Weeknote 01/24
I love it when the month starts on a Monday. It’s even better when it’s also a new year! We met friends for a walk at the coast then spent the rest of the day sorting ourselves out for the week ahead and clinging on to the last hours of the holiday.
I went back to work on Tuesday. It took a while to warm up to it but was I back in the swing of things by lunchtime. This week I’ve been preparing a couple of discovery workshops for a new website merger project and reviewed the content and UI of a multi-stage form for an energy company. For my three days in the office I did one bus, one bike and one running commute.
My first freelance day of the year was cut short with a nasty headache.
I’m taking part in a distance challenge through work and it’s brining out my competitive nature. The goal is to see who can reach the highest combined distance for walking and running over the course of January. There are 14 of us taking part and collectively we’ve covered 384.6km in the first week. My contribution is 30.7km. My activities have included a hike in the North York Moors and a running commute.
Having a friend visiting meant I went for my first trip to my local during dry January. The guys had me covered though with a tasty alcohol free pale ale on tap.
I enjoyed my first book of the year, Emily St John Mandel’s Sea of Tranquility which I read during every quiet minute I could snatch this week.
We finally finished the fourth and final season of Sex Education. I enjoyed the closure of storylines involving the characters we know and love, but felt the new school and scenes in the US were forced. We also got up to date with University Challenge.
I wrote this while multitasking, watching the FA Cup match between Arsenal and Liverpool, and preparing our meal plan for the week ahead.
Captain Cook Round
It’s rare we have a completely free weekend together but due to plans to visit friends falling through, that’s how we found ourselves this weekend. To get us out and about we decided to take ourselves on a long walk a little further afield than we’d usually go. We chose the Captain Cook Round from Pocket Mountains' North York Moors guidebook.
The day was overcast but still, fine while you were on the move but a damp cold set in if you stood still too long.
The walk started with a steep climb from our starting point at Kildale station up a lane to meet the Cleveland Way. Our route then took us across the moor where we saw a lot of grouse in the heather. We diverted off the main path to climb to the summit of Roseberry Topping which needed to be taken slow due to mud on the stone path.
Rejoining the Cleveland Way we dropped down to Gribdale, where we stopped briefly for our picnic. Then it was back on the ascent to Captain Cook’s monument which was shrouded in cloud when we got there.
As we decended through woods and farmland back to the station we caught sight of a barn owl in flight. It initially came alongside us from the farm buildings and into the woodland, then passed up the lane where we’d just come.
Distance: 13.3km Elevation: 518m Time: 2h 57m
Finished reading: Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel 📚
Sublime. What a way to start a new year in books. Really want to reread Station Eleven now too.
I’ll watch most sports with the notable exceptions of F1, horse racing and golf. Today may be the first time I’ve actively chosen to watch darts. Have to see if Luke Littler can continue his amazing run and take home the top prize 🎯
This is the first year in I can’t remember how long that I haven’t heaped pressure on myself to finish lots of things (and inevitably fail) before the new year ticks round. It feels refreshing.
The Truman Show, 1998 - ★★★★
Still holds up after more than 25 years. Watching now (and with Izzy for the first time) it seems remarkably prescient.
Finished reading: A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo 📚
Last book of the year. Indulging my love of queer origin stories.
Booked my first overseas holiday for five years today. A short trip over the North Sea to explore the Netherlands and celebrate one of those big 0 birthdays ✈️
Home Alone, 1990 - ★★½
Introducing my wife to a classic. Not the best filmmaking but good fun nonetheless.
It’s amazing what you can forget about a film you haven’t seen for ~30 years though. I’d erased practically every scene that took place outside the house.
Love at First Sight, 2023 - ★★★
Described by a friend as an unexpected delight and I wholeheartedly agree.
Finished reading: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich 📚
My first Erdrich book but definitely not my last. This was a slow burn for me until a little over half way through when I just had to find out what happened next. It’s a rich story based on the history of the author’s own family.
An offering left at the bus stop
Testing posting from Google Keep after seeing all the chat about posting from Apple Notes.
Every December I aim to hold out as long as I can on putting the decorations up. My one concession this year is the wreath I made at a work social this week which is now up on the front door.
My Spotify Wrapped has taught me one thing: I need to take more control over the music I listen to and not lazily listen to the daily mixes that the algorithm throws up 🎶
I remember a time when it seemed all the links shared in newsletters went to Medium. It’s the same now but for Substack 🙄