Building towards a complete life overhaul....might take a while but determined to do it

mumblingtaff

Thank god its Friday!!!
What a week! I am knackered - its been quite possibly the hardest work week ever. Thankfully its over now. Will have to work all day on Sunday but I'm not thinking about that now.

Got home around 4.30 and took the dog out for a good walk and then decided to clean the house so I don't have to do it tomorrow, Hoovering and dusting done and kitchen cleaned - only the bathrooms left to do and they can get sorted tomorrow morning now.
Had some wine, walked the dog again and fought the temptation to order a takeaway (in the interests of money saving) and had a quorn spag bol from the freezer instead.
Going to watch a bit of telly and then try to get some sleep - I've had about 4-5 hours a night all week and its starting to take its toll.
Will start afresh tomorrow......

mumblingtaff

Morning all!
A really rubbish night's sleep - kept waking up and was constantly bathed in sweat (bloody menopause) with lots of weird stress dreams. It really is time to jack it all in now.... Spoke to the head yesterday (as my line manager is absolutely useless and just moans about her job and then gives me more to do when I say I have to much to do) and tried to say he needs to take everything else happening in schools at the moment into consideration and cut back on all the extra stuff he's asking people to do - fell on deaf ears as expected. He's already got one of the leadership team on long term sick, another that's not long come back is its looking like he'll go off again and I totally understand how they feel. Might be my turn for a little sick break soon if it doesn't get any better. It totally rules my life - I do nothing else except walk the dog and work - that's it.
Its redoubled my determination to get out ASAP.

Anyway, I'm not letting it ruin my only day off of the week .....
Even though I felt yukky this morning, I waited until it got light then decided to test out my knee with its first trial run back since the hamstring and knackered knee injury. Took the dog and took it really easy and kept reassessing whether it was hurting or not but powered on and managed a ploddy 5km. Even the dog played fair and didn't stop for the million poos he usually does. It wasn't fast or pretty but it got done and considering that at 7am I was considering just having a cry and hibernating I'm chuffed with that! Feel much better now, if not starving and a bit tired.

Have also done the grocery shopping at Tesco as I needed things that can only be bought there - spent £65 but it did include some toiletries, light bulbs (when did they get so expensive!), Christmas cards , 24 cans of diet coke for the week and some extra bits for the freezer. £84 left in the grocery budget now.
Then had a good soak in the bath, did a face scrub, body scrub, defuzz, deep conditioned my hair and pummiced my minging feet. The bed has been stripped, washed and changed and the bathroom cleaned.
House and me clean and tidy again now

Going to take the dog for a good walk later on to get some fresh air and daylight (go to work in the dark and get home in the dark), watch the rugby and potter round doing a few jobs. I'm having a day off!
On the positive side, I've stuck to budgets this week and didn't go as mad as I usually do in Tesco when I haven't been there for a while. Right it's lunchtime and I'm ravenous - baked Camenbert and fresh French bread - my Saturday treat

mumblingtaff

Well, what a lazy afternoon - had lunch, thought I'd put an episode of The Crown on to see what everyone was talking about and managed to watch one and a half and doze through another one and a half! I was shattered after the week though.
Felt better afterwards and then took the dog for an hour long walk.
It's completely dark out already and its 4.30!
Have decided to mark some test papers in a minute to get them out of the way - will hopefully take less than an hour and its one less job to do tomorrow.
I'm not good at doing nothing and watching telly for a couple of hours this afternoon feels weird. Need to do some pottering

mumblingtaff

Morning!
Slept slightly better last night thank fully - still only 5 hours but better than nothing.
Been for another run - same route as yesterday - and everything held up ok and I survived and managed 30 secs faster than yesterday. Not world beating but getting better. Just happy that I can run again without too much pain - it makes me feel so much more positive about things and the dog loves it and it wears him out for a few hours

Weighed this morning too - surprised that I have now lost a stone since going back to school in September. I've made zero effort with food or cutting down particularly on wine etc Its a sign of how busy I am and the stress levels I have. Good that I've lost weight but bad that its under these circumstances. People have commented too so it must be noticeable.

