OK, so I take it back. No sooner had I posted my last blog entry than my sister texted. She was already on her way to my house to pick me to head to Dad's.
We got a couple of hours work done, but there's much more to do. A lot more than I had realised. My back's also taken a beating. So while I can feel a slight burn of sunburn (it was a really nice day here), I can also feel my back start to stiffen and become sore. That's not going to be great tomorrow.
Today didn't get off to a great start. Remember that 4 AM call? Well, technical issues meant I couldn't get online. I gave up after two and a half hours. I went back to bed, tried to sleep (unsuccessfully) and got up at 9 AM. I was able to log on, but the call had long ended and all the tasks required of me had been done by other people.
I sent an email to my manager. I'm not expecting fallout to come my way, but it's always best to be transparent. The fact I couldn't log on or get any kind of tech support is worth reporting regardless.
I also had to phone my sister. She was meant to call and let me know if she was going to be at my Dad's house. She's the only one with a key. I was semi-surprised not to have heard from her by now, so I called. She wasn't feeling well, had yet to decide if she was going to go to Dad's and would let me know.
But now I kinda feel like I can't do anything myself. I could do some gardening or go shopping, but a call could come in at any time. That's frustrating. My sister is always like this: unreliable and uncommunicative. It doesn't help when you're relying on her to make a decision/plans and she can't communicate.
I did call KfW2 at lunch and we spent 20 mins or so, chatting. I think that's the the first time we've spoken since I was at her house about 2 months ago. Our calls and texts are getting more infrequent, and she doesn't really interact on social media any more (not that I am massively active on Facebook). I should follow up over the weekend see about getting her out properly for food and drinks.
I also did get the gardening done. Well, about 80% of it. I have some tidying up to do, but the equipment I need to do it is at my Dad's house. I'm meant to be heading over there tomorrow, so I could get the work done by the end of the weekend.
FBS has already replied to D's text message saying she's unavailable on the day that D's suggested for drinks, but she's not offered up any alternatives.
And finally, thanks to some guy in work who's been a massive PITA over the past few weeks, I have a work call to attend tomorrow morning at 4AM. FFS. These use to be fairly regular when I was in the same team as Stalky Guy, but in my current team, these are almost unheard of.
D's just sent a message. Do we want to meet for drinks at the end of next month? I've checked my diary and I've got nothing on, so I've replied that I'd be interested.
Years ago, when I was an active participant in online dating, I got a message from a woman on OK Cupid. That was unusual. Women, in my experience, never open a conversation or make the first move. It was a "proper" website, too. Not an app. So there was no "match" to indicate a message was incoming.
Anyway, she seemed pretty, had decent curves and great, colourful hair. When I shared her pictures with USHW, she admitted to some hair envy. We messaged for a bit. She seemed fun, had a decent sense of humour but there wasn't that level of attraction that wanted me to take it further. The conversation fizzled out after a couple of days, IIRC.
Another point worth mentioning that is pertinent is that pretty much every bar in my hometown these days has some kind of music act on: guitarists or DJs. And they're loud.
So when one of my favourite bars in Belfast (the one where I had my actual date with Recruitment Bird) posted on Facebook about a new all-female DJ collective, I nearly passed it by. The "music" scene in my hometown is a scourge if all you want to do is meet friends and chat. But one of those women looks familiar. It has been ten years, but is it?
Yes, it is! The girl from OK Cupid with the hair!
Bugger. I told KfW2 that I'd call her last night and I completely forgot. We've played phone tennis over the past week. She texted me, for the first time in ages, last Friday around this time. So that started the phone tennis. I've got another half day off work today, so I'll give her a call at lunchtime before I start the gardening.
It's been a long week, so I've taken an afternoon off. It's not costing me any time because, as I said, it's been a long week - literally. I could have pocketed the time and used it later, but it's a dry day. I'm waiting on a package being delivered - some of those clothes I mentioned a few posts back then I'll head to the local shopping centre to do some shopping (more of those clothes I mentioned a while back).
I have another half day tomorrow, but that's been earmarked for the gardening work that I want to complete when it's still meant to be nice, but a little bit warmer and more conducive to being outside because it's a bit chilly today despite the sunshine.
I can't remember if I've posted about this before, but I had a random memory earlier today about a Saturday afternoon spent with FBS and a few others in the pub. The night before, I had been at D's house, having beers and playing video games.
I seem to recall D making a point about FBS being out with BW and a few others and why I wasn't with them. D was one of the few people who knew that FBS and I had been fucking. I knew he knew. He knew that I knew he knew, but still, I never really admitted it to anyone.
