Just talking.

I sent a somewhat last-minute message to CC last night, to see if she fancied heading out for some food. I was bored, needed a change of scenery and had nothing in the house until Tesco comes tomorrow (or I get off my ass and go shopping). She was off at a gym class, so turned up at my house in her yoga pants and a tight t-shirt.

We ended up in a burger place and she started talking.

With CC, it's always the same subjects: KfW2's career, my house (and the work required) and my fitness. Don't get me wrong, it's nice that she cares, but it often feels like a lecture. I don't do lectures. I never have. If you can adopt a tone that makes it 'advice' rather than a 'lecture', or offer to find solutions, then I am always open to feedback.

So, when I am lectured by CC about the work that needs to be done to my house, I am often pushing back. Part of it is real - I've had issues getting tradespeople out to price up some of the stuff that I want to do (and there's a long list of things that I want to do), so the work tends not to be done. Ideally, I'd like three or more quotes for a specific job, but if I can get one, then no one else will come out. Then it gets side-lined for a while and I have to start all over again.

There's also the pandemic fallout to consider. My mental health has taken a beating. The isolation, work issues, lack of exercise etc. of the past two years has drained me. My motivation for pretty much anything has all but disappeared.

So, when CC started her usual line of inquiry last night, she sensed that there was something different to my push back, and asked about it.

"Was I tired?" She didn't mean physically. She sensed the lack of motivation was different to before.

Fair play to CC. I'd always considered her to be rather cold and uninterested in people other than herself and asking questions because she felt she had to rather than being genuinely interested in the reply. I think I've complained in the past about how she communicates in a way that makes her out to be selfish, so this was a very refreshing change.

She was also very chatty about KfW2's new job. CC didn't know that I know, and I never admitted to it. So CC spilled KfW2's secrets without a second thought. KfW2 would be angry as hell if she found out.