1500

It's not yet eight o' clock , it's still dark (or was when I started writing this), there's snow still on the ground and the cars are white with frost and the footpaths dangerously slippy, and this is my 1500th post hennce the laconic numeric title. It's just over two years (November 2015) since my thousandth post here and when I started I wasn't sure how far this would go. Lot's of friends have started blogs and then left them and I have a few friends who still have current blogs such as the BBC writer Paul Campbell's cleverly titled Scriptuality and a few others.

On the positive side it's Saturday morning so I don't have to go to work and it has been a very intense but satisfying week, managing to get the impossible tasks and donkey work done and not having to worry about the coming week.

I need to shower, take drugs, get dressed then go out to shop for essentials after I've posted this, and start towards my 2,000th post my going on about nothing in particular.

This morning I'm attempting to record stuff to the PC, and while the guitar sound is great the original device I was using created a half second lag on the sound from hitting the string to hearing it, and lets face it Alvin Lee could have played a hundred notes in that time (see Ten Years After playng "I'm Going Home" at Woodstock to see what I mean. Techically it's just very fast and in tune , the song is just basic rock and roll and blues time. My daughter Kirsty was well impressed when I played her this.

I do find it amazing that I metion things on this blog to find I've never mentioned them before in the eleven years I've been writing this. Here's my first post and in the first couple of years the posts were barely notes and now you get a couple of hunderd words. I think possibly the longest post is about two thousand words when I sat down one day in Craster just to see if I could actually do it and it's here.

Anyway I need to kick start the day and I will leave you with Alvin Lee and Ten Years After at Woodstock.

Is This A Dream Week?

I woke this morting and the lasting image from my dreams was interpretive dance versions of  Terry Pratchett's novels "Mort" and "Cardiff City vs Preston North End". Yest I know the second one is a football match and not a novel but this is one of my dreams and it wouldn't be a dream if it made any sense would it. This is the first time I mentioned Terry Pratchett on this blog although I' never got into him , though I enjoyed "Mort", that was it, but I know I was in a minority the

Last night I was feeling wrecked, I was heading towards another Diabetic hypo (3.8) and was in bed for nine. Today I am not really looking forward to work as I have an annual donkey work task that I will be lucky to finish today, but I will do it, so maybe that was on my mind.

Last night I watched Ben Wheatley's take on JG Ballard's "High Rise"  which is a flawed masterpiece in my opinion, very 1970s and the buildings look simply monstrously awesome from a distance, but the soundtrack featuseds both Can and Amon Duul II and an awesome take on Abba's "SOS" by Portishead. I can't find this officially available anywhere but found this wonderful Youtube montage from the film soundtracked by the Portishead take.

#ItsNotThem

Today would have been David Bowie's sevent first birthday, and he left us a huge musical legacy, so really to us he is immortal and will be with us forever. I was thinking of artists who released songs that really should have been released by someone else hence the #ItsNotThem tag. I've already included David Bowie at least one in the #LikeNoOther sequence , click on the tag below to find that entry.

The song I am going to include is "Rebel, Rebel" from "Diamond Dogs". That song should have been a Rolling Stones single , a classic riff with a Stones swagger and to my knowledge they have never covered it. It is still one of my favourite guitar riffs the hear and play.

Outside today cars are frozen and I need to go to the General Hospital for my six monthly Diabetes check up where I possible will be told off again by the consultant for doing things like walking, losing weight and reducing my insulin intake, Actually most of these are the same as my last visit apart from the weight that will be slightly down and hopefully this time I will have a more positive consultant.

So wrap up, be careful on the footpaths if you are walking, and have a good day.

Snow, Laziness, Apathy,Lethargy and Ethiopiques

.. and it's cold. Back from Litton, and back to work . This is the part of the year where I thought my walking would take a hit, you can wrap up but sometimes the biting cold and wetness can get to you and you just want to get on a bus or get in and keep warm.

