Where's your head at? - Microdiscectomy + 26

Not much has changed on the recovery front. I see the doctor tomorrow and I will find out when I can return to work. I will tell you what they say in the next blog. But as leaning over the sink trimming my beard caused pain I suspect I am not entirely right yet. After the Doc yesterday I will have to pick up some plughole unblocker because rather too much of my beard hair ended up down the sink, which is now errr blocked.

The Beard
I bought some beard clippers the other day and as I mentioned above, today was the day that I set about taming 3.5 weeks of beard growth. But never having had a beard before I didn't know what style would be best. Obviously I had suggestions from friends and the consensus was to tidy up what I had. But I went online for some advice and the first thing that seems critical is: What shape of head do you have? 

There are apparently 8 male head shapes:

Now I was a little unsure what shape I was. I think I either have a round or an oval head. I think it is naturally oval but rounder than it should be. Fortunately the guidance online pretty much agreed with my friends: that trimmed and neat would do the trick. With a round head you should keep the bit on the chin longer so that it elongates your head. Sounded like a decent plan to me.

The next question is: A beard...really? You haven't forgotten you have grey head hair and a ginger beard have you? Well in the last blog I discovered that Brian Blessed has the two tone look. A fine role model. But the other day, in a photo album about his US tour I discovered that Billy Bragg, the Bard of Barking, is one of us too. Saints be praised!

All Hail The Bard

That was enough for me. And he has an oval head with the trimmed look. It was a sign. I was going to do it Billy style!

So the third and most critical question was: You've never done this before, are you going to screw up horridly and end up clean shaving yourself?

Well in truth it came close. I went little by little but a look in the mirror showed I hadn't been as precise as planned. But I rescued it I think. Here is how I look now:

What's the verdict from the blogosphere?

Movie Watch

Brave 3.25
It looks beautiful as all Pixar movies do. But what kind of film is it? An adventure? A fairy tale? An advert for Visit Scotland? Billy Connolly as Fergus and Julie Walters as the witch stand out in this film, but there are not enough laughs or genuine excitement to really engage you. There are some great ideas in there, but it feels like a first draft in need of a re-write. Oh and the music. My god, if ever a film was angling for the best song Oscar it was this one. Sadly the songs just weren't good enough. Unless you like the blandness of Enya etc.

There Will Be Blood 3.5
Maybe I missed something, but this film was ok but what was all that Oscar fuss about? It's good, and Daniel Day Lewis is as always, superb. But it just didn't do it for me. This sort of thing used to be the stuff of a Sunday Night mini-series. I don't know. Maybe it needs a re-watch but right now I don't have the urge.

Long drive to freedom - Microdiscectomy +20

The obligatory recovery stuff
By the early afternoon I was both bored and fed up. So I decided to drive to the shops. Then I thought 'sod it' and decided to drive to Milton Keynes. Pleasingly, the drive itself was a comfortable and unproblematic experience. Unfortunately my walking was rather laboured and painful after the drive. A consequence perhaps more related to watching two movies that morning than the drive itself. At least I hope so. Nonetheless the drive holds out some hope of freedom from these four walls. With a queue of people wanting to visit me showing no signs of forming, I now at least see a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of being able broaden my surroundings and see different faces.

Apart from that I watched films and tv and stuff (see below)


Midnight in Paris 4.25/5
You know what it's like...Woody Allen doesn't make a decent film for years and then twice in the space of 5 years he comes up with a corker (the other being Vicky Cristina Barcelona). Ok so there were three duff films in between, but nobody's perfect.

What's more surprising is that this is a rom com that defies the standard formula and works (albeit there is more rom than com).

What is even more surprising is that it stars Owen Wilson and by the end, far from wanting to pummel his face into a mush I quite liked him.

