iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Does anyone have any happy stories about bouncing back from burnout? Preferably ones which don’t involve having to leave employment for a while? 😅

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Just enrolled for a 2 day course in delivering massage to those with complex needs. The communication & body language aspects sound super interesting. I’ve not yet had time & energy to set up my side business (soon!), but I keep my skills sharp by giving massages to friends and loved ones.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Got my uni assignment back with a mark of 95% 😳 Really feel like I’ve hit my stride with studying now. If life allows, I can definitely see myself finishing the degree and actually graduating.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Off to the Leeds Testing Atelier next week and looking forward to seeing some familiar faces. It’ll be great being back with the testing community once again, I’m excited for a whole day of awesome talks and chats.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Happy Beltane 🔥☀️❤️

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

Today I’m thinking of my friends who are no longer with us. I seem to have lost quite a few over the years, and it’s giving me some pause today.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 23/04/2026

Been so busy recently that I forgot about Bluesky… what have I missed?

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Spent far too much of today doing my uni assignment. It’s been rewarding so far - I’ve been exploring a website prototype and critically analysing how accessible and usable it is from the perspective of a user with additional needs. Next, I’ll be implementing some suggested improvements. It’s fun 😁

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

Picked up FFXII: The Zodiac Age in the Steam sale. Let’s go nostalgia, I remember playing the original on PS2 as a teenager and being blown away by how far games had come since I was a little kid.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

It’s a Sisters of Mercy kinda day 🖤

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 08/03/2026

I never learned how to type properly, like a lot of people I’ve just been winging it. For the last few weeks I’ve been trying to learn to touch type & I’m finally getting to a point where I can manage slow speeds semi consistently. I still default to my old style & have to remind myself not to.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

There’s a really big, old, crusty ginger cat that hangs around my neighbourhood and I hadn’t seen him all through the winter months. Given how dishevelled he looked, I feared the worst, but I saw him again today. Tentatively, I approached him and gave him some strokes & he let out the biggest meow ❤️

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

My doctor has told me to give up all tea, even decaf, even herbal. As a Brit, I’m finding this unfathomable.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Buckling in to watch the new episode of Industry. Been looking forward to this.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

Back at work today! I’m feeling fresh and rested for the first time in months. Let’s see how long that feeling lasts.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

Just passed my driving theory test last night, which means I can officially book a practical test. That’s a whole challenge in itself - between the bots and scalpers and massive backlog, it’ll be at least April/May before I can do it. Not that I’m anywhere near ready - lots more practice needed.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 09/12/2025

It’s always a struggle to think for the rest of the day after a driving lesson. It seems to totally exhaust my brain. Hoping that it becomes easier soon - I’ve been learning since April and I still find it quite overwhelming. Guess I must be a slow learner!

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 01/12/2025

I feel somewhat bereft now that my massage course has concluded. Even though I know I need the rest, I really want a new learning adventure.

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Reposted by meg 🌸

Anatoly Shashkin💾 @dosnostalgic.bsky.social · 06/05/2025

Stay awhile and listen. 🔊🎶 (Matt Uelmen - Tristram Village)

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 26/11/2025

Today I got the news that I passed my exams for my massage therapy course 😁 It’s taken a lot of hard work over the last 6 months and I am so glad it’s paid off. With how stressful it was, I feel like I need many massages to recover 😂

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 02/11/2025

Time for a cosy Sunday afternoon read. Brain is still feeling super slow but hopefully I can handle this.

A Kindle showing the title page “Daddy Issues - Katherine Angel”

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Driving in Leeds be like… (glad it’s not me who has to do it)

Batshit tangle of navigation on Google Maps

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 01/11/2025

Burnout is a crafty fucker - it let me think I had just about scraped through all of the big obligations I had, and then loudly announced itself by sitting me on my arse after a stomach bug and not letting me get up again. Even yoga feels too strenuous right now. Guess I’ve gotta take it easy.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

Looking at gaudy Rightmove listings whilst listening to the build music from The Sims is becoming a new favourite pastime.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

The agony of finding a song which I want to play on loop all afternoon but it loops terribly 😭

