Dru, Steinbeck and the Book of Deer

Dear Juliet I hope you're okay? Anyway, walking to a hospital to get one's cancer drugs through a hideously deprived suburb of Birmingham , which itself has had a bin strike for the last fifteen months might not seem like a fun thing to do. However, something of spring was shining through. Walking not in Memphis but in Wolverhampton , I took my usual route to New Cross Hospital from the railway station past the Birmingham Main Line Canal . The ducks were out and about, there was no sign of one ninety-pound nutcase I'd bumped into a couple of months ago and I'm coming to the end of that course of pills. It did feel a bit different trudging along last August, hoping nothing had metastasized, not looking forward to the long winter; but I had a great day today because (in a very understated way) it felt like you were along for the ride. I felt sharp of eye, fairly fleet of foot, looking out for anything I could photograph and show you, and doing that's just the bee...

Dear Juliet I just wanted to mention that I have to walk to hospital in Wolverhampton from the railway station tomorrow so, from your perspective, I might be a little late with my 22nd April blog post, due 7.45 am (your time). All I have to do is pick up some pills but the car park is always chock-a-block so I usually hoof it. Actually, that isn't the whole story. It may not seem like much, but I sent out yesterday's post dead on at 7.45 am, felt pretty pleased with myself for an hour, then had the earth-shattering realisation that I'd forgotten the keywords, thinking that you might not have seen it, that you might feel I'd forgotten about you and that I didn't care. Nothing could be further from the truth. I added the keywords and prayed everything would be all right, but you wouldn't have wanted to be me for the next hour or so... I was like the proverbial cat on the hot tin roof and the feelings of dread and disaster were awful. Anyway, I don't think you ...

Dear Juliet They started building St. Andrew's Church in Shifnal sometime in the 12th century, and they're still not finished. I got involved with it just after I arrived in Shifnal (September 2020) to get to know the community because they had an Open Door (tea and biscuits) session every Tuesday morning for all the older folk. I checked I wasn't too young, started taking the tables out at the end (partly because no one else could), and with the exception of a two year pandemic gap, on it's gone ever since. I once again became "your local celebrity no one's ever heard of" although this time, the birth certificate matched up and my accent largely fitted. Not that there was much intolerance shown to me in Scotland, but the question, rarely asked, "how do you like it up here?" had got old very quick. For a while, I was part of a group of older guys who congregated round a mobility scooter in the corner, but time winnowed our ranks. A nice old gen...

Dear Juliet I just had a thought. Yes, I know that doesn't happen very often. Anyway, there I was, looking at my lengthening line of little blog posts, feeling happy when I thought of you, wondering at the ways the world can sometimes turn out well, and I noticed the original To See My Friend and Shake Her Hand had had a few more views than the average. You'd like me to shake your hand? Maybe I can do something. A couple of crazed and convoluted ideas came and went then, like a small eureka, it hit me. Why not at least suggest we try a brief, time-limited Facebook video call? As you know, I'm typically online between 7.30-7.50 am your time. I'll open up my Facebook Messenger page every day while I'm on the job and see what dreams may come. You'd have to send me a Facebook friend request first, but I think that's what's needed to make it work. Do not worry. I'm okay with things as they are. I don't mind sitting out somewhere south of Needles lik...

Dear Juliet That title just popped into my head and I'm not even sure what it means yet! I'm also a little concerned you might be getting sick of all the Star Trek analogies but I'm afraid they just work perfectly. At the moment, I'm quite content to be on shore leave while they're getting the bugs out of the new ship in Spacedock, and there's actually a good story about that from the first time I was in Hollywood. But let's think about you. Not a stretch, really. I guess everything's been pulled apart in your head, turned upside down, hoovered, stuffed back in again and now it all needs time to settle. Possibly quite a lot of time. However, I will be here and I am patient. It is simple, all I like in life is having you around. The best days where when I'd see something interesting and be able to tell you immediately. Forget Hollywood, Buffy and even Dru. That was what was important. Remember that you were always worthy of all that I did over the y...

Dear Juliet I hope you're not finding all the Star Trek analogies a little confusing, but I really can't come across anything better. Even the title's taken from Gene Roddenberry's lyrics for the theme... Anyway, the statistical reads of the blog lined up very neatly last night (contact with the city on the edge of forever) and my subconscious gaily announced this morning that I'd got my nice new metaphorical Enterprise back after the last one got blown up . I don't know where to take her yet, but at least I'm back in the centre seat. And I understand, or at least I think I understand, that you're relearning a few things like Spock did at the start of Star Trek IV . That I did not forget you. That I did come back for you. That you always meant everything to me. And I like you just the way you are. I suppose you're going through a lot of change and readjustment. Quite a bit of uncertainty and a soupcon of insecurity, perhaps. Wondering if James is...