Listening to Wogan

At risk of turning this blog into a tribute site for deceased celebrities, I feel that I must make mention of the death of Terry Wogan this morning at the age of 77. My fondness for him stems from listening to his Radio 2 breakfast show in the 1970s with my Dad, in the car in the daily school run. My Dad thought he was very funny and I also enjoyed his humour. On his return to Radio 2 in the late 1980s I resumed listening. He always made his listeners feel as if they were part of the show, which was very clever of him. I remember him once chastising his regular listeners because he claimed that when he was on holiday they had run rings round his stand-in (I think it was Ed Stewart) and made him give away a whole month's prizes in a week. His "handovers" to Jimmy Young in the 1980s were often very funny as they traded jokes and insults. His listeners used to send in limericks which were clearly going to end very rudely but he would stop after the second or third line. And his Janet and John stories were hilarious, told in the style of the old storybooks but with the hapless husband John always getting himself into a pickle due to unintended double entendres, and getting a row from his angry wife Janet. 

He also once told a joke which I found so funny that I was driving along in my car laughing helplessly; I had never heard it before and it really appealed to me. This may not be so funny to others, since humour is down to personal taste, but I shall attempt to relate it here.

There were once three men sitting in a railway carriage and they struck up a conversation, which turned to amusing slips of the tongue that they had made.

The first man said, "I once went into a clothes shop and I meant to say to the sales girl, 'Have you got a vest?' But instead I accidentally said 'Have you got a chest?'"

The second man said "I once went into a restaurant and I meant to ask for some grilled cheese, but I accidentally asked for some 'chilled grease!'"

The third man said, "Yes I know what you mean - I was recently having breakfast with my wife and I meant to say, 'Please will you pass me the jam' but instead I said, 'You've ruined my life you horrible old bag!'"

It still makes me smile. RIP Sir Terry!

Chilly day

What a raw, cold day it is! I woke with a headache but perked up after some painkillers and breakfast in bed. This is my first day off after working for twelve days in a row so maybe I'm just tired. We went into town to get a new ski jacket for James, and this proved very successful; after trying on the jacket that he wanted in Nevisport we had a coffee in Caffe Nero while he compared prices online. Armed with this information James then negotiated an even better price, with which he was very happy. Meanwhile we received a photo by text message from Ally and Cat from the top of Mount Snowdon! It looked pretty cold there too!

Surprised by Gertrude

When I went off to bed at midnight last night, tired but happy, I hadn't seen any weather forecasts. So I was surprised to be woken at about six in the morning by wind and rain battering against the windows really hard. Storm Gertrude had arrived! That wasn't the only thing that disturbed my sleep; at some point during the night I was half woken by hissing and yowling and two furry creatures fighting all around the bedroom. When I got up there were clumps of fur all over the carpet.

Anyway, in the morning it was very stormy and according to the radio all the bridges and ferries in Scotland were closed and cancelled. Luckily I needed neither for my drive to work! There were quite a few branches on the road which had been blown off trees and the car was buffeted about by big gusts of wind, but I arrived safely. 

And now it's Friday evening! James is home after a bumpy plane ride from Birmingham, we have had a tasty curry, we have watched a film (Everest, about the ill-fated 1996 expeditions) and we are now headed for bed. Outside the storm continues, but we are warm and cosy. 

Long day

I was at my desk working by 7.30 a.m. and left at 7 p.m., picking up a curry on my way home for Ally and me (James is down south overnight) By 8 p.m. I was proof-reading Ally's essay. It was very interesting - a critique from a pragmatist point of view, of how Westphalians and Hobbesians would each tackle the current refugee crisis in the Middle East. Alasdair had already completed the essay; I proof read it and then we went through it together, talking it through. After three hours he was happy with it and had written his conclusion. Despite the length of time that we spent, I didn't really contribute any content at all - I was just a sounding board for his arguments, which were (in my somewhat biased opinion) extremely good. The metaphor he used in his conclusion was that the tools (ideology) that you already have affect the whole way you see and tackle a problem. I coudn't have bettered it. It was a very enjoyable evening! 

Midweek

It's the middle of the week. It's a rainy and blustery week and also a very busy week at work. James had a bad cough before he went on his hill walking weekend and he came back on Sunday evening really quite ill. Needless to say he refused to take any time off work, but is now gradually improving. I have heard several bits of bad news this week - serious health problems affecting people that I know - it makes me more keen than ever to try to sort out my life before it's too late. Tom and Ruby are not letting the weather get them down; they are full of life and it amuses me to see Tom "helping" James to tie his shoelaces in the mornings! 

Chilling

I am alone for the weekend because James and Ally are away hill-walking. I'm quite happy chilling with my kitties, doing a few errands and watching some films on television. I have just watched Jurassic Park III and it was very good - it's a very long time since I first saw it so I had forgotten what happens (not that it's very hard to predict!) and I was enthralled by all the twists and turns. I am also reading quite a good crime thriller by Angela Marsons, "Lost Girls", the third in her D.I. Stone series set in the Black Country. This is a genre that I enjoy but which has never appealed to James, although he will watch a good quality crime drama on television, like Luther or Breaking Bad. After I found myself watching a horror film (I tend to avoid these) I was reminded of something I read recently - "If you feel lonely, watch a horror film. After a while you won't feel alone any more!" So I have headed to bed. A quiet but pleasant weekend so far.

