Weeknotes – February 10-16, 2025

By Elliot Clowes

Hi all 👋 Hope you had a good week. Here’s what I’ve been up to.

📘 General notes

I had a cold

I picked up a cold two weeks ago and it took me 10 days just to feel vaguely normal. It really did beat me up.

It also made me oddly sad/depressed, which I haven’t experienced before via a cold. Very odd.

One thing I hate about being unwell is how my brain doesn’t work and I can’t read. It’s a shame, because I was throrougly enjoying “The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club” by Christopher de Hamel.

I did that typical thing of being unwell and thinking about life before being unwell and how wonderful it was and how when I felt better I was going to not take it for granted and look after myself better. And then I also did that thing of just carrying on as normal.

Step bet

In 2025 I have a wager going with me and two of my friends. Whoever does the least average steps per day has to pay for a feast of food and drink at a restaurant in London at Christmas.

And sadly being ill has put me out of the habit of hitting my daily step goal. I’m aiming for 7,800 per day, as I once watched a video that said the benefits of steps start to plateau at around that point. And 7,800 per day should be enough to beat my friends.

Buying a property

The biggest news of my week (and probably year) is that me and my girlfriend are buying a property! (It’s still all to be finalised, but barring a disaster, it’s happening). It has plenty of nice features. But the one I love above all else: its garden backs onto a huge field.

I’ve always dreamed of living right by woods and greenery, but I didn’t think for a second that it would be possible with my first property. I was hoping to just live within a short drive of one. So having easy access to one is fantastic. And it’s big too, not just a small park for dog walkers. I’m yet to walk around it to confirm, but it’s probably a 60 minute walk to loop all around it.

And of course a side benefit of this is that my step count will go up massively. Fingers crossed the purchase doesn’t all fall through.

Flannel

My body runs cold these days. A t-shirt and jacket doesn’t cut it anymore. So I’ve started wearing a flannel shirt over my t-shirt. I like it.

  • It keeps me warmer both outside and at home.
  • It’s smarter than a t-shirt.
  • There’s breast pockets for my Field Notes and pen.
  • I don’t have to wash the shirt often as my t-shirt takes the brunt of my sweat.

I have a few flannel shirts – by Uniqlo and Abercrombie & Fitch. But I’m currently fatter than normal, so most don’t fit me with a t-shirt underneath. So I used that as a good excuse to try and find a high-quality one to add to my Christmas list.

I considered L.L.Bean. But I remembered the character of Joel in The Last of Us TV show (absolutely fantastic show by the way) wore a gorgeous green one. So I looked it up, and you can buy it. It’s the Fjällglim shirt in laurel green by Fjallraven and I’m now the proud owner of one.

📝 Other notes

  • Most of my weekend has been spent microdosing liquorice.
  • It’s sad that if I see someone in the street jumping for joy, dancing or singing I assume that they’re either mentally ill or on drugs. Loudly and openly expressed joy is taboo (Especially in Britain. We look down on that sort of thing).

🎬 Film

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

I like the previous Tom Hardy / Charlize Theron one a lot – it’s a lot of fun. And I’ve rewatched it many times. But I didn’t have too much interest in a sequel. So it’s taken me a while to watch this.

It takes a little while for the film to ‘warm up’, with the first 40 minutes or so not grabbing much of my attention. But once it finds its feet this becomes a nice addition to the world of Mad Max. And there’s a war rig sequence in the middle that is especially good.

Like the previous one this is a visual feast – though the stylised and juddery CGI takes some getting used to.

Chris Hemsworth is fun. But the problem is that he’s too silly to be an evil villain, and he’s one of the weaker parts of the film.

The sound design is incredible. Volume wise it’s perfect, becoming loud only when it needs to (I didn’t have to constantly have the remote in my hand).

It’s not quite as good as the first one. Especially plot/story wise. But as a spectacle it’s still great fun.

73%

Find out where to stream it.
See this review on Letterboxd.

Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa

Rewatch. I’m just happy an Alan Partridge film exists. It’s not quite vintage Partridge, but feature lengths can often prove tricky for comedy.

If you’re not a fan of the character you can probably skip this. But if you’re a Partridge fan who has somehow missed it then give it a watch.

I have a real soft spot for this and rewatch it once a year. I find it oddly comforting as a film.

69%

Find out where to stream it.
See this review on Letterboxd.

📺 TV

Only Fools & Horses

Only Fools & Horses is often considered the greatest British comedy of all time. It’s certainly top five for me. I watch it every year.

Though every year I think maybe I’ll skip the annual rewatch and give it a break (I’m always scared of watching something I love too often and getting sick of it). But most years I simply can’t resist it. And the same is true in 2025.

I did miss a few episodes this time, as I fell asleep most nights with it on in the background. And I never watch the final few episodes after they ‘return’.

There’s plenty of TV shows I feel nostalgic towards. But Only Fools is in a whole other league. I think because I first watched it young, and because it looks so old now. It feels from a whole other era. And I love it.

I wouldn’t recommend most people to watch it though. Non-English shouldn’t watch it, because the jokes are quite UK-specific. And younger people shouldn’t watch it because it does feel quite dated. Don’t get me wrong though, if you like the look of it, give it a go!

Life’s Too Short

Life’s Too Short is often underrated in the Ricky Gervais / Stephen Merchant catalogue. Actor Warwick Davis plays an ego-driven, fictionalised version of himself. It’s as good as The Office (UK) or Extras, but it’s still worth a watch if you like awkward comedy.

I’m Alan Partridge

One thing you learn about me is that I like routines and traditions. And for quite a few years my routine when I would get drunk was to fall asleep whilst watching I’m Alan Partridge.

I don’t drink much these days (between the ages of 22-29 I would get drunk probably once a week. For the past several years I only get drunk 3-4 times a year), and when I do I don’t watch this show anymore. So it’s been a long time since I’ve seen it. Too long, considering it’s one of my favourite shows ever.

If you don’t know, Alan Partridge is a comedy character created by Steve Coogan and Armando Iannucci. He’s a failed TV presenter turned local radio DJ in Norwich, characterised by his social awkwardness, inflated sense of self-importance, and constant failed attempts to revive his TV career. He represents a particular type of desperate, middle-aged British media personality who can’t accept that his best days are behind him. And he makes hilarious viewing.

There’s been plenty of Partridge shows, books and specials down the years, but I’m Alan Partridge is probably the best of the bunch. It’s a classic.

📖 Read

As I mentioned, my cold meant I couldn’t read much. But I’m reading “The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club” by Christopher de Hamel.

🎵 Music

I’m out the habit of listening to music right now – sadly. I’m not even listening to ambient music whilst working at the moment.

But off the back of his Super Bowl halftime performance, I’ve listened to a bit of Kendrick Lamar.

👨‍💻 Posted