Empty Nest Syndrome

Well, they've all gone now. Carole, Gary and Luca are back in Inverurie getting ready for their trip down south tomorrow to visit Carole's family, and Kelly and Craig snuck out at 6:00 am this morning. They had said they were getting up at 5 and I awakened then but they didn't actually rise until 5:45. I laid in bed awake expecting them to come in and say goodbye but the next thing I heard was their car pulling out of the drive! I wasn't even going in to work this morning and could have had a long lie, but thought I'd better be awake to see them off!

Ah well, just Ross, Jo and I now.

Got a meeting with the Laird this morning concerning the squash courts - not holding my breath, but we'll wait and see.

Tree

I thought I'd previously published a photo of our beautiful (and expensive) tree on my blog, but, on checking, I hadn't after all - so here it is.

Back to work for a few hours this morning, then Jo and I are starting our search for a new suite for the back room - hoping that Stan England will eventually do the work on the window and stairs that we've been waiting a couple of years for.

Boxing Day

Gary and Ross played computer games and snacked through the night last night - until 3 am apparently. No compassion from Carole, however - Gary was the one to get up with Luca in the morning. I was already up and getting ready for golf. By the time I returned, Craig and Kelly had arrived from Peterhead. Like Gary they had a late night and it wasn't long before they both went off to bed.

By the time Jo had the steak pie ready, there was only Carole, Jo and I awake to eat it - so we had to rouse Kelly, Craig, Ross (of course) and Gary who had crashed out again on the settee - see above.

Craig has gone in to Aberdeen this evening to meet up with friends, but Kelly has opted out. Before he went,I managed to get the family photo above.

It was our 35th wedding anniversary today and I bought Jo ear-rings and a necklace from Ortak - she's modelling them above.

Christmas videos

Christmas

Jo was only just up in time to get to Mass, but she had to go alone - shower queues etc. Kelly and Craig waited patiently to see Gary, Carole and Luca, who were delayed a little - Gary said the roads were pretty slippy. They got here just before 1:00 pm and Kelly and Craig left about half an hour later to go to Craig's family in Peterhead.

Luca was all dressed up for Christmas in his Santa suit and Gary and Carole were looking pretty festive too - lots of photos and videos attached.

We finally got Ross up and had our Christmas dinner - the first half to the sound of Luca wailing away in his cot. The turkey crown Jo had bought at the Co-op was actually very nice and so was the rest of the meal - Carole had made the trifle.

As usual, we crashed out afterwards!

Christmas Eve

Well, Craig didn't make it to the football - chicken or what? Was he secretly worried that the pensioners would show him up? He didn't get up until 10:00 am and then went to Aberdeen to surf, so there was no way he was going to make it to the football in time for the 1:00 pm kick off. He did, however, make it to the pub - Jo and Kelly had gone over to Inverurie anyway - but even this was too much for him - they had planned to go out tonight, but he and Kelly just crashed after tea of Spag Bog.

Lucy phoned tonight and I mentioned that it was my Dad's birthday on Friday - he was 87 - the shortest day. He's fine in his own wee world - no longer stressed about lack of memory etc - and long may it be that way.

The team photo from this afternoon is above.

Looking forward to Christmas.

Pre-Xmas weekend

Got most of the groceries on Saturday and we watched Casino Royale on TV - pretty good I thought.

Golfed on Sunday morning and then took Ross and Gary to Pittodrie again to watch the match against Rangers - an honourable draw in the end.

Kelly and Craig arrived about midnight - but we were asleep by then. Kelly got up at 6:30 (thinking it was 7:30!) because she was so excited! We woke Jo so that they could chat and I headed off to work for a few hours.

We're playing football on the astroturf at DATA for Dave's birthday today - and Craig is making a guest appearance!

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.