Freezing Early Saturday

Long before i was awake this morning I trudged out towards Sainsburys.  Yesterday I went round the shops for the things I forgot, this morning I went back for the other things I forgot.  I really must get used to writing these things down.  Of course of I write them down I forget the list! 
The sun had yet to rise, that came at just on eight this morning, and the gray sky did not ease the cold wind blowing from the south east, neither did it offer much light.  The lack of light made the lit up shop windows appear cheery,the main one in sight cheers many people I think.  This shop has been here for some time now, not that I ever notice anyone going in or out, and on the occasions when the proprietor is noticed standing outside, cigarette in hand, I become aware that she has not had much use for what is on offer for a while, since round about 1958 I guess!  Online sales must be good!  Actually they are not, I have just found the website and it is 'under reconstruction' and nothing is available.  Hmmm... just who is sneaking in I wonder.  Maybe if I set up a camera opposite...

Coming out of Tesco with the remembered forgotten items I grabbed a shot of one of the two fruit stalls in the market.  It was the bright lights cheerfully failing to detract from the icy wind while the staff grabbed as much cash as possible from the customers.  I prefer the other stall myself. 
I have remained glued to the laptop since attempting to avoid the ironing that remains and keep warm.  I must give in and do something now. 

OK, hours later and I failed to do anything but eat and no watch football while also 'discussing' Brexit with brexiteers.  When I said they had no argument to put forward one immediately replied 'We don't need to as we voted for it.'  Hmmm...

Wasted Saturday

A three football match Saturday today. Not that I was able to watch them all the way through with making a broth of sorts while the first was on and falling asleep while watching Livingstone and St Mirren, a response that St Mirren will often produce.  Now Leicester are playing Spurs but I am finding my mind wandering to other things while I scribble this.
 

The town centre extravaganza offered sheep, white ducks, a donkey and a couple of goats, including this one who appeared more than happy to look down his nose at passers-by.  This pleases many and I suspect next week, or the week after reindeer will appear.
Otherwise it has been a wasted day, just as well as I did not wish for anything else today.

Life is so Busy...

Unsurprisingly Saturday has been a busy day.  All that football to watch and things to do!
Early I was in Sainsburys being chatted up by the staff, as always.  Then I inspected the bins in a vain attempt to clear up the mess left when a neighbour moved out.  I have decided to add my aged mattress to it, after I by a new one, and call the council to remove the rubbish.  It might cost but is the easiest way.  The landlord might even pay me back.
After breakfast of leftovers again it was off to Tesco for the things Sainsburys do not have the chance to overcharge for.  On the way I sauntered into the museum to gloat to the staff regarding the busy afternoon ahead of them while I lazed at home.
They through me out.
Then I had to watch football for hours.
Life can be hard on a Saturday...

I did take time to venture out to one shop in the afternoon and passed the town centre with the 'Food Stall Day' underway.  This brings many people into the town they say but it does not bring them into the shops (nor the museum) to spend money.  The food providers are happy, many come regularly, and at he prices they charge I am sure they sleep well tonight.  However it is not for me as I would hesitate to spend such cash when I can burn similar cheaper at home.
Now after a hard day I am filling my head with old rock at too high a volume and working through YouTube to my pleasure and with wee earphones my neighbour's also.
This saves thinking and takes away my nervous energy easily....

It's Autumn, therefore these 'Boris the Spiders' are appearing everywhere often with huge webs taking ages to create.  It never fails to amaze me that such creations can be made by a wee beastie that has never attended a technical college or worked an apprenticeship.  Slender, huge and able to withstand quite some wind.  I wonder how long he will be there?  There was one in the corner of my window for several years.

Slow Saturday

The sun strives to break through this afternoon following on from a delightful pink sunrise observed from the edge of my bed as I woke this morning.  Pink mornings are of course a shepherds warning though nobody knows who this shepherd actually is, he was however right.  The dull clouds turn to light but persistent rain forcing me to remain indoors watching football.  English football and I soon fell asleep.  
That sums up the day.
I hope yours was more exciting.

