It looks like I have already been neglecting this blog. Not for lack of trying. It’s never easy to get into new habits, but I’m trying my best. So, Let’s dive in.
What’ve I been up to?
I’m going to break this down in the best way I know how, a list. In this post I’ll also try and delve a little deeper into each item on the list.
- I went on a long walk.
- I got myself a new tablet.
- I’ve been “provisionally” accepted onto a college course.
- I’ve been making an effort to get into a new routine.
- I’m trying to quit smoking.
Now, to break each of those things down.
A Long Walk
I have a friend who lives near Glossop, we see each other regularly and he is very well equipped to help me if I’m struggling with my mental health. On one of my visits to his house, I was asked if I’d like to go on a walk with him and the dog. It was explained that it’d be a long walk and me and my eldest son decided to go along.
A Panorama from the walk.
My friend drove us out to where we’d start the walk, we got the dog out of the car and started off down the path. It was incredibly quiet. We saw someone with a whole pack of dogs (probably about 7 or so) but other than that there wasn’t another person for quite a while. It felt so calm.
A macro of a small plant growing from a cobbled wall.
I decide to use this walk as an opportunity to test out the photography features on my phone. Which went really well, until the heavens opened, and I didn’t want to risk letting my phone get drenched.
When I say the heavens opened, I mean it was absolutely hammering it down. At one point we had to take shelter in a miraculously placed tunnel running through a small hill. Being about an hour and a half into this walk, it was a very welcome break.
The view from our little tunnel.
As you can see, the tunnel floor was, to call it “uneven” would be an understatement. This wasn’t as big an issue for the humans on this trip, the dog however, she refused to keep still and kept stumbling around.
Not long after this, we decided to head back to the car. Not thinking about how far we’d walked, me and my son were tired. But what can you do in that situation? Power on!
A small road that took us back to the car.
The walk back felt gruelling. Tired Legs, achy back and the knowledge that there was no option but to carry on. By my reckoning, we spent about an hour walking away from the car, then nearly 2 walking back. I wasn’t the only person struggling though. My son had to keep stopping also as we were just so tired.
Overall, the walk was an amazing experience. The views all the way around were amazing. We had some nice chats, but most importantly… The dog was happy.
College Course
A while back, I decided to give ago at fixing my own car. I watched countless videos and read so many forums before I began. Changing a drop-link. Turns out it was a very simple procedure; I needn’t have worried about it as much as I did.
This inspired me to, next time something went wrong with the car, fix it myself. Unfortunately, the next thing to go wrong with the car was the front bearings. As any mechanic will tell you, that’s not an easy job.
This considered, I have a few mechanic friends, and I thought “If I try and fail, I can always ask for help”, so I decided to tackle the job myself. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t require any help. From borrowing tools to asking one of my friends how to do certain major parts. In the end though, I did it.
The feeling I got seeing a dashboard with no ABS light, and knowing I’d done it myself, was unparalleled.
I decided I liked this accomplishment, and I wanted this feeling to continue, so I signed up for a college course in vehicle repair. The intention isn’t to just be able to fix my own car, but to be able to fix any car.
At present, I’ve been accepted on to the course, but there are a few worries I have. For example, My mental health, I’m painfully aware of my limitations. That combined with the test that I need to pass to get on the course and still then the course will only run if there’s enough interest. It feels like there are so many hurdles to overcome.
New Tech!
With the possibility of a college course, and my biggest hobby being Technology, I thought I’d treat myself to a new tablet. Nothing too fancy or expensive, I bought myself a refurbished Microsoft Surface Pro from eBay. I plan on using it for taking notes at college and I’m also using it to update this blog!
Healthier Habits
I decide last week to quit smoking. This hasn’t been easy, and I’ve already had one slip. But I’m not letting one little slip stop me trying to be a healthier person. I’m also trying to get into a routine of getting out of bed at a reasonable time and showering as soon as I get up. So far this is going well, I find if I don’t let myself fully wake up before I’m in the shower then I’m already in the shower before I can complain about it.
I got a weights bench too. Trying to build my strength and stamina and maybe lose some weight. I am currently benching about 60kg for 5-6 reps, and I’ll do 5-10 sets, nothing to write home about but enough to make me feel like I’m getting somewhere.
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