[Reading Ultra-Processed People]
This book is a rabbit hole I really tried to avoid going down because I was worried it would convince me to stop eating a lot of the foods that I enjoy (looks at Pringles guiltily)... Plot twist! Turns out that they aren't actually foods that I enjoy anyway! They are "industrially produced edible substances" or "edible food-like substances" that I enjoy! 😭 One that really made my head fall off was this: You think sugar is bad for you, so instead you have saccharin without realising that it's actually derived from coal tar used in tarmac and roofing and is possibly carcinogenic (causes cancer)... 🥴
I so am proud of how far I've come in the last 12-years of being a single parent, surviving on a single wage (15% of which goes to the coparent for child maintenance, along with contributing 50% for any school uniform, trips etc. as required). In addition to running a house alone, I've managed my finances well enough to pay off £16k of unsecured debt (I have nothing on finance, credit cards, or buy now pay later; my only remaining debt is Student Loans). I've built my credit score back up to 632/710 (Excellent) and still been able to give Lysh a privileged childhood without her having to 'miss out' on stuff. I may have fucked up a lot in my own life, but I always swore that I wouldn't fail at parenting so I ensure that every day I show up for her. I make any sacrifices necessary for her to have the best childhood I can possibly provide for her... I can only hope when Bug grows up, she can look back and see I did everything in my power to be the best Dad I could! 💛
Pushed myself to go for a run tonight since I'm going to be pressed for time this week; had to cut it short at ~5K due to this fricking blister on the inside of my toe that was sore as fuck! 😣 Not a happy camper, but hey, it's better than nothing... only 12-days until Tough Mudder 15k! 🏃🏼♂️
[Playing Dredge]
I can already tell I'm going to end up getting the Platinum on this game, it's just so engaging and accessible! I've already fully upgraded my boat, completed all the research paths, caught ~75% of fish variants, and completed probably 90% of the pursuits. A lot of that is thanks to the short gameplay loop whereby it's possible to have a "quick half hour" here and there (which is great when you have a job, kids, and a house to run). It means I am able to quickly jump on and make some progress without worrying I'll end up stuck between tedious objectives, or dragged into a long cutscene etc. Really enjoying this game!
