It's rather a pity, really, that I'm going to have to get a 'proper' job sometime: that is unless I can generate enough income out of freelance work. I'm having such a good time and am so busy: I fully understand why retired people say they can't understand how they ever had time to work.
Briefly, my tasks include: housework (it's so great not having to slot it in around everything else or at weekends); decorating (not done much of that so far); gardening (ditto though more progress than the decorating); childcare; job-hunting; writing (articles, book and letters); singing practice; trying to keep fit or get fitter (including planning an aerobics class I could teach somewhere); entering competitions (you never know I might be able just to win some of the things I want done to the house); looking for proof-reading and TEFL courses (one day I'll sign up to them both); meeting up with friends....
I met up with a friend for lunch yesterday. She was glowing with happiness: she's just adopted a child and everyone is clearly really happy. It was so lovely, and positive: you hear stories about the problems of adopting children, particularly older ones, and this was proof that it doesn't have to be so.
I also had a very positive experience in Chivers, the running shoe shop in Carlisle. The staff in there are incredibly helpful: I can't hesitate to recommend them to anyone looking for running shoes and needing advice about what type to get. I later went running - in the new shoes - with Running Friend P, down at Stainton. The 4-mile route we do is used, with a different start point, as the beginning of the Lakeland 50 which Daft Running Husband did last year and intends to do again this year. In fact he's even roped in some equally Daft Running Friends this year, and I think plans to aim for the Lakeland 100 next year.
But I digress. The route is lovely, though I hadn't run it since last September and had forgotten how undulating it is. You start off by running up a track. A quick run through some woods and then you come out at the top of a field with a lovely view across to Ullswater in the distance. Up and down a bit more through sheep fields and the route brings you to Dacre and an old Pele Tower (I think it is) and then via the Dalemain estate to Dalemain House. Across another field and then a steep climb up through some woods, to burst - or struggle - out at the top to a magnificent view of the Pennines around Alston, and across towards Scotland. It's then only a few yards to get back to the start point in Stainton. We ran it the quickest we ever have yesterday in 44 minutes, but would like to get down to 40 minutes. I drove back up the motorway singing.
Today I'm planning on starting to write my book, but so far I've applied for a job, written to the tax office, and need to write to a couple of publishers about proof-reading. Singing lesson tonight. Not sure I'll get out for that bike ride I promised myself......
Definitely too busy to work full time. Aren't we all? Isn't that what men do? Work being the ultimate displacement activity. Surely feminism wasn't about being the same as men, more about equality and choices. Carry on enjoying the choices. I can see something turning up as a self employed coach/trainer. How about looking at Life Coaching. You would then have a brilliant holistic 'coaching' package to market. Fitness and life performance.
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