Is it too early to think about Christmas? Yes, yes it is. I do love autumn but I’d still like one last summer hurrah before the coldness does finally set in…we’ll see I guess.
Rave: I am now the proud owner of a standing desk at work now. I’m so pleased as I really pushed for this. To be fair, my company were very accommodating but it did require me to do the leg work (no pun intended) to champion it and find a decent one that didn’t cost the world. 
It’s good timing as my original Amazon box was starting to sag…This bad boy is fantastic though as it even has someone to perch your mouse (before I had to put my mouse on my laptop and swerve the keyboard). It was only around £50 as well, and fully adjustable! (It’s THIS one if you’re interested – no affiliation).
Rant: Dark mornings. How easy it was to get up at 5.30am when the sun was already shining outside…now it’s like the dead of night. At least it’s light when I come out of the gym I suppose.
Dark but beautiful I suppose.
Rave: Getting back into playing the Xbox again. I’m a geek at heart and have played console games and PC games since I could hold a controller. My dad’s to blame as he’d always buy the latest consoles and get me to play with him.
Sometimes it’s nice to chill out and shoot a few zombies, crash a few cars and ‘level up’. I can’t believe how much of a geek I used to be back in the day; I played so many games growing up (The Sims, Tomb Raider, Halo, online gaming…). These days I can get bored quite easily, but once in a while it’s nice to waste some time when the weather’s rubbish.
Rant: I seem to have a soap opera life with the cats on my street. The ginger one below has been using this little spot on my front garden (hardly a garden, more a patch of untamed grass…) to chill.
So much so there is now an indentation in the grass where it’s been curled up for hours at end. I’m at peace with it chilling there though as Alfie doesn’t notice it. Bless, Alfie, he’s not the sharpest or most observant dog…
Speaking of cats, there’s one that looks so grumpy it’s almost unreal. I’ve been trying to take a photo of it for ages…I even stroked it and played with it (it seemed really friendly surprisingly) but I could only manage this one:
Someone really annoyed this cat at some point in its life. It’s holding a powerful grudge.
Rave: I’ve got a collection of old designer handbags that I’m aiming to get sell (not really high end brands, but DKNY, Guess and Radley). I put one of the Radley handbags on eBay to sell and didn’t really care how much I’d get and in the end got £28. I charged £5ish for P&P and went to he post office to sell it.
I haven’t sold anything before on eBay nor have I ever sent a handbag in the post. It was all very stressful and complicated and would have cost more than £5. The lady behind the till was aghast though and said she’d give me£50 there and then to buy it from me. I was stunned. I had a little think and decided to hell with it. I said I’d be happy to sell it to her for £40 (£50 felt too much). She gave me cash! Amazing. I did feel terrible having to go back to the eBay buyer and say it was no longer available and they were fully refunded. Sometimes though you just have to go for it!
Rant: This is a depressing and slightly morbid rant, sorry. I don’t talk too much about this on the blog as it’s highly personal and doesn’t just involve me, but I still find being separated from Ben tough. I’m learning how to redefine myself and live my life now as a unit, which is hard. It still affects me every day. I had a moment the other day when I thought (now this really is morbid I’m sorry) what if I have an accident or I’m attacked one evening? Who will know I’m missing? My parents will eventually, but not right away. I don’t speak to them every day. Yes I work with my dad but some days/weeks he’s not in the office and somewhere else in the country (or world) on business. I obviously have friends but it’s not the same is it as a significant other? I mentioned this to my mum and she said she had thought about that too (her spinster daughter all on her own…) and suggested we “check in” with each other each night. Either a text or a phone call just before I go to bed to say “hey, I’m alive”. Jesus, this is how much I’ve regressed 😉 Though we failed the first evening as I forgot and then she text too late as I was already asleep. Whoops.
And just because we’re on that delightful topping of being newly single… I saw a work colleague the other day that I hadn’t seen for like three years. She asked how married life was as the last time she spoke to me was just before the wedding. Ah there’s a great conversation “yeah…not so good actually.” Or even better still, someone who had no idea you’d gotten married in the first place asks what’s new in your life. I mean seriously, what do you say!? You have to laugh at these things really…!
Rave: To end on something lighter… This is Alfie’s meditation face.
I’m pretty sure if I could read his thoughts he was visualising how he was going to overcome the many cats that hound him around my road 😉 “I am strong, I won’t let them bother me”…either that or “I hope when I open my eyes she’s put her camera away”.
