Today’s been a good day, despite being the first day back at work after my trip! I am knackered but still alive, just… heading for bed the moment I’ve finished this post! Unrelated images from the trip throughout – I have 5GB of the things so will be spreading them through many posts 🙂

Nashville skyline at night from the General Jackson paddle boat.

It was fab to see everyone at work – not so great to be actually working, but holiday is always going to be more fun than work I guess 🙂 Was a really nice day, although it took me most of the morning to catch up and get back into the swing of things. I’m sure the usual madness will kick in soon, it’s permanently busy, but I have a much better sense of perspective for the break, so hopefully it won’t be so stressful for the rest of this year!

Me on the world’s biggest spur in Fort Worth’s stock yards. Working the pin up cowgirl look with the boots and the red lipstick.

Have been really good from a healthful (is that even a word?) slant too – cereal on the train, no snacks or caffeine till after 12, then I cracked and had a kitkat. With hot squash, because I’m so super-sophisticated.

Have also managed (accidentally) to avoid carbs all day, this is not something I usually do but I think the lack of veg on holiday has kicked in, I’ve eaten almost my own body weight in peas this evening, lol!

Oh man, I might have been healthy today but I’d kill for this cake again!

Things that are making me happy today (cos it’s Thursday, after all) –

• Reading a fab book I bought for the plane called the Happiness Project, which so far I can highly recommend
• Giggling with the girls at work
• Western boots (and Mum’s utterly genius suggestion that I buy more online when I want to add to my collection, now I know my size in a couple of brands I like)
• Getting to grips with my new phone (still sad about the old one, but the more I use this one the more ok it is)
• Discovering that Ocado will deliver a full shop tomorrow evening (uh oh, I’m in danger of being old and/or boring – but this saves me so much hassle it’s unreal!)
• Val & Matt telling me they’re coming to the zoo on Saturday so I can see them after, squeee
• My new sense of calm and relaxation – let’s hope it lasts]
• American Milky Ways (like our Mars Bars, but less intensely sweet)
• Realising I have 12 potentially workable business ideas. (Really should narrow that list down soon and stop planning them all simultaneously, but they do make me happy even if at least two are financially impossible without a windfall of several million)
• Making healthy choices about what I eat and drink – I think this is the first time in my life I’ve done this without a sense of loss/resentment
• Watching St Trinians & St Trinians 2 in succession yesterday while recovering from the flight
• Driving abroad and driving at home – abroad was fun, I still love Poppy the most
• Plans to start and finish the R2R collage this weekend – and send the bloody photos to the other teams, it’s been a ridiculously long time now
• Sketches for new jewellery, I’ve been muchly inspired by the trip and the things I’ve been seeing and reading
• Last but definitely not least, how loved I am – without sounding completely sappy, I am firmly resolved never to forget how lucky I am to have so many people in my life who I love and who love me too – friends are a very precious thing 🙂

This is probably incoherent and rambling (what do you mean all my posts are rambling?!) but I’m now so sleepy I can’t focus on the screen, so I am off to bed… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.