Christmas Card Shopping

I was hobbling away from the card shops when I saw the sun was going down.  Normally this is hidden from my sight by trees and unless I venture outdoors I miss it.  Quite nice tonight, the storms tomorrow may offer something different.

I had been in three card shops today for Christmas cards.  Now, I have dozens of cards, I bought them online from an Etsy shop, WordPlay Design.   I like these cards but naturally none of them fit the family!  

I got the Christmas list out, ensured it was correct, then looked through all the cards, including last years leftovers and rejects, and attempted to fit them to people.  This was OK concerning non family folks, and they can be sorted tomorrow - or later, but not one fitted the family and their twisted sense off humour.  Thus I trekked out unwillingly this afternoon to visit the cheap but good card shop.  

Here luck was in for some, I obtained a few cards but nowhere near enough.  Also I needed three kids cards for one lot and another for the boy.  The problem is, one mum has two wee girls, so cards etc are required for both.  Then, on Boxing Day, one of them becomes a 2 year old, thus requiring another card and gift.  The mum of the boy will soon tell me what I am buying him, thus making life easier, until I see the cost.  Naturally, I forgot to buy a card suitable for him and will have to go out again in the next few days.  The latest storm is apparently falling on us tomorrow so it may be Monday before I get out.

Anyway, I tried three different shops and failed to find what I wish for.  Thus I may have to go back to Etsy for a rummage through their cards again.  The problem here is finding cards that are funny yet not filthy as too many are at the moment.  Wit has been replaced by four letter words in what are often funny cards, but not suitable for my audience.  Typical!

So I end the day with one card complete, a long list to go!

I Broke Out!

From early yesterday morning I planned a break out.  The day looked good for it, they said the sun would shine, and it did rising early around 6 am and encouraging people to rise also and queue outside of Sainsburys!  
I was not one of them.

The day was indeed warmish, you can see how the crowds flocked to the park er, well, later on that is.  I remained hooked on staring into space, this now replaces football as my favourite sport.

 
I sit at the desk, piles of work all around, 'To Do' lists littering the area, and stare out the window at the sunshine across the road.  This is usually more productive.
I listen to the news and decide that I can say little, occasionally grieving as a 5 year old dies, or anger rising as another minister lies barefaced to the camera.  It appears to be what they do these days.  No shame is felt, lie barefaced Boris style and they expect to get away with it.  This the result of not having a 'Free Press.'  The lackeys are all tied in with the Boris gangland so they cannot grumble, they may be found out also.
These are the men who demand footballers give up their high pay to help the NHS.  These ministers who have deliberately run the NHS into the ground, failed it in the hour of need, and are themselves all multi millionaire who are not putting their hands into their own pockets for the NHS, which they all wish to privatise, demand footballers pay towards their, the ministers, mistakes!
The irony.   

I broke out.
Late at night, as the sun began to hide behind the trees, I left my abode, dressed for the chilly wind, and took pictures of the dying sun.  Nobody was about, except one poor lad who is either of low intellect, has mental problems or is on drugs.  He walked ahead of me talking and singing to himself. He often passes this way and I wonder what goes on inside, what is the cause?  Not much I can do.
No-one else is about.

The round yellow thing goes down there every night, there must be hundreds of them lying there burning themselves out...

A flock of Geese fly over, or is it Swans, surely not?  Geese I think, heading to a farmers field or down towards the Blackwater Basin for the night.  They could at least have come closer.

A walk in the park, a blast of cold air, some pictures of the sunset, I went home happy but cold.  The little things in life are more enjoyable, going outside, when no policemen are about, is more enjoyable than before.  Finding things hidden away indoors, things long forgotten and now appear as new gifts, is also fun.  Cooking however remains a drag...

