Still counting down

Another working day out of the way - each one is proving to be more dull than the last. It's hard to concentrate fully when I'm contributing so little. It's the way it should be, of course - and the way I planned it - so I can't complain really, but I now can't wait for it to end.

It's actually a bit of a baptism of fire for my replacement, Ross, as we're in the middle of changing banks just now and, inevitably, there are wrinkles. It's all supposed to happen this week but it's looking very tight now.

Beyond that, not much to report today. Jo had a nice time with her friends on Sunday evening but she's now suffering with a sore back again. I think a hot water bottle for Xmas would be an appropriate gift.

Despite the black ice yesterday, I did get out for an afternoon cycle, but I'm not sure what was creaking most - me or my old bike. I must start looking for a new one - virtually all of my pals now have lighter framed, larger wheeled bikes with many more gears than mine. Some have bought former hire bikes from the shop at Ballater (http://www.cyclehighlands.com/) and I might pop in here when doing some of the CAMRA pub surveys before we head Down Under.

Talking about CAMRA, there's another committee meeting in Aberdeen tomorrow night, but the weather forecast is so awful, I don't think I'll be attending.

To close, my Doctor's appointment tonight was a waste of time. When I phoned the receptionist the other day, she told me there was some correspondence in from Albyn Orthopaedics, but it turned out to be a routine letter, not the results of my MRI scan. Unfortunate, but the receptionist wasn't to know - they aren't allowed to see the details of medical correspondence. I'll just have to wait a bit longer.