Anyway, there's an absolute ton of work to do today - don't quite know where to start but I've got to crack on as its all due tomorrow (with one working day's notice I might add!). Better get on with it.....

mumblingtaff

Well after 9 hours of work I've managed to get everything done for tomorrow and its all pretty acceptable and I've worked hard on it all. If it's not good enough - tough now!
Have also managed to take the dog out for a good long hour's walk in the cold winter sunshine for some extra fresh air and exercise for us both, and again after tea for 20 mins. Made fajitas with an additional portion for tomorrow - Monday is always a long day with a management meeting after work so a quick easy tea is always a bonus.
Also have done two loads of washing and got clothes ready for the week - hate getting up and being disorganised in the morning as I'm up walking the dog by 5.15am.

Been watching a couple more episodes of The Crown series 4 with tea and this evening - its strangely addictive. Never thought I'd enjoy it but perhaps its my escape from things this weekend.
One more episode then its bed and hopefully a good sleep - its another long week ahead. My one aim for this week is to get out for one run, even if its a short one, after work with the dog. I've really enjoyed getting out and being sweaty and tired in a good way - need to keep it up.
Hope everyone has a good week xx

designingalife

Well done on a very productive day !! I find getting out to run does wonders for my mood and stress levels, hope you are able to get out for one this week 👍

mumblingtaff

designingalife said:

Well done on a very productive day !! I find getting out to run does wonders for my mood and stress levels, hope you are able to get out for one this week 👍

You're so right - its a real lift even though it doesn't always feel it at the time!
Had a really long day - up at 4.45, in work by 7 and home at 6 - thank the lord for the dog walker that is a real life saver when I have to work long days and keeps him for half of the day.
Really boring two and a half hour hour long meeting after work - could have done without it and managed to end up with even more work to do after it..... at least the mega report I wrote yesterday went down well with the boss.
Tomorrow isn't as bad on paper - we'll see how it goes.....

Rescued mum when I got home by sorting a load of stuff online for her and have walked the dog again twice - one big one and a quick 15 min round the block job after tea (the remains of yesterday's fajitas).
Going to watch an hour or so of telly and then try to get a proper night's sleep. Fingers crossed....

Chrystal

Hi MT.. definitely long time no see! (waves hello)  I followed you through the ups and downs of your last couple of diary's and just found this one and read through it. 
One way and another there's been a lot for you to go through in the last few years and it sounds as though you're going through the mill with this job, but that next year is going to be an exciting one for you.  Glad you've decided to make the move, life's too short to put up with all the (unappreciated) hassle.  Don'[t forget that you too can go 'on the sick' with stress!
I'll be subscribing to cheer you on.  (((hugs))) 

mumblingtaff

Thank you Chrystal! I'm still soldiering on but am counting the days now!

I think my boss has had a bit of a talking to from his boss at the trust as he's been unusually charming for the past few days. Maybe he's realised that key staff are buckling and need a bit of give and take
He even suggested that I teach my couple of lessons this morning and then work from home so I wouldn't get distracted by mundane stuff that happens in a school and could focus on one of the big tasks that needs doing. Took him at his word and left at 11am and worked from 11.30 - 4.30 and got one of the huge jobs that would take days to do normally in one afternoon. I'm not knocking it - means that I might actually have a bit of a weekend this week now. :

Away from school, its been a dramatic week that hasn't helped things .....
My nutty neighbours (I tolerate but am not keen on) had a major drama on Tuesday evening involving the police and paramedics that I got roped into just from living next door - eventually got to bed at 2am and had to get up at 5am for work. Not the ideal mid week event! Knackered on Weds as a result and I didn't even get a thank you!
Then, sadly, yesterday my lovely older neighbour that I do a bit of shopping for and speak to a couple of times a week just to keep him company rang in tears to tell me his 97 year old dad who was in a care home had just died from COVID and that he has to start his chemo for an aggressive cancer that has returned. Feel so sorry for him - he's been shielding since March and hasn't seen his dad (that lived with him until then) since then. Its a horrible situation. Poor man - am trying my best to support him as he's completely alone but he's fiercely independent and has mild autism so is very isolated. 
Its been a right week of it....

Anyway, its Friday now and I'm not doing any work tomorrow and have a few hours to do on Sunday but I'm not going to bust a gut this weekend.
Will be back in the morning with a list of things to do no doubt!

enthusiasticsaver

Sounds like a busy week for you.  Sorry for your poor neighbour.