Today I ventured out in the hottest day so far of the year, large coat and pullover,  to deliver a letter I thought urgent.  The park was busier, two or three dog walkers and a couple with kids, those I met on the road kept more than 6ft apart from me.  One poor man (with mask) jumped 6 ft as I came around a corner, was the mask to protect him or us I wonder?  Are we genuinely protecting ourselves from the virus or overreacting?  I'm not sure face masks help unless we sit at a checkout or drive a bus.     
However, I did attempt to catch a picture of this Red Kite twirling around.  Several groups of pigeons were scurrying while a flock of seagulls languidly made their way south.  I fer the Red Kite caught no-one as the gulls would put him off trying anything.  He refuse to pose either, coming quite close and disappearing.  I have several shots of the sky!   
I hope you remain at peace, but I fear this period has a long way to go yet.  The virus will only die when  vaccine arrives.  Some pre-vaccines are being tried on Chinese volunteers (do they know they have volunteered?) but at least a year will be required.  I hope the sanity remains with us...

Today is Palm Sunday, therefore here is our improvised social media church service.

Hosanna!

Boxing Day Two

Nothing happened again today, it was an extra days holiday for the masses and while shops opened and some worked most sat at home on the laptop searching for bargains.  I sat at home searching for dead soldiers, I found lots.
The streets were very quiet this morning, the normal throb of traffic was but a murmur until the shops opened about ten in the morning.  It took folks until that time to realise they were starving and had to rush out to buy more of the food they had overeaten for the last few days.
I went out cat like to peruse my land about three in the afternoon.  It was like a Sunday out there but even quieter.  I passed a woman taking a shot of a tree, the light behind it was good, and thought to myself "What sort of person does that?"  This after taking several shots of the sun going down behind trees.  The colour is somewhat like the actual scene, bright sun and blue sky, lovely at this time.  Tomorrow fog once again the say, hooray!

No news to speak off just more space filling regarding George Michael, his boyfriend, his drugs, his money.  I ignore it all, he was not my kind of music and poor lad probably killed himself through drug abuse, very sad.  
Many are crying the year has been bad because such as he has died during the year, indeed many famous faces have departed but in truth no more than ever leave, it may be some were favourites of the social media crowd and they notice it more.  Us older folks notice famous faces but from the distant past and as such beyond the notice of the social media whores.  Life changes little in this regard, a hundred celebs of one sort or another die each year and the normal total of non celebs also, it may not vary much from year to year.  I do not see it as unusual however a younger crowd may find it something new to cope with.  Maybe it will show them they are not mortal after all.

Oh look, football time....

Longer Days

The longer days started well.  Wandering up to Sainsbury's for the things forgotten last time out I noted the rising mist against the slowly rising sun.  How lovely to be out there in this weather.  This however was not the attitude of the workmen unloading their vehicles across at the building site.  A more grumpy tendency was noticeable as they heading into the old school they were turning into expensive flats.  I considered smiling but avoided this as unpleasantness in the morning is unwise.

At Sainbury's I obtained lots of things, some of which I went for, and yet again forgot to make use of the reward vouchers, I have about £8 that would have been useful this morning.  I suppose this will be even more useful when January kicks in.  British Gas (overpriced) sent me an email informing me i had won thousands of points on this voucher system.  Hmmm, sounds good.  I was tempted to click on the link to my account but hesitated and went to that through my own link.  Nothing there as yet I noted.  This does appear to be British Gas as they send such things often, it is on an email account in which spam is rare, and my first name is given, however while cheered by a gift I await the points being added (in 10 days) to see if this is genuine.  If not I delete, if it is true then lunch is served!

On a serious note I was kept awake last night by the Police helicopter choosing my bed to hang over for what appeared to be hours.  In fact there was a fire in a nearby street which left two dead and house destroyed.  The cause will be uncovered in due course.
This sad incident has revealed much in the town.  Traffic has been affected, it occurred on a main road, and people have been leaving tributes.  Now traffic problems in these circumstances just have to be borne, the tributes and attitudes revealed do not.  
It was something not done in Scotland, a Presbyterian nation, the leaving of flowers at an accident spot.  To me it still appear 'Romanish' and even worse synthetic.  People die and flowers, teddy bears and gifts arrive but the victims will never see these, why do it?  It is not done for the victims, it is done for the people leaving the gifts.  When incidents happen people grieve and this is good and understandable.  However you do not know these people and in life may have resented them if you did so why do this?  You do this because you ache, not they.  This is not 'Love your neighbour.' 
Photographs of the firemen at work have appeared on the local facebook page.  Many are complaining these ought to be removed.  I object!  Publishing photos shows to us what occurred and those girning appear unable or unwilling to accept reality.  The nation once was renown for the 'Stiff upper lip' and just 'getting on with it,' today we must sentimentalise all events, death, accident, war memorial, you name it.  The minutes silence once rare at football grounds is now compulsory at all events even when the incident is neither local nor connected in any way with the football.  Some events are worldwide but these are few, the death of Brazilian footballers recently was one, but while all mourn these men there is no minute silence for Syria, no mention of the dead in the Congo, no concern for hunger elsewhere.  
The emotion is a false one, limited in scope and spurred on by young folks who cannot face life  with 'tough love' and must live in a soap opera daily.  This cannot be allowed to continue.  We all feel emotion at such times but this needs control.  Once footballers stood silently at a minutes silence, now they must place arms around one another,once we faced life's tragedies now we must emote them.  It is not right!  Compassion does not mean removing hard pictures, it means doing something about it.

