Monday 14 July 2014

Runcorn

We have had some gorgeous weather recently, I really can't stay indoors when the sun is shinning, so have been out walking and cycling every day. A couple of days ago I cycled to Runcorn, outward via the Bridgewater canal and return along the Trans Pennine route, was about 25 miles in total, was pretty easy, so quite pleased with that, obviously its mostly flat so I shouldn't have any real problems. Tomorrow I am going to get the train to Southport and cycle back, I think its a bit over 40 miles, so that will be the furthest I have been since last August, I know I wont have any real problems, so quite pleased at my level of fitness.

 
The Bridge, Runcorn

 
View down the Mersey towards Liverpool
 
 

Since I left hospital I haven't real set out to get ultra fit, I have only really done what I was doing last year, but with a lot more determination and a lot more satisfaction, especially as I still have an unwanted passenger clinging to my remaining Kidney.

Spike Island

My sleeping pattern has been awful recently, I have never been the best of sleepers. This past week alone I have had two nights where I haven't slept at all, I just don't seem to get tired despite all the exercise I am doing, it doesn't help of course talking or skyping people in the middle of the night.
One day last week instead of sleeping I went out at 4am to go and photograph the sun rise over Fiddlers Ferry power station, ok so it doesn't sound very romantic, but from Spike Island near Widnes the view is rather good, and as the tide was way out the estuary was covered in rivers of water in and out of the sandbanks, add the rotting boats in the foreground and it was all very photogenic. Was a gorgeous morning and I was so pleased to go out, as this is the sort of thing I used to do a lot of.

 
 

 
Fiddlers Ferry power station
 
It still sends a shiver down my spine how I spent two months in my hospital bed with a view of the power station, thinking I would never be able cycle past it again, funny sort of attachment, each to their  own! :-)
 


1984

Rather a long gap since my last post, had bit of a rough time emotionally, physically I have never felt better, but my thought process leaves a lot to be desired and at times makes life very difficult, a lot of my thinking is not about the cancer, but more about problems in my life that flare up now and again, and being ill has brought some of them back into the open, so a little hard going. I am positive and will sort my head out, I have been reading a book, 'Stop thinking and start living', while it is a very simplistic approach and a lot of the advice is not very practical, every now and again there is something that opens your eyes, and it has made me very aware of how our thoughts disrupt our daily lives, and I do consciously try to change where my thoughts are taking me, so it certainly is not doing me any harm.


 
Aimy outside the Playhouse
 
Went to see 1984 at the Playhouse Theatre in London, was a little disappointed, generally it was pretty good, but I don't think it did real justice to the book, which would probably be very hard to achieve. While in London we went to Highgate cemetery, I have wanted to go there for years, the West cemetery is by guided tour only, I am not generally a fan of guided tours as I like to walk around at my own pace, and the guide did have quite a quick pace, but she did come up with some interesting facts and anecdotes, I would love to visit in the winter on a misty November morning, I will have to some research about single person non guided tours, if you no what I mean.
 
 
 
Highgate West cemetery
 
On the way back to central London we stopped at The Aces and Eights bar in Tufnell Park, interesting place and some interesting decoration to the walls, the girl behind the bar was literally covered in Tattoos, and with her dark skin the colours were quite muted, so she looked fab.
 
 
 
Aces and Eights