Make January stop please!

My god January is dragging isn't it?  I don't remember it being quite as drab last year but then I don't remember what I did this morning.  I think everyone is aware of how utterly loathesome this month has been so far with its shitty sideways rain and pus coloured sky.  What is the point of this month? I ask you?  Mind you, people are trying their best. Just today the management (of the place where I work) sent an email round announcing lunch would be on them until payday - that's 3 days away and it may not seem like much but it is better than a kick in the teeth no?.  We are to collect a five pound voucher from HR for each day whenever the fancy takes us.  I guess watching staff slowly wither away on a diet of toast and baked beans was too much.  This is in a company that provides free bread...so actually it would appear people are down to a budget of 23p per day; the price of a single portion sized tin.  Jesus!  Could it BE any more depressing? 

Well yes it could.  People continue to starve in Africa, others are being blown up in the Middle East and Asia and the number of homeless in Piccadilly alone has very visibly risen since last year.  Christ only knows what other suffering is going on.  So you know, it's worth still being aware of all the things we do have on our half of the hemisphere.  And be grateful.

I do have to keep going back to the value of the simple pleasure.  This evening for example I managed to get just the right measure of olive oil and lemon juice for a vinaigrette that I found so delicious I didn't bother with the salad - just simply mopped it up with a metre of bread (so the diet is coming along gloriously).  I also managed to hold a crow position (nightly yoga practice) for the longest time to date and higher than ever before.  The aim being to eventually be able to push up into a hand stand...sure...For those of you who don't know what a crow pose looks like - well it's looks like this:

And when you get really good, it can transition to this:

Until eventually you can get really cocky and do stuff like this:

 

Me?  I'm about here:

which is still better that sitting around eating pizza right?

On the subject of doing ok - I've managed to keep the weekly swimming ritual going since announcing I would be stepping the parenting up.   I am proud to say that The Lish has come a long way since that first Saturday where she practically severed my arms with her vice-like grip.  Now she doesn't want me anywhere near her (as long as she has her noodle and two floats) but this is progress indeed.  This week I'll be teaching her to put her head under water.  Wish me luck. 

Another wonderful side benefit of the whole swimming - active thing is - well actually two things are: 1. This whole thing of conquering fears etc...has caused a massive step change in Lish's overall levels of confidence which was at a cripplingly low level (hereditary I'm told...her father, yes The Silverback - if you can believe it - was the same) and 2. I'm just having so much fun with her and creating lasting memories. Even if I do have to consciously avoid thinking about the amount of child piss I'm wading through. 

See, I really don't think I ever did anything with my poor over worked mum (outside of watching telly) but to be fair she was always too tired to do anything at the weekend and I do totally understand.  Besides I can't miss what I never had and so I don't.  She gave me so much more in other ways.

So now, Lishy looks forward to our Saturday swimming mornings at Swiss Cottage and it's great too for me to know that I am relied on to make this happen.  It's nice to be wanted so obviously.

Even if it does involve other children's urine.