Morning everyone,
I’m doing ok. Taken a while to find my “get up and do” or any words of support for people. I do read/lurk but am sadly lacking of words of support xxxxx
Awwww 2jays - have some big 'squishy' hugs from me too xxx You and poor Spamar have certainly been through the mill lately, you poor things xxx
I hadn't realised how much Mil had changed, Slugsta, until I compared the two photographs, taken almost exactly 1 year apart. I knew she was getting frailer in looks, and of course, the fact that she won't wear dentures now has an impact - but even so, the difference set me back on my heels. It dosn't even look like the same lady. I still take a lot of pics of Mil, which I share with the Irish family - they ask after her all the time, and they appreciate being kept 'up to date' (though they don't know the full extent of the behaviours, they can't do anything and I see no point in distressing them) - so you would think that the change in her wouldn't have been such a shock to me, wouldn't you?
Red, I've tried a couple of audio books - but they don't work for me! While I can bury myself in a book I'm reading, with audio versions, my mind wanders and I am easily distracted and I keep missing bits.
Work is manic again at the moment, won't blather on about details, but the pressures to do more and more are not easing, and I am seriously considering looking elsewhere. I don't want to, I absolutely love the 'real' part of my job, but being increasingly required to spend large chunks of my working week away from home on meetings/other events, or devote time to projets that don't actually involve me meeting my targets or add anything to my outcomes, and yet still being expected to do my 'actual' work, is having an impact. The last 'away' jaunt meant 36 hours spent away from home , and yet I still worked another 20 plus hours that week, just keeping up (and not as successfully as I wanted or needed to, at that) - and it is impossible to get all this time back. I think when you enjoy what you do, a few extra hours here and there is something that most would be OK with - and I am - but when instances of you finding yourself struggling to keep up, despite having 'been in work' for over double your normal hours, seem to be increasing, it's a whole other ball game. I haven't actively been looking just yet, but a couple of people I have been working with and know, sent info to me about a post that is very appealing, and so I applied and have had an invitation to interview. And I think if I am successful, I will accept. Not banking on it, won't be gutted if I don't get it , but it's an opportunity that I think I would have been silly not to at least try for.
After 3 gorgeous days, we got rain and cooler temps again by yesterday afternoon, and more rain and cooler weather forecast for the next week too - thought it was too good to last!
Good news is that I think the swimming is helping! I've had a couple of bad nights, sleep wise - but I have also had 2 or 3 really good nights for me, and last night, when I went, I managed 14 lengths of the pool - and didn't ache that much afterwards! OK - not proper swimming, due to the shoulder pain the best I can manage is a glorified sort of doggy paddle, but even so - when I first started a few weeks ago, just 8 lengths left me really sore, so there is an improvement.
Right - time to crack on. The interview is tomorrow, so I have prep for that, plus my usual work today. Take care, and much love to all xxxxx
I remember looking at Mum on her 91st birthday and comparing her with the photo we took at her party the previous year. It was hard to recognise her as the same person 
