w/c 18th December 2023

Monday morning. Seems windy, but still dry. Good walk from Roundhay Park to Wetherby, over the original bridge crossing the Wharfe, via Shadwell, Wike, East Keswick and Collingham.

Tuesday morning... Less to say. Still windy yesterday but a bit sunny in spells. Meh. Nothing to say. Uninspired. Oh dear. Cuddled up with Lola pre six am. She decided she wanted to get up... I just hope mother stays asleep until 7... Otherwise tensions will arise?

***

Relocated to Caffé Nero on the Market Place in Wby. Which opens at 6:30am. There you go. The girl is at work by 5:30am. I am an early bird too. Had one half in BarTurd (barthree) and three Bavarian beers in The Meh (The Mews) and returned to mothers' as she went shopping for a little while. This meant I could eat my pasta bake in peace - sharing garlic, onions and the chipolatas which were in it with Lola.

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Thursday morning. Just awaiting the all clear from Archie's paw-rents. They're heading to Kaiserslautern for Christmas. It's a little stormy this morning. Gales which felt that they were going to bring do the scaffolding on a block on Wade Lane opposite The Merrion Centre. Wetherby again. Just Archie this morning. Perhaps Lola as well this afternoon if I get a bit of shut eye. Stupidly I decided to restart antidepressants last night and the woosie feeling I get from the first dose kept me up a lot of the night. Christmas is getting me down.

When I was out with Robert on Tuesday I saw we couldn't be more different in relation to this season. I negatively loath it and he positively loves it... I've still so long to go to forgive anyone, everything, the universe... It's such a plank of wood in my eye?

***

First "day" with Archie. Arrived yesterday morning but felt woeful. I should not have decided to take any antidepressants as a effect of the alcohol I had just intaken on Wednesday.

I reached for the pills as I climbed into the freshly laundered bed. I'd returned to the flat at 16:30 for the rice dish I'd prepared prior to leaving to try to get an, unsuccessful, refund for the unusable power bank sold by the the lucky lucky men in the Merrion Centre... But I cruised around Leeds from bar to bar, with a brief stop for some Jamaican dumplings in a new outlet in Kirkgate Market, finishing with a strong stout in Belgrave: it was my Christmas "blow out" (how many blow outs does one need?)

He's by my side at 6am. Last night, late last night, he sought to tell me he needed the toilet - so all my togs went and along Deighton Road we perambulated until he degorged himself of it. I have no idea where it all comes from as he only eats two bowls of the same kibble each day. He's got a hyperactive stomach: he's the opposite to Lola who seems to be able to eat everything (and often she does!)

We've a whole sober day ahead of us: I got PIP a few days early (due on Wednesday 28th) so my bank balance is top heavy for a change (well my credit card accounts are less again): I'll not get out of that debt for a while I suppose; last summer and loss of PIP did it (no I spent it!)

***

Windy evening and early morning. Saturday is here. It's blowing through the old Victorian terrace town house here on North Street. Archie is by my side. His paw-rents finally arrived in Frankfurt. I am relieved for them. The carnage of the big getaway for those dictated to by the gods of parenting - A commandment: you shalt not go away during term time. Education was literally something you wanted/needed/didn't get in the previous centuries and now it's taken over lives to such an extent that parents can't choose, without being penalised, for making their own choices... Strange days.

Running a bath for the second day running. Slowing down the day. It's going to be a quiet one. I will check out the fallen tree on the allotment at some point, but the weather for the next few days, including Christmas Day, seems stormy and wet. And it's a big leylandii which has spread itself over a section of the plot..