Dreich Saturday

I was somewhat surprised to come upon this van parked round the corner the other day.  I mean who would have thought a delivery van would be called 'Grabbit & Run?'  I would have said that was one of the local lawyers vans myself.  Fair to say he was facing the wrong way in a one way street so it is understandable that I thought it a legal experts vehicle.

Another gray dreich Saturday with cold winds a blowing.
This encouraged me to remain indoors mostly listening to my new neighbour downstairs move things in to the flat.
One thing about moving is the wonderful way nothing goes through doors.  On one or two nights I have heard strange noises and it was he and a companion pushing things through the window into the flat (He is on the ground floor).  Of course I offered assistance but he may not have heard me say this as I kept my mouth shut when offering assistance.  Clearly he and those assisting him have not yet finished as the noise has abated and he will no doubt return tomorrow to continue his movement.  I know it is a he as a letter arrived with a strange name and correct flat number so someone somewhere knows about him and is already asking for money.
The problem of flitting is the packing.  What do you keep and what do you throw away?  How do you pack it and how do you remember where you packed it after you arrive where you are going?  Some stick coloured labels on boxes, each pertaining to different rooms, other write in large letters the room, still others use numbers, all this to no avail as the box you wish is hidden under all the rest and you cannot find it.
When I moved here 21 years ago, almost 22 now, I had little to pack.  To move now would be torturous as I appear to have so much, where did it all come from and do I really require it all?   I suppose I ought to discover if I really need so much and dispose of the excess in charity shops and to be fair if I am continuing to be as forgetful as I have become I suspect I will buy most of it back again!
Most of what I have was required at the time, books are on the shelf, read once or dipped into as required but are these excess I wonder?  Clothes?  Not much as most people comment on my ability to shop at the charity shops, some rather too often I think.  I suppose some would wonder at what I have but I think most of it has a place.

 
I awaited with baited breath the Heart of Midlothian v St Johnstone game on BBC Alba this evening.  At ten minutes to six I switched on the laptop and found an update in the top left hand corner.
Eventually the machine woke up and demanded I 'RESTART NOW!' in that loving manner it possesses.  This I obediently did and after what seemed hours, partly because of my impatience as time was running out, partly because in my impatience I switched things on quickly and banged the buttons it all fell apart.  After many rude words and much finger twitching the game appeared two minutes after it began.
Over an hour and a half later I said to myself, "That's better out than in."  A worse first half could not be imagined.  Our lot appeared to consider going backwards the way to go forwards, I told them my opinion of this, they however continued to play a game of football unknown to kids in the playground.  Kids would try to score.  Kyle Lafferty, has he played football before? 
The second half was much better they started facing the right way, which was an improvement, and soon scored a goal, which was also an improvement.  For a while they pretended they were a football team and passed the ball to one another, checking the colour of the shirts worn by each side beforehand, something they had not done in the first half.  However it soon degraded into a slog and by the end we were all glad Barcelona were not coming in midweek.  We were not cheered by the knowledge that we meet St Johnstone next week in the Scottish Cup once again, oh joy!
Kyle Lafferty, has he played football before?

Siberian Saturday

Another Christmas Saturday, another event in the town.
Shivering while playing Christmas music concerning snow and reindeer will not warm up the band.  I hope they have hot toddies at their sides as their fingers must be frozen. The fellow at the back has been somewhat excited by the songs however! 

The audience could not restrain their enthusiasm as you can see, the big man in red emerging from his grotto to listen to the band.  Possibly he wishes to avoid being inside alone with kids in these days of lawyers adverts and tabloid journalists!  Sadly dealing with kids on one level has not changed but on another PC attitudes and neurotic mums make it impossible to be alone with a child.
Like me many men will not talk to kids who talk to us innocently, however if one required help I, like most, would step in, whether others thought this right would have to wait for later.

The market swarmed as it did last week, grumbling people, cold stallholders, far too few stalls.  A very good opportunity to sell the town has fallen flat with poor planning and lack of experience.  Mind you I went to two of the usual stalls and obtained what I required.  I avoided the newer trendy ones as it was home made stuff, jewellery and the like, nice in itself but not for me.  
One Saturday to come, Christmas almost Eve, must do better. 

