140/90

High Blood pressure, or not?
Playing with a blood pressure gadget at home. I  got three readings within a few minutes:
172/93 x77
144/78 x92
111/81 x113
100/63 x 120
Systolic/diastolic x heartrate.
Perhaps best ignore this device.

The standard top measure is 140/90.
If the first readings are right, I have high blood pressure. In order to improve I should:
1 eat less salt,
2 eat more fruit and vegetables,
3 healthy weight,
4 Drink less alcohol,
5 exercise more.
But I cook without salt (and ready meals- never), eat almost only vegetarian, Bmi 23, 1 unit per week average, 10-14 hours exercise each week.
Ignore it?
It’s probably like the bathroom scales. They’re not much use either if you weigh yourself at a different time each day.

L’endroit

6°C, some veils of very dense mist

French teapot, really!

Superb French restaurant found by chance in Congleton, Cheshire. I ate the finest Risotto I can remember, and the place has a friendly, homely atmosphere. We didn’t choose the most exotic wine on the list- £255 per bottle, blimey. L’endroit comes very highly rated by me.

This one tastes of Christmas

5°C, northerly, clear

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Here is a fine chocolate, there is as much variety in the taste of plain chocolate as there is in Whisky. This one is certainly a single malt: however the Bournville I had in work today wasn’t even an unbranded blend; not sure that stuff even deserves the name ‘chocolate’ to be blunt.
This bar came as a surprise when driving home yesterday- it tastes of Christmas. Each block leaves a cherry-rich soft night-time after-taste. This is the peaty island malt of the chocolate world. Divine and Green & Blacks, you are up against some competition here. I bet many overlook this princely prize with its own-brand name and low price; don’t make that mistake- there are treasures of some depth to experience in this bar.

Now, steal yourself; off you to go the local Co-op to buy some.

A long hungry wait

10°C

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Eat out at a restaurant last night; Joe Delucci’s in Lichfield. Our table was booked for 20.15 for 12 of us celebrating a friend’s birthday. We placed out orders at about 20.40. The starter arrived an hour later, though it was delicious. The main course was another hour after that. By then I was dizzy with hunger, when it did arrive I had to ask for cutlery a few times before I got it and was so hungry I started eating risotto with a steak knife.

We coluld have gone over the road to a pizza takaway while we waited,  eaten and digested that without spoiling my apetite for the sit-down meal.

 

Never again.

Civil Partnership

7°C, otherwise – same.

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Yesterday was filled with a Civil Parnership ceremony that some friends of ours invited us to. At first the length of the planned evening seems a bit daunting (3.30 to midnight)- but it ended up passsing rather quickly. Held at the Hotel De Vin, the formal part was a Humanist Ceremony for two women who are now, in everything but name, married.

 

the Venue is a converted Eye Hospital, they’ve done a stunning job, especially in downstairs’ bar where the walls are decorated with very striking oil paintings of Lobsters. I actually felt they’d made lobsters look noble. I’m often deeply saddened when I see lobsters in French supermarkets, bound claws with rubbers bands. the compnay was fine and so was the wine. that explains why I set of cycling so late this morning, for my 56 mile constitutional.

 

more later, I’m off to a gig soon. Too busy, too busy….

Never, not ever!

NEVER:Drink

Don’t ever if you need to do something creative. Which reminds me- I can’t belive how many times it was suggested over the years that trying drugs is a way of finding artistic inspiration. Maybe it’s an impression amongst uncreative people who have used the damned things, maybe they think that it would help. There is no way in hell that they could be more extremley wrong.

There’s a party going on downstairs. everybody is saying "Eek".

no way in hell.. Then they said "Eek!"