pool dreams

im not into "year wrap up's" but wanting to quickly go through 2023 anyway. i became a british citizen which is probably the biggest event. i (we) started fostering cats, continuing that in 2024. my step sister visited me which was lovely. i got more familiar with AI, as did the rest of the world... but like, really, for my work i put some effort into learning more. i traveled on 3 continents. i read some good books, such as The Authority Gap by Sieghart. i watched Love is Blind, Amazing Race Finland, Physical 100,  Black Mirror, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Tinder Swindler amongst others. i was also dealing with my "midlife revolution" which didnt seem to lead anywhere and has since calmed down. i went to get botox between my brows - not the first time -  but decided to make it a habit now and will return soon. i also bought a super quiet toothbrush, lol.  

a few people have asked if i have any new years resolutions. which i dont. im just gonna try my best, for myself, and thats that. i of course want to keep eating healthy, moving more... but thats not particularly new year-y, its something always on my mind. the latter bit is what needs more work. i hope to put my best effort in at work, i certaily enjoy it more when i learn new things. 

we spent the last 10 days of the year in Egypt, where it was reasonably warm at around 24c. heated pool was the main selling point though, i really wanted to dip into something WARM. i found this lush green resort with swim up rooms and heated pool and spent my best times in there, listening to music and dancing, reading while sitting on the ledge and floating. the silence under water is really calming. 

intro to my pool time. which almost reads as a leg/foot fetish but is just my well documented interest in capturing the moments from my POV.

 

dr taught me backgammon

bar/restaurant

breakfast

hotel at night

went on a boat tour to snorkle and see corals. we stopped over at this lagoon in the middle of the sea, where the water was only up to waist, super clear, and white sand. funny to stand there in the middle of the sea with no beach in sight.

chilling in the pool

our cabana for the stay. loved laying there, listening to the waves and reading. i willingly admit a lot of my reading is news, social media and articles - but if thats how i roll then nothing wrong with it.

the last sunset of the year at Hurghada airport. we arrived home 23:40, just in time to turn on BBC to see Rick Astley, the fireworks and raise a glass with our palestinian friends/neighbours, who rushed in right after our arrival. the fireworks were partly visible from our window too so it was cool. but it was a long day and and we crashed right after.

The New Yorker: Hasan Minhaj's Emotional Truth's

podcasts (spotify links):
Scamanda
A Very British Cult
Frozen Lies

next month i plan on going to Toronto to see Hanna as she is moving to her new place, we didnt meet this year at all so will be good to spend some one on one time together, i miss her. 

some books on my reading list:
Eve Babitz: Slow Days, Fast Company
Simone De Beauvoir: The Woman Destroyed
Anu Bradford: Digital Empires
Michel J Sandel: The Tyranny of Merit

i think i really enjoy autobiographical novels (a lá On The Road) and stream of consciousness type of reading.