Cat trouble

I have had a pleasant week so far. Work has gone well (although very busy!) and I have had a couple of nights out. I met up with Cat's Mum Christine for tea at a really lovely restaurant in Gatehead which I would love to go back to. We had a good chat about all sorts of things and the food was delicious, I had chicken stroganoff and it was the nicest that I have ever tasted. And I have been at my EK book club; it's the first time that I have seen the girls since before the summer and there was lots of news to catch up on. It was lovely to see them again.
Jack must have been fighting yesterday because he was definitely under the weather last night and wasn't hungry which is very unusual. He wouldn't even eat his nightly Fortecor tablet (for his kidneys) which he usually enjoys. He slept all night on my bed and when I got up he just lay there and didn't get up, just lifted his head a wee bit and looked at me through half closed eyes. I have seen Jack like this before when he has been fighting, and maybe got an infection from being spiked by a dirty claw or tooth.
So I made an appointment at the vet's for early evening, where he could get some antibiotics. However things did not go according to plan because first I had to go to a hospital appointment at the New Victoria. This shouldn't have been a problem but it ran so late that I had to postpone the vet's appointment until tomorrow because I had go straight from there to take Davie to his evening training session for hospital volunteering at Hairmyres. I then went back to school and worked on a bit before collecting Davie at 8.30 p.m. By the time we got home I was seriously worried about how Jack would be feeling, and I also felt very guilty that I hadn't managed to get him to the vet's today. We ran into the house and there was no sign of him, so we hurried upstairs. There he was on Ally's bed, and as we went in to the room he stood up, stretched luxuriously, and then trotted downstairs to demand some fresh chunks! Whatever was wrong, he seems to have got over it. I was so relieved and immediately texted James in Austria to let him know the good news.
I wish that Jack would stop fighting other cats; he will be sixteen years old on the 12th of September and it's time that he started acting his age! 

Birthday Picnic in the Park

Well, yesterday I worked and today I played. After a pleasant long lie in bed I got ready and went to Michael's 60th birthday party. The Millers really know how to party! It was to be a picnic, games and a treasure hunt at a mystery destination. After meeting at their house in Newton Mearns, and being issued with our name badges, we all got onto a large bus which whisked us off to .... Calderglen Country Park! I suspected as much when we arrived in East Kilbride! The weather was absolutely perfect. Michael and Lil (and their hard-working organising committee) were thrilled because although they had back up plans in case of rain, this warm and sunny day was much better for the picnic. There must have been about a hundred guests and there was a lovely atmosphere, everyone was ready to join in and have a bit of fun.
Our first activity was to construct a chair entirely from balloons and sellotape. My team swung into action; luckily we had two home economics teachers on the team, including Michael's sister Susan, who took charge of the design while the rest of us enthusiastically blew up balloons and tied them together. The judges were impressed by the beauty and sturdiness of our design and we swept to victory!
Then it was time for some very touching speeches to their Dad by Amy and Hannah and we all sang a seven verse song to the tune of "Teddy Bears' Picnic" entitled "Michael's 60th Birthday Picnic" which was very funny.
Lunch was bagels with a variety of fillings including pickled herring and smoked salmon, with drinks and crisps and biscuits. We ate it all on the grassy area of the park that we had taken over! Michael's birthday cake was amazing and was decorated as a garden with lots of vegetables growing in it and a recognisable Michael figure made of icing reclining on a deckchair.
Then it was time for the treasure hunt and then more games, including frisbee throwing, a three-legged race, a potato and spoon race, and a tug of war. Everyone was very friendly and I chatted to lots of Michael and Lil's friends and relatives. After the prize giving we all piled back onto the bus, tired out but happy after our fun afternoon. Happy Birthday Michael! 

A pleasant Saturday night with Davie

James has left for his holiday with the Scottish Power Hill-Walking Club, and texted me this evening to tell me that his hotel is lovely and that he will be starting his hill-walking tomorrow.  Cat has just emailed from Kanchanaburi in Thailand to tell me that she has cut Ally's hair - I can't wait to see how that has turned out! She also sent an updated itinerary for the last couple of weeks of their holiday In South East Asia - it sounds very exciting and includes elephant trekking, temples, waterfalls and tubing down a river.
I also received an email from Jamie from Peru, he is in Cusco and enjoying his holiday. 
Meanwhile, less exotically, Davie and I are relaxing at home with furry boy Jack. We went for dinner to TGI Fridays this evening which was very busy, so while we waited for a table we had a drink sitting outside in Royal Exchange Square. It is still just about warm enough to do that, although ominously today I found a single bright red autumnal leaf lying on the path under the cherry tree.
Anyway eventually we got our table at TGI Fridays and ordered our usual dinner. The atmosphere was lively as people were limbering up for their Saturday night out. Suddenly there was a commotion at a nearby table. A girl had just collapsed; she was completely out cold and was like a rag doll as the waiters all rushed over to help. Soon the paramedics arrived, and as we left she was being taken out to the ambulance, but she seemed to be coming round so hopefully she was ok. We decided against going to the cinema because according to David I talk loudly, cough and sneeze into the popcorn, and laugh at inappropriate moments, none of which is true. Now we are watching Tim Minchin on television who is outrageous and very funny. 

