Back to work - definitely

Well I am definitely back to work today! I have a coffee, got up at a reasonable hour, and have taken back my office - I mean business!!

I just can't sit at random places and concentrate, I need a spot where I think and work and have some peace. I didn't like this room before because it felt lonely but now I am ok and it is nice to be hidden away. The only thing that bugs is that my desk faces away from the window so a) I have my back to the view and b) I have the sun shining on my computer screen. I think I may have to do some juggling with the space and move around a bit. Thankfully no one is coming to stay for EVER now so I can do what I like with the room without thinking too much about the concerns of guests...

Anyway - I am sat at my desk, have done my banking (first day of the month = payday WHOOP!) and have realised that I can actually pay all my household bills now! This may sound trivial but DB used to pay a lot of them because I was so brassic and in debt - but I have worked hard to pay off my debts (well we did, seeing as he paid bills so I could pay off debts instead) and wooooo I am now able to contribute fully. I have no money left but hey, I can go out and earn some so twill be dandy. I love that. I have also caught up on work emails and facebook (of course) and am reading through emails from the journal board from the department journal about a naff abstract that has been sent in. After this I will start some reading - I have decided not to try and just read for an hour, but to do chunks instead - say, have the day to read the intro. Then I have a tangible goal instead of just hours of limitless reading in front of me. And I can feel I have 'done' something at the end of the day when I have completed that goal. At 2.30 I have a meeting with a lady called Jill about some volunteering down the road. I am quite nervous about this and also unsure of whether I can fit this into my schedule, but then it is only one day a week so should give it a go at least. So I can work between 11 and 1.30 today which is quite reasonable, and then whatever hours I have when I get back until 6.30. Groovy.

I have had an amazing long weekend with my Ma! She came on Thursday and we had engagement drinks, then on Friday we went for a walk and ended up back in the pub chatting away for hours. We were outside having a ciggie (I know, I am giving up as of yesterday) and my associate sup walks past! Oh. My Word. He said 'Hello! What are you doing?' and I gabbled back that I was 'smoking a cigarette with my mum' in a really guilty way. !! I Introduced them both (two worlds that should never meet in my book) and, after assuring my Mum that I was doing well and could take some time off (yay! but really, not true) he went to the other side of the pub thank goodness. And we left for safer ground. Saturday we chilled out and watched 'eden lake' which was a pretty good horror film, I would recommend it. And Sunday we went for a long walk and had a yummy roast dinner! Very English day it was. And I showed my ma the place I would like to have my wedding list at. yaya! Monday we went to the family abode and went out for a delicious chinese meal to celebrate my 30th and our engagement and yesterday the celebrations came to an end with my beeday trip to the theme park. I was very brave and we went on pretty much everything, it was fantastic! Got home late last night and ate more rubbish to complete the day and I was fast asleep by 11pm. And today am back to normal life for the first time since we left for India in Oct!! Normal, healthy home cooked food, routine, getting up before 9.30am, working, exercising... And I am very pleased.

Yes, very pleased to be normal again. I have space in my brain for the first time in aaaaages. And with my associate sup catching me in the pub on Friday lunchtime I also have a reputation to protect. Work, work, work!!

x J