I don't know if it;s an age thing or my natural laziness, but I seem to find it increasingly difficult to do things that need preparation. This can be getting the laptop and mouse out the bag to do a blog post when I'm on holiday. Another is playing a DVD, you have to get up , find the DVD , take it out of the case, switch on the DVD player , tune the TV to the DVD channel, and play the DVD. It's far too easy to take the alternateive route and click a few buttons on the remote and play something on the TIVO, or on demand. Although strangely I still like  playing things on vinyl, and that is very incovenient and labour intensive.

Cooking is similar, I am alwasy tempted to chuck a frozen pizza in the oven, though last night it was mashed normal / sweet potato and bean burger which meant cooking but it was worth it. I still don't do ready meals, although part of that is that ready meals often take as long to cook as it would to prepare from scratch.

I like to be able to walk into a situation and start doing what I want to do, I don't like the preparation , so maybe I'm not lazy , just selective.

I am still hitting my rolling monthly million steps despite the weather, though part of the motivation for that is the fact it helps with keeping my blood sugar under control.

While on holiday I picked up a Best of Ethiopiques album , and I remember listening to some of this music and actually being frightened by it, it was so other worldly atmospheric, but disturbing. I corresponded with Nadine Shah about it, so will include "Yegelle Tezetta" byMulatu Astatke which is a great piece but I find there is a strage menace behind it. Have a great Tuesday everybody.

Weatherworn

Winter starts tomorrow (see here), I have a cold , it's dark and wet and cold outside and snow is forecast. As I've said this is the weather that actually stops me walking. Because of the rain , you need an umbrella , but the wind sometimes makes that difficult, but I know that walking is good for me because it's exercise and helps me control my diabetes, and has significantly caused a huge reduction in my need for insulin , so I have to keep doing it.

I am considering do a #SuddenlyItsChristmas sequence of posts for December but did a similar one in 2013 here , but maybe it's a time for revisiting and it gives me something to aim for , or maybe I will just be lazy and not bother. That sequence was seasonal non standard songs to celebrate Winter and Christmas, so my mind is considering how to theme this and weave it into my daily routine.

Yesterday I was listening to XTC's "The Big Express" , XTC giving us their own unique take on the world , this is a particular muscular take and sondgs like "I Bought Myself A Liarbird" and "Train Running Low On Soul Coal" sounding a fresh as when I first heard them. The opening two songs "Wake Up" and "All You Pretty Girls" announce the album in emphatic form and it keeps up the quality to the end.

So as I brave this last day of Autumn I'll leave you with "All You Pretty Girls" , but check out the whole album , it is excellent.

Walk This Way

I’ve been walking on a daily basis since March when Fiona got me on the 5000-15000 steps in two weeks challenge. Since then I have been walking an average of 11K steps a day, which has resulted in a little weight loss and a vastly decreased insulin requirement.  Last time I was in Orton I decided I wanted to find The Gamelands Stone Circle, and despite missing it I finally found it.  

At the time I only walked if I wanted to go somewhere. Now I feel that the most important thing is to actually walk a distance whether or not I have a target. So on a daily basis I usually walk to work or into town or a pub, and although there are times when I am tempted to get the bus because I am feeling too tired, I usually force myself to walk a bit further.

On this holiday each day I have been a few thousand short but then thought I could just nip out for a walk round the village and hit my target. While in October I have had days when I have not hit my step target, I have made up the steps in subsequent days and I need to do 14K steps over the next two days to make 340K for October and keep up my rolling three month million step total.

This holiday has had a couple of setbacks , firstly running out of needles for my insulin, spending two hours  trying to get  someone to give me some and everyone having a reason to deny me them, before remembering I could buy them, so I could have saved myself two hours there but all worked out ok.

Then we  had a slow puncture on the hire car, but Enterprise sorted me out with that so all was good again.

The song is obvious “Walk This Way” by Big Red and the Grinners. I don’t know if it’s available commercial but enjoy anyway. Have a great Monday everybody.

Dark Mornings

I always try to be positive, but can't get away from the relentlessness of nature, this time the fact that as summer fades it's darker and colder in the morning. The good thing is that the light usually eventually comes but it brings with it more instances of the aptly named TLA, SAD. My only worry about this is that it may affect my target to keep up my rolling three month million steps following completing the Million Step Challenge, which I have to thank Fiona for getting me into (with first the 15K challenge then pointing out the Million Step Challenge) as it has improved my diabetic situation no end, so even for that one fact it is essential that I keep doing it.

