Today I have spent most of the day painting my bathroom. Yesterday, I was getting all the walls ready, taking things down, putting in pollyfilla, sanding down the walls, etc…today I was painting – think it’s a good job!
But before that I went to a Yard Sale. My friend Lily, messaged me last night asking if she could borrow my iZettle payment machine, that I have for my magic. She and her flatmate, Helen, are soon to move out their flat and were having a clear-out. So Honey the Dog and I went along to meet them, to handover the iZettle machine, then went for a walk whilst they set up.
We went to Renroc Cafe for a coffee, the first time I have seen it open. Renroc Cafe is the first place I went to when I moved to Edinburgh back in 2008. It was owned, by a guy called Billy, who really liked my magic, I hadn’t long been learning sleight-of-hand, but he encouraged me to perform more.
So offered me a weekly gig at the bar, The White Horse, which he had recently opened on the Royal Mile. So every Monday I would go along there for ‘Magic Mondays’! After a couple of years, I then started going to 
another bar that he had recently opened, the Old Chain Pier, for Monthly Magic, the last Friday of the month. And then later to other bars he was opening.
Renroc is on the corner – and is the word ‘Corner’ backwards – very ingenious idea for a name for a Cafe. Downstairs, there is ‘Nevo Health‘ which provides alternative therapies. It used to be a bakers and the ovens are still there. The word ‘Nevo’ is Oven backwards!
Renroc usually has tables and chairs outside and is a real suntrap.
After getting my coffee, I wanted to sit down outside, but there were not chairs 🙁
I then realised, that I go to coffee shops, to sit and enjoy the different environment, the sunshine and the company of other customers and staff. We all have something in common, to drink coffee and connect with the cafe community.
Without that, I might as well make my own coffee at home – which is what I have been doing throughout the whole of lock-down! I guess, it won’t be long until coffee shops open up to sit in – was it 10th July or 15th July, I can’t quite remember?
Kate and I were talking about the many changing rules and how it is so confusing. She said she had just heard that children under 11 (in Scotland) did not have to social distance.
They should have a website where you can put in your details – children, live alone, shielding, where you live (Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland, England), etc…and then you can see what rules are applicable to you – in a simple easy to understand list.
Now – that is an opportunity for an entrepreneur – I would happily pay a bit of money to have this information, it could be an App too!
Maybe one already exist?
After leaving Renroc Honey and I went for a walk and then headed along to the Yard Sale! Lily was very excited that she had made a sale with the iZettle Machine.
I keep forgetting to tell you when my blog is on the radio, Deepness Dementia Radio, we are now onto Days 63-70.
Monday 6th July – 4pm to 5.30pm
You can listen to it direct from this link – https://s3.radio.co/s6503b8fbd/listen
Poetry Corner
Another poem that I wrote during my mental health nurse training.
This poem is the second poem, that goes alongside yesterday poem ‘Words‘ on Day 103.
Most people who read the poem entitled ‘Words‘, thought it made no sense and a bit weird.
This led me to write this next poem, which actually became quite well known, with friends often reciting it to me, including my friend Martin!
I have also included a YouTube video below of me reciting it, so you can hear the rhythm!
A Word
Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim,
Jim, Jim, Jim Jim Jim
Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim,
Jim, Jim, Jim Jim Jim.
Jim_, Jim_,
Jim_, Jim_.
Jim, Jim, Jim Jim Jim,
Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim.
Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim, Jim,
Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim Jim, Jim.
Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim,
Jim, Jim, Jim_.
Jennie’s Mini-Blog Corner
Today Rebekka and I ate some soup and fun sandwiches, drank lots of our homemade cold brew, went for a loooooong walk, were very exhausted and so had a hearty meal of gyozas, finished the 1st season of H2O: Just Add Water, and did a loooooot of knitting (see video for our updated knitathon scoreboard).
Also did two day’s worth of push ups today, so quite the day for intense exercise if you include our big walk and the knitathon (don’t underestimate the arm strength that prolonged, continuous knitting requires).
Readers Corner
A few posts for today in Readers Corner, including Janey, who is the first time to appear in Readers Corner 🙂
Graham
Graham posted a comment on yesterdays blog, saying:
“The way things are going in England Jim, you will probably be able to travel to Exeter. Not that I agree with the way things are going in England regarding the control of the virus.”.
Thanks for your thought Graham. The conference in Exeter was postponed by the organisers, they were expecting 400 people from across the south of England, so although I could have travelled there, I don’t thing mass gatherings are allowed yet in the UK?
All magic gigs that I had been for booked from the middle of March, got postponed by the people who booked me, thankfully I haven’t been put in the position on having to decide if it is save to travel or not.
Janey
Janey posted a comment on a sharing of my blog by my mum to her Facebook page, which I missed for a couple of days. Since then, I now check any comments on my blog that has been shared, I don’t get a notification.
Janey commented on Day 101 blog, the poem called ‘The Ship‘. She said:
Matt
Matt, posted a comment on Facebook about yesterday’s blog and the poem ‘Words‘. Matt said:
“Your poem (with all of its fathers), Jim, reminded me of a piece of Groucho Marx…”Anything further, father?”…”Anything further, father: that can’t be right. Isn’t it anything farther, further?”!!”
Thanks for sharing that Matt, I hadn’t seen that Goucho Marx piece before.
It Made Me Smile
This made me smile!
25 Day Push-Up Challenge
I completely forgot to do this, until I came to this section in my blog!
Day 18, I wasn’t wearing shoes and found it so much harder, with my socks slipping down the carpet!
As I come to the end of today’s blog, I am feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. A week ago, I decided to restructure my working week, having Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday off. It’s been great! I have felt like I have been on holiday and so much more relaxed and laid back, with lots of energy.
I am looking forward to getting back to doing some work tomorrow. With my compressed hours (Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday), I do Chi Gong and then work from 11am to 6pm/7pm with a small break for lunch. Last week I then went for a run, had some food, started my blog, had bedtime Chi Gong, finished my blog, then went to bed! A pretty full-on day, but so much nicer having the four days off!
The day has been a mixture of rain, wind and sunshine. It’s been quite warm, I didn’t wear a jacket and was warm.
This evening there was a lovely sunset.
I love the idea of a website to find out what the lock-down rules are in relation to different people and their situation.
I can’t believe that someone has not come up with that idea already?! It could even be across different countries, in different languages. If I had more IT knowledge, I would be setting one up. Maybe, someone who reads this blog, will have the skills and do it.
In the meantime, we all have to try and work it all out from government websites, the news and newspapers. But going on how newspapers got confused what Day we were on lock-down, I’m sure journalists are probably confused too 😉
Hope you’ve had a great weekend.
Stay Save.
Jim xx