sixoh8sixoh

Yep, I did that one. Interestingly I came out of it as soon as it asked for payment, and it then posted my score on my wall anyway! To be honest I think it marked me down for going through the process and not realising they were going to attempt to charge me at the end... Morning all from a dry Scottish HQ. TFI... It's felt a long week, and there will be much DIY and tidying this evening as GF has Airbnb guests coming to her new flat tomorrow. First Airbnb guests in the new place. Have spent the morning so far trying to get my head around a draft decision by one of our lawyers which doesn't make any sense to me! Hope everyone's well (as can be expected!).

Afternoon all from Scottish HQ. It was a frosty morning, and we had a sleet shower at lunchtime. Keeping extremely busy after my short break in Oslo last week (I must upload a tram photo for Dom!). Out last night and tonight at the James plays - last night was James I, tonight is James II. I saw James III when they were first performed at the Edinburgh Festival in 2014. They're self-contained so not an issue seeing them out of order.

As I understand it, as the cost of funerals has risen dramatically over the last few years, the number of people leaving their bodies to medical science has also grown to such an extent that now there is a surfeit of bodies and that they're no longer accepting donations to medical science! All being well it'll be a long time before you need to consider this and the demand will have outstripped supply again by then!

Morning all from Scottish HQ. It was dry and bright (though blowy) as I trundled up the hill to work this morning, but is now raining (thankfully it waited till I was inside). Work's been fairly hectic over the last few weeks, and I see that in the 11 days since I last checked in there have been about 40 pages, which I have to resign myself to never reading... Very short day at work planned today as I'm flying out from Edinburgh to Oslo this afternoon for a few nights. Just a short break but it ticks off another country from the map! I did go and read Jock's post from earlier, given the references to it afterwards. Jock - I think it's perfectly sensible and not at all macabre to think of these things. I'm 38 and hopefully have another 50 years ahead of me but have long since said which two pieces of recorded music I'd like at my funeral - "All Things Must Pass" by George Harrison and "Do You Realize??" by The Flaming Lips. I'm not especially religious but I do like to go to church at least a couple of times a year for carol services and other reasons, and find that just being in the buildings gives me a sense of peace and calm. I think I'd like a couple of really rousing hymns that everyone can sing along to (Guide Me O Thou Great Redeemer, I Vow To Thee My Country, Jerusalem... that sort of thing...). Have managed to make a couple of batches of marmalade over the past few days too (Seville orange season). First batch I did pretty much on my own and has turned out fine. Second batch was done with help from the GF and has turned out like india rubber in the jars. Still, it gave me an excuse to read her the poem King John's Christmas by A.A. Milne... (I used to hear that a lot as a kid but it seems to have gone out of fashion) Hope everybody is ok and coping with Storm Henry.

Morning all from a dry but grey and fairly low-visibility Scottish HQ. I slightly fell off the diet wagon last night with takeaway vegetable chow mein. Though I figured it was healthier than my usual favourite of deep fried chicken balls with rice and sweet and sour sauce... On the plus side, I'd been for a 5k run so at least I'd earned a bit of extra food! Struggled to get up this morning and struggling to find motivation... it'll come in due course I guess... Good to see that Jock's back and hopefully feeling better. Hope everyone else is as well as can be expected!

Morning all from a damp Scottish HQ. I've been on reduced rations for the past couple of weeks, attempting to lose the weight I put on over the course of 2015. Not a ludicrous amount to lose, about 12 lbs. This morning I hit the halfway point, so I'm quite pleased about that! After her swimming lesson yesterday, I took Jamie to try and find some snow deep enough to sledge on. It was her first time on a sledge, and she had a great time. We found a little forest track up in the Campsies and with a few other families turned it into a bit of a run. Hopefully there's be some more snow soon so that we can find a decent length hillside for proper runs. I used to sledge on Observatory Hill in Durham when I was little. No "Blue Monday" blues for me, the nights are starting to get lighter, what's not to like?

I've seen Manx Shearwaters... I'm afraid you won't get them nesting in your boxes! They nest in burrows. Saw some while going out to visit the Isle Of Rum a few years ago (quite amazing how they turn and dip one wing tip in the water). They burrow into the hillsides of high peaks on Rum, and the young in particular make a strange groaning noise when calling for food, which led the early Norse settlers to think that trolls lived in the hills, and one of the Rum peaks is still called Trolleval (sp?).