As I have said I don't do regimented stuff, but walking gives me the opportunity to dynamilcally change what I do while still benefitting from actually doing the exercise to benfit myself however slightly. The problem is if it's dark , cold , windy and raining it might get a bit difficult, although since I started this I have only had one day where I have walked less than 3K. Apparently the average person walks about 5K steps a day , so that means a lot of people do a lot less than that as I do 11-12K a day, and a friends of mine over the last year has been averaging 30K a day (my most ever is about 24K).

As I've said before I cannot recommend Pacer highly enough to track my steps, which since I installed it has not had any problems.

Anyway tonight I am going to see Nadine Shah at The Sage, am tempted by a Cure tribute (Liquer) at The Doll at The Black Bull on Thursday and am going to see Nick Helm at The Stand on Saturday courtesy of my great friend Jon Raine.

It's still dark, but time to set off for work, so will leave you with "Seven and Seven Is" by Love, a raucous slice of garage punk (maybe not what you would expect from Love) which just came on the 6Music now, and I thought I know that that song , but what the hell is it. Now I know.

Habits

We all do things automatically , as a matter of course, like lock the door when we go out , switch off the cooker when we finish cooking , switch off the TV when we've finished watching. I can count on th efingers of one hand (and I am not a mutant) the number of times I have gone back to check I've locked the door, set the alarm or switched the cooker off. I will always go back if I have forgotten keys  / bus pass / money but anything else I trust that I have done it. If you are OCD you don't have that option and I feel every sympathy for everyone with the condition.

Last night I woke up needing to go for a wee (one of the effects of diabetes) , and reached for my glasses , which I couldn't find anywhere. I always put them on my bedside table when I go to bed, but last night they had disappeared . Had some Imp absocnded with them? I went for a wee and looked round everywhere I had been last night before bed, no sign. I got into bed wondering if I had left them on when I when to sleep and they were now somewhere in the bed waiting to be mangled as I rolled over them. I was mystified. I couldn't sleep/ This is OCD except 100% of the time about everything. For me it was "Where the heck are my glasses?". I got up again went to my computer and they were next to my keyboard, I was sure I had looked there before, but at 2am with imperfect eyesight I can understand how I missed them. They went on the bedside table and I got another four hours sleep.

Over the last couple of days while walking my listening has been:

• Primal Scream - Screamadelica (20th Anniversay Edition): Primal just amaze me in the breadth of musical styles they effortlessly cover, they can be The Rolling Stones, they can do country , they can be gospel , they can be baggy. There are not that many bands who can cover so many styles so easily, and it is all on this album.
• Magazine - Maybe It's Right To Be Nervous CD1 : When Howard Devoto left the Buzzcocks he moved away from their pure pop and into a a vicious and suphisticaticated universe as demonstrated by songs such as "Shot By Both Sides" and "Permafrost" on this compilation.
• Al Di Meola - Land of the Midnight Sun: Di Meola is a jazz / rock guitarist , and while I amd not normally a big fan of jass or jazz rock, when I heard this I bought it immediately because it's an amazing mix of melody and skill you seldom hear.

Anyway it is Friday and after the rain yesterday the weekend is upon us. Today looks fairly bright, but today I still have to go to work so I will leave you with Primal Scream's "Loaded" , have a great Friday everybody.

New Month New Challenge

Well not quite but by the time I hit my birthday on the 1st of October when I will be in Whitby, I want to have hit 340K steps and be under 100Kg , both "easily" doable , but as I keep saying I don't do regimented stuff. Today I have reduced my insulin intake by another 10% and we will see if that works.

I had to but the lights on this morning so the days and nights are drawing in.

I have started trimming my CD collection by selling stuff I'm unlikely to play again online. This will include stuff that I've bought and then decided it wasn't as good as I thought , or just to support gigging bands. People shouldn;t have to play for free. My Discogs shop is here. I was going to sell on Amazon but they won't allow you to sell CDs, maybe they just have too many sellers.

