One of my blog readers spied me there (or they thought they did and of course they were right). So if you do see me in Yorkshire, the Outer Hebrides or anywhere else do say hello. If it's me I will say hello back and have an incredulous look on my face. If it isn't me ... well that will be your problem.
Wherever I go and whatever I do, I'm always looking for material for my blogs. I have thought of getting a T-shirt with the words "Don't talk to me unless you want to be featured in my daily blog."
But seriously if you see me do say hello.
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There's going to be some pretty scary things in the village in a few days' time. I speak of the Hethersett Scarecrow Trail which should be fun. It never ceases to amaze me how inventive people can be. During lockdown we had a rainbow trail and a nature trail and an art trail and now a scarecrow trail to go along with all the jubilee events - and there are plenty of them. I will be out and about with my camera in June trying to capture as much of the celebrations as I can.
After all we will be capturing the moments for posterity.
But first we have a trip to Northern France for the annual Le Paradis massacre pilgrimage commemoration event. I will try to bring you some photos of that and our trip to Dunkirk. Then, when I get back I will have to get down to some serious writing on the book about the massacre. I have a publisher and they will soon be wondering where the text is. It's a strange thing. You all know how obsessed I am with writing but I'm struggling with this project. I have it all written apart from a couple of chapters but keep putting off the read through and editing. Can't say why. Probably just need to set aside some serious time to get it done.
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A few days ago I promised/threatened to talk about hyperhidrosis. Well here goes.
It's not an illness. It's something you can live with but it's very unpleasant and something I have had, well like forever.
Basically it's excessive sweating and it's difficult to explain how it feels to somebody who looks as cool as a cucumber. I wonder what the opposite to as cool as a cucumber is. Perhaps it's as hot as a chilli.
I think I have always suffered from it, although it has got worse over the years. Many people think that if you are a mess slumped in a corner it's because you are unfit and that's just not true. I have always played lots of sport and done lots of exercise. I am currently walking over four miles a day, going to the gym (admittedly infrequently) and playing tennis but nothing improves on the sweating front. I would go as far as to say I am fitter now than I was 10 years ago.
When the temperatures get over 16 degrees I only have to walk 100 yards and I leak. It's embarrassing and hugely uncomfortable. Take playing tennis for instance. By the time I have finished a two hour session my shirt is soaked and I'm actually dripping. So going for a coffee or something to eat is entirely out. If I go to the gym the same thing happens. If I walk half a mile the same thing happens.
Only somebody who has experienced hyper heat will know what I mean. While everyone else looks cool and collected I look like something that Captain Mess threw out (whoever Captain Mess is. I kind of made him up).
I well remember one particularly sweaty game of squash when people used to play squash. I was dripping in the changing rooms. A guy came in, took one look at me and said:
"Crickey you must have been wallopped."
"No I replied. I won!"
People usually point to the good things about overheating. "Well at least you don't get cold when its cold" they say. But I do. When It's cold I get as shivery and cold as the next man (or woman). There are no advantages in suffering from hyperhidrosis. It's a miserable experience which requires regular showers and changes of clothes. Can you imagine what it's like on a long haul flight if you have overheated? I would love to hear from anyone else who experiences this debilitating condition which means the sun almost becomes your enemy and you have to seek out the shade or a cooling breeze.
It means going on holiday to a foreign country can be problematic due to the heat. At times I judge how hot I am by how many showers I have in the day. I think the record is five and that was on a cruise in Egypt where the temperatures in the heat of the day reached over 40 degrees. I had a shower when I got up, one when I came back from a morning trip, one before the evening meal, one immediately after the evening meal and one before going to bed!
Anyway that's enough of that. Let me have your overheating stories. They just might help me to feel I'm not alone. Mind you sometimes I watch professional sportsmen and feel I'm not alone. Have you ever seen a cricketer dripping through wearing a helmet where they shake their head and droplets come off or a tennis player having to change their shirts several times during a game. Mind you I'd sweat if I was playing darts or croquet.
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Had another great song going through my head today after talking about music with grandson Elliot yesterday. I thought that he would like the artist Alistair Griffin. There was one particular song I wanted to play him but I couldn't remember its name. I know it was an inspirational one and I know it had a lyric that tennis player Andy Murray regularly referred to when he won tennis titles.
Thanks to a young lady named Alexa I tracked it down. It's called "What If" and here are the lyrics for you to make of them what you will.
But what if I could write the story?
What if all this ends in glory?
What if the moon and stars
And the world is ours?
If only dreams could live.
And I'd never have to say
What if.
To me the song is all about not letting chances go and not having regrets and never having to use those words What If. I think we all have regrets, I know I do. Regrets about certain decisions, doing the wrong job, wrecking relationships, hurting somebody you love and many many more.
I well remember my favourite singer songwriter Harry Chapin saying that his grandfather died a happy man because he regretted nothing about his life and had achieved everything he set out to achieve. Here was a man that never had to use the words What If.