Day 1004, I think?

When I first wrote day 30 or something, I think? I didn't really intend it to be the start of a mini-series where every so often I'd throw up all over the blog about what's been happening. However, I really like the concept of remembering I pay for this website as a writing portfolio where I type whatever's on my mind as eloquently and sometimes as angrily as possible.

This is a cheap form of self-therapy that I utterly stand by and advocate for. Even if it's in a form of a private diary, everyone should be writing their thoughts down somewhere. Seeing their feelings turned into words and sentences that they can read back to themselves and get whatever weight off their shoulders they need.

Anyway, it's been a few days since my Day 806, I think? blog. 198 days to be precise. This actually doesn't sound that long in days but I wrote that back in July for some perspective. Not a lot has happened since July, which is reassuring more than anything.

I've been to Israel what feels like 20 times since July, actually. But if we're removing the concept of absurdity, it's been 3 trips. My great-grandmother passed away at the same time I was standing in the airport to fly out and surprise her for my second trip to Israel back in October. My great-uncle (her son) made a remark that was a little too funny not to write here, in that 'she beat me to the surprise.'

So, one trip for a surprise turned into a funeral, and the next and most recent trip in January, for a stone setting and to be with our family for a week. A stone setting, for Jewish people, is where we erect the gravestone and say more prayers for our departed. Hey, at least my first trip back to Israel in August was a thrilling boys' holiday where I actually did get to spend time with my great-grandmother.

Enough about me on my own blog. What's been happening in the UK and around the globe? Rishi Sunak is now the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He follows the great democratic tradition of being a Prime Minister not having to receive any votes from the general tax-paying public to become head of the circus we call Government.

Argentina won the World Cup like I thought they would. Good for them. One of the last moments of footballing joy was stolen from me by my own mother. Standing in a packed Boxpark Wembley back in December, with my mum panic calling my friends and then eventually me thinking I had my phone stolen because I spelt Morocco wrong in a text to her and that's very unlike me.

As England won their first penalty against France, and Harry Kane stepped up to score, I was somewhere near the exits of the venue shouting down the phone over the sound of thousands of celebrating England fans that I had indeed not had my phone stolen and that I, believe this or not, was simply a bit tipsy from the beers and rushed a text back to her about who England would play should they beat France. Kids, don't accidentally slam a K into the name Morroco when texting your mum.

Luckily, I got to witness Kane miss the second penalty. So, although I didn't get to celebrate England's goal from earlier in the game, I did get to carry on the tradition of never personally having a good moment with football when it matters. Swings and roundabouts, folks.

I restarted the Peep Show a few months ago and once again finished it within weeks. I still consider it some of the greatest English television ever created and I know that's hardly an unpopular opinion. It did, nonetheless, become my personality for a month whilst watching it.

198 days ago I began to touch on the cost of living crisis, the issue of the British Government, the Russian war on Ukraine and the potential apocalypse it could bring. I'm so happy to say that 198 days later, all of these issues still remain. Consistency shouldn't be frowned upon. Change can be scary.

Okay, no, no. We're not going to get worked up on politics again, or the lack of it. We're not. The book "The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck" by Mark Manson is worth a read.

1,004 days later from the original blog and 198 days since the follow-up, you may still be wondering how I'm doing? I'm happy to say I'm still maintaining my good PS4 to Netflix balance, with a bit more reading, writing and exercise thrown in.