Anyway I am going to set off for work now, with an increased daily step target which I may just aim for permanently, because essentially it's the walking that has enabled me to reduce my insulin intake.

So I'm just going to include one of my favourite somngs with "Walkin'" in the title, "Walking To New Orleans" by Fats Domino, and I can't believe I've not ever mentioned Fats Domino in this blog before as he is one of my (admittedly many) favourite artists. I will definitely rectify that this month. For today I found a great live version at Superbowl WX in New Orleans.

It's Friday , go and enjoy yourself.

Shattered .. But Still Listening In

I am shattered and want to go to bed. I've hit 350K steps this month and weighed myself this morning and clocked it at 100.2 Kg. While I'm supposed to be 70 Kg for my height and build , that is never going to happen but was wondering if I could get get under sixteen stone (I remember getting down to sixteen stone three pounds in the early nineties and various peopel telling I would hit a brick wall and wouldn't get any further. Some people really don't like you doing anything good for yourself , mainly so they can continue to denigrate you. Well I hit that brick wall and I am sure that pleased a lot of people.

The consultant at my last Diabetic Review was of the same ilk with "well you are still overweight" and "you shouldn't have reduced your insulin", though the guy who weighed me , took my blood and checked my readings was very positive . Today I saw my GP and she was amazingly positive and complimentary and came out with some more sufggestions to help me. She is a shining example of what makes the NHS brilliant, and going to see her always makes me feel positive. She suggested I get involved with Newcastle CAN which I will sign up for when I've published this.

Oh 100.2 Kg is about 15 stone 12 lb , so that was a pleasant surprise, so I am going in the right direction.

Over that last two days I have walked throuh and skirted Leazes Park and both days I have seen a rat! I don't ofte see them , but it could hav been worse it could have been a Tory or a UKIPPER .

So the albums I have listened to obver the last couple of days have been:

• The Yes Album: Prog Rock with prentetions lyrics but some amazing music and playing . From the opening block riffs of "Yours Is No Disgrace" through live take of "The Clap" to the nine minutes of the three piece "Starship Trooper" finishing up with annother staccatto riff taking us into the finale of "Perpetual Change" . The copy I have contains some out takes but great to revisit one of my favourites from my teens.
• Genesis Live: Five songs which originally came out as a budget album, but still sounds great to day , including their take on Day of the Triffids "Return of the Giant Hogweed" and culminating on side two with the emotional "Musical Box" and the vicious "The Knife"
• Bob Dylan - Sheter From a Hard Rain: A very rickety live album featuring Joan Baez and I really ony bought it because it had "Deportees" on, though the whole album is a treat for me, sounding semi amateurish but brilliant.

 Anyway I will leave you with "Deportees" by Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, a song that I am working on my own arrangement of, which I may soundcloud soon. So enjoy this and tomorrow is September where I have to hit 11.5K steps a day because there are only 30 days in the month.

There's a video of some nice rats below.

Sleep well my friends.

Mistakes

This morning I was at the Freeman Hospital sorting out drugs for my cirrhosis of the liver condition, and in the course of the encourt I gave an armful of blood and a urine sample. ALl seemed fine and normal and I went on my way back to work.

I then got a phone call, which was cut off asking if my blood sugars were OK , as I had just given samples I thought it was odd that they were ringing me so quickly which would imply there was a problem. I tring calling the number back and found out it was a practice I had never had anything to do with. They said it was probably the Diabetic Clinic who had changed their number but it had been set up wrong so they can all the phone calls. It turned out it was the Diabetic Clinic enquiring if my blood sugars were OK as I had drastically reduced my insulin intake (much to the apparent chagrin of the stand in consultant). I told them all was good and that seemed to be enough for them.

My mistake was making teh assumption that the phonecall was a direct result of the hospital visit. The thing is , we always assume the most logical (in our own minds) reason for an event, ad obviously a medical phone call would be about my hospital visit this morning.

I was wrong.

On that note it's time for bed and the song has got to be "Wrong" by The Archers of Loaf from the excellently titled "Speed of Cattle" album. Sleep well all.