The plot is kind of hard to explain, but it goes a bit like this. Wilson plays a writer visiting Paris with his fiance (Rachel McAdams playing pretty much the only role in her acting repertoire) and his future in-laws. One night he gets drunk and lost, when a 1920s vintage car pulls up and offers him a lift. He finds himself back in time in the 1920s and taken to a party for Jean Cocteau. Ernest Hemmingway promises to show Wilson's draft novel to Gertrude Stein.Wilson returns again and again, and comes to realise he doesn't love his fiance and has instead fallen for Picasso's mistress. He confides in Dali and Bunuel and...(to quote Kenny Everett's Cupid Stunt) "but I'm telling you the plot.

Suffice to say the film has a nice and unpredictable resolution (apart from the fact that he splits from his fiance - that's entirely predictable).

I liked it. there I said it. I liked a modern Woody Allen film and an Owen Wilson film. Two for the price of one.


Contagion 3.5/5
So what would happen if a global flu pandemic occurred? Well according to this film millions of people will die. But it's not all bad, Gwyneth Paltrow sucombs within the first 10 minutes.

This film has the feel of one of those docu-dramas you get from time to time. There isn't really enough...what's it called...plot. Bug spreads, people die, society is pushed to the brink of collapse, doctor discovers a vaccine, hooray. But having said that it is a compelling film. It's one to watch once, but not when you have a sniffle.

Oh and Jude Law's Aussie accent? Purrrlease!!!


Duran Duran live
Sky Arts showed a Duran Duran concert from 1987 and for some reason I was drawn in to watching it. I wasn't a fan back in the 80s. I'm not sure many guys were. Girls tended to fall into either the camp of Duran Duran or Spandau Ballet (a bit like 1 Direction and JLS nowadays). But over time I have grown to appreciate the fact that DD actually wrote some damn good songs.

This performance, if not showing Duran Duran quite at the peak of their popularity was not far off. Le Bon was a surprisingly charismatic front man.And curiously for a band whose other members seemed intent on covering themselves in glue and then rolling around in the worst fashion excesses of the decade, Le Bon's look holds up pretty well.

Which is curious because not too long ago he was seen looking like this

Now who does he remind me of?

Two Kenny Everett references in one blog GTFI!

In my next blog (unless something interesting happens) I will indulge my inner geek. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

24 - Microdiscectomy + 19

Has it really been 19 days?

19 days of these four walls? 19 days of various degrees of pain and boredom? 19 days of overdosing on tv?

Yes it has.

On the plus side I got the date of my first physio session today. 8th April :) So I should start getting some proper focused rehab in a couple of weeks.

There's not really much else to report on the recovery front.


Boxset watch

24 Season 1
I finished the first season today. It has been a compelling rollercoaster of a show. I can see why such a buzz was created at the time, albeit the 24 episode format meant that there were rather more twists and turns than were plausible.

I have rarely seen an organisation on tv that is both as sophisticated as the Counter Terrorist Unit and as fundamentally hopeless. An organisation riddled with incompetence and traitors. Ok, so hopefully all of the traitors are out of the way now. But with 6 more seasons to watch I worry if there will be anyone left by the end.

Much was written about President Palmer and how he may have desensitised America to the concept of a black President. Maybe I will get more of an insight into that in future seasons. I'm not sure I saw it in Season 1. Because as much as he came across well, his wife would have done Michelle Obama no favours whatsoever.

I hope you won't find it too mean of me to say that I am glad Bauer's wife died at the end. She annoyed me. And if his daughter doesn't get her act together soon she will be next for the chop. Keifer Sutherland was simply brilliant as Bauer. No two ways about it. Vulnerable and tough in equal measure. One of tv's great leading men.

Once I get my breath back I will start Season 2, but I think I will hammer some of the other boxsets first...



30 Rock - S1 eps 1-8

Parks and Recreation - S1 full season

Sopranos - S1 eps 1-4
Utopia - full series (6 episodes)



Film Watch

Men In Black 3  3.75/5
The first MiB film was tremendous fun. The second was a bit of a let down. Yeah I know. Sequel in let down shock. Well I'm glad that they waited so long before making the third film because if it wasn't as good as the first it was well on its way.

