Thursday 22nd January 2026

It's Thursday again, so up with the larks and cats so to drink coffee and be awake enough to drive us to Whitfield at six for another cycling session.

I won't lie, things are going well. I have a pair of jeans on that a week ago was tight, and now are not so. Small wins, but the weight loss and fitness carries on apace.

Thing is, each morning I read old blog posts from the last seven years, and for the most part they mention having a bad back, so bad at times it stopped me from doing phys. Thing is, for the last three months, no back pain.

Of course you don't notice it going at first, its just after walking for an hour and the lack of pain registers. As does the need I had to take regular stops on benches and walls, they are no longer needed.

When people ask how things are going, or how I am, I tell them, I am in rude health, and feel like i'm getting better every day.

And all it has taken is me getting up early and heading to the gym, to do phys but to listen to podcasts or music.

And then as we finish and are walking to the car, many more are walking the other way to start their phys.

Then to Tesco for some gathering. We seem to get all what we needed and it come to less than expected, which was a pleasant surprise.

And back home for brews and breakfast before quarter to eight.

So, enough of the good news.

Jools has to be in town at nine, so I stay home and do whatever it is I do all day. I do have a shower and shave, and once I am all dressed in clean clothes, I get the vacuum out and give the living room a tickle, and thus upsetting every cat in the house.

It is another of those dull and drizzly days, meaning there was no going out for a walk or flower snapping.

Lunch was katsu curry and chicken with noodles. And there was oodles and oodles of noodles and vegetables.

Which was nice.

And being a phys day meant I could have booze, so finished up the bottle of wine.

Which meant trying to stay awake through the afternoon.

For the evening we started to rewatch Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, with Alec Guinness.

The period details even with low production values are wonderful. Like a fine wine, something to savour.

And that was your Thursday.

Wednesday 21st January 2026

It is the middle of the week.

Use it well.

And a day in which I do not do pys, but Jools does, and I drop her off as I needed the car.

It was a dreadful day, rain falling hard and would most of the day.

In fact I was going to go out with Jools all day, as after her fitness class, she was catching a train to Bromley for her monthly craft group there, and I would visit the parish church, which I check was open.

And then came the call from Janet.

Janet is Jools's aunt, and Janet needed a lift to the riverside Centre for an eye check as she has diabetes, and her neighbour can't go as he was having chemo.

So, I would not go to Bromley, instead I would pick up Jan at midday and take her into town, wait while she had her check, then ferry her home.

So after dropping Jools off, I had three hours to kill, so checked on the boxes of ragu and jambalaya in the freezer and put them back in reverse date order so we would eat the oldest first.

Dull adult stuff.

But I did it, and the freezer got all angry that the doors were open and the temperature was going up.

Bleep, bleep, bleep.

I am done with that. So have breakfast. Listen to more podcasts and watch videos until it was time to leave.

Jan lives in Whitfield, on one of the many post-war developments that make up Dover and the surrounding area. Getting there involves taking the off junction near the Whitfield roundabout and going past the Holiday Inn.

But traffic was light and I get there with no trouble. Jan sees me and comes out.

And starts talking.

She talks all the way into town, then from the car to the centre, and in the waiting room for the 15 minutes while the eyedrops start working.

Then talks all the way back to Whitfield, and sits in the car for five minutes while she talks some more.

I make it sound like I don't care or am heartless. She meant well, and is nice enough.

Even still it was good to drop her off and be able to drive away, stopping at the Co-Op on the way home for a sandwich and bag of crisps.

And a pack of dark chocolate digestives.

Back home I make a brew and eat lunch, then sit with Scully on the sofa to watch another documentary about Pompei and then double Bangers and Cash.

By that time it was four, and still raining outside.

I wait to five, feed the cats and test Scully, wash up and tidy up.

So I could leave at six to drive back into town to collect Jools from the twenty past six train from Victoria.

Once she emerges from the station, she walks over and climbs in, then back home up Jubilee Way, where the cats say they haven't been fed.

Liars, all.

