Day 113: The Day of Facing Fears (and Soupy Betrayal)

Ah, Thursday.

The day formerly known as Jab Day, the day of office appearances, and apparently, the day I decided to become the fearless heroine of my own anxiety-inducing action film.

Scene One: The Dawn of Courage (and Cat Chaos)

It began, as all heroic journeys do, with an alarm.

At 5 a.m. sharp, the delightful sound of my phone shrieking through the darkness like an angry robot demanding productivity.

Of course, my first alarm had already gone off much earlier - not electronic, but furry. The feline alarm system.

Molly decided at 4:23 a.m. that my face needed kneading and my soul needed testing.

I swear she runs on her own sadistic time zone.

But I got up, bleary-eyed and mildly traumatised, because today was the day.

The day I would drive myself to the train station for the first time since The Incident on Monday (a.k.a. the near-hijacking of my beloved Mini).

My lovely boyfriend offered to drive me - or at least follow behind me like a guardian angel in a separate car - but no.

JABatha had made a decision.

If I didn’t face this fear myself, it would only grow like an untrimmed eyebrow.

So, I did it.

And let me tell you - that drive was the fastest of my life.

I’m fairly certain my Mini broke the sound barrier and possibly time-travelled a bit.

But I did it.

I arrived at the station alive, heart pounding, hands slightly vibrating, and muttering “I am woman, hear me roar” under my breath.

Conclusion: Fear faced. Anxiety 0, Jabatha 1.

Scene Two: Collagen, Coffee, and Corporate Chaos

Arrived safely on the train, I then rewarded myself with my daily elixir - a triple shot oat flat white from Notes, with an added dash of collagen because apparently, I’m clinging to my hair follicles for dear life.

Maybe that’s why I still have hair.

For now.

Arrived at the office feeling smug, accomplished, and heavily caffeinated. Breakfast was my new invention: chia seed overnight thingy (let’s call it JABatha’s Baby Food Delight).

It looked suspiciously like chocolate mousse, which is probably why I liked it so much.

Healthy, delicious, and slightly concerning in texture - just how we like it.

Meetings?

All.

Day.

Long.

It’s like the universe saw my to-do list and said, “No, darling, you’ll just be nodding and pretending to take notes today.”

I achieved approximately 0.7 tasks but did manage to look professionally thoughtful for 7 hours straight, which is a skill in itself.

Scene Three: The Great Weigh-In Redemption

Ah yes - I almost forgot the best part.

Today was weigh-in day, and let me tell you, the scales finally did something other than mock me.

After three long weeks of stubborn silence, the digital display finally showed progress: –1.8 lbs down! That’s nearly 28 lbs (12.5 kg) in total!

That’s the weight of:

A large frozen turkey.

A medium-sized corgi.

Or approximately the emotional baggage of one woman who’s been plateaued for three weeks.

Reader, I nearly wept.

I even did a little silent jig in the bathroom.

The cats looked concerned.

Scene Four: Soup Betrayal and Sushi Salvation

Let’s talk lunch.

I did bring homemade soup, feeling smugly domestic, but after a full day of meetings and surviving my own anxiety Olympics, I decided I deserved a treat.

So naturally, I treated myself to sushi - a salmon poke bowl, because I’m classy and protein-focused.

Except… the portion size could have fed a small village.

I managed maybe two-thirds before tapping out.

The rest?

Binned.

I know, I know - there are hungry people in the world!

And here’s me, throwing away perfectly good salmon like some bougie monster.

Shame on you, JABatha!

I am fully expecting a letter from the United Nations about food waste.

So yes, the soup will now have her moment tomorrow.

Friday lunch.

Redemption awaits.

Scene Five: Trains, Trauma, and Triggered Solidarity

The journey home was… eventful.

I sat next to a man who, I swear, was living my exact nightmare.

The poor guy was clearly having a train-induced panic attack.

Fidgeting, shaking leg, heavy breathing - I recognised every symptom.

My first instinct?

Move.

My second?

Stay.

Because today, I was facing fears, remember?

I thought, “No, JABatha, this is your sign. You’re meant to be here. You’ve got this.”

So I stayed.

I stared stoically out the window like some kind of anxious warrior queen.

By the end of the ride, I almost felt… calm.

Who am I?!

Scene Six: Home, Heating, and Hairballs

Made it home - drove again (without anxiety!), and that felt like a small miracle in itself.

Dinner?

None.

Appetite?

Also none.

Instead, we watched old episodes of Grand Designs, where I shouted things like, “Why would you build a glass box in the middle of a swamp?!” and felt smugly superior from the comfort of my heated blanket.

Speaking of heat - the radiators are finally on, which means… the cats have vanished.

They’ve scattered to every available warm surface: beds, chairs, under tables, cat TV perches, and possibly inside the radiator itself.

I haven’t seen Molly for hours - she’s probably curled up like a croissant somewhere near a heat source, judging me silently.

Scene Seven: The Jab Day Revolution

And finally, the breaking news: I’ve made an executive decision.

After months of jabbing on Thursday evenings - always too late, too chaotic, too rushed - I’m officially moving Jab Day to Friday morning.

Friday feels more serene.

More organised.

More… ready for the side effects.

Plus Friday is my working from home day!

So this is it - the end of an era.

Farewell Thursday Jabs, you beautiful inconvenience.

Friday, I welcome you with open arms (and probably a slightly sore thigh).

Scene Eight: The Cozy Conclusion

And so, as I write this from beneath a duvet-and-blanket fortress, cats snoring somewhere in the distance, I feel strangely proud.

Today, I faced my fears - all of them.

Driving.

Trains.

Scales.

Soup guilt.

And I survived.

So here’s to Day 113 - proof that sometimes, the bravest thing you can do is drive your Mini, eat your chia pudding, and keep showing up for yourself (preferably with caffeine and collagen).

Winter is coming.

But so is Friday Jab Day!

With Love,

JABatha Christie