It has been a while since I last posted...so this is what has been going on.

Leadership. In the last few months I have realised there isn't an 'ideal' moment where leadership is bestowed upon you. There have been a few situations where I have had to take charge, because no one else was willing. It was new ground for me as I was always used to having someone superior steadying the ship...but the experience has led to a new job (with higher salary and more responsibility) that I start in September.

Living at home. I moved back to my mum's last summer in order to save some money, as the overheads at the flat I was renting became unsustainable. This has virtually killed my love life. On the other hand, women have been quite far down on my priority list so it hasn't been that much of a loss. Nevertheless, there have been a few dating encounters.

Tinder Girl (can't remember her name) - I was able to get a couple of dates after continuously swiping right for about 20 minutes. We went out twice, she was attractive, but didn't tend to open up until she got drunk. Never a good sign.

Jasmin (from work) - This one was a bit crazy. At Xmas she was at the work do, previously we had exchanged small talk a couple of times but there was a little spark. She left early from the work do, I didn't see her, so I told her friend that I liked her. Friend said that Jasmin also liked me. Great! So I took Jasmin's number from her friend. Turned out that Jasmin was one of the flakiest girls I have met for a while. We arranged to go out 3 times, she flaked (at the very last minute) 3 times. So eventually I left it.
In March, Jasmin unexpectedly turns up at the pub where some of us from work are having Friday drinks. She tells me that she has been out on a date with a colleague from work that I know well. She then proceeds to act, in the words of her best friend, 'like a bitch' towards me for the rest of the night. Later on, as I am leaving, some guy from work is trying to take her home. At this point I say bye, she merely laughs.
The next day I get a text from Jasmin saying that she is sorry, I ignore it. She then texts again a few hours later. Again, I ignore it. I reply the next day saying that if she wanted to put me off her, she did an excellent job. She becomes more apologetic after this.
Coincidentally, I see her at work on the Monday and she cannot even look me in the eye.
A week later, she asks if I am still angry with her. I reply saying no, that I has accepted her apology and considered the matter closed. She continues to text me. She then sends an 'embarrassing' photo of herself (one in which the light makes it look like she is wearing no knickers) and says that we are now even. I am still somewhat indifferent to her.
A few weeks later (in April) I ask her out on a date again and she accepts. In the end we went out twice, but all she did was talk about her dramas. In addition to this, a lot of the time it felt like an argument instead of a conversation, like one long shit test. Immediately that is a red flag. And so whatever there was petered out.

Corinne (from work) - I met her in March at a leaving do for a colleague. We got along quite well, and her friend (and boyfriend) left us alone in the bar later that evening. Always a good sign. I say that I am going to the seaside later in the week (which I was) and that she should join me. She seems hesitant, I give her my number.
Later on (after about a month, ha) it is apparent that she is not going to call. I happen to see Corinne's friend at work one day, and tell her that I want to ask her out. This time she gives me Corrine's number, and mildly berates me for not taking it the first time I met her. I text Corinne, and she tells me that she is glad that I contacted her.
We have been out a few times, nothing has happened as of yet but she seems different to other girls. Quite a lot of the time we have simply walked and talked, which has made a change from being sat in a bar. Hopefully I'll be meeting up with her next week, as she's been a bit busy with work.

Kim (from work) - seems to be a running pattern with people from work (only in the last year strangely enough, but I've been there 5 years)...we haven't been out on any dates, but I know she likes me - at the Xmas dinner she gave me a full-on (and unexpected) kiss on the lips when she was leaving. That didn't really bother me and it was never mentioned...until another work drinks do in May.
She turned up a bit later, having been drinking at home with a couple of other people. Eventually me and her end up side by side and she starts talking...when me and her have talked before one-on-one the conversations have been fairly short. Kim says that I am 'mysterious' and 'she doesn't really know me', but I 'look at her in a way'. This I admit (which I didn't say to her) is true...sometimes I look at her a little too long when we are talking, going from the 'friend' look to the 'fuck' look.
During our conversation she opens up to me, talks a bit about her life, and discreetly infers that I will be going home with her. This is confirmed when I overhear one of her friends saying that she likes me. In addition to this, she tells me that her daughter is staying somewhere else for the night. However I cannot go home with her (simply because I didn't want to) so I make a quick exit.

Regularly hitting the gym. I have been going on and off for the last 6 months, so at the beginning of June I told myself I would go every day. I haven't, but the shift in mentality has greatly helped. I now go at least 4 times a week, and feel much better for it.

On the other hand, the last time I had sex was over a year ago. I put this down to a combination of factors - women being less of a priority in my life right now, living at home, having a shit car that I don't want to bang girls in. Strangely, I fell quite indifferent to my dry spell as I know it won't last forever (it may end sooner than I think...that is the nature of the Game). There will be a time when I get back on it, but just not now.

Writing this has felt liberating. And made me realise that even though it might not seem like it, I am making progress. Hopefully there won't be another massive gap between this point and the next one!