Week 31
Work
Tuesday I had a trip to Wales. It was an information gathering trip. Took nearly whole day out of my final week of this phase in the project. But it really didn’t feel as useful as I’d hoped it would be. It was nice to get to spend the extra time with colleagues though, and to establish some new relationships with good people client-side. Reflection: it wasn’t wasted as a trip, I learned plenty, just not what I was hoping to learn. AND that session built the goodwill to get what we needed from those people later on the same week. AND if we hadn’t been in the final week of this phase, it would have been a perfectly appropriate “getting to know you” type session, and we’d have been in a position to make much more of it. Thinking back now, the value I saw in that session was more a reflection of my short-term focus and of the headspace I was in at the time. I reckon that day to Wales will have been of greater value than the one I’d planned, because it laid more solid relationship foundations and earned trust than the more transactional meeting we’d planned.
This was the final week of this phase of the intense project I’m working on. Well, no, this was my final week - it got extended by a week and so others in the team have another week on it. I thought it was going to be stressful but actually it was fine - because we’ve done so much work on this ahead of time, and because we’re really good at swarming as a team to get things finished. Reflection: I know I’m going to experience FOMO as the rest of the team carry it over the line without me. I’ve really, really enjoyed working with this crew - and I know some of them are heading off to work on other projects next. I’m going to miss the vibe. The next phase of this project will feel different (good different/bad different, who knows?) so I’m a little sad it’s over - and hope I get to continue working with at least some of this very lovely and very talented team.
Home
Finally got around to heading to the doctor about an itchy rash I’ve had on my leg for six months. I had been successfully ignoring it, but then last month the skin there started to peel off - whenever new skin grew over it, it just peeled off again within a couple of days. GP gave me a cream for dermatitis; rash was gone within four days. Reflection: this is borderline oversharing, I know, but I’m sharing because *rolls eyes at self* I’ve done this before. I let something small and irritating (whether to do with my work, my home, my body) persist rather than investing a tiny amount of time in resolving it promptly. It’s weird: I address big issues right away; but with the small things I tell myself it’ll go away, or it’ll sort itself out. I’ve learned this lesson before and it looks like this is something I might have to learn a few times before it sticks.
I skipped swimming this week. I wish I hadn’t - but this my final week of work before holidays, I had a trip to Wales the next day, and I just wanted to crawl into my bed and sleep. Reflection: I think, if I’m going to be honest with myself, I found last week’s swimming lesson really, really exhausting. I still haven’t nailed the breathing and my technique isn’t strong. So I either bottled it, or decided to look after myself, depending on whichever internal monologue is running through my head.
It was my sister’s birthday this week. We remembered her birthday but really struggled to choose something to get her. I decided some Comicon tickets would be just the thing (she’s never been before but I reckoned it would be right her up street and I was right). But - she can’t go this year because she doesn’t have any holiday left, so we’ll get tickets for next year and in the meantime she’s going to work on her costume - Alfira the Bard. So my sister’s birthday gift this year is an awesome long purple wig for her costume. Reflection: I’ve been really rubbish with family birthdays this year. None of the reasons I have for that are acceptable, they all deserve better and I’m disappointed in myself. I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to give someone a great birthday and the perfect (for them) gift - it’s emotional baggage from a poverty-stricken childhood. No-one in my life expects those things from me - they appreciate the thoughtfulness.
The kids were ill this week. The stay in bed, sleep all day kind of ill. Emily lost her voice. Zoe felt nauseous. They recovered after three or four days. Of course, that’s when Steve got ill. Summer colds suck.