What I did today - for small achievements and cheers

[wez]

I was walking home from Tesco and spotted what I thought was a baby mole looking lost and far from home, wandering around a busy road ready to be squished, I had to step in and save the little adventurer hehe, I found an old tiny box on the side of the road and proceeded to chase the thing untill it gave up and decided the box looked like a safe place to investigate, thankfully it walked right in Turns out it wasn't a mole at all but in fact a shrew, I still think rescue was in order because of how it was playing chicken with the traffic. I walked to the local park and placed it into some long grass and away it went

[Percy]

Well done Wez.

[wez]

Thanks Percy

I am grateful that the whole thing went as smooth as it did as I didnt want to spend too long looking like a mad man crouch walking around the middle of the road, I owe that little shrew a big favour for surrendering himself so easily

[Rocket Spud]

Love these sort of stories - nice one, Wez!

[BritishPeace]

MAde some phone calls

[biscuits]

That's so sweet, wez! How lovely

^^^ nice one, BP. Phone calls are scary and it's such a relief when they're all done!

[BritishPeace]

It’s best just to do it as soon as you remember and not to think, do not think is one thing I have learned about anxiety

[wez]

[Jen.]

I had a work-related Teams call yesterday that I wasn't really dreading because I saw there were almost 30 other people on the invite list. I thought it was just going to be listening to an update with no input from anyone required, so I went into it quite relaxed, but then came the dreaded "Why don't we go down the list and everyone can do an introduction and tell us something interesting about themselves?"

I've never been so aware of the physical effects things like this can suddenly have on me (heart rate, breathing, nausea, light-headedness, compulsion to leave the situation). It felt like being back in school when similar situations would happen. I don't mind doing the introduction part, although the panic at the other thing made me panic about that too because I didn't have time to rehearse it in my mind, but having to think on the spot in front of so many people about something "interesting" to say was awful.

I would have been comfortable with it if there had been time to prepare, even if I'd just been told I'd be required to do this an hour before, so the stress of thinking on the spot wouldn't be there. Luckily my name wasn't too close to the start so there were maybe seven or eight who went before me. I won't say what I came up with, because the memory makes me cringe too much, but I'm glad I got through it because I was very, very close to just turning my computer off. Everyone else seemed to not care about doing it, unless they were good at hiding it, and some of their examples were awful really (e.g. "I like gardening" was one).

[Percy]

Well done Jen, that can't have been easy

[Appear]

^^ Nice one.

I've logged off a Teams meeting before when the chair said we'd be doing that. My attendance was optional and I did have some pressing stuff to do - that sealed it.

[Shy_pretty_Angela]

I managed to walk a bit!

[Percy]

Well done Angela

[Jen.]

Originally Posted by Appear

^^ Nice one.

I've logged off a Teams meeting before when the chair said we'd be doing that. My attendance was optional and I did have some pressing stuff to do - that sealed it.

Thanks - I kept thinking in the two minute window I had where I could have left and later claimed technical problems that I might just leave, but made the decision to fight through it and see. My cursor was hovering over the button the entire time though

I was considering that it might be easier to keep a list of "interesting things" on my desktop just case it happens again, plus something for the even worse "two truths and a lie". I've been put in that situation before in a seminar and decided it would be less excruciating to say "Sorry, but I really hate games like this, so I didn't think of anything" when it came to my turn than actually coming up on the spot with three things to say. It probably was, in hindsight, but it didn't feel like that at the time with everyone staring at me. I don't know why I always worry when everyone else's examples are almost always terrible. One example from that time was "I like Thai food," "I like Greek food" and "I like Chinese food." Who gives a **** what the lie is!

You'd think avoiding doing this stuff would come up in the inclusivity discussions businesses and places of education apparently have, but obviously not.

[Chess&Junkfood]

That's great to hear, Angela!

[Percy]

Went to the singing group, had a blast.

[Percy]

No, although I was dancing to Follow Da Leader.

[Shy_pretty_Angela]

I walked down one flight of stsirs from my flat. I live on the third floor

[Percy]

Outstanding Angela, have a sticker.

[anewyear]

Originally Posted by Jen.

I don't know why I always worry when everyone else's examples are almost always terrible. One example from that time was "I like Thai food," "I like Greek food" and "I like Chinese food." Who gives a **** what the lie is!

You'd think avoiding doing this stuff would come up in the inclusivity discussions businesses and places of education apparently have, but obviously not.

Thing is that other person presumably had as much of an effort to suddenly come up with something as you did. So yeah it's a crap answer but it was unfair on them (like you) to be put on the spot.

I absolutely hate that situation. I do have a stock answer that I give ("I have double jointed thumbs") which I keep up my sleeve. The answer I mean, not the thumbs. I mean they are slightly more bendy than normal but yeah, not that much

[Percy]

Good for your son Nanuq.

[Percy]

I've just had a lovely chat with ShyPrettyAngela on the phone

[Sudoku]

"my younger son did a practice walk for DofE today. He did about 19K, with a huge backpack in this heat."

That just brought back huge nostalgia! I loved doing DofE back in highschool. Good luck to him!

[Laurel]

where did people do their DoFE? I do regret not doing that.

[Sudoku]

Mine was north Essex. It rained about 90% of the time and we got lost in a lot of fields/woods, so it felt more like the Swamp of Ridoh in Elden Ring!

[Laurel]

Swamp of Ridoh means nothing to me. I gave up at the first boss on Elden Ring.

[Shy_pretty_Angela]

Did deep breathing 9 rounds with count of 8*passes out!

[Shy_pretty_Angela]

Yes Nanuq. I practice pranayama. Its basically breath control. I try to do it most days as its so powerful. For me personally it transforns me totally.
I learned it on a yoga teacher training course in 2019 and fell in love with it.
Its not just deep breathing its breath control so you really have to focus 100 per cent and when you do your mind cant think of anything else!!

[Shy_pretty_Angela]

Today I couldnt get into the bath so i did a bed bath for myself. My mum btought the bowl of water towel and flannel and I did the rest.
I feel clean now and Im satisfied that I can keep clean even if I cant make it into the bath!

[Percy]

Just had a lovely chat with Shy_pretty_Angela.