So basically it is the classic 'reality has been altered so someone has to go back in time to change something and make it all ok again. But it's done well. Some really clever characters, and a lovely visit to Warhol and the Factory. It ended as these things often do with a big set piece historic event as the background. In this case the Apollo 11 launch.

It was smart, it was funny, and it was quite touching at the end. I'm glad I caught this.


Caddyshack 3.25/5
I guess Rodney Dangerfield is an acquired taste, and though Chevy Chase has had his moments this is not really one of them. The film is worthwhile for Bill Murray and the gopher. Between them they steal the film. I loved this film as a kid. It must be 20 years since I last saw it. I don't love it now, but I did enjoy it.

Things I learned today whilst mining the wikipedia page about the film is that the perky breasted and beautiful Cindy Morgan (playing Lacey Underall - clearly a name that the Bond producers felt they could spare) is blind, which makes her diving board leap all the more impressive.


Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines 3.5/5
This is one of those films. You know, the kind you have seen many times but probably not in one sitting? Well that's what it was for me. I remembered elements of it and probably on a Sunday afternoon as a kid I did see the whole thing, but that would have been a long long time ago. It's one of those multi-star vehicles that the 60s did so well and we don't get so much any more. It's a delight to watch. Silly harmless fun where nice guys win and rotters are foiled.

Terry Thomas is brilliant as his proto-Dick Dastardly and Gert Frobe is comedy gold as the hapless German. There is something intensely watchable about this film. It's a bit too loose and rambling to be a true classic but it's a delight.

First Men In The Moon 3/5

I understand this film was remade a couple of years ago. My question would be why? If you want to see a truly excellent recent sci fi film set on the moon, try Moon.

A bit like The Day The Earth Stood Still (TDTESS) last week this was a film very much of its time, with a large debt owed to The Time Machine. After 1969 such fanciful stories were not possible. It is a fantasy. The basic plot is that satronauts landing on the moon discover that in 1899 the Brits got there first. A survivor of the trip is found and tells his tale.

Aesthetically and in its production values the film is very similar to the Peter Cushing Doctor Who movies of 65 and 66. The monsters (insect like Selenites) could equally have appeared in just about any Doctor Who episode until 1989.

Animation is courtesy of the great Ray Harryhausen and works well for a film of its time and type. Like TDTESS there is some moralising. The Selenites try to understand humans but Lionel Jeffries tells them that soldiers are heroes on earth although wars are considered bad, you know things are going to turn ugly. Jeffries stays behind to his fate as his companions escape. When, 70 years later, a multinational team of astronauts explore the moon they find no sign of life and the civilisation in ruins. In a neat twist on The War Of The Worlds, Lionel Jeffries had a cold when he went to the moon and that humble virus was enough to kill the Selenites




The Muppets 4/5
Beginners 3.5/5
Friends With Benefits 3/5
Jeff Who Lives at Home 4/5
The Space Between 4/5
The Challenger 4.75/5
Genevieve 3.5/5
S1M0NE 2.5/5
Yangtse Incident 4/5
The Day the Earth Stood Still 3/5
The Hunger Games 4.25/5

On the road again - Microdiscectomy + 18

In today's blog:
- Curse You Mother Nature
- The Beard Thing
- Boxset Update

Curse you mother nature!
Things have improved a bit in the last couple of days. It's all about managing your body. On Saturday and Sunday, due primarily to the snow I was sat down for far too much of the day. This I suspect was the cause of the spasming and pain I felt in my vulnerable left side. Yesterday I tried an experiment. I set an alarm every time I sat down to ensure that every 30 minutes I was prompted to get up and walk around for a couple of minutes. Despite watching an awful lot of tv I felt very good by the end of the day. I walked well on my treadmill, and I had my best night's sleep yet. Today I was less regimented but nonetheless got up regularly and used the treadmill and the result was much the same. It makes me wonder how I would be doing if the weather had been more Spring-like rather than Wintery for the past week.

