Monday 2nd February 2026

Woke at 0145, and again at 0545. Took ages to get back to sleep. I'm going to have to get myself some sleeping pills or something! Got up around 1000 and porridged. Did a couple of hours work at the laptop before putting some lunch together. Did my expenses, and put my timesheet in for processing. Read some. Borrowed next door's garden hose, and stuck it down the shower trap, thinking to check that the leak hadn't been a bit further down the pipework, so ran some water down there for around two hours. See if anything bubbles up over the next 24 hours! Warmed up the lasagne from Da Mario's for dinner with some vegetables, followed by chocolate brownie and ice cream. Watched Black Ops. 

Sunday 1st February 2026

Woke around 0545…took an hour or so before nodding back off. Got up around 1015…Aki cooked a tasty omelette brunch. We listened to the Australian Open tennis final…Alcaraz beat poor old Novak once again...though Novak was very gracious in defeat. Roz phoned with bad news of Cath, Phil’s partner…she had undergone tests for heart problems which have revealed a thymic carcinoma…apparently stage IV and incurable. Roz said Phil was in shock, and wanting space to come to terms with it all…very sad. Headed for Clapton in the drizzle, taking a No.254 bus to Clapton Pond. Walked down to Lesley's at No.56 Fletching Road...she was hosting Katrina's 70th birthday bash. Good turnout. Simone was there...hadn't seen her for years; Tony turned up, as well as Carl and David. Enjoyed a bit of catching up, a great finger buffet, and some tasty birthday cake. Chatted to a chap named Ron, who's wife is an old chum of Katrina's...he'd worked as an archaeologist on numerous digs in the City of London, and made replicas for showing in the Museum of London. We slunk away with a little doggy bag around 1830, by which time it was pouring down with rain. Aki made ramen soup when we got in. Watched a bit of telly...a Italian serial adaptation of The Leopard, and MOTD before bath and bed...

Saturday 31st January 2026

Yet another fitful night’s sleep. Got up at 0945 and read in bed for a while, but was interrupted by the postman ringing the doorbell...Aki's hygrometer had arrived. Made brunch. We walked over to Waitrose to do a bit of a shop. Cooked a gammon shank for dinner, with sweet potatoes and lots of vegetables, followed by chocolate melt-in-the-middle puddings with ice cream. 

Friday 30th January 2026

Aki up early and had headed off to Rowing Club by the time I rose. Porridged. Cut my hair, or rather, shaved my scalp. Caught two buses to Newington Green for an 1115 appointment with the cranial osteopath, Chris Harris. I had seen him some ten years or so ago in relation to discomfort surrounding the bad inguinal hernia repair...he failed to have any effect, it must be said, but I figured that he was battling a foreign object in the form of the mesh the surgeon had inserted, whereas my current neck problems may well be a much better match for his skills...worth a go, I thought. It was an initial consultation today, which went reasonably well, and we had a bit of a catch up into the bargain. £85 for the 3/4 hour session! I ventured next door to Jolene's for what I considered a well-deserved coffee, and a cardamom bun...delicious! Caught a bus back up to Clissold Park, and walked home from there via Da Mario's Italian deli, where I picked up some filled tortelloni, and a beef lasagne. Aki already back when I got in. I made lunch. Did some work at the computer for a couple of hours. Aki cooked a stir-fry with pork and ho-fun noodles. Headed in to town to see a French mime company at the Peacock Theatre, as part of this year's MimeLondon Festival. Met up with Kevin from No.93, and his son Theo, in the theatre bar. The show, Fish Bowl, was very entertaining…silly, inventive, often hilarious…had the tears rolling down my cheeks by the end. Great stuff! 

Thursday 29th January 2026

Took ages to get to sleep...it must have been around 0200. Woke at 0430. Aki up early to head off to the hairdresser. I got up around 0945. Porridged. Phoned the police to report two suspicious letters addressed to a Mr James Hurrde at this address...one turned out to be from the DVLA stating that the guy's direct debit had failed and his car would be taken off the road; and another was a parking fine for parking the same car in Morrisons car park around the corner for 27 hours!!! I also had to report it to ReportFraud action line, and to the DVLA. Hope they get it sorted out between them! Did a little work at the computer uploading yesterday's property photos. Aki back in time for lunch, sporting a fresh hair cut. Finished off my cock-a-leekie soup, adding a shredded chicken thigh that had been in the fridge for the best part of a week. Very tasty! Managed another couple of hours at the laptop in the afternoon. Aki cooked salmon teriyaki for dinner. Watched a bit of telly. Finished Martin Chuzzlewit...A Christmas Carol and the novellas up next! Early bath and bed...

Wednesday 28th January 2026

Woke at 0100, 0200, and again at 0300!!! Took a while to get back to sleep after the 0300 awakening. Aki up early…she’d cycled off to Rowing Club by the time I got up and porridged. I headed out on inspections for B3 Living. Drove up to Enfield, then on to Waltham Abbey, Cheshunt, and Hoddesdon. Stopped for a lunchtime special at Captain Cod in Hoddesdon High Street. Delicious! Drove on to Roydon near Harlow, then north up the A10 to Buntingford. I was turning the car around in a cul-de-sac here when a woman came out of her house, as I was about to take a photo, and asked if I’d come to pick up the rocking horse! Cue some jokes about horse boxes. Final stop was the village of Pirton, northwest of Hitchin…then turned for home in the gloaming. Stopped for a doughnut at South Mimms service station, then home via the A1. Aki warmed up the last of the chicken chasseur for dinner. Watched some more of Abel Gance’s “Napoleon”…Antonin Artaud’s Marat got stabbed in his bath by Charlotte Corday. Then a long sequence detailing the Battle of Toulon…couldn’t help wondering how many extras had died in the making!

Tuesday 27th January 2026

Woke at 0230, and again at 0500. Seems to have become a pattern! Very frustrating! Woke again around 0900. Got up and porridged before heading round the corner to the GP. Saw a bloke about my sore mouth and tongue, and he prescribed an aspirin gargle, and referred me to ENT so they can take a look with a camera. Went for coffee and a cinnamon bun at Big Jo's afterward. Got home before Aki returned from Tai Chi. Did my exercises. Prepared lunch. Did a couple of hours' work at the computer. Ventured out in the early evening…Katherine at No.127 has gotten very involved with local food horticulture and she had alerted us to a meeting concerning the politics of food…she was involved in putting on the evening, at the Community Centre at the bottom of Crouch Hill. Good turnout…filled six very large round tables in the hall, and various guest speakers got up and informed us of what was going on locally. We broke for some free food…a rather insipid chick pea and potato curry and rice…then sat round our various tables for some group discussion. Very inspiring bunch on my table…including one of the guest speakers, Damian, who runs the Felix Project. Basically trying to utilise fruit and vegetables that get rejected by the supermarkets…but on a very ambitious scale. Walked home in the drizzle…