Thursday night

We went to the Derbar for our annual Xmas night out with the squash/golf group - 24 of us on a long table is not the easiest or most sociable option - needs a logistics engineer to sort it out next time!

We chatted to Archie and Eileen about the latest news on the hot story in Banchory - the murder on their tiny executive estate on the Glassel Road - son murders elderly father and puts him in a wheely bin in the shed!

Weds/Thu

Football again last night - tough game - only 4 a side - pretty sore today.

Usual Thursday up to the Broch and back. Jo came home early and showered and is now drying her hair before we go out to the Derbar for our annual pre-Christmas curry with the squash/golf crowd.

Started writing some Christmas cards today - will try to finish by the weekend. Gary's coming through on Sunday afternoon - we can watch the two big Premiership matches on Sky whilst Jo and Carole look after Luca!

Carole's sad news

Forgot to offer commiserations to Carole, whose 10 year old German Shepherd died on Saturday. Hope she gets over the shock soon.

More photos and a video!

Still experimenting with new camera. Photo of Jo with her laptop last night, and me in my office in Aberdeen today, plus a video of me.

The weekend

Friday was football again - only 5-a-side at the Beach - good fun, but tiring - 2 games a week is pretty tough after having "retired" for 6 years! Paid a quick visit to the Legion on the way back, but with the early start on Saturday, I decided it was best to get home, have tea and get to bed at a decent hour.

Having an early plane to catch or leaving early with friends always causes sleepless nights and this was no exception. Finally got up at 5:00, had breakfast, showered and met Dave, Colin and Ken at the end of our drive and we were on our way promptly at 6:00 am. Pretty slippy going over Cairn o' Mount - ABS kicking in, so we crawled down the other side at just a few miles an hour.

We made good progress to the Borders, stopped and had coffee and Dave took over the driving. The weather deteriorated and, although it never came to the forecast snow, it was windy, cold and driving rain, and conditions were pretty tricky. We did, however, get to our hotel, and eventually, Old Trafford, in good time and took a stroll round the ground and the shop before going in to the warmth of the corporate hospitality.

It was a wonderful afternoon and we enjoyed a few excellent ales in the evening at the Top Lock pub, near our hotel - 9 real ales and Indian curry - wonderful! I look like I was enjoying myself in the photo above.

It was a long drive back home on Sunday. Breakfast, then a pit stop for fuel and coffee and we then drove up to Lanark for lunch. We stopped off at New Lanark - a World Heritage Centre and well worth a visit - see photo above.

Got home before 6 pm and had a lovely steak meal with Jo and Ross and, after tea, I set up our new camera (joint Christmas present - the old one is not working properly any more). I took a couple of sample photos just to try it out - one of Jo parcelling up the presents to be posted to the Lesinas, and one of me today in my office in Fraserburgh.

Monday morning and back to the Broch - for Union negotiations - pretty tough telling them there's been no sprats again this year in Scotland and we don't know how long we can keep that part of the canning factory going - we're totally reliant on imports now. They seemed to understand and we're meeting again in February. An afternoon at the lawyers in Aberdeen and then I really needed a game of squash - Harry was happy to invite me to Kippie Lodge again and we met up with Jas and Archie in the Legion afterwards.

That's the blog up to date again - Jo and I are sitting watching Corrie with one eye, working away with our laptops on our knees!