Ten years ago today (24 July 2014) I woke up with a flashing square in my left eye, like the blinking cursor on a Commodore 64. It was the start of one of the most dramatic and terrifying periods of my life that has left me permanently scarred.
Trigger warning: This post discusses viral meningitis and includes a discussion about death and dying.
Continue reading Meningitis—10 years on
In his book Atomic Habits, author James Clear stresses that we don’t rise to the level of our goals, instead we fall to the level of our systems. If we establish the right habits, then even on our worst days that should still help us to reach our goals.
For years, I would get up before dawn and head out on my bike around 05:30. It always set me up well for the day. I felt that I had achieved something. It energised me. It got my body and mind moving before breakfast.
I am trying to aim for that daily routine again. This morning I rose at a lazy 06:40, tidied away the laundry for my children arriving this afternoon and then headed out into the darkness on my bike.
It felt good to be out in the chill air, watching the sun rise.
Today, I took delivery of some new, very reflective cycling overshoes from Proviz. My feet are going to be warm and dry from now on.
Here is to more bike rides in the winter darkness.
Over the last few weeks, I have been pondering what I need to focus on in 2024. It came to me the other day: I need to both slow down and move more.
I love working from home, but I now live a mostly sedentary life which has been terrible for my health. I need to move more.
Despite my sedentary lifestyle, I try to pack as much into each day as I can—I am always busy… too busy. I need more space in my life, more rest, more peace and quiet.
I enjoyed a moment this morning just sitting in silence at my table, looking out my window to the blue sky and sunshine. It was nice to just ‘be’.
In the early afternoon, I went for my first bike ride of the year. Just 25 minutes, but enough to get me moving and feel the sun on my face and the biting cold wind tear through my clothing, chilling me to the bone.
A good start to the year.
This time last week, I wasn’t expecting a week of food poisoning and international war.
After the last couple of years of avoiding Covid, I was hoping that 2022 might finally be a much more positive year; a year of rebuilding. But we now have a world leader intent on starting World War III.
But we’ll get to that… this week, it appears that I tried to start a fight with my immune system.
Continue reading What a week!
I’m not sure when I first came across the LEGO pain scale, or where I got it from (although the graphic suggests it is from The Brick Testament), but I have often found this to be a very useful way to indicate to medical staff the severity of a particular pain.
Continue reading LEGO pain scale