Sarah, Newcastle and FEV1

Blogettes!!

How is it hanging, people?

On Sunday the lovely Clare (as in Clare-a-manjaro!) came round with her friend Rachel and we hit the Park Gate for Sunday lunch.

The roast was good…It’s a Sunday thing! A roast is something I never make for myself so it is a real treat to have one cooked for me...

I felt still full from the previous night's balti - but variety eh? Two national dishes in two days!

On Sunday night I went back to the pub with lads from the cricket club. Although I didn’t drink too much as had to be out the house on way to Newcastle by 8am!

I got to Sarah's place at lunchtime and then we used our free two-day pass at David Lloyd's place in Newcastle - we just chilled (as much as one can in the sauna!)

After that I went back to Sarah's and we ate food and watched some of Oceans 11 - but it wasn't too impressive....

I had to park near the nurses flats at the hospital, walk to the ward to pick up my keys and walk back to the flats....I slept well!

Up at 6am as my first tests at the hospital were 7.30am - but 8.40am I had less blood, was shattered abfter lung function tests and was slumped over egg and beans at the canteen!

The professor was amazed. My lung function FEV1 and FVC were both up. This apparently can't happen. It just goes to show what one can achieve through hard work.

He had two students from Hong Kong with him. He told them I was unusual as was 'a lot more muscular' as one would expect from someone with CF. Hmmmm.

Went to David Lloyd for the second part of my pass. The facilites are nice but not as good as you would expect for the high joining fees.

I went back to Sarahs to start planning out holiday and our weekend away in Cumbria and set off about 4.30pm. Got back to Widnes about 8pm after loads of traffic...bah!

We are the Pet Shop Boys!

Well then, another week, doesn't is seem like only last week it was....erm.....last week. Well my friends, people have written whole newspaper columns on less!

So what have I been up to - apart from 'bigging up' (as my niggaz in da hood say) Halton Council and thinking up bad puns for headlines and oiling the cogs of democracy...?

Well I watched the Liverpool game (well most of it, got a bit bored) and enjoyed all the long faces the next day.... For God's sake people someone in the family hasn't died - you just won the same amount of cups as Villa did this year - and we aren't moaning.

But typically it was all the blame of 'the referee' the police, the pitch etc etc. Has it never stuck people that Liverpool are overpaid and under-performing.....

The weather has been good so my step-o-meter has been working overtime. I was going to say my personal trainer would be impressed (but the gym is closed for 'refurbishment')...

I have swam a couple of times before work this week - the water is warmer and less full of piss.

I had Friday off so met up with Vickie P and little Gracie for lunch....

Friday night went to see the Pet Shop Boys with Caroline - They rocked (in an electronic way of course) and were on-stage for almost two hours....One of the backing singers used to be in Soul II Soul and I swear I saw the Chuckle Brothers on stage at one point....

Chris Lowe was wearing a gren day-glo hoody/ie. They were on sale at the merhandise stand for £40 quid - I bet the Frank Sidebottom stuff won't be so expensive - Well you could probably buy his whole back cataloge for that!

I had a finanical review at The Halifax this morning - just making sure Mr Taxman gets hold of as little of my cash as possible! Then I went to Lichfield. I needed b'day pressies for people (shhhh don't tell them!) and various vegetables!

Tonight is balti night with Erik, Diana and little Mark W (although he is too young for balti, being one-year-old and will probably just sleep!)

The rest of the weekend is looking rosy. I am meeting up with the lovely Clare C (over from Ireland for the Bank Holiday) and we are going to do lunch at the PG, probably meet the cricket lot in the evening and Monday I am heading up North....

No rest for the wicked.....Wicked? A chance would be a fine thing!

IKEA and Lily

Hiya Folkettes,

Friday I went swimming and home to get an early night as I had a busy weekend ahead and I can't do two nights out in a trot anymore....It's my age!

I had my gym session on Saturday morning with the fellow misfits and then hit IKEA in Warrington - a little bit of Sweden in Cheshire....

That place is huge - a huge one-way warehouse of furniture and stuff you don't really need until you see it...

You can eat Swedish food and drink Swedish drink - There was no Abba, Cadigans or Ace of Base though - I thought I might see Ulrika and Sven too... Bah.

All I ended up buying was four candles (just like the two Ronnies sketch!)

The cup final was rubbish wasn't it. Jehovah's Witnesses came round and I ALMOST invited them in for the entertainment..... almost....

I then toddles across to Chester. Dave H and I met Rebecca and we did John and The Frog And Nightingale, Old Hawkers and City Bar..

The barmaid of Old Hawkers was a spitting image of Lily Allen (who I sometimes claim to be my sister)....So therefore I couldn't lust after the barmaid...Damn!

