I am typing this on my new MacBook Air (the M2). It’s nice. I got the apparent “fingerprint magnet” colour of Midnight, but I wasn’t going to say no to a laptop in a shade of blue. It’s only been a day, and I haven’t moved my laptop around much. It does show up with specks of dust quite easily, but the fingerprints seem easy to remove with a microfibre cloth (so far). And it’s only really subtly blue, and more visible when you compare it to something like the Space Gray colour. It’s been a nice upgrade from my 2015 MacBook Pro, a hardy device that was starting to underperform due to its age. I had been holding out for a MacBook that wasn’t going to cost a lot for features I wasn’t going to use. I don’t do photo editing anymore, and I don’t do anything intensive like video editing, so when this new model of the MacBook Air came out, it best suited my needs. 🙌🏻 It’s really thin and light, which I love. It feels like it weighs as much as a standard book, and even less than your regular hardcover book.

I haven’t felt very motivated recently (despite having a nice new laptop to type on), and it is probably due to a combination of things, but none of which I can really put my finger on at the moment. Things happening around the world, the coldness of winter (although I am really trying to avoid using the weather as any kind of excuse), honestly probably not sleeping very well, and stuff around me happening like Nick being really busy with some important issues at work. I’m on a de-load week for my workout program and I think it came at a good time. I haven’t felt particularly motivated in that aspect either, but I know that I am keen for a new program and to start working on lifting heavier again. 💪🏻

Our team had a retrospective meeting at work yesterday and wrote down some topics to talk about. I mentioned the lack of motivation, and we collectively acknowledged that we were all in the same boat, and also dealing with things personally, so I felt less isolated. I’m really grateful to be in a team where we not only understand one another, but are supportive of each other and are able to be open and honest.

My satin pothos has been growing a little. I’m really keen to see a tiny new leaf pop up soon. 🌱 I’ve been giving it a bit more sunlight and watching the end of the vine grow longer. They supposedly grow really slowly, but I can’t really tell if this is slow growth because I don’t have too much to compare it to! I’m just glad it’s growing since I first got the plant.

I also moved one of the buds from my snake plant, which was taking up too much space in the white pot.

My reading stint has been going alright. I finished listening to Into Thin Air, about the 1996 Mount Everest expedition disaster, and that was really a gripping listen, especially towards the end. I have tried to be OK with the notion of not finishing books – especially if I find that they are uninteresting to me. When I was younger, I was under the impression that every book had to be completed, and I would feel an immense sense of guilt if I didn’t finish a book. But our time should be spent wisely, and it no longer makes sense for me to spend so much time reading a book I am not enjoying. I ended up not finishing Thinking, Fast and Slow because the content felt very dry and repetitive.

I’ve started to read a few books at the same time, too. I used to dislike doing this too – very of the mindset that you finish what you start before you start something else. But it has been really beneficial for me to have access to audiobooks, eBooks and physical books, because it gives me the flexibility of consuming something whether I am sitting at home, or need to be more mobile, or going for a walk where I need to pay attention to where I am walking.

I have to admit that my focus definitely feels shot at the moment. I’ve stopped writing this blog post to do something else, about a dozen times now. I don’t necessarily feel distracted, but it’s almost like I don’t want to do the thing I’m doing. I have been meaning to write this blog post for a few days now, but I just couldn’t be bothered and ended up doing something else instead. I’ve felt similarly at work, where I couldn’t focus on the thing I was working on, and kept checking for messages or opening up bits of code with no real intention. 😵‍💫

I have been enjoying Lizzo’s new album Special recently. ✨ The songs are incredibly fun, and I really love the song 2 Be Loved (Am I Ready) because it has this sort of seventies disco vibe and instantly makes me want to dance. Too good. 🪩 I must say it’s a bit of a mood booster as well. I’ve also been listening to The Beatles’ Let It Be… Naked, the version of their last Let It Be album that the band wanted to be released, without the input of producers and such. I already love that album, but the … Naked version is so much better. 🥹

Last weekend I met up with my friend Mitch! It was fun just to hang out at a local brunch place and then go for a walk and then just sit and chat. 😊

I am hoping to catch up with more friends over the month of August. There are a few people I’d like to catch up with, but I’ll take my time with it.

Speaking of walking, I guess I’ll give myself some space and go for a little walk now.