The Quiet Week

 

 

Another day in Toryland, another day with no leader to be seen.  Boris, the present Prime Minister, has run away again.  He has been done in by the knive carrying friends he put in place to protect him from harm, especially the numpty Liz Truss, now Foreign Secretary, and the 'Make the rich richer, especially me' Chancellor Risi Sunak.  Both are hoping for his job, both would be worse than he!

You will recall Kenneth Clarck's comment after the last time he stood for the leadership.  "After the vote 132 Tory members shook my hand and told me they had voted for me, I only got 87 votes!"  The numbers may be innaccurate, but the quote is true.  Now, as we eat leftovers yet again, MPs, Whips, and friends of the leading contenders are stabbing competitors in the back, making lying promises for support, and dining out with editors of right-wing papers.  All fighting for the top job, as indeed is Boris, though his temporary wife may be fighting harder than he, she is on the make and not willing to let go of the 'power behind the throne' that she possesses and is less willing to be caught out and made to pay for the decorating.  Whatever happens, she will land on another high climbing man with power, ability and an openess to her charms.  

Will any of this benefit the nation?

No!

Yesterday it appeared I had somehow enlarged by 5Ibs in weight, today I had returned to normal.  It is indeed amazing what can happen when adding or avoiding roast potatoes.  It may even be normal tomorrow again.  However, exercise was beyond me, a trip to Sainsburys yesterday morning was enough and the gray, rain carrying clouds, have been with us all day today limiting the desire to get out off my chair and wander.  Instead, I returned to the occupations of yesterday, I did nothing!

From my chair via the laptop I visited many parts of the world, played 'Solitaire' and 'Block Game' until the mental stress caused me to turn to the leftovers in the Plum Vodka bottle.  It seemed to me to be too small a bottle for what was inside, very enjoyable and very lifting!  

 

 

The world has returned to some sort of normality, rain clouds fill the earth, people wander across the park with dogs or bags filled at Sainsburys.  The wind shakes the leaves, dripping dollops of water cheerfully on passersby, dogs drink from the puddles, birds are noticeable by their absence, and even the 'white van men' are in short supply, only one today, for next door of course.   

Cars drive by but many have taken, or have been given, the week off.  Pictures of crowded shopping centres, happily sharing the latest virus by not wearing masks, are not found everywhere.  The public leave home only when forced, shopping, bargain hunting, or getting away from the noise of the kids are the favourite reasons.  Some even go to work.   

So now we sit and await New Year.  In the meantime we rise, search for the calandar, work out the date and then plan the day.  It may even be a decent day tomorrow, only thick cloud glowering above us.  This means we may, well wrapped up, walk out and find they lied to us again.  

One thing to look forward to on Jan 1st is the introduction of the full benefits of Brexit!  On that date all the prices concerning trade with the EU will grow substantially, a whole host of other legislation comes into play, and almost nobody understands what is going on and what the result will be.  Actually some of us do know the result, we have spoken of it often and we see the early results in front of us now.  Let us simplify the result, try 'Disaster!'

What Day is it?

 

The bright early morning sun brought me into the world early again this morning.  I rose, washed, weighed myself, and found I was now 16 stone and 6 or so pounds!  I sought breakfast carefully.

By 9 am I was ready for work, the recycling was put out for the men coming on Saturday, I do it today, Friday, as after the Bank Holiday it is collected early Saturday morning.  

Full of beans, too full I think, I checked the cars in the car park, both my downstairs neghbours were in, he possibly from a night shift.  So, I then hoovered the entire shanty at that time, before he fell asleep, and I even did the bits usually missed.   I then cleaned the kitchen, now with a bright shiny sink, one that is usually missed, and by 10:20 I sat down, exhausted.  Changing the bed, as it is a new month, can wait till the afternoon.

I am now ready for the weekend, tidy, organised, prepared.

Then, happy with things I begin replying to my many emails, both of them, and it was then that I discovered it is Thursday!

Innit typical?

