Week 18

Week 18

I remembered after writing my last round-up that I had this week off - luckily, the paper was pretty much done! This week was very much needed, both to reset and to really go full force on applying for jobs.

  • LOST update: watched one episode and it's still great. I really like watching it an episode or two a week - I've been forced to watch season four of The Handmaid's Tale that way because of how it's released, and it's really good to have the time in between episodes to reflect.
  • Went to Lewes on Tuesday, and did some work with Adam in Measurelab. I also finally spent my Waterstones voucher from Christmas on The Vanishing Half and Small Pleasures. The former is set between the 1940s and 1990s, and is about the lives of two twins who are light-skinned black girls, who run away from home at the age of sixteen. One marries a dark-skinned black man and has a child, while the other lives her life passing as white, and the book tracks their lives across generations. The latter is set in south London in the fifties, and follows a local journalist approaching 40. Her prospects of fulfilment have begun to fade and she cares for a neurotic, suffocatingly dependent mother, while dealing with the mundanities of her job, until a woman who claims to have had a virgin birth writes to the paper, and Jean is assigned the story. Or, to summarise it, 'women's fiction' as Adam would call it.
  • We also had an amazing, if windy, lunch at The Roundhill's latest venture as a cafĂ© in Lewes, and spent a few hours that evening cooking dal and naan bread.
This cooked breakfast was incredible...
...and Adam's spiced butternut squash soup was great too!
  • I'd fully recovered from the second Pfizer vaccination by Tuesday - left me feeling a lot worse for a lot longer than the first one, but I'm very glad to have had it done.
  • With lots of job applications came lots of job rejections - but one interview offer! I'm so thankful for this, and remaining hopeful for finding a job before my contract ends in July. If anyone happens to see any reporter roles that seem like a good fit, please do let me know!
  • I voted on Thursday - PCC is never a very glamorous or sexy election, but exercising your right to vote always is.
  • The highlight of this week was my mum visiting! I hadn't seen her since Christmas and it was so lovely to see her again.
Photo creds: Adam
  • We walked around North Laine, phoned our aunt Kimmy to wish her a happy 60th birthday, had lunch with Adam and did lots of gardening after visiting Dobbies. I've missed her so much, and I'm looking forward to going home to visit on May 17 when restrictions lift further to allow overnight visits.
This plant has EXPLODED since last year - it was tiny and now it's taken over!
This had to come home with me of course...
As did these lettuce, pea, carrot and rocket plants! Not pictured: the tomato and oregano plants I bought earlier in the day
  • I've got a confirmed date to be baptised of July 11! It had been planned for June but a few important people couldn't make it, and it felt right to do it after, hopefully, all restrictions have been lifted. Very much looking forward to professing my faith before my family, friends, and the lovely congregation at the church.
  • I've mentioned this before, but my nomination at the National Diversity part nomination, part judging panel. Very thankful to all the support I've had so far - if you'd like to vote for me please click here.
  • And finally, as part of the RNID's #BeDeafAware campaign, I've made a communication card. It was so easy to do on their website, and I'm going to print it off to keep it in my purse in case I ever need it.

Next week: back to work, more job applications, and lots of plans with friends!