Month: August 2017

Merry-Go-Round*

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Have a lovely time at dinner with my chums last night, celebrating One Whole Year Sober.  Here we are:


Am wearing my Missoni dress.

Have an unusually late night: don’t make it to bed until about 10.30pm.  Is so nice to be out at dinner with my friends though.  Even put on a full face of make-up, as you can see. Love my chums.  We all say that we-must-do-this-more-often so let’s hope that we do.

Suzie stays the night and we have coffee together this morning before she goes to school for a management meeting and I have training at the gym.

In training, do the military press.  Show you:


Also do leg press, Chest Press, weighted squats, lunges and arm extension.  Work hard and trainer is pleased with me.

Catch train to parentals, listening to ABBA Gold.  Walk home and we have lunch in the garden.  It’s a sunny day but not that warm.

Do Body Scan Meditation and sleep. Then walk my elderly labrador client.  You can see him in the attached photo.  Pick Mum up from a house down the road where she’s playing bridge and we walk home together.

Need to have a bath before supper.  The fluffy monster has just come in for something to eat, so let’s hope we’ll be able to catch him later.

Am sitting up in bed sipping lemon squash.  The panther lies with his head in my lap.  Stroking the soft back of his neck, I write this.  He licks my arm with his rough tongue.

Happy Thursday everyone!
*1973.  Song by ABBA.  Appears on the 1973 album Ring Ring.

Armadillo*

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The attached and above photos depict my Dumbbell Triceps Extensions at the gym this morning. Also achieve: Chest Press, pulley, arm extension and leg press, as well as five minutes on the cross trainer and stretches before and after weights.

At lunchtime, watch an episode of Natural World called Hotel Armadillo.  Narrated by David Attenborough, it shows Giant Armadillos digging and abandoning burrows in the Pantanal which are then occupied by 79 different species of animal.  This includes giant anteaters, porcupines, six-banded armadillos, coatis and many other animals.  

Here’s a giant Armadillo.  They are very large – the size of a pig it says in the programme:


They are such amazing animals.  There’s quite a lot of footage of tamanduas in the burrows too – they are small, tree-dwelling anteaters. Here’s a tamandua with her baby on her back:


Am sure you all know what a giant anteater looks like but here is a mother and baby anyway because you can never have enough giant anteaters:


They are one of my best animals.  Dressed up as one for the Zoo for some promotional work many years ago…

So, am going out with some of my chums for dinner this evening to celebrate One Year Sober.  Before doing this, need to:

  1. Have bath and wash hair.
  2. Clean contact lenses.
  3. Put away the washing on the airer in the spare room as Suzie is staying the night.

Last night, finish reading Carrie Fisher’s The Princess Diarist and feel sad because she’s dead and she’s not going to write any more books.

Am sitting up in bed writing this.  The fan whirrs.  The panther lies next to me, resting his chin on his front paws.  He is dozing.

Happy Wednesday everyone!

*1998.  By William Boyd.  Novel.

Break Away*

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Wake up at eight o’clock this morning and have porridge, coffee and lemon squash.  Sit up in bed with the panther, listening to Matt Andersen’s Honest Man album – have mentioned that he is a favourite singer of New Chap but will repeat this for the benefit of any new readers or anyone who has forgotten.  The panther sprawls across the bed, his heavy head in my lap, preventing me from getting up. Stroking the top of his head, I sip my coffee.

Last night start reading Carrie Fisher’s last book, published just before her untimely death in 2016 – The Princess Diarist.  Like all her books, it’s wonderful: hilarious and gripping and moving.  Stay up till 9.30pm reading it which is late for me.

At 9.15am this morning make it out of the house at last.  Meet a liver curly coated Retriever near Dolly’s house.  Like this one:


Ask his owner if he needs any help walking him.  Sadly he doesn’t.

Arrive at Dolly’s house.  She is very happy to see me and rugby tackles me from behind.  Have to turn my back to her and say “Down” loudly to stop her doing this.

It’s sunny and we have a lovely walk and some cuddles.  Here we are:


You can see us in the attached photo too.  I love Dolly.  Feel so much calmer when hear the padding of her big paws on the pavement next to me.  She is much bigger than she looks in these photos – there’s a perspective problem as she’s behind me.  As I’ve said before: it’s a lottery when I hand phone to a random person to take photos of us – sometimes get good photos and sometimes don’t.  On the plus side: the photos aren’t bad of me…

Am sitting up in bed with coffee and lemon squash listening to Matt Andersen’s Honest Man album.  The panther sits on the windowsill, gazing out at the garden.  It’s still sunny out there.  It’s 4.32pm.

Need to:

  1. Have bath.
  2. Make supper.
  3. Read The Princess Diarist.

At lunchtime, watch an episode of Natural World called Jungle Animal Hospital, about a veterinary hospital in Guatemala.  A highlight is when they release some scarlet macaws back into the wild.  They take in animals who’ve been kidnapped from the jungle for the illegal pet trade and attempt to nurse them back to health, with mixed results sadly.

