Hi friends,
Today is Sunday, time to look back in the rearview mirror and talk about my week in and out of the blog. As usual I am linking up to the Sunday Post hosted for years by Kimberly @caffeinatedreviewer .
In my private life
Sorry for this super late post but I have been busy listening to The Extraordinaries by TJ Klune while taking tons of pictures for bookstagram today and …the time flew by!
This week has been very busy at work, still homeworking but doing it late!
I think the most memorable thing that happened this week was when I decided that I was fed up of being a social recluse and denying myself things that did were allowed by our government as in: going to the fitness club and doing aquaboxing!
It’s been allowed since the beginning of July but I did not went back as I was not feeling comfortable.
Only …about two weeks ago I hit a roadblock.
I just couldn’t go on like this, away from everyone I knew. I was mentally exhausted because here, I was censoring myself. Not the best feeling.
After talking with my doctor, she said that we were in this situation for yet some time and that I was in good health. I could try to go back doing aquaboxing and see if I felt comfortable or not.
So that’s what I did, alongside another friend who seemed to have reached her limit at the same times as I did too.
I guess nearly six months of self isolation had put a toll on us.
And it was …weird!
I entered the club with a mask on, like everyone else. In the common changing room, I chose a place very far from everyone else and removed my mask only when I as in my bathsuit.
Then began the clumsy dance of going to the pool while keeping my distance with the other people and, when it was not possible, turning my back on them just to hurry and finally, reach the pool!
There, we had tapes around the pool to mark the spots where we had to be. That way, when I extended my arms sideway and my neighbors did the same, we didn’t touch, respecting the distances.
I guess that being in water with chlorine also helps with the COVID.
My friends were so sweet as they knew I was coming back and had kept “my” usual spot free!
Anyway it was both exhilarating to be able to do aquaboxing again and a little bit frightening or weird to be with people not wearing masks and thinking “It’s OK, the gorvernment allowed it and since two months, no one in the pools had got a virus”.
By the end of the class, I did stay in the pool, waiting for everyone to exit and leave the showers and changing room before leaving too.
On a totally different note, I did my second commissioned funko pop, for the same author CS Wilde as she wanted Bast’s mate! I finished it yesterday and …she loves it! Pfew!
It will go to Switzerland by Wednesday.
On the blog (click on the graphic to read the post)
Well I did post four reviews (well technically one for two books) this week and I have three more planned for next week (I just have to put them on the blog)
My HUGE CRUSH was The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. It got all the stars and is such a breathe of fresh air! Read it please!!! I was so enamored with it that I am now listening to The Extraordinaries and I just have such a blast!!!
The Reality of Everything by Rebecca Yarros is one of my favorite by her and got 5 stars!
Then today I posted a double review: Shadow of Night and The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness. It was a 5 stars for the whole series and the audiobooks were amazing with an excellent narrator that I was very sorry to learn she stopped doing audiobooks.
Three more posts this week too!
The Top 5 Tuesday was about the characters I’d like to trade place with.
The top 10 Tuesday was tweaked as I chose favorite questions from interviews I had done!
And we ended the Month of Romance with a quiz to determine what kind of romance reader you are! This was meant to be posted on my blog on Friday but for reasons unknown, it wasn’t!!
So I rescheduled it right now and ….please take the quiz I’d love to see your results in the comments below!
On the blogosphere
Heather wrote a fun post about the myths concerning redheads!
https://www.randomredheadedramblings.com/2020/08/redheads-25-myths-legends-and-quotes.html
And Di made up a tag about the Poppy War (that I still want to do)
https://www.novelsandnebulas.com/the-poppy-war-book-tag/
That was my week! How was your week? Anything happened?
Thanks for reading
Sophie
I’m so happy you got back doing aquaboxing and yay for your second commissioned funko pop! Have a nice week!
Glad you were able to inject a little normal back into your life. That had to be a good feeling.
I would assume that the chlorine in the pool would help prevent virus spread, and fingers crossed all round as it can be so good to get back into a routine!
I’m glad you got to go aquaboxing and it was fun, even if it was a bit scary. Hope it’ll be a fun thing you can do again from now on to feel better! And it is so cool that they kept your spot open!
