March 2023 Monthly Review

March highlights: got up into the hills for the first time in several months, got new running shoes and thought a lot about how much I ran since I started wearing them, I grew a batch of shitake mushrooms and cooked them up, I reflected on what the coaching experience has meant and how much I’m looking forward to continuing it, Kav and I went on our first date night in ages and it was her birthday this month (and UK Mother’s Day).

Now I’m feeling a bit burned out and need a break (which I’m getting as you read this).

Remember that life is like a conveyor belt.

Week 9 (Mar 1 – 5)

The end of Feb and beginning of March made for a bit of a strange week. The kids were off school unexpectedly for two days due to school strikes which meant I mostly needed to be on extra Dad duty this week. That was ok, as I started the week with a rare Monday off and got up into the hills for the first time in several months. It felt amazing and was a great way to kick things off.

The kids and I did a lot this week, swimming, soft play, and bike riding along the canal (and in circles).

The weather has been cold and sunny (my favorite!) and spring is oh so close but still so far. I ran more along the fields of my usual route. I also proved I could be a great dog photographer.

I closed out February with a couple of important-to-me retrospectives, sharing Maxo, Young Fathers, and more of my favorite albums from February 2023 as well as my February 2023 Monthly Review.

And, in another random and delicious turn of events, I grew a batch of shitake mushrooms and cooked them up.

Over the weekend I broke out a new pair of the same shoes I’ve been running in for 15 years and thought a lot about how much I ran since I started wearing them. Very important thoughts indeed.

Oh, and my wife and I worked on our US tax return too. Fun!

Week 10 (Mar 6 – 12)

This week was pretty great.

I mean, it started with me getting a new/old N64 controller that allowed me to play my (arguably) favorite shooter of all-time, Goldeneye 007, as it was meant to be played. I ended the week playing again on Sunday night. It feels so good.

I helped my good friend Missy update her website for her business as an artist and designer, which felt awesome and was a good opportunity to upgrade a site from a classic WordPress theme to a newer style theme.

Last month I had my last professional coaching session for a couple months, and I reflected on what the coaching experience has meant and how much I’m looking forward to continuing it. I also had this drawing in mind to go along with it but didn’t get to it until the end of the week.

hand with cube — A matter of perspective

I cooked some good food.

Namely a pretty great batch of green beans and a smoky tomato bean chilli with plant based mince one night and waffles and frittata the next.

I went to a safety induction at the Glasgow Climbing Centre for auto belay and bouldering which means I’m now in their system and I can take Kav and the kids to climb on my own! Sweet!!

Kav and I went on our first date night in ages. Nothing amazing about the food we had but it was snowy in Glasgow and nice to be out in the city at night while it snowed. Yes it was pretty frosty and sunny all week.

Continuing my year of reading, I started Blood Sweat and Chrome by Kyle Buchanan and The Creative Act by Rick Rubin.

Also, in major tech news, I switched from Firefox to Edge as my primary browser (on my Mac no less) and also switched my password manager from LastPass to 1Password. These are two things I haven’t changed for years because I was happy enough with them and it seemed like too much work to change. I’m glad I did though, sometimes it’s good to just try something new.

Also, this is a great sign.

Week 11 (Mar 13 – 19)

Last week was a rollercoaster. My son Sam was sick at the beginning of the week and at the end of the week, so I didn’t get to do much of what I planned to do.

It was also my wife Kav’s birthday on Friday, AND it was Mother’s Day in the UK on Sunday. So I was basically a full-time dad the entire week, and there wasn’t much time for writing, drawing, or doing my own thing.

All of this planning and looking after things was a little frustrating. However, by the end of the week, my wife had a brilliant time, the sicknesses weren’t spreading, and I had a LOT of time to read. I finished reading Open by Andre Agassi and “Show Your Work” by Austin Kleon and started on more. I’m still finding that the more books I have going at once, the better.