I’ve said it before, but I’ll happily say it again, and shout it from the rooftops in fact. I bloody love September. It’s got all the joy and fresh starti-ness of New Year’s Day, but without the added pressure or panic of it being a whole new year that you’ve got to make count.

Well, usually. This September has of course been hugely different. With some of us returning to work after lockdown, kids going back to school after what felt like simultaneously the longest and shortest summer holiday in the history of the world, and others who no longer have a job to go back to and are starting new routines of job hunting, voluntary work or just getting up the energy to have a shower and get dressed (I’ve been there myself, and well done if you’ve managed that today). Some of us are starting this new school year sadly having lost people which will change the way our days and weeks look forever.

And on top of all of that, really, I’m still waiting for summer to start because like many of you I haven’t yet carried out my usual summer traditions, holidays, camping, festivals… it all just feels very wrong and I can’t quite get my head around the fact that it’s September.

But despite all this, I am trying to embrace September like I would with my usual gusto. I’ve got my Q4 goals planned out and am working on them already, I managed to get the kids back to school with 75% of the required school uniform (winning at life) and I’m well and truly settled into a fitness routine that gives me energy and keeps my mental health in check.

I didn’t buy a new pencil case for myself this year but I lived vicariously through the dudes who both started at new schools and therefore got lovely new school supplies (I got in on the action a little, Tippex came in a 3 pack, so I got one of those… mmmmmmmmm).

So yeah, September, yay.

But seriously, what’s with all the bugs? Is it bug awareness month or something? Have bug populations grown because of the ‘rona, why are they all up in our faces?

Honestly, I’ve had to flea bomb the entire house (not entirely convinced there were fleas, but kids and cats were both scratching and I quite like the drama of setting off flea bombs. It also puts my mind at rest that there are definitely no fleas because just the suspicion of fleas is just cause for me to see and feel things that aren’t actually there).

There have been numerous crane flies in my bedroom at night and is there anything louder in a quiet, dark bedroom than a gigantic crane fly? Oh yeah and a grasshopper in my bed. IN MY BED PEOPLE. Just sitting there, like he owned the place. What a wanker.

I’m constantly killing flies, and both my front and rear gardens are infested with lawn bees, again. And I’m sorry I know bees are eco-friendly in some way, but these bees don’t do anything that I would consider useful to the planet or anyone else. They just live in my lawn and buzz and scare the shit out of anyone walking past. They don’t make honey, thankfully they don’t sting either, but they are just nasty, ugly and noisy things.

But this morning was the very worst… I brushed my hair and a woodlouse fell out. Really? A fucking woodlouse. In my HAIR. I mean, I’m not squeamish about this stuff and was more perplexed than anything, but even for someone who’s pretty meh about bugs that was kind of gross.

Is it just me, or are there more than usual this year? And do woodlice bite or burrow, will there be more tomorrow?