Exercise...

 

This morning I drew back the curtains to let in the morning light and the room got darker.  Someone had left the clouds out over night and they were refusing to move.  It was a dismal beginning to a day.  Scrambling through Twitter, emails, and the English media I decided to scribble words onto a screen.  By that time light was offering mere grey clouds instead of glowering black ones and as a result I decided to exercise.

Yes, exercise, something my heart is keen on but does not meet often.  Five minutes here, a bit of stretching there, a wee walk down to the basement to read the meter, stretch again, lift a weight, ooyah, put it down again, and return happily to the chair.

That slim exercise does indeed make me feel better.  Breathing improves, the body benefits, and I even smile at the mirror, this does not smile back.  Having done myself no geed a few weeks ago I am able now to exercise a bit and hopefully benefit more often from this.  Usually however, exercise brings out the bugs that follow me, and as I am supposed to go for a 'flu' jab I am now in two minds.  I could have a jab but fear this may stimulate a cold type situation.  I have to seek a Covid jab, but that also might have a reaction.  Now I am nonplussed as to what to do.  However, I missed both last year, I had Covid at the time, so may not bother again this year.  As per usual, whatever I do will be wrong.

A squabble has arisen over the return of Alec Salmond's body.  A request for the RAF to collect the body has been rejected as this, 'Is only for Royalty.'  £600,000 is supposedly the cost of returning the body but England do not appear to be in a hurry about it.  The government claim talks are under way, but that means little, I can see a 'Crowd funder' required to pay for this soon.

A Great Loss

It was as we watched Scotland playing the Croatian side last night that most of us heard the news of the sudden death of Alex Salmond.  This was indeed a shock to me, as it must have been for Alex.  Here was the remaining towering figure in Scottish politics, now we are left with the SNPs devolution loving weasels.  

Having removed Alex from power, smeared him and attempted to jail him, an attempt that failed badly,  the British State can now relax regarding Scottish Independence.  None of the money loving wimps left in the SNP wish independence, they are content with being 'Mayors' of the Scotland region.

Alex Salmond was a great speaker, a diligent MP & MSP, he was excellent with PR, and he knew how to deal with Westminster controlled journalists, the ones who fill BBC Scotland today.  Alex had friends and contacts at the highest level, he remained the only powerful individual capable of leading the country to independence, yet the 'ALBA' party that he created has so far failed to produce any success at the polls.  

Side-lined though he was Alex Salmond remained the only individual powerful enough to lead Scotland to freedom from the English yoke. He had many faults, inevitable in a politician, yet his influence was enough to frighten Sturgeon and her Special Branch owned cronies.  His influence will remain, however, his passing leaves Scotland barren of real politicians for now.

Alex Salmond's last post on Twitter finished with the words, "Scotland is a Country, not a County!" 

My phone just rang, not that I was looking.  

By the time I realised it was ringing and answered it the caller had gone.  I pressed the wee button for calls and discovered this caller, with a strange long number, was based in Armenia.  Now, as you know, I have many friends in Armenia!  A nation with a long history, going back well before Roman times, and one who supply a football team that plays in European tournaments.  But calling me? 

Could it be they wish me to manage their football team?

Possibly their politicians require my leading?

Possibly it is a wrong number?

Most likely some chancer chancing.

Anyway, he is blocked now.

I also noted a London 020 number had called yesterday, again I missed it.  Now I know people therein but they do not know my phone number!  A local caller, possibly from Armenia, making a similar chancer call.

Nobody I know calls me...

  

Healthy Eating with Alec

 

I came across this on Facebook this morning and identified with it immediately.  I suspect none of my readers will share my reaction, all of you being so young that is.  However, I understood all of this.  What memories returned, childhood, games played, fears, the wireless and malnutrition.  All the good things we remember from the 'good old days' when everything was better!

Pasta we never had, though we might have occasionally had spaghetti, not something parents enjoyed dealing with when kids are around, and curry was something dad talked of connected to his two years service in Poona in the days of long ago.  Pizza was of course unknown.

'Smiths Crisps,' sometimes a whole big box full of them, came supplied with wee blue bags of salt, to sprinkle among the contents, several wee blue bags in the big box.   

Indeed, rice pudding and hardly ever real white rice.  Not that this would feed us mind.  Potato soup, bread to dunk, and spam fritters or fish and home cooked chips were mainstays.

'Camp Coffee,' I always liked that.  It was the only coffee we had, very pricey, and unusual but kept for company when they arrived.  There used to be an army officer with bright tartan braid on the front being served by an Indian servant.  This was changed and the servant became an Indian Officer about 30 years ago!  Never see it now.

'Heinz Beans,' though I remember 'Crosse & Blackwell' also existed.  Yoghurt however did not until I was well into secondry school, so about 1965 I would say.  I had one, rotten it was, and never had another for 25 years.

I do not know who wrote that but I understand it well.  They missed out gray ex-army blankets stamped WD, on the bed with your overcoat on top to help the warmth.  Jack Frost on the windows and pound, shilling and pence in your pocket.  Too many and you leant to one side.

 

Daily Record

   

The SNP struggle continues.  Having established his right to use information at his hearing Alec Salmond has now learned the Crown Office (friends with whom?) wishes some evidence to be withheld.  This is intriguing as this has already been published somewhere.  The games people play.  Who is behind this move, who benefits, who wins?  Find out in next weeks (or days) exciting chapter...