 

Not far from me workmen have been doing something, I know not what, at the mini-roundabouts.  This means a backlog of traffic outside my window.  With the road being one way, just up the road in the other direction, and with Sainsburys sitting up that way traffic continues all day.  This means for the third day in a row I am 'entertained' by the 'music' coming from the open windows of each vehicle.  Today, in between white youths playing Black Rap, we have heard very loud 1970's vile music, occasionally noise eminates from the car leaving me wondering if it is the exhaust that is troubled or the occupant? And many things that go 'Tish Boom' repeatedly, it is indeed a delight.

I raided the fridge for less fattening centres and failed to find any.  What I ate tonight finished off what was lying around, I think it may finish off me!  Now, as I settle into the evening routine I notice my left foot is fat!  My weight is slipping down there.  Now I enter a positive weight loss regime, or die...

My Fat & me...

Early this morning before the sun decided to break through the dullness I stood on the weighing machine and found four pounds had gone from me.  My fat belly rejoiced, even though it made it difficult for me to actually see the reading on the far off machine at my feet.  Moving off the machine amidst much creaking, my bones not the weighing machine, I rejoiced and swiftly breakfasted on two hunks of bread.  Something did not appear right here.  Once again I must pretend I am eating better, once again I must choose more fruit and veg and less of the Christmas leftovers (see above) and once again I suspect this will last for a few days only until bad habits once more reappear.  
er, actually having looked in the fridge it appears bad habits will be feeding me again tonight!  The only things to eat are about to go off, reduced price specials, and I must stuff them down now before they go that awful green colour again...
My downstairs neighbour has been hiding away since new year with his girlfriend, clearly the reason he no longer lives with his children's mother, and has I suspect enjoyed himself a great deal.  This does mean however that I cannot exercise as I would like, the shaking floor unfair on those below, and so what exercise I did today was slow and not sufficient to encourage more fat to go away.  Nevertheless I will persist, I will be out for a short while on the bike, cold weather permitting, also next week he will have to work once more and I will fill the morning with grunting and grumbling.
I may well reward myself with a piece of cake!
Cake reminds me of the book I am reading, one of the Christmas gifts, this concerns an officer in the Cameronian's, a regiment who like all Scots regiments were famous for their cakes.  In his letters home (the book is based on his letters) he constantly refers to the cakes, fish, fruit socks and various other items his wife sends out.  Visiting officers rejoiced in visiting such men at the front.  
Having just finished rather rapidly the 'Black Bun' that arrived it might become a requirement of my sister to send me cakes more often, as a treat after exercise I mean.  I doubt she would comply outside of Christmas!  

Tuesday Thoughts

When sorting out the shop early this morning I noticed the lass stopping and looking in a mirror.  This surprised me as we know how rarely women do this.  However it suddenly came to my mind that the said mirror was not there on Saturday so where did it come from?  While pondering this I myself came into view.  This was not a good sight.  My new shirt appeared somewhat tight and as I looked into a glass darkly I saw a sight reminiscent of the advert above.  I hung over my belt far too much.  Later a mum dropping off her kid mentioned she had ten weeks to go and I was bigger than she was!  My diet has restarted.
I had pie and chips tonight with sliced cabbage and tomato with mayonnaise.  
I see a problem looming.

Brutus switched off the wi-fi tonight again.  It returned but I may have sorted that as it had a choice of two connections, this one and the old one that no longer works.  I am hoping it has been attempting to connect with the old one and have closed that avenue.  Growing pains I say, and if they are this will be some size soon.  Otherwise it appears to be working acceptably.