As I crossed the roaring cascading water that is the local river I noted a wee beastie running over the traffic cone helpfully planted near his home.  I could not make out what it was but suspect it was a water vole as I canny think what else would live there.  He was well fed mind.  The ducks appeared to ignore him, they were playing football with a large green ball kindly donated by someone, and I thought that this wee burn could be made attractive if the time and money was there.  As it is several trees were removed and houses built.  Above this section a block of flats now stands and the tenants passed me by dreaming of paying off mortgages in the 2030's if they are lucky.

 
For once I have rendered the sun as it was tonight!  As it slipped down behind the crumbling 1960's estate it gave off such a glow that I had to catch it.  The passing public did not notice this great sight, their eyes were on lesser things like Christmas, evening repast or drink!  How often we miss such sights because small things obscure our vision.

The Church at the Gates of Heaven, almost...

I've been tidying up the cupboard.  I now have a box half full of old photographs and a large bundle of these set aside to scan into this infernal machine.  How lucky you will be to see pictures taken in the days of the distant past.  Lots of them!
This one of course is Tynecastle Park Edinburgh which you will recognise instantly.  Many moons ago the huge board announcing the home of the Heart of Midlothian stood here but for reasons of crass stupidity this was removed during reconstruction work.  This reconstruction was under way as I passed and we can see inside only because the stand at this end had not yet been built.  I believe it is now home to Mr Smith, author, raconteur and wit, of our acquaintance a man who is lucky enough to sit here weekly and even luckier enough to write about what he sees in the local free press.  Good for him!  Recently it has been announced that the old stand to the right and out of the picture is to be rebuilt.  This will increase the ground capacity and stop folks worrying needlessly re the safety of the present structure.  It is said this stand was completed late in 1914 as the men working on it ran off to enlist in the army at the outbreak of war, a story I have not found evidence for but it does appear likely.

 
This was I thought a rather delightful shot of St Giles Kirk when I found it but age has ruined the dark bits somewhat.  However turning it into B&W has helped to create a nice enough image of Edinburgh inn the gloom, when is Edinburgh not in the gloom?   Edinburgh is so hard to get to nowadays.  I have nowhere to sleep, no transport and no money so I could make use of the bus pass all the way to Berwick on Tweed and walk from there I suppose?  Maybe that is a bit too far?  I could spend three or more hours in Stansted Airport for a one hour flight and get the bus in from their, or travel by train to Kings Cross and travel by train for six hours or so to Waverley Station.  Just thinking about it all makes me wonder if it would be worth while, especially now the cold east wind is hurling wind up my trouser leg.  I might just wait till Spring, the Haar eases of then and the gloom lightens up somewhat.

It is difficult enough to travel to London just now let alone Edinburgh.  Each weekend for the next couple of months (which means until Spring) they are working on the lines so all trains are replaced by buses from Chelmsford onwards, that's normally a 45 minute journey!  No weekend in the 'Big Smoke' (Smokeless now so what to call it?) for me these days.  In time all this will lead to an improved service or at least that is the hope but the cynical commuter puts things differently!  It does not take much to disrupt a train service, one man stood in front of one just outside the station and argued with the driver for 45 minutes because of a ticket problem.  The friendly travel police took him away.  No train service can be satisfactory all the time but privatisation has made it worse and that is the ideology driving this Tory government today.  Things will only get worse!

