It is a fact of life that: Sometimes People Disappoint.
Wiser people than me, would say have no expectations, then you are never disappointed but always surprised.
The thing is:
I am not one of those wiser people.
Sometimes people, in what they say, give you some expectations.
I guess some people can’t follow through on their words. Rather than feel disappointed, I choose to move on; and look for those rare people who do what they say.
My first batch of 13 paperback copies. They have all been signed and sent out to people.. More have been ordered.
This is a general life update. As most of you will be aware my new book Mental Health Wisdom has been released. It was due to be released in May, but was moved forward due to the way Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing Works. I realised that it is also available on Amazon internationally. You can learn more here here.
The whole process of writing, editing and publishing the book has been a huge learning curve. It’s awesome to see my own work in print. I feel really happy and very proud of myself.
I’ve managed to get my book on Goodreads. I’ve reached out to some bloggers who have agreed to review my book. I now need to get some reviews on Amazon and Goodreads.
As I spent the end of last year and the beginning of this year working on my book, I’ve used the time since to catch up with family and friends. I’ve met with my mum and she’s shared her excitement about going to Thailand and Cambodia. My brother Shaun and his girlfriend are adding to our family. My brother Neil and his fiancee are excited about a move.
My friend Kay has shared her experiences from a recent trip to Australia. A family I’m close to (they have all but practically adopted me!) have shared stories of their children and grandchildren. My friend Sye shared that he has passed his theory driving test.
There’s been so much going on for the people that I love and it’s all positive. It is wonderful to hear.
My iPhone 6 Plus had fingerprints on the camera that no amount of lens cleaning would remove. The battery was beginning to die. This is the second iPhone I’ve had in two years and I really look after my stuff. So I decided to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S10+:
Samsung Galaxy S10+ SmartPhone.
This phone is superb. The only annoyance is that often the fingerprint scanner doesn’t recognise my fingers. Here are some features on the phone:
A massive screen.
A long-lasting battery and fast charging.
Three camera lenses on the back and two on the front.
A sensor that can detect you heart rate, the oxygen saturation in your tissue and levels of stress.
It was quick and easy to transfer my data (contacts, photos, music, calendars) from my iPhone to the S10+. In fact Samsung has an app that does it all for you.
The settings make the phone highly customisable. You can download full themes, or just wallpapers and icons.
All Apps available on iPhones are available in either the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store.
It has plenty of RAM.
A huge amount of storage, the amount customisation on order. It can also be extended by Micro SD.
It can be wirelessly charged and can be used to wirelessly charge other devices.
Has a headphone jack.
Dual speakers that are really loud.
Affordable accessories made by third parties.
The list could go on.
I’ve planned and booked my annual leave off work until the end of January. I am in the process of make plans for my time off.
After Life by Ricky Gervais is on Netflix and a must watch.
I’ve been enjoying Star Trek Discovery on Netflix. I also watched After Life written by and staring Ricky Gervais.
After Life is a must watch. It’s about a man (Gervais) whose wife dies due to cancer. It is about how he deals with the loss and gets on the path to contentedness.
After Life is funny, pulls at your heart strings and is overall brilliant. The ending felt rushed, but the reasons for this are understandable.
Here’s a trailer:
Click here to display content from YouTube. Learn more in YouTube’s privacy policy.
Finally, I’ve recently had feedback from a 360° online anonymised questionnaire as part of a Leadership Programme at work. This questionnaire was sent to a wide range of people that I work with. I don’t discuss work on my blog. But I will say that it was hugely positive, with only a few minor areas for improvement. This affirms my beliefs that I am good at my job and perform well.
There’s a saying that things, especially bad things, come in threes. I’ve had two unfortunate things happen recently.
First my new laptop that I’ve written about here died in under 1 week. It crashed and froze on start up, meaning it was completely unusable. I tried reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling Windows via Recovery Mode (F2 pressed repeatedly on switch on) but to no avail. However credit must be given where it is due, HP Support were fantastic. They arranged for my faulty laptop to be picked up and replaced it with a new one quickly.
My new HP Laptop died in under one week.
Second the clutch went in my car. Luckily just after I got off the motorway. The RAC towed it to a garage. At the garage we discovered that my car would no longer switch on. This means that as well as the master cylinder that needing replacing, there’s also likely to be another problem with my car.
Currently my car is still with the garage, nearly three weeks later. Hiring a car is starting to get costly and it’s likely that my car will end up being an expensive repair job.
The clutch went in my car. It’s still in the garage, nearly three weeks later.
