The weekend carried a good rhythm. I finally wrapped up my reflection on Japan, which felt like the right way to close that chapter. Reading it back, it may lean a little negative, but in truth it was a wonderful holiday, messy, full, and satisfying in the way family trips often are, ticking most boxes on the family holiday bingo card.
We had a house full of kids again. At times it feels like we’re running an informal teenager retreat, loud, chaotic, strangely joyful but also somehow busier than the working week. By Sunday things settled. The kids drifted off to the ovals, leaving me space for the garden and a run. A satisfying end.
This week I’ve slipped back into routine: a gym session, regular running, and the first notes of a training cadence for the Canberra Times Half Marathon in November. I’m not sure what the goal will be… perhaps not a PB this time, but to cruise it, soak in the vibe, and not feel like I’m on a hamster wheel. With the return of that routine, I feel more together, more relaxed. The steady tick tock of days falling back into order lulls me into a kind of sanity
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Work is improving. The technical side remains a mountain, but there are moments I enjoy; Raising questions, nudging at priorities, even offering solutions. Whether those solutions land or not feels secondary; points for trying, at least. A couple of days in the office also helped. Having most of the team in the same space made a big difference. Working from home is wonderful, but the energy I get from simply being around people is something else entirely.
Musically, the week was generous. Cut Copy released their new album, Moments. Classically theirs, instantly familiar, infinitely listenable. It didn’t grab me on first play, but that was true of Freeze, Melt too, and that record grew on me quickly. Tame Impala added another track from the upcoming album to the mix. Between the two, there’s enough new audio energy to keep me moving.