 
I wonder where that is?
It looks a bit Londonish to me but I have no recollection of taking this picture.  It is possible I took it on my travels but who knows.  I quite like it.
You can tell I have not got out, not that there is anything to see around here just now.  Instead I cleaned the fridge (bi-annual event) and sorted these pictures.  I ripped up and dumped hundreds in a cruel but required exercise today.  Most were duplicates, many were children unknown belonging to friends, many more were our lot and not worth keeping now and others were just rubbish.  The wheely bin will be heavy next time dustman!  
Work tomorrow, someone skiving off again!

Late Evening

Late last night I slipped out and tried to catch the setting sun as it turned the sky red while disappearing beyond the trees.  Naturally I could not gather the colour of the sky as the trees hid the sun and when I got a decent shot it had almost gone down.  There I was, at nine in the evening, standing among the graves trying to glimpse the last of the sun.  I'm glad no-one was watching.
I doubt I will do this tonight.

 
This boring picture means little but it speaks to me of the quiet in the evening when most have gone home or are in some building following their passions.  Only a dog walker or two, chasing a ball or stick is mandatory for the dogs here and it keeps the owners fit, a courting couple, I could tell they were courting by her standing there questioning him, and few others were to be seen.  
I am so unused to such sights as I watch too much football!

Another busy day of mums and dads, grans and grandads bringing the kids in for activities or to see the exhibition.  So far it has gone well with few complaints and lots of happy kids, therefore happy older folks day after day.  This week is 'Harry Potter' and some of these kids know all about it, one wee lass had just read in a week an 800 page Potter story!   Whatever you think about these stories it has made many kids read, reading is always good and it is important to make them read more.   
Getting them to put down story books and read proper ones is harder but they can do it.  After a Victorian experience one six year old asked her mum for Victorian books as she was impressed by role playing Victorians, so it does happen. 

Monday Off

Having done all my Christmas shopping I could sit around all day today, except when back in my bed of course.  The watching people hurtle past the window on their way to work was tiring me so I slept it off.  Later I trundled round on my rusty bike to see my friend at the far reaches off town.  On the way back I stopped on the extremely high bridge I had to cycle, puffing and panting, over and stopped and attempted to capture the bright yet dying sun.  I was intrigued to find how even the electricity pylons look better when the sun shines.  It is true that sunshine makes everything nicer, no matter what time off day.  There is also not much else to look at round that part of the area!  
For some reason the gale force wind has dropped, except when I am cycling as it always faces me, and the sky became clear as the rain clouds passed away in the afternoon.  Considerable heavy rain fell up north and the Carlisle United manager claimed the floodwaters were up to the crossbar on the goalmouth, that's eight feet high you realise, and others have once again found their houses flooded, we can consider ourselves fortunate to live in the 'soft south.'  David Cameron, who's government failed to pay for the complete flood defences newly installed (they were overwhelmed) paid a visit for some PR.  The natives must have been pleased.
Whatever the cause the climate is changing, high flood waters from heavy rain alongside mild Decembers are not the normal run of things.  Certainly snow fell in Scotland but it used to begin in August!  Just be glad you do not live in a sinking South Sea Island, no paradise for them these days.
With my Xmas work complete I sit here awaiting the parcels flooding in, one card arrived today, one parcel promised, hundreds expected! 

Yes my rusty old steed got me down to my mates in record slow time, the remains of the gales were against me.  How nice it was to feel the pains in the knee as I raced slowly up the Eiger like slopes that were in the road, how much nicer to know later that I was almost home when the aches became screaming pains.  However I am now so fit I will be unable to go to work tomorrow!  There in spite of the knees stiffening i will keep smiling and being a light to the world.
The bike however will be resting.

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Google Chrome Failure!