Note the cheery smiles...

My shopping ended at the sweet stall I usually ignore.  These cheap delightful chocolates in a presentation plastic jar will do the job.  It would have been better to find other items more appropriate but they don't exist in this little town, and I was tired and cold!

Slaving Away Saturday

Saturday ought to be one of my many days of rest and instead I have twice wandered slowly around the town searching for things and also spent time in the museum.  I wandered in there out of habit and found the lass once again on her own.  This is not a good situation and I hung about for a while as I was in no hurry and enjoyed the chat.  I heard about the reasons for the failure of the Christmas lights, the chap responsible left the job and no-one bothered to replace him.  This meant nobody headed up an organised Christmas, no money, no working together and no efficient result.  A wasted opportunity to put the town on the map.

This however was not the only turkey in town.  This guy and his mate spent much time showing off to the kids and indeed frightening them by his cry.  "Gobble Gobble" sound OK on tv or in cartoons but when a bird yells it in your face many kids ran for their lives.  I followed them!  

The 'little donkey' was not that keen to meet folks, he spent much time with his head stuffed in his feed.  Reindeer last week, donkeys, turkeys and sheep this week, I suspect the animal lovers who grumbled about having them in the town are at this moment writing to the local paper demanding these beats are put out into the fields.  Actually by this time they probably are, or tucked up nicely for the night.

The whole point of having such attractions is to bring folks into the town centre, this however is harmed by a lack of political control.  The council will not reduce the rates, small shops canny survive and we now have many very good charity shops but wandering about the town today I realised how little is on offer beyond the basics.  Sure some big shops have premises but most are loss leaders and many have closed, that leaves two big supermarkets and many disgruntled shoppers.   Big towns 15 miles away benefit.

   
I was much tempted to visit the 'Bull' as I passed but not only was it crowded my knees indicated home was preferred.  The 'Bull' has stood there at least since 1769 when it was 'licensed' as an Inn but I expect it operated as an Inn before that.  The shape of the building makes me wonder if it was originally a house at the edge of town, possibly a farmhouse, the 'Nags Head' standing me as I took the picture certainly was a farmhouse.  Much changed over the years and extended into the one time Saddlers next door it is one of the towns most 'popular' pubs.  Few pubs are not popular and at least this one has not been closed down by police request as one or two others have been.  
Until the 1960's the pub was popular with farmers and their men who came in on Wednesday and Saturday for the market.  Cows were still seen here in the 60's and in times past small stockholds would operate outside the pubs, sheep or pigs held therein.   A lovely aroma for the townsfolk.

Another Day Another Doll.. Hold on..

Once more the shortage of staff forced me out of bed and into a clean shirt for museum duty.  Imagine having to shave on a Saturday rather than a Sunday!  This puts my body clock right out and I will be confused all week.  
As expected little happened though having decoration work under way we allowed folks in free of charge which brought a few smiles to faces.  At least one or two spent money in the shop afterwards.   This always pleases me and it pleased the kid who left with a pair of Harry Potter glasses also!
The main bulk of the morning was spent watching a cha stick stuff up his nose outside.  I spoke to him somewhat roughly and while I wish I had just lifted him and dumped him outside I was wary of folks passing and also me losing out!  The boss called the 'town security' who never appeared and eventually he wandered off.  If he returns I may get annoyed and dump him with or without security. Sticking stuff up his nose with kids around is not on and it is not going to happen in our garden.
I have been running this through my head since and it annoys me.  Some folks need help, others need removed from society while they kill themselves slowly, he was one of the latter.  
On the Twitter feed I watch the local police and they are constantly picking up drug dealers with thousands in their pockets yet people say legalise drugs and end the crime?  It may end crime but will still have thousands dying on our streets hooked on this junk.  Legalising it will not save them.

The drizzly day sauntered on after this, happy dealings with the families that arrived, happy dealing with a lovely young woman who spent money, and happy to leave not long after noon and head for home.  Life has been dead since!