You Gotta Have Faith

We all have it in one form or another, and one of the problems is that concepts of faith is usually hijacked by religion to get your support without any real promise of a reall benefit to your reself. Your life may be bad but you need to have pain and poverty and then you will get unspecified rewards in heaven, really? I am agnostic and there may be a god but I have not seen any evidence in my lifetime or any real evidence from the past. People cite The Bible as support or evidence, but that book is continually being rewritten and amended. There's a King James' Bible , sixteen hundred years after the events supposedly happened. You think that would be accepted as evidence in court, yet we swear to tell the truth on The Bible!!

The faith I do have is the faith I have in my actions adn what they cause. I work and therefore onece a month I receieve money in my bank account to stave off poverty. That is then used to pay bills and I believe that the people requiring money with receive it.  We put a hell of a lot of faith in eletronics and people and most of th etime it is well founded, although tis week two things happened where my faith was not rewarded.

Firstly Betfair withdrwals are nrmall y in my bank in two days, and this week withdrawals from Wednesday and Thursday have still not landed. A worse example is my insulin prescription that I ordered on Monday. I went to pick it up from the chemist (I'd injected my last on Saturday morning) , and they said they had received nothing. Insuling is fairly important to a diabetic. The first thing they said was " .... and as it's Saturday we can't ring the doctors" ... that was swiftly followed by "but we'll give you an emergency box but could you ring the practice on Monday". The NHS don't usually let you die and I am thankful I don't live in the USA. These two failures maybe say we  have to be aware that sometimes things we have faith in fail us.

You thought I was going to include a George Michael Song, though you will have seen The Who picture when you opened up the post. I always like this song from their "Odds and Sods" compilation.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday

Confirmation and Awestruck By James Holt - Deaf Rock and Roller

I was just thinking why is it easier for me to walk and hit targets. Many years ago you maybe had the mechanical, not very accurate pedometers, or you could ride a bike that had an odometer, but as I've said I can't do anything regimented, although some of the stuff I do at work requires a hell of a lot of precision , determination , accuracy and it is almost regimented, the sort of thing that i usually rebel against. The thing is, because I am controlling it, I can change it when I see a better way. I am just introducing some things that I haven't seen done before, and only discovered because I wondered if it could be done, tried it and found it could be done... but I digress as usual.

I think one of the reasons I do find it easier to do my walking is the hand held computers we call oor mobile phones can record and confirm what we are doing and where we are up to with it. Ten years ago you couldn't really do that, twenty years ago it was mechanical and not very accurate.

So I know how far I've gone, how far I have to go and I can check any time I want to or need to. I have had issues with software but Pacer seeems to be doing the business, although today my phone turned itself off, unbeknown to me so I lost a big chunk of recording my walks. Technology always finds another way to screw you over. ALthough I am no longer on the Million Step Challenge I intend to hit 340K a month so I still need to keep and eye on how far I am walking.

I have made an appointment with my Doctor and it will be great to get some positive feedmack on my weight loss and insulin reduction. My doctor is incredibly supportive and a great example of NHS brilliance, I'll tell you who she is if you ask me face to face.

I'm going to give you two songs, the amazing James Holt , a deaf rock and roller, his "Whatever Happened To John" reminding me of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues", He is a revelation, a musician , a producer , plays all his own stuff, every instrument, and an inspiration to everybody. Listen and enjoy.

The Trouble With Shooting Ghosts of American Astronauts

A ridiculously rubbish play on words, in my last post I said that Google Fit didn't seem to be tracking steps, but was it my Sony Xperia, or the operating system or the software. Today I installed something called Pacer and it seems to be recording the steps OK so it looks like it's Google Fit.

It is a small trial when something is not working and you don't know which part of the chain is the problem , and it may be one part or more than one. Remeber when a bulb went in Christmas lights and trying to track which was this problem one. Though it does feel good when you sort it out.

Tonight I went out for an extra walk to hit my 11K, and I've done nearly 12K so that's cool.

Anyway as I type this "Ghosts of American Astronauts" by The Mekons is playing, just a lovely surreal song whihc I will leave you with. My blood sugar is down to 4.4 so I need to sort out something to eat.