So, the next day, I arrived at FBS's house, which we'd preplanned. We were meeting D and others in town. Why I was at FBS's and not D's, who only lived two streets over, and closer to my house is lost in the mists of time.
I knocked on the door and BW answered. I can't say I was surprised. I would say that 90% of the time BW went to a bar, he went with a plan to meet a girl. He didn't know about FBS and I, so to the best of his knowledge, FBS was available. I'm willing to bet that he'd tried it on.
He had kipped on the sofa. FBS was nowhere to be seen. It was silent. I couldn't even tell if she was still asleep. But it was rapidly approaching lunchtime and I wanted to get into town, grab a bite somewhere and hit the pub.
While BW made himself presentable and tidied the sofa, I went upstairs and knocked on FBS's bedroom door.
"Are you awake?"
"Yes. C'mon in."
FBS was lying in bed.
"Get your arse out of bed. It's time to meet the rest."
It wasn't really. We had about an hour or so, but that allowed time for FBS to get ready, perhaps shower and get a bus into town.
"Yes, well, not with you watching. Turn around."
I'd forgotten that FBS had made two surprising claims about her sleeping habits. The first was that she didn't have a "side" of the bed. She just went to bed on whatever side was closest when she was ready. The other was that she slept naked.
I'd already seen her naked at this point, but this was months after we'd last spent the night together. She wrapped herself in a dressing gown and opened her wardrobe.
"Is BW still downstairs?"
"Yeah."
"OK, I'll get ready. Go downstairs, I'll be 20 minutes."
The thing is, while I am 100% that this happened, some of the details of my memory feel off... not quite right. Like the night with D, playing video games, feels like it was the middle of winter, while the next day arriving at FBS's house feels like today: not quite spring, but dry, bright and just a little cold. Given our recent history and how it ended - I wouldn't say I ghosted FBS, but we didn't spend a lot of time alone once she admitted she wanted more than just casual sex - so me turning up at her house months after we last fucked and being cheeky enough to walk into her bedroom and demand she got out of bed also feels off.
Ah well, it's a pleasant memory nonetheless.
A few months ago, I pondered on the blog about the attractive blonde woman that I knew from primary school selling a car due to moving to Australia and her subsequent (and ongoing) presence in my online dating feeds.
And today, on Facebook, she pops up again, this time with a link to an estate agent, selling a house. A very nice house, too. Is it hers or is she doing someone a favour?
The ongoing online dating presence doesn't seem to align with a move to Australia, and her online dating presence doesn't give off "casual" vibes either which is the only way I could see emigration tie into online dating.
I was pinged by a girl from work. It was the girl from this post. We've not spoken for ages, so she was asking if I still attended our monthly work nights out. I replied that I went to most of them. The last one she was at was the one mentioned in the above post. but she said she was interested in going out to the next one.
I'm hoping that's the end of next week. We didn't have one in March for some reason, which was annoying because I really wanted to be social (i.e. go out, have a few drinks and a bit of banter).
It's unlike me, but I've gone on a bit of a clothes buying spree this week. I bought a waterproof jacket last week in a clearance sale, and when it arrived and fit perfectly, I then bought a heavier one for next winter. I've also bought a couple of t-shirts and a couple of pairs of jeans.
I think that's my clothes buying over for the time being apart from one thing: short sleeved casual shirts: my summer clothing preference. Once (if) the weather turns nice, that's what I tend to wear. I've not bought a short sleeved shirt in years - since before Covid, actually. Carrying the extra weight always put me off buying clothes unless I absolutely had to, and now that I've shifted a lot of the extra, I could do with something new.
Off the back of yesterday's post about my Dad's house and my sister, I'm torn between calling her and letting her call me. I'm also toying with finishing off the work in the garden, maybe 90 minutes worth of effort, though the weather forecast is for regular showers. The weather forecast also says that next week is meant to be consistently good from Monday, so maybe I just wait until then? I think that's the best thing to do - I'll pencil it in for Monday evening.
I'm also waiting for a parcel that's due to arrive between now and 4PM. I can't really afford to miss it - it's already being redelivered as I missed the knock on the door yesterday, thanks to a demanding co-worker.
So I'm not going anywhere until that's been delivered.
As part of the ongoing family stuff, my sister hinted that she was going to hire a skip to help my Dad do a complete clean of his house and get rid of all the worthless, useless rubbish.
"If you're not busy, come over and help!"
I say "hinted" because she told me this yesterday. To the best of my knowledge, getting a skip with 24 hours notice is almost impossible.
So do I go over to my Dad's place tomorrow on the off-chance that my sister managed to order a skip and get it delivered? Should I call my sister to confirm that everything's going according to her plan? Should I wait for my sister to tell me that a skip will be delivered on a specific date?
