Weeknotes #105: more office days, winter lights and Burns night

A busy week of home updates, social events, and reflections.

Week commencing Monday, 20 January 2025

This image shows a large, illuminated "WINTER LIGHTS" sign in bright white neon lighting, creating a striking display against the dark evening backdrop. The sign is part of the Canary Wharf Winter Light festival installation. Several people can be seen around the sign, including some taking photos of the installation. The scene has a misty, atmospheric quality, with the lights from surrounding buildings and the illuminated sign creating a warm glow in the winter evening.
Taking pictures of lights

Quantified Self

  • This week: Stand 6/7; Exercise 4/7 and Move 5/7. (71%). Morning walks: 0/4 (days in the office don’t count). Office days 2/5. Total steps: 49,575

Life

  • Monday, a new fridge freezer was installed. Feels bigger but is the same size. Unlike the one that disappeared in the van, the fridge bit works as expected. Now, we can shop properly again.
  • Same day, I cracked and started doom-scrolling the news. Then I remembered, and I went back to being calm again.
  • We got another door quote. £4,000 cheaper than the last one. Then we got references because we’ve never used the second quote company. Came back good.
  • I had two office days this week. Tuesday ended with more leaving drinks for Andy. This time I made the train home.
  • Related, tired by the end of Wednesday meant I skipped my Tai Chi class. That’s a non-resolution broken.
  • Getting home after being in the office on Thursday, a day with no evening work social event, was nice. But I am reminded how short evenings are after I have commuted and opened the door.
  • I thought I might check up on my pension transfers. This is a blood pressure-raising moment as money has gone from one provider, but the new one says it’s waiting. They told me not to do it, but I did it anyway.
  • I am consolidating a number of providers with one of my existing ones. They sent a note to say it was going ahead because they’d detected the new provider wasn’t a scam. It’s the same company; good to know they consider themselves safe.
  • Winter Light at Canary Wharf is always interesting. But, goodness, a lot of people.
  • We made a Burns Night dinner and watched a related BBC Scotland show. It included whisky, and it didn’t give me indigestion.
  • A dinner for Chinese New Year in Covent Garden on Sunday evening. Lots of steamed dumplings.

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