15/08/25 15:32 

This is one of those entries where I have a few notebooks’ worth of things to put down, but I’ll end up forgetting half of it, putting random shizzle in and then take 6 months to type up. 

I’ll start with today. I’m sat in my favourite London coffee shop in Greenwich, waiting for Nev, sipping sangria. Prior to being here this afternoon, I was at a special dentist in Purfleet, about half an hour away from where I live, by car. On an empty road. I sort of finished, rather unexpectedly, my dental treatment. I had a molar taken out at the top left. And now it’s absolutely killing me. It never gave me grief for the two years that I knew about the hole. Still, it’s done. 

Very much unlike my recent set of thoughts about my latest cockamamie plans. And yet, if it happens, well, I’ll look back at this stage of my life and be proud of what I managed to achieve. Much like next October when myself, Nev and the boys take our first proper summer holiday. Abroad. By plane. Together. 

Riverside. Sounds lovely but it’s the podcasting software I use. And it’s actually been a little sticky for me, of late. And so have my eyes. Well, not sticky, but the vision hasn’t been great. Screens and papers. I’m struggling a lot. Diabetes? Old age? Poor prescription? At some point I’ll be able to narrow it down. What I’ll do with the answer is another question. I’ll wait until my head is clearer before dealing with that issue. 

I’m coming up to Episode 4.4 and I still need to actually finish off 5, 6 and 7 before finally cutting down 8 and 9 to size. What’s taken so long? My regular routine that hasn’t been regular since May has played havoc with my schedule and not only is the current season falling behind but also is next season. I’m meant to be writing and typing up enough spare episodes so that once I’m in Paris in November, I can simply rock up, rest up and record on Riverside my episode monologues, ready for next year. I’m about 4 episodes short at the moment. And they’ve not been typed up, either. I did, in the meantime, work out why the sound was awful and varied. Simply out, I wasn’t using a proper microphone. But Episode 4.4 should see that right. 

I’ll be wearing a JLab Work earpiece but, in theory, with a little visual magicary, nobody will notice. I simply have to put the camera a slight way off, facing my left cheek. Or I’ll go with it. Which then leads to the follow-up issue of still reading rather than talking. Somehow, I’ll get over that. I’m guessing with the next 6 episodes of practice.  

Two and a half pages in and my tooth is now causing me a lot more grief than I was expecting from a mere dental consultation. What doesn’t help is that not only is tonight date night, but I’m also away with Nev to the Cotswolds in 5 days. The pain, the heat, the lack of sleep, the constant living month to month with my debts building up, my weight and stress levels. I’m looking forward to switching off. Although I may end up being creatively productive if the mood is right. And this leads us to the next section. The next stage of this entry, the next phase of my journey and the path I’ve chosen for my fifties. Online sales.  

Yes, we know I’m not a salesman. And I’m also not one for taking the easy route. So I’m doing it all myself. With the help of ChatGPT, YouTube and many years of thinking about things. I don’t want to go into too much detail here, despite it probably being the best place to do it. I’m getting excited and yet hopelessly expectant of its failure.  

I’ll only know once I try. And whilst I originally gave the podcast two years to judge its success, I’m extending that by three years to give a five-year cycle. I may well put it out to pasture at that point unless something amazing happens. 5 years, 10 seasons and 100 episodes. I think that’s more than sufficient to say I gave it a shot. 

With that in mind, I’m giving the sales three years. I’m not investing nor injecting so I won’t be exceptionally out of pocket and I would’ve given it a good go, considering I’ll still be in full-time employment, I hope. 

I’ll also be thinking about the boys and their educational futures. Money really goes quicker than time. That sounds like another quote for a t-shirt. Something else I need to keep a note of on my Google Docs. I’ve got quite a few to be using – but they may not fit with the new brand, Maison du Flâneur. Unless… I posterise them.  

Anyway, sangria is my friend. And I’ll have some next October in Menorca!