2026

Always been pretty regular apart from the odd occasion when a certain meal may have upset the equilibrium so to speak but the last few days have been a worry if I’m honest!

Every daily ache and pain has been intensified all the things I just accept as “getting old” made me think, fuck is this it, it’s this the sign, the final straw… me feet hurt, me knees hurt, I get piles, me back gives me jip, me shoulders ache, me teeth hurt, me eyes hurt, I get headaches ffs things hurt but I just get on with it, that’s just how it is, but when a new ailment occurs me mind goes “let’s have a party”!

Look for blood in your stool that’s a sure sign your going to die, but what if you can’t produce a stool what then? Do I strain and blow a valve, I am pretty certain blood will be there if I do that, but is that the sign or is that just piles?

Not one to moan or stress out others all this has been going through my head for days until today when I was finally relieved of my burden.

Not wanting to go into too much detail but the signs were good this morning and by mid afternoon I was as Tom Petty might say “Free Falling”. Six visits and the pains in me belly subsided and I immediately felt better.

No shit sherlock!

Since Friday I have been suffering from a sore belly which I believe to be caused by constipation, something I rarely suffer from, so I didn’t ignore it bit thought it would just sort itself out so to speak. Through Saturday I knew there was stuff going obviously but nothing coming out and the soreness in my tummy was still there. By Sunday it was so concerning that I was drinking water (not a lot compared to Jamie) but a lot more than I would normally drink and I had stopped drinking alcohol hoping that would help to (it certainly couldn’t harm!) and I drank a Fibrogel in the afternoon which meant I was now concerned.

I never want to Google conditions because it always tells you worse case scenarios which I did not need to see, I was already playing the “Is this temporary or permanent” game in my head so any more anxiety inducing possibilities would not help me!

My predicament reminded me of the Macc Lads lyric Got to be Gordon’s even though I am not gay…

‘Help me doctor, my bum’s in pain.’
‘Get down Kwok Lai’s for a 45, eight tandooris and a chicken pie,
Ten pints of Guinness and a vindaloo, box of All Bran and a bowl of prunes
Dash to the bog and lock the door-
Then you’ll know what your arsehole’s for.’

Yesterday I began taking laxatives in the hope that they would help relieve my burden, well as I crawled into bed there were signs of movement but nothing bigger than a rose bud lol so fingers crossed for tomorrow.

Did you hear about the constipated mathematician, he worked it out with a pencil.

A grey Star Wars day but a lovely walk up to Norman’s Wood on which we met an alumni of Keale University and a native Texan due to each seeing my Broncos Hoodie and Jamie’s Keale hoodie. Having had a conversation with both we made our way home

Jamie took Reagan took Reagan, birthday money burning a hole in her pocket, to Northwich to spend some of it, while I went to B&Q in Crewe and call in on Karl.

I spent the rest of the day pottering hanging ironing board and mops in the closet, a hook for the car charger making a facia for the end of me shed, mowed the lawn the spread it with weed and feed before calling it a day.

I am sat writing this watching the World Snooker Final at 17 all and as I am about  to press publish Wu Yiza won the last frame.

The highlight of my Saturday was Lincoln wanting to play darts with me, we played round the board he just had to hit 1 to 20 and finish on the bull I had to hit double 1 to 20 and also finish on the bull. It evened the plating field and meant he had a chance to win and bloody well did which was annoying lol only joking it was brilliant.

Something I dreamed about was playing darts with Lincoln but it never really gripped his interest but he seemed keen tonight and later I heard him practicing in his bedroom

When Jamie said she’d ordered a cake for Reagan’s 16th Birthday party from Costco it meant I get to spend time alone with her, I am aware how selfish that sounds but it was my first thought?

Reagan had arranged for 5 freinds to come to the house tonight as her party and being Saturday there was no pressure on anyone. They all arrived at 5:30 by which time Mom with a little help from me had laid out sandwiches, wraps, pizza and snacks from our trip to Chester earlier.

We vacated to the pub along with Lincoln to allow the girls to party alone before we returned around 9pm to watch Netflix in bed while the volume of cackling subsided  until Reagan came to bed saying thanks Mom for making her birthday great.

We just want her to be happy and there is nothing better, just before the furore of GCSEs and leaving school for ever, to see her laughing joking and just being happy relaxed Reagan for a while!

Another trip to Macc meant another long day, but because there was no league games on I got to play a frames of pool, and, although on my own, it was good practice. Supporting your children in following their dreams is important and there are worse ways of doing this than going to the pub for a couple of hours but I’ll take it…for now.

With Lincoln having rehearsals from now until July it is going to be hard to support him and maintain a relaxed evening when we have to drive him to Macclesfield twice a week. So I decided to take my pool cue and my darts and go see if I can find somewhere to hangout for a couple hours instead of me driving there and back and mom driving there and back to pick him up.

It was Macc pool league night tonight so no tables available at the Silk Town Snooker Club so I threw darts for a couple hours which worked, tomorrow I will book a table and see how that goes

Reagan had her first GCSE exam today it was a French speaking exam which I know she was confident at but the nerves kicked in and she had a panic attack.

She got through the attack and the exam with help from teachers and Mom who talked her down and calmed her down

Not sure the next few weeks are going to be easy but I am sure she’ll be fine, no matter what, she just needs to breathe…..

As unbelievable as it seams I now have a 16 year old daughter and as the goes “Where did the time go?”

It only seems like yesterday that we were at Leighton waiting for Reagan to arrive yet today is her 16th birthday she is about to take her GCSEs and leave school in the next couple of months.

She definitely makes me proud, she is such a kind intelligent, hardworking, independent and caring young woman and the world is her lobster she can be anything she wants to be.

Our only job, is, as we have always done, to keep guiding her encouraging her and supporting her.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REAGAN!

There was a point in my life when I believed being a father was not something I wanted or needed but things changed and left me feeling what was the point of all this if I don’t leave something behind?

Sixteen years ago today Jamie was over due fed up and really wondering if we were going become parents.

Yes you read that right 16 years…

Tomorrow we will have 16 year old daughter “Where has that time gone?”

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