What's that doing there?
Red and green should never be seen...
I think my Mum used to say that but I've no idea why.

As soon as I could, i.e. after 8am when the forms opened, I sent a message to the GP Surgery about a spot on my leg and a small brown mark on my lower lip, both of which I think are caused by sun damage. 

Consequently a doctor phoned me this afternoon, and after chatting she offered me a face to face appointment next week with a doctor who is a dermatology specialist. Face to face, wow, they're like gold dust, and as a bonus he'll be able to assess how my face is doing. I must think of any questions I'd like to ask.

I popped to the local Tesco and then, as I was walking back to the car, I heard a horn beeping a couple of times but thought nothing of it. Put the shopping in the boot and heard a voice asking me why I hadn't responded to the horn.... er, why would I? 

It was Steve, the rude and critical one... for there have been three Steves in my life, wanting to speak to me. He doesn't climb any more because he had a problem finding partners... well, he's a member of two clubs so I can only assume that he must've annoyed all potential partners hahahahaha! I said I was still climbing, often, and with no shortage of partners. 

He was such a bastard that day and I still think about it, not really understanding, or accepting what it was and what the hell happened. I'd like to lay it to rest once and for all, but have no idea how that's going to happen. At the time he told me to give up climbing, stick to walking, and threatened to warn the committees of the Oread and the MAM against me if I tried to join as a climber. It wasn't his fault that I took in the wrong rope while belaying him on Inverted V at Stanage, but because he'd criticised me so much about almost everything over the months I was very nervous climbing with him and that is not good!

So much has happened since that day. I paid for a day's climbing so that I could confirm to myself that my belaying was perfect... well as perfect as a human being can be. I discovered that climbing with women is a different and much more fun experience. I joined a club (Skyline MC) without having to jump through hoops, and they're a lovely lot! On the minus side I am no longer comfortable on VS routes, I'm just not accustomed to them any more.... but I do so wish I was. My ambition, before I stop climbing, is to lead VS... hmm currently at VD :-(

I don't want to go out with Steve again, I don't want to climb with him again, but it would be good to chat further with him... on reflection no it wouldn't because I'd want him to acknowledge that it was his negative treatment of me that led to my belaying error, but that isn't going to happen, he'd never accept any responsibility. I'm sure I could find his phone number online and strike up a conversation, but that would be deceitful as I think he's lonely. 

He taught me one hell of a lot, I'll always be grateful. His criticism made me stop relying so much on satnav, to get to know the road network, and also to become reasonably proficient at map navigation. And he taught me to climb for goodness sake!

He was a good climber. He was telling me about E1 routes he'd done last year, and when I queried whether he'd been climbing E1 when we were together he simply said that well, I wouldn't have been able to get up them... no I absolutely wouldn't, and haven't been able to since either!

I would so like a climbing partner who climbs harder than me, but how to get one. My climbing has gone down hill for sure since Steve and I split and I don't know whether age (almost 68) is now against me.

He is a niggle. At one point in our relationship I thought I loved him, but that was short-lived. I took my mask off at my car and we spoke about sun damaged skin. He has a patch on his forehead that flakes, goes away, reappears, I told him it was pre-cancerous and to go to the doctors.