Enjoy your evening my friends.

One Down .. Millions To Go

Well I did the Million Step Challenge, though you have to take my word for it that I did it, because I did it solo, and as most of the time I was listening to music that's probably a good thing. Going forward I had set my target of 340K a month so I will always be on a rolling three month million. The thing is as it's still a week til August starts I thought maybe I could have a "day off" yesterday , so what did I do , walked into work, walked around town and walked most of the way back.

I don't usually walk back home because part of it is up hill and I am basically a very lazy person and it's a lot easier to get a bus that walk up the hill, but I did get a bus for the last half mile. I checked Google Fit on leaving the bus, because last time it recorded 25 steps from the bus stop to home. It read 10888 steps , 1 hour 54 minutes walking. I counted 140 steps, got in the house and checked again. 10886 Steps , 1 hour 52 minutes walking. I put the phone down checked it twenty minutes later, and the readings were the same. So either I have discovered time travel or Google Fit is a bit rubbish at times. This has happened several times during my Million Step Challenge so I have probably overshot it by some way.

The thing is, this is really helping control my diabetes , so really this has never got to stop. It's like diets, there is no short term solution it has to be a life style change. That sounds far too deep doesn't it, but I like where it has taken me.

It is a grey day, and after this I will maybe catch the bus , or walk to work. Yesterday one of the songs that came on the player was the excellent "Krafty" by New Order, so that's what you get today. Have a great Tuesday everybody.

One Million

This weekend I thought that I might complete my Million Step Challenge a week early, I had 35K steps to do that's about 15 miles over two days. Yesterday I hit over 17K, so today was just about redoing the steps, although I don't like doing the same thing over, but by mid day I had done 7K so thought I would just finish it tomorrow. Then I thought maybe I could walk a bit further this afternoon, and it started raining. So I picked up an umbrella , and although the rain was coming down there was little wind so I generally kept dry.

 I thought I'd include Doctor Evil's "One Million Dollar" ranson demand as I still find it funny and the numbers are related.

While walking I did listen to stuff I had loaded on the phone and still love After The Fire an eighties Christian Rock band who didn't include religion in their songs that was followed by Age of Chance then back to some XTC and Tom Waits.

Although I have another week to complete the millions steps the fact that I could possibly do it today was a major temptation, and of course I gave in. The million steps translates to between 400 and 500 miles but I won't include the Procaimers song but I'll set my sights lower with Big Country's "Fields of Fire (400 Miles)".

If you want to find out about the official 1 Million Step Challenge , check here

Not Getting Art and Music

I can't believe it's a week since my last post, it's amazing how time can just fly away. I had my annual diabetic review on Monday thinking I had done OK having lost 6Kg , reduced my insulin intake by 30% and improved my three month blood sugar reading (H1C ? ) , the consultant was unusual in that they seemed to want to find something to berate me so told me I was still overweight and if I hadn't reduced my nsulin the my H1C might have been better. How motiovational is that?

Part of the reason for the improvement is my Million Step Challenge , and general walking . I'm at 850K so am going to hit my target, and when I've completed it I will set a target of 350K a month for the future.

I've also got problems with drains so that may be an insurance claims as it may be a rogue tree root that's the cause of the problem. Again that takes time out of your day to sort out.

Yesterday morning on my walk to work the music that came on was Van Der Graaf Generator "Mr Sands" and "Splinter" , plus Peter Hamill's "Gaia" and Genesis' "Harlequin" not exactly inspirational listening but better that Radio One and it wasn't exactly lifting my mood, then walking down Barrack Road Half Man Half Biscuit's "Eno Collaboration" from "Voyage To The Bottom of the Road"came on. That did lift my mood and really set me up for the day.

Fur lunch I sampled some Thai Potato at Wildflower and I am really tempted to to have it again today. The day went well.

