cinder says

I don’t know where the last week went… but it went somewhere! It was another surprisingly busy week this week, so before I knew it August had come to an end and Blaugust has finished! I did not make it 31/31, unfortunately, BUT I did get more than half way – 18 posts in total for the month, which is a whole lot more than what I usually do. I had a handful of half written posts still sitting in my drafts that I didn’t feel were right to finish and publish at the time, so I’ve still got some more to post. But for Blaugust 2022, I’m happy with what I achieved.

One of my main goals for doing Blaugust was to force myself to write more and get back in the habit of being around words. I said in my first post that this month was a bit of a fresh start and an opportunity for me to ‘grow up’ a bit, and you know what, I did! Not only did I do my Blaugust posts, but I also finished 5 books (yes 5!!) used my bullet journal every day, got myself a new mythic raid team for Dragonflight, and just this week gone, I have hired a rowing machine so that I can work on exercising more and losing some weight. It sounds up myself, but I’m proud of what I’ve managed to do this month. It has been really busy, but in a good way. And the more I do it, the easier it will all become.

For September, I will be working on the rowing machine, but I also want to have a bit of a focus on being tidier. So in my bullet journal for this month I have a spread for tracking chores and cleaning to keep me more accountable. I still need to finish putting together my September spread! I’ve got the layout sorted and contents sorted, I’ve just got to actually put it all to paper, but once done I’ll share it here again, and I’ll show you how my August month ended up looking.

Before I go, I promised an answer to the 2 truths and a lie post! I made the following claims in my last post:

1. I learned to sail on the Red Sea
2. I learned to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef
3. I learned to ski on the French Alps

Everyone guessed that my lie was number 1 – learning to sail on the Red Sea. Well, you’re wrong! mwahahahaha!!!! The lie was number 2 – I have no idea how to scuba dive.

Shup, I liked your reasoning for why learning to sail on the Red Sea was the lie, and you are 100% correct – I was in Egypt when I learned. And you would be right in that most people go to the pyramids and what not. Well for me, I was nannying 4 children at the time, and they had not travelled to Egypt for the pyramids, but to stay in a fancy resort. Each morning the kids would go to a day care thing together, and the parents suggested that while I do that I do something for myself, so they paid for me to have sailing lessons. I only had 2, and they were in these wee little boats, but that’s where I learned! Although I don’t have any pictures of me actually sailing, here is a pic of me on the beach where I learned, and the view from my room.

As for learning to ski on the French Alps, that one was also while I was nannying. Every year the family would join a bunch of other families and rent out a chateaux somewhere for a week. The adults would spend the days skiing (along with any kids who wanted to as well) and a few nannies would stay with the kids who didn’t want to ski. That year we went to a place called La Plagne, which was absolutely stunning.

I went to ski lessons with the youngest child who was 4 at the time… and it was awful, it really was. I absolutely hate stereotypes, but unfortunately the French instructor was such a stereotype is was almost funny. He had absolutely zero time for me. Which was fine, because at the end of the day it was more important for the child to learn rather than me. (I learned later on that a lot of the instructors there basically came out of the womb with skis on their feet, so seeing a grown-ass adult unable to even stand up on skis was just unheard of.)

In the end, in a true act of kindness, the father sacrificed his morning ski with his friends down the giant mountains of doom and spent some time with me, helping me get confident. And it really helped! The first thing he taught me – and made me prove to myself – was that it didn’t matter how far I tried to lean forward, I couldn’t fall forwards. So if I found myself losing my balance I just had to focus on leaning forward and I’d be able to right myself again. Best advice ever. From there I was able to actually participate in the lessons, and by the end of the week I actually skied one of the small runs that was actually on a freakin mountain. So I was pretty chuffed. (I also happened to have laryngitis at the time, which made the whole week a real challenge!)

Anyway, I actually really enjoyed skiing after that. When we got back to England we continued to have skiing lessons a few months later at an indoor ski field and I actually got a decent amount of confidence! Unfortunately I left the job before the next ski trip the following year, but I’m grateful I had the chance to learn.

Here are some pics of those adventures in France (with a very young looking me omg):

So there you have it. 🙂

Now Nina, Shup and Bhagpuss, please tell us your truths!

Nina you gave us:

1. I have traveled with a dead person on a plane
2. I have saved someone from drowning
3. I am allergic to yellow pigments

And I guessed that number 3 was the lie.

Shup you gave us:

1. The last video game I beat was the original F-Zero
2. The last 5 times I’ve done a board game I’ve gone 4-0-1
3. I beat Wordle in 2 guesses for the first time in the past week

And I guess number 2 was the lie.

And Bhagpuss you game us:

1. I am completely bald.
2. I didn’t eat a hot meal until I was twelve years old.
3. I have ridden a camel.

And I guess number 2 was the lie.

Thanks so much for participating in the 2 truths and a lie! I found it fun, and I hope you did too.

And for those who followed my Blaugust posts this past month, thank you so much. I promise to be better about writing in here in future. And thank you to Belghast for organising the event again this year. I’m board for 2023!!

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