Life Is Too Short For Bad Coffee, The Sequel.

I bought a coffee machine, a bean to cup one... This one. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cuisinart-Grind-Coffee-Maker-DGB2U/dp/B000VZ4VJ0?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&gQT=1&th=1 I know, I know, I made a big point of not being a coffee snob and only having an instant, but 'Intense' Gold Blend jar coffee as my choice, but I have been thinking of late that maybe I should stretch my taste buds. It is not an overly fancy machine, a simple hopper for the beans on the front with a built in grinder under, I believe it is a good one, a burr grinder (shrugged shoulder emoji), although I am clearly far from being an expert. You grind your bean of choice into a little hopper that has a reusable filter, pop into the machine, place your cup under the spout, press your size of cup button (there is a choice of three) and magic happens. Well, ok, not magic per se, it passes heated water through the ground beans into your cup, standard fare I guess for coffee makers. You can use either already ground coffee or even pods, so it is versatile. No steam wand or milk frother (is that a word) this is for purists who like their coffee black. I used the last post about coffee as a metaphor for 'things your author has learned from the ladies he has shared time with' and I'd like to say that I have some new learnings... Wait for it. Wait. Give your head a wobble my dear reader, as if I have found someone, ha ha. Still not seriously looking, I don't have the time! Not even joking, I have one, maybe two free weekends in June and then am rammed until the end of July with reunions, gigs and nights out and that is after a full on May. 2025 so far (for fear of jinxing it) has been superb. A small unexpected curveball caught me unawares, but hey ho, lets not dwell on that. Moving on.

The good. As I have already written about here: https://www.my11yearplan.com/post/hey-how-you-doing I had an amazing week in Egypt and I have a new job, and to recap it is, without wanting to be too big headed, one that I was approached by over applying for, in an International company and at a level in my chosen industry that is quite elite. I am now that Major and Complex Loss Surveyor/Adjuster at Sedgwick and I still pinch myself a little at that title. I am loving it. I mean really loving it. I am waiting to wake up and find it was all a dream. I wish I had found it five years ago, it is that good! Early spring weather was amazing and whilst we have a blip at the start of June, the summer is predicted to be good, sssshhhh, keep it down, 'they' may be listening, don't spoil it and when it comes I intend to embrace it. There have been plays. The Shark is Broken, I cried, I laughed and I loved every second. An Inspector Calls, one of my all time favourites that I have seen at least five times. I had it booked for February, but lets just say my date and gig/theatre and best lady mate decided that wine did not agree with her that night, we missed it and so we tried again. I got drunk and dozed off. We saw Kylie very recently and she is still so very gorgeous, Military rugby, always great. Sam was over from the US with the new and lovely lady in tow and we enjoyed a long weekend in Hampshire together as well as catching up with Mr B after too many years. I have been out on the bikes and paddleboards more times this year than last already with more to come. I still have the 5 Sqn Reunion, Stereophonics, Amyl and the Sniffers, Kneecap, Texas and Natalie Imbruglia to look forward too as well as Lets Rock in my (adopted) hometown. I am smelling the roses and loving it. Tonight the Pink Crocs are hitting Shrewsbury for a well needed night out and catch up and as ever I apologise to my liver and wallet in advance. I am discovering new music all the time and The Ting Tings are back, their new EP is a move away from their earlier stuff and is sublime. Dreaming is a tune. Go listen. Haim's new album so far is also amazing. Billy Nomates also has a new album out and it is as fantastic as ever, I am glad she rose above the hate and stuck two fingers up to the keyboard warriors. The bad. No wait, not bad, that breeds negativity. The niggles. (Better) I have lost my way with my training and I am putting that down to a routine change with the new job, but I'll get back on track and soon. (That last bit is more for me more than you, if I write it, then I have to commit to it). Aren't we, as humans, a funny species. We find it hard to make good lifestyle changes, but find it really easy to stop them, even when we really love them. I started training regularly last March and got the bug, I mean really got it, I researched form, exercises appropriate to my age (easy, I am not THAT old) and set goals. I tracked my work outs and progress. I changed my diet, tracked calories and protein intake daily, I didn't restrict myself from a treat as I do not believe in that, and as anyone who knows me is aware between January and Easter of any year I resemble a Crème Egg from the sheer volume I consume. My training was sensible, I have no idea what any of of my one rep max's are and I don't care as that risks injury and injury at 50+ can mean weeks away from the gym and that was scary as a thought. The reps and weights went up and whilst I hate the mirror I could tell I was changing as clothes that were loose in places were now tight. Oi! No! Not around my middle, cheeky bastards. Then, your routine gets thrown and all of a sudden the minimum four visits a week, become five in one month, total.

'shocked face emoji' I know that when I get back, the first three sessions will be tough, but it will come back and I'll be back on track and will look back and hate the me of May 2025. My drinking had crept back into the midweek again, not excessive by any means and certainly not like my 30's and married years, but couple that with missing the gym, lets just say that the tightness of clothing is back where I don't want it to be and move swiftly on. Yep, I know, only I can change that. I will. I have only ever wanted a drama free life, I know we all do, but some court it and some revel in it. Not me. I will walk away with zero qualms from any drama and not give it a second thought. At 52 and 3/4 I simply do not have the time or patience for it, I am confident that is one of the main reasons I am, single, other than being an ugly bugger of course, but I can't change that. Ooosh, deep, where did that come from? I feel like Tod (Keanu Reeves) in Parenthood when he gives the father speech, realises he has gone somewhere deep and out of character, shakes his head and comes back to himself. https://youtu.be/QFaUX9ZbyRM?si=Jrce2NLpOJXNW-gU What a film! Right, head is firmly shook, time for a spiced rum, that came from Mauritius, thank You Sam and Annie xx, a shower and finish getting ready for a night out. What's that? Did I gloss over the new machine a little too much? Nope, still not a coffee snob...