I also tried driving again today. It was only 1 mile to Tesco and a mile back, but it didn't feel bad. With the correct back support I would fancy my chances of a longer drive. Friday night's Cobblers match v Torquay comes to mind.

I've decided to give the wound pics a rest, because quite frankly there's not much new to see until the scabs come off.

I'm still finding the mental side tough. I'm a sociable person, and being kept away from people is not great. I've had my low points, and it caused me to have a deep muse on the nature of friendship today. But I am keeping that blog post for another day. Or maybe never. Instead - here's more beardy stuff.


The beard thing
Well in truth I thought that the beard focus of the last post might generate more discussion/entertainment than it did. Thanks to Jen K and Duncan for their comments on the blog itself. Grace deleted hers but I suspect that I can guess what she wrote. Suffice to say neither the human cannonball nor the 70s gay porn star looks are strong contenders.

On facebook Steve D suggested the Ed Helms look. By which I assume he meant this, or a goatee variant thereon:

Though with the way the colouring seems to be developing this look now appears to be a viable option in the longer term: 

If I go down that route I have to hope that there is no causal link between crazy facial hair and anti-semitism. 

Putting aside this guy of course:

The consensus was to keep what I have tidy, definitely not have a moustache, and curiously that I should not start wearing baseball caps.

OOOPS!

Boxset Update


I will from now on put the most recently watch shows/films at the top of each section.

TV

24 - S1 eps 1-19

30 Rock - S1 eps 1-8

Parks and Recreation - S1 full season

Sopranos - S1 eps 1-4
Utopia - full series (6 episodes)

a recommendation in waiting via Jo is: The Following.

Film / my rating out of 5

The Muppets 4/5
Beginners 3.5/5
Friends With Benefits 3/5
Jeff Who Lives at Home 4/5
The Space Between 4/5
The Challenger 4.75/5
Genevieve 3.5/5
S1M0NE 2.5/5
Yangtse Incident 4/5
The Day the Earth Stood Still 3/5
The Hunger Games 4.25/5

Boxset and movie reviews

I thought I would give a brief run down of my viewing over these past two weeks. And for the films, an explanation of the ratings I have given them.

TV
Utopia - full series (6 episodes)

Synopsis: Five strangers from an online comic book forum agree to meet after one of them gains possession of the original manuscript for the unpublished second volume of the cult graphic novel 'The Utopia Experiments'. They find themselves pursued by a shadowy organisation known as 'The Network', who are in pursuit of the manuscript and are willing to kill to track it down.

Verdict: At times brutal in its violence, this is a sophisticated thriller drawing on a culture of corporate/political conspiracy theories. The depiction of a group of people brought together online through a common interest rings true. As does their first meeting when online pretence is stripped away. The theme of betrayal runs deep as the groups gets closer to discovering the significance of the manuscript. The resolution of the series is perhaps a little telegraphed and comes as little surprise. There are weaknesses and plot holes, however this remains a classy dystopian and violent thriller.

Thanks to Jo for the recomendation


Sopranos - S1 eps 1-4

Synopsis: Tony Soprano runs a family business. It causes him stress and panic attacks. In his line of business you can't show weakness, so Tony goes to a shrink. Tony's dysfunctional relationships with family, colleagues and 'Uncle' Junior form the core of this modern mafia drama.

Verdict: Yes, I am the one person who didn't catch this show the first, or even the second time around. Right from the off you can tell this is a quality piece of tv drama. At times this show lulls you into thinking these are normal people and then a scene of brutal violence will shake you from your comfort zone. This is a slick production that steers clear of parody. You believe these characters. You even like some of them. It took 3 episodes to draw me in. Now I want more. Perhaps shows like The Wire have neutered some of the shock value, but it is still a quality series.