This poses the question:
Well I’ve got a few contenders. My boiler is playing me up. The speaker and microphone on my iPhone 6 plus is starting to go. This is particularly annoying and frustrating as I’ve only had my iPhone for just over a year. It was a replacement for a previous iPhone that also broke at just over a year old. On my next upgrade I’m most likely to switch to a Samsung Galaxy. Hopefully their phones are better built. My Washer/Dryer has started to sound like a noisy hovercraft taking off.
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that whatever the third thing is to brake, it holds off for a few months.
Are you a Doctor, Nurse, Healthcare Assistant or Other Healthcare Professional? Or a Student?
Ways The Human Body Can Go Wrong covers every system of the body, what can go wrong when the body malfunctions or fails, symptoms (including why these happen) and cures/treatments available.
It includes knowledge around essential skills for Clinical Excellence such as Assessment, All Age Observational Norms, Models of Care, Communication/Handover Tips, the role of Specialities, Medication Tips, Dealing with Errors, Documentation Advice and a list of Useful Resources.
It is written in plain English, but highlights important medical terminology. It has been written at a level where someone from a non-medical background can pick it up and learn, but that it is still valuable to those with significant Clinical Experience.
My dear friend Roy decided to follow in his family’s footsteps and enlist in the Royal Navy.
I wanted to maintain our friendship, to continue to support Roy, to make him laugh and to entertain him. So I came up with the idea of sending him a weekly email on random topics.
These emails were on a variety of topics, always being entertaining, sometimes being interesting, sometimes funny and occasionally being serious.
Topics included: Jokes, Puzzles, Inspirational Quotes, Future Technology to Be Excited About, How to Fight A Shark, How to Woo A Turtle, Some of the Most Amazing Jobs in the World, Facts About Castles, Do Aliens Exist?, The Kindest Humans, A List of Cakes, 13 Weird Body Facts, 20 Super Space Facts, Ancient Egyptian Curses, 10 Weird Olympic Games, The Great Emu War of 1932, Quiz: Flags of the World, Legendary Characters from the UK and others.
My Royal Navy Friend is a copy of these emails. In total, there are 52 emails. Dispersed throughout the book are also Royal Navy facts and stories.
This workbook has been designed for anyone that is struggling with alcohol or has struggled with alcohol in the past.
It is written in a Motivational Interviewing style, one of the key therapies used to support people with alcohol issues. It has been designed using a trauma-informed approach and is strength–based.
What you will find in this book is more than just worksheets about alcohol. You’ll find all the tools someone needs to get into recovery from alcohol and stay there. It’s a therapy-based book, not an alcohol-based book.
SpellCast is a comprehensive compendium of spells, oils, charms and talismans. It is purely a book about magic, folk magic for the 21st century. The spells are ones that are tried and tested, with some that will stand the test of time.
In SpellCast you will read about the power of Instant Magic, of Banishment & Bindings, Blessings, Cleansing, Communication, Death, Employment, Finance & Money, Fertility, Friendship, Happiness & Joy, Health, Love & Relationships, Luck Magic, Protection, Transformative Magic and WishCraft.
This book will change your life. Your life will be abundant in all meanings of the word.
This book contains everything that you need to know about mental health and mental illness. Mental Health Wisdom is divided into three sections.
Understanding is section one and is all about the facts of mental health.
In section two, Empathy Through Lived Experience, the author shares his personal experience of mental illness.
Life Hacks is section three. It’s all about self-care and quick and easy ways to improve your mental health, prevent mental illness or relapse of mental illness.
Mental Health Wisdom contains everything that you need to know about mental health and mental illness.
Mental Health Wisdom is divided into three sections.
Understanding is section one and is all about the facts of mental health.
In section two, Empathy Through Lived Experience, the author shares his personal experience of mental illness.
Life Hacks is section three. It’s all about self-care and quick and easy ways to improve your mental health, prevent mental illness or relapse of mental illness.
If you find my blog educational or entertaining, please consider making a purchase or donation on Ko-Fi.
Hi Sofia, Thanks for the comment. I bought that in Glastonbury and he was a real find. I bought him…
Hi! I know this was posted ages ago and so a response may be rare but my dad has been…
Hi Ruth, Thanks for the comment. He might well have been. A x
Hi! Watching video and interviews with Charlie Watt, it had me wondering if he might have had Aspergers/ been on…
Amazon
Antony Simpson is a participant in the Amazon EU Associates Programme, an affiliate advertising programme designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.co.uk.
A great introductory article on candle magic :)
Hi Sofia, Thanks for the comment. I bought that in Glastonbury and he was a real find. I bought him…
Hi! I know this was posted ages ago and so a response may be rare but my dad has been…
Hi Ruth, Thanks for the comment. He might well have been. A x
Hi! Watching video and interviews with Charlie Watt, it had me wondering if he might have had Aspergers/ been on…