The weekend proper starts here

Yesterday (Friday) was Luca's last day here this week. Carole came to pick him up about tea-time, but I was gone by then, so I missed her.

Gary's back here this morning and he and Jamie Ross are now about to head off to Dinnet for the Loch Kinord 10K. I'm picking him up at the end of the race and will bring him back to Banchory for a shower and then we'll pick up Colin and head down to Dundee to see the Jags.

I phoned the optician yesterday and she told me to stop taking the antibiotic cream, but to start taking conventional eye drops (Sno*Tears). Sticking to matters medical, my blood results came back and there was a problem with my glucose levels so they need me to give blood again - this time after fasting. As a result, I won't be seeing my GP again on Tuesday to review my heart meds - this has been put off for a couple of weeks now.

I wonder if the bacteria in my eye - or the antibiotics I was taking - affected the glucose levels?

Before he went to bed on Thursday night, Luca drew up a "to do" list for Friday:

All achieved - except Chapter 8. The "play" in the afternoon was primarily me playing football with him on the grass in front of the house. It was the first time I had tried to kick a ball properly since my knee replacement. Luca was in goals to start with but he doesn't seem to like using his hands much, so I eventually went in goals and took this short video - http://youtu.be/N1UBYa-ZxIM

This was just after I had returned from my short afternoon cycle out to Crathes Castle and back via Tesco, so I was a bit stiff and sore - and I still had a game of squash doubles to come - my second game in the last year.

Jo was out at a church do last night and I had my usual Friday night beers with the football crowd - up at the Legion.

Dawn let us know that Uncle George's funeral is on Tuesday at Clydebank Crematorium, where Mum's and Dad's ashes are scattered, so we'll head down early Tuesday morning. Maybe we'll get a chance to see little Mara for the first time as well?

To close - and to level the playing field a little - here's a short video Kelly sent us of Miller listening to the nursery rhyme book Jo and I recorded - http://youtu.be/E49VLWDBRzQ

George Barr

Yesterday my mother's little brother passed away. George outlasted Jessie by 12 years. That's the last of the Barrs and Stewarts of that generation gone now.

Aunt Nancy is still alive and well, of course - and long may she prosper.

George and my Dad went to see Partick Thistle virtually every week, although Rennie initially maintained that George wasn't a "real" football fan and was a bit of a Johnny-come-lately in his view - it took years for George to build up his football credibility in Dad's eyes!

An early memory of Uncle George for me is in this photo - not sure where it was taken - it doesn't look like the usual "Whiteinch" Park:

Here's another one, that also includes Nancy and Jessie - probably from about 1952-53:

George was always regarded as a little bit of (almost) an intellectual/academic in our family, and his years at the head of what used to be Stow College underlined this. This also afforded him the opportunity to move his young family out of his mother's home, whereupon offering us the chance to escape the hell-hole of Johnstone and move in to Foxbar Drive in their place back at the start of 1960.

The funeral's early next week and I hope to be able to go.

End of the working week

It's Thursday evening and my working week is officially over - in theory at least. It's getting harder and harder for me - 3 days seems like a lifetime now. I was in Fraserburgh on Tuesday and Wednesday and Aberdeen today and it's been a busy week - lots going on.

I just got back from work last night and was only in the house for little more than an hour before heading out to Woodend Barn to see Idlewild (photo on Music blog and FB).

Today I was supposed to go back and see the Optician who had asked me to call in to check the progress on my eye - but she wasn't in. I'll try again in the morning - after my cycle run.

On Saturday, Gary, Colin and I head to Dundee to see Thistle play - after Gary has run a 10K "somewhere near Banchory".

Monday morning action

The day started with a quick cycle, followed by tea and Empire Biscuit in Tease. Ross was working. He, Luca and Gary all had tea at ours last night, after which Luca started drawing. The favourite topic just now is robots. "These are real robots Granda":

By "real robots", Luca of course means those used in factories, as opposed to imaginary ones. These ones are on a car assembly line - note car in the middle. You'll have spotted Luca's new haircut - completed by his father, using his shears. Gary's done a pretty good job - and I think it suits Luca.

Anyway back to today. After my morning cycle, it was back to the Optician again to check the progress on my eye. It still feels like there's something in it and my vision in the right eye is not as clear as the left, but the optician says it is improving - albeit not as fast as she had hoped it might. I've to keep the antibiotic cream going for another 3 full days - the second time this has been extended - and then call back on Thursday.

So all that's left this afternoon is a visit to the Nurse to have my bloods done so I can go back and see Dr. McCrone again to decide what, if any, medicine should replace my daily aspirin.

Incidentally, we've got a roof leak it seems. Jo was up in the loft and took some photos:

I've been in touch with D & D Slaters and they're sending an estimator out.

So that's it - another humdrum day in the life of the Stewarts.

Weekend tales

The flu jab yesterday was a double whammy for me. Apparently when you reach 65 they offer you the pneumococcal vaccine as well - so now I've got two slight bruises - one on each arm. The latter vaccine is only once every ten years, but the medics have done their sums on the risk factors again and the risk of getting a serious bout of pneumonia increases fairly steeply after 65.

For those of you who don't follow our national team's exploits, Scotland beat Georgia 1-0 yesterday. I watched it down the pub with Colin Kilgour, Dave Williamson and Andy Marshall. Colin's finally got the date for his new hip - 18th November. I heard today that Bill Miller is getting his done next week. If you haven't got a replacement joint yet, you're nothing darling!

So Luca should be on his way over here now - we've got him for the first week of the school holidays. Ross says he's coming over this afternoon for tea as well.

Nice day today - cold at the start on the golf course, but much warmer later. Got to thinking about our Australian trip in January. The Cricket World Cup is on Down Under, but it seems Scotland are playing all their games (before they get knocked out) in NZ or Tasmania. The only fixture at the Adelaide Oval when we're there is India - Pakistan. Would have preferred an England, Australia or Scotland match, but it should be a tense affair and might be worth going along to.

We're also considering doing the Adelaide - Melbourne (or t'other way) Great Ocean Road drive. 600 + miles - could do it in 3 or 4 days. Just a thought.

My replacement at work starts full-time tomorrow. Up to now, he's been doing 3 days with us and 2 with his now former employer. Of course, I won't be there tomorrow, but this signals the proper start of my phase-out. We've already had a conversation about me withdrawing at Christmas and he seems fine with that. Mind you, I've yet to have this conversation with Francis and Michael!

It's 5 years yesterday since Dad died.