Hi,
Can we start with “brr, it’s a bit nippy?” 🙂 Or as we’d say in Nottingham “it’s a bit code“. That’s not a typo, BTW. For some quirk of accent, we like to say it – code not ‘kold‘ – like that round here. See also “it’s a bit wharm”.
I don’t think it’s to confuse folk new to the area. Although as old friend at Chams once asked if her work colleagues, “It’s code for what?” 🙂 Very reasonable question, IMO. I mean someone had to explain the local word ‘fuddle’ to me years back.
Dressing for it
Being a right mesh* bogger, the snow and frost mean I’ve been layering up. Perhaps one advantage of being genderfluid, is that experience of learning how to mix & match clothing to keep warm but not too warm.
( * propensity in feeling the cold )
As someone who maintains two wardrobes and occasionally mixes them together, I’m surprised at how thin and fitted femme clothing is. Okay, I certainly don’t have a curvy physique (boo!), but that aside, my femme clothing seem less forgiving compared to my loose and baggy masc stuff.
But in terms of warmth; opaques, leggings, and a bodysuit under my bloke presentation all help keep me the right side of toasty warm. Particularly on dog walks or if I’m sat about, tapping away on the work laptop. Plus, it’s easier to heat the person than it is to heat the house! 🙂
Mindful
So while I’ve not liked being cold, I have enjoyed being in the cold. Maybe it’s a novelty thing, but the crispness of the air, the sting of the wind, and the ‘crump’ of snow under boot on walks. Plus, there’s a brightness to the late afternoon sun from the reflection from the snow.
So, yeah, rather enjoying getting out & about at the mo. Sometimes, it’s the little things and everyday that bring an uplift in mood and thought.
App positive
The other week I was teaching an article about apps that ADHD folk found useful. Yes, I’m still waiting on the diagnosis, but hey ho.
That aside, it seems I love a planning system – big up Kanban methodology! #OrgNerd – so I guess I wasn’t too surprised to see a plethora of similar gizmos along that line. It’s pretty much, if I don’t write it down or make a note, chances are the task will flutter away, displaced by whatever hyperfocus or random thought that pops into my head.
There was also a few mood tracking apps and one – howwefeel.org (Android & iOS) – caught my eye. Partly because it’s free (pleasing the celtic ancestry 😉) and it doesn’t flog your data to for everyone’s favourite surveillance capitalist privacy be damned data hoover 🤪
Disclaimer: I’m not getting a bung or gift by mentioning this, I’m just passing on why it’s helped me.
So, does it help? I would say it has helped me, yes. You set how many times you want to check in, and you pick from a 4×4 grid of high / low energy and good / bad mood. This gives you a secondary set of emotions and states to pick from, and lastly the situation you’re in.
Aftera few check-ins – along with tags of who you’re with (or not) and activities – you get to see a pattern.
For me, it seems I’m most content when I’m alone at home, creating things. That’s mostly teaching/coaching style content given my job. I guess that might be why I’ve stuck with blogging, as I feel there’s some crossover.
What’s helping is that you can look back at the week and think “well, Blah day was a bit pants, but the rest was pretty good and on so-and-so day, things were really going well.”
As the old song goes, reasons to be cheerful.
L x
Definitely a bit on the cold side. Or just the too cold for comfort side. Definitely the weather for layering up, both in and out the house, and even time to think about breaking out the old hot water bottle at night.
Not so bad today (Friday), with the sun out, and it was almost pleasant mid morning.
I don’t think I’m ADHD but I have a memory like a leaky wossname- strainy thing – sieve, that it, so I need notes and reminders, usually scribbled on scraps of paper, envelopes, library receipts, which I then promptly mislay or use.
Like you, I’m most focussed and adsorbed when doing creative or problem solving tasks, either coding or devising tests to try and outwit the developers, or even sudoku/crosswords or Countdown (the latter seems have improved my arithmetic, when not distracted by Rachel Riley’s ever changing outfits – where does she store them them all? I don’t think I’ve seen her wear the same thing twice)
Ooo, coding! To be lost ‘in the zone’ of solving a problem with some automation, but where you know it’s going to work. #GeekHeaven 🤓
Yes, it’s been a bit bracing of late. I’m still wearing my scarf and hat, having just come in. However, the hot pad is warming me up nicely.
Blimey, and I was grumbling that I had to put the central heating on for the first time yesterday! Well, enjoy the crispness if not the cold.
Women’s clothes are a godsend in cold weather as, although they are thinner, the closer fitting means you can just keep layering … until you look like the Michelin Man! Not a good look, I’ll admit, but it’s better than freezing.
Have a good weekend
Sue x
It’s been freezing – as in zero degrees C – with a sharp wind. It’s snowed which is unusual for early November, IMO.
Yes, layers are the key. Plus at least the materials feel nice rather than rough shirts and itchy fleece.
PS That’s Michelle Mann now. They’ve transitioned 😉 which means bigots can’t buy their tyres. Plus, with a new culinary drag act – Michelle Inn-Starr – it’s all looking rather fabulous! 😁
I apologise to Michelle Mann for deadnaming her and putting her under added pressure. I must learn to tread more carefully and not just roll over other people’s feelings. Mind you, I’m surprised they went ahead with her surgery with that spare tyre of hers! Still, I hear she’s feeling pretty pumped up after transition – it’ll give her more traction in life.
OK, no more tyre puns. The joke’ll go flat.
As for Michelle Inn-Starr, could that be the other side of Gordon Ramsey and the F-word? F for fabulous!
Sue x
😁
May I apologise to blog readers for the sudden outbreak of an impromptu Radio Four comedy panel show in the YATGB comments section 😉 Abnormal service will be resumed in due course.
The only way you stay warm is by building up layers with air gaps between them, most women clothes is form fitting and prevents air gaps.
Synthetics seem to be a bit poor in that regard. Too tight and don’t insulate or wick. But, the right natural fibres seem to do the trick 🙂