That’s great that you were finally able to get back to some semblance of normal with your fitness routine. Aqua boxing sounds fun so I think I would want to reclaim that from the pandemic as well. Hope you have a great week!
I’m glad that you confronted this new “fear” by not allowing the pandemic to ruin what you love about life. It’s definitely still important to behave smart and respectfully between one another, making sure that everyone knows that covid is no joke. Stay safe, Sophie! Enjoy life too! 😉
Thank you so much Lashaan!
Glad you got back to aqua boxing, I’m starting to do more things too but it is worrying! Our schools go back this week, no masks allowed and bubbles of 30 plus our numbers are rising so I am more than a little worried!! Have a great week!
I hope everything will go smoothly for you Caro!
Going to the gym still feels a little like running an obstacle course, and while I would love to go back to my aquagym lessons, I think that the changing room – what with the humidity and heat from the showers and the proximity to the pool – might present some hazards. For now I think I will keep to long walks in the open as soon as the summer heat becomes less intense…
Maddalena you are probably onto something! I hope I won’t regret this and I try to take the maximum precaution that I can!
I feel your stress… My Pilates and Fitstep teacher has just announced that she is starting up classes in September – and I do want to return, because I’m not exercising enough on my own. But just thinking about it has my stomach doing a clove hitch. So huge respect for your courage in seeing it through:)). I hope the coming week is a good one, Sophie.
Thank you so much for these very encouraging words!
I feel ya’ Sophie! We started working out publicly in July, and it was so weird. The mask is so uncomfortable too, but it is what it is I suppose!
If I wasn’t in a pool I’d wear the mask while doing exercise too Daisy!
I can’t imagine in the pool lol! When we go workout tho, I get so overheated and find myself all holed up in the corner trying to take a breather from it!
Glad to hear you got out, Sophie! I started going to the gym here in early June, and most folks are respectful of the distancing and mask rules. I loved the Harkness series – have the newest book on my Kindle, but who knows when I’ll get to it. Have a great week!
I will listen to the new book one of these days Teri!!
Two months with no transmissions at the pool sounds encouraging. I am glad you were able to reclaim part of your “normal” life.
Thank you Sam I was glad too!
I think a lot of people are reaching that point. I have a friend, who was also super scared and was a total recluse, tell me this week she went to a restaurant to eat. I was so surprised! But honestly, I think she hit her limit as well and realized that it was probably safe enough, and after a while it was only her own fear and not logic keeping her home. I guess she saw it was possible to go out and still stay self-aware and conscious of healthy habits. So anyway, good on you for getting back into your activities and keeping safe! You are so right that mental aspect is a huge part of being healthy too 🙂 For me, I take my daughter to a martial arts gyn where they don’t wear masks (as they work out pretty hard and they don’t want any kid to faint). It was weird at first! But I’m used to it now, and in fact it’s one of the few places I feel normal again.
I think you are right here Mogsy. This might end being the only place where i’ll feel normal again!
Glad you got out Sophie! I’m still struggling with that…not ready yet! Have a fab week! 🙂
Thank you TRisy! You too!
Awesome that they saved your spot. I’m glad you were bale to go and enjoy yourself and relieve some of that stress.
Well that’s cool they kept your spot open! That must have been nice. Glad you got to get out, too. staying home does drive one crazy after a while!
Crazy is the right word Greg!
I’m glad you were able to get out of the house! You’re braver than me. Pretty much everything around here is open, but I’m not ready to be in a crowd yet. I hope you have a good week!
One day you’ll be ready AJ!
I’ve never heard of aquaboxing but sounds fun! Congrats on getting out of the house and doing something scary
Thank you Tammy!!
I think I will have trouble going back to some activities, indoors with large groups. I probably wouldn’t have removed my mask until I was poolside. They opened our neighborhood pool with lots of breaks for cleaning but we didn’t go. I’m glad you got to do it, a nice change for you.
Anne – Books of my Heart Here is my Sunday Post
I know it’s hard daring a new normal Anne!
I’m so glad you got to go back to aqua boxing! And I would think a pool would be pretty safe, especially if you were all socially distanced too!
Have a great week!
Thank you Samantha! You too!