More little joys

Another instalment of small joys for the time we're having. I wrote this over the course of a month or so.

At present every time I deadlift, every single Friday, there's a possibility I will hit a new personal best. On one recent Friday, I did two sets where I picked up 140kg three times in a row. Then I carried on doing that for six more sets picking up that weight two times in a row. 140x3; 140x3; 140x2; 140x2; 140x2; 140x2; 140x2; 140x2. This is the most I've ever deadlifted for reps. I'm doing it without a belt and at the age of 46. It's also almost the same body weight to deadlift weight as my one rep max in competition and I could only do that once. This one I'm repping! It's nice to be able to do more things and still get stronger as I get older. The week I did two triples felt easier than the week I did one triple. A very similar workout but slightly more work. I really psyched myself out the first time I did a triple and ended up having to grind through it on my final set. So, since then, I have learned my lesson and front loaded the triples.

This week I also did the heaviest squat I've done in a while. And again it was very close to my competition best squat body weight to squat weight ratio. Only .02% off. It's good. I fuelled the workout entirely with anger so you know, maybe that explains it.

There were riroriro in our garden. We often see tauhou and pīwakawaka in small groups with sparrows too. I have seem korimako and heard tīeke. Seeing the tiny little riroriro jumping around in our abutilon and kohuhu was a delight. Thank you, Zealandia.

I wore red lipstick for an event and I haven't done that in a long time.

I finally have finished books after being blocked on reading since finishing Our Share of Night, in January! Congratulations to me. Thank you Lindy West for writing a very vulnerable and entertaining read. All I will say is: I reckon 90% of the reckons are coming from people who haven't read the book. They should read the book.

Since finishing that book I've finished even more. I'm behind on my reading goal but I'm catching up.

I bought myself an ergonomic knee pillow to sleep with. It stops me from twisting my spine in my sleep. As a result I don't click my entire back in the morning and my nerves through my arms and legs are a lot happier. Better living via correct spinal sleep alignment, everyone.

I've gotten a lot better at making sauerkraut.

Simon and I were married 20 years, in early May. I don't really understand how time works. Even if I also understand how time works. We don't really put a lot of faith or importance on the marriage part of our relationship but it is very good to have him as my next of kin. We decided to buy a second sauerkraut fermentation crock on that day before we knew porcelain was the traditional gift for 20 years. A sweet coincidence.

I put the flannelette sheets back on the bed. And we've been lighting the fire. Today especially in the aftermath of a storm it feels good to be warm.

I found a ring I thought I had lost. It was tucked into a pocket in a handbag I haven't used for a while. The pocket looks like the one I remember putting it in. I looked for it and looked for it. So confused how it wasn't in the pocket I thought it was in. Turns out it was in an almost identical handbag, just the larger travel version, same pocket. Brains. How do they work. We may never know.

A few weeks ago I spent almost three hours floating in the hydrotherapy pool at the Wellington Aquatic Center. I've never done that before. Mostly it was hanging out with people doing rehab, or aqua jogging or just like me and my companion, people yapping. We had a few sweet interactions with older people and other people I may not meet in my day to day. I do think that's one of the real good and true things in life. Sweet interactions with strangers.

I've been trying to do some volunteering (see: state of world etc) that works in with my very people focused job. For instance, not door knocking or phone calling. I just cannot. Recently, I stuffed envelopes and hoo boy I could do that for hours. No thought, only fold and stuff and fold and stuff etc. My watch granted me 11,000 steps which is maybe three or four thousand more than I walked. So I folded. There was also some good yapping occurring. And I have been baking for volunteers. In general it needs to be vegan so I've really been adding to my list of excellent vegan recipes. These cookies are possibly almost better than ones with butter and eggs. I dunno is that shots fired? Maybe? I doubled this carrot cake recipe and made two 9x13 sheet cakes that I then made into little sandwiches, filled with the vegan buttercream. I'm having fun planning and baking and the crew are very appreciative. It's also logistically interesting to make baking that travels well and can be eaten on the street or in a car park. There are obvious easy wins but you know. It's fun to think about.

And if you too might like to volunteer here's the link to find out about all the Green Party events you can sign up to in your rohe.

I've started a new series of silly little poems.

I've remembered how great it is to stew apples for breakfast. I have stewed apples for most of my life and I do somewhat tire of the idea of peeling apples and chopping apples and coring apples and slicing apples. But the results. You'd think I'd be into the repetitive tasks of it all but somehow doing it regularly since I was a teen means the shine has most definitely worn off. But I'm doing it once a week.

I am still loving riding a bike. Yesterday, I rode in the storm. It felt sleety at times or maybe that was just hail. But it was very cold and I STILL enjoyed myself.

I went to a queer club night at Ivy and although it was unbelievably sticky there was a DJ who played some incredible deep cuts from the early 2000s and I danced with my girlfriend for a long time and we left just before the club opened to the general public at midnight. Perfect situation. I went bare-legged which I almost never do.

I got a covid vaccine without having to really do anything more than ask.

I got the posts on my nose piercings shortened. I've had them for 13 years and recently somehow, my nose has changed enough that they were wobbling around and catching on things. And my goodness the relief in having secure piercings.

I purchased a green beret for a fundraiser and now I wear a beret, sometimes.

Yesterday, I ate possibly one of the best soups of my life from August. It was a pumpkin soup base but they added chicken, kale and farro to it. Making it just unbelievably good. So savoury. There was a small kick of heat to it too. I subbed out the sourdough for one of their delicious pita.

I remembered hummus exists.