The fan whirrs.  It’s still warm. The weather has been pleasant for the last few days.

Happy Tuesday everyone!
*2016.  Song by Matt Andersen.  Appears on the 2016 Honest Man album.

Harm’s Way*

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Work quite hard at ninety minute Bank Holiday Spin this morning.  Here is graph:


You can see me with The Boss in the attached photo.  

Feel OK and have fun for the ninety minutes – it doesn’t seem any tougher than the usual forty five – but am suffering now.

Painventory:

  1. Headache.
  2. Pain in side: like a stitch but also different.
  3. Shoulders hurt.
  4. Legs hurt.

Put a wash on at lunchtime and need to hang up the clothes on the airer.  Will do that once have written and posted this.

Am sitting up in bed at the flat.  It’s 4.44pm.  Have done Body Scan Meditation but can’t sleep – maybe due to all the pains everywhere.  Am sipping lemon squash and also have a cup of coffee to drink.  The panther lies next to me in bed, resting his head on my shoulder.  Stroking his flank, I feel so tired.

At lunchtime, I watch a documentary about the American singer-songwriter David Eugene Edwards called The Preacher.  He is a favourite of New Chap, so am listening to him and learning about him.  Am listening to him now as I write this.

Have checked the ITV schedule and tonight’s episode of Midsomer Murders is one that have already seen twice and can remember who is the murderer, so am not watching that again.  

It’s another sunny day out there.  Can see a sliver of blue sky from my bed.

Finally my Durer pictures are up.  Dad hangs them when he drops me at the flat earlier today.  Show you:


Looking at them, I feel happy remembering being with New Chap at Durer’s House.

Will probably have scrambled eggs, spinach and feta for supper.

Happy Monday everyone!
*1996.  Song by 16 Horsepower.  Written by David Eugene Edwards.  Appears on the 1996 album Sackcloth ‘n’ Ashes.  

Full Mortality*

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The fluffy monster comes in when Mum calls him last night, so that’s a relief after his escapade of the previous day, when he was missing until half past eight.  Here he is yesterday evening:


Push self hard at Spin this morning. Here is graph:


Ignore the blue and grey at the end: forget to take belt off until a while after the end of the class.  Am with The Boss and The Master in the attached photo.  Tomorrow we have a Ninety Minute Bank Holiday Special Spin class and am looking forward to that.

Walk down to the village to meet a chum for lunch.  Haven’t seen him for ages, so it’s good to catch up.

Do Body Scan Meditation and sleep. Now am watching the Showjumping from the European Equestrian Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.  Mum is sitting on one side of me and the panther on the other side.  He rests his chin on his front paws and stares at the screen, the tip of his tail twitches every so often.

Happy Saturday everyone!
*2010.  By Sasscer Hill.  Detective novel set in the world of racing.  Number 2 in the Nikki Latrelle mystery series.

Meow If It’s Murder*

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“I’m taking the car out round the block,” Mum says.  It’s 8.05pm.  We’ve been looking for the fluffy monster since just after six o’clock, which is when he tends to come in for his supper.  But this evening we’ve been out tramping the streets calling for him for nearly two hours.

“Do you want me to come with you?” I say.  

“Yes, come on,” Mum says, picking up her handbag.  She sounds very worried.  This is so unlike the fluffy monster: he always comes in for his supper.  He’s never out this late.

We’re in the car, driving slowly round the block.  Opening my window, I keep my eyes peeled for an orange ball of fur.  He’s probably been hit by a car and crawled off somewhere in the bushes to die, I think.  Or maybe he’s entered someone’s garage and become trapped there.  Or maybe he’s in a removal van, being driven hundreds of miles away.  At any rate, we’re never going to see him again, I’m sure of it.

We don’t see him anywhere.  We arrive home.  I go outside to have one last look for him.  He’s not there.  I call his name.  Turning to go in, suddenly I spot him: lying in front of the pond, looking calm and unruffled.

“Fluffy monster,” I say, scooping him up in my arms, kissing him.  “Where have you been?”

Carrying him into the house I say “I’ve found him, don’t worry everyone.”  The panther follows me, padding on huge paws.

“Where was he?” Mum says, stroking down the fluffy monster’s back, pulling some burrs out of his fur.

“Just lying by the pond,” I say.

“Well he can’t have been there for more than a couple of minutes,” Mum says.  “I checked the back garden just before we went out in the car.”

“Thank g-d he’s OK,” I say, kissing the top of his head.  “I was convinced he’d been hit by a car and had crawled off to die in the bushes and…”

“Don’t say that,” Mum says.

Finally, about eight thirty, we sit down for dinner.  

Let’s just hope we can find him tonight without too much trouble.

The attached photo is today’s Spin outfit with two of my instructors: The Boss and The Princess.

Happy Saturday everyone!
*2014.  By T. C. Lo Tempio.  A Nick and Nora mystery Book 1. 

