Sunday, November 14, 2010
An easier blog
I'm enjoying the photo-simplicity of http://www.blipfoto.com/leecarson just now, an easier blog to manage and with a picture focus too.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
The Jury Service flop
It all came to nothing, that's what.
Having left the family in Carrbridge at 7am I scooted down the A9 (always a pleasure) and arrived in time to stop off at the house to get changed and at least get out of my muddy leathers. I had managed to catch up with the Badenoch and Strathspey muck-spreading society on their way home from a successful spray session, and was delighted to receive some of their bounty on my leathers, bike and, very safety conscious, helmet visor.
So, cleaned up I parked in Chambers Street and reported to the court. I did a hilarious Charlie-Chaplinesque about turn in the revolving door when on seeing the security guards and metal detectors I remembered the leatherman still in my tankbag from having been camping earlier in the week. Dur-hur.
Once safely inside and removed of my bag (I'd forgotten that worse than a knife, I had my camera...) I hung about for a bit then nearly 50 of us were ushered into the court, registered, then we sat REALLY quietly, terrified that any sniff or grunt might get us banged up.
There was a starter course - a poor soul who hadn't done her community service and was talked at by the sheriff for a bit before being sent away "with a flea in her ear", which is not a legal term.
Finally the main course arrived, basically some weirdo to had said some stuff to some girls even though he'd been warned about this kind of nonsense. Juror names were pulled out of the glass bowl and mine wasn't. But that wasn't the end - we were told we could leave but to phone after 5pm to find out about the next day. Oh, that's convenient.
After 5 on Monday I phoned and was told...to phone again on Tuesday after 5pm. That left me kind of stuck in Edinburgh with the family still up North which was a pain. On Tuesday I duly phoned to be told...that's all folks! Thanks for your help, your jury service is finished.
Blah.
Having left the family in Carrbridge at 7am I scooted down the A9 (always a pleasure) and arrived in time to stop off at the house to get changed and at least get out of my muddy leathers. I had managed to catch up with the Badenoch and Strathspey muck-spreading society on their way home from a successful spray session, and was delighted to receive some of their bounty on my leathers, bike and, very safety conscious, helmet visor.
So, cleaned up I parked in Chambers Street and reported to the court. I did a hilarious Charlie-Chaplinesque about turn in the revolving door when on seeing the security guards and metal detectors I remembered the leatherman still in my tankbag from having been camping earlier in the week. Dur-hur.
Once safely inside and removed of my bag (I'd forgotten that worse than a knife, I had my camera...) I hung about for a bit then nearly 50 of us were ushered into the court, registered, then we sat REALLY quietly, terrified that any sniff or grunt might get us banged up.
There was a starter course - a poor soul who hadn't done her community service and was talked at by the sheriff for a bit before being sent away "with a flea in her ear", which is not a legal term.
Finally the main course arrived, basically some weirdo to had said some stuff to some girls even though he'd been warned about this kind of nonsense. Juror names were pulled out of the glass bowl and mine wasn't. But that wasn't the end - we were told we could leave but to phone after 5pm to find out about the next day. Oh, that's convenient.
After 5 on Monday I phoned and was told...to phone again on Tuesday after 5pm. That left me kind of stuck in Edinburgh with the family still up North which was a pain. On Tuesday I duly phoned to be told...that's all folks! Thanks for your help, your jury service is finished.
Blah.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Skye and Cuillens from the Bealach na Ba
Well we can mark camping off as a success! After my mini-rant about the Scottish tourist industry it was great to find some places getting it really right, for a price.
We travelled west on Sunday, stopping in Strathpeffer at the old railway station for soup and sandwiches before the main push into Applecross. Applecross is where we got engaged, where we came on honeymoon and the last time we were there was Kit's 1st birthday (though the ungrateful brat pretended he couldn't remember it!) so it has a lot to answer for. It is well known for a couple of things, 1) the road to get there and 2) the food waiting for you if you make it.
Well the road didn't let us down... Wipers on fastest setting, fog lights front and rear and off we went round bends called such delights as "Devil's Elbow". There was no point stopping at the viewpoint as we could se the clouds perfectly well from our vantage point deep inside them but once we began the downward stretch things brightened up a little. The little Suzuki Vitara parked on its side in a gully towards the end of the pass was a gentle reminder that not everyone takes it so easy on this road...I cautiously stopped and checked there were no bodies still inside, and it was clear from the detritus inside that a family with young children had had a journey they would not forget in a hurry.
