A rebel without a clue.

Finally, as my eyesight fails me, a book worthy of squinting in the badly lit space opposite the bar in Bar Three... East of Eden . And I've had to take my glasses off to see any of the too fine print in this dark chamber. It's a fine novel and reminds me of One Hundred Years of Solitude  for some obscure reason: I've been waiting a long time to delve into such a glorious scrap of paper... *** At 8pm I hung up Archies collar and lead on the floor. Having just had him out from 6 for a rough hour to the river, and it's human detritus, and back I thought he was looking at me(and letting of a little gas) because he needed yet another crap! So out we went to Sandringham Park field where he spent another few moments sniffing, licking and pissing on certain spots around the field,  like a notice board being read for every notification, before we climbed up the wooden hill to reach the sanctuary of the room at the top where the gassing continued while I faded into a good night...

Leeds is such a lonely city Bumper to bumper; stretching home. There they sit surrounded by walls Here I sit defined by brick and glass The lights switch on Pouring waves against The clashes in denial Unnatural and beyond me. They do this willingly? Everyday the gap grows And community shrinks Lungs fill up in a last choke Another puffs a cigarette Double destiny being such sorrow A way too dense to pull out Harming everything we ever had It is a picture of the end Days left spluttering, Cough and the life fades.

Aghh! Monday morning and I had no coffee beans in their Delonghi machine... How did man cope in the morning before the sudden appearance of Arabica and Robusta? On small beer or some leaf with some caffeine in it? Other than tea? Although tea goes back centuries when did it reach the west? Time to gather myself together shortly for the dismal trip to Leeds just to collect any mail from the DWP; it is pending. A few moments ago I thought I was enjoying Wetherby then I was reminded that this can never be the case... In moments I dwell in happiness, but it's too brief. A man without a t-shirt on walks into The Oven Door and I wonder...they probably serve him without a moment's pause. Archie and I called into Emma's to feed her fish and went up to the allotment to water Andy's celery and our tomatoes and courgettes: this warm week might bring some colour to those many which are green? A wasp alighted on the page I was reading and cleaned it's antennae as I pondered Lewi...

Brilliant afternoon on Saturday. Catching the x70 to The Stray and walking into Harrogate. Having a few hours away from sterile Wetherby. Wasn't drunk but woke at 3 having had a full night's sleep, uninterrupted, again. But struggled back into sleep until I definitely awoke at 6, two coffees, one Oatsosimple and an hour around Wetherby up the old A1 (A168). Back to chill before heading to the allotment for around two hours. The lamb Madras I bought on Thursday, and ate over three days, has played havoc with my bowels! Dropped Archie at mum's and popped out to listen to 4 tedious posh birds discuss giving birth and planning an oh so stereotypical hen party. It can't be any fun being that middle of the road. They're perfect early 30s. Oohing and aahing at photos of babies. There is nothing to them. Now I will need to wait until next Saturday to escape this meaningless chatter... It's the kind of banality which makes me turn to the bottle. One down and three to go....

No hangover and an unbroken night's sleep on the top floor: also I was marginally aware of Archie's ball licking antics... I think he was as it only once, but I was in a string of dreams which were entertaining me. Saturday morning. Last night it went cold; bitterly. Walking the brief distance down York Road to North Street and I was freezing as the rain drops got warmer... Will any of the tomatoes develop a redness if the weather is so fluctuating... We need another month of summer and not a pseudo-autumn? And yesterday Glenn went to LBA and, finally, I've my backpack back! He made a joke telling me it has been sent back to Beauvais and I quite believed him... Because no one in Leeds seems capable of effective logistics? The number of calls and emails I've sent to all the several companies within that circus. It's a shite airport really: not that I can categorize airports at all? But it's a third rate gateway to 'Yorkshire'? And I don't know if York...

The highlight of today may be the chance of being stung by a wasp or the  wind ripping up the parasols... But then Paul and Claire (and new pupster Rolo) walk passed. They've not been around in ages: 5 weeks in France recently. Visit to the Opticians: Specsavers and I've a form of cataract which can be caused by a trauma (and I have had a few in the preceding two years). It's effecting my quality of life! What quality. I must go to the allotment tomorrow. *** Archie slept downstairs at first, then resettled at the bottom of the bed. Three youths hung outside on the street for a good hour: it was a stuffy night on the top floor so closing the window and having to sleep on top of the duvet for the majority of the night meant another disturbed night's rest. When Archie started his nighttime ball licking I told him to stop. With a yawn he did so and we slept pretty well for a few more hours. But it's not enough. The Mews had a quiz night thing on and it was loud and ted...

At which point am I going to throw off this dull account of the days? There is little use in the repetition? But it goes with Wetherby as there is little 'a matter' to it: with me... perhaps I am bland? No. I am not! This morning Lola, Archie and I did adventure. They had a whale of a time and both flaked out before I began making lunch: Basmati rice flavoured with onions and garlic from the allotment, nigella seeds, Turmeric and one low salt bullion cube. The short Perec piece I bought in Rouen has almost run out of oxygen as I keep going over the preceding pages of  A Man Asleep  without being aware and I have already read that 'chapter' but I will persevere... ... Second beer in a few hours. It's all there is to it. Maybe a critique of every beer is in order? However that also feels banal. It's a hazy session beer by Beavertown. Two halves is enough! Thankfully the Mews opens on Wednesday and the allotment is an option after the morning walks with Lola and Ar...