Stradbroke revisited...

Hiya Bloggettes,

It has been a busy time cher Mark as par usual... There was Simon's stag weekend and wedding - a visit to outpatients.... a game of cricket... and a college reunion in Slaithwaite... oh and the Manchester International Festival...

The reunion was fun. The class of 94 hadn't seen each other since...erm about 1995! There was a nice number. (6) We could all stay at Jenny's house and get in one taxi...

I enjoyed Huudersfield and it was good to talk about nights out in the 90s in Sheffield...(and various gigs we can't remember.)

Cricket has been a theme of the last month.. At the wedding do I got asked to play again for CWCC against a team in South Derbyshire... It was bitter sweet..

It was fun. But depressing to had to stand in slips to field. I will probably never have the energy to run between the wickets or be a wicket keeper again.. But it is still an aim.. I got the bug...

When we arrived in S'waite we watched part of a village cricket game....and The Ashes starts tomorrow...

It strange having to live sport through being a bit part.

My breathing tests were up at L'pool... but the doc just treated me like a naughty schoolkid for not making an appointment earlier.. In B'ham the appointment system was different..

Well.. Halton's Got Talent final this week - via Blackpool. I will keep you posted.... x

Twilight in Durham

Hello Blogettes,

Firstly-Anyone interested in a fine up-and-coming artist.I will be putting a link to my blog to her site...You can get some quality work, originals by Sarah Lawman-before she is world famous...

Just a quickie as got back from being prodded and poked by docs up in Newcastle and am drained - and it is going to thunder and I love being in bed reading when the thunder comes!

Last weekend was spent up in Durham with Sarah C.... We saw Hadrian's Wall, nightlife (chavs and hurrah Henrys in equal measure) - watching Fogetting Sarah Marshall on DVD and chilled..

Oh yes AND we saw a Roman settlement, quaint English village and drank lots of cocktails...

This week has been a bit disjointed... I was in work Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday up to Newcastle (four hours in train) - up at 6am... All my tests at The Freeman, then home...

My lung function is level at the moment... It was exactly the same as last time and I did not have a particularly good day today - so I was pleased...

It is about 1/5 of what it should be... But that's why I go to the gym and swim such a lot - the rest of my body compensates so has to be stronger than ever...

My blood pressure is normal and my blood sugars seem to have stabilised... My weight is 74kg (the same as last time too)...

Got more checks to have in Liverpool on Monday - but going to a stag do this weekend so God knows what me body will be like after that...

READING: Twilight

LISTENING: Green Day, Joy Division.

North and South (via Germany - kind of!)

Hello Folks,

How goes it in the land of t'inerweb? Its been another busy one in Mark-ville... Still househunting, still no success... Not found the perfect Mark abode - yet, but I will...

I am having a look at a couple more on Saturday.... Wish me luck...

What has been happening.. I met Caroline for a Japanese/Chinese meal a couple of weeks back and we are about the only ones in the place - very surreal...

Then the next day I went to Lancaster to see Miss Fuller (the talented one!) - Involved a long traffic jam on the M6 - but it was worth it..

We wandered around campus (gosh, its a long time since I had done that!) and went to a party, which involved Wii playing and various card and non-card games..

One of which I won - more by luck than judgement... and I created an empire - so to speak...

The next day we went to the church Bekah goes to. A very charismatic affair with a Nigerial preacher... A lot of speaking in tongues... I wanted it to move me... but it didn't...

Last weekend was Kirsty's wedding down in Surrey (where the people think Watford is 'up north') - I had a complimentary Indian head massage and facial when I arrived..

Then my artist friend Sarah L met up with me and we had cider and caught up (I hadn't seen her since another wedding a couple of years before - we joke our lives are like a famous film.. Two Weddings gone - just two more and a funeral (eek) left..

The wedding do was good. Erik and I supped a lot of wine and we met a very cute German barmaid called Lydia - who was even cuter when I was sober earlier....

The journey back was a nightmare - It took me six hours by train....On one of the hottest days of the year - At least Runcorn Station car park worked this time and I wasn't stranded...

Work has been manic.. People don't seem to understand that we just publicise events for people. Any problems with the events the public seem to want to have a go at us!

With Halton's Got Talent2, Carers' Week, new drug initiatives and a range of other stuff going on - I am working very hard at the moment... Pity the big bosses at Halton never read this...

Well, healthwise I am ok at the moment.. Still doing at least 6 exercise activities a week...Normally three lots of swim/walking, table tennis and gym...and one circuit class..

I have check-ups up in Newcastle, Liverpool and Widnes in the next few weeks.. And Transplant Games in Coventry coming up.... Wish me luck...

Anyway.....Just walked down and voted... Did I vote for the right party? I hope L.W likes the book I promised her and everything in all your gardens in rosy...