I have used Chrome for a while now as the main browser.  At first I used it because it loaded quicker than Firefox but as time passed it, like me, grew slower.  I have many links on there, too many I know as I have spent considerable time dumping many, yet others are important to keep. This linking was a simple straight forward system: a click on the star at the top brought up the choice of where to put it, I chose and it went in.  Simple.
Now however the geeks with nothing better to do than ruin everything with no thought or concern for people living in the real world have changed it, unasked and badly!  Now a click on the star brings up a slow colourful box telling you it has logged the link, but where?  It does offer a list of folders, if you click again, but only a handful, not all.  Yet another click opens out a list of links with a selection of folders at the left hand (and wrong) side.
This sounds simple but ALL my links now are found on this list, mixed up and disorganised, not in the appropriate file!  I am now supposed to spend all day fixing this because of some geek who has been smoking funny cigarettes?  It's a shambles, yet another example of the internet being run by people with no idea of the real world.  Why change a perfectly good system, why jazz something up that works?  Why not stick to reefers or go find a girlfriend? 
I have downloaded Opera once again to give it another go, would you believe they use the same system as Chrome!  Bah!
I have gone back to Firefox, they at least are more consumer friendly and less likely to be run by the CIA.

Just after noon, as I digested my lunchtime repast, I settled down to an afternoon of giggling.  This is not my normal procedure, usually it is nailbiting football stuff, however I watched Hibernian continue their dream of winning the Scottish Cup.  This is an item they have not had in their possession since 1902, and I need not remind you that man did not fly until 1903 and reached the moon in 1969 yet Hibs have still not yet won that gleaming silver trophy, the oldest football trophy in the world!  Today the sun shone on Leith Hampden as the Hibernian hammered the opponents Falkirk, a worthy team from the central belt, for the whole 90 minutes.  Hibs hit the post, made the goalkeeper work, huffed and puffed and inevitably Falkirk scored a goal!  Indeed it was the only goal and wee Falkirk go into yet another cup final, they won the cup last in 1957, and Hibernian and their fans, who managed to stay until the end this time, once again go home in tears.  A sad, sad situation.
It's a giggle for us though!    

I can see the sun setting behind the trees leaving a delightful colour in the sky.  I must point out to my weaker readers that when I say the sun is 'setting behind the trees' I don't mean the sun is setting behind the trees, I mean I can see the sun setting and trees are in between me and him, I hope you understand.  If the sun set behind the trees every night there would be no room for the rest of us by the end of the week!  The car park over there only holds about twenty cars.
Anyway now that I have cleared that up I wish I had been able to take the camera out there and attempt a photo but as I am sitting in bed I canny be bothered.  So lean out the window and suffer the cold air for a moment and then back inside.  How brave!  
Was it worth it?  No!
Actually it was worth it.  The picture may not be great but looking at the sky always is.  We change, circumstances change but once the gray clouds have gone the sky changes delightfully according to the position of the sun, time of day and stuff floating about the heavens.  The colours are magnificent and even run down dreary places, such as Leith will be tonight, are made glorious by the glint in the sky above.  When feeling down I suggest you look up, it makes the heart glad.  

 
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Jealous?

The dying sun shone brightly filling the street with the glare right up till I got into position and then it faded!  The intention was good and by the time I found something without people in the way the sun had almost gone.  The sign hangs above yet another ex-public house.  This town once had vast numbers, and a 'beer shop' was almost next door!  Today this houses offices and even then they are not all filled as you can see.

The sun did shine but the north wind howled today and I am freezing!  It has got so bad I had to put the heating on, and this is not a good sign.  I remain free from jealousy concerning those in hot countries who never see temperatures below hot!  I am not jealous, nor was I yesterday when the chap in the museum spoke of his home in Portugal!  I was happy for the boastful tanned individual! 

Now, where's the brandy?  

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Clearing the Mess!

Having reached the end of the week and not being forced to cover lazy skivers folks at the museum I finally started on the looooong list of things awaiting attention here.  I changed the bed for a start, and it's not even the end of the month yet, had the washing machine purring away, moved the plant and cleaned the window area as a man will soon appear to renovate the sodden wooden frames, laid out the pile of mail that requires answering and working out where the money required for this is to come from, placed my newly arrived 'old man's so much off the price Railcard' into my disintegrating wallet while dreaming of train trips far away, sorted the desk into some sort of organisation, sent an Amazon voucher to my niece for her 50th birthday (I burst into tears here let alone her) via her husband as she will not be able to work the email, checked if the bookcase I was admiring at the shop up the road was still on offer, it wasn't bah, inserted a working lightbulb into the common stair so we no longer walk into the doors as we enter, visited Tesco for the special offers and fell asleep.
How nice to have a day off!

