Newcastle, BBC Mersyside and The Unicorn!

Hello Bloggettes,

Busy week – when is it not? After our quiz victory last week I went to the Wests’ on Saturday night – and felt shit all the next couple of days (not their fault!)

Kirsty who also stayed over, also felt bad – so it must be something to do with Walsall air!

On Monday I had loads to do, all very functional. I sorted out some investments and pottered around at the swimming pool (the life guard recognised me from a skiiid holiday when we were kids!) and drove up to Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Sarah was revising so wasn’t meeting her til Tuesday so just chilled in my little room up north. But I never sleep well the day before a hospital trip.

My FVC was up bit my FEV1 (the main test of lung capacity) was exactly the same. Still down to 25 per cent of what it should be…But its not going down…I hoped it may go up. But next time...

I met Sarah and we hit ‘As You Like It’ – a lovely eatery in a horrible building in Jesmond. We decided we are going to go on a spa weekend together - any ideas?

I drive back to Widnes (about four hours) and mum met me in Widnes and we went to The Unicorn (see pic) for some food.

The lovely waitress there has just come back from Thailand – so I ordered Thai lamb! Bless. In fact both waitresses there are cute – always a bonus!

I went to Liverpool on Thursday to be interviewed on Radio Merseyside (it will be a 30-minute slot to be broadcast in April) and spent the day with Roger Phillips and his team. Good contact-building and nice to put names to faces.

It was really interesting…and it felt good to be back in journalism (if only for a day!) – traffic was a nightmare though and £11 to park!

Everyone was really kind. But there again, everyone is in Merseyside….

MUSIC: Editors - The Back Room

Jen C and Grinderman

Hiya,

Went to the GPs (on his request) and he asked what I was doing there!

Anyway...I asked hi to sign me up for the 'Recipe For Health' programme - which would give me my own gym trainer to help try and slow down my loss in lung capacity..

Unfortunately when I saw his (sod's law) I was in a a rush and my blood pressure was up so he won't refer me until I see him again next month when he can test it again...

This is very bizarre as I am going to see my consulant in Newcastle-upon-Tyne next week and they ALWAYS do blood presure tests there!!!

Anyway....I have been continuing with the pre-work swim every other day in Widnes...

Halton Borough Council has been hitting the headlines for all the right and wrong reasons this week. So it has been good to have a few days off.

I bumped into the lovely Jen C today. I hadn't seen her in ages and she looked radiant. She rocks! It was good to catch up on the goss...

Pub quiz tonight so I had better disappear......I bought the new Grinderman (Nick Cave) album today and the CD shop blokey gave me a free poster to go with it...

The only thing is...It would make my Widnes abode look like a student pad again...Ho hum...

Anyway.....Just been chatting to Diana.B on the Yahoo Messenger....She takes gorgeous pics of sunsets and has emailed me some of her latest...Why can't I be that creative!!!

Well....I am sure I will see a few of you over the weekend. Looking forward to the meal tomorrow night with Erik, Diana.W and Kirsty.....

Perdi and Portia say hi too (and are purring round my feet!)

Pic: Diana B 'on location' in Bucharest....

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Pixie-luv! xxxx

Sumo Relief...

Blogettes!

17,000 visitors to my site...Pixie love to all of you..

Another week over…begun…etc….Strange week including sumo wrestlers at the library……Comic Relief at Erik/Diana's in Willenhall and lunch in Walsall with Dan….

Walsall recently won the accolate of being the 'unhappiest' town in the UK? This is very unfaid as I saw someone trip over and bang their head in Music Zoen and lots of people were laughing...

And Eurovision - How crap is out entry (yet again!) I reckon we should get Terry Wogan and Napalm Death to write and perform a song next time....With Stephen Fry on backing vocals.

I popped back to Staffordshire for Mother's Day and also gave the kittens some TLC. It is their b'day next month (their first one!) Any ideas? They liked the snow yesterday!

I also managed three swim sessions last week – to varying degrees of satisfaction….But now (Monday) I feel shite again. Where logic gone? I meet the physio lady tomorrow for a walk in Victoria Park - may indulge in a latte at Starbucks en route....shhhhhh

It is nice to veg in the sauna at Kingsway - but I almost fall asleep in there...(perhaps it is the strange smells and surreal conversations) If I did I would wake up two stone lighter - perhaps not a bad thing... (some may say!)

I am STILL FRUSTRATED I can't do the exercise I could three months ago when I was jogging and cycling etc.....