Two wee kitties

I met two kittens this evening when I was at Jennifer's for book club. They were both black and about four months old - so sweet! The shyer one is called Celeste and the extrovert one is called Lucy. Book club was fun as usual, the book was Gillespie and I which I read ages ago - I thought it was excellent. And of course it was good to catch up with everyone. 

I am half way through a very busy week so not much to report because all my activities have been schooly. At home James and I have been watching Season Three of House of Cards on Netflix - it's so great!

Weekend miscellany

We went to Dundee yesterday to take Davie's television and PS4 to him (these are very necessary for student life, so Davie tells me.) We took Davie and Chanel out for lunch - we went to one of those burger places with a huge menu of hundreds of burgers but it was nothing special. Then we did a few errands including buying a teapot for David - you know how it is when one cup isn't quite enough! It was a raw, cold day and on the way home we encountered the band of snow that was sweeping down the west of Scotland. The outside lane of the motorway became very snowy so we just took it easy and got home to a very pretty and wintery street just as it got dark. James lit the fire in the lounge and a cosy evening ensued.

James and Ally girded themselves up for a snowy walk this morning but I decided that I would prefer a swim so took myself to Tollcross Baths. It really is an excellent facility, mainly because it is so spacious that it never seems overcrowded. As I swam up and down David Bowie's Life on Mars was playing on the radio. 

When I got home the hall was full of feathers and Ruby was lying casually at the bottom of the stairs. I looked around suspiciously for the source and sure enough, there was a bird (a thrush I think) crouched in a corner - alive, I'm glad to say. I don't know why the cats hadn't finished it off. I opened the front for and managed to shoo it out, it fluttered off, but it had lost an awful lot of feathers - poor wee thing! 

Farewell Alan Rickman

And now Alan Rickman has died. It has been a dangerous week for 69 year old beloved entertainers. I loved Alan Rickman, he was an excellent actor and indeed a very attractive man, and I was so sorry to hear of his passing. He was just gorgeous in "Truly, Madly, Deeply" and was a brilliant villain in "Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" and "Die Hard", totally eclipsing the heroes in both films. I most recently saw him playing Emma Thomson's foolish husband when I watched "Love Actually" for the umpteenth time at Christmas time; the acting between him and Emma Thomson was the best part of the film. I know that it was very unlikely that he would ever have asked me to run away with him, but I feel a sadness that it definitely won't happen now. Alan Rickman was mentioned last night at the Glasgow University Harry Potter Society Yule Ball that Ally attended. Rickman of course played Snape in the films and so they raised a glass in tribute to him after the dinner. I think that was nice. 

A Whimsical Notion

Do people chat with each other in the queue to the Pearly Gates? This is a whimsical thought, considering I don't even believe in said Pearly Gates, however it is an image that I have often pictured when I hear that two people I know or have heard of, have died around the same time. A famous example of deaths occurring on the same day is C.S. Lewis and J.F. Kennedy in 1963. Kennedy's death was such a world shattering event that it totally eclipsed the other, and Lewis' death slipped past almost unreported. But although they never met in life the two men are, for me, somehow linked in death. In the same way, I always remember that Princess Diana and Mother Theresa died one day apart in 1997 - and on a personal note, also that our first cat Tess died earlier that August. Did Mother Theresa pick up Tess for a cuddle as she exchanged pleasantries with Diana? 

This past week has seen the death of Ed "Stewpot" Stewart, the radio presenter of Children's Choice in the 1970s. I remember him fondly from Crackerjack. It has also seen the deaths of Rock legend David Bowie, and of one of the most aged of our elderly neighbours. She was a chatty and friendly lady so I should imagine that she would get on fine with the other two. I wonder who I'll be standing next to in the queue when my time comes?

Sunny in Carlisle

It was snowing this morning. The cats were so muddy when they came in that they left paw prints all over the floor; I can't help comparing them to their mostly very clean and tidy predecessors, Jack and Jill. When I held Tom up to the window to look at the snow he reached out with his paw to try to touch the snowflakes. 

I gave Chanel a lift to Carlisle because there are no train services on the West Coast line until the end of January. This is because of damage to a viaduct during Storm Frank at the end of December. There is a replacement bus service (which she used on her way here) but Davie was naturally keen to keep her company on the first leg of the journey so off we went.

About half an hour into the journey Chanel invited Davie to stay with her in Warrington for a few days. David was delighted but had nothing with him except the clothes he was wearing - not even his wallet or a waterproof. So we had to sort out some finances and a train ticket. Who am I to stand in the way of young love? Chanel is very sweet and I have never seen anyone laugh quite the way she does - her shoulders literally shake with laughter! South of Beattock the weather improved considerably; no more snow and by Carlisle it was even a bit sunny. The centre of town was quite attractive with historic buildings. After I deposited Davie and Chanel at Carlisle railway station I set off back home.