A bientot..
MARK

Halton's Got Talent

Hello there Bloggettes,

Sorry its been a while - I promise to do better over coming weeks....

I have been house hunting- It seems to be a battle between big 3 to 4 bedroom homes, but on busy roads with smaller gardens - or smaller properties near nice parks.... Decisions, decisions...

As long as its big enough for a BBQ and for me to have a music room I will be happy as Larry...

Also been told got to have an operation to remove polips from the back of my nose which are secreting liquid, making me vocal cords rub together and hence my gruff voice ~(that and the 30 off operations I had on my trachea... oh and the double lung transplant)..

Had cameras down my throat through my nose and got CT scan next week...

I think it depends whether the docs in Newcastle will allow me to have an anaesthetic - bit risky for someone with my lung capacity...

Talking of which - I am still gyming and swimming... Put my entry in for the Transplant Games - just waiting to see whether I am allowed to compete...

Other highlights include a night out in Frodsham and a Gomez gig in Wolverhampton....

I am a judge again this year for Halton's Got Talent - entry forms are available now from Halton Borough Council's website..... (and Direct Link Shops/Council buildings etc)

Tell your friends....

Not doing a lot this weekend - but Eurovision Party next weekend - so probably got a lot to blog about by next week...

Hugs x

Cabin fever....

Hello Bloggettes,

Sorry for lack of blogs in last couple of months. Had a lot of work on for my ILM3 qualification and been having a hectic social life between Widnes and Barnsley...

The pics are from a work night out at The Comedy Store in Liverpool - class place!

What has been happening in Mark's world - well, we went to stay in a lovely cabin in Melton Mowbray the other week...

It has its own sauna and hot tub and a shower you could operate from the bed! I will put the pics on Facebook when I get round to it!

Health wise things are looking up - I think I am almost back to where I was before my hospitalisation in December..

I saw an ENT specialist who said the scarring round my voice box is still there.. But he said I can be trained to talk around my false chords - which should further help my voice

He also saw some pollups (??) which spray and drops may get ride of...

I am going to see a speech therapist to try and retrain my vocal chords - so one day I may be able to shout again!

I am still swimming and gym-ing and am going to enter the Transplant Games in the summer at table tennis again....

Being working on a media strategy and it is doing my head in! Back to it.. No rest for the wicked..

Hope you checked out my new tune on MYSPACE too and added my as a friend on FACEBOOK

MUSIC: Franz Ferdinand, White Lies, Cure, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The View

Click HERE to hear my new chooon....

Hugs x

New year, new tunes and new hopes!

Hello Bloggettes,

Happy New Year! Hope Santa came in you sack and you haven't broken your resolution yet! Well things have gone slowly but surely since leaving hospital...

I started at the gym about a week after leaving and am trying to do a little more at whatever I do each day...

My check up on Monday revealed by lung function had jumped from 18 per cent to 22 per cent - so I am doing something right - lets hope it continues to improve for a while...

Christmas was hectic - too much driving, eating and drinking (but not at the same time) - It was perfect timing to recover..

I don't think I would have been too good at looking after myself the first few days out of hospital so it was nice to stay with family and have things done for me for a while..

It also gave me the opportunity to catch up with friends I hadn't seen for a while - former colleagues like Rita and former colleagues I had never actually met like Michelle and John!

I caught up with a lot of Cannock Wood folk - including NYE at the Park Gate - tacky 70s band, too much alcohol, buffet - what more could one want! lol

I started the water walking and swimming this week...slowly but surely... Its going to take a while.. Also set up my new Wii (thanks Kate for that pressie) and have a sore arm from bowling!

Back to work now...Bigging up the Halton Borough Council massive... Respect!

PS: I have also put a new tune on my Myspace - composed and produced by me... Using royalty free samples and on line beats.... CLICK

Escape!

Hello Bloggettes, Well I am home. I got back to Widnes about an hour ago!

They couldn't pin down what the nasty virus was - just that it has a rating of 97 (??!!) when I went in and was less than 1 by the last blood test - which means the IVs did their job...

The effect of not being in the outside world and feeling institutionised was worse than I thought - I went upstairs to start to unpack and ended up just laid out on the bed exhausted.

I will be able to eat normal food and not have to ask nurses every time I want toast (a healthy evening snack apart from toast is unheard of in there)..

The cafe shuts at 4.20pm and the hospital has no bank machine...The nurses asked EVERY DAY why I wasn't taking a certain medication - which the docs had stopped two days after I arrived.

I was onkly taken for walks by physios twice in two weeks - good job I had my own motivation.

SO at least now I am not a slave to IV antibiotics and will slowly get back to normal. It is going to be a busy few days with all the people to catch up with and pressies to give out etc..

At least I won't awake to the sound of people carrying their piss pots to the loo to empty them or being stabbed for blood in the early hours....

Oh the festival joy. Whiskey o clock xx