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Hard at Work

Here I am hard at work, I am there, I merely collapsed with exhaustion and can be found lying under the table muttering rude words about the Battle of Cambrai!  Six men required, only one finished and August around the corner but I am not panicking!!!!  Add to this I wandered down to the cemetery (it was dead quiet again) to take a few better photographs of a gravestone belonging to a chap who died of disease in 1916.  Information regarding him is arriving and he will be added to our pile so I decided we needed a better photo.  I knew where he lay and went straight there and he had gone!  No sign anywhere of the large cross that stood above him, nothing remained!  This is taking grave robbing too far I thought.  I wandered about for ages but could not find where he had been moved to, cursing my stupidity in not checking the shabby picture I took last year.  Ghouls I decided, had been in during a dark night and nicked him to sell to a medical school somewhere.  Instead I retook pics of other gravestones in the faint hope of improving what I already possessed.  Back home, still before eight o'clock and with the sun shining, I checked the old grubby picture of my man.  Funnily enough he has been moved to a place right behind where I was standing photographing a gravestone.  Bah!

So once again I discover the weighing machine is broken.  It claims I am two pounds short of 16 stone for goodness sake!  Clearly a malfunction.  However as I puffed and struggled up Cemetery Hill this morning as slowly clambered back upstairs it seemed a good idea to lose some of the flab.  So once again I am on a diet.  Once again I am eating healthily, once again it will fail.  But maybe this time I had better make an effort as this fat is killing me!

Crops

'Give us this day our daily bread,' was a line from the prayer given by Jesus to his disciples, and one often misused today.  For his hearers however it was vital, many subsisted on Barley Bread alone during hard times, and those were common enough for many.  Since the middle of the nineteenth century the west has seen a rise in living standards, particularly after the second world war.  There was a determination to ensure the years of hardship would not return and forge a better life for everyone.  Hopes were high and for many years justified.   

Reality is hitting home today.  While the west still lives of the fat off the land, and becoming fat in return (I refuse to use the term 'obese') the signs are that those days have come to an end.  As always some will live in vast wealth, that is the world's way, but today many it appears are struggling to feed themselves and their families, even in the UK.  How can this be?  Clearly the Sub Prime Mortgage scandal brought the good days to an end and exposed the corruption and self interest in the financial world.  While bankers collected their massive bonuses, and politicians 'tut-tutted,' and dodged their own taxes, massive unemployment spread throughout the west.  The far east appears to be shaking somewhat also with less of a market to supply, and this leaves many unable to pay for the foodstuffs they require and the energy they need, especially in winter.

The weather pattern has changed.  The airflow that crosses the Atlantic and heads north has drifted south this year.  This has meant that rain has been a constant companion this year, and it has just finished lashing against my window to prove this, and the rain has ruined the crops for many.  Wheat and Veg have suffered badly here and elsewhere.  The supermarkets are being urged to sell 'misshapen veg,' rather than demand perfect veg this year, otherwise some will not be able to afford the scandalous prices they charge.  There is no doubt they will import more, at raised prices, from Africa, and good for them, but who can afford this?  (We are constantly being told food is too cheap, that is why so much is wasted.  Indeed much is wasted, but others truly are struggling to survive!)  The wheat crops in the US & Russia have suffered from drought, flooding in the far east has hit the rice harvest, and the world is heading for a food shortage once again.  This will lead to 20 or 30 pence being added to the price of bread in the west, while starvation in some places, with accompanying riots and destruction will occur in others.  Remember also many will sell their crop to provide oil for 'green car fuel,' or use the corn for fattening up cattle to be wasted on MacDonalds!  

A conference is to be held somewhere soon to work out the best way forward for the world food needs in coming days.  I fear this will be too late for many.  In the end each nation will put their needs first and aid others only when they have enough to spare, and at a price. Combine also the shortage in many places of water, particularly in the volatile middle east, and war may yet ensue between present day allies.  

The basics of life, bread and water, should be available for all.  For too long we have squandered our harvests on ourselves.  Instead of encouraging better farming we have ignored the world's needs and fattened ourselves.  Now when we have lack we despair.  The west has become used to always having what it demands, in coming days this may not be possible and many will find life tough indeed.  I'm off to stock up on flour and learn to make simple loaves, even Barley ones if they are cheaper.  

