Weather

Surprisingly, we've been experiencing very benign weather conditions here over the last week.  Surprising because large swathes of the US have been affected by a winter storm.  And then we've also seen the devastating and destructive impact of wildfires in Los Angeles.  All we've had here is some rather wet conditions, and the forecast for the next week even looks good (dry, if a bit chillier).  Perfect walking weather, so I've got no excuses not to get out.  I need to make the most of it, because inevitably we will be hit by some nasty winter weather at some point.           

Gameshows

I think one of my least favo(u)rite game shows is Deal or No Deal.  Mainly because no matter how you jazz it up, it is fundamentally a game based almost entirely on luck and not skill.  And US telly has unfortunately taken it a step further by airing something called Deal or No Deal Island.  Which still involves randomly picking a box, but with the weird addition of some Survivor type challenges.  I saw a teaser for the new season of this show, and was intrigued and thought I'd check out the first episode.  And it sucked.  Like really sucked.  The format is totally nonsensical, the gameplay is stupid and the contestants are totally unlikable.  I need to stop watching network TV, it a total waste of my time.

De-Stressing

I got a couple of jigsaw puzzles as Christmas presents.  I promised myself that I would only do these as a means of de-stressing when work was getting to me.  So it is a bit alarming that I've already completed one of the puzzles.

Passport

A request to the people who read this blog - particularly close family members - please try not to have any emergencies in the next 4 weeks that might require my urgent travel back to the UK.  Because I am currently without a passport.  I am renewing my passport, and have just mailed my current one to HM Passport Office.  So I can't travel anywhere.  I don't think I can even take domestic flights within the US - because my Washington State driver's license doesn't have "REAL ID" (a minimum security standard for state-issued driver's licenses).  Unfortunately I can't get the enhanced driver's license because it is only available to US citizens.  However, just thinking about it, perhaps I can use my green card as ID for domestic travel.  Anyway, less than happy about having to mail my current passport - is it really necessary?  It is just another inconvenience and expense on top of the already ridiculously high renewal fee.  But at least I had the good sense to get my digital passport photos done while I was back in the UK - because that could have been a real problem to do here.                  

Schedule

I didn't have to work this weekend, as feared.  However, I did have to get up early today to do my part on a task that needed to be completed by lunchtime.  And when I say early, I mean early.  Like before 6 am.  Fortunately I am still suffering from horrible jet lag, so it wasn't a problem at all getting up this early.  Because I would have done so anyway.  I didn't even need to set an alarm.  So in the end I got a lot of credit for my "flexible working schedule", when I really had to do nothing.  Sweet.  

Note to self

Note to self - when putting away your frosted artificial Christmas tree, don't wear a black top when you're doing so.  Because then it highlights all the frosted material that inevitably gets everywhere.  And the stuff doesn't seem to come out very easily, and you wish you owned a good clothes brush.  Yes, the frosting may make the tree more attractive - I guess it's kind of supposed to look like artificial snow - but boy is it messy.  Especially when you are trying to squeeze your tree into an impossibly small box for storage.    

Twelfth Night

Every year, the same question comes up - when should I take my Christmas decorations down?  The general consensus, at least according to a quick search on the internet, is that 12 days after Christmas marks the end of the Christmas season.  Which would be 6th January.  According to some people, keeping decorations up after this is bad luck.  So I think I will take my decorations down tomorrow.  But, I have some led lights both inside and outside that are run off batteries.  I quite like the way they look, particularly inside, so I might just keep these up until the batteries run out.  Which means I have something to blame when inevitably something bad happens to me later in the year...  

Binge Watching

Apple TV+ is free this weekend, so I've got a difficult decision to make on which show or shows to binge watch this weekend.  Top of the list are probably Severance and Masters of the Air.  But the show I might actually go for is Slow Horses.  But, in actuality, I doubt I'll get round to watching anything.  Thanks to jet lag, I have an unerring ability right now to fall asleep in front of the telly no matter what I'm watching.  Besides, I'm thinking of adding a streaming bundle to my account which includes Netflix, Apple TV+ and Peacock - so no need to watch as much as I can this weekend.  But the last thing I want to do is pay more for TV/internet, which is already a major drain on my finances, so sacrifices will need to be made elsewhere to keep my bill down.  I should really cut the cord, but I've been saying that for years.  Maybe I will this year, more so if my monthly cable bill keeps getting higher.    

Return to Work

First day back at work.  Or, pedantically, should I be saying first day back to work?  Since "at" suggests I'm going somewhere different for my work, like an office, when the fact is that all I'm doing is turning on my work laptop for the first time after the Christmas break.  At home.  Either way, I'm kind of regretting I didn't take more time off work.  Didn't feel like doing anything today - still suffering from jet lag, and this was made worst by suffering from a bad headache.  But it wouldn't be a good look if I took a sick day on the first working day of the year.  Especially since I'm working on an urgent project these next few days while other people are still out.  But at least it doesn't appear that I need to work this weekend, which was something I was warned about as a possibility. 

New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year!  Though to say I am apprehensive about 2025 is an understatement.  With a family bereavement and an office closure, last year did not exactly end well.  But this year could be worse, potentially my annus horribilis - adjusting to a fully remote job with everything negative that entails, followed by a potential (probable?) layoff.  So I think dealing with my mental health is going to be a priority (along with the usual exercise/diet resolutions).  I think my father's death has probably affected me more than I care to admit.  And along with the stress associated with my job insecurity, I am really worried about falling into depression.  I've already started to show some symptoms of this - notably a lack of motivation.  And I probably didn't enjoy my trip back to the UK over Christmas as much as I should have, letting things bother me more than I should.  I want to take this opportunity to apologize to my mum if I wasn't very good company at times - and even if I don't show it, I am grateful for her hospitality.  And I haven't even mentioned one of the big items that profoundly scares me about 2025 - a certain incoming president.  It's going to be tough to stay positive during what will probably be very turbulent and unpleasant times.