2023: so far!

The sun is currently on it's 5 day of it's rotation around our planet and so far it's been quite a good one. I've kept up with my skin care routine - a challenge I set myself - I've finally got my business partner to clear out all the crap and clear up the back yard (something I've been trying to get him to do for the past 2 years). Ok, so I can't take full credit for that, in fact our filthy takeaway neighbours are responsible as they have attracted an exponential amount of rats to the area recently, some of which had taken up residence in our attic. They were feeding in their places but sleeping in ours because we used to keep our paperwork up there - I won't be needing to shred it this time, that's for sure! Mind you, I have shared on my business pages about the rat issue as I've used it in an objection I have to some new builds going up, along with parking issues that we have been dealing with for the past 14 years (I shared a spreadsheet I've been keeping because the council keep telling me there aren't issues or any kind of problem; my spreadsheet and security camera footage completely counteracts that and shows just how dangerous the road outside my shop is. I may not make it until the end of the year as the people in charge of our council are as corrupt as Boris Johnson (and all his cronies that were) and the other shops are all run by Albanians who use them as fronts for their people and drug smuggling (which the council, police and imigration all know about but are powerless (or have no wish because they're getting kick backs) to do anything about it. I had a copper come into the shop and tell me to "watch my back" because they want my shop and I am in the only one they don't own. He admitted they all know what is going on but unless they catch them in the act there is nothing they can do, and every time about 20 minutes before imigration turn out there are many young men (sometimes women) who can be seen running down the passageway at the back of our block of shops. The Police made out they were looking for them once, saw I had a camera yet never once came and asked me if I had any footage they could view. Now, you tell me why they'd not want to see what was going on! I have had comments like "ahh, first world problems" and "you do know there are worse things going on in the world?". No shit, Sherlock; of course I know but you know what? All the shit from them affects my business and whilst it may just be a few parking infringements and rats to someone not having to deal with it every-single-day; pretty sure they'd be pissed off after just a week of it. I've had over 6 years of it now getting worse each week and with each new property they buy, or extend. If I do just vanish without trace one day, or am found wandering round some random forest with amnesia, please make sure the first people questioned are my neighbours, or the council workers; one of them will be to blame! 

I started this year with my bank account in the black. Go me... woop woop. I think I did the same last year but by the following day it was back in the red. This year is different because it's still in the black. I know, I'm not sure who I am anymore either. I'd like to think it will continue, however, I am well aware that life has it's way of putting me back in it's place, so I won't get too excited. 

Work - aside from the council, neighbours and rats - has also been good. Quieter than this time last year (to be expected with the world as it is) yet still good. The bills should get paid on time this month; I consider that an absolute bonus. Did have a customer I've been chasing to pay his bill for the past 6 months finally call me yesterday, after yet another email (I've also posted and personally dropped off invoices/statements to him) and he said to me "I thought I'd paid this ages ago". Yeah, right, sure you did. He's a nightmare for not paying anyway but you would think if he thought he had already paid it, he would have called me way before now when his invoices have had OVERDUE spread across them since September. I certainly know I'd be on the phone the first time someone told me my bill was overdue. He runs a business too; I'm pretty sure his customers have to pay upfront. I may not always get the money I'm owed (for the shop I always have except for 2 customers) but I can still remember every-single-penny that people who haven't paid, owe me. Can't remember why I've opened up another browser tab, yet can remember that! 

According to Nostrodamus this is meant to be a dire year; so far in my life I've lived through many of his "worst years ever" and multiple "ends of the world" so I won't get too panicked. I will, however, try to make sure I enjoy every minute of it, just in case one of them is finally correct.

I am considering opening myself up to more things/experiences this year. Having been a skeptic for so long, something I've not changed my opinion of since I stopped believing, I thought I would get myself some reiki training. A cousin of mine stateside is a Reiki master and as we're going to visit again later this year I figured I might have something more in common with her. She also has an incredible wooden yurt on her land that she uses for all manner of spiritual stuff. Who knows, maybe opening up myself to something I'll start to believe again. I did pick my tarot cards up the other day, putting them straight back down again. They just didn't feel right. I did have a dog act odd in the shop again yesterday; always dogs and kids. I'd say maybe he could sniff out the rats but they were up in the attic and he was acting odd in the area where all dogs act odd. I still think it's all about time slips/bends, however, maybe trying something new will open me up to other possibilities. There has to be more to this world than we are aware of...or is there?

I've had some quite strange dreams the past fw months, most about people I used to know. In someone I can't stand got attacked by a shark - I'm sure I should have felt bad about that yet I couldn't bring myself to be :) Last night I had another totally random one and I went to write it down - my new thing, or one of them, to write down at the time so I don't forget - but I was so tired I told myself I'd "remember" it again to write down today and didn't remember. For the life of me I have no clue what it was about. Dreams are just random images though that our brains conjure up. They don't mean anything.