You'd think the latter, right? Except my sister (and brother-in-law) are fucking awful at communication. They're inconsistent (they'll say one thing then contradict themselves the next time the subject is discussed) and half the time they don't bother because they forgot or they assume the other has been in touch.
I've been accused in the past of not communicating well (in work, mostly, and somewhat unfairly I think), but I think that when it comes to logistics: organising, arranging etc. that I am very good, no excellent, at it.
So it always frustrates me when this kind of thing is half-arsed.
Part of the problem at my workplace is Microsoft Teams. I compare it to the proliferation of mobiles phones. People feel that they have a right to your instant attention just because you use it.
In the past, people would send an email asking for me to do work/favours. Now, it's a Teams message and because they have engaged you in conversation, they think they have your focus and attention to the detriment of my other workload.
Yesterday, I was due to leave work at lunchtime. At 1145, I did the decent, polite thing and let the other person know that I was leaving the office. Bear in mind that the small favour they'd asked me to do on Wednesday afternoon had already taken me a full working day and was nowhere near completion.
"Can you do this before you leave?"
"Can you get someone else to cover for you while you're out? We have a deadline"
"Can you do this other thing?"
I logged off at closer to 2PM than 12PM with the work still incomplete. Will there be a shit show on Monday? Who knows?
All I know is that I have already gone above and beyond. I have spent 1.5 working days doing an hour's worth of work because other people don't understand what happens outside their own little sphere.
I hate Microsoft Teams, or rather, I hate the etiquette around it that enables people to feel they have your instant attention.
Luckily, Nerdy Girl's sofa wasn't heavy and it didn't need to moved too far, so my back was just about up to the task.
We didn't do a walk afterwards - there was torrential rain and by the time I got to NG's house, I was soaked through. We ended up in a coffee shop where I had a hot chocolate and a donut.
We chatted for a few hours and then I called it a night - my clothes were still damp, my feet were soaking and I just wanted to be dry and warm.
But it was great seeing NG again. It must be over a month since we last saw each other.
I've agreed to meet Nerdy Girl tomorrow evening for a walk, weather permitting. About an hour after that, she sent another message. Could I help her move a sofa? I responded positively, but I'm having second thoughts. I had some groceries delivered earlier and I struggled to pick up a 24 pack of Pepsi max cans.
I think my back's in a worse state than I realised, but I don't want to let NG down. I am tempted to 'fess up and give her a chance to get someone else to help, but part of me wants to try.
I saw this picture of Daisy Ridley and the person who popped into my head wasn't the person I thought it was going to be. In the past, I've mentioned that E's sister kinda, sorta looks like a cross between Daisy Ridley and Kiera Knightley.
And there were times where DR also gave of E vibes, too. Specifically in The Force Awakens.
So, yeah, it wasn't ES who popped into my head when I saw this picture, but E herself. When I first met E, she had short hair in a style not unlike that pictured below. But it's a weird hybrid in the photo - definitely E vibes from the neck up, ES vibes from the neck down. ES is slim, like Daisy Ridley, and out of the two women, she's probably the one most likely top wear something like that, being an ex-model. E is not as tall as ES, but has more curves.
And, of course, I love women in suits and below is a great example.
I should reach out to E, it's been months since we last swapped messages.
I do hope the apathy, that I mentioned in my previous post, fucks off. I have a busy week this week that includes an appointment related to the health thing from Wednesday, a walk with Nerdy Girl, a trip into the office on Wednesday, a couple of house things (mainly asking for quotes for work) and I also have the feeling that there's something I've forgotten.
I didn't go to the opticians. It was a logistics decision instead of an apathy one. On an ordinary day, the bus to the shopping centre passes every 10 minutes. On a Sunday, it's every 30 minutes. So having to work around that alone wasn't worth it for a 10 minute trip into the opticians.
For some inexplicable reason, I got hit with a huge wave of apathy yesterday that's still hanging around today. Well, apathy and funk. And I don't know why. Most of the time, when I get into a funk, I can pinpoint what made it happen or the general mood that led to it. Not this time, though.
It's likely a combination of several things, but not one thing is screaming out to me as being the main culprit.
I've managed to get some washing done, I also managed about 45 minutes of garden work, left over from midweek, before the rain started. (Still a couple of hours to do, though, and couldn't do any more as my grass bin is full and won't get emptied until Thursday). And even this small achievement isn't making me feel any better.
