Munchkins rock

I wrote a long post this morning-and then Firefox froze, and deleted everything. I couldn't even save it. Was I swearing, or what? Well-perhaps it turns out to be a good thing, because I was getting long winded. You would be bored.

I've spent a few days just thinking about my day in bed-and I decided that I must have been seriously depressed, even though I thought I was handling things pretty well. So-I decided to have a good close look at what was going on. I thought-the longer I spend in bed, the less chance I have of my brain making new neural pathways. If I don't challenge it (constantly) by doing things that make me dizzy-and doing them over and over and over again-my brain will just figure that it doesn't have to do anything, and will have a nap. And-I cannot spend too much time in bed, because I need to move around as much as possible to make sure my chest is clear. Too much sedentary activity means I can develop chest infections more easily. The chest thing is a result of being born with a defective immune system; the balance? That is thanks to Bart's Hospital. I need to accept it, live with it, and just never give up. And sometimes it gets me down.

I made an appointment for a training session at the gym-first time since cancer surgery, I think. I went along on Tuesday, and my trainer (Tony) worked out a new program for me. I went again today. I'm going to work my way up to four days a week if I can-my backside is heading toward the floor, so I need to take action. I felt quite proud of myself-and very, very sore!! But for me that is one answer: get active, get moving, do something, stop lying around feeling sorry for myself. That just gets boring, and accomplishes nothing.

I also went to Wood Green. Now, going to Wood Green (it's about four miles from my house) is like dropping yourself into a huge, cosmic-sized vat of stinking, noxious shit. It's filled with people who wouldn't be out of place as extras in The Walking Dead-and trying to negotiate from one part to another means avoiding the a**holes and dodging the d***heads. I did clean that up; I'm being polite. Don't get used to it-it's a one-off.

So why do I go when I know beforehand that anyone with crutches, or walking sticks, or obvious mobility challenges are at risk of being shoved into oncoming traffic? Well, a couple of reasons. Wood Green has two cinemas: one is shabby, the other isn't so bad. But I still start to itch, and when I get home I throw my clothes into the washing machine (on boil), and throw myself into the shower until I closely resemble a giant prune. I can't help wondering how far those people's bugs can jump. But I like to go to movies, and I finally can do so without too much dizziness afterward-and Wood Green has the closest cinemas. Let's face it: I'm lazy.

Wood Green also has small branches of the larger chain stores, so that is a bonus; it also has a Turkish restaurant that has recognizable food (ish), and my friend and I have been going there for a couple of years-and never suffered from food poisoning. My criteria for a restaurant: decent food and no e-coli.

I was just walking down the road, minding my own business, using ducking people as a vestibular rehab exercise-and there it was across the road: Dunkin' Donuts. It is THE Dunkin' Donuts. I remember it from my university days. My friends and I would all pile into my roommate's VW Beetle (she called it "vintage", we called it a clapped out old banger that sounded like a bag of hammers). Off we went to get really good coffee, and my friends bought jam doughnuts, while I bought a dozen donut holes (known as "munchkins"). They lasted for two meals. College food meant we survived on pizza, coffee and Dunkin' Donuts. I'm still amazed I didn't end up weighing 350 pounds, with ulcers from too much coffee and diabetes as well.

I did love those munchkins. It reached a point where my friends nicknamed me "munchkin"- I was the shortest of everyone, and standing in a group I used to feel like I was standing in a crater. And every time I went home I looked for a Dunkin'-such a creature of habit. And junk food.

Did I go and check it out? Not yet. Another week or so at the gym and I will reward myself. Of course, it might be horrible. Brits are known for making coffee that can double as paint stripper-so I might be really, really sorry. And munchkins? According to Dunkin's website (I did my homework-it is the real deal in crappy old Wood Green), they still make donut holes.

The coffee? I'll reserve judgment until I try it. And the munchkins? They still do them with cinnamon. Whether they will taste as good is anyone's guess. But I will take my safety in my hands and go. And why not?  Ah, munchkins. All those calories. All that sugar. All that saturated fat...yummy!!!