Picture from Happymap

Although I had planned to make yesterday a work day when it came down to it I couldn't really be bothered straight away so once I had done some promotion I turned the computer off and took Jack for a walk to my dad's house. It's been an emotional few days and I haven't seen my dad for a few days and thought I should pop in and give him an update. Funnily enough I spoke to my mum on the phone while walking there as news had reached her of Mandi and me splitting up, even though we haven't actually split up. It was close and technically I was single for the whole of New Year's Eve but my mum was more concerned with a post I made on my personal Facebook profile regarding my recent depressive episode. The big news I suppose is that I have finally agreed to seek professional help for my depression, something I have avoided for far too long. 

Talking to my dad he brought up something that Mandi has always said, that I work too much and take on a lot more than I should. An example of this was my daily blog which fell off the rails for the first time towards the end of last year and my stress over catching up. I don't want to break the chain ("fuck the chain" thanks dad) but realise that he is right and by not bothering to catch up I have written off a month of bother. As much as I enjoy writing a daily blog I am going to start again with 2016 yet deep down I know that I won't write something every day this time. The last thing I want is for this to become a ballache to be treated with the same contempt that we all save for such mundane tasks as putting the bins out and emptying the washing machine. I've never been one for New Year Resolutions and all that new age 'new year new me new start' bollocks but I have already started to feel better since making the decision to get help. Hopefully this will still be a busy year for me but I am going to take on one thing at a time and if that takes up so much time that I don't have time to write about it then so be it. Having said that, some blogs from December have been written in draft so will see the light of day because they are about topics that I care about.

2016 is not going to see me join a gym, quit smoking and drinking or become a vegetarian but I will read more books and go for walks which in turn will hopefully mean I don't want to jump in front of a train before Christmas happens again.

Please read my January newsletter here.

The Sunday Alternative Podcast #70 is available from here.

This week's episode of The Random Saturday Sessions with a fantastic appearance from The Idolins is available to watch here.