I wasn't sure I was going to bring back my weekly post but you guys said you liked the life stuff (and I secretly love hearing about everyone else's lives when I visit your blogs) so it seemed like a no brainer to have my Sunday posts return. Will I always do them weekly? Who knows, I'm taking blogging one step at a time, I currently have no posts finished and schedule for next week so it could be I post nothing after this, or I could be inspired and finish 5 posts this afternoon. I see where the blogging winds take me.
Listening
First up, the soundtrack to my life is currently Halsey's latest album. I try and throw in other songs now and again as I do have an indie/chill playlist I like to listen to on an evening when I'm reading before bed (or, as it usually goes, when I'm playing Homescapes before bed). But I always like to have music for when I'm doing housework or out for a walk and Halsey is my current chosen soundtrack.
Life
I haven't exactly done a lot lately. My weekdays are usually filled with work followed by spending the evening at my mom's watching TV and generally getting in some socialisation since I often won't speak to anyone during work hours. It's a routine but evenings did also used to be blog time, I am attempting to develop a new routine. It’s strange how quickly I changed my routine during my blogging break but trying to change it back feels like some kind of uphill struggle. I’ll get there.
Apart from work the only other thing which has really been taking up my attention is various stuff with my solicitor. I didn't talk about it before, but you guys said to unload my life drama (not that I really view it as drama anymore) but I am moving house.
'You've only been living in your house for like a year though' I hear you all cry (unless you don't remember, because why would you recall the ins and outs of my day to day life?) and if you do remember then you may be wondering why I am moving again. The thing is, I got this house December 2019 and fully moved in just a month before the pandemic hit fully in the UK in March 2020. I was forced to learn very quickly how to live alone and get used to spending copious time alone in a short space of time. It was not my favourite thing to do because I was spending all day every day alone. Phone calls and video chats were all well and good but talking to someone in person wins every time. I would go days without saying a word to anyone but myself, and even talking to myself lost it’s appeal when I realised my walls with my neighbour weren’t the best. I would have managed to cope with being alone better, but then I began to have issues with one of my neighbours. Nothing major, I wasn't calling the police or anything like that. But I think the small everyday things were worse, at least if we had a blazing row in the street my dislike of her would feel more justified. But, as I said, the walls aren’t the best in my house and so I found myself gradually getting frustrated at all the everyday noise. From heavy bass music during the day while I'm working, to her shouting at her kids throughout the day and them very blatantly ignoring her. I learnt their bed time and bed time routine and have since learnt that bed time is not complete for them if she doesn’t have to shout at least once for them to get to bed from the living room. That combined with me getting frustrated at all the little things I knew I didn't like about the house but thought would be a minor issue left me deciding that after 18 months my house was going back up for sale and I would move elsewhere.
I know that the past 18 months are not a reflection of how things will be forever, but I also know that there was no redeeming this house in my eyes. I never want to be here and I am constantly on edge when it comes to noise, something I never used to worry about. I now know the wonders of white noise to help me relax and sleep and know the best type of earplugs to help me block out noise. These are things you shouldn't really need to look into just so you can work and sleep and live in your own home. I have worked from every room of my house (apart from the toilet) just to have a change of scenery. And I have even befriended one of the delivery drivers who stops by because I was that desperate for some human interaction! I can honestly say I hate my house and can't wait to see the back of it. My next house isn't perfect, either. But I think the difference is it's a new start and fixes the things I've strongly disliked about this one. I know I won't be able to choose my neighbours at the next house either, I may hate them or we might be best of friends. But I have worried more about the things I can control, like a bigger living room and a bed room with a built in wardrobe space. It will need way more work to decorate (which I know I hate) but I look forward to something new. Here's hoping attempt two is better because I am not spending more of my savings moving any time soon.
Wow, I didn't expect that little rant.
The only other thing going on lately? I went to a gig last Sunday to watch a Fleetwood Mac tribute band and it was honestly so much fun to do something slightly normal again. I had a great time, although me and my friend were apparently talking too much and someone sat behind us tapped us on our shoulder to say 'we paid to listen to the band not you talk'. I didn't think we were being overly loud as we could hear the band just fine but it definitely put a slight dampener on things for us as we had already said we'd have to remain sat down as the gig was all seated and no one was up dancing along so we didn't want to block anyone's view. Everyone wants to go out and enjoy music in different ways I suppose. It definitely wasn't like any gig I'd been to before but I attributed some of that to the current situation as everyone was trying to stay within their own bubble, but who knows. I also went to a friends for some drinks and a takeaway Friday night and I always appreciate doing those normal things more now. Even if I have to keep doing regular lateral flow tests to make sure I'm testing negative before going out and being social, I'd rather that than being at home alone.
Reading
I wasn't sure how many books to feature here because you haven't seen me all year but I'm not listing 67 books for you. I don't have the patience to link all those up and you probably don't want to scroll through that. Instead I'll list all the Kate Daniels books I've read so far because that has been my reading for the past 2 weeks. I will finish the whole series soon! I forgot how much I enjoy Ilona Andrews books, and it also reminded me that I should reread way more. What's the point of claiming to love books when you're always forcing yourself to read something new? I love the comfort of returning to the familiar because it reminds you why you love a book and makes you want to tell everyone about it all over again.
New To Me
Again, I will not list every purchase I've made. I'd be embarrassed to see it and I don't need the book buying judgement. I have managed to restrain myself, a couple of freebies, including a Kindle First book (which I usually don't get, but sometimes a book grabs my attention). I also bought physical copies of the Graceling series because I actually love the new covers they have been released with to match Winterkeep. I really shouldn't buy more books when I have 3 giant boxes of them I need to move to my new house but I'm allowed to indulge myself occasionally. Also, before anyone asks (I’m looking at you Vera) no, I have not yet actually read to the last book in the main PsyChangeling series, but it dropped in price so I had to buy. I will get to the final 3 (or is it 4?) books and finish the series because I do want to read the new series from that. My brain just isn’t cooperating with that plan.
What have you guys been up to this week? Have you started to try and do some more normal things yet and if so, did it feel weird? What have you been reading recently?
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