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Fragrance

I was surprised by the warmth of the sun early on this morning, and as I crossed the park to look for beer cans left after the neds evening capers, I was also surprised by the fragrance emanating from this flower bush. I am not sure if this is some sort of rose as flower names beyond tulip and daffodil escape me. However the fragrance was very strong and really made the morning even more enjoyable. There can be little more enjoyable than an early morning with the birds singing, the sun shining and flowers giving of such a pleasing aroma. The day was indeed warm, even hot! Now that is the first time this year that this can be said. However there is a bank holiday on Monday so already there has been a warning of rain! Typical! However today folk made the most of it and I suspect they will do so tomorrow also.

There are good things and bad in such weather conditions. The idea of walking around unencumbered by heavy anti-rain gear, the freedom from ice cold temperatures, and the sight of lassies wearing as little as possible. This however has two side effects. One reminds some of their age as the mothers of said lassies are younger than my nieces! The other is the unfortunate sight of fat women! I cannot get over the number of fat women in this country! Not only are there too many they dress inappropriately. Now some women have a stout build, others remain fat after having children, but surely these girls are fat because of slobbishness? There can be no reason but laziness for such sights. I know how hard it is to, lose weight, and the only effective method is eating smaller, better and exercise like it or not, so I cannot see anything other than the 'couch potato syndrome' at work. The thing is that these are women! I expect women to have some respect for themselves, they spend much of their time doing just that, so why do these girls wind up like Billy Bunters sister? One reason it seems to me is the chav influence. So many appear to be of the 'lower orders' it seems. But why should this make them slobs? It is more expensive to eat badly in my view than to eat better! I should know, and yet those lassies on low incomes appear to me to be the worst. It's all very sad, both for the lassies, their health and their families, and for those of us who have to look at them!

Feel Fat Ladies?

Bet you don't now!

I keep saying it, we are too fat as a nation! I am striving to lose weight, eating better and walking more, cycling and generally going through a 'get fitter' regime.

I seem to have lost interest in other things mind....

Weight!

Now look! After Christmas I realised I had once again put on weight. I was touching 16 stone again, and I had dropped at least half a stone before that. So the other day I began the exercises. Walking at least thirty minutes, moving around, doing things rather than just sitting here, eating less and more fruit and veg. Today I not only walked for hours around the market, being barged around by the bullying woman found there, but I also got on the bike for a while this afternoon.
I sit here aching with all the strenuous effort I have put in. I am stretching both legs backwards as I type, and with one hand I am lifting a dumbbell. I know that when I leap (leap?) out of bed in the morning I will be confronted with all over stiff muscles. I did ask that nice young lass at the fruit and veg stall if she would like to help my aching back with some embrocation but she did not seem too keen. I finally removed that melon from my big gob by tea time. Tsk! Some folks are touchy, or not as the case seems to be here!
However, when I weighed myself, expecting to see the little needle slowly roll to the 13 stone mark where it should be, it read 16 and a half stone! After all this effort I am putting on the weight! I think I will start one of those fasts, the type those hermits used to go in for. Sitting there on a pole, high above the world, they sought enlightenment. Personally I think they just got fed up with the local 'Lose weight now! Ask me how!' type folk peddling their lies. The chance of enlightenment seems slight to me anyhow, Jesus appears to have eaten well enough. I am not sure if he wants us to live on bread and water in such a public show anyhow. Eating well and eating less is the only way to lose forty two pounds. The exercise is just good for you. Until that is, the morning after.

Clinically Obese - or Just FAT?

There is yet another report by someone or other informing us we will all be 'Clinically Obese' by 2050. This is not true, I will be 99 by then and I can assure you few men that age are obese! When I say '99' I mean years of age, I do not imply that I will have become some sort of ice cream and be wandering around with a 'Cadburys Flake' stuck in my head! However they have a point here the nation is obese, and there are many reasons for this. To this weeks researchers the 'environment' plays a part. From what I heard this morning they imply we sit around too much, watching TV, driving, lounging at work, or just being a slob. They have a point! Less stress appears to be put on the food we eat, and the implication I picked up is that there is little we can do about this. I beg to differ. I get the impression that we will, as a nation, do anything to avoid personal responsibility. Our genes make us predisposed to violence, crime, laziness, obesity, and anything else we take a fancy to. Our free will and personal choice to heave half a brick at a referee, or make off with someones wallet is irrelevant it seems. Can this be right?

