5514 - The next day

Two days on from my heart scare in the gym 

Telling me to take it much more easy

I still feel a bit weird up there within 

On top of this, work today was really 

Long and hard. 7 pm I finally 

Shut down the laptop and I cooked a meal 

And while doing so, was called by Louis 

Arranged a visit to his place, real

Pleasant surprise! Then it’s our usual deal 

Talking politics. Sainsbury’s had to win 

After all this, and I had to agree

A few beers, and even fags, had appeal 

I suppose that this constitutes a sin

But who cares? Glasgow tomorrow, yippee!

5513 - Need to chill

Yesterday’s gym session was successful 

In terms of my performance, but I had 

A shock while running. Felt a brief rumble 

In the heart region, could have ended bad

But did the full 20 minute period 

And went home. Noticed however I still 

Felt in that body zone not quite as good 

As before, and today still not quite well 

Gerard advised that this happens. It will

Improve but I must be more sensible 

In the gym. It’s not good to try that hard

The body may have become powerful 

But the heart can’t always cope, it can struggle 

So I’ll eat less and in the gym, I’ll chill 

5512 - Leg ache again

Got leg ache again, gym session, Tuesday 

Despite not finishing work until 6

Punished my legs cycling quite a long way 

Though of course the bike machine was static

5.3 miles in just 20 minutes 

And at difficulty degree 20

Which is tougher than I’ve done before. It’s 

Gruelling, but I did it. Oh glory be!

Then 20 minutes running quite quickly 

At 5.5 mph, 10 degree

Incline, or thereabouts. I got my kicks

Walked home through the dark park, now routinely 

Doing this, and it’s a great way to stay

Healthy, better than booze on these dark nights

5511 - Went for a walk after work

Went for a walk after work while still light 

This will soon not be possible, sadly 

As autumn progresses to early nights 

Decided to head towards the city

Seeing old haunts not seen much recently 

Crossed the white bridge outside my old office 

Saw my current office, too, over the

Other side of the road. Marks and Sparks is

A fun place to browse for food. Bought some juice 

And 15 eggs. I thought the price was right 

And watched ‘Aguirre, Wrath of God’ - widely 

Seen as an all-time classic. But my eyes

Struggled to stay open. This is the plight

Of the hard worker and hard walker - me!

5510 - Hello again Helen and friends

Was eagerly looking forward to this 

A meet-up with Helen again and friends 

A meeting that seemed to hold the promise 

Of a good laugh, though it would have to end

Quite early, being Sunday, but til then 

We’d meet in the Shakespeare, two pints each bought 

Then went to Thaikhun, spicy ‘Jungle’ blend

Of food in a bowl full of soup-like sauce

Then walked to the King’s Arms. Been there of course 

Oodles of times for fun performances 

In Dave Turquoise’s open mic night. Spent 

Many nights in that snug, but today was

A play held in the theatre space upstairs 

Beckett’s ‘Krapp’s Last Tape’ chosen by Helen 

Sun 26 Sep

5509 - Listenin’ playin’ and watchin’

Music - I’ve been listenin, playin, watchin

Listenin while walkin 15k almost 

Playin the guitar back home, enjoyin

My increasin ability. Can’t boast 

Bout playin live successfully- been toast 

On occasion, not that I try it now 

But been meanin since June to get that closed 

Keyboard box opened and to get to know 

How it works and records backing tracks so

I can do videos at least of singin

And playin live at home. Maybe uploads

Of the backing tracks, then some studio

Time just for vox and guitar. Inspirin 

Me even if some keep fit time is lost

5508 - Legs are aching

My legs are aching, I spent Friday night 

In Ordsall gym, though had to leave early 

It closes at 8 on Fridays. Seems right 

No-one there at all - well, except for me

Then I just had to leave and quite quickly 

No time for a shower til I got home 

Now watching a rock documentary 

The Kinks and Led Zeppelin, to name but some 

Watching this stuff while my legs throb and thrum 

Bedtime soon and if I can sleep all right 

I may go for a long walk Saturday 

Perhaps somewhere different, like Birmingham?

