2009 begins in earnest

Well, I guess everybody's back to their usual routines now. It's a strange feeling - there's something quietly comforting about being back to the usual cycle of work and conventional weekends, but there's also something sad about it all - realising the holidays are now well and truly over.



Sunday was fairly conventional - by the time I got back from golf, Gary, Carole, Luca and the dogs had gone home again and it was just me, Jo and Ross for tea. Yesterday, I decided to start the week with the long drive to the Broch - got quite a lot done and also managed to get away in time to play squash and have a beer.



I'm getting near the end of the Pink Floyd book that Harry loaned me a long time ago. Most will have heard of the group but may not know much more about them - in particular the alleged acid casualty, founder member Syd Barrett, who finally passed away in 2006 - nearly 40 years after he left/was kicked out of the group - check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syd_barrett



I got to the stage of the book where Syd had long left the band and was travelling back and forth between his family's home in Cambridge and London. The book described how he first moved in to serviced accommodation at Chelsea Cloisters in April, 1974 - the very same month that Jo and I, with little Lucy in tow, moved in to the very same apartments! Check out http://www.chelseacloisters.co.uk/ for views of the accommodation - I remember Jo commenting on how tiny the rooms were - at least for the three of us - but, hey, James Buchanan & Co (Black & White whisky) were paying - and we got to stay in a very swanky part of London for a month for nothing, whilst our new house in Broxbourne was being finished.



Jo has dined out for years on her stories of wandering round London with Lucy in her buggy, with daily shopping trips to Harrods (for a pint of milk!) and regular encounters with other women with young babies, all of whom turned out to be nannies!

Sticking with my theme of old photos from round the world, here's one I found from March, 2003 when I met up with Scott, Lucy and a very young Cade for a weekend in SFO after I had been golfing at Palm Springs and Las Vegas:

We all stayed in one room at the Marriott. It had 2 large double beds and we were all a bit surprised when Cade wanted to sleep with me. All was well until he awoke in the morning and, still half asleep, opened his eyes and saw me! Shriek! Mommy, Daddy! Help!