Comfort Eating

Note to self: too much 'comfort eating'. I need to lose some weight.

Old Age and Good Living

Vicus Scurra admonished me the other day, for suggesting that the death of John Mortimer made me think about living a more healthy lifestyle. I realised at once that it was a completely inappropriate thing to say.

"An incorrigible bon vivant" - Daily Telegraph

As last night's documentary on BBC4 demonstrated, (it's available on the BBC iPlayer in some parts of the world) the old polymath was seldom seen without a glass in his hand, and had quite a fondness for female company.

Johnny Mortimer was thoroughly liberal in his ethics, his politics, and his practice of the law. The idea that some small group of people might take it upon themselves to tell everybody else what was good and bad for them to read was wholly abhorrent to him.

He was QC for the defence in the Schoolkids' Oz obscenity trial, of whom he said

All the flower children were as alike as a congress of accountants and about as interesting.

Mortimer with Kathy Lette

So, having reflected on the matter, I have decided that I want to take care of my body ,and my chest in particular, so that I can live to a ripe old age, drink fine wine and breathe deeply in the company of beautiful women.

Went to My Doctor

One night I was layin' down,
I heard mama 'n papa talkin'
I heard papa tell mama,
"You gotta let that boy boogie-woogie,
Cause it's in him, and it 's got to come out."
John Lee Hooker
Boogie Chillen (1948)

I went to see my doctor this morning, because I've spent five weeks struggling with this chest infection, and nothing seems to shift it, and I spent Christmas and New Year in the company of friends who were convinced I had some rare weird Bruce Chatwin disease, and was going to succumb to pneumonia.

The doctor examined my chest very carefully, and gave me some medication and some advice , which I am going to take, and I trust that will sort me out. She also asked me to try going for a walk every day - something I have been avoiding because the damp winter air brings on violent coughing spasms - and stop taking the cough medicine I've been taking.

I need to cough, she says. Even if it means I am on my hands and knees on all fours and in pain. This is very counter-intuitive.


Unlike John Lee Hooker, I do not feel so good, and I am not going to boogie all night long.

Went to my doctor yesterday
She said I seem to be O.K.
She said
"Paul, you better look around
How long you think that you can
Run that body down?
How many nights you think that you can
Do what you been doin'
Who you foolin?"

I came back home and I went to bed
I was resting my head
My wife came in and she said
"What's wrong, sweet boy, what's wrong?"
Ah, I told her what's wrong
I said "Peg, you better look around
How long you think that you can
Run that body down?
How many nights you think that you can
Do what you been doin'
Now, who you foolin?"

Kid, you better look around
How long you think that you can
Run that body down?
How many nights you think that you can
Do what you been doin'
Who you foolin?
PAUL SIMON

Health and Happiness

I have a chest cold, dear readers. And do you what's great about that? I feel fine. For once, I'm ill and I can just accept it; I'm not hating myself, nor wishing someone would punch me in the face.

To celebrate this entirely atypical experience, here is a clip of Kinky Friedman singing 'Old Ben Lucas (Had A Lot of Mucus)' (Warning: contains Seventies cultural references.)