On the subject of Alfie, I find it both adorable and annoying that he leaves little bits of food all over the house. I’m pretty sure this is because he thinks someone might steal the food in his food bowl (he’s a grazer rather than an outright meal eater) so he distributes little bits everywhere…just in case.
Resourceful I must admit.
If you have pets, do they do things that are cute but annoying?
What time do you get up in the morning usually?
Do you use eBay a lot? Have you ever sold old things?
*hugs*
I got a Road ID to reduce maternal panic: http://www.roadid.com/. I also made sure to update my iPhone and make sure I’ve got all the health info in there – and emergency contacts, because that’s now accessible from the lock screen
eBay: I need to start up a batch of selling and get on with decluttering. I’ve been using it for about 10 years now…
This morning we tried to get up at 5.45am. Finally upright at 6am, and sipping coffee prior to 5 miles easy (with bonus tiger in the zoo).
Jane recently posted…We went to Towersey!
Thanks. Ah the road ID is great! Yes I’ve done the iPhone thing – and now put a card in my handbag (as well as a little note to say I have a dog home alone).
eBay is such a faff but it seems to pay off!
Tiger in the zoo!? Amazing!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
Haha nice one on the bag selling! I used to be addicted to ebay – buying and selling – but I just can’t be arsed with it now. It IS stressful dealing with the post office and oddly shaped items! I also love Alfies meditation face – he is the most zen pooch I’ve seen 😉
Cat recently posted…A Lesson A Day (+ September Goal)
I know, I just don’t know if I can be faffed. Might try Facebook instead!
Haha he can be zen OCCASIONALLY, but not normally 😉
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
Oh Anna, I’m sorry but I laughed so much about you forgot to ‘check in’ with your mum on the first night and then you were asleep when she checked in with you! I lived alone for 6 years and whilst I might have been in relationships for some of that time, I’d say I was single for most of it. I can honestly say that that kind of thing never bothered me but I know my mum worried about me a lot. She just didn’t like the idea of me being alone and used to go mad when I told her I’d been running in the dark at 5am!
I think it’s about finding a balance of not letting fear stop you living your life the way you’d like to live it, but also being realistic and keeping safe. Giving a friend/family member a list of your usual routes is always a good idea, just in case.
Great result with the handbag!
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I think it’s just a shock because I’ve never lived alone. Before I moved in with Ben I was at university living with other girls and as we were all close we always knew where each other were. Before that I lived at home. It’s just an odd scenario to suddenly find myself in! I know it’s rather normal for most people.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
I have the same morbid train of thought. The idea of living alone absolutely terrifies me, and although I’m okay now my parents won’t be around forever and the possibility of me ever finding a significant other is…well, it’s less than negligible. I have visions in the future of me dying and nobody knowing or caring about it; of an empty funeral. Sure, there’s possible ‘care’ in place for me in the scenario of me being alone (sadly I check out of reality and get into huge panic/anxiety/depression-induced meltdowns too often to really take care of myself) but it’s so demeaning even to think about it…plus, I don’t want someone caring for me because they’re paid to or doing it out of obligation rather than love.
I love all cats, but grumpy-faced cats are just a whole other level of adorable. Alfie’s food habits might be annoying, but at least he doesn’t leave random animal body parts around like my cat used to…or even worse, deposit live but half-mauled to death birds/mice on your bed. She was so pleased with herself as well, bless her…I think she was trying to give me a present!
I’m always pleased when you write about gaming 🙂 I’m more of retro gamer I suppose, but I did play The Sims. Then the Pokémon franchise came along and I was absolutely hooked. My favourites were always the old Sonic games (let’s not talk about the 3D/new ones…), Super Mario 64, Lylat Wars and Ecco the Dolphin. I still play Pokémon to this day…no shame!
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🙁 it’s a sucky scenario for definite.
I do admit the grumpy cat IS rather cute. It’s just rather bizarre when they’re so overly friendly haha.
Oh god!! Yes that is so much worse finding those kind of presents!! Gross!
ECCO THE DOLPHIN! I loved that game. The bit with the hammerhead shark though was terrifying.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
¡¡¡¡Perfecta!!!!como dices hay adornos de varios tamaños y puede que en una oclumna de esas rectas, que no tenga mucha base, quede genial.Besos
Ah I never had you down as a gamer! (But then why should I catagorise?!) I used to love the Sims as a kid but that was kinda it.
