Monday
Left London on the train. God London is great fun until you have been there for 48 hours. Then the heat, the smog, the constant bustle, the inability of people to be civil, the impersonality of the whole place gets to you. It was incredibly hot as I wheeled my wee case onto the No. 88 bus from Clapham and sat there for 50 minutes as the bus trawled slowly into town. I will enjoy the scenery I thought as it became apparent the scenery was an endless stream of miserable looking craters pushing past me and my wee case to squash onto the bus. So I jumped off and thought right I’ll walk the rest of the way to Kings Cross. Dodging the human traffic I felt like I was in a training manual for how to avoid being walloped continuously by fast walking commuters I got a cab. The train was heaven. Cos it was taking me home. Arriving in Edinburgh I walked home. It took me ages but I loved striding out on the streets, inhaling the air, smiling at people who smiled back and just appreciating where I live. Must be an age thing.
Tuesday
Am in the middle of writing a guide to Edinburgh for simonseeks.com. Simonseeks.com has been started by Simon Nixon the guy behind Moneysupermarket.com and he knows his onions and his travel and webby things too. I am the Edinburgh expert and so I lock myself away to write my personal guide to Edinburgh. Problem is it’s sunny. Dynamite calls. What are you doing? Coming round to see you? I ask hopefully. Yeh great see you in 10. So off I go, we slump on the couch and gossip for 2 hours and as I walk home again afterwards I feel inspired, inspired to go out drinking that is but I steer myself go home and continue with the job in hand.
Wednesday
Teenwolf is on holiday. Summer holidays mean several things to him. A long lie – and when I say long lie I mean mid-day unless I go crashing into his room with 76 trombones. This week he has been going to tennis coaching so he rolls out of bed, hair on end, eats his body weight in food, then rolls off to tennis. 2 hours of coaching then he hangs around for another few hours playing. Meanwhile I head to the shops to keep the fridge full of food. If I ate asmuch as he did I would be 60 stone. I am hoping his activity level will rub off on me but I think he is just the family freak as I raid the biscuit tin for the 3rd time in an hour.
Thursday
A very sad day. It is the funeral of a dear old pal Allan Robb. He was a brilliant radio broadcaster and a hilarious chap but his last few years were difficult and he passed away last week at the tender age of 49 so we all gather to say farewell and raise a glass to his memory. The funeral is in Aberfeldy which must be one of the most beautiful parts of the country at this time of year. Sad we all wend our way home and realise the only time we all get together en masse these days seems to be at funerals. So I have decided to come up with any excuse for a huge bloody party and have a right kick at the ball – we could all use it.
Friday
Sitting on backside working all day. Expanding backside. Hours and hours pass and I am static in front of the computer writing. The dog whines, I relent and take her out. Then back to the screen. The next time I look up it is 6.45pm teenwolf has been and gone and come back again and is complaining there is no food in the house. I went to the shop yesterday where is all that stuff? I ask incredulous as he points out several Penguin wrappers under my chair I realise I am now subconsciously stuffing my face as I work. The summer fitness campaign is not going well….
Saturday
Nephew Hughs birthday. Nip round to see him to eat cake and marvel at how quickly he has grown from being a squishy wee baby to being a – gulp – teenager. All they want for their birthdays these days are money. How like their parents they become.
My dearest pal Fiona McHardy’s birthday party tonight so going to work all day, subconscoiusly eat no doubt and then head out for a Mexican tonight – I mean a Mexican meal in case you think I am having an affair with Manolito. Anyway it was Blue Boy I always fancied. Dear me I am losing it…………………..I need a penguin.
