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| Copyright © Mark R Kelly 2026 |
This is not a one-off. I know exactly the cause - it's the cervical region of my neck, around C3-C4 that's the issue. The joints have become tight and less inclined to function as they were intended. As a result, the muscles around the base of my skull and either side of these areas have now become hypertonic, and become worse when I lay down and lay my head on my pillow.
Maddeningly, the headache can become so intense that it will make its presence felt in my dreams, manifesting as part of the dream, once again, demanding attention. It is like having a child tugging at you arm, insisting you wake up because they can't sleep.
I just need my head gripped and twisted, so my cervical joints pop like fire crackers, releasing the joints and muscle tension accumulated over the weeks. I'm not a fan of having it done. But I know it would be the solution.
And so another day begins in darkness, a house silent, not even the subtle pitter-pat of rain falling to greet me - yet. I also have to wonder if my decision to give up coffee has a part to play?
I decided I was slipping into a problem zone with coffee when I was drinking up to five cups in a day. But the kicker being, I was making it with all milk. So not a good idea, as I noticed I had started to gain a little weight.
Actually, I misled you. Saying I was giving up coffee wasn't accurate - what I really meant was giving up the milky coffee. So now I'm trying one black coffee in the morning. But hells bells, why the f**k do people get so evangelical about black coffee? So, so bitter.
As a joint birthday/anniversary present, last year I bought my wife a coffee maker - and not some cheap-ass piece of crap, either. For the price I was half-expecting it to do the dishes as a bonus. No such luck.
So this gleaming, piece of stainless steel, coffee-making wonder grinds coffee beans, regurgitates them into a handled device which then gets locked into place where hot water is forced through, and bingo! Freshly made coffee.
*Weather update: it is now chucking down outside with rain at 04:57am. Wonderful.
Back to the coffee - what I find so maddening are these sections of creative blurb on the packaging of said coffee beans. As an example, claiming to have caramel notes, against a backdrop of chocolate, combined with subtle fruity hints.
I get all excited, looking forward to these hints of caramel, chocolate and fruitiness. Instead, my tastebuds feel like they've just been mugged. So I'm calling BS on this. Still bitter to me - bloody awful.
Hand on heart, I can honestly say, the only time I ever had straight black coffee and enjoyed it was back when I was twenty-one and hitch-hiking down to Marseille in France. It was at autoroute café, and I'd been dropped off by a kindly French driver.
I ordered a coffee, expecting the usual milky, frothy kind you'd find in a 'greasy spoon' roadside caff.
Nope. Not even close.
I was handed a small, white shot cup, with a black substance in it. But wow, what a taste! Amazing.
The second best 'cup' of coffee I've experienced , was again on my trip through France. It was at Fort St. Nicholas, deep in its belly, in what looked liked a converted wine cellar doubling up as a miniature breakfast hall - minus any windows. I had a pint of black coffee with four teaspoons of sugar. The half of bread stick with butter and jam, plus coffee - best breakfast ever.
But that was a long time ago, in another life, when I did things on impulse, and life was a literal adventure.
And now, almost an hour later, the dullness of the headache is beginning to slink away to its hidey-hole, no doubt to slumber whilst I’m awake, in readiness for the night to come. Yet I feel the call of the paracetamol, eager to get into the fight. Why not? Maybe I’ll down it with some of that delicious ground coffee, fresh out of the machine. Urgh.
I wish you a pleasant day ahead, my dearest reader. It seems the rain, at least, has decided to take a coffee break. I just hope it tastes better than mine.
I now present you with Nick Drake - "Pink Moon". Happy Sunday.
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