Walking In A Walsall Wonderland!

HELLO TO THE MONKS

VIEWS FROM MY HUMBLE ABODE

Hello there my weatherbeaten cyber-wanderers!

I thought I would treat you to some pics I took from our house looking over the road to the woods! It was only about a week ago - ignore the dates written on the pics. Camera malfunction!

I'm sure Its not as pretty as Hill Ridware....But nicer than Hull and Edgeware! :)

Firstly MASSIVE THANKS to everyone who has stopped me in the street in Lichfield or chatted to me in shops after seeing the article in the Mercury.

(I was given a double page commission to write a feature and I wrote about how people should replace their already-broken New Year resolutions with becoming an organ donor. It takes 10 minutes and lasts forever!) - I reveal some of my failed resolutions in the past! Ssssh

It gives me such a great feeling about human nature to find out so many people I hardly or don't know care enough to ask how I was doing and how the recovery's going. The world is still good! :+)

I hope as many people as possible read the latest article and take my views to heart about the resolutions and transplantation in general.

I meant what I said about my ambitions. One step at a time. First I am trying to slowly do 'normal' things like meeting friends for coffee, going out for meals and walking about town without gasping for air.

I am gradually getting my independence back. When I am totally pain free I will be able to drive again. After my next biopsy I should be okay to start visiting those of you who live further away. ('Oh no' - sayeth they).

To be honest its a great feeling not feeling ill. For the first time in years I love life (sometimes, anyway...Lets not go overboard now) and I actually have some of the old Mark confidence back.

My voice is still a bit croaky though. There are advantages. I can do Louis Armstrong or Ozzy Osbourne down to a 'T' lol...Hey perhaps I could work for a dodgy phone line firm - the human Crazy Frog!

When I was on O2 I lost my will to meet new people and socialise much, due to the pain and the embarrassment of being hitched up to a machine 24./7 I can form relationships, take an amble on Cannock Chase and be me..

My next step is planning for Naomi's next visit on Thursday (till Tuesday) and I am frantically exercising on the bike (indoors of course) so I can actually take her to the places I want to! MWAH

Cadbury's World is closed for a revamp unfortunately. But Birmingham is open! (I want to go on the river bus between Brindley Place and The Mailbox) I hope to meet the Inside Out producers, my cousin Jane and perhaps Akbar too!

Erik and Diana have persuaded the lovely Kirsty to model some racing gear for them at the NEC show on Saturday So we are going to have a kind of after-show party. Provably a take-away and German beer - but that suits me!

On Tuesday after an early visit to Brownhills Market (wind and rain - bbbrrrrr). Why is it so naff on a Tuesday? And spent a great afternoon putting the world to right With Mr Edmund Sharp!

It is fantastic to have an afternoon, relaxing in the pubs around Cannock Wood (don't worry docs I didn't drink much!) chatting about every subject under the sun (and around it too!)

Wednesday I took my first 'solo' trip since the transplant...oooooh gasp....But I was only on the train on my own for about 4 minutes before Sarah B got on at Landywood and we 'hit' Walsall. Her to see her man. Me to shop!

It was good to catch up with her after all this time! And re-find the best little back street shops and little cafes. I also found a new supplier of Hello Kitty stuff (always a bonus!)

I went shopping with Victoria in Stafford - my old living and haunting ground (if those two things don't contradict each other).

We concluded Lichfield and Stafford have a better 'set' of people than Brownhills, more polite and more beautiful.(This was over coffee at Starbucks..Iits the first time I have entered a Starbucks in the UK...Could get used to it!)

I've FINALLY worked out how to send pictures from my phone to my PC.....So I am going to put a selection on this blog - not all taken this month!

Its been a real week of bumping into old friends and acquaintances. I saw Sarah Bird on Sunday, someone I knew about 10 years ago.

Mike, who I was out with, also knew her about that time. Which means Mike and I probably used to hang out sometimes back then without knowing it. Strange world. Stranger people! (not Sarah and Mike of course!)

Biopsy looming ever nearer on 23rd Jan. I have to go up on Sunday 22nd. Biopsy on the morning of 23rd. Then all the usual prodding and poking on morning of 24th and see docs with all results on lunchtime 24th.

I am really praying there is no rejection or infection. The last thing I need is a stay in hospital or being put on high levels of steroids (the side FX are already bad enough..moan..moan...)so I don't know where or who I am (Sounds familiar eh?)

Today mum and I hit Lichfield.

I deliberately wore my pedometer (no NOT a device for catching paedophiles, but counting steps and distance walked.) I haven't done it since my transplant and want to increase the number each day.

But it reset itself when I dropped it after leaving Holland and Barrett! (Hi H&B staff by the way. Nice people!) I had no idea Jenny's mum was an artist. Every day an education in Lichfield.

The schools were out and there were lots of munchkins about - but I didn't exterminate any of them. Brownie point for me! I did spent too much money in Tudor Tunes though....talking of which

I had a couple of lovely letters this week. LOUISE. You know just how to cheer me up.
That girl is amazing. She does so much. Your sis sounds lovely too - Well if she's related to you she must be!

*See you soon (big warm huggle) xxxx I posted you a parcel/letter/thingy today.

Oh yes people. I got lots of copies of New Year and Xmas pics done and they have come. So remind me anyone who wants one! AND I have done a round up of some new Australian bands, which I should get round to putting on ciao.co.uk in the next few days.

Music: Johnny Cash - American IV (The Man Comes Around) - a fantastic album of covers recorded in his final days, including versions of Nine Inch Nails and Depeche Mode songs. It was all produced by living legend (and ZZTop beard-a-like Rick Rubin) JC knew he was dying and that gives it all extra emotional weight
The Editors - Munich (Yep I bought both of these today!)

To e-mail me CLICK
To see my pics CLICK