New Year, New Resolution

My swimming had been slowly slipping towards the end of last year. This year I am determined to pick it back up again. I don’t usually make New Years resolutions, but this year I have made an exception. I want to build my swimming back up to a mile a day. Unfortunately, I fell at the first hurdle! Allow me to explain…

My mum, my kids and I always go to the cinema on New Year’s Eve. This year we fancied going to see Bohemium Rhapsody, but my son really didn’t want to see it so after checking what else was in, we all agreed on Holmes and Watson. What a mistake that was!! I have NEVER in my life walked out of a cinema halfway through a film. This was the exception to the rule. It is the worst film I have ever seen. To be honest, I don’t even think we made it to halfway. I thought perhaps it was just me, but after mentioning it to my mum and the kids, we were all in agreement and chose to leave. if you like comedies…do NOT see this film as it is not at all funny!!

We ended up playing charades and drinking hot chocolate at home in the lead up to midnight. Charlie (our gorgeous Springador) was absolutely terrified as the fireworks started going off. I had already given him the calming tablets so thought he would be ok. For the most part he was but then wouldn’t settle and go to sleep after they’d stopped. By the time he finally calmed down, I was wide awake. At half past 3 I could hear Charlie scratching about so told him to lie down and be quiet. At half past 4, my son alerted me to the fact that Charlie had been sick. Not only had he been sick, but he was also eating it!! What a great way to bring in the new year! My son took him downstairs as he couldn’t stay in his room with that acrid smell. I took pity on him and let him play on his xbox which made him feel quite rebellious I think. At 8am he then woke me up with a bowl of cereal and a coffee. Such a nice thought, but would have been even better two hours later, lol. Can anyone tell me if they have tried a Thundershirt for their dog? They are supposed to really help with a dogs anxiety so I would love to know how effective they are before I invest in one.

Needless to say, I did NOT go swimming on New Years day.

Determined to at least try and stick to my New Years resolution, I was full of enthusiasm when I went to swim on the second. However, my efforts were once again thwarted when my hip kept popping in and out so much that it was bringing tears to my eyes and I was forced to stop after 10 lousy lengths!! 🤬

Yesterday, I went back to the pool with lower expectations. I figured that as long as I got in the water, I was still making progress in the right direction. I was really please with myself when I realised I had managed to swim 46 lengths…only 18 lengths shy of a mile.

I will do my absolute best to try and swim a mile a day, but perhaps with my condition, my resolution should not be to swim a mile a day, but just to go to the pool every day (even if it’s just to use the spa and let the heat and bubbles work their magic) and take it from there.

Impromptu coffee hour

This morning I didn’t manage to get as much work done as I would have liked. It’s hard work being an audiobook narrator, in a room that isn’t soundproof, in gale force winds and pounding rain. Add Charlie into the mix whose tail wags for ten minutes every single time a car door closes just in case it’s going to be someone he knows and it is clear to see why recording has not been possible. So when my daughter asked if I could give her a lift to work for a meeting – and offered to pay me with a brew – I decided to bring my iPad with me and do some writing at https://www.ribbyhall.co.uk/eat-drink-play-shop/dining/starbucks whilst enjoying my mocha Frappuccino.

On Saturday, the Christmas lights in my nearest town were switched on. As seems to be commonplace these days, an event of any kind seems to have to include fireworks. Our gorgeous springador Charlie is most definitely NOT a fan. He trembles, pants and whimpers when he hears them banging, popping and squealing. Trial and error has got us to the point where I’ve found some tablets (herbal) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0748DG7BL/ref=cm_sw_r_oth_tai_Kw..BbYR3FB7M that calm him a little, but it still doesn’t stop him trembling. We tried making him a den because I have read that they can really help. He didn’t seem to understand the principle of that though and whilst the kids were nearby (one on the sofa and the other in the den) he seemed to prefer sitting on the periphery.

It’s been a strange couple of days. The wind has picked up again and unfortunately, amongst many other things, Charlie is also terrified of the wind. For some reason, the only place he wants to be is on the sofa with me, standing with his front legs up on the back of the sofa behind me, staring blankly at the wall. How this can be of any help to him I don’t know, but he does at least keep my neck warm!

Any suggestions as to what else we can do to try and help him calm down would be gratefully accepted, especially as the wind is supposed to get worse!