Quiet As A Mouse

L gives me permission to kick her out of bed at some unearthly hour so that she can take the dogs for an early walk. I don't really want to do this but here goes... I kick L out, tenderly. Now all I’ve got to do it kick the dogs off the bed as well. I think part of the idea of the early walk is that they’ll be less on the streets to wind MD up. I gather it didn’t quite work out like that.

I have my swimming stuff and cycle straight there after work. Then I have to come away again because there are no available bike lockers. Two of the four are broken, the other two are occupied. One of the broken ones has a damaged lock and probably needs major surgery but the other one has simply had its door pushed in, again. This happens a lot, bike lockers are always picking fights with the local no-marks. This has happened many times before and it doesn't usually take them this long for it to be rectified. This one has been in this state for months. I would do it myself but I don't what to be accused of vandalising it.

I dejectedly pedal home from the pool. Once home, L talks me into joining her on a run with the dogs. The first problem, before we even leave the house, is that we can barely get MD into his running jacket. OMG. He has put on such much weight; it looks like a corset on him. Lettuce leaves for tea for him tonight. L anchors herself to the porky one and I get Doggo. I think she chose MD to demonstrate to me what a stroppy little so-and-so he is. Consequently, he’s a saint, as quiet as a mouse. So I’ve still no idea what she’s on about, or perhaps he was just too preoccupied with trying to breathe within the tight constraints of his jacket.

L tries is sporting some new running socks. They are pink and called ‘Speed Diva’, which may refer to running or may be a drugs reference. I make sure I get a good look at them because we’ll probably never see them again. Daughter isn’t proud; she’ll wear anyone’s clothes. So it’s best not to leave anything lying around because she’ll put it on and go out in it. Socks are her speciality. Once in her possession they are generally orphaned from you for good and if you do get them back, it'll only be one of them. So L best keep them under lock and key.

One of my favourite bands of yesteryear has always been Feeder, a great band in the late nineties, who got a bit soft (but admittedly more successful) as they got older. They have now reinvented themselves as a side-project called Renegades and have gone back to their roots, playing small venues and making music that sounds just like the stuff that enamoured me to them in the first place, all those years ago.

For various reasons I haven’t managed to get to any of their short run of six dates, so I hope they’ll do some more. The mini tour opened last night in Glasgow and although they promised to only play new stuff, everyone was wondering whether they’d slip in an oldie or two. They did, real oldies. The long requested ‘Tangerine’, a very early single from 1997 and the even older ‘Sweet 16’ make a treasured appearance. Regrettably I only got to see it via someone’s camera phone on YouTube. Tonight in Manchester, they added another old favourite ‘Descend’. Perhaps they’ll throw in some more in the later dates or perhaps they’re saving ‘Cement’ and ‘Shade’ for their next dates, when I get to see them.