There was something about the air yesterday, and I suppose it was the medium level of pollution reported in the weather forecast, that had an effect on me, and quite a few others. I mentioned yesterday how the night air seemed to make me feel mildly wheezy as I walked home from the station after my Thursday drinking session. Yesterday it affected me again as I tried to walk through the park as fast as possible. I drew some comfort that all the joggers who passed me as I walked were all panting more heavily than usual. Often I don't hear them panting, but yesterday I heard each and everyone breathing very heavily.

  The reason why I was trying to rush through the park was that I left home so late in the day. I had made the assumption that Angela would not be in the pub at lunchtime. It had gone midday when I sent her a message saying I wasn't expecting her to be there, but I was out for a walk anyway, and would be in the pub for at least one pint at lunchtime. Part of me hoped that Angela would say that she would not be going. There was stuff I wanted to do around the house, and the weather seemed too miserable to make any walk enjoyable by any stretch of the imagination. The other half of me was more than happy to hear from Angela that she would be there !

 I didn't start out until 12:42, and that gave me just 18 minutes to get to the pub - hence the need to try and walk as fast as I could. I walked to the pub by about the most direct route, and I think I arrived there in about 13 minutes. I guess that despite the pollution making me feel slightly wheezy, I had possibly broken my record time of getting to the pub.

  I think it was less than 10 minutes after arriving there that Angela walked in, and seemed pleased to see me. I guess she is always pleased to see me in there to one degree or another, but yesterday she seemed more pleased than usual. I'm not sure why I thought that. I think it was some sort of subtle body language that only my subconscious can decipher.

  It was one of those sessions where time seemed to fly by, and all too soon it was time to leave again. Prior to that I learned some important information. It seems that lover boy is going to visit, and stay with his folks this Saturday night. Angela was supposed to go too, but she declined. Sometimes I think that my idea of a growing rift between those two is not just a fantasy.

  With Angela not on the leash tonight there is a very tiny chance that we might end up seeing each other for a drink, or a gig tonight. If there was an easy to get to gig featuring a band we both want to see that tiny chance could by a bit less tiny, but Angela couldn't think of any gig that appealed to her. I had planned to see Chain tonight, if I could force myself out the door in the cold dark night, but I told Angela that if there was any chance of spending time with her, that would be my higher priority.

  I didn't take any chances yesterday. I put all thoughts of having a wee before leaving the pub right out of my mind. So yesterday I walked Angela back to work as I always do now - except last Wednesday when we were late, and I spent more time in the toilet than Angela could wait. It is always nice to walk Angela back to work. In the few minutes it takes extra ideas can be exchanged, and there is a nice hug at the end of it. Yesterday I was also thanked for a nice lunchbreak. That, or maybe just the way it was said, conveyed extra warmth.
  On my way to the pub I encountered these two fire engines on the hospital side of the bridge that connects the park to the hospital. I couldn't see any smoke, or hear any alarms, and I wondered what was going on.
  Just around the corner there were two more fire engines. (The second one is in the drive, at right angles to the first, and hidden behind it in this picture). I came to the conclusion that it was probably some sort of training exercise. I did note a hospital official talking to a couple of fire crew by the first two fire engines I pictured. There seemed no urgency in his talk, and the fire crews were not exactly rushing around.
  Beer mats (front and back) seen in the pub. Beer mats are getting weird !
  On the home stretch of my walk, and a chance to see a new arrival in the neighbourhood. I think it was a week ago, or so, when I posted a picture of just one post driven into the ground where this new tree is planted. I'm not sure I can even pronounce it's official name, and even it's alleged more common name, is unknown to me. What I do know is that in autumn it gives off a smell like caramel. I know that because I read the wikipedia entry for it - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cercidiphyllum_japonicum

  On my way home I called in at the Tesco Express store on the high street. I wasn't sure what I wanted, but I wanted something nice for what would be the first thing I ate yesterday. I checked their salads and found one I had never seen in the main Tesco I use. It was a tomato and mozzarella salad that came with balsamic dressing and some sort of pesto flavoured crunchies. I grabbed one of those, plus a plain ready-mix salad before investigating the sandwiches. I first spied a coronation chicken sandwich. Like the one I bought the night before in Sainsburys, it had a reduced price sticker on it, but unlike the half price at Sainsburys, it was still about three quarters of the price. I also found a club chicken sandwich with a reduced price sticker on it.

  Once I was home again I tucked into the tomato and mozzarella salad. It was pleasant, but not as nice as the Sainsburys version - although neither is that nice because of the taste and texture of mozzeralla. It's not horrible, but seems to have no positive aspects to it. I then ate the coronation chicken sandwich. It was nice, but still a poor version of the Sainsburys version. I also ate the club chicken sandwich. That was nice, but not fantastic.

  After eating I put my feet up, and rested. I think I might have even had a snooze, but before long I felt the urge to do what I had intended to do in the morning - do the overdue washing up, and tidy the kitchen up. Having done that I took the first step towards tidying up the bookshelves in the back room. The first step was to bring a sturdy chair down from the spare bedroom so I could stand on it to get to the top shelf. With the chair placed ready to use I got bored and went and watched TV !

  After sandwiched the night before, and sandwiches in the afternoon yesterday, I thought I had better be really careful about what I had for dinner - and I was. Unfortunately I had decided on a takeaway, and once again it was to be shish kebab. When selecting a takeaway on the Just Eat web site I found one that gave the option to omit the pitta bread, and just serve the grilled meat with salad. That was exactly what I wanted. They were also cheaper than the last couple of places I had used. I ordered a chicken and a lamb shish kebab, and specified no pitta bread. I also ordered what was to be a snack for today - some grilled wings with no salad.

  With the order placed I sat down to watch some TV in the front room. At about the expected time my order arrived. It was not what I was expecting. Each kebab came with pitta bread, and the grilled chicken wings came with salad and chips (and I think there may have been a bit of pitta bread in the wrapping too). I ate the lamb shish kebab, but discarded the pitta bread. The next thing I unwrapped was not the chicken shish kebab as expected, but the grilled wings. If they had not come with chips they would have been excellent for my purposes - skinless and not at all greasy. The unwanted salad was no problem, but the chips proved to be a dilemma. I should have discarded them, but I felt an insane urge to eat them - and I did !

  I don't know where all the time went last night, although I know a fair bit was soaked up by reading about the moon mission of Apollo 15 - the first to feature the moon rover. It was midnight when I put the book down, and even later before I managed to get to sleep. It was one of those nights when my bed and pillows seemed to grow lumps that weren't there the night before ! I think one of my tasks for today is to change the linen on my bed, and straighten out the memory foam mattress protector.

  This morning I feel generally OK, but after those chips and sandwiches I do feel a bit bloated. I can't wait for some warm sunny weather, and to get back on my diet again...or back on it properly instead of just holding the fort most, but nit all the time. This morning I haven't dared check any of my vital signs. Maybe they are not as bad as I fear, but thinking they are even worse helps to try and put the break on, although I expect I'll be having cold kebab for lunch today.

  My plans for today are mostly unknown. The only thing that is semi-definite is that I want to try and go out tonight. Ideally with Angela, but I think it is far more likely it will be to see Chain at a pub, very near the bus stop, in Charlton. If my evening involved Angela it would take very little effort, but otherwise it is going to be a struggle to go out in the evening for the first time in months.