Getting Harder

I have another three days of the step challenge. 42,000 steps in the next three days. I know some of you do that every day, but I don't really do formal exercise.

Today I took a detour on the way to work, spent an hour getting into work and did six thousand steps and spent an hour walking in. I tend to listen to music going in, and that makes the journey less boring. I tried a gym once, and the regimented mundanity of it did nothing for me. You cannot benefit if you get bored with what you are doing, and I was really bored. I am ok with swimming where you have to keep going or you sink and drown, but cannot do gyms at all.

Anyway today's target was 12,500 and I did 14,100 , and each day since my lapse I've walked more than my next days target. Tomorrow is 13,250 so I need to be up and on the road early.

Sorry this is very mundane, but as the steps increase it eats into my time to do other things. Even though I walked extra this morning , then walked up Westgate Road to Wildflower for lunch, then an extra trip for shopping tonight, I didn't think I would make it.

It turns out I did make it, so just have another 42,000 or so steps to go. I've already done 120,000 steps in this challenge so another 42,000 should not be a problem.

Anyway I am actually tired so I shall leave you with a song and "The Distance" by Cake seems appropriate. Sleep well my friends.

Elysian Feels

I love seeing new things and meeting new people. My friend Ruth hand invited me to an exhibition, Storytelling of The Ancients,  which I didn't realise was being put on by her daughter at the Assembly House on Westgate Road. I started well by going to The Assembly Rooms and then got directed across the road to the correct venue.

Jessica and Oedipus

The day was warm and the door was open and I walked in , impressed by what I thought were some very nicely executed murals. I then noticed a room with a fireplace, some books of Greek Mythology and a small image of Cerberus on the green wall , Cerberus being the guard dog of the Underworld, but maybe he is there to keep undesirables away.

I then saw that the murals were not murals , but diaphanous constructs that swayed in the breeze and cast shadows on the white wile under a ceiling decorated with greenery which I think was ivy but could have Bacchanalian grape vines.

Jessica then introduced herself and told me about the exhibition and her love of the subject. Apparently Greeks always  greet guests with food and wine, and although the wine was finished there was gorgeous vegan raspberry  cake , biscuits and soft drinks.




Her friend , possibly Fiona, was also taking photographs and I took some myself as well as a short video, so that I could create a slideshow.

The images included Pandora, Persephone, Oedipus and many others including a wonderful centaur. I've included the slideshow soundtracked by Tangerine Dream's "Sequence C" from Phaedra , so another Greek Mythological connection as Phaedra was the daughter of Minos (see here)  which I've used as the video here although you can hear my waffle on the instagram video here.

So a great strat to the weekend, but if you get the chance , do go and see it, and if you are lucky you will get cake.

Bangers And Thrash And Coincidences

Work at the moment is quite intense , just a lot going on , so yesterday took time out and fancied a cooked meal . I wandered through town and decided to go to Trillians as I love the atmosphere , music is good there may be a decent film playing and the staff are brilliant , and they now do excellent food. I chatted with Barbara and saw the Bangers and Thrash , well how could I not , so ordered that with a cup of coffee.

I sat in the area at the bottom of the stairs and noticed there was a bag on one of the other tables, and I know sometime people don't like other people withing a million miles of them , especially when it;s me.Anyway the girl came back and was reading checking her phone so seemed cool with me being there. Anyway my coffee came , then I got a phone call. "Black Sabbath" by Black Sabbath was playing (which incidentally is one of the dishes that Trillian's serve featuring Black Pudding .. My mums favourite) . So in the phone I was probably talking a bit louder than I should , because of the music and the fact that Trillians is underground and you can lose your signal at any time . The thing is talking louder doesnt help and we all do it and are often too lazy to go outside or somewhere private, well I was yesterday.

After I finished I apologised for being too loud and she smiled and said was fine , the she asked me if I was having lunch and did I want to share a table, as she was waiting for her lunch too. I said yes and we got talking ,  she told me her name was Jane and she was waiting for a Megabus to  London and thought she'd drop in here and she knew they now did food. She told me where she was from and I asked if she knew another friend of mine who lived in the same place and it turned out we had her in common.

THAT CAKE

We chatted and ate , told her about my daughters wedding , showed her THAT CAKE (if you click on this you get the instagram video), and like everyone she was amazed by it. It turns out we have a lot of common interests so I told about events coming up, and also told her this whole thing reminded me of a recent excellent TED Talk I watched about AirBnB which goes on about the modern "Stranger Danger " attitude that the media and society engenders in us , when in fact most strangers could be friends we haven't met yet. I know that sounds crass, but I've included the talk below

Yesterday I walked into Trillians and saw a stranger and when I left I had a new friend. Yeah modern technology is good for immediately connecting with people.




Have a brilliant Saturday everyone , I am going to .

Good Things Happen ... Let Them Eat Cake

The lovely ladies at Pet Lamb in the Grainger Market

I had a good feeling about today and it started well enough, as detailed in my previous post, then after having coffee and reading the papers I decided to go in search of provender such as fruit and vegetables. The weather was a little grey so I decided to nip into town, visit the Grainger Market and finish up with a five dollar shake at the Stateside Diner.

I got my stuff from the Grainger Market, wandered passed the excellent Mmm , and came across the interesting looking Pet Lamb. I wandered inside where a lady was just receiving a coffee from the girls. I was impressed with the cake display and the girls were extremely helpful and engaging. I've missed a decent cupcake and coffee shop in Newcastle since we lost Cake on Grainger Street (Johnny Cupcakes doesn't count as it's just a franchise that brings vanloads of stuff from head office). So that really made my day. I bought two cakes and will be visiting there a lot more and I recommend you do the same if you are in or around Newcastle. They have a facebook page here.

Have a great night everyone and there's only one song for me that mentions cake on my mind at the moment, and thats:

Contactless Cup Cakes

Today has been quite interesting. Was wondering whether to buy a new "thing" , came out of the shop and heard an unmistakeable sound down Northumberland Street. The magnificent Baghdaddies had graced us with their presence outside the defunct Mi-Shake shop next to Burger King. Watched them for ages , trying to spot a break , but their songs have more fals finishes than "The Return of The King". Anyway eventally heard a break and found they had a new CD out and they let me have a copy (for a tenner) , the snappily named "Dancylvania"



After that I went round the corner to the appropriately named "Cake" . And purchased several cup cakes , then noticed they had a "contactless" card thing . I have three cards that are supposedlt kitted out for this technology , however the lovely young lady behind the counter didnt even know they had it , and we coudnt get it to work . So we did the chip and pin , but I intend to go in next week and get "contactless on their ass"!!