Tuesday. 2.10 p.m. I've managed to exceed my step count this afternoon! Well over 10,000 steps, which equates to a little over five miles. I am somewhat pleased, as you might imagine. I just need to keep this up. The Fitbit doesn't just count your steps, it gives your heart rate, BMI, and far more. You can log your liquid intake as well as your food and weight. It has taken long enough to get the thing set up and running, but now it's set properly I can keep on keeping an eye on my steps and so on. It's a good motivational tool in that respect. That's no less than six circuits of Oldbrook Green!
Wednesday. 6.25 a.m. Slight rain when took Alfie out just before 6 this morning. Very dark clouds looming over Milton Keynes, which suggests heavy rain later today.
Television seems keen on copying successful formats, the basic premise/idea for programmes. It was cookery shows at one time (and probably still is.) They get one successful show and it has to spawn a slew of similar shows. Antiques have been the staple of daytime television, with shows such as Bargain Hunt, Flog it, Antiques Roadshow, which is probably the great-granddaddy of them all. Cookery shows include Masterchef and Can't Cook, Won't Cook; Ready, Steady Cook. Now they're going mad on recycling and make-over shows. It began with Money For Nothing, The Repair Shop and continued with the likes of Saved and Remade on BBC1 and Find It, Fix It, Flog It! on Channel 4. Each of them seems to play on the emotional element, particularly The Repair Shop, when people take items which have a connection with someone in their lives, usually deceased, a friend or family member, and want the item repaired and restored as usually, that item is in a poor condition. At the end of the show, when the owner of the item returns to collect it, the producers seem to delight in seeing the emotions revealed by the owner when they see the restored and repaired item. In some ways, it is rather overdone, somewhat contrived. I think it is More than a bit nauseating. It seems that television companies are more than happy to churn out the same thing relentlessly. Too many crime series, with grumpy detectives at the centre of things, staring endlessly at the sea, having relationship problems, and loving to drive around in Jaguars or other up-market vehicles, with classical music or opera blaring out of the radio or in-car CD player. Just another cliche. Anyway, all it's about is easy television. A great deal of it is just lazy because it's not going to demand much attention on behalf of the producers or the audience.
Thursday. 6.30 a.m. Alfie seems very reluctant to do a walk around Oldbrook Green this morning. I can't think why. Usually, he's more than happy to go for his regular walk, but for the past couple of days, he just insists on taking me back to the flat. As I write this, he's curled up on the sofa. Not his usual mode, insisting on being taken out and walking endlessly. I am attempting to maintain my step count, but with a small Yorkshire terrier who is very strong, just pulling in the direction of home, not chance is doing anywhere near ten-thousand steps!
Friday. 6.45 a.m. I woke up a good deal later than normal. The mornings are getting darker and darker as we move towards autumn. Alfie was more enthusiastic about doing the circuit of Oldbrook Green, which suits me as I am intent on doing the 10,000 steps.
Saturday. 10.35 a.m. I woke a lot later than normal. I think it's because the days are beginning to draw in. It was darker for longer, so I didn't take out Munchkin until around 6.45. I just didn't see the point of going out if we couldn't see properly. As we walked along the path towards Oldbrook Green, I saw a large cat cross the road. I think it came out of the entrance to The Cricketers carpark. Perhaps it had been in for a swift 'alf. Who knows? I saw it gradually approaching our side of the road and then cross the path towards Fishermead. Alfie, fortunately, didn't see it. Just as well, otherwise, he would have been very noisy!
We went out again at around 9.15. I am afraid I have to report seeing two girls walking several dogs across the Green and one dog did its business, but they never picked it up. This brazen behaviour is really not acceptable. I always have several doggy bags in my pocket, so I could have given them one if I had been nearer. I blame the Council for not having doggy bags in the space provided by the doggy bins. It seems a false economy to not have them, expecting people who have dogs to have them (most do, but it would appear that a lot don't.) There is supposed to be a £100 spot fine if you don't clear up after your dog, but what is the point of the fine if nobody polices the policy? People are getting away with this sort of thing without being fined.
Sunday. 8.00 a.m. There was torrential rain yesterday evening as I ate my meal. I had to go and look out of the kitchen window to see as it was quite noisy. It didn't last long, but Alfie and I went out for a final walk around Oldbrook Green because I was short of the number of steps and was determined to reach my target of ten thousand. It has rained in the night, but as I write this, it's reasonably bright and sunny.
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