I stopped at Gretna retail park to have a break and buy a coffee, I haven't been there for years. As I proceeded north the weather deteriorated and the last half hour was through heavy rain, but James made me a nice cup of tea when I got home and we sat and chatted by the fire. Jamie and Ally had been hillwalking up a very snowy Earl's Seat in the Trossachs and we all had meatballs and pasta for tea with Grandma. 

Little paw

I feel the need to post about something which will only appeal to cat lovers, but which I found very amusing. When I got up this morning the cats were prancing around the bedroom in an ebullient mood, chasing each other around and underneath the bed. As I walked past the end of the bed a black paw with a white tip reached out to claw at my foot! I rushed over and stuck my hand under the bed, and I could hear the cats scrabbling around excitedly. And then as I walked past the end of the bed again, there was a little black, white tipped paw already sticking out from the end of the bed! Tom clearly wanted me to play a game by grabbing his paw - which of course I did! It was just so sweet, seeing that daft wee paw sticking out, waiting for me! The kitties are such fun. 

Ice and snow

Having become used to such a mild winter, it was quite a surprise to wake to an icy cold morning. I switched on the car's engine to de-ice its windows and ate my porridge at the front door so that I could keep an eye on it. By about 2 p.m. it had started snowing. By the time I went to collect Grandma from her eye appointment at Hairmyres at 4 o'clock it was like a winter wonderland, and the roads were quite slippy with snow. David had taken Grandma up to the hospital by taxi earlier and waited with her for her appointment, he is such a good grandson - all three boys are very nice to Grandma and she loves them making a fuss of her. When I arrived he set off into town to meet Chanel who is visiting for the weekend, and I drove Grandma home through whirling snow. Grandma's eye was sore after her injection but she is very brave and stoic. When I found out that she had slipped £10 to David, I told her that she shouldn't have given him anything, to which she spiritedly replied, "He's my grandson and I'll give him money if I want to!" which I thought was very sweet. 

River Pearl

Cat arrived home from Canada yesterday and she gave me a river pearl on a simple gold chain for my birthday. It is very beautiful and people commented on it all day at work. I love it. 

I went to the gym at the end of the day with two colleagues; I really enjoyed it and it felt good. Then this evening James and I did some more batch cooking. It was a slow cooked version of beef stroganoff. I did four times the quantity for four people so there was a lot of chopping and browning going on. It was a satisfying feeling.

Scone at New Lanark

The last couple of days of the holiday have been very pleasant. Sunday had to be quite quiet because I woke during the night with a crushing pain in my chest - I have had this before and I think it's a pulled muscle. I could hardly move but after some painkillers I managed to get up and about, and it is gradually getting better. We had a lovely Sunday dinner with Grandma - James had marinated a leg of lamb with garlic and juniper berries for three days and we served it with gratin dauphinois. It was melt in the mouth delicious.

James and I went for a nice wee walk at the Falls of Clyde today. Due to the recent heavy rain there was plenty of water crashing over the falls; it was spectacular. That's three out of the first four days of the year that we have gone for a walk and we agreed that we would like to continue this trend. We both have very busy jobs and it's difficult to make time for exercise. However, just as I place a very high importance on keeping my promises and commitments to my colleagues and pupils, I really should value my own health and not discard it so readily when I'm busy. Let's face it, my colleagues and pupils would all manage just fine if I finally break!

When we arrived back down into the village of New Lanark I had a very nice scone and a cup of coffee. James on the other hand chose an empire biscuit and a cup of tea. It has been a good and relaxing holiday. 

First curry of the year

We went over to Heather and Ewan's this afternoon to go for a walk, with a curry booked at Rasoi later. It was good to get fresh air and a bit of exercise, and we were lucky that even though it was muddy underfoot the weather stayed dry for us, and in fact it was so warm that I had to take off my jacket! Ally and Andrew joined us on our perambulations. I have no idea where Heather and Ewan took us; all I know is that it was over hill and down dale through lovely countryside for a couple of hours. Just the ticket for a New Year's walk. And a good way to work up an appetite for the enticing curry ahead. 

At Rasoi later on I chose something a bit different from my usual pasanda; I went for a muglai Punjabi which is chicken with red chillies, yoghurt and spinach. It was a bit hotter than I am used to but delicious. Time will tell whether this was a wise decision.

Traditional

It has been a quiet and pleasant start to 2016. A walk with James in the morning - our usual short 45 minute route around the neighbourhood. Then a meal at 3 p.m. at Piersland Lodge Hotel in Troon with Grandma, Marjory, Forrest and all the younger generation except Jamie, who is in France skiing. I'm not sure whether 3 p.m. is supposed to be lunch or dinner! It was all very sociable and many of the other tables were occupied by similar three-generation families. It was a very traditional Scottish family occasion. Ally and Davie were both tired after their revelries the night before but enjoyed chatting with their cousins. Then back to Grandma's for a cup of tea and shortbread. A good start to the year.