So I said I’d do a little writing but often… not quite got the nack of this. I would like to make the following excuses.

1. I have such a packed social life, I just don’t have time (lie)
2. I spend a lot of time on my fascinating hobbies, such as crafting, art and antiques (lie)
3. I’m busy wild swimming (lie, but would love to)
4. I fall into the habit of coming home from work and ‘doom scrolling(fact)
5. My Dog gets all my attention (fact)

So I can categorically blame the dog… For what? for saving me a million times over. She is the reason I get up and out, rain or shine. She is the reason, I smile, when there’s no one around to make me smile. She is the reason I find myself in beautiful surroundings, from coastal walks to waterways and woods. She is the reason I have minimal disposable income at the end of the month, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

So I need to describe one of the few dates I have been on… He liked the Dog more than me. He booked a restaurant where I could take the dog (and was disappointed, when I didn’t bring her), he bought her presents and generally spent most of his time, looking at the Dog… now I would love to meet someone who, indeed likes dogs as much as I do. In fact that’s a necessity, however we come as a package. Like me like my dog.

It didn’t work out, his need to go into minute detail about his day (he’s semi retired) and his obsession with the weather, his atrocious dress sense (sorry, I know you shouldn’t judge, but when he turns up in a handed knitted jumper, I just cannot help myself). He was just a little bit DULL for me. Dating is ‘new’ to me, the first time in 19ish years, losing Mike was and still continues to shock me to my core. Grief hits you when you least expect it, and dating someone (or trying to date) is a phycological head fuck. You cannot help but compare and that’s not fair on who you are on a date with.

So for the time being, its back to being The Dog and me and what a good place to be…