New Books, New Gear, and a New Week

Yesterday, Sunday, was a pretty relaxed one. I didn’t write a journal-style post as I wanted a bit of time away from my MacBook, though I did post a short review of a film I watched on Friday. If you haven’t read that yet, feel free to check it out—it’ll be the post prior to this one. Sometimes, it’s nice to take a step back from writing, especially after a few busy days, but I still wanted to put something out there.
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I was supposed to go to my local pub yesterday with my dad, but he text in the morning saying he’d woken up with a headache. I didn’t mind staying in, though. I’ve been spending a bit more than I should lately, and with my cousin’s wedding next month, I need to buy a new suit, so having a quiet Sunday at home wasn’t a bad thing. I also had a parcel arriving, so it was probably for the best that I was in. There’s always that feeling when you know you’ve got something coming—waiting around, checking the tracking, hoping it doesn’t end up delayed. At least this one arrived on time.

On Saturday, my dad gave me a military-style fleece. I actually bought it for him a few years ago, but he’d never worn it and asked if I wanted it. It fit well and was great quality, so I decided to order myself another one in black. The one my dad gave me was an army green colour. It’s a good job I did that tip run on Saturday, getting rid of a load of old clothes, coats, and jackets, as I’ve now ended up with two new ones over the weekend. I do find it satisfying having a bit of a clear-out every now and then. Clothes especially—some things just sit in the wardrobe for years without ever being worn. There's no point hanging on to stuff you know you'll never wear, sometimes you just have to be ruthless. 

For the rest of Sunday, I mostly relaxed and played DayZ. If you’ve ever played it, you’ll know how intense it can get. It’s one of those games where you’re constantly on edge, and after a while, it gets a bit much. I ended up turning it off when I realised I was gripping the controller like my life depended on it—heart racing, hands sweating. Probably not the best game to unwind with, but it’s addictive.

Later in bed, I listened to my audiobook for an hour. I actually finished Zombie Road by David A. Simpson, only to realise it’s the first in a series of eight books. That’s me sorted for a while. I wasn’t planning to dive into a long series, but it makes sense to carry on now. I’ve already got book two lined up, so I’ll stick with it and see how the rest play out.

This morning, Monday, I was up early with a few things to get done. As usual, I had my black coffee and a pint of iced water before getting my workout out of the way. You probably know my routine by now, but Monday is upper body-focused—dumbbell chest presses, dumbbell rows, dumbbell flys, and lateral raises. Some days, I feel stronger than others, but today was a decent session. Once that was done, I had a quick bath and read a few more pages of Frankenstein. I always like to have a book on the go for bath times. It usually takes me ages to get through them, reading just a few pages a day, but that’s fine. There’s something about classic literature that I enjoy, even if it’s a slow read.

By the time all that was done, it was around 2pm, and I was ready for my first meal of the day—four scrambled eggs with a bit of grated cheese mixed in, followed by my usual frozen fruit of mango and blueberries. I mixed things up a bit today and had the fruit with Greek yoghurt. Greek yoghurt isn’t something I buy every week, but I picked some up this time. It’s a good way to get some extra protein in, and it works well with fruit.

For my second and last meal of the day, around 7pm, I had rump steak, sweet potato mash, cabbage, and green beans. A good steak always feels like a solid meal to end the day on. As I write this, it’s coming up to 8pm. I’ve wiped down the kitchen after my evening meal, reset the house for tomorrow, and I’m ready to get into bed. I’ll probably watch some YouTube for an hour and then continue book two in the Zombie Road series.

I hope everyone’s had a great Monday and had a good weekend.