October Check in - November Goals

Happy Beltane! (It's Samhain in the Northern Hemisphere, Beltane here). 

And I've managed to write every day for ten months. Who knew this could be done?

It's been a funny weekend so far. It's goal day - not that I feel like setting goals, but in line with this year it needs to be done.

Today's been a down day. I got some unseen, unexpected news last night. An old friend had passed. By no means a close friend, but somebody I knew in London, a lovely person, somebody who was always there in the background. I hadn't heard from her in ages. As with most things now days, you can stalk people on Facebook. I went to her page, only to find she died in March. It's just sad. Cancer takes another lovely soul. I left a message on her page, under a post her ex's post. He came back to me, and mentioned this song that we all liked (Wall of Voodoo's Mexican Radio - I've made it today's song.) But I found that a bit freaky finding out like this. May she rest in peace. 

Anyway, It's goal day. I have to break October up into two sections. Before the 20th and after the 20th. 

Before the 20th, I was on track. After the 20th, with a looming deadline and a few stresses and some dodgy weather, things fell by the wayside.

So October's goals were as follows: 

Continue reading 50 pages a day.

Before 20 October, I managed this. After, not so much. However I did read four books:

• Louis de Berniere's A Partisan's Daughter
• Carrie Tiffany's Exploded View
• Tony Birch's The White Girl
• Kate Mildenhall's The Mother Fault

All the books were great.

Exercise for an hour a day.

Before October 20 - yes. After October 20, things fell apart. 

Get the mason's books done. 

This long weekend, I promise. I can at least drop them off to where they need to go now as the five kilometre radius restriction is over. 

Write 500 words of the novel each day.

Didn't happen, but I kicked a few other goals with my writing - including submitting my anthology piece. I've got this long weekend to work on the submission to a publisher. Oh what fun. 

Keep discretionary spending down to an absolute minimum.

This I did. I've been good at this. 

Get a hug from somebody who isn't a cat.

Managed this too, albeit, a touch non-compliant with he current COVID restrictions. I had dinner at Jonella and Stav's place when I had my haircut. This was a bit of a breach. I got a couple of hugs that night. I like hugs. I miss hugs. I haven't made many breaches over the last few months. We've all be in lockdown. We've been near nobody diagnosed with COVID. So ner. 

And November goals:

10000 steps five times a week (at least)

Time to get back on the wagon with exercise. It makes my back feel better. This is on top of any training / pump / classes. It will be tracked. Needs to be done. 

Have the mason's books done by 4 November.

Hard deadline on this. I just have to bite the bloody bullet and do it. Thankfully there is a long weekend for this. I hate paperwork. I should also get the Peppercorn lease for the Church done too while I'm here. 

Work on the novel every day for at least 20 minutes. 

This should be achieveable. First thing off the list, tidy up 10000 words for that publisher - then go from there. I want this. I need this in my life. The Faber crew are meeting up once a fortnight from hereon in. 

Read four books:

I like having the reading challenge. Keeps me interested. 

Read ten pages of Ulysses a day.

Another bite the bullet job. I've had a copy of Ulysses by my bed for years. I'd like to move it on. Besides, I love Modernist literature.

And it's back on the no gluten, sugar or dairy regime.

Also needs to be done. I just feel better when I do this. I no longer drink caffeine, and my alcohol intake is minimal, so they don't register in the equation. 

So there we go. Wish me luck. 

Today's Song: