It's sad looking in my wallet and seeing the phone number for my swimming coach, a pre-paid card for six Pilates lessons at the YMCA, and the business card for the Italian woman I met while kayaking last summer. It all seems like a long time ago that I could do these things.

It's a snowy January Sunday in London. I finally seem to have got the radiator in the living room to put out a little heat. I've made some plans for plays and puppet shows and dance stuff for some future weeks, on Fridays and Saturdays when I think I can manage them best, and I will remain hopeful that by the end of February I'll be seeing some substantial improvement in my health, and I might be able to resume getting exercise then.