The paining still awaits, I could not paint the bathroom as I had the dirty big plant in the bath while I sorted the window, the ironing of shirts had to wait because, well just because, (any offers to do it out there...?  oh!), considered rewriting the items prepared for the museum into some form of proper English but just couldn't face it, and I am now looking at the PC that I am rebuilding, awaiting the courage to continue the work.  It appeared so easy in the pictures!
So instead I have walked around the town looking at the sunshine while freezing all the while, how does that work?  I passed the shops where shiny things attract my wallet wandering down the back streets where I hoped to see more of the sun, instead I saw lots of kids and assorted people making the most of the last day off the half term holiday.  
So, shall I do the tricky PC work now?  Let's eat first....

Now as I was saying....hold on, Dundee United are playing Motherwell tonight!
Bye!

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Sunset

Having spent the whole day enclosed in the museum once again it was a delight to be out in the open air, even if only taking the free bus down to B&Q for a tin of paint!  The sky was wonderful, and I am afraid my picture does not capture the vibrant colours as they actually were, still it's a good shot.  Such a shame the car park and the rest of the shopping centre spoilt the view.  Such a shame also that after this even more cloud and rain storms will fall across the southern part of the nation tonight adding to the woes already encountered.  I must admit it is only tonight, once I actually took time to look at the TV pictures, that I realised how widespread the floods have been. Indeed one of the streams near here flooded today leaving my boss with an hours delay this morning.  I am even more glad to be here, slightly higher than the area round about.  What devastation the floods have caused, a combination of very heavy continual rainfall and high tides arriving at the same time.  Acres of low lying land flooded, houses also, rail lines destroyed, and only now does the government appear to be responding properly.  Of course at the moment there is little to be done but suffer until the rain stops and the waters recede.  Maybe Councillor David Silvester was right after all?

This was where I spent my day, while on my desk back home among the dust particles lay a long list of jobs requiring urgent attention, hence the trip to B&Q!  The cheapest matt emulsion they had was obtained and I will spend some of Saturday splashing it across the small kitchen as this is a quicker and more efficient way to improve the look than attempting to clean it all down!  The bad side of this is that everything else will look dim in comparison and I will then require more paint to do the East Wing.  Actually sitting putting barcodes on small toys and discussing a historic building was more enjoyable really.  Who knows what will happen next here.  The lass who bullies me is leaving and no one appears sure what will happen now.  We of course will be the last to know as always.  I'm annoyed she leaves as the place was fun, even if she fussed like a woman and panicked too often, that is my job!  Who knows who will arrive now.

So now I am attempting to return my mind to equilibrium (is that a country?) by reading your blogs and seeking sleep.  As the pic features clouds you may wish to peruse Kays blog tonight as she has a few pictures worth a look, although she always ensures she finds a way of getting into at least one of them!  To make matters worse there is no football to watch tonight, how rough can things be I ask?  In the morning, after shopping, painting and clearing up the weeks mess I will respond to blogs that require, indeed need, an answer, till then I just read and enjoy them.

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Sunset

As the sun went down in the west, one goes down there each night there must be loads of them lying about there, I wandered abroad attempting to find a photograph.  Why?  I was bored of sitting inside and wanted to be with people. The only difficulty taking pictures this late afternoon?  People, they kept getting in the way!  Bah!  Who needs people after all?  There is something about the sky at twilight.  It is different every night yet almost the same, but not quite. You can take a picture from the same spot 365 days of the year and each would be different, except of course in Edinburgh where it would show rain two days out of three!  

Stained glass windows are quite attractive if seen in the right light.  From outside this one in the old town hall looks attractive but is hard to picture with the lights behind.  From inside with the sun shining on the window it looks magnificent as you ascend the great stairway.  Built in 1926 the old town hall was indeed a prestigious building and much money was thrown at it!  Used for events now and the council are housed elsewhere. 

