12/11/24 15:33 

Who would have thought that I’d be pages away from the end of notebook and sitting in Costa Coffee in Tesco in Highams Park?  I honestly wouldn’t have.  However, an early finish in training meant that I could head out and seeing as I was at Hackney Library, it meant I was around the corner from the station.  Except that corner doesn’t include the extra walk from Hackney Central to Hackney Downs.  Not to worry.  The exercise will help with the diabetes.  I don’t think either the latte or the festive Bakewell tart will help, though.  Still, I’ll be eating some fine Parisian fare in no time.  And with Nev now on the cusp of hitting Thailand for work, I may be having a February trip.  I looked at pre-booking pre-Valentine’s Day for us, but I need to wait a little longer as the Christmas finances are really looking bleak.  With the boys getting new iPhones and needing new Xbox controllers, my monies are flowing quicker than the cars on the reduced-speed periphique.  Do I mention things here that I’ve mentioned on the podcast?  I’m not sure.  By the time this is read on the blog, the news has changed.  And I guess the same is the same for the podcast. 

Am I worried about this diabetes?  Not really.  I survived a stroked, a debilitating asthma attack and the US elections.  My number is 51 – no real clue what that means – and my mum’s is 60.  She may need to go on tablets but she’s already taking hundreds for different things.  I’m not a great believer in pharmaceutical methods.  I’ve been told I should on statins and blood thinners but there’s no evidence that can persuade me at the minute.  Prevention is better than cure, they say.  But with kidney issues and a history of asthma, what are the side effects?  Oh, I forgot to tell you, they say my kidneys are playing up.  Yet, they failed to tell me 8 years ago when they first discovered it.  Everything had settled back down to normal so they didn’t bother to let me know. 

My current concern is my mind.  I think I’m okay but I’m also exceptionally aware of my recent moods and know I’m putting myself under a huge amount of pressure.  Actually, the stress is always there; it’s a way of life for me.  The pressure is for Season 3 and real life bouncing around whilst juggling all aspects of life money and energy levels.  I’ve still not been for a run – does 40 minutes of rugby refereeing count? 

My other complaint is my eyes.  Are my eyes.  Is my vision.  I had an eye-sight test a very little while ago and they told me my reading vision has worsened.  Had worsened.  I’m getting cataracts and I’m getting old.  Is diabetes involved?  I don’t know.  I do know that once everything is actually confirmed (a telephone call in 2 days with the doctor will do that) I’ll be able to get a free diabetic eye test every year.  That’ll save me thirty quid. 

With these round glasses I wear, I’m finding I’m taking them off more often.  Screens (computer screens) and gently out of focus and phones seem too small to read from.  I sometimes take my glasses off to write and type which is fine.  I find it grants me an elevated status.  If only there were a way of utilising such a skill for online presence and engagement.  Since my writings this morning, I’m actually not worried. If finances stay in my favour, I’ll be able to do this stuff long into my older years.  I guess my body will be able to keep up with the Paris visits and if I continue to push my brain, I’ll be able to keep researching for the monologeous episodes.  Or grab interviews with people of interest.  That would be good.