Friday 13th

From http://ianrstewart.blogspot.com/

Yes, it's that dreaded date again today - although I had my own Friday the 13th moment yesterday. I was leaving Fraserburgh after our morning Management meetings and driving south to Monifieth for an afternoon's golf. I was a little later than I had intended and not really concentrating on my speed and, sure enough, I got done by one of the hand-held devices.

The police car pulled out behind me from the side of the road where it had been lurking behind some tall hedges, and, within seconds, the blue lights were flashing and I had to pull in. "On the spot" fine - i.e. pay within 28 days or we prosecute - and 3 points on my (clean) licence:

Sod's law, the fine has just gone up from £60 to £100 - just my luck. I think I'm more annoyed with myself because I'm very aware of the number of fixed and mobile cameras up here in rural NE Scotland - and the heavy police presence seemingly constantly monitoring speeding motorists. When I get on to the dual carriageways south of Aberdeen, I always use my cruise control, but the country roads are not really suitable for that.

Still, it's my first offence for a long time - first this millennium, I think - not too bad when you consider the amount of driving I've done over the years - a bit less, nowadays admittedly.

Nothing else new really. Just counting down the weeks - 7 weeks today until my knee op, which means it's only 5 weeks on Sunday when I head off to Tenerife for my last golf (in a buggy) of the year. Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing - especially when my golf has been so good for most of this year - just yesterday I beat all my mates again at Monifieth - but then I remember the pain I get when playing - especially if more than once a week. Maybe next year I'll be even better with my new knee? My work colleague Brian is having his knee replacement operation as we speak - hope it goes well for him - he's really been hirpling in recent months.

9/11

From http://ianrstewart.blogspot.com/

Yes, it still sends a bit of a shiver down your spine when you suddenly realise what day it is - although here in Britain, the day and month are more commonly transposed to 11/9, but we've got very used to the American way of saying it.

It's always a bit like the Kennedy assassination in 1963 - where were you when ...? I recall both incidents vividly - I was 14 years old and heading off to Scouts when we heard about the former, and I was in our boardroom in Fraserburgh when Ross called me on the day of the latter.

We had been in New York just 8 weeks prior on our way to Scott and Lucy's wedding. In fact, we had been in the World Trade Center at that time. This is Jo, Kelly and Ross walking across the concourse with the twin towers dominating the skyline:

We were next back in New York in 2004 - just Kelly, Jo and I this time - and I, for one, was pretty spooked out when visiting Ground Zero, as it then was:

Scary times.

On the latter occasion, we also visited another spooky spot - the Dakota building where John Lennon was shot in 1980:

Back to the present - Fraserburgh again tomorrow, hopefully to see our new mackerel canning line running this time - then heading south to Monifieth for an afternoon's golf - if the weather behaves.

On Friday one of my colleagues, who has been limping about with a stick for the last few months since his knee arthroscopy failed, is having a knee replacement operation. I look forward to swapping knee stories with him in due course.

On Saturday, there's a CAMRA branch meeting in Ballater and, as it's only once in a blue moon that they hold their meetings in Deeside, I think it might be a worth a bus trip down.

Sunday is golf at Newburgh and I have the possibility of golf at Royal Aberdeen on Tuesday and Castle Stuart on Wednesday, immediately prior to us going to Belfast on the Friday. That's about all my immediate plans for now, I think.

Holiday home

From http://ianrstewart.blogspot.com/

When I got back from Fraserburgh yesterday - and Jo had finished her tea and scones with the girls - we walked up to Inchmarlo to view the lodge that we are planning to book for the Lesinas and Steele-Stewarts over Christmas/New Year. The lodges are probably about one third of a mile on from the Inchmarlo Golf Centre, making it about a mile or so from Arbor Court - but it's a very nice tree-lined walk - especially downhill!

They gave us a golf buggy to drive up to look at the Lodge - No. 31. It's one of only a few 3-bedroom lodges available and it shares a building with another 3-bedroom lodge, which faces a different angle. There are 3 bedrooms, each with twin beds, downstairs at ground level - one of them has an en suite and there is a separate bathroom as well. The lounge and kitchen/dining room space are upstairs:

taken from the kitchen area looking towards the balcony

taken from the lounge area looking towards the kitchen

looking out at the south facing balcony and Scolty Hill beyond

looking back from the balcony doors towards the stairs and kitchen

entrance to the east

external view - no. 31 is on the right of building as you look at it

So, there you are. Just over 14 weeks to go. Taking this lodge also means that anybody else who wants to stay in Banchory overnight can do so at our house - we'll have plenty of room.

Staying in holiday vein, Jo and I last night finally got round to viewing the DVD we got from Marriott when we bought the additional time with them this summer when we were in Lake Tahoe. The whole concept of time-share has changed and you no longer buy fixed weeks at one resort - it's now all points based and you can use them for different periods in different places - and include cruises, flights and excursions if you want. Need to start thinking about next year soon - although the Lesinas might be having a lot of visitors in 2014 - Lucy's friend Lorna is planning to go over in July, and Gary, Carole and Luca later in the year.

On to medical matters now - I noticed in the business press that Smith & Nephew have introduced a new knee joint - probably a little late for my operation:

Looks like a piece of kit, doesn't it?

At work, the large new mackerel processing line being installed in our canning plant is suffering the usual teething problems. I had rushed up yesterday, hoping to see it in full operation, but the snagging list isn't quite done yet.

Closing, I noticed that all the windows in Ross' flat were wide open at 7:30 am this morning - perhaps the aftermath of the weekend parties?

Weekend

From http://ianrstewart.blogspot.com/

We had Luca overnight on Friday, so we walked up to the High St. with him on Saturday morning, stopping for a coffee on the sun deck at the rear of the Douglas. We also stopped off at the War Memorial on the way back and played running games with Luca - well Luca and Jo did, as I watched. The two of them sat down on the wall to rest:

Back home, Jo prepared Ross' birthday lunch - roast beef and Yorkshire puds - and then they lit his cake with 30 candles:

Gary was a late arrival. He had completed the half marathon at Aberfeldy in the fabulous time of 1:37 - 10 minutes faster than his first attempt at this distance. His drive back up the road wasn't very comfortable, however, and he had to stop a few times - throwing up and then sleeping - but he got here eventually and soon recovered after a hot bath and some food.

Ross had initially indicated that he was going to have a quiet night in, but we live in a small town and the jungle drums told us today that there was a party after all! He is still living alone - the guy who was going to be his flatmate has proved to be elusive - but he's now going to have his friend Harris' half sister coming over from America for a while to stay with him, so that'll at least cut his outgoings a bit.

Today, the weather was even nicer and, after golf, we sat on the balcony for a while:

That's all for now from me. Fraserburgh tomorrow.