Lucy's photos

I managed to copy photos (but not videos) from Lucy's videocam last night. Here's a couple she took - firstly when Jo cut her cake on Sunday:





Then when they went to see my Dad on Monday:

Technology/communications

Blogs have gone quiet recently - is everyone going off the idea? I know Lucy uses Facebook - is that an alternative, or it an addition, to the blog? I've tried Facebook, Bebo etc but don't quite get them - they don't really suit me. I've even tried Twitter, but couldn't really be bothered with that either.

One new piece of technology I am experimenting with is Spotify - like I-Tunes, but you don't download, you just listen - like a musical library. Not bad so far.

Carless Monday

Scott and Lucy were taking my car down to Glasgow to visit the relatives, so I naturally assumed that I would be taking Jo's car to work - I should have known better. Jo wanted her car - why? - "shopping" she said. OK - that means you have to drive me to work and back? "OK". Well, how tense was the journey? Jo doesn't know the roads and was on edge with all the traffic. We got there in the end, but I think we were both glad when the journey was over.

I brought home a pool car, so she didn't have to pick me up yesterday - but she's going to have to do it today. I think she would have preferred driving to Fraserburgh and picking me up - she asked me if I was working there today - nope - Aberdeen. I got asked the address of where I work this morning and we've agreed she will pick me up at 4:30 pm - fingers crossed.

I played squash doubles last night, but we were late starting because Keith was delayed at work when it was reported that a fire had broken out on the rig he's responsible for. Thankfully, it was quelled quickly so he was able to make up our four, but we were much later than planned.

When I got home, it was Ross' turn to get stressed out by his Mum - guess she was having a bad day? They were at Jo's computer and she was trying to download photos and videos from her new camera. She had installed the software that came with the camera - something that is guaranteed to irritate our in-house IT nerd. He immediately, and huffily, removed it and showed Jo how to read and transfer the files from the camera.

Lesinas days 1 & 2

They all survived well yesterday - Scott and Lucy had an afternoon nap but the boys kept going. They seemed quite at home - Cade remembered the plastic soldiers and soon he had them all over the stairs again. We walked them along to the shops at tea time and Scott and I went in to the Douglas for a quick beer with Colin, Keith and Malcolm - we watched the Wales - Ireland match.

Everyone slept well and got up at a reasonable time this morning. Scott joined me for golf - we played with Syd, and Scott did very well - particularly when you consider that he hadn't played since last summer. Here he is playing his approach to the 14th:

Scott and I had bacon and egg butties at the golf club and then we drove over to Inverurie to join everyone else - Gary was making Mother's Day lunch for the girls.

So tomorrow, I'm in Jo's car and Scott, Lucy and the boys head down to Glasgow in my Volvo.

Lesinas arrive

Half an hour early as well. I just managed to get there in time, with Ross and Jo following on. It was a lovely morning and we had tea out in the back:

Blog update

It's been a very difficult week at work - especially yesterday. We had put the workers at our canning plant on to a 3 day week last month and said we would review the situation about now. Well, we've now done that - Michael has just returned from his round the world tour of major customers and it was gloom and doom all the way. Not only is everybody cutting back, but we're also losing orders to Polish competitors and we're having difficulties in getting customers to agree to increase selling prices to compensate us for the increased price of fish that we've just bought for the year ahead! Triple whammy!

We've now told the workforce in IFC that the 3 day week will have to continue for a while and, in addition, 60 jobs will now have to go. It's been a few years since we've had to do this, and it's never easy - I just hope we can get through this year OK.

It was another lovely evening for the drive home from Fraserburgh last night and this helped to take my mind off things a bit - that and my music (last Saturday's Sounds of the Sixties). I phoned Jo to tell her I would need a large G & T when I got home!

Talking about "SotS", I've tried for 3 years in a row now to get a request in for Colin's birthday - I know he and Johanne listen to it every Saturday - but failed each time. Maybe it was my request that Brian Matthews should play the rather slow and lengthy Dylan song "Visions of Johanna" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6i6NOfD48Gk) from the Blonde on Blonde album?