Our camping hut was as basic as I'd hoped, clean and bright, small enough to be exciting but large enough to stand up in. The front door could have been a couple of inches taller mind you, as both Lorna's and my head will attest to. Ouch.
Sunday evening was spent in the award winning Applecross Inn where we ate and drank because that's what we do. At £8.95 the customary half pint of prawns has gone from snack to main meal status (another ouch) but we enjoyed fresh prawn cocktail, cod and haddock washed down with some pints of Red Cuillen ale.
Oh, the football was on and those hacking Dutch were soundly beaten in the last 3 minutes of extra time. Shame on them.
Monday was wet and we passed the morning visiting the local heritage centre, Free Church and then lunched in the Potting Shed set in the walled garden of the local hunting stately home. Another place Getting It Right, I was pleased to see - pricey but not too bad considering that by the time you got there you were the most captive market in the world.
Back to the hut for a snooze then off for dinner again...this time crab salad, lemon monk fish or cheesy pasta depending on which family member you were. A bit more beer then back to the camp site to read until dark.
Kit loved the whole camping thing - the sleeping bag, showering in the morning, the hut...everything. Considering how wet he got on out walk I was pleased he is a fairly resilient boy all in all.
We headed back to mum's in Tain today and finally got some good weather worth stopping for as the picture shows. Applecross sits on the mainland opposite Skye and it's really never the same view twice.
More pics to come, of course, but the more pressing matter on my mind is...tomorrow we load up the motorbike and head for Orkney. Kit is well looked after at Granny's but the rain is coming down again and Lorna keeps waving huge items of clothing / electrical equipment / footwear under my nose and asking if there will be room...
We travelled west on Sunday, stopping in Strathpeffer at the old railway station for soup and sandwiches before the main push into Applecross. Applecross is where we got engaged, where we came on honeymoon and the last time we were there was Kit's 1st birthday (though the ungrateful brat pretended he couldn't remember it!) so it has a lot to answer for. It is well known for a couple of things, 1) the road to get there and 2) the food waiting for you if you make it.
Well the road didn't let us down... Wipers on fastest setting, fog lights front and rear and off we went round bends called such delights as "Devil's Elbow". There was no point stopping at the viewpoint as we could se the clouds perfectly well from our vantage point deep inside them but once we began the downward stretch things brightened up a little. The little Suzuki Vitara parked on its side in a gully towards the end of the pass was a gentle reminder that not everyone takes it so easy on this road...I cautiously stopped and checked there were no bodies still inside, and it was clear from the detritus inside that a family with young children had had a journey they would not forget in a hurry.
Our camping hut was as basic as I'd hoped, clean and bright, small enough to be exciting but large enough to stand up in. The front door could have been a couple of inches taller mind you, as both Lorna's and my head will attest to. Ouch.
Sunday evening was spent in the award winning Applecross Inn where we ate and drank because that's what we do. At £8.95 the customary half pint of prawns has gone from snack to main meal status (another ouch) but we enjoyed fresh prawn cocktail, cod and haddock washed down with some pints of Red Cuillen ale.
Oh, the football was on and those hacking Dutch were soundly beaten in the last 3 minutes of extra time. Shame on them.
Monday was wet and we passed the morning visiting the local heritage centre, Free Church and then lunched in the Potting Shed set in the walled garden of the local hunting stately home. Another place Getting It Right, I was pleased to see - pricey but not too bad considering that by the time you got there you were the most captive market in the world.
Back to the hut for a snooze then off for dinner again...this time crab salad, lemon monk fish or cheesy pasta depending on which family member you were. A bit more beer then back to the camp site to read until dark.
Kit loved the whole camping thing - the sleeping bag, showering in the morning, the hut...everything. Considering how wet he got on out walk I was pleased he is a fairly resilient boy all in all.
We headed back to mum's in Tain today and finally got some good weather worth stopping for as the picture shows. Applecross sits on the mainland opposite Skye and it's really never the same view twice.
More pics to come, of course, but the more pressing matter on my mind is...tomorrow we load up the motorbike and head for Orkney. Kit is well looked after at Granny's but the rain is coming down again and Lorna keeps waving huge items of clothing / electrical equipment / footwear under my nose and asking if there will be room...
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Hysterix, Portmahomack.