Pizza for supper, then football as I watch Portsmouth as they are one place below us, so make sure they don't win and leapfrog over us.

They don't. But it was a poor, poor game.

Old man shouts at clouds

Yesterday, 21st January 2026, was quite the day.

President Donald Judas Trump had been threatening in increasingly alarming fashion, that Greenland was going to either be bought or invaded, or else. And that two sets f tariffs were to be imposed on the eight European nations, UK included, who sent military personell to Greenland to discuss deployment to defend it.

Meanwhile Canada's Prime Minister, Mark Carny, said that the natiopn's troops would deploy and fight a US invasion and a major Danish pension fund it was de-investion in US Government bonds as it was seen as bad investmets.

This was laughed at by a member of Trump's administration, his name is unimportant as is his views. Because Europe owns trillion of dollers of US Government debt, and were they all to dump the stock it would ruin the US economy.

Trump then spoke, rather rambled, to the World Economic Formum, where he may or may not have said that force would or would not be used in securing Greenland as US.

He then confused Greenland with Iceland at least four times, since denied in strongest terms by his Press Secretary. But its all on video tape.

He then lied on Truth Social that some kind of deal had been done with the head of NATO, though the details would be revealled in due course, but he was happy that his aims would be met. And so tariffs planned for the end of January would be scrapped.

Mark Rutte denied that Greenland had been mentioned in their brief meeting.

But go figure.

Trump is a senile old man who has been made the world's most powerful person, and the gatekeepers of the US Constitution and laws have not carried out their duties, allowing the 80 year old man baby tantrum his way across global politics.

But Europe faced him down, and he baulked. This time.

We must not forget this, and plan for a future without support, or needing that support, from the USA.

Tuesday 20th January 2026

The days and weeks fly by.

Its Tuesday, which means up at silly o'clock to get dressed, have a coffee and be out to go to the gym just before six.

I am aware that our days are falling into a pattern, but that's the same for most people, whether they work or not.

There is going to be some different stuff coming up in the next five to six weeks, so stay tuned.

I get to the gym, and scuttle to the entrance as it was cold and raining.

But I am there and do my session, listening to a podcast, Word in Your Ear from the weekend, and the time flies.

Then back home so Jools can have the car, and she has a fresh brew waiting when I get back. Half an hour later she is gone, and the morning is mine, which I waste.

Though I do have a shower and feel much better again.

Rain eases and the sun comes out. So I go for a walk, just to look for flowers and take shots.

The usual suspects were out, but a single daffodil is in bud at the corner of the road, along with a single crocus, so that means its spring, right?

Right.

Jools went into town, so I get on preparing what would be a late lunch or an early dinner; steak, air fryer chips, garlic mushrooms and corn.

And wine.

I miss up the steak a bit, but its still pretty good, and it all goes down very well. Just a shame there's a pile of washing up to do when we finish.

Football on the radio from six, then football on the TV as Norwich travelled to West Bromwich, and I didn't have high hopes.

But what do I Know? Norwich rattled in five goals without reply. Three in the last twenty minutes to lift us out of the relegation zone for the first time since October.

Citeh lost at Bodo, which was damned funny.

So it goes, so it goes.

Monday 19th January 2026

Monday,

Blue Monday.

And we're not going to work as we don't any more.

Sadly, between my brain and my body, they decide that I should not sleep long and/or soundly, so was awake at half four waiting for the alarm to go off.

That being said, I had nothing I needed to concentrate on, so I would take the day perhaps easier than usual.

Jools, however, is going to the pool for a swim, so I was alone just with a cup of coffee to keep me company.

It was a day which was bright and not that cold, and the first day when it began to fade, that it was obvious that it got darker later.

Or not so early.

Jools takes Mulder and Scully to the vets for their jabs. And whilst there, Scully was weighed, and the good new is she has put on another half kilo and now is 4.2Kg, so is no longer skin and bone.

This is a massive result.

Our main task for the day was to go to Walmer to pick out some stuff for our new shower, as we are having the bathroom redone when we're in Cyprus at the beginning of March, which is all so suddenly very close indeed.