I’m sorry to hear things are tough, life sure can be rough sometimes. Thinking of you and we’ll notice if you’re gone! I did laugh when you said you forgot to text your mum though 😉
Pip {Cherries & Chisme} recently posted…Rewind: August
Yeah closet geek 😉 I don’t play as much though as I just don’t have the attention span for it. But sometimes it’s nice to have a play now and again. I loved The Sims…just designing the house was fun enough! Keeping those buggers alive and happy was frustrating though haha.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
That’s so awesome that you got the standing desk sorted! I live alone and have always been single so have similar morbid thoughts- sometimes thinking about the future terrifies me. On a lighter note, that grumpy cat’s face is hilarious! x
LilyLipstick recently posted…A (Wedding) Weekend In The City
Yeah I think it’s best not to dwell on things. I think it’s a lot more common in London than it is round here because London is very cosmopolitan. I feel like I’m surrounded by families here!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
I noticed that Tesco had stocked up with a million Celebration tins when I popped in on Monday. Soooo early to think about Christmas, but I need to start thinking about present shopping soon. Too many nieces and nephews now!
I’ve never been an XBox fan, but with my first tip money as a waitress I bought a Nintendo 64 with Goldeneye and Mario on it. Best games ever! Might have to dig it out of the boxes in the garage this weekend for a game actually…
When I got my first teaching post one of the houses I went to look at was several miles out of town, along some very narrow windy roads that were several metres higher than the ditches either side of them. I had visions of me skidding off the road in the Winter into a ditch and nobody knowing where I was until days later. I didn’t go for that house, and when I did move, made sure to meet my next-door-neighbour early on! Make sure you meet your neighbours when you move. Love that you are checking in with your Mum each night though. Good plan! 🙂
Bella’s cute-but-annoying habit of the moment is to put her paw in drinking glasses. It doesn’t matter where you put your glass, you only need to put it down for a split second and she’s dabbed her paw in it so that you can’t drink anymore! Cute, but a pain!
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Wow you must have got a lot of tips! I never had an N64 but I had a friend who did and loved playing Donky Kong Racing. Ahh Goldeneye, what a classic!
Definitely going to break out of my anti-social introvert bubble to at least make myself known by my fellow flat dwellers. I’ve not done so well here!!
Haha oh dear Bella. Yeah my parents’ dogs will drink water if it’s on the floor…
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
I have had a standing desk for 3.5 years and it’s made a HUGE DIFFERENT on my back pain that I used to have from sitting all the time!!! Congrats on your NEW desk! 😀 But seriously!
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Yes 100% to this. No more back pain, no more tight hip flexors and knee issues when running!
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
I think my mum and I would be the same with forgetting to check-in, even if we had the best intentions. It’s going to be a learning curve and take time to adjust to being single and I guess you start worrying about things you didn’t think you would. That’s natural though.
I think those cats are taunting you. That is one grumpy looking cat, but in a really cute way.
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There are just so many cats it’s unreal. I don’t mind them but Alfie just pulls and pulls when they run away. If they just sit there Alfie freaks out and backs off. I think it’s the flight instinct when they run.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
I didn’t even know you could get real standing desks! That is brilliant! Mine is just a computer on a cupboard, but then we don’t have a budget for things like that at school!
I wear an ID tag in my trainers, so at least if I fall over or something then the ICE numbers are in there- I have morbid trains of thought a lot of the time too though.
Love the picture of the cat (although in my mind, that is how most cats feel)- brilliant.
It must be really tough adjusting back to being on your own again- sending good thoughts your way.
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But like you’ve said before, you are on your feet a fair bit anyway as a teacher. In an office it’s just impossible.
That’s a good idea about the ID tag.
AnnaTheApple recently posted…Gel Glorify and Luminus – Pound The Road, Not Your Feet
Oh that poor grumpy cat! I like Alfie’s resourcefulness! Baxter just wolfs all his food very quickly- no time to put bits around the house haha.
Lauren (@PoweredbyPB) recently posted…Beating Treadmill Boredom with RunSocial
Hehe Alfie will wolf down food when he’s at my parent’s house if I stay over there as otherwise they’ll eat his food, but at home he just picks at it through the day.
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