBS and Friction Guy for the start of October.

The group with KfW2 is another matter. We were originally meant to go out last December, and even had a day agreed and booked... until Covid Omicron came along, whereupon we decided as a group to cancel, for obvious reasons.

It's frustrating because it's so much work, and yet while everyone wants to meet up, the expectation is that I drive the arrangements with almost zero support. And by support, I don't necessarily mean help, but even just a willingness to suggest dates or venues. I'm getting nothing.

Sigh.

Back again.

I saw a clip on YouTube this morning of the old Vic and Bob show, Shooting Stars. One of the guest stars was Anna Friel, who looked absolutely stunning. I don't recall if she was ever listed as a celebrity crush when USHW and I would have those conversations, but she should have been. So, off I went to find a picture or screen grab of Anna on the show.

What I did find instead was this picture of Anna looking stunning, but with added, well, regular readers will know.

Friendbombing?

So, reading this article on The Independent (it's called "‘I feel like I was used’: The rise of ‘friendbombing’ and why we need to talk about it "), brought back memories of CH. CH might not be a narcissist per the article's claims, but it did resonate a little with me. A somewhat intense friendship that blows out quickly due to one person being... a sub-optimal friend.

Calling time.

I've been thinking of RB this morning, and specifically the journey home from her place the morning after we first met. We parted ways at the entrance to her office and I ambled into the town centre to get a coffee. Only having like three hours of sleep was creating a massive need for caffeine.

I grabbed the largest coffee that I could and strolled through the city centre to my bus stop. There were loads of people out and about, specifically around the Apple store. of course! The newest iPhone was being released to the public that day.

And I guess that's why RB popped into my head. The phone isn't actually released to the public today, nor is it an "on this day" memory, but pre-orders open for the iPhone 14.

Time out.

KfW2 phone this morning as I was... ahem... otherwise engaged. We've not spoken in a bit, so it was nice to hear her voice, even if the timing was unfortunate. She was sharing news about her new job, and I felt I had to butt in and give her some advice about pushing herself too far. She has a habit of doing it, and I don't think she often sees it herself. From what she was sharing with me, it seemed to me like this was one of those times. It all fits... she does it when trying to impress someone. This time, it's her new employer.

She asked me about my week off. I've done nothing this week. I had plans about tidying up the back garden for winter, but the weather over here put that idea to bed. I had at the back of my mind an idea to start getting back into yoga, but until I was typing up this blog post, I had completely forgotten it. I know that if I don't do something a little bit productive that I'll regret it at 9 AM on Monday when I am booting up the work laptop, even though I've enjoyed chilling out this week.

I will try and get something done over the weekend - I am busy this afternoon. But getting the yoga started, getting stretched out, is the first stage to doing actual, proper exercise, whatever that may be.

Bah.

I'm off work next week. No reason, just time to take, feeling a bit burned out. The weather's meant to be rubbish though, so I've no idea what I'm going to do. I had some plans about a little gardening and some work on the outside of the house, but that's looking unlikely.

Cheers.

G's just texted to say that he'll be in town this weekend. or he hopes to be if EasyJet doesn't let him down. So, fingers crossed, there's a night in a pub with G, possibly FP and M too, though if I am being honest, their presence or lack thereof is not a huge factor for me.

Baby sister got back.

Following on from my previous post, about finding ES's Instagram account, it was interesting looking back through what she's been up to. I may have posted in the past that she can be quite like Sports Girl in that she flits from hobby to hobby.

However, as fun as it was looking through her photos, and even seeing pics of E, what prompted me to post was seeing ES's profile picture. A topless picture that was taken from behind. I don't know how recent it is. In it, she has short hair, and I don't think she wears it that way anymore, though it has been years since I last saw her.

But, I think I've posted before about my appreciation of backs and had conversations with A and USHW about it. And I think ES's profile picture is pretty sexy.

(Note: Since the purge, I can't find ES's profile picture any longer, so have a picture of Kiera Knightley instead seeing as there's a bit of a resemblance).

Being nosey.

Attractive Neighbour's Instagram account popped in a "people you might be interested in" list, so off I went for a nosey. AN has been busy! She's been involved in several projects that anyone based in the UK is more than likely aware of. And, of course, there are some celebrities pictured with AN, including blog favourites Lucrezia Millarini and Ellie Taylor.

And that took me off again to ES's Instagram account (she commented on some of AN's posts), but that's for another time.

It also answered the question of whether AN had bought a house per her admission to me a few years ago. It appears she has!