The Village. No,
not really, but last weekend it certainly felt like it. I was on the Isle of
Man working for the day job, watching fireworks, observing middle-aged women
stampede in an M&S food hall, perusing the local sights, strolling along
the promenade, indulging in the hotel facilities, and finding time to visit
the museum.
But that is not
the point of this blog. Where am I? What am I doing? Am I there? Hello? Stop
hiding! Are some of the phrases that have landed in my inbox and on my phone
after the last several weeks, and I’m sorry to say most of them have been met
with silence. I am not there. I am not online much at all. In fact, for quite a
while now I have been living in a zombie-like state bounced between working, being
ill, travelling, mini-breaks, sleeping, eating, and more working, with no time, energy or
desire for anything else in between.
My apartment is
strewn with clothes and suitcases and half-finished tasks. My NaNoWriMo target
is slipping farther and farther away by the day. I am unwell. Exhausted. Fed up
of feeing unwell and exhausted. I am irritable and irritated. Sad. Surviving on
caffeine and tasteless food. I’ve gone off green tea, for fantasy’s sake!
Thus
I know I am not right. I am not myself.
So forgive the
silence and instead enjoy this whistle-stop glimpse into my life over the last
couple of weeks, safe in the knowledge that I will get back to you as soon as I am able.
Unpack
Sleep
Drag yourself up
to get back to the day job
Work
Work eat sleep
work work work
Carve a pumpkin
Work work work
Collapse into
bed
Sleep
Sleep
Panic. It’s
November which means NaNoWriMo
Last minute
panic planning
Write
Write with a lot
of coffee
Idiotically
decide to have a sober November because one challenge at a time is not enough
Collapse into
bed
Drag yourself up
for the day job
Work
Work work work
Shop
A Care Bear
onesie looks appealing – yes, you are that tired
Work some more
Sleep
No Alcohol
Lifts are both
out of order in a high rise building!
Walk downstairs round and round and round
and round and...
So tired by now
you can barely finish your sentences
Work
Pack
Work
Go to the
doctors
Ill enough for
the drugs
Work
Head for the
airport
Wait wait wait
Cancelled plane!
Queue and queue
and queue
Coach to
Manchester
Crash on the M6
Painful journey
Fellow passengers are jabbering morons
No alcohol!
Don’t sleep
Early morning
flight
Delayed
Wait and wait
and wait
Shop duty free
No alcohol
Arrival!
Great place, sun
shining, amazing hotel room
Oh yeah, have to
go out and work
Work
Eat
Work
Want to sleep
Fireworks on the
beach! Wonderful
So tired
Room service and
sleep
Explore
Swim
You're not well enough to swim
Sleep
Pack
Airport
Delayed flight
No alcohol!
Home sweet home
Chores
Sleep
Drag yourself up
for the day job
Struggle through
Sleep
Chest X-ray
Wait for results
Waiting working
waiting working
Win a
gingerbread house!
Remember life is
not all bad
NaNo target:
minus £18k and counting
Failure is on
the horizon
Accept it, they
say
You can’t do
everything
Especially if
you’re unwell
Try to rest
Rest?
Plenty of time
yet to catch up
And if you never
do, then you never do
15 days without
a drop of alcohol
15 days of
coughing and fever
15 days of beyond tiredness
15 days of
barely writing
15 days of a
busy life
This is my
November
I must rest and get better.
Elloise Hopkins.
