I’m Back (Again)

How many times will I apologise for disappearing from blogging this year?

It has been quite a year though hasn’t it? We’ve gone through a lot this year so I think we all understand that none of us have quite been ourselves. I’ve never spent so many days stuck at home in my life. It’s taken quite a toll on everyone and I know I’ve been feeling the effects. And this has been the year which just keeps on giving with the insanity levels! I honestly thought this year couldn’t get any weirder considering there is a global pandemic going on yet here we are with Trump still refusing to concede the election. It’s exhausting.

I am sorry I haven’t been popping by your blogs, though. I’ve really missed you guys and feel I am so out of the loop I might as well be a newbie. I have missed blogging a lot and really missed all of your updates but I needed the break because I wasn’t enjoying it for a while there. I needed some time away for myself in the hopes I would be refreshed when I returned. I had lost my way a little and wasn’t sure why I was blogging and certainly wasn’t getting the same amount of enjoyment out of blogging as I used to. Fingers crossed I am refreshed and get that joy back. I think I have, but you just never know. I am feeling a little rusty when it comes to writing posts, though. I’ve actually redrafted this post about 5 times now.

While I’ve Been Away

I wish I could say I used my time away from blogging being productive and organised. Sorting my life out and getting lots of reading done, but that would be a lie.

I don’t know if any of you will remember but before I disappeared I was getting ready to leave my job of nearly 7 years and start a new one. That happened at the beginning of October and it as been weird! I’m enjoying the job (I think) but it’s so weird working without having actually met anyone I’m working with. There have been plenty of video calls and meetings but it’s really not the same as meeting people in person is it? I think all of that change is one of the reasons I stopped blogging, I do not handle change well. I am slowly adapting to a new working routine with my new working hours but I am definitely struggling to adjust. It’s just a completely different working culture, you know? I’ll get there, at least my commute from my bed to the spare room is manageable and finally I am happy sitting in front of my laptop again as I got given equipment to work on. A lot of Sims has been played since I started my new job. I do still avoid my spare room like the plague when I’m not working, though.

Reading? Yeah, I went for a month without successfully finishing a book. I didn’t even know what I felt reading. I just couldn’t focus. I actually started a couple of really good books (I’m looking at you The Widow of Rose House and The Roommate) but I simply couldn’t focus on them. Damn you mood reading. I have been reading a lot of Marvel comic books and have successfully finished three books in the past week (all rereads) and have started and finished reading a novella. I’m confident this means my brain is back in the game.

TV has been one of the few things I have been able to concentrate on. I binge watched The Haunting of Bly Manor when it came out followed by Emily in Paris and have just finished watching Schitt’s Creek (yes, I was late to that one and yes I am crying now it’s over). I also have an appreciation for all of the documentaries on Netflix because I spent a couple of days hungover watching those (I don’t know why I find watching documentaries soothing to watch hungover but I do). I am now on the hunt for something new to watch so please give me TV recs I’ll watch pretty much anything.

We’re back in lockdown in the UK so I have plenty of freetime on my hands. Perfect time to get back into a blog routine, right? Thankfully, the restrictions aren’t as tough this time around. We’re allowed to exercise outdoors with one other person so I’ve got some chilly walks in my future, already met my brother to walk the dog one weekend. And I’m allowed to be in a bubble as I live alone so I’m spending a lot of my freetime at my mom’s. I am so glad we’re allowed to because the feeling of dread when lockdown was first announced was real.

What’s Next?

That is my story of my time away. You will notice a few blog changes, a slight makeover seemed like a good idea. I had been wanting to make a few tweaks for a while but was just too lazy to actually follow through. I am trying to spend time getting creative about my posts again. No more mindlessly churning out reviews and requesting every book under the sun on Netgalley. I have a whole list of post ideas written out and actually developed a blogging calendar. I know, who even am I scheduling posts and putting structure in my blog? I actually resurrected my bullet journal for my return to blogging and everything and I think it’s both helping me get organised and it’s quite a relaxing way to unwind at the end of the day. I’ve even managed to get the usual house chores done in a timely manner without putting them all off until Sunday afternoon. I don’t know if this will last but for now I’m an organised genius.

What have I missed? Any good books recommendations and shows I simply must watch? Tell me what’s been going on as I slowly attempt to catch up on your blog posts.