Our three nights in Tain are coming to an end tomorrow and time has passed quickly. Today we headed to Portmahomack for the afternoon and spent some time on the beach. It was almost eerie...where were all the people? Where were the children? The holiday makers? Why is the Caledonian Hotel closed down, and why was the owner(?) chef(?) at the Castle Hotel where we had lunch boasting that his evening chef could do "sauces and everything"? Every time I head north I wince in embarrassment and shame at how poorly some businesses understand what counts as a minimum standard of service and food. But that doesn't explain why a seaside town which I remember as being fairly busy during warmer summer Saturdays was deserted today.
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Enquiring of the Piper
My course at Telford College recently came to a close and left me slightly disappointed and needing something else. Our tutor was a nice guy but slightly disorganised and seemed to have not updated the course, or its files, since last time the course ran. I feel we spent waaaay too much time on Photoshop changing, for example, the colour of lamp posts instead of learning about actual photography. I know not everyone is going to be happy all the time but the title "Introduction to Digital Photography" was vague and had little accompanying detail to help make a decision. Hence me getting a bit bored, yet someone else who by week 4 still didn't know how to turn the flash off on her camera. It was hard to say who the course was pitched at really but the "digital" side should have been more clearly emphasised over the "photography" side.
So now I am going to try un-digital photography at Stevenson College - they have a beginners course using black and white film techniques and darkroom processing. Maybe that's what I'm looking for, and in the meantime I'll keep happily snapping away to myself.
Speaking of which, I am really enjoying taking my camera round the streets of Edinburgh where the whole summer / tourist / festival thing is really kicking off. I enjoy taking pictures of people going about their business but of course there are rules. Try sticking a camera suddenly in someone's face and they tend not to like it, and I don't quite have the guts of this guy.
I am learning, though, to sit still and let the people come to me. In a strange reversal, while a moving photographer suddenly photographing a stationary person can be seen as invasive, a moving person walking into a photographer's shot generally apologises for being there...
So now I am going to try un-digital photography at Stevenson College - they have a beginners course using black and white film techniques and darkroom processing. Maybe that's what I'm looking for, and in the meantime I'll keep happily snapping away to myself.
Speaking of which, I am really enjoying taking my camera round the streets of Edinburgh where the whole summer / tourist / festival thing is really kicking off. I enjoy taking pictures of people going about their business but of course there are rules. Try sticking a camera suddenly in someone's face and they tend not to like it, and I don't quite have the guts of this guy.
I am learning, though, to sit still and let the people come to me. In a strange reversal, while a moving photographer suddenly photographing a stationary person can be seen as invasive, a moving person walking into a photographer's shot generally apologises for being there...
Monday, June 28, 2010
Tourists.
We were hosts to two visitors yesterday, Doris and Katie who had come all the way from California to Edinburgh as part of a wider European trip. Doris is Lorna's gran's cousin, and Katie is Doris's granddaughter. So that's that.
Katie had heard of Rosslyn Chapel in that book by what's his name, and although she hadn't read it it yet she'd seen the film and knew she wanted to visit the place itself. So we picked them up and after a lunch at the Flotterstone Inn we hit the chapel.
Doris has difficulty hearing and conversation was tricky over the noise of the car but luckily Katie had no trouble compensating by talking for two.
Rosslyn Chapel itself is a bit of a bombsite just now. The have had a huge metal roof over it for a while now to ket it dry out and are currently dismantling it. There are temporary portakabin toilets and piles of grey bricks beside the wire fences and heavy plant. Inside is as beautiful as ever, though they now operate a no photo policy (nothing to do with the postcards for sale in the tat shop). We caught a tour but for some reason Kit was reluctant to listen so he and I were happy to wait down in the vault, then outside in the running around area.
Doris deserves some respect - at 84 she is chumming Katie round Europe, talking about her next holiday to New Zealand and how she will take Katie's sister on a similar trip in three years when she is 16...
Katie had heard of Rosslyn Chapel in that book by what's his name, and although she hadn't read it it yet she'd seen the film and knew she wanted to visit the place itself. So we picked them up and after a lunch at the Flotterstone Inn we hit the chapel.
Doris has difficulty hearing and conversation was tricky over the noise of the car but luckily Katie had no trouble compensating by talking for two.
Rosslyn Chapel itself is a bit of a bombsite just now. The have had a huge metal roof over it for a while now to ket it dry out and are currently dismantling it. There are temporary portakabin toilets and piles of grey bricks beside the wire fences and heavy plant. Inside is as beautiful as ever, though they now operate a no photo policy (nothing to do with the postcards for sale in the tat shop). We caught a tour but for some reason Kit was reluctant to listen so he and I were happy to wait down in the vault, then outside in the running around area.