Morning all from a sunny and snow-free Scottish HQ (though out of my window I can see a snow-covered car in the car park that's clearly come in from somewhere with an inch or more. There is snow on the Pentland Hills that I can (just) see from my window seat. Last night was spent "on call" for FMQs (First Minister's Questions) - expecting our topic area to be one of the most likely to be discussed today. Had to respond to a request which came in about 7.30, so that took up my evening until 9.30 ish. Time for tea...

Happy New Slightly Used Year everyone! Can't believe nearly a fortnight's gone by and this seems like the first chance I've had to attempt to write a message on here. Still alive, still at Scottish HQ. Had to step in for a Minister yesterday and deliver a speech. Thankfully I knew the content reasonably well as I'd written half of it. Less confident about doing the Q&A afterwards, but I got out without being pelted with spoiled vegetables and fruit. Starting to do a bit of work on Project X (my out of work activity that I'm hoping will come about this year), managed to take some reference photos on my phone yesterday as I was heading to and from the venue I was speaking at. Hoping everyone's as well as can be expected. I'm on reduced rations as I need to lose 5 kilos (11 lbs in real money) (nearly 2kg gone already since NYE so I'm on course). So far it's been mostly through diet, but the exercise starts again in earnest tonight...

Morning all from Scottish HQ for the final time in 2015. We ended up skipping ski practice yesterday as the winds were too high. Went for tea and cake instead, then off to the torchlight procession. Which was good for the most part but poorly organised at its conclusion, with rotten communication... Seems reasonably calm here (weather wise) just now. Not planning any big festivities tonight for Hogmanay, as I'm driving to Durham early tomorrow morning (via Glasgow). Have a happy and safe Hogmanay and see you all in 2016, where I hope it's a better year medically for all ERs!

I'm not sure Durham's in Geordieland! I think Geordieland is between Low Fell and Ashington... doesn't come as far south as Chester-Le-Street. So I'd say between the Team and the Coquet... Morning all (just) from Dockside - not at HQ today, but down at Victoria Quay. The rain is falling, but hopefully not for too much longer. No sign of flooding here, though I can see plenty of water in the dock but it's meant to be there...

Morning all from a sunny Scottish HQ (before Storm Frank hits). Back at work for the in-between period but the office is pretty deserted. Still, I have plenty to keep me busy over the 3 days in the limbo period between Christmas and New Year. The streets were pretty empty this morning as I came to work. Not quite morning-after-the-zombie-apocalypse empty but not too far off. Had planned to take Jamie to York next week while she's at my parents' as she's been studying Vikings at school, but the Jorvik Centre has flooded for the first time and is under 50cm of water. Hope everyone's well and not suffering from the floods!

Just dropping in quickly to wish everyone a very merry Christmas! Hope you're all enjoying splendid food and good company. Best wishes to all!

Morning all from a dry though not exactly sunny Scottish HQ! Got the last of the presents wrapped last night so I think I'm (roughly speaking) organised for Christmas. The last couple of weeks have seen me thinking about a (non-modelling) project that I'd like to do over the next 12 months. It'll involve writing, walking, photography and some drawing. If only I could draw... unfortunately my drawing skills are appallingly bad so I may need to try to find someone with a better idea of which end of a pencil is which. Have a good Christmas Eve Eve...

Morning all from a wet / dry / wet / dry Scottish HQ. Last night involved ripping up the laminate floor in GF's lounge and removing it to the bin on the street (which I've well and truly overfilled...). Back-broken by the end of that, but then still had to wrap presents. Still have to do the GF's presents, but need her to vanish for a wee while to allow me to do it! Good news has just arrived that the Forth Road Bridge is to reopen tomorrow morning, so that should help friends of mine at Christmas, who have to head to Fife on Christmas Day. Hope all the eye ops have gone well!

It's just been announced that the BBC is giving up its F1 TV rights early, and the F1 is going over to Channel 4 for next season. I was vociferous at the BBC's decision to cut costs by only broadcasting half the season live over the last few years, but Am even more disappointed at this decision. Though maybe Channel 4 will do it properly...?

Morning all from a (now) rainy Scottish HQ. BoD - best wishes, hope all goes well! Was rather surprised by the weekend - I was out and about yesterday, including at some shopping centres on the periphery of Glasgow, and was expecting tailbacks onto nearby motorways of cars trying to get in, gridlocked car parks... Normal Sunday traffic! In previous years on the last Sunday before Christmas things have been mayhem. Has everyone done their shopping already, or online? I know there were headlines on Saturday that retailers were panicking and starting sales early but I saw very little evidence of panic selling - or buying! Maybe we've entered a new sensible era of Christmas shopping? Or everyone's skint. Slightly strange feeling in the office, feels like a lot of folk have finished up already and gone for Christmas. Have a good Monday, all.

