Update

Hello - It's been a busy old time. Since Christmas I have had loads of visitors and had loads of visitors, human and feline... I have rediscovered my love of old Momus tracks, been to a lot of gigs and spent a lot of time at the gym...

I am doing the publicity for the transplant racquets/table tennis event at Warrington/Widnes - and with my day job keeping me busy for at least eight hours a day, it's all been manic...

Health is on the level. I think the gym and table tennis is helping that, but I am  finding now I need a snooze after the gym. Or a strong coffee..

I love a Saturday afternoon with nothing planned. Exercise, sleep and then following football on Twitter!!

Well. I will write again soon. Promise. I may just have 20 per cent lung capacity but I have a lot to say. Follow me on Twitter @widneschappy

Reaching a peak (flow)

Hello Blogg-ettes,

Well Christmas was spent mostly in Cannock Wood, enjoying catching up with friends old and new, watching Villa lose at Villa Park and seeing relatives...

The infection I caught in Tenerife eventually went. It was a slow process. Us transplantees have an artificially reduced immune system so our bodies don't reject our organs.. I had to to get some magic drugs from the Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital - and take things easy..

Strangely my lung capacity stayed at 23 per cent - even when I was feeling grotty. That's the weird and wonderful world of peak flow for you!

SO I guess the break came at the right time...

New Year was fun in Lancaster. Thai food (see pic) then a Champagne do at a friend's.. But it all seems such a long time ago now..

I found out a job I had missed the application date for in Stafford, may have been still open. So I spent a frantic two days doing the forms, CV and meeting the people spec, but turns out it was closed.

But it made me update my details and get back into applying for stuff. The bad news is for the people of Cheshire and Merseyside, you have got me living and working up here for a while yet.

I have other irons in the fire...

Since recovering from the infection I have been going to the gym every other day. It made the first table tennis session of the year less painful.

It is less than six months until I compete in the Europeans in Lithuania.  Wish me luck..

Until next time..

Ciao

Mark

I am your Marhaba Beach!

Well I am back from North Africa - I missed a suicide bombing by a week and an earth tremor by a day...

Tunisia was fun. I think I had the right mix between relaxation and trips. I  went to the largest market in North Africa, a historical re-enactment and camel trekking (what happens in the desert, stays there!)

But it was nice to play petanque and chill by the sea. I met some interesting people to play cards and drink coffee and cocktails with..

It is a very Muslim society.. Women are obviously not welcome in waiter/bartender roles or as taxi drivers.  And there was an early call to prayer at about 5.20am (not good when you get to the hotel at 4am!)

The problems with a week's holiday (less, as there was a late flight out and early one home) - Is you get into the habits and relaxation of holiday mode and it is time to come home,

The day after I got  home I had to go up to Newcastle for my six monthly MOT..... My health seems steady but I haven't got all my results yet...

Then two days at work before a day our in Chester with Kay...  SO next week seems the first proper week back... Although those two days felt like ten!

Ha-ha-halloween....

Hello Folks.. Well my birthday was carnage in a good way.. It started at 3pm with chilli and mulled wine, and was still going at 3am with pizza and shots!

It involed electric shocks, Wii, bop It, music, mayhem and even some South Africans!

It followed three days of intensive training in York, courtesy of the Cabinet Office - so I deserved to go a bit mad...

It was all followed by Halloweeen - a night out in Chester dressed as a zombie/Grim Reaper....

Xmas and NYE pt 1

Hiya Blogettes,

Well its been a long time and for that you should be grateful - a while six weeks without having to read my rubbish....

Pre-Xmas was frantic - and included going to see Villa beat Man U at Man U (back of the net!)

I was working Xmas Eve and drove back to Cannock Wood for a reunion of the Holly Hill Road posse - Stew, James, Rich (+ Marta) and myself.. Windnill then Park Gate followed.

Xmas Eve is always good at The Gate as I bump into people I havem't seen for yonks - and sometimes longer...

As usual the good, bad, ungly and downright beautiful were there..

On Xmas Day the neighbours all came round Xmas Day and it was the family do in Brum on Boxing Day - the rest of the week was spent catching up with old friends....

NYE was strange - one of those nights people couldn't decide what to do so I ended up at The Gagte again - dressed as James Bond - it was a 007 theme night...

Again it was great to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones.. But it was all cut short at about 1.30am by some chavs fighting the the police sent everyone home..

We walked back, despite it being -4c (God bless beer jackets)

My cold hasn't been given the boot yet, but I have a check-up in Liverpool tomorrow so we will see what they say....

Sorry this is quick - but off back to Cheshire now... I will put some pics of my new house on later this week! x