Doris deserves some respect - at 84 she is chumming Katie round Europe, talking about her next holiday to New Zealand and how she will take Katie's sister on a similar trip in three years when she is 16...
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Rather be riding my bike...
Got Lorna and Kit back after their Cambridge adventure so it's all life back to usual. Edinburgh is still buzzing with the sound of tourists and their money so the Royal Mile is once again a great place to take pictures - street markets, buskers and lost visitors.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Shoe 3
So, here's an odd one. How many shoes would you expect to find within, say, a mile? I think finding one once would be something you'd remember but the cycle path from Cramond Brig to Dalmeny seems to have more that its fair share - four at the moment, to be exact.
Now I am not into shoes, or feet, as anyone who knows me will tell you. In summer my delight at the plunging necklines of basking ladies is wholly spoiled by the accompanying unveiling of crusty toes with the obligatory badly painted nails. Boke.
But I couldn't help noticing these discarded shoes along the path - and from the way they sit they don't appear to have been thrown from a car. Shoe 4 in particular has been placed lovingly on a wall. Shoe 1 still has its price ticket on (£5 in the sale FYI). Shoe 2 is the only right one and only Shoe 3 has signs of ever having been worn.
Three are left, one is right.
Kleptomaniac podophiliac? (Boy is THAT going to get some fun visitors to the blog...) Monopod litterbug? Crimewatch episode waiting to happen?
Or what?
Now I am not into shoes, or feet, as anyone who knows me will tell you. In summer my delight at the plunging necklines of basking ladies is wholly spoiled by the accompanying unveiling of crusty toes with the obligatory badly painted nails. Boke.
But I couldn't help noticing these discarded shoes along the path - and from the way they sit they don't appear to have been thrown from a car. Shoe 4 in particular has been placed lovingly on a wall. Shoe 1 still has its price ticket on (£5 in the sale FYI). Shoe 2 is the only right one and only Shoe 3 has signs of ever having been worn.
Three are left, one is right.
Kleptomaniac podophiliac? (Boy is THAT going to get some fun visitors to the blog...) Monopod litterbug? Crimewatch episode waiting to happen?
Or what?
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Bike beside the poppies
So Lorna and KIt are off for a few days to see the family in Cambridge and I am left to wander the house with no bedtime routine to keep me in check. They caught the train down and Kit was "ecstatic" when picking up his cousins from school.
Speaking of which, school continues to be a dominating theme in our lives. The flat is not selling and even though we are talking about August 2011, Lorna is keen to get things sorted out well in advance. The "moving to a good catchment" option would be our preferred one, but increasingly the "take him to Queensferry with me" is Lorna's angle on the issue...
It's a week tomorrow until we break up for the holiday - yay - and the next few days in school are busy with clearing out one classroom to move to another. After a fun, challenging and successful (?) year with P3 I am off upstairs to the P7s again for 2010/2011. I know the grass is al;ways greener but I am looking forward to much of what upper school teaching brings.
Speaking of which, school continues to be a dominating theme in our lives. The flat is not selling and even though we are talking about August 2011, Lorna is keen to get things sorted out well in advance. The "moving to a good catchment" option would be our preferred one, but increasingly the "take him to Queensferry with me" is Lorna's angle on the issue...
It's a week tomorrow until we break up for the holiday - yay - and the next few days in school are busy with clearing out one classroom to move to another. After a fun, challenging and successful (?) year with P3 I am off upstairs to the P7s again for 2010/2011. I know the grass is al;ways greener but I am looking forward to much of what upper school teaching brings.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Longest day
These trees are on my cycle home, and having paid £114 for a bicycle service I am keen to make the most of it before the holidays kick in. I haven't really run since the marathon, but plan to get back into it once the schools finish.
On a much more exciting note, we are going to see The Wiggles at the Usher Hall tonight :-) Having first encountered these four musical geniuses on holiday in their native Australia we have been fans ever since and their visit to Edinburgh is no small deal. I am ready...to Wiggle.
On a much more exciting note, we are going to see The Wiggles at the Usher Hall tonight :-) Having first encountered these four musical geniuses on holiday in their native Australia we have been fans ever since and their visit to Edinburgh is no small deal. I am ready...to Wiggle.