No, that’s too far. I could take a tram ride

And explore somewhere that takes my fancy

5507 - Thursday not the worst day

It’s Thursday and it’s not been the worst day 

In fact it’s been okay, more than okay 

Work was fun and productive I would say 

And I finished early, made me happy 

Sank four San Miguels on the balcony 

The sun shone somewhat intermittently 

Listened to music meanwhile, happily 

Then I watched some music on the tv 

The Doors and Yes to be precise. Amy

Winehouse is lined up, I’ll watch that Friday 

Or possibly if not on Saturday 

I’m looking forward though to this Sunday 

Going with my mates to drink and see a play 

But for now I am happy, quite simply 

5506 - Sunset upset

A beautiful sunset for last two nights 

Tonight went walking slightly earlier 

Saw more of it, one of my favourite sights

Especially pretty over the water

At Salford Quays (too tired to go further)

As I approached the first white bridge, noticed 

Some silhouettes, walker after walker

Realised they were United fans, there must

Be an evening game at Old T. They lost

At home to West Ham, League Cup upset. Slight

Surprise, but West Ham are doing well this year 

So Man United’s treble hopes are dust 😂

My post-work walks becoming darker, lights

Of the Quays pretty though to onlooker 

5505 - Bloody work

That bloody work, have to work my arse off

That bloody work, it makes me need to cough

That bloody work, it’s something you can shove

That bloody work is something you can’t love

That bloody work, it makes my bowels move

That bloody work, it’s less Brighton, more Hove

That bloody work, it’s more raven than dove

That bloody work, reminds me of Frank Bough

That bloody work, barman, a Molotov

That bloody work, it’s something you can stuff

That bloody work, I just can get enough 

That bloody work, it’s a dog’s life, so wuff 

That bloody work, I’d rather sniff some snuff

That bloody work, that’s enough of this guff

5504 - Last sunbathe

Today has probably been my last sunbathe 

This year 2021, most likely 

So glad I got work done and felt good with 

The weekend’s keep fit good activity 

And was able to sit on balcony 

While the sun still shone bright, with beer at hand 

Listened to Can and Yes but got chilly

Had to swap shorts for jeans, cardy not planned 

But necessary as the heat descends

And the sun dropped behind the trees. I saved

Myself from freezing. But was good to be

Out there in time to enjoy the last stand 

Of summer heat before autumn’s cold bath 

Now I’m ready for what must be will be

5503 - After gym and swim

What can be done for the rest of the day 

When you’ve been down the gym and had a swim?

The gym just by itself would be okay 

But a hard swim can leave you short of vim

It’s only once a week I do both, in

Clarendon Leisure Centre, but it’s true 

Most Sundays after going there, there’s slim

Chance I’ll feel like I’ve energy to do 

Much. Take today. All I’ve done is to view

Several films on Amazon. Couldn’t stay 

Awake the whole time either!  But did trim

My hair, bought bus ticket to Glasgow. Knew

This could be the result. Every Sunday 

Feels wasted. But it’s helping me get thin!

5502 - Second-longest walk

Had been on course for longest recent walk

Headed along the Irwell as usual 

Feeling strong, hours of daylight left, I stalked

Along, though wearing jeans, oh what a fool 

But just as things looked great, phone battery fell 

To very low level, not only could 

I no longer listen to music - will

I even be able to know if I did

Beat my old long distance walking record?  

If the phone dies I’ll never know! Did talk

To a few en route, about dogs and - Tell

Me where I am!  Turned out I was headed 

Back homewards, not towards Bury. I’d cocked

It up. But next time I’ll get there, for real!

5501 - Tired but it’s Friday

Tired from a poor night’s sleep but it’s Friday 

So after work I had to celebrate 

What else could I do on a sunny day?

Struggled to walk to the Co-op to get 

My cans of Guinness but soon as I sat

Down, all was well. I only had seven 

Left, so four cans of quite weak beer, yes that

Was just right for this poor situation 

Not enough to get drunk so I still can

Do a few things. Watched two Netflix films - they

Were both good. The Last Days, about the fate

Of Hungary’s Jews at war concentration 

Camps, then ‘Schumacher’ - number two today 

But no film of him in his present state

Fri 17 Sep

5500 - Another first

Another first. Work. Getting pissed. A walk

A 13k walk, mainly in the dark 

First time I’ve walked after a session. Look -

That’s impressive in itself, quite a lark 

But 13k? That’s some feat!  Through Peel Park

On the way back, weaved my way through dark lanes

Explored in the summer. I felt my stark

Vulnerability at times. It’s insane 

To thread through dark alleys in Salford. Main

Thing though is I survived, I had good luck

I won’t repeat that hopefully. The mark

Of success is learning again, again 

About survival I’m equipped to talk 

Having got this far, like some aged shark 

5499 - Energy reduction

Yes, obviously today couldn’t match 

Yesterday for energy levels. Lay

In bed last night still wide awake, night watch 

Despite ten hours of work, one hour of ‘play’ 

