April – all wrapped up…

As this goes to virtual print I’m getting ready to fly out to Queenstown for a few days…although knowing me even though my flight is tomorrow morning I probably still haven’t packed – and probably won’t think about doing so until later tonight. Besides I have a full day at work ahead of me. #lastminutepacker

Anyways, April has been very much like March but without the birthdays and with the public holidays (Easter and ANZAC Day). I’m still doing the extra job in the day office and still ending each work day feeling completely brain-dead and drained and unable to string together two words, but there is light at the end of that particular tunnel and by the end of May I should be done with it.

Okay, without any further ado, let’s wrap up April…

Let’s talk about the weather…

It’s been glorious and there have been some amazing painted skies.

More importantly, while the days have still been warm (and the ocean temperature is warm), it’s beginning to cool down overnight. I even had to wear a jacket at 5am on a few mornings over the last couple of weeks.

Health

The lack of humidity means that my dodgy ankle isn’t swelling as much and is finally beginning to feel stronger. I’m seeing a physio and doing my exercises but apparently I’ve cooked my ligaments well (my technical term) and strained both Achilles as well (in compensation) so lunges are a long way away in my future. #notsadaboutthat

I’ve also now developed pain in my right forearm which is getting steadily worse and which the physio tells me is tennis elbow and a repetitive strain injury and asked me what I do a lot of… hello, typing! It only hurts when I attempt to grip lift (a full kettle, a bottle of wine) or lift something from the ground or out of my pocket, and isn’t impacting the strength training I do so I haven’t even bothered mentioning it. It’s also the first ache or pain that isn’t due to me being overweight but rather overworked. Hopefully the week away from the day job will help with that.

Travelling…

None… but I’ll be heading to Queenstown tomorrow so that’s still April.

I’ve been on standby to go to Sydney to train the new person for the role I’ve been doing, but haven’t needed to go as we hadn’t employed anyone new. I’m now booked for two trips down there in May and one to Melbourne. It’ll be a busy month.

Eating…

Of course there’s been eating out…but I’ll tell you about that in What’s On My Plate on Wednesday…

Cooking…

Check out this post on BKD for the April Kitchen Diaries.

Watching…

On account of the whole brain drain at the end of the day thing I’ve been collapsing in front of the telly this month more than I usually would.

I finished watching Endeavour (ABCTV) – and thought the ending was the best way to end that series – and Under The Vines (Acorn). Other than that there’s been new series of Father Brown and Sister Boniface on Britbox, and a fantabulous “musical drama” (I know…) on ABCTV called In Our Blood. It’s set in Sydney’s Kings Cross (and Canberra) in the 1980s and is about Australia’s response to the AIDs crisis culminating in that grim reaper ad that changed attitudes and education. It is moving and joyous all at the same time and the music is what I was listening to at that time. There’s also a new series of Dalgliesh on Acorn that I’ve just begun.

Sue also put me onto Great Australian Stuff on ABCTV which is about…Australian stuff. And it’s great.

Reading…

You’ll need to wait until 19/5/23 for the full run down, but here’s a preview… Spoiler alert – it was a better reading month than March was.

Creating and Colouring…

Art classes are now back after the Easter break and I’ve actually made it there. We’ve been practicing perspective drawing with graphite pencils.

Unfortunately I’ll miss a few classes over the next month, but I’m trying to find the time to practice in my art journal at home – hence the bird (above) that I drew last Saturday while I was waiting for my nails to dry and listening to the last few chapters of Julia Chapman’s Date With Evil. The art practice is helping with the noise in my head so I’m glad I’m doing it.

Writing has taken a back step as a result of the day job pressures. For one of the first times ever, I’m staring at a blank screen unable to think about anything other than what didn’t get completed today and needs to be done tomorrow morning before the phone begins ringing.

I’ve been working on my usual days off so have been trying to carve out an hour to write in the morning between getting home from our walk, showering and logging into work, but can only do this a couple of mornings a week due to other commitments. I’m trying not to beat myself up too much but the fact is I’d planned on having Philly drafted and be onto the next by now. It is, however, what it is.

Changing…

To give myself something concrete to work towards Grant and I have booked to walk the Queen Charlotte Track in New Zealand in February next year. That gives me ten months to drop (at least) twenty kilos and get this ankle strong enough to walk 74 km over four days.

Over to you…

What’s been on your calendar this month? Perhaps you’d like to update us on your word of the year or intentions? We’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to…

The linky is below and it’s open for a week… Oh…one final thing…as I’m travelling I mightn’t get to comment on all the link-ups until I’m back…so apologies in advance for that.

My co-hosts are:

Deb at Deb’s World

Sue at Women Living Well Over 50

Donna at Retirement Reflections

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