The problem with weekends is a simple one, if there is no football there is nothing happening.  No political stories, no tragedies, no events that need mentioning in fact no news at all which must really annoy those having to work the weekends.  Once I have shopped there is little else to do when the rain drizzles uncomfortably down TV and radio are poor and the web is not pleasing me.  Now I just sit and mope as I am too tired to think.  Bah!

 

So Quiet

So quiet just now.  The TV is off, the radio is off, and I sit in silence awaiting six O'clock.  This is important as at six BBC ALBA will offer the full game between St Johnstone and Hamilton Accies hence the silence.  Anything I listen to is likely to offer the score inadvertently so I sit with no noise, scared even to play You Tube in case it appears there.  Ah Radio 3 Jazz!  That fills a gap.
Had the weather been better had my health been better then I would be outside avoiding radios and observing the world, instead I linger here reading books and burning chicken for tea.

I took some objects to the museum early on for the next exhibition, something about the 60's, 70's and 80's which appear like yesterday to me but ancient history to some.
I remembered today the men I worked with when I left Edinburgh in 1975, several were in their late 50's and early 60's and it was interesting to consider that if they still lived they would be around a hundred years old.  In my mind of course they remain as I remember them, fit, healthy and bossing me around.  The women who threw themselves at me, or at least threw some things at me, will no longer be lithe young slips of girls, grandmothers all and yet here I am just as I was then, youthful, handsome and ........  *fill in as appropriate. 
Nostalgia is not what is was and that is why we are having an exhibition covering the Christmas period (note Christmas is less than 100 days away) and offering something many in the town will wish to remember.  They will also wish to visit the photos I am about to steal from them to offer for the exhibition!  Photos of people, places that no longer exist and then they can mutter and groan how "It was better back then" even if then they spent the time grumbling as to how it could be improved!  This they deny!  
Now, where are my Hippy beads...?

  

Nothing Happened

All day Saturday nothing happened again.
I mean I bought bread and cheap soggy fruit but that's not exciting is it?
So I sat in the park and awaited six O'clock so I could watch the rerun of the football.
Nothing happened in the park.
Not a thing.
The weekend holiday may have taken many away, it may be their shopping was done, it may be nothing was happening but nothing happened.
And my dinner was lousy...

So I mused.
Why, thought I, why has Donald Trump not been shot yet?
He lives in the USA where thousand shave already been gunned down, many fatally, so why has this notorious man not been shot?  The population of the USA contains more headbangers per square in than anywhere else on earth and all are armed to the teeth so how come no-one has tried this yet?
I can understand normal enemies not killing him, you know, North Korea, Russia, China etc, as he is doing more for them being alive than he would dead.  It is well known that British intelligence had been working on ways to kill Adolf Hitler when it was realised it was better to keep him alive as he was as his decisions were working in the allies favour.  So also with Trump.
But surely there is one nutter there who might try?

Books: I thought of a book that might benefit another and ordered it!  I think I have become obsessed!  At one point today I accidentally found myself in a charity shop looking at books.  'Go home' said a voice in my head but my feet remained there until I had searched all shelves.  That reminds me I must look up Amazon to see if they ha...

Worryingly the first sign of Autumn has been sighted, in that there tree.  The leaves are losing their colour and beginning to fall.  Certainly it gets darker earlier, though the clouds don't help, and already people whisper the 'Christmas' word to much chagrin all around.
Did summer happen this year?  I suppose it happened like it always did but I may have been sitting in here watching football that day.

I asked Bert here how things were going, and he was going before he bothered answering. Tsk!

Sleepy Sunlit Saturday

My refined 16 stone bulk required some beauty sleep today.  Having spent a busy week I needed to do nothing and that is almost what I accomplished.  Naturally I awoke at 5:15 in the morning, I do when I need sleep, and rose to contemplate my breakfast.  I would have contemplated it better if there had been more bred, why do I always run out of it on a Saturday?

Later in the day as I crossed the park I noticed the light was different.  I tried to capture it but the light was so clear, almost like the light found at the seaside where it bounces of the water giving a different 'feel.'  This struck me forcibly even though my brain was fogged.  In spite of the warmth of the day few were about and while I was out late in the afternoon I expected to see more people about.  Maybe we are not used to sun?

