Overthink the Day...

This week I've been pondering delayed gratification. You too? No? Fair enough.

I'm not impulsive by nature. I like to ponder, plan, and then plan some more. People who make snap decisions terrify me. Well, let's be clear. If their behaviour doesn't affect me, then they're hugely impressive. They're grasping life and taking it by the scruff of the neck while I'm still weighing up the pros and cons. When their decisions DO affect me, however, then I'm not on board. I need to stew, to ruminate, and to wallow. Then I know I'm ready to act.

Eventually, after lots of thought, the pay off arrives. The decision is made, the action can happen, and the day can finally be seized. That's what I've been thinking about this week. Whether it's Writing News, the Culture section, or the research I'm doing in Out and About, the long game is how I like it. But read on, because in some areas, the delay is nearly over. It's almost time for some lovely gratification!

Book 2
Book 3 coming soon!

Writing News

It's almost seventeen months since the conception of the new Leeza McAuliffe book. It was August 2024 when I sat down with a notebook and spewed out random ideas for what might happen next. Time flies! Since then, there's been multiple drafts, a variety of beta readers, one editor, a sensitivity reader, and countless queries to my twelve year old niece about high school life. Despite the comings and goings, one thing remains. I love these characters. I love when other people love them. I can't wait to share them with the world and I'm hoping to do that soon.

I'm gearing up to leave
Luke's Diner. Wish me luck. 
 

Culture

On Friday night, my Gilmore Girls rewatch came to an end. Sob. What can I say, it'll be a massive wrench to leave these characters behind. I started in mid-November and with only a brief break for Christmas movies, I've watched every day. Thoughts and prayers as I say goodbye to the loveliest town with the quirkiest people. It's been a joy and I'm not ready for you to go.

In more Friday night news, it was announced that Catherine O'Hara had died. That someone so comedically cool could do something as mundane as die, is a real head-scratcher. I love her work and the fact it's there to be enjoyed forever, is the silver lining on a particularly crappy cloud. I often use Schitt's Creek gifs on this blog - they tend to provide something for every eventuality -  but they'll have an added layer of poignancy from now on.

And in even MORE Canadian news (Catherine O'Hara was Canadian, gang!) I'm racing through the Game Changers books series by Rachel Reid. Despite having watched the TV show first, they enlarge upon the characters so much that it's no bother to cover old ground. In fact, they're utterly addictive and have convinced me that I'm now an ice hockey expert. It's a funny old world.

Food and Drink

I've no sweet tooth and rarely bother with dessert but there are a couple of options that'll get ordered every time. Pistachio ice cream for one. There's never a time when I don't want to eat it. That's just how it goes. The other dessert I can't ignore is affogato. Cold ice cream, hot espresso, served with a shot of amaretto. Classy but easy peasy. It was the pudding for my Burns Night meal with the added Scottish short bread doing the cultural heavy lifting. It tasted fab and reminded me that coffee, amaretto, and ice cream are decent ingredients to have on hand.

Out and About

I visited my brother's new flat. In my capacity as furniture shifter, I got a sneak peak last week and it's lovely. It reminded me how much I enjoyed city centre living, how beautiful a skyline can be when filled with lights in the dark, and how soft low lighting can create the loveliest of ambiences. I'm now looking at my own lamps in exasperation. 

Aside from that, I finished booking my holiday. Later this year I'll be out and about for real. For now, I'm exploring Visit Canada sites and getting excited about knowing a new North American city. It seems consuming Canadian stories and thinking about Canadian comedy legends has been somewhat influential. 

Planning, pondering, weighing up options - the anticipation of a trip is the best. I've got months of overthinking to do. Months of learning about metro systems and train time tables, climate temperatures and hockey fixtures, places to eat and must see attractions. A late availability deal could never hope to compete with all that fun.

Whether you're seizing the day, or making notes about the day for when you're ready for that day to arrive, do whatever works for you. That's the most important thing, right?

Have a lovely week, folks.