haze, nicotine, and updates
The haze has been bad in where I'm at and it brings back when I could see the haze inside the office lobby of the company. Which brings to mind the barista who added hazelnut syrup into my latte instead of vanilla. Back when I worked for the FMCG place.
I remember being so lost. Uncertain if I will ever find a job that I didn't find utterly horrid. Keeping in mind that I have only been doing "beginner" jobs like administrative, reception, and customer service. Never in my imagination had I thought I would be working in advertising like Don Draper, though we both know the industry now bears almost no resemblance to those days. Well, except the drinking and the chain smoking.
Have been nicotine free since Christmas last year and I am very proud of it. It feels like I never ever smoked in my life. And that any of life's biggest ups and downs has to be endured or survived without need for nicotine.
I am 47 out of 52 books done in this year's reading challenge. Many thanks to the One Sec app, it had helped reduce and even cut out doomscrolling or being rage-baited from my life. And the extra time is spent on reading, be it text our audiobook (don't even start).
It is only the 17th of October and I am 7 books complete. In September I did 12 books.
I am not even consciously making myself read but somehow it feels like it is my version of fun. Preferred even over TV shows, of which is still love. But the emotions of TV shows are volatile, especially the sort of which I enjoy. Like The Bear (oh I love you Carmy but you give me anxiety) and The Diplomat.
Right now I am reading a fictional novel that imagines what might have gone on during Truman Capote's social downfall after publishing chapters of Answered Prayers. It is a good aperitif before I start on In Cold Blood.
Life wise, work is going well, I am integrating myself even further into the ecosystem that is so new (still) to me. I have never felt more at home in any other company. Or maybe I am just more comfortable in my own skin. I still have a long way to go to becoming completely unflappable but it is all a learning process.
Back to the reading. I am making full use of my Libby memberships. There is the NLB and also 2 paid memberships to US-based libraries.
I've never noticed how much our gov spent on our libraries until I see how fast NLB is like to stock the latest titles so I never have to wait for too long. For that alone I am grateful to be born here.
Back to more reading yes.
