Saturday 14th February 2026

Aki woke me up at around 0900 with a Valentine's card. Got up and made brunch. Watched some Winter Olympics, then headed out for a walk, as the sun had made a rare appearance. Took a No.91 bus up Hornsey Rise, then walked along the disused railway line to Highgate, and wandered into Queen's Wood. A little muddy underfoot. There was a long queue outside the cafe, so we walked on to Highgate Woods, and had tea and pain au chocolat at the Pavilion Cafe there. 

Walked back down the A1. Popped into a new vinyl record shop, and bought a couple of vaguely interesting cheap second hand LPs for framing on the hallway wall. Bought Japanese rice and black sesame ice cream at Cocoro, then caught a No.43 bus back to Holloway. We had a four course Valentine's dinner...the beetroot soup I'd made yesterday, with sliced radishes and yoghurt, followed by bavette steak with sauteed potatoes, vegetables, fried portobello mushroom, tomato, and peppercorn sauce. Turkish cream sponge cake, followed by cheese and biscuits. Watched the Women's skeleton final, and some ice skating, then FA Cup MOTD...Burnley humbled by League One Mansfield Town. Bath and bed...my bad hernia repair giving me much gip this evening...hope things calm down tomorrow!

Friday 13th February 2026

Woke around 0530. Took a couple of hours to nod back off! Aki cycled off to Rowing Club before I managed to rise. I walked round to Big Jo's for coffee and cinnamon bun, then wandered over to Waitrose to buy bavette steak, and Prosecco, for tomorrow night's Valentine's Day menu. Had time to drop everything back at home, then head for Newington Green via two buses. Got there a bit early, so had a coffee in Brags & Brams, with a nice window view of Newington Green. I liked the cup and saucer...I assumed they were made from bamboo, but it turned out they were made from re-cycled coffee beans! Walked across the Green for a half-hour osteopathy session with Chris Harris. Picked up my jacket from Stitch & Stitch, then walked to Highbury Corner in search of a Valentine's card. Found one at a little florists' shop, then headed home on the No.263 bus. 

Aki had cooked ramen for lunch...very tasty. Watched some Winter Olympics. Cooked up some beetroot soup...most of it destined for the freezer. Then cooked a creamy mushroom and parmesan sauce which we had with tagliatelle and peas. Finished off the damson jam wreath and custard for afters, then headed for Notting Hill. Had tickets to see Kyoto-based Chiten Theatre Company and their adaptation of Dostoevsky's novella, "The Gambler". It was highly stylised, involving a long table which rotated for most of the piece on a floor pained as a roulette wheel. The performers yelled out bits of text, in between hammering on the table with pool game balls...it was quite invigorating for the first 15 minutes or so, but became increasingly unengaging as the eight actors continually moved in a circular motion with the table...nowt much else happened, really...a show that literally went round in circles...not sure what Fyodor would have made of it...I had to fight to stay awake! 

Thursday 12th February 2026

Woke around 0730...got up at 0830 and porridged. Had to leave for Manor House before the John Lewis van turned up with the new induction hob. Drove to the Green Lanes retail park and parked up, then wandered slowly up Green Lanes to the West Green surgery. The nasal endoscopy went well, and the doctor confirmed that nothing appeared to be of concern, but prescribed a couple of things to combat possible reflux when lying prone in bed at night. See what happens. Walked back down Green Lanes past the countless Turkish cafes, restaurants, and bakeries, displaying their mouth-watering wares...couldn't resist buying a generous slice of chicken pie to share with Aki for lunch, and a cream cake to share for our Valentines dinner on Saturday night. Drove home to find the new hob had been successfully fitted, and was ready to go...instead I microwaved the chicken pie! Watched some Winter Olympics. Aki cooked a tasty fish curry for dinner, with daal, and rice. She had a zoom call rehearsal with JCUK...one of their number has written a short skit, and Aki's doing sound. 

