I must say that having almost a month off work (and not due to illness / operations) is pretty gosh-darned fantastic. Supremely relaxing. So relaxing the brain is a little mushy – next time (and be assured there will be a next time!) I need to include some mentally challenging activities.

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Don was back at work today, but I took an extra day because I wanted to ease back into it. Three days will be a little easier to handle than a full five and then the next week will only be four because of Monday’s public holiday.

We’d communicated badly about recommencing 5:2, so while I went about rather peckish today, Don was enjoying ramen for lunch and chippies as an afternoon snack. He’s now trying the start the fast day at dinner experiment.

We’re definitely seeing the results of stuffing ourselves stupid for a month. There is much pudge. But I’m pretty confident we’ll budge it fairly quickly given the success of last time.

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This morning was a little rainy and overcast – much more pleasant conditions for a 3km run. And I found this one much less arduous than the last because it was around 10°C cooler, though it was interesting to arrive home and compare the results of both – there was only around 30 seconds difference.

I’m hoping to slowly ramp up the distance in the coming weeks, but need to sit down and come up with a plan.

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I also decluttered a little – hair wax that I was unsatisfied with, but had been in the vanity for about 2 years rolls eyes, cleanser that did not suit my skin that had been there for a similar amount of time, some weird grey strap for a mystery electrical device.

I figure that if I combine some heavy blitzing with chucking at least one thing every day, we should be much less cluttered, dare I say even minimalist, by year end.

Also, I avoided buying a plastic tub which didn’t quite meet my requirements. I know I can find something suitable elsewhere and it was pretty satisfying not to bring in something sub-par. I felt quite smug (smug, but still in need of a tub).

And I brought Mom’s good silver up from the garage. I think we should start using it for every day, rather than having it sit down there doing nothing, or saving it for the once-every-couple-of-years celebrations.

I briefly opened the box and I’d forgotten just how nice it all is! Don and I need to sit down and unpack. And then decide where we are going to put it all.

I’ve been reading a lot about not saving lovely / special things for best and actually using them and I very much want to do more of that sort of thing.

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Joan sent me this photo of BabyKitty and NewKitty dopplegangers she’d spotted in a store in her neighbourhood:

This is rather a bit closer than they’d get in real life.