I got a DVD film on which I feature this week (thank's for that!) and I am on there working out at the gym - how I miss those heady days.... I actually look toned and fit on the screen. Gosh....What happened to that Mark?

My GP has lost my application for the Recipe For Health – free gym sessions etc Doh..
He also wants to see me. I thought normally the patient asks the doc for an appointment not the other way round....

Gonna be another strange week as off from Thursday to Wednesday – but that includes a day-and-a-half in Newcastle-upon-Tyne– outpatients. At least I get to have lunch with Sarah.

Highlight of day? Seeing the lovely G.O of course - yes you DID/DO look amazing in those pictures!

Music: Primal Scream – Riot City Blues

St Chris and Chester...

Morning Bloggettes,

Hope you are all fine and dandy – and your weekends were full of glittery delights.

Friday I had a meeting at Norton Priory, which is a bit of a hidden gem in Halton – It has this really old St Christopher statue and herb gardens.

I hope to give it lots of promotion. It has a real spiritual feel to it..... (not unlike Villa Park...but obviously in a different way!)

Saturday was full on! I needed ASDA on Saturday morning and then hit the swimming pool and sauna to set me up for the day…

I am finding my lungs are less painful after a relaxing swim…I am hoping now to to it every other day..

I got the Klaxons album and Johnny Cash American Recordings out from the library for the journey to Chester.

I went to see Dave H from the Chester Chronicle….who I last saw 14 years ago when we were both on the NCTJ journalism course at Sheffield College!

We caught up on old times and went to a pub and a friend or a friend’s place (another PR officer like myself. – boo hiss!) for a curry…

I certainly got my exercise walking round Chester and am still recovering…

On the Sunday we went for brunch in town. Chester on a Sunday is as busy as Widnes on a Saturday.

Monday – back to work….I always think of The Bangles and The Boomtown Rats on a Monday – the Bangles were much better looking though…

Keep smiling… and hello to Sam I and the lovely G.O!

BOOKS: More Tales of the Unexpected - Roald Dahl

I'm freeeeeee

Morning campers!

God rest John Inman....But the whole of Britain is saying 'I'm free' on every radio station at least twice an hour----- aaaaaagh.


Imagine what it will be like when Molly Sugden passes away!

Thursday. Went swimming last night. It was £2.20 to go swimming but £5 to use the sauna as well...But I really needed to have a good old-fashioned sweat (ooer)....So I treated myself...

The pool was full of kids and the cafe with 'mums' (not the yummy kind in the main)....So I was glad of the quiet and calm....

The changing rooms were a bit mucky - but I filled in a form and got a response in my in-box this morning - its amazing what a council email address can do for one...

Taking pictures of librarians today! Widnes has a fine library....Cannock take note! Work is busy because Gill is off and everything happens when we are a 'man' down as it were...

Much pixie luv xxxx (I'm freeeeeeee)

PS: I hope you like the picture - it's my Widnes abode!

Paul Simon's Plaque

Hello,

Apologies for not writing much for a few days. It’s been hectic in Mark-ville..Oh the life of a media mogul eh!?

At the weekend I ventured to Warrington (about 8 minutes away by train). Widnes Station is where Paul Simon is rumoured to have written Homeward Bound.

Warrington was full of charity muggers, good cheap shops and shellsuits!

As a later encyclopaedia of rock put it: “It was whilst waiting for the milk train on Widnes Station, after a local folk club gig in 1965, that Paul Simon - yearning to be back in Londom in the arms of his beloved Kathy - began writing Homeward Bound.”

Then virtually unknown, Paul Simon spent four nights here, perrforming at the Howff Folk Club. His next stop was to be in Hull. (Poor bloke....I bet he was yearning to be anywhere else!)

I looked for 'the plaque' (pictured) – but not wanting to look like a train spotter didn’t look too hard! The only plaque I could see was on a dodgy teenagers teeth...

On the health front. My body doesn’t seem to be rejecting the lungs any more than they were last week….I seem to have stabilised. (see previous posts!)

I am still having problems with my GP not seeming to want to prescribe drugs ordered by my consultant….Ho hum….

I have went to a health centre to take some photos for a press release and met up with a cool sports development officer who seems to be really pro-active (and a friend of someone I vaguely knew and remember as being cute at school – if that makes sense!).

I REALLY miss going to the gym and she is going to try and get me fit enough to start going again. Lets defy these doctors eh?

I tried to go swimming on Sunday – but the pool was scutty and full of kids. I am going to try again tonight after work – if I can avoid the plasters on the floor…

MUSIC: The Good, The Bad and The Queen,

Nick Cave - The Good Son

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