Comments: My biggest achievement of the last 2 years

Something that I am inordinately proud of and never fail to pat myself on the back for whenever I think of it, much more so than is called for - but it's MY achievement.

One morning I got a mildly panicked call from my friend whose gaze, while sat upon her 'throne' happened to wander onto her bath whereupon she was horrified to see what would turn out to be a vole that had expired during its attempt to exit the bath via the plug hole, having been either chased or dropped there by her cat.

Said vole was well and truly stuck - front half down the hole and back half protruding upwards in the bath. She had tried to extricate it, but failed (pulling against the fur direction) and, having visions of decomposing vole flavouring her bath water, was babbling about getting an exterminator in :-)

So, off I trotted and, with the aid of liberal application of some sort of oil from her kitchen and judicious alternating clockwise/anticlockwise rotation of poor Mr Vole's body via a not too strong grip on his lifeless tail, eventually up he popped to be unceremonially consigned to the kitchen bin and I was then showered with far too much praise and awarded semi-rock star status in her household for eternity.

Posted by Sue on 3 March, 2022 at 9:15 AM

Honestly? I think the biggest achievement has been just getting through the last two years. And having done so without strangling any of the idiots I've had to deal with is just icing on the cake.

There's been a lot of other stuff going on (most of which is still ongoing, and legal, and thus not-really-writeaboutable (it's a word. Shush)) but yeah, just having got through the last two years and continuing to Be OK is about as much as I could've asked, really.

It's also helped to reinforce how lucky I am, though. I don't like people anyway, so the enforced solitude hasn't really affected me, my work's been WFH/off-site most of the time anyway, and I've not had to spend my home life with anyone I hate (which would not've been the case had I stayed with any of my exes!) so... I have to acknowledge that it could've been Much Much Worse. Doesn't mean I necessarily want to do it again, though!

Posted by Lyle on 3 March, 2022 at 9:48 AM

Working through the last two years which simultaneously appears to have flown by but also lasted several years! From 'hero' to zero to almost kicked out of my job and career but still there until I choose to go.

Posted by delcatto on 3 March, 2022 at 4:01 PM

Moving to an academic contract, from working in professional services in HE. Totally greener grass, despite commonly received wisdom.

Posted by Tamsin on 3 March, 2022 at 5:39 PM

In my retirement, I have begun studying for a degree in music. I think my greatest achievement over the last couple of years was completing the first module of the course with a much higher mark than I anticipated!

Posted by Tim W on 4 March, 2022 at 9:32 AM

My greatest achievement this last couple of years has been cooking again.
Since the kids left (blank blank) years ago and I didn't have to cook family meals any more, I had got into the habit of eating out a lot. To the point where the occasional cooking at home meant pushing something pre-prepared into the oven or the microwave. It came as quite a shock at the beginning of lockdown and I soon had to knuckle down and cook properly again.
I still love eating out but have cut it down an awful lot, especially as the cost is skyrocketing. I've gone back to batch cooking and freezing my own meals.

Posted by Caroline Greenwell on 4 March, 2022 at 7:42 PM

Ummm, and in no particular order, finding and moving house successfully, though not nearly as far as you have.

Getting my new garden (first, in actual ground, in 40 years) up, running and eating the fruit & veg of our labours.

Providing a room for an Iranian friend for 6 months until they were able to sort themselves out. Lockdown #1 happened half way through!

Oh, and surviving generally.

Posted by Sharon on 5 March, 2022 at 1:58 AM