More Alone – 18th February 2024

Everyone has gotten access
All the words ever written
Pictures painted, songs sung
Fifty bazillion millisecond process
No bugs to be bug bitten
The shutdown has begun

Standing in the matrix queue
A beta-meta icon version
Presses three after the tone
There’s nothing left to do
In this world’s perversion
Except to feel more alone

inspired by this post (before finishing reading) at Spinning Visions
2nd May 2024 – Submitted to FOWC with Fandango — Alone


Today I’m feeling:

Pretty good and upbeat.  

Got up soon after my alarm, grabbed coffees and then spent a good few hours in my room, adding blog entries, reading and playing guitar.  

I was glad to go out and do something different yesterday though I wasn’t particularly excited being at the balloon festival.  

I’m not particularly excited by much these days to be honest but I am happy and that’s more important.

Today I’m grateful for:

Air quality being better than this time last year.  It’s still not great but can only hope that it doesn’t get worse.  

The next week will tell the tale as temperatures rise up to 37 degrees again.

The best thing about today was:

Not taking a nap and having a feeling of not wasting a weekend day.  It was pretty relaxed but I got some stuff done so I’m pretty happy with everything.

What was out of your control today and how did you handle it?

Not something that was out of my control but it was midday before I remembered that I hadn’t taken my medicine today.  As I was in my room I figured I’d take it when I got back inside but forgot again.  

By mid-afternoon, I felt a little dizzy when I got up from my chair but figured that I’d made it this far without the medicine that I’d just skip it for today.  

Dizziness is the main side effect of not taking it and it’s not like I will drop into a funk just by missing one day.

Something I learned today?

Hayden is in New York.  He and his girlfriend were driven down through snow from Canada for 6-7 hours to get there.  

They are wrapped up and enjoying New York pizza.

Review your acts, and then for vile deeds chide yourself, for good be glad. — Discourses 3.10

I sent a message to Baipad this morning offering to come and teach her today if she wanted.  I didn’t get a reply but I would’ve been happy to if she would have liked.

I was reminded of Baipad later in the evening when reading some blog post about inspiring self-confidence in children helps make them happier adults.  In these days of mobile devices as parent substitutes, I wonder what will inspire self-confidence?

I took this picture because this is Tangmo. The dog’s bollocks.

Get Used To It – 11th September 2022

Get used to it, it’s not going to change
Settle on down til it’s no longer strange
Culture shock, not worth fighting against
It’s upsetting but not worth taking offence
Getting used to it, going along for the ride
Hiding in the open is the best place to hide
Running away or kicking against the pricks
Means never teaching this old dog new tricks


Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but – I hope – into a better shape.

Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

Today I’m grateful for:
Receiving some comfortable new sandals that at least attempt to give me some arch support.
The best thing about today was:
Walking home from Utopia in the light drizzle. It was just the right rain not to get too wet and to keep the temperature down. The air felt supremely fresh and reinvigorating. I really enjoyed the walk.

I took this picture because the clouds amongst the mountains looked amazing and reminded me of windswept moors of England.

On It – 10th September 2022

You gotta be on it to be in it
You gotta lose sometimes to win it
To be on it – at the top of your game
Winging it is just not the same


As long as I’m alive, I will continue to try to understand more because the work of the heart is never done.

Muhammad Ali

Today I’m grateful for:
The perfect temperature. I haven’t had aircon on all day and spent some time outside in the hammock before the rain came then doing some pot plant reorganising.
The best thing about today was:
A general sense of calm and enjoying the slow speed of the day. I lazed and I also got things done. Everything was important and everything could have waited. Time slowed down.

I took this picture because it stood out to me as a simple and meaningful piece of art. I found it on Facebook and don’t know who the artist is.

Like A Virgin Vampire – 4th June 2022

I’ve got the curtains closed
Attended all the black masses
Found myself an evil woman
Been to the midnight classes
So happy my heart is dark
So happy to feel so sad
A life I love to hate
A good life lived so bad
Angels run toward the light
Crucifixes made of wood
A silver bullet for my girl
I couldn’t love her, even if I could

16th May 2024 – Submitted to FOWC with Fandango — Silver


There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes his whole universe for a vast practical joke.

Herman Melville

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful that Bruno was too hungover to come by this morning as it was already too hot by 7 a.m. to walk. The low temperature at the moment is 24 degrees. Hooray for electricity and aircon.


You do it once and you don’t like it and you do it twice and then you’re insulted – 20th November 2019