My brother Pat came to stay Tuesday and Wednesday, taking advantage of a rare gap between Smilex gigs and accountancy exams. Wednesday morning was sunny if flipping freezing, I’d slept well, and was feeling pretty well stoked with Marmite and plum jam. The oxygen company had just dropped round a new, bigger better portable Puritan Bennett unit which needed capacity testing, so we decided to exorcise some demons and go for a walk.
Everything just fell into place. It was great. I’d swapped my heavy jeans for some light summer trousers, which stayed above the waistline without needing my belt set to “colon-crush”. Ski-socks kept my toes toasty, and somehow made my shoes fit better (increased maneuverability for counter-dogshit/minor pavement variation action - can my feet really have lost weight)? Emilie carefully equipped me with a sophisticated layered system of t-shirts, zip-tops and a ski-jacket to regulate upper body temperate depending on whether we found ourselves in indoor, outdoor, moving in light wind, or stationary in sunshine configurations.
We had a mission: go up rue de Belleville, past the metro Pyrénées, and get some groceries and bottled water. I’d never actually been to this part of rue de Belleville (we hadn’t moved here long before I started getting sick), and was curious to see what our neighbourhood actually looked like. Turns out it’s great - friendly, not too crowded, nice atmosphere, cool green-grocers and butchers and fromagers and boulangers and, well, a nice part of town, right on our doorstep. This, plus the sunshine, plus the fact my lower limbs co-operated quite happily to give a pretty convincing facsimile of normal walking, lifted my spirits beyond measure.
We took things slowly, and I didn’t run out of breath. Puritan Junior excelled itself, surreptitiously delivering a steady supply of oxygen up my nose tubes without making me sniffle too much. And I felt like… well, I felt just on top of the fucking world. Like this was just three people, going for a walk, getting some food to eat. I was almost singing.
That was a couple of days ago, and of course there have been some ups and downs since - but that really felt like a landmark. Do WordPress do polls? Would you like to see more misery and suffering in this blog? Answers to the usual address…
11 responses so far ↓
Mark E. Boy // October 26, 2007 at 11:02 am
Puritan Bennett? Puritan Junior? Do you have a Unitarian family staying with you?
So glad to hear you’re able to be out and about. Preparation sounds similar to my Dad’s recent trip to Kilimanjaro. Except you didn’t get to dance with 40 Maasai women. Ho hum - I suppose Paris will just have to do.
Misery and suffering, or tales of unexpected joy… it’s all good. Don’t go censoring yourself for our benefit - it doesn’t behove a man of your fine character.
Big love as always. -m.
Ruy & Debora // October 26, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Yeah, yeah, yeah…a nice walk is always nice. I keep thinking of something funny to say but as you are experiencing now things just get worse in another language (by the way, how’s your French going???) and my brain in definely struggling with the words!
Regarding to your postings: this is your space so be the boss!!!Also, I believe your blog make us feel really close to you…so be the real you!
By the way, we need your address…Seratone wants to send you some stuffs.
Love…Sam, Ruy, Ed, Rach and Debora.
giles (palmer) // October 26, 2007 at 3:37 pm
+1 to the sentiments above Joe. and am happy to hear about your walk
ruy - send me an email and i’ll give you joe’s address. giles dot palmer at gmail.com
love g
Denys Robinson // October 26, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Good to read about your walk: sounds inspirational. Clarrie Haynes let me have your blog address. No experience of this medium other than reading them so I hope this is how. You may prefer to respond by e-mail.
After what I’d heard I’m really delighted to see you sound very much like your old humorous, perceptive, insightful old self.
I continue to work at City Hall advising politicians; mostly on transport for London, but some stuff on equalities, youth (hah !), and recently housing (shortage and cost of). Often it’s really back to Drama: creating their scripts, voice-coaching, costume (no you can’t wear that for Channel 4) etc etc. I’m also on the board of the National Youth Music Theatre.
I see quite a bit of Will Astle (Stonesfield Players) who got in touch post Cambridge. He’s now doing human genome number crunching for a PhD at Imperial College. We go to theatre and cinema as and when. He sends his best.
Likewise Linda Cumbus and I meet up several times a year, mostly to see shows her son Phil is acting in (most recently Bassanio in “Merchant of Venice” at the Globe Theatre.
I envy you Paris which I always enjoy. Most recently there to visit post-graduate friend who’s trying to break into the fashion scene - living opp the Gare de l’Est.
I’d love to hear from you. Relish every day other than the crap ones.
Best
Denys
JD // October 27, 2007 at 2:06 pm
Glad things are looking up for you at the moment.
As for blog postings, you keep writing them, we’ll keep reading them. I’m just happy to keep up with how you’re doing.
*hugs from Brighton*
Diane // October 27, 2007 at 6:48 pm
Marmite AND plum Jam… hmm, on toast? in what order? or has the chemo affected your tastebuds ? I have visions of a ginger male version of The Vicar of Dibley’s Letitia Cropley, “the queen of Cordon Bleurgh”, concocting edible delights from hitherto unmatched ingredients. Pasta with Marmite and plum jam sauce, marmite and plum jam muffins?
ditto on the blog posts, write whatever story you want to tell
Hope you get some more of those autumn sunny days over there for walking - it’s actually quite nice down here ATM, chilly but sunny and very definitely autumnal…
diane xx
Cori // October 27, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Depends if the misery and suffering is the Poor French Cow Which Died for Your Steak!
It’s your blog, tell what you want to tell. If typing out the ghastlies exorcises them in the least bit, then do so … and if focusing on the better stuff helps, then do that too/instead. It doesn’t seem like you have an overly squeamish bunch of readers, and for myself personally, I’d worry if you mutated into Pollyanna here (implies somethings going on that’s Too Awful to share? Ack!!) So far you seem to’ve balanced the two sides, which seems sane.
PS. Does Emilie do wardrobe makeovers..? I’ve either been dressed too warm or too cold ALL week and I clearly need expert layering advice.
Noel // October 28, 2007 at 4:12 pm
Hey Joe,
Just heard about all of this - really sorry life’s dealt you such a shitty hand.
I’m not sure whether I should mention that I fainted while reading through this, but I did, and I think this identifies the chasm between my puniness and your greatness & realising how strong you are gives me every hope for you - I’m sure that strength has to count for a lot!
I hope to hear more from you soon!
- Noel
ps. still looking forward to dropping in for a visit someday, your neighbourhood sounds brilliant
Ben Gilmore // October 29, 2007 at 3:31 pm
Glad too hear your up and about. It’s always good to to read your news… I check every day for the next installment of Joe and his innards.
It seems that every one I knew from brighton have posted comments here.
Zulq // October 30, 2007 at 3:07 am
I like it when you post Joe. The ups and the downs. I find the strength and depth of your character inspiring. You are also an excellent writer despite the steampunk references. All that said, please don’t feel obliged to post.
giles (duffy) // October 31, 2007 at 12:04 am
woo. well i am just back from NY and was inspired by your previous visit. amazing place. positive and uplifting but sometimes sad - huge racial divide which was not good, on the other hand everyone was brilliantly friendly and the city has changed so much since i wa alast there..
checking for you rnews everyday and thinking of you lots and sending love. emilie sounds like she is doing so well and I am hoping to get out to give you both a hug very soon.
and what is it with all the giles’? i thought i was you rmain giles. i mean, c’mon!
xxxx
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