Curveballs

Hi,

No, not a medical condition – thankfully!😉 – but when things don’t quite go as expected, and you need to flex.

Last week, I had the chance for a morning out and I had hoped to meet up with Val for a coffee & a chat. Due to some unavoidable work complications, unfortunately, Val was needed elsewhere. No fault or blame here, things change and sometimes you’ve got to bend with the wind. Yes, the breeze, not the other type! 😉

With time on my hands, I decided to switch things around and head down to Leicester instead. It had been an age since I was last there and I think altering your routine is good for the old noggin. It’s also a chance to see new things, experiences, etc.

I was slightly on the proverbial back foot, as it took longer to get out of the house than usual. I am fairly sure there wasn’t ‘just one thing’ I could point at, but I was frustrated with myself for not being ready before half ten.

Looking at said photo, I had tried false nails for a change, rather than painting them. My nails have started to flake on my index fingers and had broken. I think it’s down to some household chores & DIY that had chipped the others. Ah, klutz moment, but the work was in a good cause for Granny J, bless her. She’s now the proud owner of some hand grips fixed by the bungalow doors for safety.

The traffic was fairly quiet due to the later point of the morning and it didn’t take long to get parked up in the city centre. However, I did notice that it had taken longer than expected to get there. Again, another small bite eating into the time spent Out & About.

Wandering into Highcross, I took the opportunity to take a a quick selfie video using the mirrors by John Lewis. That was an on-a-whim experiment, I think some editing is required to make it work. Something for later in the week.

I did stop off in New Look as I was curious if they had any cute summer ballet trainers in. They did, but not my size. I guess I will be having a look on Vinted later this week then 😉 I did take the option of using one of the department’s big mirrors, so I’ve got a memory of my outfit.

I wasn’t 100% sure what the weather would do, so I’d gone with black skinny jeans, my stripey top, and a cardigan I would slip off, if it got too warm. I thought I’d give some old boots a spin as it didn’t quite feel warm enough for sandals, but was too warm for knee length.

You can’t see the heel on the boots, but it’s a heavy roundish one of about two, maybe three inches. When it comes to shoes, like trousers and tops, I don’t like to feel like I’m wearing bloke gear, if that makes sense. Odd given I’ve got some cute M&S ankle boots, that are now my go to daywear in Richard mode.

However, there are times when that extra bump of height pokes my nerves a little. Not the painful type, but the emotional ones. I am conscious of Taylor Swift’s lyric in Anti-Hero: “And I’m the monster on the hill. Too big to hang out, slowly lurching toward your favourite city.” But, I can’t wish my height away and I think this is more my hang-up, than ‘height = bad’. The Ever Lovely Mrs J is a pretty lady, and is only a touch shorter than me.

I did have a wry smile to myself, as a lady on the way to the office overtook me. She strode past in some block heeled boots – taller than mine! – and left me in her wake. Ah, the stride of the professional with things to do, people to see! That or her boots where doing the walking, and she was doing her best to keep up. 🙂

I wandered out of the centre and into the main part of the city. After Lotte’s post about M&S, I thought I’d pop in and see if I could check out the new ‘coolwear’ shaper shorts with bum padding. I am still in the market for some thigh length shapewear shorts; pretty much so I can see if these hold my thigh pads in well.

As I wandered along enjoying the sun, I was slightly surprised to find that M&S had closed. I checked my phone to see if it had moved premises, but no, it had gone. I suppose with the custom out-of-town branch out at Fosse Park, maybe the company didn’t need two? Still, a bit of a loss for the high street, IMO.

Reflection

With that purpose scratched from my To Do list, my mind fell upon two thoughts. One was some self-chiding about having picked the wrong place to go. But, playing the old would you say that to a friend? card, the answer – not quite a clapback, though – is you can’t always know. Sometimes, you pick as best you can and so it goes. Should I have checked before leaving? Well, possibly, but then, how frequently do big chains close up? Rarely, and when they do, it often hits the news. I’m thinking about Debenhams and Outfit.

The other part of my wondered if the loss of certain shops, and what might be viewed as the slow loss of the high street; does this play into the narrative of Bad Britain? I think I could certainly tell a tale of ‘two Nottinghams’. If you filmed all the boarded up places at the south central part of the city, that would give a certain perspective. Conversely, record around the Victoria Centre and/or north central, and the city is looking nice.

Positive News

The green space that’s been build in Nottingham where the old Broadmarsh used to stand – again, south central – that’s up for an award. I’ve wandered through a few times on my way to places, and I think the council and design teams have done a fab job. I am hopeful the trees will get larger in time, and that will bring about some colour change in the seasons and much needed shade during the hotter months.

The place has water features, large rocks that double as seating spaces, and the place feels very tranquil. The road that used to run by it has gone, and while there’s still building works going on; it does feel a bit of – if you forgive the trite wording – an oasis of calm in the city.

I would like to see more of these if possible as it really improves the area. I know that when Mrs J and I visit a few local villages, we are often sat near greenery – even if in a café – and being in nature is so good for your mental health.

Fin

A few setbacks with the lack of what I wanted to get done, but still a nice morning out in the autumn sunshine. There will be other times to catch up for a coffee, so that’s something to look forward too.

Oh, and I think I now know that stick on nails – unless they’re pre-glued – aren’t quite for me. I did get these off, but the glue didn’t do my skin or nails any favours. A lesson learned – or, if I look back in my Lessons Learned list, something I’d hoped would be better, but I guess somethings don’t quite work as you’d hoped. Still, always good to try. I think I shall be trying to take better care of my paws, and come back to what works for me.

L x