Monday, June 21, 2010
On a bus
Felt rather naked without my camera on Saturday and had to make to with my phone instead. I enjoy playing with the "Hipstamatic" camera but it gives you a completely false sense of creativity.
Spent the day on a "treasure hunt" round Edinburgh as part of a colleague's retirement day - reading plaques and statues to answer touristy style questions. It was actually good, and the city put on a good show of sun, colour and ice cream.
Then we went to the Jam House where the food was tasty but tiny, the live music was good but too noisy for a meal, and the clientele were over 50 and too horny to even enjoy their beers.
Spent the day on a "treasure hunt" round Edinburgh as part of a colleague's retirement day - reading plaques and statues to answer touristy style questions. It was actually good, and the city put on a good show of sun, colour and ice cream.
Then we went to the Jam House where the food was tasty but tiny, the live music was good but too noisy for a meal, and the clientele were over 50 and too horny to even enjoy their beers.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Too noisy
So last night the fireworks started popping off round the house - neighbours down the road have some every year, nothing too flashy but enough for 5 minutes entertainment from over the hedge. Well, Kit HATES fireworks. Sitting eating his macaroni he heard the first one and sort of laughed..but not really, it was a bit too manic for laughing. Two fireworks later and he was getting upset and headed off to his room to find the ear defenders I bought him when we had planned to go to Knockhill (called off due to chicken pox).
The ear defenders made him feel much better. So much better, in fact, that he kept them on all through bath time, story time (Each Peach Pear Plum is so much better shouted) and then to bed. I finally prised them off his ears at around 11 and put them on Bigger Bear's ears who was still awake and also unsure of the bang and crackles.
The ear defenders made him feel much better. So much better, in fact, that he kept them on all through bath time, story time (Each Peach Pear Plum is so much better shouted) and then to bed. I finally prised them off his ears at around 11 and put them on Bigger Bear's ears who was still awake and also unsure of the bang and crackles.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Winter's Here!
Saw my first gritter tonight. A cold spell and dark nights, fireworks and my first winter puncture.
I'm off to Ireland this weekend, to Cork for some whiskey tasting with French dudes. Promises to be lots of fun. Oh, and my moustache is 4 days old and not worth taking a picture of. Update on Sunday :-)
I'm off to Ireland this weekend, to Cork for some whiskey tasting with French dudes. Promises to be lots of fun. Oh, and my moustache is 4 days old and not worth taking a picture of. Update on Sunday :-)
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Skeleton
Happy Hallowe'en! My concession this year has been to buy a bucket of sweets to hurl at children who come to the door tonight, but judging by the dearth of previous years I won't have too much to worry about. And then I can eat the sweets. Asda was horrible yesterday, with grubby people clamouring to buy the remaining grubby plastic Hallowe'en tat. Even Sainsbury's only had a handful of foosty pumpkins on Thursday, so I might carve a potato tonight instead.
Last night there was a big staff gathering in Bo'ness to start saying farewell to Sheilah, our nearly retired headteacher. It was fun, though as a designated driver I was not as keen to stay on as I usually might have been. And it was Bo'ness, so you don't want to hang about in general.
Tonight is Samhuinn, a firey / drummy festival procession leaving the Castle at 9pm and promising to be a fantastic photo opportunity. A colleague from QPS, Jennifer, is a drummer taking part and was talking this week of fur costumes and leather masks... I will be wearing a raincoat and stout shoes I think.
Last night there was a big staff gathering in Bo'ness to start saying farewell to Sheilah, our nearly retired headteacher. It was fun, though as a designated driver I was not as keen to stay on as I usually might have been. And it was Bo'ness, so you don't want to hang about in general.
Tonight is Samhuinn, a firey / drummy festival procession leaving the Castle at 9pm and promising to be a fantastic photo opportunity. A colleague from QPS, Jennifer, is a drummer taking part and was talking this week of fur costumes and leather masks... I will be wearing a raincoat and stout shoes I think.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Up North for October
I've had a cracking few days recently - the October holiday week is always good: it lacks the pressure of the summer holidays, where good weather and "plans" are paramount, and it prefaces the pressure of the Christmas holiday with its family driven agenda and financial aftermath. The tattie holiday is a real holiday, where autumn's colours and the early bite of a cold wind only serve to make Scotland a nicer place to be when you have nothing to do.And where nicer in Scotland than Speyside? I was lucky that there was a coincidental coming together of the holiday, my birthday and the Aviemore Half Marathon, my second after premiering in Glasgow last month. We headed north after school on Friday and stayed with Dad in Carrbridge, steadfastly refusing all but the skimpiest of curries in preparation for my run on Sunday. It turned out to be a lovely day, until lunchtime anyway, and the run was a picturesque, friendly and fun affair. 109th out of 996 and no lasting injuries sounds like a good day out to me.