The evening was spoiled somewhat by Real Madrid winning the European Champions League.  I had rather Juventas won but in truth this competition means little to me.  We are forced to see this as the pinnacle of the game yet I watched several play-off matches which were more entertaining and more interesting to me.  I do not identify with Juve or Real, even though I fancy Barca.  I want to see my team, my league and more of that, not overrated players in a fantasy league that has drifted away from the people.  This competition takes priority but not to me it doesn't, it is time for a change.

Sat Day

What an excellent Saturday it has been!
I sauntered out slowly this morning, the pavements were white with frost, and visited Tesco for bread.  A quick look at the sky above and then back into the heat, once Esmeralda had switched herself on, and I have sat in front of the laptop all day.
Now this does not indicate working I should tell you, Oh no, instead I have been playing with 'Little England' 'Brexiters.'  One facebook friend keeps linking to people who post 'Daily Express' stories, the 'Express' is constantly brought up before the ineffective Press control people for misleading, indeed lying headlines.  They do not change them as they are well aware headlines offering stories concerning foreign bodies stealing money, attacking women, murdering their family always sells to the 'UKIP' voter.  I ask them to show the white English doing similar but find no support.  
The lies re 'Brexit' continue to fill the page just as bias towards Trump does.  I indicate helpfully misunderstandings, and indeed bad spelling, but this gets only abuse.  Violence is offered by some in they way hey detest when 'Liberals' 'Communists' and 'Luvvies' offer it.  The little englander is not the brightest.  For some reason they dislike that professor who called England the 'Lager lout of Europe,' I failed to see their objection.   
Tee Hee how they revolted at my comments.  I am so unhappy about that.

Anyway I returned to war memorials and finished and printed off two more of the pile I was doing and decided to return to other museum work.  Then I decided to return to it after lunch, after this I decided to sleep it off before working and then after that decided to watch the football instead.  I ought to have worked at something.  How depressing to see Rangers lose a goal and then come back and win!  No chance Celtic will lose goals tomorrow so both the evil twins go through.  The Heart of Midlothian have the hardest task with Raith Rovers tomorrow yet we know how that will turn out.
I eventually considered dead soldiers again but luckily hunger took over and football has run my day since.  How lucky is that?

The Saturday Post

I am irked!
That is not the picture I was going to post, that picture posted squashed.
This one will post squashed also but I was experimenting with all the knowledge of someone who knows absolutely nothing and have come up with no answer.
A search of the useless Blogger Help was useless.
Others had similar problems but nothing helped.
See, the pic is squashed, narrowed, elongated and yuk!
Good job it's an old one
The whole Blog is squashed, narrowed and slimmed down.
I have reset to template defaults yet this happens.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

I'm off in a huff.

My Saturday Evening Post

Life?

"Life," the man said,"is what happens to you when your making other plans."
Today the plan was simple.  Sleep, buy veg, sleep, watch football, type up the notes, sleep, watch football, sleep.  Easy to write, easy to plan, easy to follow.
Didn't happen!
It began OK.  I slept long this morning, had breakfast, began typing notes when I could read my writing, and then went for the veg.
For a start the weather was still freezing cold, then the veg man who is always there was not there.  Has he been kidnapped or bumped off by the man at the other veg stall I wondered?  This now means using the other veg man who I consider to be a bit of a git or use supermarkets overpriced stuff.  I used neither to save money and will struggle through on frozen stuff.
Then slouching my way home I passed the museum.  A knock on the window invited me in to chat, then informed me the lass on that morning had not turned up as her car was broken and I soon found myself there all morning even though I was dressed in the 'unshaven Saturday scruff' look. 
This threw out all my sleep plans and little typing occurred as the football was on the laptop and priorities indicate football comes first!  I miss the sleep the most!
Now having nothing done that ought to be done, just look at the mess in the sinks, the football was flat, the notes unreadable, sleep unavailable as the dire football kept me awake, and this has not been written yet. 
I did however manage at last to get round all your blogs in the last 24 hours. Normal practice takes me there daily but WW2 is making things difficult.  My routine is gone and my life is falling apart.
However I will not bleat about it.