Anyway, Kelly and Craig are now on their way to Tenerife and the Lesinas have started their long journey over here - looking forward to seeing them all in the morning. First of all, Jo and I are going to the Milton for dinner tonight for her birthday - I bought her a new camera, but, typically, she was trying to use it upside down and then couldn't switch it on this morning! Mind you, it was early!

This was last year's flowers - did I do any better this year? Perhaps Jo will let us know?

Midweek

Jo seems OK today and I don't feel too bad. Even Ross was feeling better, although he stayed off work again because he didn't sleep at all last night.

I decided not to go to Pittodrie tonight after all, but just watch it on TV instead. I phoned Keith and we arranged to meet outside the hospital to visit Jas, who had his hip op on Monday, but we both managed to get lost - Keith actually went to the wrong hospital - Foresterhill instead of Woodend!

Jas was fine, although obviously still hirpling with the help of a zimmer frame:

Feeling sorry

Here we go - with the Lesinas due to arrive this weekend, it's par for the course that some kind of bug seems to have arrived at Arbor Court. Ross has been off work for the last couple of days and Jo's not feeling too good now - and I'm not quite sure. Let's hope it all comes to nought.

It's a factor of getting older that most conversations are about illnesses, hospitals and funerals. Right now, I have 3 friends in hospital - Robert Strang-Steel had a stroke a few weeks ago and is paralysed and still in Woodend Hospital, unable to speak; Jas Bhagrath got his new hip yesterday - he's also in Woodend; and yesterday I got a text from Dan Corbett telling me he was in hospital in Argentina having suffered a mild heart attack on his walking holiday there. What next?

Still nobody has responded to my request about how many hold bags are required for Tenerife - right now we only have 4 booked - is it going to be a bunfight to see who gets these places?

1949

As commented yesterday, one of my presents from Jo was a CD of all the hits from 1949 - the cover revealed the following events took place in the year of my birth:

and here's some of the hit recordings from that year - Syd will remember them all!:

My 60th birthday continued

I had a lovely day as the endless series of parties to celebrate my 60th reached the next stage at the golf club today (check the golf blog for details - http://bsvgolf.blogspot.com/).

After the elongated lunch, the family came back to Arbor Court for a cup of tea before heading back south - first the Hughes girls:

Then, Barry and Helen, who had travelled up to Glenshee for some hill walking before spending the night in Ballater:

I caught Jo in an apparently glum moment:

Luca had been a bit bemused by all the crowds but had stayed awake all afternoon and, by the time, he was leaving in Ross' car, his eyes were out on stalks:

Slow Saturday

Not a lot doing today - still sore after last night's exertions (check http://bvetsfootballgroup.blogspot.com/ for photos) - it was good fun, however.

Colin came round to watch the Man U - Liverpool match at lunchtime and Jo disappeared soon afterwards - she's still not back. She decided to chum Ross over to Inverurie where he was going to pick up Gary and go over to Peterhead to look at a potential new car.

Lucy called - their clocks have changed already so they're just 7 hours behind us just now. I've said I will pick them up next Saturday morning.

Weather has been really nice today and I hope it holds for tomorrow morning's golf, which precedes my 60th birthday lunch. Yes - I know - the celebrations keep on going - I think this is the last, however - it's Jo's turn next weekend.

Poll results

Poll over - only 1 person (of 4) thought Kelly and Craig were completely sane - 2 thought they were barking mad and 1 more thought they were slightly deranged. What difference will that make? - absolutely none!

Got my birthday footy tonight - 2 games! Beach at 5:30 and then DATA at 7:30 - different groups of players in each, with just a handful playing in both matches. After that it's beer and curry - could be a slow day tomorrow!

Trollstigen

Jo slightly mis-read my writing on the back of the photo from our Norwegian holiday featured on her blog - the place is called Trollstigen - check http://www.trollstigen.net/index2.php and watch this video to see if it brings back any memories (not Lucy as she wasn't there):

Bus pass

Following one of Kelly's suggestions for the name of my ale, it prompted to make my application for my bus pass today!