I got a text message yesterday from my opticians that my replacement glasses have arrived, and I could (should) go and collect them this afternoon once the shops open but the apathy is still here. I'd have to shower, change into "going out" clothes instead of these "household chores" clothes I'm currently wearing and then catch a bus. And part of me is like "Meh, do it tomorrow".
I've spoken about them before, but one of my favourite local bands is playing CB Pub at the end of June, according to Facebook. It's a Sunday afternoon, strangely, but that wouldn't stop me from going. I went with M a few years ago, on a Friday night, but he was unavailable last year. I'll maybe fire him a text message this weekend about it.
With the family health thing distracting me on Wednesday, I wasn't able to get everything done that I wanted to in the garden. With the weather forecast not looking too great for the next week, I had planned on getting as much done as I could after logging off for the weekend this afternoon.
The weather forecast had predicted rain from tea time, so that gave me a couple of hours to finish off what I wanted before the weather turned.
Except the forecast was wrong. When I logged off at 2:15, the wind had picked up and it had started to rain. FFS.
It looks like the next spell of dry weather could be about 8 or 9 days away. Fingers crossed.
Unfortunately, I was in a position to satisfy my admiration of women in scrubs last night. I mean, it's rare that you get a chance to admire women in scrubs under good circumstances.
And I have to say that there was a lot to admire compared to the last time I "indulged". The doctor that I was specifically dealing with looked really familiar. It took a few hours before it clicked. She reminded me of a woman that I used to work with about ten years ago. Like, really reminded me, to the point where they could have been sisters.
She was super nice, even when dealing with a troublesome patient (not me).
In an interesting turn of events, there's a slight possibility that the tall drunk woman who came on to me at a work Christmas party ten years ago might be my new boss. Things in work are going to change next month, and that's something that's been mentioned, though nothing is currently set in stone.
She was very drunk, so I assume she doesn't remember.
While the Easter weekend is memorable for a lot of reasons - mainly afternoons spent in bars, trying to get around the archaic local licensing laws, probably the most prominent memory is sleeping with FA2 for the first time.
I don't know if that played into my waking memory this morning, but I woke thinking about FA2, about waking beside FA2. But not for sex, just to cuddle and chat. I've undoubtedly posted before about missing that kind of physical contact and how much I am touch starved, but there's something to be said about waking beside someone, cuddling and chatting.
I've always been interested in space. The black stuff in the night sky, not being left alone (though that's not bad either, in moderation). So I was delighted when I found out that Netflix was live broadcasting the current Artemis mission to the moon.
I've been sat here, in front of the PC, with Netflix on. There's not a lot to see visually, but I'm finding this absolutely fascinating. Years ago, I was absolutely jealous of KfW2 who was in Florida when the last ever shuttle mission landed at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, though she never actually went to see the landing.
It's been nearly ten years since FP and I went to Kennedy Space Center when we were in Florida, which will always be one of my all-time favourite memories. Going to KSC was something I had on my bucket list and it's not every day you get to tick something off that, is it?
Randomly, about an hour ago, Date No. 1 popped into my head. Well, semi-randomly.
There was a post on Reddit that said (I parpahrase):
"What are your expectations on a second date if the first date was kinda plain?"
Which reminded me of the date I had with date No. 1.
Date No. 1 was pretty. I was attracted to her. The conversation flowed easily enough, but it was vanilla. But that's me. You want to get to know me, know my sense of humour, my flirty side? It's highly unlikely you're getting that on a first date. I don't know you well enough.
So, yeah, I wanted to see Date No. 1 again, but she refused. Ah well.
Anyway... that's why Date No. 1 popped into my head in the middle of the afternoon.
We've just been through Storm Dave, which has meant wind and rain. To be honest, it kinda feels like wind and rain is now our standard weather. But! We're due a spell of a few days of dry weather, with Wednesday meant to be both dry and warm. So that's the day I'm planning on doing some gardening - my first of the season.
I'm not sure how much my back will come into play - mowing the lawn and other small bits and pieces shouldn't be too bad. It'll only take a couple of hours, tops, as well, so it's not like I'll be at it all day.
While I know that it makes sense because you're booking a room, it still annoys me that I have to pay a premium to stay in a hotel.
Check in as a couple into a nice boutique hotel, it's £150 per night for you both.
Check in as a single person? It's £150 per night.
Booooo!
Yes, I'm bored, unmotivated and creating holidays that I'll never go on.
Four people put their name forward for the steps challenge that I mentioned before. I decided that I'd bow out and leave the other three to it. I don't think that suddenly upping my steps from 3.8K to 11.1K per day is just something that I can do within a few days, and maintain that over a month.
So, I'll spend it trying to increase my step count instead. baby steps. No pun intended.