After work I visited "You’re Reading Into It: Queering Contemporary Minimalism"at Art Event at VANE which I didn't even know existed, curated by Oliver Doe , a really nice guy wearing a totally amazing suit. I was speaking to a girl who came in because she'd finished work and was also a fan of Wildflower, but said she didn't get  Art. I said my opinion was that if it had an effect the Art worked, that was the point of it. I took a couple of instagram videos which you can see here, but I suggest you get along and visit. It's a brilliant Art space and this is an excellent exhibitions.

So the song that set up my day is the one you get.

Have a good Thursday everyone.

Doing Things By Halves

Today I hit half a million steps three days before the half way point in this challenge. I didn't doubt I would be able to do this but some days getting started is a slight chore. I think it's improving my diabetes, possibly making me a bit fitter. I've reduced my insulin by 20% and blood sugar readings have improved. Weight seems to still be hovering around 105 Kg (roughly 16.5 stone) which is a damned site better that the 123 Kg( 19.3 stone) I was at my heaviest. I still need to trim 30 Kg so am still a total lardy person, but it gives me something to aim for.

I still love chocolate and fish and chips, but don't indulge in them every day, maybe I should fast more, as that is another way to reduce the need for insulin, but I am enjoying the walking and I have gone through winter with it, so I am sure that, even after the Million Step Challenge is over, I will still maintain at least 10K steps a day, which is around four miles.

I know I've not written for the last few days, even though I've meant to, and I also have another #LikeNoOther song lined up, but today, there can only be one song, and it's a classic from the band everybody hates to love, Carter USM one of my theme songs "Sheriff Fatman". Sleep well my friends

Sunday Night

It's 9PM Sunday Night , knowing that tomorrow is work again.  As an added task I now am trying to walk 5 miles a day as well. Given that it means I can listen to what I want, walk where I want and when I want it's probably a good way to exercise. Today I decided to walk into town , then decided to walk back and ending up doing about eight miles. From May 1st I'm going to do the million step challenge , that's one million steps (500 Miles) i three months. There is a Diabetes UK 1 Million Step Challenge to raise money for research into diabetes here but I won't be taking part in it as my diabetes is self inflicted (several people have pointed out that diabetics are overweight and if they would just lose it they'd be be fine) . I don't let it bother me, I am to busy enjoying life.

The weather at the moment is wonderful and we have a couple of short weeks coming up, so opportunity to lie in and enjoy not having to get up for work.

I managed to miss a celebration of the release of the first Clash album , forty years ago yesterday,  and I remember it was dismembered and re assembled for the American market, so I ended up buying two copies of it. Although there are lot's of brilliant songs on there my favourite is still "London's Burning" but I'm sure there will be lot's of other favourites on there.

Anyway I could have chosen The Proclaimers "500 Miles" but I will go with "London's Burning".
Enjoy your Sunday night my friends.

That Bit Where....

You get up , get distracted, and think "Did I Inject My Insulin?" . There is blood from a puncture on my leg , but was that the Byetta (exenatide) (I have two injections in a morning), so what are the options? (sorry about the multiple probably ungrammatical use of brackets). I aren't inject the Insulin as that is a potential overdose, but not injecting means that I make be not 100% until my next scheduled injection at dinner time (that noon) . It's fine , this has happened before, so I will get through this. The thing is if I have injected then all will be fine, apart from the nagging worry that I didn't inject. The inconvenience of being a diabetic.

I'm still reading Bruce Springsteen's "Born To Run" and realised I'd never actually thought of him as an age, he just is. He mentions turning 60, tours three hours plus sets and the problems you hit as your body gets older, but YOU never actually get older, YOU just get more knowledgeable, wiser and better, that's how I look at it. You continue learning and improving and getting better until your body lets you down and I remember 40 being unfeasibly old, now you see people of 80 and 90 living full lives and continually enjoying life.

Anyway back to the book and found that Bruce had covered a song by my favourite Australian band The Saints on his album "High Hopes". The song is "Just Like Fire Would" and I'd assumed it was an original. I don't have The Saints version despite having 128 of their songs spread over various albums (Prehistoric Sounds is still my favourite, but I'll revisit that in another post). It's on the album "All Fools Day" which is not available for download, but it's a brilliant song , so I've included both versions for you to enjoy here.

Have a brilliant day my friends.