When the dish is served with more chilli than meat… So good though and not even the spiciest thing I ate yesterday.

Finally finished Mr. and Mrs. Smith. I realised if it was released on a weekly basis we would have finished it around now. Yet, that feels like forever. I still prefer weekly releases. I don’t have the time to binge in any case!

This week will be all about writing reports and supporting new students with vastly different needs to the rest of the class. On top of everything else, of course.

Q. What’s the maximum distance I can outsprint a 5 year old on a bike?

A. Not as far as I thought. Also, I tired a hell of a lot quicker. Also, I feel a bit sick.

Huush

Huush - Full Performance (Live on KEXP) - YouTube

No idea what inspired me to click this link from KEXP’s YouTube channel. I follow it but rarely click anything honestly. Occasionally I’ll go back to one of Kae Tempest’s or IDLES videos. I don’t know why I did, but I’m glad I did. They are described as deciding to…

make a lot of noise with this new électro rock project. They warn us again, freedom will be total, punks are in the house ! Drums thump hard, guitar oscillates between technoid arpeggios and saturated sound, while the synthetic bass underpins powerful beats.

And I’m on board for that. There’s only a single song on Apple Music so I’ve been playing this short set on repeat in the meantime.

Weekly workouts

Been a topsy turvy week. It’s been book week and we’ve had new students and work has felt like too much - working 11 days out of 12 will do that. I drank last weekend too which just leaves me hungover for too long now. One actual hangover on Sunday and just feeling “off” Monday and Tuesday. Regardless, happy to still be putting the work in.

If I sorted my diet… Who knows! But I won’t, because food is delicious.

Lyra ran the workout on Thursday at her gym. Reminded me why I so enjoyed CrossFit and British Military Fitness before that. It’s all in the community.

Seth Rollins announcing the CrossFit Open 24.2 was the crossover of 2 interests that I never saw coming.

The - UK - government wants to cut ‘unproductive tasks’ from teacher workload. What happens if you ask 9,000 teachers to give examples of the unproductive tasks they spend most time on?

Lots of teachers didn’t answer and instead wrote to say that everything they did was productive, it was just that there was too much of it. Ultimately, the government either must reduce expectations on schools or reduce teacher timetables.

Currently reading: Renegades by Marissa Meyer 📚

I don’t know how I feel about something that happened in the opening. Ain’t no way that would make it to a film version!

Finished reading: Joe Country by Mick Herron 📚

Maybe my favourite? I like how, the storylines are so… small. I don’t know if that’s the word. So self-contained? I’ll be caught up soon.

5:15 alarm.

Normally my Apple Watch is set to vibrate as my alarm, though really it’s more like failsafe incase I sleep in. Which I never do. Last night I set my alarm for 5:15 so I could go out and ruck before everyone got up.

Except, I did not do the silent alarm. Which led to my phone going for it at 5:15 in the lounge this morning. This was obviously much harder to avoid, but did mean I got up. Not sure I’ll adopt it as strategy honestly. Much too high risk.

I did my ruck though, 6km in a smidge under an hour. Still enjoying Cosmic Gate’s Best of 2023 set as a sort of background to walking.

it’s not 7:57 and most kids are wide awake.

Relax. Be kind. Be patient. They’re not bad kids. You’re not a bad parent. They’re acting out because your house is safe to them, because they trust you, because this is a totally reasonable and expected response to the pressure-cooker that is childhood. Cut them some slack. And while you’re at it, cut yourself some too.

Needed this this morning.

You Gotta Cut Them Some Slack - The Daily Dad

33 Life-Changing Books Summarized in 20 Minutes - YouTube

An interesting list of books by Mark Manson I’ll probably never get around to!

I just feel weird about teaching at the moment.

I struggle with feeling like I’m not doing my job well enough, because I don’t have enough time. But I don’t have enough time because I go to the gym for my physical and mental health or because I go home so I can spend time with my children.

Love these books.
Finished reading: London Rules by Mick Herron 📚

Watched The Beekeeper aka Jason Statham just wants a quiet life but that’s not the way life goes #33 🍿

A Möbius strip walks into a bar, crying.
The bartender asks, “What’s the matter?”
The Möbius strip replies, “Oh, where do I even begin?”

Via Popbitch

Struggle to relax at home. Sitting outside the shop I bought a Gatorade after my walk feels the only time in the day I can.

Morning ruck details. 5.2km. 50mins.

Think, so far, this is my favourite. Constantly chuckling at it. Forced myself to put it down. I guess that I’m Stinge Reading it!

Currently reading: London Rules by Mick Herron 📚

The ticket machine had Minesweeper on it. Wonder if there’s an iOS version?

Ticket machine showing Minesweeper

I’ve started recording the things I’ve watched but it’s a bit plain. Does anyone else do this on their Micro.blog? I know there are other websites but I don’t want to do that. Basically, can we have a Bookshelf but for TV and films?!

Currently reading: London Rules by Mick Herron 📚

Slough House Book 5. I could read these forever. I think I will. Reread Book 4 this week and while the story wasn’t the best, still enjoyed it.

a term time shadow
of myself, and my glory
a choice I have made

I feel like a different person in the holidays. Like work takes so much of me that I am a shadow of myself during term time.

a term time shadow
of myself, and my glory
a choice I have made

We’re enjoying the new Mr and Mrs Smith a lot. It’s strange but I’m really enjoying it.

In the spirit of ‘Stinge Watching’, we watched the original Mr and Mrs Smith last night to drag it out a bit. It was ok but I much prefer the new one.