City Bar had a word-based video game which becomes harder the more one has to drink! I don't really remember walking back to Hoole.

The next day we just ambled into town to the Blue Moon Cafe by the river and watched the rowers....and the cyclists.... and the ducks.....

Back at work for a rest!

Making the Grady - Eurotrash

Well well well… How are thee? I had another doctor nightmare. What is it with Widnes docs – what do they get paid for? Perhaps they only know about fat people!

They decided the Creon (which I have had for 30 years) I suddenly didn’t need (despite the fact my body can’t digest fat without the tablets – so I couldn’t eat!)

Even a simpleton could look in a medical dictionary and realise that…..But not an over-paid doctor in Widnes…

I seem to be slowly getting over my cold and kept up the swimming….and convinced myself I am better for it….

I had my first gym session on Saturday at The Stadium – I can only go on a Saturday when my instructor is there – who looks and sounds like Paul O Grady…

It brought it home to me how little I can do compared with a few weeks ago. But it also gave me an aim and a target......

It is a strange place. Half the machines don’t work and there were dozens of kids with table-tennis bats around ….(I presume they were actually playing table tennis!)

There was toilet roll type stuff to wipe down the equipment with – how dodgy does that sound?

Saturday evening was Eurovision – I got an ASDA Indian takeaway and some wine in especially – but when the Uktrainian Chris Biggins/Sue Pollard thing didn’t win…

What a farce. The quality was even worse than usual wasn’t it? It was lucky I had wine – so I had an excuse for throwing stuff at the TV…

Sunday I went over to see Caroline in Sandbach and we had a good Sunday lunch at a country pub before hitting the cinema in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

We saw Road Hogs – which was a lot better than I expected it to be to be honest. The bad weather meant my average steps for the week was down on last week. Not my fault y'honour!

What's a wireless drill and The Championship got in common? No Leeds!

Oh yes...My lovely friend Michelle Dhillon has started a great magazine in Nottingham. She is an amazing culture vulture. CLICK

Balti Towers

Hello Beautiful Bloggetes (and the rest of you!)

Pic: A cute waitress....yesterday.....

Gosh.....Britain basks in better weather shock......Although the wind could be tempered down a bit (you know us English....luv a good whinge - almost as much as the Aussies, but not quite!)

Well election fever almost hit Halton....(well more slapped it in the face with a mildly wet fish to be honest). The count at the stadium went smoothly and it was fun as I got to look after the media, (as I am a council PR officer, it is my duty!)

This meant meeting the people I normally just speak to on the phone. Its always good to put faces to names and visa versa! The media are mostly nice in Halton....But I have to say this or they beat me up.... (just joking, honest!)

I managed to get a swim in (28 lengths) between leaving the office and going to the count (election, not dracula!) - so was fairly chilled...(I must point out this was in a swimming pool and not in the town centre - Widnes isn't Venice!)

The Lib Dems gained a couple of seats in Halton and the turn-out was up - nothing TOO exciting.... But I like the buzz of election nights...The count was at the rugby stadium so we had Starbucks and a bar going on...

I got home and watched the other results on the TV for ages (every party as usual claims a victory!) and only got a couple of hours sleep.

I was going to go home early on Friday but as I was the only press officer in and everything was predicatably hectic I didn't manage to get away....

The council seemed to be half empty.. I believe the people who help with the count get paid extra - lucky sods!

It was a nightmare trying to get any press releases out because nobody was around to be quoted... But I had pics to take and stuff to prepare and enquiries to answer.

I came back to Cannock Wood on Friday evening for Ian's b'day balti in Chasetown. It was good. Food was nice - may return sometime....

Saturday was spent in Tamworth - bought various bits and bobs and people watched - Tamworth people are erm...... 'special'.....

Walked to pub with Rich (after he had come back from the Villa) and realise clocked up almost 10,000 seps on my pedometer....

Sunday I felt crap - dunno why, just NO NRG....Went to PG with Usual Suspects at lunchtime - its been a while since the gang got together...

I don't know whether it is because of the summer feel-good factor but the waitresses at that place get cuter each time I go there...

I continue to eat sushi at lunchtimes and avoiding the 'food' trolley at work. AND it is working. My tummy, which was very noticable last month is almost gone!

But the swimming has been the best boost to my health - the feeling lasts at least 3 hours after I finish - I can walk round town like a 'normal' person...

Next week my physio is getting me down the gym. We shave time off our Tuesday lunchtime walk each week...

Hello to RJF and Berangere who I enjoyed chatting to on MSM yesterday!

Pixie love...... xxx
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