Aching in the Broch

Very stiff and sore today - played footy at Banchory last night - that floor just kills me. I guess staying up to watch Andy Murray didn't help either - but wasn't it great? Number 4 in the world now and in to the semis of the US Open - the first time he's done it in a Grand Slam event.

I had a beer with Colin at the Legion after footy and we were joined by Rob from Hillside Brewery, who I am officially CAMRA's local BLO (Brewery Liaison Officer) for. He's moving the brewery from his home (Hillside, near Lumphanan) to an extension being erected at Deeside Activity Park (http://www.deesideactivitypark.com/). He's already close friends with the guy who runs it and supplies the beer for a lot of the events they run there - many of them corporate. He's going to have to change the name of the brewery now to Deeside Brewery. He's also arranged to meet a guy in Banchory this weekend who is planning on starting up another micro-brewery, to see if there's anything they can co-operate on - despite some digging, none of us have ever heard of the guy, so it'll be interesting to find out what he's up to, his background and where he is with his plans. All of this talk takes me back to my idea of over a decade ago - I guess we were ahead of our time. I still think it was a good idea but I made the mistake of choosing (some) unreliable partners to come in with me.

Jo's out with her old school pals this afternoon and evening so Ross and I are pizza-ing - that's after I've played squash doubles with Dick (back after a year out with a back injury), Richard and Keith (who we're going to St Andrews with tomorrow).

Incidentally, Ross did take the Saab that he wrote off last week back over to Derek Glass' place at Auchenblae last night - one down, one more (at least!) to go. Not quite sure how much all this is costing Ross - and how much Derek Glass is making from him - I don't think it's an awful lot, but he needs to get down to one good running car and look after it.

As you know, Jo's days are now being spent on emptying old cupboards and generally trying to tidy up the clutter in our house. She came across some old photos - this one of Kelly and her great pal at the time, Helen Bisset, was taken in a booth on 18th November, 1993, when she was just 14 years old:

This one of Ross at school with his head down is undated:

Webcams

Why is Kelly never online when I try to Skype her - and why has Gary not got the webcam I gave him working yet?

Answers on a postcard please.

Boat of Garten weekend

We got away with it this weekend - there was a bit of rain around but it was nothing like they had forecast - and, at times, it was very pleasant indeed. We played Kingussie on Sunday, then Boat of Garten on Monday. I thought I had won the event, but, fortunately for Jo, Les surprised us all and came up with a fantastic final round to beat me on countback - so no trophy for the house this time! Here's Jack, Syd, Peter and I at Boat of Garten yesterday morning:

Back to the dentist this morning to smooth out the tooth that I had broken a corner off on an olive stone in Edinburgh last weekend - a two minute job, although I was told that, when it comes to winter, I may get some sensitivity in it as some of the enamel has now gone - but she can treat that too, if it happens.

Ross has promised some car movements this week some time and I've offered to help shuttle him anywhere, if required - watch this space!