Thanks Tony for lending me these


Parks and Recreation - S1 eps 1-4

Synopsis: Incompetent small town officials want to create a park from some wasteland

Verdict: We've seen this kind of thing before. It is one of the better 'The Office' style mockumentaries. Not least because of the casting. Amy Poehler's Leslie Knope is a classic self-important and unwittingly hopeless bureaucrat in the mold of David Brent or Captain Mainwairing. Pompous yes, well meaning? - probably, oblivious to how pathetic she is? definitely. Around her is a great supporting cast, not least the wonderful Rashida Jones as a nurse who is supportive of Knope's plans. The only people more clueless than Knope are the people she surrounds herself with. How good is this show? Good but not great. I'm told season 2 is better than season 1. I'm willing to give it a go.


24 - S1 eps 1-8

Synposis: Someone is going to try to kill a Presidential candidate. Jack Bauer has been put on the case but there is someone inside his organisation working against him.

Verdict: The visuals created by this show have become so familiar and have been copied so often that they no longer feel innovative. But that does not detract from this show. Right from the start it is clear this is a complex and intelligent thriller. There are so many strands of plot, so many players. It shocks from the first episode onwards and never lets go of your interest. I'm 1/3 of the way through season 1 and the hype was justified. This show is great.

Thanks Al for lending me these


30 Rock - S1 eps 1-8

Synopsis: Liz Lemon, head writer of the sketch comedy show "TGS with Tracy Jordan", must deal with an arrogant new boss and a crazy new star, all while trying to run a successful TV show without losing her mind.

Verdict: How can you create such fine episodes in just 20 minutes of air time? Smart, funny, great characterisation, brilliant one liners. This show is a classic.

Thanks Tom for lending me these


Film / my rating out of 5

The Muppets 4/5

Synopsis: Jason Segal has a brother (Walter) who just happens to look like a muppet. Years after the Muppet Show has gone off the air Segal, his girlfriend played by Amy Adams and Walter go to LA to tour the Muppet studios and theatre. The Muppets have dispersed and their theatre is in disrepair. Walter discovers that an oil magnate plans to buy the theatre and drill for oil, and by buying the theatre also would own the Muppet name. Segal and Walter lead a Blues Brothers style reuniting of the Muppets for a one-off fundraiser.

Verdict: You know what is going to happen. Fill in the blanks after the synopsis and you won't be far wrong. But it's how it is done that makes this film so great. I doubt kids would get half of the jokes but they would love the goofiness. This is a tremendous rebooting of the Muppets and with songs written by Brett from Flight of the Conchords the musical numbers are funny and manage to avoid the sickening schmaltz of earlier Muppet films. This film has Rashida Jones in it, which only adds to its appeal. I'm looking forward to the sequel in 2014.


Beginners 3.5/5

Synopsis: A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.

Verdict: The film for which Christopher Plummer won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The film was good enough to stop me switching channels. But I didn't feel that I was watching an award winning film or any award winning performances. Plummer's was a good performance, but by no means a great one. He could have phoned it in, and I don't believed it stretched him. Having seen all but one of the other contenders for that year's Oscar I can only imagine that the Academy was rewarding time served. For my money, Jonah Hill's performance in Moneyball was much more deserving of an Oscar.


Friends With Benefits 3/5

Synopsis: Dylan and Jamie want to have sex but not be boyfriend/girlfriend

Verdict: When all is said and done this is the standard rom-com plot. Boy meets girl, boy and girl secretly fancy each other, boy and girl fall out when one or both acts like a jerk or there is a misunderstanding, boy and girl get together at the end after a big romantic gesture.

This is possibly better than many of these. You can believe in Timberlake and Kunis as lovers. There some nice vignettes and the portrayal of Timberlake's grandfather struggling with the early stages of Alzheimers is spot on. All credit to them for that. 3/5 might be a little ungenerous. This is an enjoyable film if you like rom coms.


Jeff Who Lives at Home 4/5

Synopsis: Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his brother as he tracks his possibly adulterous wife.

Verdict: When you see a film stars Jason Segal and Ed Helms (The Hangover) you naturally assume that the film is going to be a comedy. Instead what you get is a rather interesting piece that flew under the radar. The IMDB synopsis calls Jeff (Segal) a slacker. He is clearly actually someone somewhere on the autistic spectrum. At times lucid and insightful and at other times driven by autistic/aspergers impulses.

