Mon 14 – Sun 20 Sept 2026

I think someone once said, ‘Life is a brilliant adventure or it is nothing’. Well mine feels like not much these days. I’ve written before about how I quite enjoy the routines I have built. But these aren’t always healthy and in my most recent blogs I’ve spoken of the desire to not have expectations and to live with imperfection – read about this here. Linked to this, I know I must make sure my life is more flexible if not actually being in need of a bit of some shock treatment occasionally.

‘Staying flexible’ is one of the ghastly mantras thrown at us by management gurus who I probably spent too much time reading when I was younger. Be flexible so you can be worked to death whilst being underpaid in order to prove how loyal you are to the organisation (which always does you over in the end).

Flexible now means to me not doing the same routines all the time and doing things differently occasionally. Simply messing about the order of everyday things can be refreshing and provide a different perspective. Similarly, the need to take a risk occasionally as if you don’t do it then you won’t find out. Things could go wrong but they could go brilliantly, it’s always 50/50.

“Scar tissue is stronger than regular tissue. Realise the strength, move on.” Henry Rollins

Remember This

• Growing debate and discussion around whether there should be controls on the development of AI as well as increased hostility to Data Centres

• Big revelations from the book by Princess Diana’s brother about King Charles, Buckingham Palace sent rebuttals. As a republican, I find it hilarious though also note the sycophancy of the TV and radio channels as well as the newspapers in defending the royal family (‘Crisis, what crisis? It’s business as usual! Why are you doing this?’)

• Ed Sheeran’s US tour is in chaos with the dismissal of Macklemore as support act and the other support acts plus the backing group withdrawing

• The EU invites Canada to become an Associate Member

• Trump, Denmark, and Greenland make a deal

• RIP: Bonnie Greer (commentator), Stephanie Cole (actress – I particularly remember her in Tenko)

1. Family and Friends

Mum out and about on her own

Surprisingly mum went to the library on Wednesday under her own steam. Bit of a disaster in that it was unexpectedly closed when she got there ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’. That really got her angry. And then she had a row with someone on the bus back. Sounded fair though, a woman was refusing to take her bag off the seat next to her so a blind person could sit down ! Amazing how selfish some people are.

Mum also went alone to the GP on Saturday in order to get her bloods taken by the phlebotomist. Delighted to say that it was third time lucky. Good that she does things on her own as she needs to retain some independence. But she was absolutely knackered afterwards on both days. That is why I do the shopping for her and other stuff around the house because it could be too much for her to do that as well.

Patrick: An intense week

Poor Dave has been very busy supporting Patrick – it’s lucky he can be flexible with his time. Went with him to the hospital on Monday morning. All OK though lots of waiting around afterwards to get the patient transport back. Just enough time for Dave to get to his gym-physio appointment at the hospital in the afternoon. Went well including an exercise ‘cleaning the mirror’ (perhaps they should also do ‘mopping the floor’ and ‘cleaning the toilet’ LOL).

Dave saw Patrick again on Wednesday to clean his flat and collect his laundry. Then on Friday to return the laundry and to support Patrick in meeting up with an old friend. We were hoping Patrick would be strong enough to go to the pub but twas not to be alas so the friend came to the flat.

Dave had a day off on Saturday and I saw Patrick on my own. Spent some time tidying up as well as just sitting chatting. We also did a little walk on the hallway outside his flat using his stroller. This went well and we will build up usage on this with the eventual aim of getting him out and about. Although the sad truth is that he may be more reliant on a wheelchair in the future.

Poor dad is back in hospital but being difficult

He left hospital after about 4 weeks there to return to his nursing home. But then had a fall and hit his head so back in again. Turned out that they aren’t happy with his legs still and so he’s back on IV antibiotics. But he’s also being aggressive and resistant to being treated which is causing problems for the poor hospital staff.

“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old but on building the new.” Socrates

2. Health and Efficiency

Gym: Three good sessions and trying to ensure I have a flexible body

My ideal exercise routine would have alternating exercise and rest days. Life ain’t that easy and I need to be flexible to fit in with my other commitments. So to the gym on the mornings of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday (Tuesday morning was spent with mum).