Steer Your Way*

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Somehow forget my normal glasses and have to wear my prescription sunglasses at Spin.  So it’s not one of my best classes due to impaired vision.  Here is graph:


The attached photo is with The Boss at Spin.

Gandalf has returned from his holiday – yay.  So walk him late this morning.  When I arrive at his house the door is open and he’s waiting for me.  His owner isn’t there.  He recognises me and takes his lead down from a shelf in his mouth and hands it to me.  Clever boy.

Then his owner turns up, but still, am impressed with him.  It’s great to be reunited with my furry love.  We have a pleasant walk in the woods and out in the sunshine in the fields.  Here we are:


Take loads of photos but none of them come out that well as am looking into the sun.

Have lunch in the garden with the parentals, then do Body Scan Meditation and sleep.  It’s 5.20pm and have just woken up.  The panther is sitting on the windowsill, looking out at the garden.  The tip of his tail twitches.

Am going to post this and then go and sit outside with Mum and read I’m Your Man.  Am listening to Leonard Cohen.

Happy Friday everyone!
*2016.  By Leonard Cohen.  Song from the 2016 album You Want It Darker.

The Captain*

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For the first time in ages, do squats at training.  Trainer is pleased with me and says that my form is perfect.  Show you:


Also do pulley, Chest Press, arm extension and leg press.  There is another squat photo attached.

Catch the train to parentals and have lunch with Mum and her tennis friends in the garden, which is nice.

Do Body Scan Meditation and sleep and then walk this person:


It is lovely to see him.  We walk very slowly as he’s old and arthritic.

Now am back in bed, drinking lemon squash and iced coffee.  The panther is curled up at the end of my bed, chin resting on his front paws, dozing.  Every so often he twitches his whiskers or an ear in his sleep.

Am up to the bit in I’m Your Man where Leonard’s Various Positions album has just been released.  Am still enjoying the book so much and have been listening to each album as we arrive at it in the book, so have been listening to Various Positions today.

Happy Thursday everyone!
*1984.  Song by Leonard Cohen.  Appears on the 1984 album Various Positions.

First We Take Manhattan*

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Don’t set an alarm this morning.  After my exhausting day yesterday, just want to allow self as much sleep as I need.  So, wake up at 9.30am, have porridge and coffee and drag self to the gym.

Decide to do legs today.  Start with leg press and move on to leg curl (see attached photo), leg extension, abductor and adductor.  Walk home, purchasing some more fizzy water, milk and coffee.

Make a toasted feta and avocado sandwich and eat it whilst watching an episode of Natural World about forest elephants in Africa.

Do Body Scan Meditation and sleep. Now am sitting up in bed, drinking coffee, listening to Leonard Cohen’s I’m Your Man album.  The panther lies next to me, resting his head on my shoulder.  Stroking his flank, I look out at the garden.  It’s still sunny outside.

Am enjoying Sylvie Simmons’ Leonard Cohen biography I’m Your Man so much.  Have raced through the first hundred and seventy pages.  Lots of other people in the Leonard Cohen Facebook group are reading it on their summer holidays so that’s nice.  As well as Leonard’s life being fascinating, the book is brilliantly written and gripping I think.  Highly recommend it.

Need to:

  1. Have bath.
  2. Put a wash on.
  3. Make supper – probably The Omelette.
  4. Read more of I’m Your Man.
  5. Have early night as another busy day tomorrow.

Feel better today than did yesterday.  Think that did too many things yesterday and that all that rushing around caused extra anxiety.  Much prefer not to have much to do.  Need to rest a lot at the moment…

Happy Wednesday everyone!
*1988.  Song by Leonard Cohen.  Appears on the album I’m Your Man.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe*

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Really don’t feel like going to the gym this morning but know that will feel better once I’ve been.  So, drag self there.

Here I am doing the Pectoral machine – see also the attached photo:


Also achieve: Chest Press, triceps, pulley, arm extension and lateral pull down.  Of course feel better after my workout.

Catch the bus and train to see Dolly.  Here we are:


It’s lovely to see her and we have a pleasant walk.  It’s warm and sunny and she’s panting quite a lot by the time I take her home.  

Take the train to the dentist.  Dentist and hygienist are pleased with me: teeth are perfect.  It’s good that there’s at least one bit of my body that isn’t falling apart.

Have just made it back to the flat.  It’s 5.46pm.  Am writing this sitting up in bed, whilst drinking a Diet Coke – through a straw of course to protect my teeth.  The panther lies next to me, resting his heavy head on my thighs.  The fan whirrs.

Start reading this last night.  It’s wonderful:


Am looking forward to carrying on with it.

Yesterday, watch an episode of Natural World about the harpy eagle.  They eat sloths and monkeys and are the largest eagles in the world.  They are also quite secretive and not much is known about them so this programme, where they film a chick growing up over a year, was groundbreaking back in 2010 when it was first broadcast.  Here is a harpy eagle:


They are amazing birds.

Happy Tuesday everyone!
*1940.  By Agatha Christie.  Hercule Poirot detective novel in which Poirot’s dentist is murdered.