So Monday saw poor Lorna heading south to go back to work on the train. Meanwhile Kit and I continued north to Tain for a couple of nights. This is another opportunity for him to be a spoiled brat but for me not to mind because I get some quiet time - and today, my quiet time took me to Croick Church, an exceptionally special place to me. Special for a number of reasons - it has big history. Follow the link to learn more, but suffice to say the church is linked forever to the Highland Clearances in a way that enters your blood and gives you The Shivers every time you visit. I'm not sure why, but inside the curch manages to be many degrees colder than outside, whether summer or winter. The people of Glen Calvie were mustered there before being thrown / chased / burned out of their houses and homes in 1845, and famously the church has scratches on the windows where they testified to the sadness and loss they were being put through.
All in all I spent a good few hours there with my camera trying to get some nice in and outside shots of the church and its grounds. I didn't feel spooked at all, it's a very peacful place to be, just so cold. Until, that is, a conker got blown from a tree and banged against one of the windows: then I shat myself. More pics to follow once I get them edited and Flickr'd.
Back home tomorrow - rehearsals tomorrow night then possibly an Edinburgh photography day on Thursday.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Good Word
So, off up the road tomorrow. This term has been a very fast one for me, and a busy one as I come to terms with being a P3 teacher. It's very different in that the children an cope with less concentration, which means a larger number of smaller tasks each day. Today we did Sentence Writing, or as I wanted to begin calling it "Just write ONE sentence, please, come on!"
Yesterday and today the three candidates hoping to be the next head teacher (when Sheilah retires next month) were being shown round the school. The rules dictate that us staff were not allowed to know who they were, so seeing them and even saying hello to one I recognised was tricky...
Yesterday and today the three candidates hoping to be the next head teacher (when Sheilah retires next month) were being shown round the school. The rules dictate that us staff were not allowed to know who they were, so seeing them and even saying hello to one I recognised was tricky...
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
A bit of running, a bit of fundraising.
I'm just back in from a rainy but enjoyable 5 mile run, my "usual" run which is an unexpected and uncharacteristic phrase at the best of times. Sunday is the Highland Half Marathon in Aviemore, and after my sensational 1hr 35mins at the Glasgow Half in September I am not feeling quite as tip-top. Reaching the end without my right ankle tearing off will be a good result after last week's long run to school, but at least I have a week off school to recover afterwards.
November is Movember - a fundraising opportunity for guys with hair...the link will explain it better but to summarise I will be growing a groovy moustache to raise money for Prostate Cancer Charity, follow me here and keep an eye out for pictures! I even have a "team"...
Kit is very full of himself - important things in his life just now are trains, jumping, drawing and being Lumiere from Beauty and the Beast. Ah well, could be worse. Lorna has contacted a judo club for him. He's three and a half, and apparenty the cotton wool is coming off. The judo-guy called tonight and despite me hanging up the first time (thinking he was a cold caller; well, he was asking for Mrs Clarkson) he had a chat and confirmed that 4 years old is probably better. I'll maybe just enter him for some baby-cage fights until then.
The picture is of Kit and his edible hedgehog. This was Granny's hard work when she was down to look after him and his chicken-poxy body. Good job!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Excuse me, I've got a bit of a dirty fork.
Father's Day here in the UK, and to celebrate we headed out to Howie's at Bruntsfield to undo all the good work of the last few weeks dieting. This was after a morning of gardening and box-packing. (We are decluttering the house with a view to tentatively thinking about selling.)
Kit's big news is that he has been promoted from Tiggers to Owls at nursery, the final room in the chain. Here he will be in with "the big ones", get no naps and less adult contact, instead finding himself trying to negotiate the complicated world of pecking orders alone. Do him good.
Kit's big news is that he has been promoted from Tiggers to Owls at nursery, the final room in the chain. Here he will be in with "the big ones", get no naps and less adult contact, instead finding himself trying to negotiate the complicated world of pecking orders alone. Do him good.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Bad to the Bone. And sparkly.
