Technical issues occurred in Casa de Munson this week when our television decided to give up the ghost. It was perhaps unsurprising, given that I had inherited it six years ago from my aunt, who inherited it some time before that from her daughter.
I became briefly grumpy when I realised I was going to go through the hassle of ordering and then setting up a new TV, but then told myself off when I realised that all of that was a first-world problem.
Amazon did me proud and had a new TV on my doorstep in about 25 hours, which was perfect. I was momentarily concerned when I saw that there were a few screws needed to fix the base into the TV; I have no practical skills whatsoever. But I managed to attach the base by following the instructions, and the set-up was amazingly smooth. I kept expecting something to go wrong (I’m a glass-half-empty kind of person), but nothing did. Hallelujah.
I’m not a huge TV watcher. I never watch anything live, and usually watch things on Disney, Amazon Prime, or Netflix with Bryan. We’re currently working our way through the various Star Trek series, which is fun, and we’re building up a list of things to watch next. I can’t wait for the final series of Stranger Things, although I might need to watch some of the previous series to remember what the hell was going on.
We’re now fast approaching the end of term. Bryan finishes on Wednesday after a busy term, and I’m dealing with a bit of whiplash at how quick this school year has gone. Bryan has really established a good group of friends and has found his niche at school. It goes without saying that I’m incredibly proud of what he’s achieved, although I do wish everything would slow down a bit. He’s now been home for five years, and he’s no longer the little boy who first walked through the door at eight years old. He’s a thirteen-year-old who’s practically as tall as me, has a deep voice, and is kind, funny, and interesting. I’m struggling to keep up with the changes.
I’m renewing my interest in something I did for a good few years; marathons. Specifically, walking marathons; I know I wouldn’t be capable of running one (and I’ve got absolutely zero interest in trying). I did about fourteen walking marathons a few years ago, although I only did one by myself – which was a few months after Bryan came home. I found myself missing him a lot, even though I was only away for a night, and promised myself I wouldn’t do any more until he was older. I’ll still miss him when I go away, but I plan to just do a single one in 2025 – the Shine Marathon in September. I’m not fit enough to do it this year, so I’ve given myself a year to train and do it properly.
I can’t yet decide whether or not to try and find someone to walk the marathon with. I’ve walked the vast majority with a friend of mine – Di – who has now retired from the world of marathons and moved further along the coast to live with her family. I don’t blame her, but I did miss the camaraderie when I did a single marathon solo. That said, I managed it fine, and found myself connecting with people all the way through the night who were also walking solo. There was a great atmosphere, so I can see the benefits of both – sharing the experience with a friend, or being open to the experience of just meeting new people as you go. I’ve got a year to decide, I guess.
I did try and talk Bryan into joining me – he’ll be 14 by the time I do it – but he wasn’t keen. I even offered to do a half-marathon, to ease him into it, but I wasn’t getting very far. Maybe I’ll change his mind …?