BBC

It is interesting to see PR in action.  The BBC news appears to be helping Nigella get her life sorted by offering several people who inform us how much she suffered through the recent court case.  The prosecutions tale that she used drugs and allowed the accused PA's to spend £685,000 on themselves with her credit cards to avoid publicity harming her chances in the USA has resulted in the accused being freed and Nigella being seen as , well herself!  So instead of this slapper cook we have instead a woman as false as we all thought she was. How some will be happy with this!  Myself I am just glad we might lose a cook from the screen, there are FAR TOO MANY OF THEM on TV!  I also feel unsurprised that her now ex-husband Satchi, the man famed for advertising Thatcher in the 70's and bad art ever since, turns out to be a bit of a bully and difficult to live with!  I doubt she was any easier myself. Personally I don't wish to hear their private lives, especially as they fall apart, and it is very sad that those with so much have so little to live for.  They appear to have no idea of a happy life.  How do they get together?  Money? Celebrity?  Using the other as a trophy wife/husband?  However the PR has sprung into action claiming the case centered on her drug abuse, not the accusations against the PA's, even though the appearance is that she allowed this fiddling to keep the drugs news quiet. The desperation for the US contract will bring us many stories I feel.  Will it bring happiness to anyone involved in this sad case I wonder?

 Shorpy

This picture from the Shorpy site features a Friday pre Christmas office party in 1925.  My how they employees are having fun!  There again if we were able to see the happy scene after the illicit booze had been downed we might come across a very differing picture.  Just who would be informing the boss, soon to be ex-boss, of her opinions, which lass would have scratched the eyes out of which lad, and just who's feet are sticking out from under that desk....?

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The Early (ish) Bird....

Spotted this pigeon earlier today as the sun was attempting to push through the dank Spring cloud cover.  It shoved its way past the cumulus now and then to the delight of those walking the dogs. Actually this chap was walking the dog, the other two broke away full of high spirits from a chap who daily passes by with seven dogs.  Usually the tails are wagging and the smiles are evident as the beasts thoroughly enjoy their trail, noses twitching, through the park.  He was somewhat loud in his rebuke as these two unwillingly returned, tails between their legs, after him yelling at them to "Stay," "Come here," and "Come back here," each time louder and more gruff than before.  I have never seen them do that before, possibly just high spirits and a female dog in sight.   

Recent days have been a bovver.  The PC smoking has ruined my life.  This laptop is slow, so veeeeerrrrrry slow, and it keeps doing things it ought not do!  Using this daft 'Touch Pad' causes trouble. The curser takes on a mind of its own, it races up and down unbidden, the pages change of their own accord, pictures disappear and the browser separates into differing browsers by itself!  I slammed it shut the other night as it was taking hours to change and I was most indignant with it.  I yelled at the world, got no reply, but yelled anyway.  The yelling began all over again when I went downstairs yesterday morning and discovered ANOTHER puncture in the rear tyre.  It had appeared OK when I got home yet here it was flat as my singing voice. It's a disgrace the way I am treated by technology!  And 'tyre' is spelled 'tyre,' not 'tire.'  Will someone tell this dumb American spellchecker! Don't they have schools in the US?

Sporting Life

Life did improve during lunch time however.  The Heart of Midlothian, Edinburgh's finest and Scotia's Darling's, once more walked, at half pace, all over the wee team from Leith, Hibernian.  This time we merely scored two goals to their nil, but we don't need to do much to prove our superiority over them again do we?  I wish them well in their fight against relegation to the lower division.  Maybe Rangers liquidation will secure their place for another season?   The marvelous Craig Beattie (pictured) scored the first goal from 'Man of the Match' Ian Black's wonderful pass.  Suso Santana rubbed salt into Hibernian's wound (snigger) with an even better goal in the last minute.  What fun!


A few hours later and more good news as the other half of the evil empire called the Old Firm (That's Rangers and Celtic to you) were defeated by Kilmarnock in the League Cup Final by one goal to nil.  A deserved victory for a team supposed to crumble in such an atmosphere.  Sadly the joy felt by Killie was ruined when the father of Laim kelly, a Kilmarnock player, suffered a heart attack at the end of the game. This follows on from the incident at the Tottenham Hotspurs v Bolton Wanderers game yesterday when a Bolton player, Fabrice Muamba, suffered a Heart attack on the pitch during the game.  The shock of his collapse causing  the match to be abandoned.  Both men appear to be in a critical condition. 
 Football knows its place at such times.