On Sunday Mike and I took the opportunity for a bike run to Kilmarnock-ish where the Ayr Classic Motorcycle club were holding a bit of a do. I am not the biggest fan of classic bikes, but I'm trying to train myself to like them the way I successfully did with whisky and risotto.
The stereotype of the biker is still alive and well. Huge bellied, bearded and bullish men, wearing enough leather to drown a horse, clutch tiny polystyrene cups of tea while pointing knowingly at featherbed frames and discussing whether that colour was the original 1964 or later 1965 hue. I didn't really fit in, not having the heritage, and I sort of scampered off every time it looked like someone was about to engage me in conversation. I feared an Invasion of the Body Snatcher type response. Think of a fat, baldy Donald Sutherland with a rollup.
The best fun was possibly looking at how other people had maintained, customised or ruined their bikes in the parking area outside. Scary bikes, small bikes, bike bikes, gay bikes, they were all there and revving up an assortment of (mostly illegal) exhausts. At £5 it was good value entertainment but I'll really need to do some homework before next time. Of course, it's the same dozen classic bikes which attend all the Scottish events so memorising them shouldn't be too hard, and then I too can say things like "Aye, that's a 74 like, tell by the caliper housing."
More here...>
The stereotype of the biker is still alive and well. Huge bellied, bearded and bullish men, wearing enough leather to drown a horse, clutch tiny polystyrene cups of tea while pointing knowingly at featherbed frames and discussing whether that colour was the original 1964 or later 1965 hue. I didn't really fit in, not having the heritage, and I sort of scampered off every time it looked like someone was about to engage me in conversation. I feared an Invasion of the Body Snatcher type response. Think of a fat, baldy Donald Sutherland with a rollup.
The best fun was possibly looking at how other people had maintained, customised or ruined their bikes in the parking area outside. Scary bikes, small bikes, bike bikes, gay bikes, they were all there and revving up an assortment of (mostly illegal) exhausts. At £5 it was good value entertainment but I'll really need to do some homework before next time. Of course, it's the same dozen classic bikes which attend all the Scottish events so memorising them shouldn't be too hard, and then I too can say things like "Aye, that's a 74 like, tell by the caliper housing."
More here...>
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Roar...
So, to compensate for having no willpower I have signed up to stickk.com and have had one and a half very successful weeks. You can become my supporter to cheer and jeer in equal measure as I try to go from medically overweight to statistically normal in 12 pious weeks.
I was very excited this morning as I sat at the computer from 9am to ensure I got tickets to Muse at the SECC in November... and I did, and now I'm excited. There are precious few bands which could do that, and most of them are dead or hate each other, so it's nice when one comes along that I would actually dance for. Yes, actually dance.
Report cards are now written, and as always my creative writing skills are put to the test as even the most challenging of individuals are described in terms that deluded parents can interpret in any way they choose. Luckily this year I have no such pupils, or parents.
Oh, I also started volunteering at Edinburgh Sick Kids hospital this week. I am a bedtime reader once a fortnight, though that was actually bedtime drawer this week. Having done my best to help with a beach scene I was surprised the little girl didn't ask whether I was in fact in for an operation on my hands, eyes or perhaps brain. After a brief discussion on what a palm tree actually looked like time was up and I and headed off. It was strange entering a whole new place / system / environment with its own rules, routines and hierarchy but I'm hoping that in time I'll get a handle on it.
4 weeks today until the summer holiday but who's counting?
I was very excited this morning as I sat at the computer from 9am to ensure I got tickets to Muse at the SECC in November... and I did, and now I'm excited. There are precious few bands which could do that, and most of them are dead or hate each other, so it's nice when one comes along that I would actually dance for. Yes, actually dance.
Report cards are now written, and as always my creative writing skills are put to the test as even the most challenging of individuals are described in terms that deluded parents can interpret in any way they choose. Luckily this year I have no such pupils, or parents.
Oh, I also started volunteering at Edinburgh Sick Kids hospital this week. I am a bedtime reader once a fortnight, though that was actually bedtime drawer this week. Having done my best to help with a beach scene I was surprised the little girl didn't ask whether I was in fact in for an operation on my hands, eyes or perhaps brain. After a brief discussion on what a palm tree actually looked like time was up and I and headed off. It was strange entering a whole new place / system / environment with its own rules, routines and hierarchy but I'm hoping that in time I'll get a handle on it.
4 weeks today until the summer holiday but who's counting?
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