Forever Within The Numbered Days

November 2024: As I start this post, I’m nearly 30 years old. I will be 30 at the end of February in 2025, in three months’ time. It’s not old. My logical brain knows this. Meanwhile, my illogical brain is breaking out in a nervous sweat. I’ve not really seen a lot of the world and I would like to – so with my 30th coming up I am feeling a sense of urgency to get on with it a bit. I had a bit of…

At some point I have to stop fussing and editing and actually post. Weight loss blog part 2, now live.

There are huge benefits to having the surgery but I would be lying if I said it was all sunshine and roses. Some drawbacks or things to be aware of are: Not everybody has as ‘successful’ an outcome as I did. Patients who have the sleeve can hope to lose 50-70% of their ‘excess weight’ where the excess is calculated as the weight over the goal weight, which itself is calculated as the weight…

My 2020 Book list, in review

Throughout 2020 I read 37 books. I was trying hard to make time to read at the beginning of the year, and then, y’know, pandemic. I re-started really trying to complete books again in about August? So I am hoping that in 2021 I can read more than 37. I keep track of the books on a website called Goodreads, and each January the site asks you to set a reading goal if you want. Last year was the…

Happy(?) New Year - In which I talk about how bad 2020 has been, losing Rachel and somehow end up hopeful. It's not all bad I swear.

Look we can all agree it’s been really rough this year. Traditionally this is when you look back at the year that’s gone and make plans, resolutions, goals, whatever, for your next trip around the sun. There isn’t a particularly logical reason to this but we’ve been doing it for years. Here’s the thing though – it doesn’t mean anything. Any day, any month, any year of your life you can make a…

I stand amid the eye of the storm, but there is no calm to be found. This howling gale, sharp and fierce, smashes waves onto the rocks, rips at my clothes, tearing at my hair. My blood boils, my guts churn; fear and dread swirling. My arms lock around my chest, heart pounding. A bolt lances down. My eyes are wide. My breath gasping. Stunned. The sudden heat is vicious, salt water burns against my…

On the passing of the Notorious RBG (and a space princess)

If you haven’t seen the Netflix documentary titled The Notorious RBG (Academy Award Nominated!) then I highly recommend you do. I liked Justice Ginsberg anyway and have for several years, in a fairly distant “gee, she’s impressive, I like her” kind of way, but I watched the documentary pretty much as soon as it dropped on Netflix and it is well worth a viewing. I didn’t really know what her…

On pushing the reset button

At the moment of writing, my view looks like this.It’s a bit different to Coventry, which is not nearly so scenic. I’m in Wales, at a holiday cottage my parents have been visiting for twelve years. But I haven’t been here for seven. Why not? Well, looking at this view, sitting in a leather recliner as I am, it is puzzling. Did I think I was too old? I was 18 the last time I was here. About to do…

On Harry Potter, escapism and why we need to protect the Arts

If you’ve watched the Harry Potter films or read the Potter books, and probably even if you haven’t, you will know the following scene.

Eleven year old Harry Potter steps off the Hogwarts Express, along with a couple of dozen other eleven year olds in black robes. They are met by a large, hairy Hagrid, bearing a lamp and calling for the First Years to follow him. The scene changes, and from above,…

On applying to be a Counsellor.

I’ve not exactly been keeping a secret, but I wanted to make some progress with this before I broached the topic on my blog. I may have finally decided what I would like to do with my career. Maybe. No promises. Here are the journal style entries I made a few months ago, along with some topical cartoons. Just because I enjoy a good pun. And a bad pun, come to think of it.

joshuanhook.com

Monday…

This is a short writing exercise that I did today, that I actually quite like. With no real editing time, I’ve decided to post it. Sometimes inspiration strikes and I write things that then do nothing else but sit in my files. Might as well put it here.

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“Ree?” Laura stopped and turned back when she realised her friend wasn’t walking beside her anymore. Rihanna’s eyes were fixed on an object a…

On Love Styles: Taking the Test

In my last post I talked about the Colour Wheel Theory of Love, by John Lee. This won’t make complete sense unless you’ve read that one so feel free to go and read that one first. I’ll wait.

Right, so having looked into the love styles, I’m intrigued about my own. I’m going to take the quiz and discuss with my friend Aimee, who has been in a relationship for over three years. I thought that…

On the Six Styles of Loving

I’m interested in how people work. In particular, how people love. My favourite podcast is the Sexplanations podcast hosted by Dr. Lindsey Doe. Lindsey is a clinical sexologist who practices in Montana, and is the host of the popular YouTube channel Sexplanations, of which I am also a big big fan. I believe in free, accurate, non-judgemental sex education for all. But that’s not what I’m going to…