Numbers

I have come to realise that we react emotionally to numbers. Heating energy in the UK is going up by 10% this October and this has caused vitriol in the media. Two months ago my direct debit for E-On – my supplier – went up by £12 a month. I fumed. It was the heat of summer and I was using very little fuel. In fact, when I received notification, I had just returned from my month-long holiday. Why on Earth would I need to pay more? Now I am in credit and that galls even more. Paying bills that are not optional engenders a worse reaction than choosing to buy something at a higher price.

My hand blender broke this week. This annoyed me too. They don’t make things like they used to. I decided I could live without a hand blender, but I only lasted without one for two days. Actually, my old one had lasted well over 10 years, and I was convinced by a couple of people who I had moaned to about things not lasting that it had had a good innings. In the end, I bought the same make. I could have bought a much cheaper one and saved well over the £12 added to my energy bill.

I shocked myself how lightly I have responded to only having another 3000 lengths left for my second challenge of the year. Only 3000! My logic is that I can do 500 a week and that is only 6 weeks swimming. No problem. I can still go on holiday and have time off for other bits and bods. Basically – no stress.

My Garmin watch has suddenly started highlighting my physical age and how I can reduce it still further. I am competitive. I want to get that age down a few more years so I am shifting my lifestyle just a bit more and eating smaller portions. So far I have lost 1/2 a kg. It is a start and I am going in the right direction.

This 66 year old, Old Dear is still standing so I must be doing a few things right and not bursting too many blood vessels over freaky numbers. With just 2% inflation now, a free bus pass and the appearance of a “blue moon” things don’t look too bad. There are even  just a few too many apples around this year - our orchard is trying to give them away! I am still getting ads for an IQ of 240 too - OTT

Apples outside the orchard. 100s of them