At each workout, I try to do all body parts including legs but without aggravating the leg problems I’ve got. Also really important that I keep my body flexible and supple. So lots of stretching in-between reps. I’m using stretching exercises I’ve discovered over the years plus exercises from when I did yoga. Perhaps I should think about going back to yoga or pilates.

104 London gym sessions divided by the annual membership = £5.29 per session

Swim: A relatively short swim – perhaps that being the reason it went well

Mondays and Fridays are the best days at my pool when they are not too busy. Though if I’m flexible then generally on all days, bar weekends, the pool is quiet late morning before lunch and early afternoon just after lunch. Went on Friday morning and was relatively quiet though a school party was arriving just as I leaving.

More chilled than my last swim as I stuck to alternating front crawl and back stroke. For the latter I’m still having to focus on keeping straight without veering across the lane – a problem I didn’t use to have. Did manage one length each of breast stroke and back without using arms / just moving via legs. 22 (or 24?) lengths done.

A good jog-run but not the best ever

I really didn’t expect to improve on the ‘best ever’ runs of the past two weeks. My body was a bit achey on Sunday morning and I wasn’t sure how things would go. In the end, a perfectly decent time of 32 mins and 8 seconds which I would have been delighted with a few weeks ago.

I do stretching before and afterwards to ensure I am flexible and, hopefully, don’t pull or sprain anything. There’s an important element of listening to your body as you run. Can you feel a muscle or tendon pulling? If so then don’t push it. Indeed, my run overall felt fairly comfortable albeit perhaps I was more aware of discomfort with my knees than usual.

3. Art and Culture

New Antiques Road Trip

We live in a society that puts quantity over quality. Particularly true with all the objects we purchase and accrue. We all have far more objects than we need and forget about them. Certainly true of me with my books. But I do love nice objects and the stories that are linked to them.

That’s why I love programmes about antiques. It was lovely to have Tuesday as a ‘do nothing’ day where I got to see Bargain Hunt, Dickinson’s Real Deal, and the new series of Antiques Road Trip. It’s sad that with so many beautiful objects it just comes down to how much they are worth and how much profit can be made. But I still enjoy seeing and finding out about beautiful things – it’s a form of art.

QPR: Awful and brilliant

A 2-2 draw with Preston at our place on Saturday disguises the highs and lows of this match. Preston 1-0 up within 1 minute of the game starting. Then QPR player sent off at 15 min mark and Preston 2-0 up by half-time ! Felt like a team that had lost it’s discipline.

But then 2 goals pulled back in the second half, one in the 90th minute, demonstrating a team with drive. Overall, ‘victory’ from the jaws of defeat. Although it could also be viewed as two points lost rather than 1 point gained as Preston are in the bottom 3. 6th in the table.

4. Books and Reading

Two lovely books finished in the last week with full reviews here:

• ‘Absolutely and Forever’ by Rose Tremain. A beautifully short but deep and dark novel about the life of a young woman living in Britain during the 50s and 60s.

• ‘The Two Roberts’ by Damian Barr. A novel based on the true story of two male Scottish artists who spent their lives together through good and bad after first meeting in the 1930s.

Looking Ahead

• In light of being flexible, me and Dave are having a couple of days away in Portsmouth again. Dave loves this city and I am looking forward to doing some exploring of Southsea and Old Portsmouth.

• We’ll be spending time with mum and Patrick before we go and after we come back. Obviously, we will also be in touch with them whilst we are away.

• There will be a knock-on effect on my exercise routine. Target is just two gym sessions and a swim. There’s a big sporting event in the coming weekend that takes place on my 5K jog-run course so it’s 50/50 whether I’ll be able to go out on Sunday morning.

• I’m aiming to finish ‘Queer as Folkore’ by Sacha Coward as well as the shockingly subversive novel ‘Henry Henry’ by Allen Bratton. I’ve also started a celebrated fantasy novel: ‘The Dragon Waiting’ by John M Ford.

• QPR away against West Ham on Friday evening. This is going to be a bloody hard match and I will be very pleased indeed if we can come away with a point.

And Finally…

“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” Machiavelli