So, tiles or backboards have to be chosen, new flooring and the show tray and glass side as well.

So after lunch we go into Walmer and down the maze of roads of the post war estates where on a junction is the bathroom warehouse and supply place.

We're not choosy, and pick a backboard that matches the kitchen worktops, the rest can sort themselves out.

So we leave.

Happy.

Back home there is a two hour Bangers and Cash marathon, with me sitting with Scully, as she wants that as much as food to be honest. And it keeps me off the computer and internet.

Dinner is katsu curry, rice and breaded chicken. A huge plate of stir fry, but my body needed fibre, so I overdid it during the day.

Anyway.

So, we ate well and then there was football with the two hours of talking about football before the actual football, by which time I was bored, so come quarter past nine, and half an hour from time, I gave up and went to bed.

Sunday 18th January 2026

Sunday.

Indeed, "super" Sunday if we were to believe Sky Sports.

More of that later.

Being a Sunday meant it was gym first thing. So up at six and out of the house at five to seven, and a quick drive to Whitfeld before the crowds.

A quiet day for weather, light winds and milky sun, so we arrive, park up and rush to the entrance, as what breeze there was, was chilly, and up to the gym where there were half a dozen others.

So we do our stuff for forty or so minutes, then am done, but Steve and Sandra, our new work out buddies had arrived, so we chat for a while. And then was free to come home.

Radcliffe and Maconie had just started their show, so we listened on the short drive home, and back in the house as we made breakfast and a cuppa.

We go to see Jen, as we had not been for a week. She had been gardening as it was so nice. Nice maybe in Whitfield, but not in clifftop St Maggies where the wind whistles through the hedges.

We have a brew and chat, fix some more of her phone issues. We're nearly there, fiding out how to turn notifications off, as the bloody thing chirps every thirty seconds or so.

Our job done, we go home as the footy kicked off at two.

And there so passed the four longest hours, as over 180 minutes plus injury time, Wolves, Newcastle, Villa and Everton manage a single goal between them.

And that was that.

Hash for dinner, here is me halfway though cooking it. And with it I drank the last of the Christmas beers.

And so, another weekend over, with Monday to follow. And Blue Monday at that. But we're retired now, so every day is a weekend.

Saturday 17th January 2026

It is the weekend.

Again.

And with the cup last weekend, its back to league action for all teams, and tat means an afternoon on the sofa with Scully listening to Radio 5 Live and watching Final Score.

I can't explain, but its the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

But before then there is always gym.

Yes, another day another session. So after coffee we head to Whitfield, arriving with the car park less than half full, so we go up claim our bikes and off we go.

Only there's something wrong with my phone. When I swipe it, there are no app icons, just a blank screen. No matter what I try to do, I can access podcasts or the internet, so have to listen to the Eurodisco on the speakers, pedal round Chicago and hope the time goes quick.

It does.

Whilst waiting for Jools, I see that there are new termsto agree to. Or guess there are as I don't have my glasses, so click OK and the phone magically comes to life.

To late.

Then off to Tesco for supplies. We don't need much, but still comes to a hundred quid. There is an aisle now given over only to Easter stuff and Easter Eggs.

In January.

Back home where we have a brew, put the shopping away and have the radio on, as the day brightens.

Jools is off to Maison Dieu for a day where lots of volunteer groups and the like are there to tempt people to join crafting, running and all sorts.

I don't go, I stay for a shower, then listen to more radio until at half twelve, the Manc Derby kicks off.

Citeh should have won easy, but United under their interim manager play well and win 2-0, and have three others disallowed for offside, one was close.

Lunch/dinner was the cottage pie I made with the Christmas beef. Defrosted and with more cheese grated on top, baked for half an hour an served with Boston Beans.

Was another triumph and very filling, so much so we don't eat for the rest of the day.

But it seems managing is easy.

Then to the sofa where I keep track on Norwich who win away in Wrexham.

Yay.

Before the evening game I watch Bayern play Leipzig and Bayern romp to a 5-1 win, while on the radio, Arsenal draw with Forest.

Another day done, peeps.