Stephen Williams

Today is the Day of Chores. Dishes, washing, vacuuming, maybe a bit of gardening if I can be arsed. Also need to arrange a window installer at the rental property which is proving to be harder than I thought. I have the window, I just need someone to put it in the wall.

Quite a show so far.

Another one ticked off the bucket list

Thanks to the wonders of technology my mother in law can be present at the funeral of her dear late sister who passed away in Bath, UK. The live stream begins in 10 minutes. She was a lovely lady and will be missed by all of us who knew and loved her. Vale Joan. ❤️

I really wish that I could get on top of my anxiety. Yes, it's been a very trying year but it's an overwhelming sense of foreboding that I just can't shake. I keep telling myself one thing at a time but inevitably end up trying to juggle more than I'm capable of.

Heading out for a long overdue afternoon by myself. Don't know where I'm going, don't know what I'll be doing, I'm just pointing the car and going.

I wish that physical and mental exhaustion weren't so inexorably linked.

Mentally I'm here

I'd happily wear it, then I could avoid making eye contact with people but still be ready to spring to their defence in an instant.

Pretty much sums it up.

It's becoming apparent to me that the physical healing is the easy part of all this, the emotional and mental trauma is a real grind but I will not be beaten.

Remembering Mum today on what would have been her 85th birthday. This picture was taken at her 21st in 1962. Gone too soon. Love you Mum 💞

They say that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Well, after surviving two scares this year I'm calling bullshit on that old adage. I'm friggin knackered!

Flights and accommodation booked for Le Mans next year. Just waiting for race tickets to go on sale. Very excited, another bucket list item waiting to be ticked off.

Two very groovy clocks that will be coming to my Etsy store very soon. A Citizen bedside clock and a space age Seiko from the 1960s.

Post op check up done. The skin graft is pink and healthy and the donor site is healing well. Another check up in a week but it's looking good so far.

Got a call yesterday afternoon from the plastic surgeon who did my procedure. Everything removed, margins all clear, no further surgery required. Just got to wait for the skin graft and graft site to heal. What a fucking relief!

Surgery went well. Nasty carcinoma removed. Skin graft applied. Now three wound sites are healing, the graft itself, the graft site where they took the skin from and a small BBC that was removed as well. They certainly got their pound of flesh! Just need to wait on the biopsy results now.

Introduce yourself with 10 acts you’ve seen live Electric Light Orchestra James Brown Prince The Police Pixies Sparks The Moody Blues R.E.M Lou Reed The Fall

Dolly's music legacy speaks for itself but what she did for children's literacy was truly extraordinary. The world has lost a remarkable person. 💔

Health update. Surgery booked for September 1 to have SCC removed and skin graft applied. The vascular surgeon couldn't come up with a solution to get the DVT to resolve more quickly so I'm off to see a haematologist on Monday. If it's not the hardware (vein) then it must be a software issue (blood)

Assuming that all living former presidents attend Trump's funeral, whenever that may be, it would be absolutely epic if Obama wore the tan suit.

Today's motivation is brought to you by the number 0 and the letters F and U. 👍

Surgery booked for September 1 to have the squamous cell carcinoma removed from my noggin.

Scan results are in. My lungs are clear apart from some scarring of the lower left lobe which is to be expected after the beating they took. The DVT in my left leg is not resolving as quickly as my GP would like so it's off to see a vascular surgeon for further investigation and treatment.

This was taken on Monday morning just before we packed up the van to come home. Could have done with at least another week down the coast.

Always good to have a sea view from one's reclined position on the couch in the van.

I'll be a lot happier when my body stops actively trying to kill me. First the DVT and pulmonary embolisms, now a squamous cell carcinoma on my head which will require excision and a skin graft. At least it's not a melanoma. Still, that's quite enough for this year thanks.

Three months post DVT and pulmonary embolisms and it's ultrasound and CT scan day to see if the little fuckers have dissolved. Tomorrow, off to the dermatologist to have a hopefully non cancerous lesion on my head looked at. It's all happening here.

It's not asking for too much is it?

My Skircle.

It feels like the sun is only shining to fulfil its contractual obligations. It's certainly not adding any warmth to the equation.

What a find! Empoli Vase in a beautiful shade of blue. I've been after one of these for ages. Gorgeous Italian glassware.

When you open up an old trunk in the garage and find it full of boxed Hornby locomotives and rolling stock belonging to your late father in law. Much catalogueing and listing in the Etsy store awaits!

It's always a treat when I find Kiln Craft products in the wild. They don't turn up that often so they now have a new home with me!

They say that you have not experienced Shakespeare until you've heard it in the original Klingon.

Frenchman Meets with an Actual Surrender Monkey.