Reality check the youth club car park edition. in Hot town, summery in the city - 2017

WHERE: as per the title, I’m in the car in the car park outside T’s youth club because I have to wait while she’s in there (having an escape makes her more likely to go). The youth club is in the building in which the NHS was first concocted. It’s a long, low, pale stoned building which was the central community centre for the railway village created by Isambard Kingdom Brunel in 1841. To the right are some of the houses from the ‘railway village’ (the housing built for the railway workers when this was a new town (very separate from the old town)). To the left is another of the railway village buildings but I’m not sure if its original purpose, it’s a youth art centre now. Behind me is a dilapidated building which was the railway village dance hall and theatre. It is boarded up and a group of artists got young people involved to paint on it. I am surrounded by history although looming over the youth club is a 1980s building which was offices but was recently converted to flats. For the past four or five weeks that I’ve sat here, one dangly bit from a blind has been trapped on the outside of the building approximately 7 floors up. I feel very sad for it; abandoned, forgotten and unnoticed except by me, often dancing in the wind. There’s also a day care centre in the same building as the youth club and each few weeks a new item appears on the roof. Currently there’s a yellow frisbee, a couple of weeks ago there was a pink boomerang but I guess that eventually decided to return 🤣 anyway, I digress…

WEARING: loverly bright maroon and orange trainers, dark blue jeans, a blue and white, cotton, striped shirt and a baggy grey hoodie with bikes printed in a heart shape on the front. I’m wearing a pink and purple Molke bra but no clue about the knickers and socks!

FITNESS UPDATE: weeeeeell, forgive me trainer for I have sinned, I have not run in several weeks… however I am kicking swimming’s arse! I plough up and down that pool for half an hour, focusing on form and posture, and have dropped from 11 breaststroke strokes per length to 8.5 (it is not Olympic sized 🤣). I’m feeling ready to try a pootle on the treadmill tomorrow (at the gym, not the one at home). Hopefully it will go well.

THE NEWS: a guy was stabbed locally on Sunday at 2:30 in the afternoon. Fucks sake! And we’re now being asked to isolate if we have covid symptoms but a negative lateral flow . We’ve had a positive case at work so we’ve all had to do extra PCR tests. My lateral flow was negative though.

READING: going through an old fave: High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. The main character comes across as such a loser but in reality I think that’s his mental health/self esteem as it’s a first person narrative. My favourite Nick Hornby.

ACTIVITIES TODAY: got up, nagged L to get up, woke T up, went to work, finished work then Had my one month probabtion meeting and had to walk/bus home (I’m usually dropped at home after the morning bus run). Grabbed a banana and sewed a hole in T’s trousers while she stomped about getting ready for a meeting with regards to her EHCP application. Finally got to the meeting (was a pre mediation meeting prep) then came home, fried up some quick halloumi for lunch. Watched a bit of tv with T then went back to work. Finished the afternoon section of work, came home, put out the rubbish out, did the pcr test I was asked to do this morning, walked to the shop and posted it in the priority box, picked up fish for tea then walked home. Heated oven while washing up, cooked fish while doom scrolling face book then drove here!! My days are not usually so busy!!!

THINKING ABOUT: wondering what’s going on behind all the windows overlooking the car park. Wondering what lives are happening in these amazingly historic houses and wondering if the current inhabitants appreciate the timeline that trails through every room, every doorway and fire place.

PLANNING: well, to go on the treadmill tomorrow! As part of my meeting I talked about wanting to work within the centre eventually and asked for relevant training so that’s something too.

What was also awesome: my supervisor said, “you have a lovely way with words,” 😍😍 I actually uttered the words, “well I’m a writer.” (Btw I have a poem in the latest edition of the magazine that sometimes prints my articles).

T just texted to say she may come out soon so I’ll proof read then submit. 😘