Sunday 2 June 2013

Organised Chaos

Silence.
That's what this blog appears to be suffering from right now. Not for a lack on inspiration for things to write, but just a lack of time and mental power to string words together to post something.
My life is currently a string of events, each seeming to trip right of the heels of the one in front, with not a lot of break in between. Lots of exciting things, but it's exhausting none the less!!
In recent weeks I have got on stage and sung backing vocals in front of several hundred people at a sold out gig, busked with a little choir at work to raise money for charity, been on a hen do, marshalled at an urban arts festival, started learning the ukulele, picked up my viola again, visited London and walked my butt off, been to the physio and been given new core-strength exercises and the ok to start working out again when I feel ready, been trying to organise my sabbatical with work, re-written my CV for a ski-season and started to doing job applications, kept up with my French lessons, and just arrived back from weekend up near Blackpool .... and tried to find some time in between to sleep and look after myself. The last two may have inadvertently taken a bit of a back seat.
It's been a roller coaster ride, and a lot of things have come about from a somewhat minor (at the time) decision of mine to just say "yes" to something for a change, instead of faffing around, ummmming and ahhhhing, when I want to do something, but am too scared to say so. There's talk of more singing and more gigs in the months ahead, as well as assorted other musical fun-ness, and it's such a long time since I've joined in with anything musical, that I'd forgotten how fun and therapeutic it could be. The joy of music is that you can't worry about anything else while your playing as all your concentration is taken up elsewhere.




Sound-check and set up at the venue, pre-gig. I've never done a sound-check before. Scary!!




The beautiful bluebell woods in full colour in Kew Gardens, London.




Chilling out in the sun at Malvern Spa on the hen party. God bless the sun for finally making an appearance - it was heaven to be lying outside and not freezing for a change!!
On the injury / physio front, she was very pleased with my progress at my last appointment and gave me some core exercises to do, and then told me to go away for a month and get on with it. So I am. The exercises do seem to help, and I've had around a week now where my back as felt far more settled and normal. I've still been too scared to get back go exercise, and have now thoroughly fallen out of the habit, but have decided this is the week that has to change. So this week I shall be making a real effort to get back into the gym. A swim first, then some Pilates / yoga, and if it's still feeling ok after that, I shall risk some spin. Gently.
One thing that's lacked somewhat in the organised chaos of my life is my eating and sleeping. With exercise taking a back seat, as well as the availability of general down-time, I've been slipping on my discipline and there's been too many takeaways and eating out. Again. I was doing rather well but it didn't last, so back to the beginning we go again. I HAVE maintained my tracking for some of the last month, but with not enough discipline. I'm not in a terrible place on the scales, just exactly where I've been for the last year and not where I want to be. Still, we all know the answer to that!
Back soon (I promise!!!) with more tale of adventure and the mundanity of life!
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