Thursday/Friday

Jo's still not right - she did go to the Doctor's on Thursday and he's given her penicillin to clear her chest up, so hopefully she's on the mend now.

Gary, Ross and I were at one of Pittodrie's great occasions on Thursday as Aberdeen thumped FC Copenhagen 4-0 to progress through to the knock-out stages of the UEFA Cup. It was a packed house and a great atmosphere - the club had handed out hooters to the fans and it was a non-stop cacophony of noise.

The evening evoked memories of the great European nights of the mid 80's when Aberdeen were rampant, and the draw for the next round on Friday brought back further memories with the news that Aberdeen face Bayern Munich in the next round. Scotland now have 3 teams in Europe after Christmas for the first time since the early 70's.

We've also now arranged to go down to Old Trafford again to see United face Newcastle on January 12th - it will be Gary's and Ross' first taste of live Premiership football.

Starting to fill up next year's diary already - Jo and I are going to stay at the Moulin Inn, just outside Pitlochry (http://www.moulininn.co.uk/) and Colin and Johanne are joining us and we're taking in the Winter Words Festival at the Pitlochry Festival Theatre - we've booked to listen to Stuart Maconie (http://www.pitlochry.org.uk/page13.php?a=other&id=646&month=2008-01-01).

In February we're going down to Cornwall again and then I head off to Cape Town for some golf. Our summer holiday to USA is now fully booked as well - Jo and I even chose our seats on Virgin Atlantic this week - Premium Economy again.

I've also organised our golf Summer Tour for July - the weekend before we go to USA. 10 of us are going to Cornwall so Jo will travel down as well and spend some time with Kelly and Craig.

Lastly, I've just about sorted out our Autumn golf trip - to Florida again in November. Whew - that's about it!

I played football again on Friday and it was Ian McRae's 50th so he got awarded the ceremonial shirt with his name on - see team photo above. We had a dram at the Douglas afterwards - that's the other photo above.

Saturday morning - freezing cold, but crisp and clear. Panic stations start here - we're going shopping today - we don't even have a turkey this year!

Wednesday

Bought our Christmas tree today - from a farm at Lower Persley for the first time. The guy was very nice and kept telling me what beautiful trees they were - and then I found out why after I had chosen - it was £40! Much better than B & Q he said! I even bought a new stand from him.

Jo is still off work and has made the sensible decision not to go back until the New Year. She was so down this morning that she even phoned the doctor and got an appointment for tomorrow - but I think she's going to cancel it in the morning. She does seem a bit better and we're hopeful for a healthy Christmas this time - so long as I don't succumb now!

Tomorrow night is Aberdeen's big European match against FC Copenhagen - Gary and I are going and so is Ross - if he can sort out his sleeping pattern - he's worse than ever this week.

It's very cold here and there must be a chance of a white Christmas if the high pressure just moves away a bit before Tuesday.

3rd video

This time, he's going backwards under the couch.

More video

This time, Luca is trying to run before he can walk!

Tuesday videos

I did manage to pop in to Inverurie - Gary was there as well - he's got a new job and resigned from his old job yesterday and was immediately put on "garden leave" - great - he gets a paid holiday for a month before starting his new job!

Luca's getting bigger and moving a bit more but not crawling or standing yet. He rolls around to get places - see videos attached.

Monday

Jo sent home from work - not well. I told her not to go in, but she never did listen to me. She even said she was going back today (Tuesday) but after another night of coughing away, she at least saw sense and stayed off today.

Hopefully, Jo's illness has come just in time - she may even see Christmas day this year! I'm on the lookout now - just my luck, I'll catch her bug just in time to lay me low over the holidays!

Played racquetball at Crathes last night and then Keith invited us round to share his hot tub and a couple of beers - very nice.

I'm in Fraserburgh just now but heading off soon - will try and pop in and see Carole and Luca on the way back.

The weekend

We had a fairly easy game of football on Friday at the Beach and went to Scott Skinner's for drinks in the evening. Nigel was back in Banchory for the weekend and Brian made a rare appearance too. Here we are celebrating the birth of Brian's latest grandchild - his 5th/7th (Peter "inherited" 2 children!).

