Happy Monday!
Okay, so maybe not - but wasn't the weekend great?  Well, sorry to brag but mine was - not in a particularly flashy way, but in a rather smugly satisfactory way.
First, there's the writing.  On Saturday I finished the first draft of my second novel.  Yes, you read that correctly.  FINISHED.  And I admit without shame that I did a little jig once I'd hit the save button.
But that's not all:  I have made an appointment to meet with a professional editor who has agreed to look at novel number one.  This is somewhat terrifying (what if she says it's shit?) but really rather exciting...
And then, my dear friends, we have my other creative pursuits.  I have started a new painting AND am planning to record a podcast with mate and stand-up comedian Chris.  You see, after a rather heated (and alcohol-fuelled) debate about the advice given to women on dating by supposed experts, I thought it would make a rather amusing discussion - as well as future blog (watch this space!).  And Chris, I know you read this blog, so there's no getting out of it now:  We've gone public.

Then, of course, I have to say something about my little flat (come on, it's been a  least a  week since I last did...)  Whilst the flaky paint situation continues to flout my attempts to decorate the kitchen (I suspect it hadn't been treated with much TLC by the last owner), everything else is coming together - it was only half an hour ago I received an email confirming that my service charge had finally been sorted after a two month battle.  And, to top it off, the more time I spend in the area, the more I like it.  Yesterday I headed back down to Hackney for a swim in the London Fields Lido and a mooch along Broadway Market - a lovely morning topped off with a walk along an achingly cool bit of canal.  Yep, I admit it, East London has got me hooked.
Funnily enough, my happily hectic weekend has left me rather tired, even if in a  rather satisfactory way.  And, what with all the warm weather and paint fumes in this flat (oil + emulsion = interesting concoction), I think I may have to love you and leave you so I can head off to my pit.  Or rather, my lovely boudoir in the making.  As soon as I get that bloody kitchen finished...

It's Monday! Hurrah!
Yep, you guessed it, I haven't been at work today, which means I've been at liberty to do whatever I darn well fancy.  The problem is, I do have an awful lot of things I should be getting on with but, quite frankly, I can't be bothered.  In fact, I think the only thing I've managed to get done over the last five days away from the office is to knit my mate Lexi a phone sock which, although it looked pretty cool in the Good Mixer last night, wasn't exactly a major project.  
On my short term "to do" list I have a variety of bits and bobs that I need to finish off, and, in all honesty, none of them will take me that long, or be that difficult.  My  Peru collage just needs a lick of paint and a blob of extra glue here and there, the polyfillering of  the smattering of holes in my walls won't take 

more than 15 minutes and, whilst the last occupants left it in a bit of a state, the worst of the kitchen's deep clean is over.  However it seems that today I have done everything to avoid tackling any of these tasks.  Instead I've updated the playlist on my phone, read my magazine and been for a lovely walk through Walthamstow Marches - anything, but ANYTHING other than what I should really be doing.
If I'm honest with myself, I think I know what this is about.  This morning I made a start on the penultimate chapter of my second novel, which means that, by the end of July, the first draft will probably be complete.  This also means that, after a couple of read-throughs and the odd tweak here and there, it will be ready to share.  With other people.  People who might not like it.  Which is fine, except I've really enjoyed writing it and really hope that, even if like Faith, it goes nowhere, people get it - and find Emily's story as absorbing as I have.
So there you have it.  I've developed a fear of finishing.  Let's just hope it doesn't develop into writer's block and remains a simple barrier to me getting off my butt and cleaning the oven.  Only time will tell, and also reveal whether my novel is enjoyed by anyone other than myself.  Just remember, if I ask you to ready it, be honest, but if you don't like it, let me down gently... like my protagonist, I don't always like to face up to reality...

Happy Sunday everyone!

Yes, I know, it's Monday tomorrow, which means we all have to go back to work.  I'm relieved to say that I'm only in for two days before taking some annual leave - a much needed break from what often feels like Groundhog Day.

But whilst work has been rather tiresome, this week I've noticed a few firsts.  Okay. maybe they aren't anything major, but little things that, when I think about it, show that, whilst making the most of life, I might actually be getting somewhere...

• I finally get why everyone seems to think East London is really cool.  After a weekend of swimming in London Fields Lido, mooching around Spitalfields and lunching at my local Walthamstow farmer's market, I can see ventures west becoming less frequent.
• I had a conversation with my solicitor about my will and chatted to my financial advisor about life insurance.  Because buying a flat isn't scary enough.
• I experienced my first tube journey in a carriage with no lights - after 13 years of living in London.  Hopefully it won't happen again for another 13. 
• I went to M&M World.  Something I've been curious about for a while but, like the Bavarian Beerhouse at Old Street, I don't think I'll ever feel the need to go again.

Okay, so it's not a very long list, but my point is, life isn't standing still - in fact it's full of undiscovered experiences and, slowly but surely, it's moving in the right direction .  So, from now on, I think I'm going to count my firsts instead of my blessings, because whilst I know I am blessed in many ways, I sometimes lose sight of the progress I am making towards my goals - and, even when progress slows to a crawl, the fun that I'm having in the meantime.