The film is odd. Not a conventional Hollywood film for sure. I found it interesting and thought provoking. The supposed normal brother meltsdown while the misfit searches for and inadvertantly finds meaning in his life. This film is not for everyone, but I liked it.


The Space Between 4/5

Synopsis: A smart 10 year old Muslim boy from New York is put on a plane to LA having won a scholarship to a school. The day is September 11th 2001. When the flight is grounded, Omar is put in the care of a world weary alcoholic stewardess. Omar reveals that his father worked at the restaurant on top of one of the Twin Towers, and the pair embark on a road trip to NYC.

Verdict: Melissa Leo is wonderful as the jaded alcoholic stewardess, and the child playing Omar is simply superb. The film explores the tensions and prejudices that were rife at the time; misunderstandings and cultural differences; as well as the relationship between a boy and his father. There aren't a bundle of laughs in this film, but of the handful of films directly addressing 9/11 this is one of the better ones. A good film with much to say about loss.


The Challenger 4.75/5

Synopsis: When the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in 1986 a commission was established to identify the cause. In failing health scientist Richard Feynman is the lone independent member of the commission (others having vested NASA, military or political interests). This film follows Feynman's battle to get to the truth.

Verdict: I'm a sucker for the lone truth seeker battling the corrupt system films. Hurt is believeable and sympathetic as Feynman. A guy with terminal cancer choosing to devote some of his last days to finding the truth. His persistence and insight identified the cause of the disaster, as well as complacency and mismanagement at the heart of NASA. Brilliant performances all round. True stories don't get told much better than this.


Genevieve 3.5/5

Synopsis: Gentle comedy about London to Brighton vintage car rally. Two guys take it a little two seriously causing much mirth.

Verdict: Who hasn't seen Genevieve? Surely everyone has by now. It is 60 years old and yet the rivalry between John Gregson and Kenneth More sparkles. Britain may have changed but this is a timeless piece of gentle British comedy. And it is surprisingly risque: Dinah Sheridan says "Stay and make love to me" before Gregson opts to play with the car instead, and there are allusions to what More plans to do with the women he takes on the rally each year (and is doomed to failure with). Whilst all of the main protagonists are now dead it is particularly sad to see Kay Kendall so full of life just a few short years before her premature death.


S1M0NE 2.5/5

Synopsis: Movie director Al Pacino falls out with actress Wynona Ryder. When things look bleak for him he is given the means to create a virtual movie star: Simone. The world falls in love with her and Pacino just can't bring himself to reveal the truth about his reclusive star.

Verdict: Interesting concept, but the film doesn't really deliver. There are too many moments that stretch credibility and too many logic gaps. Nonetheless this is watchable nonsense.


Yangtse Incident 4/5

Synopsis: HMS Amethyst is cruising up the Yangtse in 1949 when it gets caught up in the Chinese Communist Revolution. Fired on and damaged, the British and the Chinese are caught in a stand-off.

Verdict: Forgive the occasional crude racial stereotyping, and this 1957 is an engaging depiction of a real life crisis. Richard Todd is in his finest 'stiff upper lip' mode, and for Doctor Who fans there is the treat of seeing both William Hartnell and Bernard Cribbins on the same crew. Simon the cat gets much deserved credit for his morale raising and rat killing exploits.

When Todd orders the following message sent at the end of the film: "Have rejoined the fleet south of Woosung ... No major damage... No casualties....God save the King." the music swells as does the heart. They don't make films like this any more.


The Day the Earth Stood Still 3/5

Synopsis: A flying saucer lands and the stupid military assumes that the man who emerges and his robot are a threat and shoots at them. The people of earth are given a proof of the visitor's power and are given an ultimatum.