The afternoon saw the clearing of the skies later in the day, an end to the rain that had washed the pigeon off the lamppost, and left behind the first decent sunset for some time.  How nice to watch the sun descend slowly and brightly, causing alarms to go off all over the antipodes shortly afterwards, and leave us one of those wonderful skies.  Good morning Australia!

I hope this week brings good things, and no cardiac arrests, to one and all.

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A Foggy Day

Just visible in this pic is the hazy mist that has hung about all day.  Behind me, but difficult to picture, the mist was thicker in the lower lying ground.  Until midday the mist was very thick and ideal for clever photographers to make the most of the opportunities.  One amateur was either in his kip or stuffing his face to much to make the effort to go out however and that football does not watch itself.  More of this tomorrow as autumn takes hold of us and winter begins to lower the temperature before it arrives.

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Red Sky at Night

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Evening

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Wandering along past the old gasworks, head bowed as I searched the gutter for dropped coins, I happened to look up as I crossed the road just in time to miss the dentist delivery service van as she cornered while on the phone and eating her lunch. I was nearly blinded by the low setting sun, and it was only twenty past three! It shone Mediterranean like over the old gas container and reflected of the dodgy computer repair shop. It was lovely to see, although of course I couldn't see anything having been blinded by the glare. It takes ages to get rid of that little blue blob in the eye doesn't it? As I came round by the playing fields, tripping over the cheerful faced dogs allowed to run dangerously loose by their gossiping owners, female of course, I could see high above the pink layer on the clouds, and through the gap in the hedge got this shot. The colours are not quite what the eye sees of course, sometimes they are better, sometimes not so, however this occasion leaves me quite happy with the result. I reckon one of the easiest ways to get a good picture is the sunrise or sunset. No matter what rubbish is around you it is enlivened or, as here, blacked out for the most part by the light. Brilliant help! 

This time next week the great anti-climax of Christmas will be upon us. Many will be without goods as the weather hinders parcel deliveries and that ought to make us wonder just what Christmas is about. But I doubt it. Instead disappointment and anger, blame and buck passing will result. Certainly many will have their good time spoiled and that is rather sad. However most will be enabled to make the most of it. Those able to get around will have the joy of crowd filled shops to waste their money in. What a joy that is? Today I was struck by the women slowly gathering in the needful's while a retired husband, totally out of his depth and lost in an alien world, obediently pushed the trolley. I was my usual helpful self to such men, I have become this way ever since the great 'chainsaw' incident in Somerfields. I doubt I will ever eat black pudding again after that! 

Around a billion people were in Tesco's alone, and by alone I don't of course mean 'alone' as they often had people with them, so they were not 'alone' as such when I said 'alone.' I used the word al.... forget it. Anyway I went there to take advantage of my rewards voucher and naturally, while I perused the frozen oven chips, I realised I it was still lying here on the foul microwave! Bah! I could have been in the closer Sainsburys and now I was lumbered with all the heavy stuff to carry and nothing off to show for it! Bah Humbug! Finding the young lad at the checkout speaking in an almost polite manner I realised he was the new guy that obtained the position I was looking for! I assure you it was an accident when that vinegar jar fell over and broke across him, honest. I wandered out head held high in an effort to avoid the woman with a collection can for some local charity. I did wonder how many would give a few pence to her while paying £30-100 for their important buys. I also wondered how much of what is bought gets thrown away? Now that is something I rarely do as I hate wasting food, and have done so ever since learning about the million or so who will die today through malnutrition. I don't help them by this but it does at least seem the decent thing to do.  

          

Once again the streets elsewhere are deep in snow. Once again no gritters can get through because the vehicles block the roads, and once again it is all someone's fault and they should resign! Hmmm Scotland lost one transport minister because the snow came, I suspect they will want to change another by Monday, not that there is anything more that can be done. My nephew was driving in it earlier today but got home OK having left as the snow was arriving and had it chasing him home. He drives a forty ton truck and some of those were getting stuck on the icy slopes and blocking all the traffic for miles around. I had the feeling he would be half way up an 'A'road somewhere, very comfortable, but bored.  However I too am OK so no-one needs to worry about me, at least until the heating bills come in.....

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