Monday am. penultimate morning in England.

What I should have done and what I actually did are not the same: it's why I am constantly ill at ease. Firstly the long walk up to Waitrose via St Chad's in Headingley, which was a test to see what the shoes I've been wearing for dog sitting/walking duties since July would be like on a long walk through suburbia to the pain on my left arch area, was a good thing. Then I briefly saw Glenn who was a little shifty and wouldn't come for breakfast across at Fika, so I stupidly bought two doughy bunlike affairs at the bakery/deli just off Hollin Lane which didn't give me the kind of energy I sought. Walking into Meanwood, through the park I didn't feel right so after the purchases I made at Waitrose I wrongly had two sour half pints - one each in Terminus and Alfred - and then, because the new Meanwood Tavern doesn't open until October - where I was going to have one more half and then head back to the flat - I walked back into Leeds along Otley Road, going over rather than along the Ridge, to meet up with Mark (Glenn's nephew), who I haven't seen for a while, so it turned into an afternoon drinking around the usual places before having a pizza at Pizza Fella. At that point Mark headed home on the 51 so I set off towards the flat, but somehow I ended up having two more halves in Reliance (where a lurcher dog didn't like me) and Brunswick, where I missed the bench I went to sit on and was asked to leave...

Coming back to the flat, finally, I undercooked the tomatoes and overcooked the pasta and ate more food I didn't need. 

So at 3 I was awake again. Now at 5:30am I am pissed off with myself. I was looking forward to a quality day with Lola in Wetherby before I head off to France on Tuesday afternoon...

But, thankfully, it's raining. It was thundering too in the night. I saw a flash behind my eyes and wondered what it was... Lightning! So I probably can't do very much at the allotment... It's early and I am not hungover - just insomnia tired. Body misfiring.

I will stay in Wetherby this evening and head straight to Leeds Bradford Airport form there in the morning. No booze today and I will be focused for France as I can't get distracted in Leeds as I won't be hanging around.

The shoes appear OK, but if necessary, I may buy some Teva sandals or Keen or something similar in France: in July - during the extreme heat - I enjoyed wearing the ECCO sandals, but they just didn't last very long before having to return to Charles Clinkards...