What Not To Worry About #7

Last week saw Donald Trump become the most powerful man in the world. A man who believes that global warming is a hoax and who is hell-bent on creating racial, religious and social divides across the nation he now controls. It's a scary time when an extreme right-wing businessman with zero military or political experience is the favour of millions of people but just like the UK Brexit result, this outcome is only a reflection of how disenfranchised ordinary people are becoming. I am by no means politically intuitive nor will I pretend to understand the systems that allowed Trump to become President and Brexit to hang over the UK like a black cloud but what I do know is that so many people, not just those my own age, only want the basic of human rights for everyone. Equality for all genders, races, ages and religious backgrounds should not be an unattainable goal in 2016. After a week of being immersed in Trumpworld I escaped to Donegal on Saturday with my Aussie visitor. A place where even if another world war broke out we wouldn't know about it for quite some time. It's the perfect place to unwind no matter the season and at this time of year the coast is as wild as ever. Holly has loved it up here and has claimed it to be her favourite place in Ireland so far and I don't blame her. Just standing on the edge of the Atlantic can feel cathartic and whatever weight I've been carrying is suddenly lifted away in to the salty air. This week I'm going to try and take a break from media and disconnect from the chaos that's happening across the water. I've also decided to not let these things worry me... Being The Perfect Host - Holly has been with us over 2 weeks now and she'll be here for another 2 before we head to Copenhagen at the end of her trip. She is the most chilled out and undemanding guest, quite happy to watch box sets while I'm at work or take herself in to town. I always feel I should be entertaining her which is a bit tiring when I still have to work through the week but she's told me to relax. So I will. If she's happy with evenings spent by the fire and watching me read then so be it! Sleeping In - We're in Donegal until this evening and I had a mega sleep in which felt AMAZING. I slept until half 10 which for me is a fairly big lie in but I felt annoyed that I'd wasted a morning I had wanted to spend writing by the window overlooking the water. We're in the season now where the day ends at 4pm so I feel under pressure to be as active and busy in the light hours as possible but I need to learn that this is the season to live slowly, lessen expectations and relish in that. It's now 1.30pm and I'm still in my jammies so I think I'll manage. Our Glass Bottle Collection - Our council doesn't take glass for us so we have to bring it to the recycling centre ourselves like a pair of savages and because we are savages this means we have a collection out our back that would rival any pub. I wince as I hear them tumbling about like skittles in the wind and it's only when we can't actually walk out our back door anymore for fear of a Home Alone-style injury that we give in and fill our whole car up like the alcoholics we are. Being a Stinge With The Heating - We have an oil-fired heating system with an immersion to heat the water which has suddenly turned me in to my mother. I hate putting the heat on as I can almost hear the oil evaporating my money away so it's always a last resort for me until I can't get a jumper over my second dressing gown. I'm also terrified of the immersion in case I forget to switch it off after suffering the consequences as a child myself and now Andrew is the one scolding me if I don't switch it off right away. Winter is a tense time. Being Crap At Drinking - I'm not sure if I was ever any good at it or if being good at drinking can be claimed as a skill but certainly my tolerance has taken a swift nose dive in the last year or two. I'm almost terrified of drinking more than a couple of glasses of wine because I don't know what sort of way I'll wake up the next day; apologetic, mortified or absolutely grand until 3pm when I'll start thinking of every bad thing I've ever done in my life and contemplate my existence. I've started to accept that maybe wine isn't my best mate and that maybe a weak strength beer is. Or perhaps abstinence.... *HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA* Have a great week folks and good luck with catching a glimpse of that super moon!! Hopefully those clouds play ball!