Just remembered it's 25 years ago this week - 19th September, 1983 to be exact - since I moved up to Aberdeen to start work with the Clark family, then trading as Clipper Seafoods. Ross had just been born and I had just picked up my first - and hopefully only - unemployment benefit after the demise of Fischer Ultrasound. The job they offered me at their headquarters in Denver came at the wrong time for us and so Aberdeen it was, with Jo and the kids moving up over the New Year holidays. Remember the snow storms that year? "I don't like this place, Daddy!" "I want to go home!" Then a couple of months later "I don't care where your job takes you Daddy, I'm not leaving Banchory". The latter quote, of course, comes from somebody who now lives 5,000 miles away!
Gary - I have to laugh at the comments in your blog about Spain. Considering how difficult it was to persuade you to even consider taking a couple of days off work in the first place, it's a bit rich to be inferring it's now everyone else holding you back! Don't forget it was my idea in the first place, so obviously I'm behind it, but we held back pending Kelly's situation with Oz. Once it's clear she's still going to be around until the spring, then we can get ourselves organised.
Nothing much else to say today. Ken Page comes back from Abu Dhabi tomorrow and we've got our annual Scotland v Rest of World Challenge match on Sunday, which is usually a good end of season do. Tonight a couple of beers in the Douglas and that's about it.
Ian R. Stewart Family Blog
Friday 26 September 2008
Thursday 25 September 2008
Tonight - Thu
It was such a lovely day so as I was driving home from Fraserburgh I phoned Jo to ask if she wanted to walk across to the golf course with me as I wanted to try out some irons that Michael had given me to test run. She said yes and we walked across and played 6 holes - and yes, Jo did play - the first time since she retired. I thought she was pretty good considering it's been such a long time. I hope we get another chance soon. Irene Page has also promised to go out with her some time.
The photos were taken with the Blackberry so are a bit indistinct, but you get the general idea.
The photos were taken with the Blackberry so are a bit indistinct, but you get the general idea.
Kelly's having problems with her laptop sounds and we tried to fix it tonight, but only partially suceeded. Apparently Ross fixed it last time - it was a conflict between 2 devices - but when I went down to ask him, he was fast asleep - at 8:30 pm! I guess he hasn't fully recovered yet, even although he was back at work today.
Weds night/Thu morning
Don't wish the blogs to become b......g sessions, but all I did was comment on the shape of Jo's scones! She used to make tall, round ones, but yesterday they were, as she said herself, buttery shaped. They tasted delicious and I said so - Ross got credit and I got brickbats - boo hoo!
Kelly, go to Start, Control Panel, Sound - your speakers should be listed and should have a green tick against them. Then phone me!
Continuing late night video watching, the 1999 holiday moved from Virginia to New Orleans, where Lucy joined us. There's also a tour of the historic house we stayed in in the French Quarter by our host and landlord, which included a look round his recording studio. He used to be the drummer for Aretha Franklin - the only white guy in a 17 piece band - and played on epic recordings like Respect, Think etc. When he left the band, he started writing songs and had some hits, including Patches by Clarence Carter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuzJxNQgtjo&feature=related) - a big hit in the UK and US in 1970.
Unlucky Thistle again - just 3 minutes from the end of extra time with penalties looming, Rangers scored a late winner. Check my football blog to see Thistle's superb first half equaliser after Kris Boyd's fantastic Marco van Basten like strike which put Rangers in the lead.
Kelly, go to Start, Control Panel, Sound - your speakers should be listed and should have a green tick against them. Then phone me!
Continuing late night video watching, the 1999 holiday moved from Virginia to New Orleans, where Lucy joined us. There's also a tour of the historic house we stayed in in the French Quarter by our host and landlord, which included a look round his recording studio. He used to be the drummer for Aretha Franklin - the only white guy in a 17 piece band - and played on epic recordings like Respect, Think etc. When he left the band, he started writing songs and had some hits, including Patches by Clarence Carter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuzJxNQgtjo&feature=related) - a big hit in the UK and US in 1970.
Unlucky Thistle again - just 3 minutes from the end of extra time with penalties looming, Rangers scored a late winner. Check my football blog to see Thistle's superb first half equaliser after Kris Boyd's fantastic Marco van Basten like strike which put Rangers in the lead.
Wednesday 24 September 2008
Tuesday/Weds
Last night's video viewing was of our trip to USA in 1999. Ross was with us and we started off in Washington and went down to Williamsburg, Virginia - that's as far as we got before I got fed up and switched off - more later tonight.
Kelly - use Windows Explorer and right click on one of the music files in the right hand pane. Click on "open with" and then choose "default program". There you have a number of options - Windows Media Player is the simplest to use. Make sure you tick the box at the foot "always use the selected program to open this kind of file".
Lucy skyped tonight - just as the Thistle-Rangers match was starting on TV! A quick word then she was passed on to Jo - just as Rangers scored! The Jags came back and equalised and I returned to let Lucy know the half-time score (1-1) when the laptop crashed and we lost contact. Lucy reverted to old technology and is now on the phone to Jo!
Kelly - use Windows Explorer and right click on one of the music files in the right hand pane. Click on "open with" and then choose "default program". There you have a number of options - Windows Media Player is the simplest to use. Make sure you tick the box at the foot "always use the selected program to open this kind of file".
Lucy skyped tonight - just as the Thistle-Rangers match was starting on TV! A quick word then she was passed on to Jo - just as Rangers scored! The Jags came back and equalised and I returned to let Lucy know the half-time score (1-1) when the laptop crashed and we lost contact. Lucy reverted to old technology and is now on the phone to Jo!