A familiar face in Peru

Jamie and I have been emailing each other during his stay in Peru, and tonight he texted me to ask me to read an email that he had just sent. I was surprised to get a text from him and on the spur of the moment I pressed the "face time" button. It rang out a few times and then suddenly there was Jamie smiling at me on the iPhone screen! It was an extremely clear picture, it was like he was in the next room! He has shaved his head recently because it was so hot in Iquitos but it's growing back now. We had a lovely chat, and he spoke to James and David too, and David showed him his new bicycle. He says that being in Peru has been a very interesting experience and has made him appreciate British hospitals more, from the point of view of hygiene and treatment. He has seen all sorts of medical conditions, like advanced TB, that you just don't see in Britain now. It was great to talk to him and I wish we had tried it before! Having completed both of his placements he is about to set off on the holiday part of his travels, including the Macchu Picchu trail. He will be home on the 8th September and I can't wait to see him. 

A good tune

I have been playing "Live and Die" by the Avett Brothers a lot in the car and I love it! When I find a new song that I like I tend to want to listen to it all the time. I have been thinking about my taste in music and I think it's very varied, but there's definitely quite a lot of Country in there. Last summer I couldn't stop listening to "Wild Montana Skies" by John Denver. I just love a good tune and I don't necessarily need a sophisticated soundtrack like James does; a man (or woman) with a guitar will suit me just fine - as long as the song is good. An example of this is "Wagon Wheel"; a country song first heard by me in a bar in Harris sung by a visiting musician. I thought it was tremendous and still do. Could it be that I associate it with a really great evening and that's partly why I like it? Who knows. I downloaded Ewan's recent recommendation "Lola Montez" by Volbeat - he has blogged about it and played it to us on Saturday evening - and I played it in the car on the way home tonight. I liked it very much but I don't know how to describe its "genre". I just like good music. 

Relaxing at the weekend

I am really enjoying my weekend! It all started with a curry and a film on Friday evening. Admittedly the film (a comedy called Guilt Trip) was not as hilarious as I had hoped but it was still a very pleasant evening. Saturday was rainy and we went into town to buy Davie a bike for passing his Highers. Needless to say I was quite bored as we stood around in the bike shop discussing the attributes of different kinds of bikes. However it was all in a good cause and Davie was very pleased with his new bike. 

Heather and Ewan came for dinner in the evening. I was pleased with how the meal turned out and we had a great evening of chatting and laughing. We showed Heather and Ewan a selection of our holiday photos from Alaska and we also looked at both sets of Berlin photos. David drifted in and out during the evening, stopping to look at the photos and enjoying chatting with us. 

This morning James and I went for a brisk walk around Strathclyde Park in the sunshine before taking David to collect his bike which has been set up ready for use. He was very excited and went out for a long cycle. Meanwhile James and I went round to Janie and Robert's. Robin, Julia, Bill, Katie and Abigail were there too and we caught up on lots of family news over a delicious lunch. 

A Weekend in Boat of Garten

Well, what a busy couple of weeks I have had! The good news is that things at work are going well, and after working until about midnight every evening this week I am certainly looking forward to the weekend.
I have managed to have some fun too, last weekend at Boat of Garten with Alison and Hugh. On Saturday we all went Segway-ing at the Rothiemurchus Estate. It was great and I took to it straight away. At first the speed was limited to six miles per hour but soon our instructor allowed us to go at twelve miles per hour and we whizzed about the field. Then we went along country tracks, negotiating stones, tree roots and pot holes. I loved it! After lunch at the visitor centre we went for a walk from Coylumbridge up towards the Laraig Gru and then circled back round to our starting point, a total of 14 km. The weather was lovely and the views of the mountains and streams around us were really beautiful. On Sunday we went cycling for a couple of hours in the morning to Tulloch and Nethybridge and through the forest. I was nervous about keeping up with the others because it's a while since I have been cycling (apart from Skagway in July which was mostly downhill). I even suggested that I turn back when we got to the Osprey Centre but Alison, Hugh and James persuaded me to continue and I'm very glad that I did because I enjoyed it very much. It was a fantastic weekend in the company of great friends and it gave me the strength to get through the week! 