The idea of changing words to make us feel better is an old one now. It goes back thirty or so years and, as you might expect, we picked it up from the United States of America. We began by changing the word 'scafe' or 'Dustbin men' to 'Cleansing Operatives. Of course by privatising that 'service' we stopped six men working half a day on a lorry and now two or three work half a day, that's progress! Other words changed also, 'secretary' was not good enough, so 'personal assistant' became the norm (and cost more for doing the same). In hospitals the term 'portering Services Operator' replaced the 'Hoi yew!' of my day, and so it goes on. Today the media informs us that we are 'Obese' or even 'Clinically Obese' as it sounds medical and more adult. This is like calling 'Santa Claus,' 'Father Christmas' because that too sounds adult, but in the end is just as stupid. Tell the kids to believe in a fat (sorry, obese) man in a red suit leaving something for nothing but ignore Jesus leaving Heaven and spending his life in sinless perfection before dying or your sin filled nature, oh no that's taking it a bit far eh? yes indeed let us tell the truth, we are not 'Obese,' we are 'FAT!' Yes 'FAT!' Not that is different you see. While 'obese' sounds clinical and even medical, 'fat' is just ugly! Large masses of greed stored in a dirty big pile, usually around the gut in men, leaving those who choose to wear their football shirts looking more than ridiculous, and leaving lumpy women pangs of guilt they will no doubt blame on others, that is 'men' or 'society!' Fat is ugly, I know, I have it! It is disgusting. Standing naked in front of the mirror I swear I could hear someone cry "Captain Ahab! Captain Ahab! There she blows!"

So, why are we 'FAT?' There are several reasons. We eat too much, do not exercise enough, and, well that's it really! Living in a wealthy country we become used to an easy life. The expectation is to have the best we can afford and eat what we like. The worship of Mammon has a downside, we encourage selfishness in ourselves and those around us, the life of ease and plenty is seen as 'the good life' and we end up stuffed but not necessarily happy. The food we eat is all to often pre-cooked. Chilled foods come, not just ready to heat and eat, but full of preservatives that add to the bulge that hangs in front of us. Food manufacturers are prone to add elements that give such meals 'morishness' and we naturally want more! More fool us.
Lifestyles lead us to laziness, and wealth enables a call to the 'takeaway' rather than spending time actually cooking for ourselves. Personally I hate the bother of cooking, after all, is that not what a woman was made for? It takes time to plan, shop, peel, scrape and prepare so that those who benefit can sit back, well nourished and forget to thank the cook for her work. But hey, that's normal life isn't it? That used to be before middle class women began to tell working women they should get a 'career.' Actually many working class women already had a job, and still do, it was the middle classes who thought writing for magazines or sitting behind desks telling others what to do was actually a career. It wasn't, it still isn't. However women work, children are all too often fed junk, grow up fat because mum, and dad, are couch potatoes, and will not take the time to look after themselves let alone the kids. It must be said there are many slim, good looking women who do just that,many working at the same time, but society today is stuffed full of laziness. I am a prime example.

Today I walked to the Tesco on the edge of town. Not the longest walk, but far enough for me. This was part of my exercise programme, (having a doctor refer to you not as 'obese' but as 'fat slob' is an encouragement to this) and was accompanied by lots of sunshine, lovely indeed. As I strolled along I came across many unhappy postmen struggling to recover, financially and practically, from the recent dispute. How nice to see, that both going towards Tesco and on the way back, that they had not forgotten me. Vigorous greetings met me in both directions. This reminded me of the difficulty and danger faced by posties today. The letterboxes often have dangerous springs which catch fingers, sharp points on these cause injury, and of course dogs, and sometimes cats, sit quietly behind the door waiting to pounce on any finger shoved through the gap. I was reminded of this as I noticed just how many of these fellows of mine had fingers missing as they greeted me eagerly. I suppose at least they have lost a few ounces in weight this way eh?