I was up a little later than usual on Saturday morning and noticed that Jo had already left. She had gone Xmas shopping - leaving here at 7:15 a.m.! She doesn't enjoy it at the best of times, but arrived back in an even more irritable mood than usual - it transpired later that she seems to have some kind of bug - sore throat etc - and has spent most of Sunday in bed - she even got me to cancel Gary, Carole and Luca coming over.

After writing all our Christmas cards, I felt a sense of relief and went to play squash doubles at Crathes on Saturday with Harry, Richard and Keith and after a quick beer at the Legion, went home and Jo and I watched "The Prestige" which I had recorded the previous week - not bad.

It was a cold but bright Sunday and 4 of us made it along to the golf club - see photo above with Peter, Dave and Syd.

Failed to get Ross out of his bed at a decent time yesterday or today - nagging him about applying for jobs - and also waiting for him to dismantle his old double bed and replace it with the single one in Jo's computer room.

Need to buy Christmas tree this week and start to put up decorations.

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!

Thursday

Nothing exciting to report - bit stiff from hard game of football last night but got through a good day's work in Fraserburgh today. Ross took Jo to and from work, which saved me a bit of time and hassle.

Weather forecast doesn't look too good for our trip down to Old Trafford on Saturday - potentially some snow, which could make the drive a bit difficult!

Fish suppers for tea tonight - pretty average again.

The week so far

Monday morning brought another trip to the Broch, but I got away in time to play squash at Crathes with Harry and Richard in the evening. We were joined by Peter, Keith, Archie and Dick for a beer in the Legion afterwards. Although I managed to shower at the golf club, it will be the last time we can use these facilities for a while as the downstairs changing rooms are being re-done now - by none other than the elusive builder Stan England!

Stan has apparently received delivery of the stairs for the rear of our house and is promising installation before Christmas - but we're not holding our breath! Gary, our architect, is equally cynical - but he managed to get his near million pound Trustach Lodge completed OK in the last couple of years - the same period we have been waiting for our job to be done!

The Lesinas have booked their flights to and from Orlando next July - overnight ones too! Yesterday, I booked ours as well - it's a convoluted route, made worse by the fact that BA are cancelling the Aberdeen flights to Gatwick next March, and all flights to Orlando are from Gatwick. We therefore have to fly BA to Heathrow, then transfer over to Gatwick. Fortunately, we do have a few hours in which to do this - and I have arranged for us to have access to the Executive lounge there as well.

We then fly to Orlando with Virgin (Premium Economy) and arrive about 5 pm local time on the Friday, by which time the Lesinas will have had virtually a full day there. On the following Friday, we leave early in the morning and fly Delta to Medford, via Salt Lake City, arriving at lunchtime, with Scott, Lucy and the boys not following on until much later - early Saturday morning, in fact.

When we return to Scotland, however, we have to do the exact same trip in reverse.

I've also booked our next trip to Cornwall on Jo's long weekend in February. Again, the journey is more complicated than usual as Winter schedules are in operation. We're having to take the BA redeye to Gatwick, then wait there for a few hours before our connection to Newquay leaves. On our return, Kelly is going to have to drive us up to Exeter to catch the Flybe Monday morning flight to Aberdeen. We've managed to get a timeshare exchange at Clowance House in Camborne for a week, so we can stay there and Kelly and Craig can use the facilities after we've gone.

Oh - I forgot to say that Ross had a good interview last week at Concept. It's a good position for him - car, Blackberry and laptop provided. All he has to do is log on in the morning and see what work there is to be done - ideal for him - hope he gets it, although perhaps it's asking a lot.

And Jo's car broke down last night. Fortunately, she was at Sylvia's at the time and was able to phone the AA and they came out and towed her and car back to the garage in Banchory. I had the mince and tatties on, so I asked Ross to take my car and go and pick his Mum up at the garage, but, for some bizarre reason, he decided to go and look for the tow truck coming along the North Deeside Road - and, of course, he missed them and Jo ended up having to wait for him to eventually appear!

Now, of course, I'm driving Jo to and from work until her car is fixed.