Wednesday 11th February 2026

Woke at 0400…took a couple of hours to get back to sleep! Got up around 0830. Aki cycled off to Rowing Club, and I waited for Chris, the plumber, to show up. He arrived on time at 0900. He finished the siliconing in the shower, then tried to fix the water filter under the sink...looks like we need to order a new housing. He put new washers on the kitchen mixer tap...I had to run down to the Nationwide to get him £100 in cash afterward. Aki returned for lunch. Watched Winter Olympics coverage, did some exercises, and practised some folk songs before warming up the chicken and plum traybake for dinner, which we had with sweet potato and vegetables. Drove to Stoke Newington in the rain and hooked up with Katrina in the bar at the Tower Theatre to see an adaptation of "Brighton Rock", directed by Phil Ley. The lad playing Pinkie was very good, and As did a reasonable job of portraying Ida; the guys playing the hoodlums were rather unconvincing, though...they looked like they'd stepped out of an episode of "Steptoe & Son"...they brought no menace to their roles. 

Tuesday 10th February 2026

Woke around 0900. Got up and porridged. Aki pushed off up the road for tai chi. I awaited the arrival of Tim, who turned up around 1100 and finished painting the skirting, and tidied up...he took away the unused tiles, and his dust sheeting. Chris is due to turn up tomorrow to silicone the edges of the shower 'tray' and finish the job. Aki back for a light lunch. Watched some Olympics from Italy, then headed into town in the drizzle to hook up with Tokiko at Ave Mario, an Italian restaurant in Covent Garden. We enjoyed a reasonably priced set lunch menu...the carbonara was very tasty, and the tiramisu excellent. We then walked across Trafalgar Square and down The Mall to the ICA to watch a "Angry Squad", part of the annual Japanese Foundation touring cinema festival. It was entertaining, though the plotting was clumsy at times...enjoyed it. Parted with Tok outside, then walked up to Piccadilly Circus to get a tube train home...

Monday 9th February 2026

Woke around 0900 feeling rather weary! Got up, though, and breakfasted on toast and jam, coffee, and amaretti biscuit. Watched the Olympics coverage. Enjoyed the Freeski Slopestyle final. Did some exercises. Aki cooked lunch. More sitting on the sofa watching the winter sports...it's exhausting! Early dinner...tortelloni in a chicken bone broth, with vegetables on the side. Headed into town to attend an evening of storytelling at The Moth, held at Rich Mix in Shoreditch...one of Aki's rowing mates volunteers as an usher, and had recommended it. It's a storytelling slam, where ten punters who have put down their names with the organisers, get up and have ten minutes to tell us a story on the chosen theme of the evening, on this occassion "Love Hurts". No-one was particularly good at it, in my view, and the stories were rather depressing rather than entertaining...not sure I'd go again...a pity, as I'd always enjoyed the R4 version. Walked Becky back to Shoreditch train station, and made our way home...

Sunday 8th February 2026

Woke around 0630…dozed back off until 0900. Got up to eat Aki's cooked brunch, before she cycled off to Rowing Club. I sat down to watch the Women's Downhill...Lindsey Vonn was due to ski minus her left ACL, having crashed on the slopes a week and a half ago...mad! Sure enough, she crashed out at the top of the course, and we could hear her yelping in agony as she lay in the snow. She was helicoptered off the mountain! Aki back in time to change, then we headed in to town to meet up with Miho, who had flown over from Japan to see some ballet. We hooked up with her over a coffee at Dover Street Market, then wandered slowly up Regent Street to the Regent Street cinema to watch a couple of Buster Keaton shorts, soundtracked by REM tunes from their Monster album. We enjoyed the old movies, but the soundtracks didn't work...too loud, and failed to add anything to the viewing experience...all rather odd, really. We decamped to Grilandia in Hanover Street for dinner...a new Lebanese restaurant...it was OK, but basically a glorified kebab shop! Walked Miho back to Piccadilly and her hotel, and we caught a Piccadilly Line train back to Cally Road, and a No.91 bus home. Caught up with some Olympics highlights, and watched MOTD2 before bath and bed...