Early Autumn Goals

Much fail on this list but I'm not mad about it because things were occurring. 

I did not finish an audiobook. I started a new one, Ha-Joon Chang's Economics: A User's Guide that I enjoyed a lot, but strayed from because my brain just wasn't taking it in during my commute. I did start listening to Radio 4 for updates on the midterms, though. American politics is that much more exciting for being somewhat removed from my own life. Also, along with the student protests across Europe and other shifts in government, it feels a little 'spirit of 1968' and I am here for it. 

So anyway. Audiobook listening capacity will return when it can, I'm sure. 

I did not order new curtains. There just wasn't a good moment to go to John Lewis. One day, soon. Although probably not before Christmas because, no to the Mall in Christmas season.

Gym visits. Laughable! I love it when I'm there. Could I get there last term? Not really. Did I go back and attempt to do the same workout I was doing weekly back in the late spring? Yes. Did I pay for this with several days of aching? Also yes. 

I didn't clear the shelves by the fridge. I didn't do it in the summer, either. In fact, they still have the stuff on them in almost exactly the same precarious configuration as when I bought the shelves, 11 months ago. I can't find anything and have forgotten what is there. This week, a cake tin fell off the top in the middle of the night and woke me up and I thought we were being burgled. I think some people might call that karma. 

I didn't decide Easter holiday plans. My friend who moved to China probably has family visiting, though suggested I visit too (no). My skiing BFF has had a crisis and won't be able to come with me. So now I am thinking of taking the train to Seville, with a stopover in Barcelona. 

Books in the Hums toilet may need some unpicking. School is a very old building and a lot of our office and storage spaces used to be cloakrooms, so have toilets at the back. I have three boxes of books in the ones next to the Hums office. I have sorted them out and brought one home. The other two still need to come home, but they need stashing in waterproof boxes in the garage and so I am putting it off because the garage is quite a grim space at the best of times and worse in the winter. So I made that one a sort of completed. 

What should be top of that list is SUBMITTING THE DISSERTATION. The shadow over my life for a whole year finally departed. Results come in next week, eek - I am not ready. I know I will be simultaneously relieved and annoyed if it is only a Pass. But it had exactly as much time as I was able to give to it, so it could not have been better unless I had given up something else. And it will still be a Masters from Oxford, even if it is only a Pass. 

I did my glow swim. 

I skipped the one I booked for the following week because it got cold. This one was on 1st October and I was chilly by the time I finished. I think the following week might have required my wetsuit, not my favourite thing to wear. 

I saw the Last Princesses of the Punjab exhibition at Kensington Palace, as part of my whole weekend off in London. One suffragist and one suffragette - this will play very well with my students. 

I did four hot yogas - getting over the fact it's not bikram and quite enjoying it now. I went to the sauna often. I made mango chutney when the greengrocer had mangoes on 2 for £1.50. I got halfway through Sonja's scarf. 

So a mixed bag, but for good reasons, when you throw that hellish school term into the mix as well. And the list was helpful because it made me do things I might have skipped, like have a weekend off and go to the sauna. So a win, overall, I declare.