Verdict: This is very much a piece of its time. Its time being 1951. There is much to like, but in other ways it hasn't aged too well.Michael Rennie is well cast as Klaatu. You only have to contrast him with Keanu Reeves in the appalling remake to see quite how good he is. But in the end the film is a little too obvious with its preachy message. A nice slice of early 50s sci fi at the birth of the atomic era.


The Hunger Games 4.25/5

Synopsis: Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games, a televised fight to the death in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to compete.

Verdict: It is always entertaining to see school children turn feral and murderous. The Hunger Games is superficially similar to Battle Royale, however where this film trumps its predecessor is in the back story and the richness of its world. Where Battle Royale feels claustrophobic, The Hunger Games feels big. Both are excellent.

Jennifer Lawrence is superb as Katniss and you both engage with her and believe that she has the required inner steel to face her fate. Indeed the female children in the cast are excellent especially Amandla Stenberg who really could be a star in the making. The adult cast is excellent and if you can get past the oddity of the hyper stylised fashions in the capital city there is much to admire, though Donald Sutherland's President feels rather underused. This is not a perfect film, but unusually nowadays it was perfectly paced and did not outstay its welcome. I would like to see a Director's cut because it felt like much was left on the cutting room floor.


AND NEXT - two more weeks off work. More films and dvds to watch :

Sometimes it lies - Microdiscectomy + 6

I was meant to be going to the theatre tonight. To see the sold out run of a revival of Chess the musical at the Union Theatre. I love that show. I was so looking forward to seeing it. When my operation was rescheduled from 5th Feb to 9th March it became clear that barring a miracle I wouldn't be able to go.

As luck would have it Sasha Regan, the founder of the Union Theatre was able to arrange for me to go 3 days before I was admitted to hospital. There are only 50 seats for each performance and with a lengthy waiting list it is clear that she performed the required miracle. I will be forever grateful to her, and I will certainly be returning to this hidden gem of a theatre.

But what if Sasha had not been able to pull a rabbit out of the hat? What then? I know myself too well. I feel good. I'm in a little pain sure. But by now (5.20pm) I would have convinced myself that with a tramadol or two down my neck I would be able to cope with 3 hours of travelling and a couple of hours at the theatre.

Maybe I would be able to cope, maybe I wouldn't. I'm glad I don't need to find out. Yesterday Jo (I have several Jos in my life - this is musical Jo) said to me that I need to listen to my body. My response was " I do. Problem is it mumbles, and sometimes it lies." Actually the truth is that I am liable to over-rule my body no matter what it says. It's not my body's fault. It just gets bullied by my emotions, impulses and thought processes and it's too weak to fight back against such a mob.

It tried telling me you see. For a long time it tried telling me that I had to look after my back. How many warnings does a guy need? Bouts of immobility would be forgotten as soon as I recovered. Well now it is sitting there and wincing a little as it says "I told you so."  Smug git.

Today
I walked to the doctor's today to deliver a note from Addenbrookes and to fix a couple of appointments. The round trip was roughly 2 miles and took approx 35 mins. Like yesterday my walking was more fluid by the end than at the start. I need to warm up my left leg in future though I think, as it struggles to extend fully early on in a walk.

Today's gratuitous wound pic

Boxset update
Errm I've not watched anything at the time of writing, though I think I will watch the first episode of 24 Season 1 on my laptop later. I did however watch a couple of films. The Muppets was great, goofy (albeit predictable) fun. There was plenty in it for longtime fans of the Muppets. Cameo spotting was enjoyable from Mickey Rooney to Rashida Jones :)

Later I watched Beginners. The film for which Christopher Plummer won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The film is good enough to stop me switching channels. But I didn't feel that I was watching an award winning film or any award winning performances. Plummer's was a good performance, but by no means a great one. Having seen all but one of the other contenders for that year's Oscar I can only imagine that the Academy was rewarding time served. For my money, Jonah Hill's performance in Moneyball was much more deserving of an Oscar.

So at the end of day 6: 

• Even with a 2 mile walk today the pain has been low. 2.5 at its peak
• No medication taken at the time of writing