Result!

A result! My new yoga mat has already arrived! Sadly, it doesn't come with a carry bag or strap as per the picture on Amazon, but still, if I do a session tomorrow (tbd when I see how I feel tomorrow, but I feel good currently), then we'll put it to the test.

Let's get going.

Technical issues today with the yoga, but I eventually got those sorted (heart rate monitor not synced to my app). So I recorded 23 minutes and 316 calories, but I think there's about 4 mins and roughly 50 calories unaccounted for due to the technical error.

The workout was much more intense than the demonstration/beginners workout, so the first while will definitely be a case of practicing the moves. And I missed out on the exercises that required me to be on my knees. By Tuesday (Amazon deliveries tend not to get delivered here until mid-afternoon), I should have my new yoga mat, so hopefully that will help a great deal, otherwise I'll have to figure something out.

Today's workout introduced a couple of stretches that aren't in the demo and they're really going to help with my hips. 

So yeah, the nerdy part of me is wondering why a more intense workout that jacked my HR well above the demo workouts and roughly the same duration clocks in a lower calorie count. Not a complaint, just inquisitiveness.

Forwards and backwards.

My foot's a little sore, so I stopped my yoga session early today. However, I have to say that, this morning on waking, I was feeling physically a lot better than I have been recently. My back was a lot less sore and the foot pain is dulling to a more general discomfort rather than actual pain. I'll try again tomorrow.

I don't know if that's just a mental thing or if the recent activity (including yoga sessions) is starting to pay dividends.

I have ordered a new yoga mat that's three times thicker than my current one, so hopefully that means I can do all the yoga moves without too much, if any, discomfort. It's due to arrive on Monday.

Oh FFS.

Just when you think you're getting a handle on things, something pops up just to fuck with you. This was the case earlier with another twist in the family stuff that's been stressing me out since late last year.

It's not life threatening, but it is somewhat urgent and it is financial in nature. It needs sorted out within the next few days, so it looks like I'll be taking some time off tomorrow afternoon if I can, to try and make a few calls to get stuff sorted.

I hate speaking on the phone. I'm useless at retaining information and I'm starting to lose my hearing a little. I'd far rather do everything by chatbot or email, but they're always slower than just speaking to someone.

Still... let's see if the boss gives me tomorrow afternoon off.

People who know people.

A friend of MF's posted on Facebook. It's MF's birthday today. I can't remember if I'm mentioned this particular friend before, though I'd be surprised if I didn't. Firstly, she reminds me of celebrity and SSCW lookalike Joanna Garcia Swisher.

Secondly, as a friend of MF, she was (possibly still is) a friend of Recruitment Bird. Remember her?

I only met her a few times, but she seemed really nice. And semi-coincidental, from being in the office yesterday, I was chatting to SSCW for a little while.

Oooft.

It struck just now that this past week or so is easily the  most active I've been in a long, long time. Since Tuesday of last week, I've logged seven different workouts (i.e. exercise or walking). On top of that, there were another two days where my step  count was significantly higher than usual. It might only be like 9 days, but that's a damning indictment on how lazy/inactive I have been since Covid and the first lockdown.

YES!

I did the introduction session of my yoga again today, and so far, so good. I think I might try one of the proper sessions tomorrow. I'm still having issues with discomfort when I'm on my knees, but the good thing about these workouts is that I can tailor them accordingly. I will need to address that somehow though.

I still think 400 calories is high for a 30 min workout, but if it's accurate, then that's a huge result.

Yum

Met up with Nerdy Girl, Money Guy and the other guy that I wanted to come along. it wasn't a long night, but we had some food, a few drinks and a good chat. Nerdy Girl left early because she'd other things to do, so it was just the three guys left. Other Guy left just before 8, and Money Guy and myself chatted for another hour before calling it quits and getting our respective buses home.

Money Guy and Other Guy were suggesting we did it again soon. It'll fall to me to arrange, so I've left a message in our group chat, and let's get the ball rolling. KfW2's in that chat, and I'd still rather get her out on her own, but it's better than nothing and I've had no luck getting her out since late last year.

Time for tea.

I'm meeting Nerdy Girl and Money Guy tomorrow after work for some food and drinks. It should be good fun. I've asked another guy to come along, but I won't know about that until I go into the office tomorrow (hence the lack of yoga).

It would be good if he did. I like him a lot, though don't see him socially as often as I'd like.

Hello again.

KfW2 is just off the phone. We were talking for a while. Probably nearly 45 minutes, which is the longest we've spoken since we last saw each other in person, before Christmas. The subject of her social diary came up - she's busy through to the end of the month and possibly the first weekend in June so us being able to meet for drinks or lunch is off the table until then.