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 11/10/2025

Japan Railway Journal is just so delightful. Thanks NHK World for making this available to me 😂 I love being able to do deep dives on various Japanese trains for no reason.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 05/10/2025

Now that the wedding is all done and dusted, I can actually focus on other things, like trying to meet new people in this city of mine. Or… I could get a motorbike license and drive many miles down the road to my old city and my long term friends. The license feels more doable 😅

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

At some point I’ll post about testing and development again… but at the moment I’m far too excited about other things, like the fact I’ve just bought some lovely new kitchen knives. The catalyst for the purchase was the fact I bruised my palm chopping some butternut squash. That was a step too far.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

Hey everyone, I’ve been away a while and it’s because I got married! Hoping to finally have some headspace for online things again. Sorry to those who already saw the old post!

A woman in a blue tie dye wedding dress holding a wedding bouquet, with a man in a powder blue suit looking very happy, stood in a sea of confetti outside of a small chapel.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Yesterday all my worst pairing fears came to pass - I hopped on a call with a senior, got a massive headache and totally forgot how to code. Couldn’t even figure out how to get the First() item from a list or how to do a Select 💀 He was lovely about it, but goddamn I wish this wasn’t a thing.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

People say don’t cry over spilled milk but what about spilled olive oil? The cost of this little incident alone is enough to make me tear up a little.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 19/08/2025

Pretty Hate Machine again? Oh go on then. I still haven’t found many albums better than this.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Bloodstock was awesome 🤘 Machine Head and Ministry absolutely killed it. We had some mega friendly campmates too. So good to feel that sense of belonging whilst also being pummelled by loud noises.

A blue haired lady (that’s me!) stood in front of the main stage at Bloodstock

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

M&S have changed their “combo mix” crisps… I saw the packaging had changed and my heart sank. The tube shaped ones now have a stale texture and are just not as crunchy and satisfying. Curse my senses for noticing things like this. Why must the relentless push for “line go up” ruin my fave snacks?

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 01/08/2025

There’s a massive difference between learning something because I want to, and learning something because I have to. The last while, it’s mostly been because I have to. I miss having the space to fall into a wiki hole for an evening!

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 24/07/2025

So this was definitely on purpose, right? 😂

An Aldi advert which reads “Join us for our grand opening of Aldi Penis...see more”

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

I never thought I’d see the day where developers voluntarily turn themselves into testers, but that’s exactly what they’re doing by inviting LLMs to create outputs from requirements they helped refine which they have to check for errors afterward. Obviously the tester skillset is valuable then.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 21/07/2025

Wow, I have a pretty severe case of Fuck Mondays.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 12/07/2025

Why is proper food so unappetising when it’s hot? All I managed for lunch was a yoghurt, a bit of granola and an ice lolly.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 11/07/2025

Too hot. Gonna watch the wiggly lycra men haul their bicycles around France for a while.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

Life’s hard, bake babka. (It’s gluten free too)

A lovely slice of chocolate babka with layers of sauce running through it

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Why is it so hard to find folks on my wavelength in this city? Where are you all hiding? 😂

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 05/07/2025

After a rough work week, I’d have thought all the extra work for my massage course would have been impossible. But every time I’ve dipped into it I have felt energised, whether that’s giving a massage, attending a webinar, writing up reports or studying. It’s surprising me with how enjoyable it is.

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 30/06/2025

Coming up to a year in my current role, which is awesome… only now I’ve got an email saying all my mandatory training videos are expiring and I’ll have to watch them all again 😭

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 29/06/2025

Hilarious that I had hoped to meet some local friends at the course I’m doing and pretty much everyone I’ve spoken to does not live in my city. I am cursed 😂😭

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Massage therapy course starts tomorrow. Very excited to meet lots of new people and build up a skill I very much enjoy using 😁

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 25/06/2025

Office day on 4 hours sleep? COME AT ME BRO

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meg 🌸 @cactusflamingo.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Got back from my driving lesson (which was awesome, btw) and I was greeted by these little guys 😍

A big fluffy black cloud of a cat with his little wrinkly hairless nutsack buddy

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