Week 95: Since we're on the topic of bodily fluids

June 27, 2020

Ever cried on a zoom call? My dudes. It is the worst. I had a coaching session which the FT provides for anyone going on parental leave. I wasn’t expecting to cry but I should have been? because it happens whenever a professional asks me about my feelings? Anyway - on a zoom call, unlike hangouts or face to face, you can see your own face. So I had to watch myself get redder and blotchier and messier throughout the call. At the time I didn’t even realise that it’s not normal to be able to see yourself crying in meetings but as soon as it finished I thought - oh that really added a whole layer of grimness to the experience. I expect I could have removed my video from my screen, which I will do next time. The coach had a really kind face that I should have looked at more.
The coaching session ended well, I just had a lot of feelings.
Crying in Zoom calls aside, I had a very good first week of maternity leave. Lots of people expressed concern about how I - heavily pregnant - was coping in the heat. It’s been fine. I took it easy, had a lot of sweaty naps, and didn’t walk very far or for very long.
I had a midwife appointment which involved walking in the heat for 20 minutes, then immediately putting on a mask to blow my hot breath into. This resulted in my sweating profusely but because I was trying not to touch my face, it just ran down me.
Also - since we’re on the topic of bodily fluids - one of the biggest laughs of being pregnant is all the pee tests they make you do. I can’t see the pee anymore, it is completely obscured by my massive bod. So collecting a pee sample involves weeing all over my hand until I’ve managed to get hopefully some in the bottle. Then you have to clean your hand and the bottle up and hold it until you get to the midwife. This is why it’s not a good idea to use GP toilets.
I started watching I May Destroy You (iPlayer) after Tom said he was watching it. It’s really really good. There is a bit with a blood clot that was just so real. The storyline (it’s about a rape) is extremely heavy in places and yet the writing makes it still very enjoyable. YMMV on that, obviously, the subject matter is not going to be easy watching for everyone.
I watched that Epstein doc on Netflix. Damn.
This week I did an Animal Crossing tour with some of my friends. It was very wholesome and I enjoyed it a lot.
Yesterday I found out that all toads are frogs but not all frogs are toads, and then Monty Don told me all gherkins are cucumbers but not all cucumbers are gherkins.