But it was still nice to chat. She keeps asking me when I last saw or spoke to CC, but she knows that I struggle to call CC a friend. She's handy for going out for dinner and being social but I try to keep her at arm's length because she's cold/selfish.

But... it nearly June. I've not seen KfW2 in person since mid-December. I have to fix that, and soon.

Yes!

So, yeah, I bit the bullet and fired up the yoga introductory session at lunchtime. In 30 mins, I supposedly burned 415 calories, though that seems high. Calorie burning isn't really the purpose of doing the yoga though - it's increasing core strength and stretching. I was also delighted to see that my heart rate monitor still worked.

I won't be able to do any tomorrow, but I am out of the house and will be more active than usual anyway. Maybe I need to see how my body reacts to the yoga before committing to anything further.

Anyhow, I felt great doing the exercises, though I wasn't engaged fully. It's a matter of practice/habit. If I don't fall apart tomorrow, I'll consider doing the intro a few more times and then move onto one of the proper sessions at the weekend or next week.

There was a slight twinge in my right shoulder and my wrists and knees were uncomfortable when on my hands and knees on the yoga mat. I might need to look at a thicker one or move my workout to my bedroom where its carpeted. And I can't do press ups for shit.

Afterwards, there was a slight bit of discomfort in my left hip and with my back, but it only lasted about 15 minutes.

At this stage, I don't see any reason why I can't do this again on Thursday. As is always the case, it's a matter of easing myself back in and doing it properly and building up a routine/habit.

But current status: pleased.

Urgh.

So, yeah, I'm thinking my current aches and pains are movement related. Or lack of movement. I woke up this morning feeling the worst I have in a long time. My back, my foot and even a couple of twinges in the hips, too.

I can't put this off. I need to be more active. I want to do Yoga, but I am paranoid the damage to my back is severe. But getting to see a GP these days is a fucking journey of telephone queues and gatekeeping receptionists. I'll maybe try one of the introductory sessions and see how I go.

Let's go!

While my sleep wasn't any better last night than it had been over the past week, I do feel much better, physically. My back's still sore, but not as much as it has been recently. My foot's still sore, but not as much as it had been recently. I wonder if that's directly related to the 3 mile cycle and 2.5 mile walk I did yesterday?

I hope so, because that can be replicated.

Or maybe it was the good weather?

The 2.5 mile walk was me heading to the pub to meet G. The weather was nice here, so we sat outside for a few hours and had a few beers. it's always great catching up with G. He made his usual offer of staying at his if I am ever in London, and I might take him up on that this summer. M didn't make it out. I think he was hungover from a Eurovision party that he and his wife host annually.

Cyclical.

I didn't get the walk done yesterday as I'd hoped. I got side-tracked in the garden, tidying it up and chilling. I did use the route today, though, and took the bike out for a quick 3-mile jaunt. The bike came through OK and so did I, surprisingly.

I've been feeling off all week, physically. I know I'm overweight. I know I should be doing more exercise. And to compound it all, the plantar whatsitsface and my back have been giving me problems to the extent where my sleep this week has been awful. Though I think the hot weather is influencing that, too.

But I worked up a sweat (not difficult in this weather) and the middle third of the ride was mostly uphill, so there was a bit of a workout to it. I can feel it my legs already.

I'll get outside this afternoon to continue tidying up the garden with some tunes, too.

Result!

The good thing about some unexpected free time is that you can get chores done and still look forward to your "proper" free time.

So with this afternoon all mine, rather than being in work, I've been able to pay some bills, do some shopping, cut the grass out the back and get a couple of other small chores done.

I'm more stuff to do tomorrow, but I can do those things in between chilling in the back garden in this good weather with music and a book, which is now my plan, rather than spend all day gardening.

I might even see if I can get a shortish walk done, too, to try and kick off some kick of exercise routine. Still not sure if I am doing further harm to my foot with this injury, but I need to be doing something and just sitting on my arse while the weather's this good would be criminal.

Weather with you.

One of the very last things shared with us last evening as I was logging off for the day was that we were given a last-minute free half-day off work this afternoon as a reward for delivering some big projects recently.

I say "last-minute" but really people had known for about a week though hadn't shared any news. I could complain about the standard of communication, but really the weather outside is awesome, I have a free half day and a back garden to enjoy.

Oh, and G texted a few minutes ago to say he's around this weekend, which is good timing as I'm out with M on Sunday.

Hurrah!

Great night with Nerdy Girl last night. A quick-ish 2-ish mile walk, then stop off at CB Pub for a few (non-alcoholic) drinks and some further chat. And it was fun.

