“Hello Darkness my old friend….. ”

Week 18

Saturday 7^th > Sunday 8^th

Well a quick recap of last night’s plans! Sea Bream is still in the fridge. The current Mrs Clark got home around 6pm, knocked back a glass of Prossecco & suggested we go to Nino’s as it was just the two of us! Well who am I to say no to a working woman! Off we trotted, hadn’t booked but were luckily squeezed in as even at 7pm they were just about full.

I had a wonderful cod dish done with olives & tapenade. Apparently it’s always been on the menu but after all these years I can’t recall having seen it. Back home by 9pm to finish the bottle of bubbly & an early night was taken.

Saturday started a bit early with me getting up at 5.45am!! After having a bowl of porridge, cup of tea & slice of toast I thought sod it! So went back to bed for another 3 hours J Even if I was sharing the bed with Snorey McSnoreface! That’s what the best part of a bottle of red wine does.

Then came the heart stopping moment of the day, yep it was getting the DJ out & seeing what state I’d put it away in last time I wore it. Luckily it was just before Christmas & I’d just had the biopsy which tried to kill me, so I wasn’t drinking that night. A quick trip to Reading Station to pick up the daughter & latest squeeze & then back home for beer on the patio with baked brie that was just about to make a break for it from the fridge, head down to Dover, jump on a ferry & get back home!! Cheese Eating Surrender Monkey!!

Tom took the obligatory photo of us looking smart before we headed off to OBR 

It was a cracking night, emotional in places. Max was awarded the Hutchinson / Frost Young Player of the Year award. 

This was a total surprise to all of us, but very much deserved. He’s got a few names to live up to who’ve won the trophy in the past. Azza. Duffers, Olly Poole……………. No pressure Max! 

I was quite moved by the good wishes I received from numerous different people on the night. OBR is very much a second home to us, having the whole family there for the first time in ages made the evening extra special.

Sunday was spent sitting in a deck chair in the garden, reading. & waiting for the hangover to disappear. That’s the first time I’ve overindulged since Christmas, I’d forgotten quite how bad I feel with a hangover. My throat is also pretty swollen today so I think a few days alcohol free are called for.  Early nights all round for us tonight.

Monday 9^th > Sunday 13^th

Monday wasn’t great I’m afraid. A poor night’s sleep again followed by an early morning. I managed to start work by 7.30 but was struggling to concentrate on even simple tasks. I eventually packed in around midday having completed probably about 75% of what I’d hoped for the day. A light lunch of Sea Bream & salad was followed by a 3 hour sleep in bed! Well they do say that sleep is a great healer. My throat has been extremely sore again today, as previously mentioned, the pain is now of the left of the throat, the tumour was on the right? Go figure.

It looks like British Summer Time has been & gone. After a glorious weekend Monday is drawing to a close with heavy rain. Now where did I put that thick sweater?

I’m a massive reader of books, especially self published authors. Some are good, some are poor & some are simple unreadable. At the moment I’m reading a book about Corfu in the winter. It’s written by a chap who knows Arillas well, & stays at Anna’s which is where Carol & I will be going in June. His book has given me a number of pointers for my own book converted from this blog. So far I’ve written 5 chapters & I’m only half way through January 2016! A good friend of mine offered a couple of years ago to look at another book that is in skeleton form before I even looked to publish is. Marjie, does the offer still stand? J

The rest of the week I’m afraid was a bit of a daze. As expected my mother passed away on Wednesday. Even though her quality of life had been non existent for the past few months it’s obviously a great loss & she’ll be sadly missed. My father is away with the fairies I’m afraid & phoned me three times to tell me that mum had died. I was as patient as I could be, but by the third call I was getting a tad feisty! You’ll have seen through this blog that I’m not exactly close to my father, but I do really feel for him at the moment. Hopefully he’ll be getting the care he needs in the Nursing Home he’s now in.

The date for the funeral hasn’t been set yet, but I’m guessing it’ll be the week commencing 23^rd May. It’s doubtful if the kids will be able to make it as they’ll both be in the middle of their exams.

Friday evening was spent in possibly the most expensive pub outside of London. £4.20 for a pint of Speckled Hen!!! But the company more than made up for the beer price. I’ve known Jools for over 20 years. We don’t see each other as often as we used to, but when we do we just fall back into the old ways. Friends like that can’t be bought.

I was feeling pretty rough on Saturday, very tired & a rather sore throat. However we still went out to dinner at some friends & had a wonderful evening. Superb food, lovely wines & best of all great company. Just what the Dr. ordered. As I was feeling a bit rough I drove so it was Carol who managed to sample the wines & single malts. A slightly sore head on Sunday morning.

Having read through the blog again, it’s obvious that the last few posts are turning into diary of day to day activities. That wasn’t what I’d originally planned & not how I want it to continue. As I’m recovering slowly there is less to write about cancer & the effects it’s having on us as a family. I think now is perhaps the time to put the blog to rest until there is something worth posting health wise. That’ll also give me time to concentrate on getting the book into some sort of order.

So for now, thank you for reading & your continued support.

To be continued……………………..

#Shouldertoshoulder