"Ooh shiny."

Woke up his morning in an incredibly contorted position and stiff as a board. Once I'd managed to disentangle myself from my duvet and sit up with many an "argh!" I realised that either my back was not as sore, or I was still stoned, either way things felt a bit better. Hobbled of to the loo, and went downstairs to get coffee, cornflakes and pills. Eventually got dressed and pootled off into town to a pre-booked blood-donor session. I was fully expecting them to refuse to take a donation because of the drugs I've been on for the last few days. I was therefore surprised when they cleared me to donate. Mind you when I was suspended as a donor after surgery last year that was supposed to have been for a minimum of 6 months, but the recalled me after less than 5. This is I suppose because I'm fairly rare being B- blood grouping.

Once the donation was taken and the needle extracted from my arm there was quite a bit of trouble getting the hole to seal and stop bleeding. Whilst I was sitting having my cup of tea and Orange Club biscuit it started bleeding again. Better for it to rebleed while still at the session rather than later. This time though when it stopped it has stayed stopped. However, it is starting to bruise and I think that it's going to be a cracking bruise. Normally there is just a little red dot that soon fades and no bruising.

Once I left the hall as decided that as the weather is nice and I was feeling ok a wander round the Flashes was in order. I walked round the flashes to the canal, crossed the canal into Big Wood, from where I went barefoot. I continued on through Black Wood, (where I picked up someone's printout of GCRQ3N With a cache I pass the key) and Hopyards eventually recrossing the canal and walking to Anderton Boat Lift. The visitor centre is a useful stop, and much more pleasant than squatting behind a tree for a wee.

I then headed back towards town through Anderton Nature Reserve, and Witton Mill meadow. Once in town I popped into Sainsbugger's for some 'milk' and bananas (still barefoot). The floor was wonderfully cool on feet that were starting to get a little tender. Walking back through town barefoot is not something I've done for a while, and no-one seemed to either notice or care.

I'm not sure how far I walked barefoot today as the batteries went flat in my GPSr but it was probably around 6 miles over varied terrain – soft earth, hard pack, pea gravel, tarmac (rough and smooth), tiles, grass, thistles, and flagstones. My feet seem to have stood up well with no damage, even from the broken glass I stood on, other than one small blister on the ball of my left foot.

My back seems to be a lot easier, and I've not needed to take any pills for it since 8am this morning. So that looks to be on the mend. :D

Alice.

I've just had to look up what CD stands for on medication. I know what POM, GSL, P, PML stand for but CD was a new on on me, it stands for Controlled Drug. If I start posting crap [no change there then – Ed] blame the mix of pethidine and diazepam.

I'll see you all on the flipside.

Well. Slept from around midnight until 8am. Only woke up because my bladder was insisting it was about to burst. Found getting out of bed to be awkward. I'm not in as much pain, but my back and hips are incredibly stiff this morning.

I shall now attempt to get downstairs and make coffee.