In the gym, ending up with Doug Murray -

The Strange Death of Europe, my current book

One that I find easy to read quickly 

So today I’ve been a tad tired, but look

I still worked over eight hours, then a walk

Of over 8k past canal and bridge 

This fitness lark compels me to obey 

And though less time left for music or talk

It’s healthy and I’m reducing my bulge

It’s cheap, it gets me out, rounds off my day 

5498 - First dark gym

My first gym session after the darkness 

Crept upon the autumn early eve sky

It was descending as I neared the place 

And by the time I left, unsure if I 

Could go through the park. Was it shut? I’d try

And enjoyed the novelty of a stroll

Through the dark park, but there was lamplight. My

Amazement was complete. I’m on a roll 

I can work for ten hours but still feel full 

Enough of energy to then do this -

Go down the gym at seven thirty 🕢. Why

Surely it must be working after all 

My weight loss programme, allied to fitness 

Increase. The evening has fairly flown by! 

5497 - Autumn after-work walk

Walked nearly 14k after work this

Evening, until it got dark. Enjoyed it

Walking around Kersal Dale as cyclists 

Joggers and dog walkers went by. Habit-

Forming, though soon these evenings won’t be lit

And then this walk just won’t be possible 

After work, when the darkness will restrict 

These nice quiet green places, accessible 

Only in working hours or weekends. All

The students jogged round Peel Park. Scooterists

Made walking on the pavement feel a bit

Insecure at times, but I’d be a fool 

To let this stop me walking where I wish

For at least one more month it will be nice 😊 

5496 - Last day off

Sad to say, I must be on me way back 

To boring old work tomorrow, but I’ve 

Had a great two weeks off, blessed by some crack

Weather most of the time during this leave 

Late summer sun accompanied my skive 

Was even able to sunbathe one day 

When most were at work or school. Glad I have

Had that experience. No real holiday 

As in, a week or two spent far away 

But those few days in London and those back

Up north in a rented Peugeot (that saved

Paying for accommodation), well they

Were all great days! What positive impact!

Travel produces memories you can save

5495 - Twenty years on

Twenty years since 9/11 took place 

I first heard about it while out shopping 

I drove home and sat watching the replays

Of the airplanes and twin towers falling 

A 10 kilometre walk this morning 

Salford Quays and the canal. Intended

To keep going further but power failing 

In my headphones, so no music, headed

Back home and just did some reading instead 

And then played guitar til the last sun’s rays

Discovered that Channel 4 was showing 

The US women’s tennis final. Had

To watch it live, historic stuff. Emma’s

In the lead but Leyla’s out there fighting!

5494 - STILL somewhat hot

The sun was mainly behind cloud but still 

It’s too hot for long trousers. Wearing shorts 

Some walking, but to return car. I will 

Hire one again next time I’m on leave - it’s

Been fun seeing places ticked off the list

And often it was done in company 

Of family and friends, preserved in great pics

A late summer early autumn happy

Time it’s been. After I got back, really 

Sunk lots of beer and wine, and quite a thrill 

Listening to music, then two films (Netflix)

1917 (seen before), Sorry

We Missed You (not seen before), Newcastle 

The setting. Covid test. Not out of sorts 👍

Fri 10 Sep

5493 - It’s still hot

I was wrong. Yesterday wasn’t the last 

Hot day. Today was too - just not sunny 

In fact it rained so hard, but what a blast 

Driving with Josephine from A to Z (zee)