Tuesday 23 September 2008
Monday evening/Tuesday
Didn't realise that when I set up Jo on blogspot.com that it was only a "trial" blog! I'm sure we'll see some interesting things there in weeks to come.
Foolishly we sat all the way through Chuck and Larry last night - pretty absurd formulaic comedy - not quite sure which side of the sexual fence was most offended at it! Jo's clean-out meant I also had to go through boxes of old music cassettes to see if I wanted to keep any. It didn't take long before I decided that she could throw them all out. It's funny, but I didn't feel the need to keep any of them, whilst, on the other hand, I find it very hard to throw out my old record collection. I still have a notion of a retirement project digitising all my old vinyl. There's also something more tangible, sentimental and collectible about old vinyl - particularly LP's - browsing the 12" sleeves was always half the fun - CD inserts are just not the same, even although they probably contain twice as much actual information - they are not as touchy, feely as vinyl LP's - well, at least that's what this old fart thinks anyway.
Next was all the old VHS tapes. There's a lot of good, classic films there and I was reluctant to throw them all out. I suggested that Jo try to find a home for them at some charity shop - but if anyone wants any of them - probably half of them are yours, Gary - best speak up soon.
The rubbish tapes have gone, but there were a few home/holiday videos which I'm going to watch before I decide whether to ditch or not. We sat through Gary Grant's home video of his Hogmanay party from 31st Dec 1995/1st January 1996. A twelve year old Ross flitted in and out, as did a 16 year old Kelly with her pals. The video rambled on for a while, with "Mr. & Mrs.", featuring the Kilgours, Williamsons and McWhinnies, plus some dancing and some pretty rubbish karaoke, with Jo heavily featured. The outstanding thing for us, however, was to see Johanne looking so upright and apparently healthy - even although she'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years before this.
Squash tonight followed by a swift pint at the Potarch - haven't been there for a while.
Foolishly we sat all the way through Chuck and Larry last night - pretty absurd formulaic comedy - not quite sure which side of the sexual fence was most offended at it! Jo's clean-out meant I also had to go through boxes of old music cassettes to see if I wanted to keep any. It didn't take long before I decided that she could throw them all out. It's funny, but I didn't feel the need to keep any of them, whilst, on the other hand, I find it very hard to throw out my old record collection. I still have a notion of a retirement project digitising all my old vinyl. There's also something more tangible, sentimental and collectible about old vinyl - particularly LP's - browsing the 12" sleeves was always half the fun - CD inserts are just not the same, even although they probably contain twice as much actual information - they are not as touchy, feely as vinyl LP's - well, at least that's what this old fart thinks anyway.
Next was all the old VHS tapes. There's a lot of good, classic films there and I was reluctant to throw them all out. I suggested that Jo try to find a home for them at some charity shop - but if anyone wants any of them - probably half of them are yours, Gary - best speak up soon.
The rubbish tapes have gone, but there were a few home/holiday videos which I'm going to watch before I decide whether to ditch or not. We sat through Gary Grant's home video of his Hogmanay party from 31st Dec 1995/1st January 1996. A twelve year old Ross flitted in and out, as did a 16 year old Kelly with her pals. The video rambled on for a while, with "Mr. & Mrs.", featuring the Kilgours, Williamsons and McWhinnies, plus some dancing and some pretty rubbish karaoke, with Jo heavily featured. The outstanding thing for us, however, was to see Johanne looking so upright and apparently healthy - even although she'd been diagnosed with Parkinson's a few years before this.
Squash tonight followed by a swift pint at the Potarch - haven't been there for a while.
Monday 22 September 2008
Royal Aberdeen
What a wonderful day we had at Royal Aberdeen - it's very rare to get a benign sunny day at Balgownie, where the wind usually always howls, but we got it today. The course was great and the Seniors matches are fun - it's a friendly 4 ball, better ball format - if anyone knows what that means (like the Ryder Cup was on Friday and Saturday afternoons). My partner and I actually won our match against our hosts' Captain and his partner - but we were the only Banchory winners - the result was 9-1 to Royal Aberdeen!
Rowies and coffee before the match and a fine 2 course meal after the match, plus a round on the hallowed links - all for £10! Of course, being Royal Aberdeen, jackets and ties were required for the meal, so here I am in mine afterwards, with Aberdeen Ladies' clubhouse in the background:
When digging through some of the stuff in my Dad's flat, I came across Grannie Stewart's travel card from 1984, when she must have been a similar age to what Dad is now. Most of you wouldn't have known her, but here's what she looked like:
The other side of the family (my Mum's mother, Granny Barr) also photographed well:
I'm afraid to say this was a fairly typical view of her. My memories of my years at Foxbar Drive (1960 - 1972) were of her constant warring with my Dad. I guess the old mother-in-law syndrome applied in spades when we were all living in such close proximity under her roof. In her latter years, she was virtually confined to her room and only came down when my Dad wasn't around. Sad really, but there you go.
New blogger!
Check it out - we have a new blog to read every day: http://jostewart.blogspot.com/
It was a glorious weekend - good for golf (shorts weather) and, for the 3rd year in a row, the local branch of CAMRA's annual visit to Banchory was held outdoors in glorious sunshine at the Legion:
The only downside was Europe's first defeat for a few years in the Ryder Cup - secretly, however, I think a lot of Europeans were half expecting - maybe even hoping - that our embarrassing and arrogant Captain, Nick Faldo would fall flat on his face - and he did, despite having by far the better players at his disposal.
Aberdeen holiday today, but I'm in the office finishing off a few things before heading to nearby Balgownie for the Seniors match against Royal Aberdeen.
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