Detox Is Over…Long Live Retox

Detox is over…long live retox.

The feeling is a bit like moving into my flat…phew…it’s over. What took it so long? Yet it officially ended on Monday, and it took me two days to celebrate it.

At first I really wasn’t feeling it. The first few weeks of January I was pretty miserable – memories of 4 weeks in Spain were long gone, the weather was cold and crap, bills were flooding in, I didn’t do as much as usual – little in the way of trips to theatre, etc – and I couldn’t have a beer.

It almost put a joy dampener my birthday.

Oh and we had the “everyone to the office 3 days a week fiasco” which was just totally infuriating…so now I had to look for a new job when I really just wanted a stable year.

I concluded that I was never doing a 3 month detox again. But I was still doing this one.

So what did I achieve?

Firstly, I lost almost 7kg, to reach my lowest weight since 2017. This makes me feel better, and it makes me happier. So once I got rid of my Christmas belly, and especially once I went below the magic 90kg number (I do love a bit of numeric psychology), my mood really picked up. I was enjoying detox. I’ve also reduced my blood pressure – still too high but almost acceptably high. More work to do.

Also I sorted a lot of my bedroom out.

Somehow I managed to choose what colours to paint the walls – just how many whites are there? Granted I know this as a front-end engineer already, but it didn’t make it any easier to choose.

Painting was fun at first though I eventually grew bored of it – and I was having to do it before work, on lunchtime, after work – often not in the best light. It took me two coats, I had to do the ceiling too which I was hoping to avoid, and the skirting boards.

Most recently I put my bed together, which was surprisingly hard work, but satisfying.

Still not sleeping in there as I don’t have curtains – I ordered like 30 samples, but don’t like any of them enough. So I’ve ordered another 30. I’m so out of my comfort zone here…how do I know what I’m going to be happy with for the next 20 years? Originally I thought dark blue curtains to match the bed, but now I’m thinking something lighter, maybe even neutral/natural colours. Thoughts welcomed!

I do have a curtain rail, but they sent me the wrong screws so I cannot put it up. At least when I have a curtain rail up, I can hang sheets over it to block out the light, until I get curtains.

Is That Really All I Achieved?

Losing weight and nearly decorating a bedroom doesn’t seem an awful lot for 11 weeks to have achieved, especially when I’ve not done much cultural stuff. Granted I went away twice – once to an adorable wedding (my permitted detox break) and once to Hull.

I’ve got closer to buying a sofa, but my favourites are twice the price as my second favourites (this or this, vs this, this, this or this), I’ve bought a new monitor and keyboard – things I meant to buy in 2023, which I guess means that I’ll be buying a sofa in 2025.

Also I finished building this website, woohoo! I feel like I’m very much back into my work now, and am joining a new team in April. Plus I’ve continued to work on another website I’m building in my spare time…I have too many ideas of things to build, and too little time. Though I really want to start decorating the rest of the flat…it feels shabby compared to my bedroom.

Next up?

Holiday to Sicily! The weather models look a bit mixed at first, but warmer and sunnier later. Having not had a week off since September, I’m definitely feeling the need for a break.

Back to beer and fun, and I guess I’m not going to resist painting the next room for much longer.

Cheers! Roll on detox 2025…though maybe I might be a tad less strict on myself.