Tub of Lard!

Now I am not sure where the copyright for this picture originates so if it's yours let me know won't you? However it goes well with my thoughts that arose while watching a BBC2 prog about fat tubs of lard improving their diet, and this encouraged me to do the same- again!

Just how many times have I returned to the raw veg and fruit intake diet? It happens every so often and you find yourself cutting celery, carrots, tomatoes and peppers into strips, adding a tin of mackerel and brown bread filled with healthy bits, and with a dash of

mayonnaise (light) you start full of zeal. Of course this keeps you on the run for a while but sheer lack of time, and the effort required means you soon find yourself stuffing buns bought cheaply when Salisburys are near closing instead of Bulgar wheat and watercress.
Somehow it seems more satisfying.

The scales lie and tell you that you are nearly 16 stone- minus a pound or two, but you just convince yourself that is because they need oiled. In fact you are the one that has been oiled - with lard!

Such an improved diet does lead to a better all round feeling, instead of just an all roundness, and is worth while I say. It does make me feel better in every way, and makes me more keen to find some form of fitness to accompany the health. Amazing really, I used to walk

everywhere in London, for hours, with no problems. Now I can hardly walk without the 'postman's knees' strain aching away. It was while I walked for two hours round the forest and decided it was stupid aching like that when I realised that was the end for me as a postie. The arthritis was a bit of a surprise and a worry but the creaking knees are a nuisance.

Now this diet has already had benefits and I have only been at it a short while, days as yet, and already things are better. But already I am sick of peeling carrots and chopping green stuff! This is hard work! Cutting, cleaning, scraping, shredding, slicing, no wonder today's mums buy ready made meals for the kids.No wonder the kids are less healthy than we were with our mums potato soup instead of a quick burger and chips!
That potato soup kept us alive and done us more good than what is on offer in far too many houses today. Women want a career but what is more important, children or career? Kids first and when your career collapses they will be big and strong and able to keep you! I can understand the effort needed in cooking is a trial, I hate it.I just want someone else to cook as it holds little joy for me, but the eating is something I can usually manage however. What on earth makes men want to become cooks? Are they mad?

Anyway, 'eat well and prosper' as someone once said.......

Exercise

OK so the weighing machine groaned when I stood on it, and the plastic cover on the dial flew off, but that does NOT make me fat! Anybody who is out of work and spending too much time sitting at a broken computer could easily put weight on. Especially when it rains outside, or the neighbours complain about the noise up above them. This hinders exercise you must understand.
However, when said machine creaked a wee bit and the dial read 16 and a half stone (that's 231 lbs to the uneducated) I decided something must be done.
So it was out on the bike, along the flat streets a couple of days, and up the old railway line yesterday. Would do that more often if those dog walkers waited until I passed. You have no idea how many pooches wait until you cycle up to them then meander in front of you! Today I not only went down the flat road, and the long way round, I also walked for a while in the sunshine.

Now I realise just how unfit I have become. Puffing and panting in a way I did not do four years ago! Working for Royal Mail did my knees no good at all. I used to go long walks but now struggle after half an hour. Losing weight will help, but I wonder if the knees will ever be the same? The arthritis under the right knee won't help, but that also makes me walk at an angle. This is something that is getting worse. I came across Nina a few weeks ago and she was shocked at the change. That was worrying. However, with the cycling and walking, with the weights I lift and the other exercises I reckon I will lose the fat stomach, feel better, think better also, or give up and be a slob! Things must change. getting a job, with the routine etc that goes with it would help, and being healthier might help me get a job. What kind of work needs fat slobs.

And when were are on the subject, why do folks use the word 'obese' in the media when they refer to fat folk? Are they ashamed? Or is 'fat' not educated enough? pretentious misuse of words by the media folk I guess. I am heading for 'fat,' and that in the big belly area at that. Not 'obese,' just 'fat,' and it's disgusting!