Testing Times

What a contradictory entity my body seems to be. Ambient temperature ... in the words of Mr Porter ... Too Darn'd Hot; my appetite (for food) ... also at an all time high! Usually, my complaint has been that it's too hot to eat but now, it's hot so let's generate some more heat!

Already, I'm hobbling sideways down the stairs; somehow it's too painful on the 'unsprung' knees to go down the normal way. Occasionally I challenge myself to alternate the lead* foot but, that's far too insecure a mode of travel.

*[on this occasion I mean it in the 'leed' sounding sense ... like the foot in front ... but, the lower limbs frequently feel like Pb!]

A letter arrived this morning, from the Surgery, confirming that they'd received the results of my liver function blood test and could I collect the necessary envelope for another test in three months time. Currently I seem to spend a lot of time switching between routine Thyroid function and antibodies tests, routine blood count and now it seems as if liver function is joining the roll of honour! Sorry, I forgot to mention visits to the trick-cyclist and impending related clinics: psychologist, anger-management etc. Actually the temper hasn't manifest itself much of late but then, we've had very few unwelcome cold-callers at the door.

With my current low energy levels, the computer is a god-send; I can entertain and inform myself for hours without needing to travel too far.

Women Bishops

I just can't believe that the institutional church is still divided about whether to accept women as bishops. The facile argument, given by an anglo-catholic priest on the programme currently showing on Channel4, is that a priest is an iconic representative of Jesus Christ and, surprise, surprise .. the aforementioned JC was made incarnate as a male! I think there's a good possibility he was also of semitic stock ... how can this priest live with himself, being an iconic representation of Christ when he's not a Semite. Come to that, how can anyone not born of a Virgin cast himself in such an iconic role?

Talk about airs and graces!

Life's Not Always A Breeze

Another humid, airless, cloying kind of day. Got to admit, although it may be nice to see the sun, it does my various minor ailments no favours. Later evening it becomes almost bearable to venture out, enjoy a sneaky wisp of breeze sat by the pond ... that's the theory anyway but, that hint of breeze seems rather elusive!

Good Morning Sunshine

The heat, or was it the "work", certainly took its toll on my sleep pattern! What pattern you may well ask? Alright, start again; the heat took its toll on my usual erratic sleep patten. Being extremely restless, when retiring shortly after the witching hour, my body and mind (in apparent co-ordination) decided to get out of bed for a hot drink, some nicotine and, a couple of hours web-surfing. The, (by now)normal, aches and pains, seem to have been exacerbated by the persistent ineradicable coating of perspiration.

Give me a few hours and I may even begin to feel awake, rather than the current trance-like state of auto-pilot typist! The discomfort, in the armpits and upper arms, does actually confirm that I am to some degree conscious!

Good morning sunshine!

The Day's Bulletin

On emerging from a rather lengthy lie-in, quickly realised that it was going to be too hot to attempt one of my BBW's (brief brisk walks). From around 4.00 pm, it was nice to relax near the pond in the shade of a parasol & shrubbery. Around 6.30pm, actually tackled a modicum of gardening which at least provides some of the necessary exercise quotient. By the time I got back into the house my lower limbs were already feeling the strain, manifesting itself both in the leaden-ness of movement on the stairs and moderately sharp pain in each knee.

Further time on my feet was necessary, as I enjoyed preparations for tomorrows lunch. These days, I find cooking a wonderful creative outlet but, I must admit to not liking the heat of the kitchen.

Radio and TV news bulletins were, as expected full of the aftermath of Thursday's bombings; it must be horrendous for those people still awaiting news of friends and relatives. As my thoughts and prayers go out to all involved, I also remember all the suffering people in Iraq; the destroying or maiming of any human life is equally abhorrent no matter where, or who the perpetrators may be.

And So On With The Show

It's not often that I can admit to a good belly laugh but, this evening television did us proud. We even found one or two reasonable laughs in CSI (Crime Scene Investigation), the convention for people who enjoy dressing up as animals provided an intriguing background to tonight's investigation. Switch then from Channel 5, across to BBC2 for Grumpy Old Men ... that programme always manages to touch on several of my pet hates! Slightly later, on BBC1, the highlight of our evening was, by far, Ardal O'Hanlon on Jack Dee Live AtThe Apollo. I'd almost forgotten just how hilarious good stand-up can be; , it certainly leaves one with a welcome glow. What a gift, to see the absurd in the perfectly ordinary!

The lesson I've learnt is not to take life too seriously.

Excuses In Advance

Although, at times, the calf muscles felt more like sodden loo-rolls, once again managed to put in a slightly longer walk, this time to meet my beloved at the Acorn Centre. Other ailments include a severely aching right elbow, making it's presence far more obvious within the past twenty minutes or so.

But life tastes sweet and, I'm determined to make the most of it. Wonder of wonders, I even managed to arouse myself from my slumbers before 9.40AM. Is this a record? No ... not quite ... but I do feel quite righteous!

Maybe, if this 'improvement' keeps up, I'll soon be able to make use of my grandiosely named Studio and actually produce a few new paintings. It's bound to feel quite strange after concentrating recent efforts on computer graphics programmes. But ... you can hear the excuses creeping up on you ... if I get back to my painting perhaps the recent nudgings of the poetic muse will fade away. A muse is always hard to resist but, it is tempting at times to yell .. "get thee behind me!"

Strange, that I should already be preparing the excuses before the creativity has properly gotten under way. I look forward to reporting progress.

Born Anew

Today, I managed a longer brief brisk walk ... i.e.if you don't mind ignoring the 'brisk' and possibly the 'brief' component. My beloved and myself visited a local nature reserve, completing the walk as a circular tour. The "quiet" of the reserve was in such stark contrast to the tragedy unfolding in the Capital's morning.

It's almost as if such tragic events bring out the need to make the most of one's everyday existence. The contrast between the flittering iridescence of the damsel flies, at the edge of the clay pool, and the sooty velvet of the butterflies in the bordering meadow, just opened our eyes afresh to the wonders of nature ... almost like being born anew, certainly refreshed!

The Tyranny of the Violent

What can one say? My thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims, their friends and families, of this mornings bombings in London.

The taking of a life, and the wilful maiming of any individual is in my book an abomination. It is equally abominable whether it be a private act of vengeance, or violence authorised by a state or martial authority.

The real losers in any such act are the majority of humankind as, for the illiberal (both in mainstream and fringe politics) such acts are grist to their mill!

Just Playing Around

Some ten minutes ago I submitted a blog entry and voila ... it's gone. Now, I'll try to recap ... but the memory is fickle ... the thrust of the entry was that I am grateful that the process of blogging is so therapeutic. That must be the reason I bother with it.

Were a stranger to stumble upon this weblog, what would they make of it, the apparent randomness of the entries etc. But, life really is like that ... a stream of discontinuities in search of an organizing consciousness.

Frequently I only discover the topic of a blog entry when it's already a fait accompli. When I approach the blank dashboard I have no idea what thoughts/ events I'm going to comment on or write about. Still, it proves therapeutic; it's surprising what frustrations can be relieved by the odd rant ... even if it's about an unrelated topic. I suppose this approach could be called the Punchbag Blog.

By now you may be wondering why I bother to make the blog public. A perfectly valid question.

One can only communicate from ones-self; it is foolhardy to believe that one communicates with or to a given audience, that is a fortunate by-product when and if it occurs. Meantime, I play about with my own dilemmas in the hope that I am more often able to affirm life than to let the b*gg**s grind me down!