Not much blogging going on

I really enjoy writing my blog so it's a bad sign that I have been too busy to do so recently. I have been time tabling - a strange and time consuming occupation which is both an art and a science, and it has taken up most of my waking hours for the last week. And of course in six weeks time when my temporary job comes to an end, someone else may well be reaping the benefits of all my efforts. Enough of work stuff.
David's Higher results came through on Tuesday. A tense morning preceded the arrival of the postman; in fact we had to go up to Hairmyres Hospital before the post arrived, for David's interview for voluntary work. When we came back home it had still not arrived, but soon we heard a noise at the door and there was the SQA envelope. David got an excellent 4 Bs at Higher. He was immensely relieved at first and then disappointed that he didn't get an A for Physics. I think he has done very well; a couple of years ago he couldn't have dreamed of results like that, and he can now plan for University. I am so proud of him.

Yesterday Alasdair sent me a prank email from Thailand which gave me quite a scare. Here it is:
"Hey, Wanted to Skype to tell you, but everything has gone down the pan. A typhoon has ripped up most of Hoi An, so we are staying in the football stadium as it is just high enough to be out of the water. The floods have covered most of the town and most buildings were flattened in the storm. On the way here the bus driver fell asleep and we careered off he road and into a ditch; Cat needed a once over from the paramedics but said the cuts shouldn't need stitches and she could go the the refuge centre. I got a bit of glass in my leg but they cleaned it out and it's okay.
46 people have been declared dead so far but it looks like it'll be much more than that. I am thinking of heading to Singapore to recoup at Marina Bay and use their hospitals as they are much cleaner and safer than here. They said on the phone that I could still use your card details to pay for the room, so that should be fine.
Cat blames me for all of this as she never wanted to go to Southeast Asia anyway and especially not Vietnam as typhoons were forecast before we went. She wants to go west to Laos with some guy named Tyler but it is much less developed there. They are trying to leave today and I don't know what to do, she has been staying with him the last 2 nights. I don't know if I should leave her or not.
Going out to help search the ruins as some of my friends are missing. Hope the weather is better with you.
Ally x"

I panicked and phoned James and Cat's Mum and Dad. James was very alarmed. Luckily Christine had received an email to warn her about the prank so she was able to set my mind at rest. Ally and Cat Skyped me later on, rather embarrassed, because by that time Christine had been in touch with them to say how upset I had been. Ally had done it in revenge because I kept on missing his Skypes. I couldn't stay angry with him for long, in fact it was very funny, but I felt rattled for the rest of the day! 

A rainy walk up Meikle Bin

James and I decided to go for a walk today and I suggested Meikle Bin in the Campsies, a favourite hill of mine because it has a long and pleasant walk in to the forest before the final ascent up the hill itself. We have walked up Meikle Bin many times before, often with the children, and today we reminisced about a lovely snowy winter walk there a few years ago with Heather and Ewan. The weather was a bit rainy; the forecast had promised us a dry morning but the afternoon rain came along early. Luckily we had brought waterproofs, but we were laughing because every time that it dried up a bit and I took off my beanie hat, the rain would come on harder! When we came out of the trees onto the hill, we felt the full force of the wind as well, it was making me stagger about! We got up to the top and went over the brow of the hill to a sheltered spot where we had a really nice cup of coffee and some cereal bars. The views over the Carron Valley reservoir were gorgeous, we could see the shadows of the clouds moving over the green forest and there were swallows flying about below us. Further away, we could see the ariver Forth and Longannet Power Station. Inevitably, the rain started again so we made our way back down the hill, chatting all the way.
I felt a bit cold in the car because my trousers were a bit damp so when I got home I jumped into a hot bath and reflected on how I hadn't appreciated how lovely and hot Berlin was a week ago! 

Good news from Peru

Davie set off this morning by train for a weekend in Blackpool with a couple of his friends, so I found myself to be home alone. Apart from Jack of course, who spent quite a lot of the morning following me about and then disappeared for a sleep upstairs in the afternoon. I worked from home today which meant that I could pop into the garden for a coffee from time to time. It was a lovely sunny day with a nice warm breeze. I received an email from Jamie as expected, with his exam results - he has passed them all! I was delighted for him, I know that he worked really hard for them. He passed all three sections including the written exam, which he finds the most difficult. Then the phone rang - it was Jamie, phoning all the way from Peru! I was so pleased to hear his voice! We had a brief chat; he is still enjoying himself and will be moving on to his next placement in Trujillo tomorrow.
I phoned James to pass on the good news; he had already heard from Jamie via email and was extremely pleased. One more year to go for Jamie and then hopefully he will be a doctor!
At about four o'clock I decided to go for a walk in the fine afternoon; I arranged with James to meet him at Clockwork for a drink. At first I really enjoyed myself but after an hour of walking I started to feel really faint, which is unlike me. James picked me up at King's Park and quizzed me about what I had eaten today. He decided that I am not eating enough (!) and took me into town where we had a drink at Metropolitan before a yummy South Indian meal at Dhakin. And now I feel absolutely stuffed! We are going to watch Sherlock and have a cup of tea.