Afternoon all from a dry but grey Scottish HQ for the last time this week. It's a bit quiet in the office today, as I think a fair number of SG folk have gone on Christmas lunches today. We had ours last Friday, so we're stuck in the office this afternoon. My boss finishes up tonight for a fortnight's holiday in Cape Verde... I'm hoping that means on Christmas Eve we can get the Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit out in the office! ;-) I was flagging by about 4pm yesterday after my late night watching The Force Awakens (anyone else seen it yet?) so went home and had a nap before going out to meet a friend. Woke up at 7pm, feeling like it ought to be about 4am on Friday morning... Body clock seems to have recovered... just about!

Afternoon all! Going to struggle to make it through the afternoon here at Scottish HQ as I went to see The Force Awakens at midnight, and got to my bed about 3am... On the plus side, though, it's great - a real return to form for the franchise. Week from hell hasn't been as bad as I thought, actually. All gone fairly smoothly considering! Only Friday to trudge through and then it's the weekend!

Morning all from a grey Scottish HQ. 16 pages to catch up and a pile of work as high as my nose, so I don't think catching up will happen! I do wonder sometimes why I don't write all my Christmas cards in February and store them away for the next Christmas. Always seems to be a stress and a struggle writing them in the lead-up to Christmas! I haven't written a round robin letter, but really ought to... Hope everyone's well and I'll catch up with you all in due course...

Morning all from Scottish HQ! I can vouch for both of those... Was out on the ski slope at Hillend last night in rain and wind. Had a couple of fairly spectacular falls, one on the grass to the side of the matting where I slid about 50 yards downhill... After the busy period leading up to yesterday's debate, we're now hopefully in slightly quieter times, but you never know. Work Christmas lunch tomorrow, followed by a trip to Durham for a carol service in the Cathedral and another Christmas dinner afterwards! I'll be like the Vicar of Dibley forcing down that final sprout...

Afternoon all from a windy Scottish HQ. Busy day for us. Urgent briefing for our Minister on one topic, plus others of us polishing bits for today's debate... I'm meant to be having my final ski lesson of this block tonight, but that may depend on how strong the winds are. The dry ski slope was officially opened 50 years ago yesterday (and I think the tow (or at least one of them)is still the original one). GF is away in Manchester today with work, though getting back probably before I get back from skiing - unless Storm Ernie (or whatever the next one's called) floods the railway again... She had the alarm set for silly o'clock this morning, and of course woke me up too. I did get back to sleep but I may be sleeping standing up by the end of the day! Haven't read all the posts but wishing Jock and Is all the best in particular!

Morning all from currently Scottish HQ. All hands on deck today. We have a Labour Party debate tomorrow that we heard the motion for late last night. This means pulling together briefing and 2700 words of speech before 4.30 today. Best crack on! Regards to all.

Afternoon all from a (currently) dry Scottish HQ. Saturday afternoon involved lugging 110kg (17 stones) of slate floor tiles up to my girlfriend's flat for the bathroom floor, then a quick dash to pack an overnight bag before heading to Glasgow. Mum and Dad were coming up from Durham to Glasgow on Saturday, to go to Snow White and the Seven Dwarves at the King's Theatre. They got as far as between Haydon Bridge and Haltwhistle, before getting caught up in the flooding and fallen trees. Turning round, they couldn't get back the way they'd come along the A69. They ended up going home via the military road, until they could rejoin the A69 after the flooding. They'd booked a hotel near Jamie's mum's house, so rather than trek back to Edinburgh and back again yesterday, I pinched their room as it was non-refundable. They managed to get up yesterday for a day visit, but drove up the A68 through Jedburgh and around the Edinburgh City Bypass to Glasgow. A bit longer, but less flooded. There were a number of flooded areas in the Greater Glasgow region, but thankfully nothing too bad where we went - though the Kelvin was very full and some fields around under several feet in places. They made it safely back about 10.15 last night. As Mum and Dad didn't make it up on Saturday, we took Jamie's friend Hannah with us to the panto. They had spare seats still, and it wasn't an issue having a child instead of an over 65... We did Jamie's school Christmas fair yesterday afternoon, and a bit of shopping with her. She got her birthday presents from her grandparents and her Christmas presents delivered too. Hope all are well!

Considering taking the next 4 weeks off and hiring a boat, there's probably good money to be made running a water taxi service across the Forth...