In the middle of it, I got a message from USHW who shared that her divorce had been finalised and she was officially a single woman again. I was happy for her as I know she's been quite unhappy for some time. And stressed. So this is a new chapter for her.

Reminiscing

Another thing about the thing I was doing yesterday was that I was on a train for the first time in ages. And it ties back to this wanderlust feeling I've been having over the past few weeks. there's just something about standing in a railway station, when the weather is decent, doing something that's not work. The sounds, watching people while I just chilled, all provoked that wanderlust again.

It was a semi-memory of a feeling rather than a specific incident. I've been in that position before in a number of countries. Especially outside of rush hour, like it was yesterday, and when the weather's nice. That's the important combination to trigger the reminiscing.

Hello

I finally have something arranged with M. It's this Sunday. I'd rather it was a Friday or a Saturday, but beggars can't be choosers and hopefully this is the start of something semi-regular.

I'm also seeing Nerdy Girl tomorrow evening, so I'm being quite social this week.

Ouch

I was hoping that today would be the start of getting some exercise in. I had somewhere to be and that would involved a mile-long walk either way, plus the weather was nice.

It was kinda rammed home by the fact that my clothes (my suit) was a lot tighter than I recall, so that was an added incentive to doing some more exercise.

And it was going well until I was approaching the end of the return journey when the plantar fasciitis flared up again. It has been easing, though slower than I would like. I'm pretty sure the formal shoes didn't help matters.

So all this afternoon, the PF has been quite sore. I am meant to be meeting Nerdy Girl tomorrow evening, though the weather isn't guaranteed, but we'll see what happens.

Things that make you go "hmmmm".

I mean to post this yesterday, but I was having a lazy day and watching Star Wars, so wasn't thinking about blogging. The night out on Friday was OK. I wasn't as social as I would have liked, but I was, at least, out of the house for a few hours. Stalky Guy is not great company, either.

One point of interest was that there was a girl from work in the bar. That in itself is not unusual, it was a work event after all. But our paths have crossed before. I can't recall if I blogged about it, but she came on to me at one of our Christmas parties, years ago. She's an attractive, tall women, and I did actually pick up on her interest, but let her down gently partly because she was drunk and partly because I was surrounded by work people.

It was years ago, so I doubt she remembers. But the rumours in work are that our teams will soon merge, so I could be working alongside her more regularly.

Happy Star Wars Day!

I love Star Wars. I watch the films frequently and some of the TV shows are great, too. I've still got a Star Wars Lego set from years ago that FA2 bought me for my birthday. And I have great memories of going to watch The Phantom Menace in the cinema when it was first released back in '99. I don't think she "got" it though.

So, yeah, it's Star Wars Day (May the Fourth by with you, in case you were wondering what the connection was), so have a couple of picture of attractive Cosplayer LeeAnna Vamp making some Star Wars characters look sexy. It's all about the midriff.

Wanderlust.

I've been watching a Twitch streamer do a bike trip through Albania and it's not done anything to get rid of the feeling of wanting to travel, to go somewhere hot and sunny that I had a few days ago and listed in this post.

So, yeah, that. CC is a potential travel companion, but we have different ideas about what travel mean. For me, it's exploring. for her, it's lying on a beach.

Hmmm.

Out with Stalky Guy later today. I can't say that I'm looking forward to it given his last outing, but he's a means to an end. Company for a trip into the real world for a work event. Chances are, it'll be wrapped up early... probably no later than 9 PM, but it'll be nice to get out.

Lookalike, again.

Back in the day when I was in regular contact/conversation with USHW, I would share any potential women of interest that I saw on the online dating apps, like Tinder, for example. I might even grab a picture and send them to USHW too.

One of the women, that captured my interest and would pop into my feed every now and again was an attractive and interesting looking blonde woman. I swipe right every time I see her, though we've never matched, sadly.

I was browsing the web last night and came across an article on the band Wet Leg. They're excellent, by the way. But the thing that stood out for me was the resemblance between Wet Leg member Hester Chambers and the girl from the online dating apps.

I've not seen the blonde woman on the online dating apps in ages... probably well over a year, sadly.

Arrangement.

Well, KfW2 finally got back to me late last night, after some prodding. Of course, there's the obvious frustration... if I hadn't prodded, would she have told me? Or at least told me in a timely manner so that I could make my own arrangements for the weekend?

It's a moot point, and I'm glad she did, when she did. So I can make those arrangements with Stalky Guy for our monthly work thing. I don't particularly want to socialise with SG, but he is a means to an end for getting out of the house for a few hours to see some fresh faces.