View from the bog, this has been a blessing, puts life into perspective every morning. Most visitors are too shy to use it but I don’t give a… literally 
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All of these photos of the countryside are lovely but it’s also a fact that at times I really miss London. Used to love wandering round Covent Garden and soho, early morning (either after getting up or after a night out). Can someone please post some photos of some London record shops. Or anywhere else I guess. I do get the lovely countryside, but I don’t get the chance to go to a decent dance music stockist, it’s all internet out here.
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Nothing radical to add really apart from this forum has been great, this thread in particular; so thanks everyone.
Haven’t learnt Mandarin or even managed to do a sourdough thingy although I did buy a skipping rope and learnt to ‘jump rope’ (the favoured term of millenials and marketing moguls) talk about knackering but good and gets the exercise in - took me a few weeks to get to the hang of it and still not up there with a prize fighter.
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Can’t remember if I posted this previously or not. It’s all the free courses currently available through the Open University. Some really good courses and the OU is a great way to learn.
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My love of ambient has gone through the roof since March 2020. I’ve always loved it and collected it, but it has been my number one obsession the last year. That said, I cannot wait for that moment that a bass line shakes my insides on the dance floor again.
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Got into the water this afternoon absolutely freezing. My Mrs swims most days with a few friends and had a late full moon swim last night… She always says it lovely 
no wet suits no bloody dry Robes just in and out…
I was only down by those railing on way home from work…
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Just bought one of these with a hood so I can listen to music while the cold ass Long Island waves beat the crap out of me.
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Maybe some tips for getting out of your reading languish, might dig out my copy of Crow Road and try…
Can’t beat a bit of Vitamin Sea.
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Re-reading large parts of John le Carre’s output has done it for me and now I’m reading every night again. I love the way he can unfold a story with the layers becoming clear (or maybe never becoming clear) as you go on. There is rarely right or wrong, or black and white only a multitude of shades of grey.
I’m reading the little drummer girl at the moment which is making me ask questions about what I do know about Israel and Palestine (almost nothing).
All of them are recommended except for the mission song which I put down for the second time.
And if you do enjoy then the BBC Radio 4 complete smiley dramas are just excellent. Simon Russell Beale even sounds like Alec Guiness which is a major plus in my book.
Iain Banks may be a good tip for my next read. Haven’t read any for 15 years or so, may be a good time to revisit.
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I had a very slow week or so and could feel me not doing any of the things that have been keeping me sane and getting a bit lazy. I couldn’t work out what was up but my mate pointed out when I was smashing the exercise life was kicking along so I joined the gym, swift 5k, back in the game.
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I read his novel, A Small Town in Germany, last year, and enjoyed it.
Have a pile of his other books I got for 50p each to get through as well when the time arises.
Rain forecast tomorrow and temperatures reached 0 last night… But today is a good day🙏
Welcome to Irish summer
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Had my first kite surfing lesson with two mates yesterday. That was fun.
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Bonnie indeed!
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There were two other people on the whole beach and the tree frogs were as loud as a motorcycle. A nice break from humans resets my emotional clock.
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Daughter home from the smoke for short trip home, not seen her for over a year so happy as a sand boy here, bit of normality really lifted the mood. That full moon really messed with my head last week. Weird how you notice small things when you have no distractions…
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Having sat on my lazy ass for the past 12 months, or in the hammock doing far too much vape/mushroom extract, I have been clean and serene since Dec but still pretty static. So, having thought I never really dug running (asthmatic since childhood, albeit mild these days), in he past couple of weeks I’ve progressed from fast walking about 7km per day, to my first 5km run this morning in a not too shabby 33 Mins. Not bad, if I say so myself, as a nearly 50 year old anti-runner. Followed by a 5km walk and then a 12km bike ride with the kids.
I have a feeling this could be my new addiction/obsession…
Living near the Grand Union Canal helps massively
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Good on ya. Onwards and upwards as they say 
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I used to live in West Ealing and loved cycling all of the way along the Grand Union to Paddington, then on through Hyde Park and into town. There’s something about canals that feels like they’re secret hiden areas.
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