In the Peak District. Of course it’s hilly

And the rain fell so hard up there, the road

Filling with big puddles, so slippery 

I had to slow down for safety. I slowed

And got safely down. But my drive was flawed

I went the wrong way, and some time had passed 

Before I realised I’d chosen wrongly 

Back to the hills we’re headed, silly sod

More rain up there, but soon it again paused

The sun came out, all ended harmlessly 

5492 - Last hot day

This is the last hot day of summer and I went 

To Grandma’s with Josephine. Got some fish 

And chips of course. Then through the tunnel in

To Liverpool to her student place which 

She’ll be living in soon. Fresher’s week, then it’s 

The start of her law course. Hope Street is just 

Around the corner. Lockdown threatened. Shit - 

Is it really necessary? They’ve pushed

It too far if they do. But seems they must 

Then drove to Crosby Beach where statues glint

A few pics taken, then got caught in rush

Hour traffic from there all the way. A crush

On the M62 and so returned 

Her home, then saw the football and got pissed

5491 - A relaxing day relaxing

No driving in the hired car today 

The hot sunshine suggested sunbathing 

I could’ve driven to a beach, okay 

But then thought that’s a waste of kerching ching 

Could sunbathe in the local park. Josephine 

Was working so couldn’t go out with her 

Instead we’ll go out tomorrow driving 

Today though, the task was to get browner 

But first, just time for the gym before the 

Lunchtime close for two hours. So when I lay

On the grass after working out, feeling 

Rather smug. This was the first time ever 

I’d done these two different things in one day

Then did some long-delayed guitar playing 

5490 - North Wales

So today as forecast the sun came out 

Eventually after a cloudy start 

Picked Helen up and drove to the Welsh coast 

But it was cloudy so we did divert 

From the Lleyn Peninsula to the heart 

Of Llandudno where there is more to do 

We got the tram up the Great Orme. Bar shut

So we did mini golf an hour or two 

Time had run out, we had intended to 

Sunbathe but no good beaches were about 

Next was Deganwy but it turned out shit 

Luckily, Conwy was nearby, rescued 

The situation. A pint and chips, riot

Of seagulls and all was well. Day was great!

5489 - Lancs and Yorks - not for dorks

About halfway through my car hire period 

Of ten days. Today was sunny Sunday 

On my own, but a superb drive I had

Through Lancashire and Yorkshire, north west way

On impulse I peeled off the motorway 

Decided to see Ramsbottom, but I 

Ended up at the Peel Monument. They

Were abseiling down it for charity

Then Clitheroe, and into the Lancs country

The Bowland area was fab, sun and broad

Expanses of rolling hills. Settle lay

Like a jewel in the hills, then north to see

Ribblehead Viaduct, trains with their load

Of passengers. All in all, what a day! 😀

5488 - Tony’s Pony

No driving today, it’s Tony’s Pony

In action, my version of Shanks’s. And

I’ve walked 14k today. Stats really 

Taking off with the walking. I don’t want 

To go in the car, Louis said. So planned 

To meet at Piccadilly Gardens by

The tram stop. Cafe snack, fattening food banned

But I had a fried breakfast, naughty I

Then we played pool and air hockey. Went by

Too quick. Ten pin bowling, pre-booked only 

No good films so for a while walked around 

Then Louis left and I decided I

Would watch ‘Annette’ the Sparks film. Happily 

It started poor but got good in the end!

5487 - Car trip 3 - Yorkshire again

Wasn’t sure I was well enough to drive 

But in the end I just couldn’t resist 

I thought a short drive might be a relief 

So headed towards Halifax. A mist

On the M62, queues slow to shift

But I turned off to get to Halifax 

And though Piece Hall was closed, enjoyed my drift

By foot around the town. It was relaxed 

Yellow stone everywhere. And then my next 

Goal was Ilkley. Drove through Keighley. Survived

What seemed like peak rush hour, brought car to rest 

At the foot of Ilkley Moor and then tasked

Myself with a bloody good walk. I thrived

Despite my cold. Ferns, heather, sheep. What bliss!

5486 - Great 2nd day but…

Great second day with the car but I’ve got 

A terrible cold, it’s been brewing for 

Best part of a week, since London. It’s not 

Going away, it’s getting worse and more 

Debilitating. Tania just rang, saw

The chance it could be Covid. Me, I’d say 

It’s more likely just a cold. Just last year 

Caught a similar one on a holiday 

To Scotland. Public transport is the way 

I catch germs. But today drove Helen at

A brisk pace round the Yorkshire Dales. And for 

Most of it I was just about okay 

But on the way home I got a sore throat 

A good night’s sleep and I may feel better 

5485 - Good start

Good start to my car hire for ten days. No

Desire or time to go too far or spend

Money on petrol for no reason, so

I looked in the atlas, thought it could lend 

Some ideas of nearby places. And then 

I saw Lyme Park, and that it’s near Poynton

Collected the Peugeot 208, an

Impressive blue, but went the wrong way on

A one way street. Bus nearly ran me down 

Found Pott Shrigley from where I used to go

On my run through the hills and woods back in

The nineties and noughties. I went right round 

My old route, just walking. Got locked in, though

Climbed over the locked gate. Feet ache. Again