Sunday 14th January 2018

I did not sleep well, and awoke at half six with a woolly head and indigestion, but that’s red wine and snacking for you. It seemed to soon to be on the 2nd day of the weekend, but there we are.

I get up, feed the cats and think about making a coffee.

But before anything, even bacon and football, there is the cross trainer. Yes, I girded my loins once more, and after the rest day on Saturday, I really should get back on it. So, with Jools making vague promises about her doing her session “later”, I go back upstairs, put on my trainers and put on the I pod. And off we go.

With a soundtrack of New Order, The Rolling Stones, Bowie among others, I get the 30 minute session done, and almost enjoy it. Almost, but then I had done it. And after a short break in which to get my breath back, I go to cook bacon butties for us. Meaning that I can eat mine at the godly hour of half nine in the morning whilst watching the football, whole outside the forecasted rain failed to appear, and instead warm sunshine poured through the windows at the back of the house.

I go to help Jools in the garden, taking down the quince tree. It has been infected with blight each of the four seasons we had it, was looking good last year as it had flowers on for the first time, and we hoped it would fruit. But the blight returned, killed off any growing fruit and then the leaves dropped off. So we cut our losses. And it would have infected other fruit plants with blight too, and that would never do. On top of that, we had to bag up all the compost and soil in the big pot too, as that would be infected as well.

Lunch came, later than usual, and then there was football to listen too: Arse at Bournemouth, and once again the Gunners managed to snatch defeat from victory, conceding two goals in the last 20 minutes to slump to another defeat, and then there was the much anticipated game between Liverpool and Citeh, which for once lived up to expectations and hype, ending up a 4-3 win for Liverpool, and a very enjoyable game it was. And what a pleasant change to have both managers at the end of the game, talking to the press, both with huge smiles on their faces after their teams contributing to the game of the season. Of course, Citeh are still at least 12 points clear at the top, so maybe it didn't matter too much, but it is, at the end of the day, entertainment, and we were gloriously entertains. Sadly, Man Utd play on Monday, so the grouch will return and the run extracted.

I had got some of the turkey out of the freezer, warmed that through in the oven, and so had a quick roast dinner with steamed vegetables, roast potatoes and Yorkshire puddings. As you do. Al ready in an hour, and wonderful.

All in all, a quiet Sunday, rounded off by watching a documentary on the Voyager missions and another on the life of Neil Armstrong. Voyager and the Apollo missions; two of the greatest achievements of mankind. Ig am humbled.