Seven boxes and 2500 blips

I had hoped to blip my Garmin at 2500 steps on my walk to work this morning, but the pesky device leapt from 2495 to 2512 just outside Waverley station - grrr! So instead Frances and I set up this 'day in the office' photograph to commemorate my 2500 blips. This picture shows all the equipment we assembled this afternoon for group course work assessments that we are running in class tomorrow.

A lot has happened in my life since my last milestone blip on 8th January 2018, especially in respect of my health. The 'main event' started on 22nd January when I happily skipped in and out of a routine mammogram appointment completely unaware that I was 'ill'. An official breast cancer diagnosis came on 14th February. Then followed an operation on 12th March, and radiotherapy treatment that had me trekking back and forth to the Western General Hospital all the way through to the end of May. I was finally signed off as a cancer patient on 6th August.

By the time we heard the good news on my health the family had already turned its attention to that of Daddy hazelh. He spent most of the long hot summer in hospital. He's now being cared for at home, but is very poorly.

Before we all get too depressed I should say that it's not all bad news chez hazelh! One of my big achievements of the past few months is the massive study sort-out that was finally completed on 3rd September 2018. At work I won an award, my group has had success with publications, grant proposals, and PhD completions/submissions. We've celebrated a wedding and a 30th wedding anniversary, and welcomed two new babies to the world (Harper and Maya). Despite being forced to change holiday plans earlier in the year, I have enjoyed some great trips away since January, including last weekend in Madrid with my book group pals.

Here are some of my favourite blips since my last milestone on 8th January 2018:

Flirty robin of 9th February 2018
Don't die of 14th February 2018
Fettes college in the blue of 8th May 2018
Toddler nephew entertains uncle of 3rd June 2018
Fish lunch for Mr Heron of 6th June
Hebridean pool lizard of 8th June 2018
South Harris storm and rainbow of 14th June 2018
Ben Loyal and Ben Hope from Kyle of Tongue causeway of 18th June 2018
Edinburgh summer esplanade tree of 5th July 2018
Daddy still smiling of 14th July 2018
Perfect picture postcard Edinburgh of 25th July 2018 - my very favourite
Bonfire of the payslips of 10th August 2018
1990s man of 16th August 2018
Yard cat roars of 10th September 2018
Apple harvesting of 13th October 2018
Autumn mist across Northumbrian fields of 15th October 2018
V&A Dundee and the Discovery of 23rd October 2018
Sunset on Derwent Water of 29th October 2018
Ross Fountain, Princes Street Gardens, restored of 1st November 2018
Madrid airport walkway of 9th November 2018

Exercise today: walking (13,492 steps).