Forever Learning

I had the FUNNIEST back-to-front feeling couple of days off this week:  Monday to Friday.  Our holiday year at work ends at the end of March and so i had an odd couple of days holibobs to use up.  Since it wasn't a whole week, a weekend or around and about any special celebration; i left my week plan-less.  I was the REVERSE of what felt like everyone in the world:  Wanting the start of the week to lazily linger on as long as it could and then once it got to Thursday night i was ready and raring to go for the weekend back at work.  It felt a little odd.  Since i felt like my few days didn't physically achieve a great deal - apart from squeezing in extra bike rides; cooking and eating dinner at a reasonable hour and resting; i thought i might concoct a little list of things i learnt on a week which has felt like it has been two weeks long!  

There isn't a DAY that goes by where we don't learn something; whether that's something silly, a new skill or just something about ourselves or somebody else; as humans we are like little sponges and that's something i have always found fascinating!  Maybe i did the wrong degree after-all!  What have you LEARNT this week?

*  Not to be SMUG.  Especially where dentists are concerned.  This week was a little bit like a general MOT sort of a week.  I'm ashamed to say that after a very traumatic dental visit far too many years back, i have really neglected visiting a dentist as regularly as i should.  It's not something i am at all proud of.  I know it's so terribly wrong but i've always treated the dentist a bit like the doctor - i ring them if it hurts.  This week i decided to fix that.  Having to sit in front of a dentist who was definitely at least five years younger than me and tell him how and when i brush my teeth, what my diet is like and explain where the bobbins i have been all this time wasn't my finest hour i can tell you.  I felt like i was ten all over again.  But we are moving in the right direction, even if that does mean four fillings and possibly a hospital visit too…. *deep breaths 

*  That you really can do ALOT with sweet potatoes.  The Mr scampered off to a Bass Guitar Trade Show in London Town this week and so it's been dinner for one for most of the week - read:  i have been MOSTLY living off sweet potatoes:  Sweet potato and lentil curry, cinnamon sweet potato wedges alongside roasted butternut squash and sage quinoa; baked sweet potato with a massive dollop of lemon and coriander hummus alongside bulgar wheat, walnut and carrot salad and a great big helping of watercress and chopped coriander.  I think if you cut me open i could well be a little bit orange…

*  That there is an AGE where crop-tops become un-appropriate.  If we are honest i don't actually think i have ever worn a crop top…except possibly in my '90's i'm a Spice Girl' phase and i was about ten then.  I feel like if Topshop could just make all of the tops that they make in a regular normal 'i don't want to show off my mid-riff' kind of a length then i'd actually buy something bar flower crowns for my barnet.  I found two of the loveliest retro 1970's sort of band but not band, kind of tees in there this week - in crop top form.  I bought, tried on and returned.  They were perfect apart from the cropped-ness.  GRR!  I've always been lucky and have flat tummy but i still don't want that on show.  Who does?  Do fourteen year olds even?!?!

*  That just when you have come to TERMS with the whole 'turning 30 malarky', you see your age written down for the very first time and you're right back at square one.  

*  That my LOVE for dance music and RnB circa 1990-2000 will never ever die.  Ipod shuffle is a powerful thing my friends.  I know Mr Apple is a squilionaire, but the whole invention of the shuffle feature on my Ipod is something i LIVE for - no jokes.  That thing is a total game-changer and can turn a 'so-so' day into a magnificent one.  This week saw a re-vist to Coolio's 'Ganstas Paradise' {and remembering ALL of the words} and a particularly jazzy hipp swizzling groove around the living room to Rui Da Silvas 'Touch Me'.  I'm not even embarrassed.  

*  That perfume really CAN change your mood.  This week i opened up a new bottle of perfume. It was perfectly timed actually since my Lush 'Kerbside Violet' had ran out and i had been wearing that since Autumn last year.  For Christmas this year my parents bought me the hugest bottle of my favourite scent:  Paul Smith Rose.  Since it mostly feels like Spring has sprung {if we ignore the odd hail storm or so} i now feel like i smell like me again and of Spring too.  It's a sweet rose-y scent, a little bit 'jammy' but not at all 'old lady rose' and i just LOVE it.  I have promptly sprayed all of my scarves that i have been wearing lately and it is the very best thing to get a waft of your favourite scent each time you put them on.  
*  That i LOVE my job.  It's usually at this time of year i start to realise why i do what i do.  I'm going to be honest with you and tell you that from late September to…mid February i want to pull my hair out and i forever question why i work in retail when Christmas and January sales are so bloody stressful and all you want to do is curl up and eat and be merry with your family at Christmas.  But then Spring comes around, we launch new collections; i get to get my VM groove on and style up pieces, create magical window displays and help people feel amazing about themselves.  And that's NOT all bad is it?

*  That you shouldn't NEGLECT your bike.  Just like your teeth.  Willow the Pashley Penny Pushbike went for her own little check-up this week because she had been making some funny noises and it felt like her gears were a little bit unhappy.  Huge and whopping thanks goes to the lovely lot at Palace Cycles for giving her some much needed TLC and teaching me a thing or two.  We came away with a much better bike pump, some useful advice and moved so much faster afterwards.  I would say that we both had a spring in our step but i know she's not a person really…. *aherm*

*  That four to five days by YOURSELF is pretty long when you are used to spending always with someone without even giving it a second thought.  Once you get over the first day of being able to eat what you want, watch what you want and have a bath with the bathroom door open so you can watch a film in the bath {not just me surely?}, the novelty wears off.  I can't wait for him to be home so i can tell him about every day, have someone to lean on, someone to keep me warm and someone to start each day with.  Soppy much?! BLAH!

*  That one DAY your Prince will come.  I bought a pair of printed trousers last year.  I committed the classic crime of buying them without any idea what i already had that would go with them or even what i would put with them if the fashion world was my toaster.  But in typical me-style, the print was too beautiful not to buy them.  the kind of beautiful i knew i'd instantly regret if i left them there.  So i STUCK by them in the wardrobe.  They are too pretty to give up on.  And soon you'll see why because this week was the week where i FINALLY found the perfect top to team them with.  Are you excited?!
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SEE?  And you thought i hadn't learnt a thing during my relatively un-eventful few days off and time spent this week.  What have you LEARNT this week?