A rebel without a clue.

I almost fell off the wagon on Saturday evening, but I swerved around the collosal mistake by refusing to stay in busy, fit to bust, Leeds city centre. If I had gone to Belgrave after a half in North Bar I think I would've unwound all the good stuff from the trip up to Sutton Bank with Stephen Betts. It's fairly safe to say, I am almost 100% certain, that Lola hasn't been for an adventure quite like that ever? Down to Gormire Lake and up to the Cleveland Way she was a happy pupster bolting through leaf litter and a very sandy soil field. I love her whenever she seems so tickled that she goes on Vizsla spinnies! On the soft surface she seems totally unconcerned by her poorly foot and reclaims her youthful exuberance! And she was skill in the car too: quite happily laid behind the driver and passenger. We will do that again. *** Finally reported the leak from the toilet cistern with Leeds City Council out of hours emergency number: perhaps the issue can be resolved and I won...

So far so good. Lola, Stephen and I drove up to Sutton Bank walked down to Gormire Lake, went clockwise around it and climbed back up to the escarpment and continued along the Cleveland Way. My left foot spasmed on near the end: new boots first outing (hope it's not a sign of things to come)? Stephen had some issue with his left ankle: we're falling apart at the seams it seems. He needs to heal his heel and I need a new left foot to attach to my left leg! On the way back to Leeds for two nights, I've got to be at the flat for an induction about the new fire safety being installed in the block from the 21st. The forecast suggests tomorrow will be a right off weatherwise, but if there is an opportunity to walk in these new boots I'll try again. Scarpa Evo GTX. Had three pints of Wetherby Jet Black Porter and one bottle Orval yesterday at the brewery. Slept well. Stephen and I had a very weighty and tasty BEST bap from Tancred Farm near Whixley, Lola had two chipolata saus...

Lola took me up through Ainsty View to the back entrance to the allotment yesterday morning. We'd not been that way together in a while. She seemed uninterested in a long walk, and I wanted to spend some time at the allotment before meeting Ian and Andy at the Mews around 2pm, so I let her take me up through the ginnel between the Ainsty Co-op and Poplar Avenue. At the junction I gave her the option of going up Maple Drive or along Poplar Avenue towards Kings Meadow. It's been ages since we walked that way to where it's possible to join the Old Railway. After a little longer, heading towards the Bridge on Spofforth Hill, we were back at mum's little more than an hour later. After three pints with Ian and Andy, and a somewhat uncomfortable few moments not knowing if I'd offended Andy, I went and collected Merry Legs who brought me back to the Mews. After her being smothered in affection by all the people in the bar area I took her for a short walk up Hallfield Lane, ...

Wednesday was a physically demanding day. From walking Lola at 8:45 until 1615, when I returned with Finley from post-school adventure. Between 1 and 2:30 I drank two 3.6% beers while trying to hear what a friendly but very quiet man was saying. At 4:30 I was just in time for the X98 with its host of troublesome high school adolescents: savagely barbaric swarming on the top floor of the double decker. The times of the day when the bus has school kids on it should also have some form of 'monitor' just to reduce the chaos and disorder which follows the frantic teenagers. Hopping off the X98 at Oakwood I went for a couple of pinta to read South from Granada . Preston, part of the North Bar chain, always dims it's lights around 6 so I was stopped in my tracks. I decided to leave and get chips and curry sauce early. One pint was adequate: a healthy amount of beer! Back to the flat on the 13A, heading along Roundhay Road, Sheepscar interchange and North Street. Bed! Snoring until...

It's raining, but I don't care. I've a couple of sacks of early crop potatoes to sow on Wednesday - February for harvest July - and a sack of potting compost to make a real start with vegetables for planting come the spring, £8.50 from Wilkos at the bottom of Albion Street in Leeds. Begun to get the ball rolling with volunteering on weekends, and cutting back on nonsensical alcohol bingeing, I can help the Meanwood Valley Volunteer Rangers. Will see Andy at the Allotment on Wednesday too - I keep calling Jonathan Morton at Leeds City Council, but I've not got through to him yet, it's been months! *** Suddenly Wetherby is so boring. It's always felt like a one horse town, but I watched myself drinking a Belgian dark hot chocolate in BAE (£3) and thought 'banal'. There is only so much banality I can cope with and today, in the drizzle, was making suicide seem like a positive response! *** At 2pm I walked up Deighton Road to Mark Lane, passed Kirk Deighton ...

Lola had a poorly ear, £70. Mother has a poorly tooth, priceless, And I have an alcohol support session this afternoon, meaningless. Monday afternoon bus yo-yo The second bus since arriving back at my flat, very late, on Saturday night. Back to the same routine. The few days away in Andalucia were worthy, I suppose, but there is nothing permanent about it. Glenn turned on his laptop and groaned and I woke up at six and returned to podcast-land. 

A tearful morning. An image of a Vizsla crawling onto a bed and All I Need Is A Miracle playing alongside and I get the emotion engendered there ... When nothing fits, when nothing makes me smile, and am in the pits of despair, I can only return to Lola to help keep me going along the dark weary road I trudge. A proxy, but that image encapsulates why, without her, I would not be here. One careless whisper and months of positivity melt into the cracks of existence once more. People are cruel and I don't need any of them in my life; give me another moment with Lola and things will, just about, soldier on. ... Bored of war! Another conflict being created to keep us bickering and fighting amongst ourselves. Why can't they say enough is enough. There are more important things than conflict. Harmony and unity, brotherness and togetherness. *** For several months I have managed my mental health without SNRIs because I had been keeping certain things at arms length: COVID-19 does that ...