Full English?

So there I was sitting down for breakfast of shredded cardboard, yoghurt and milk in the hotel where I'm housed during this trip to London.
I became aware of the sounds associated with breakfast dishes being cleared onto the table between me and the cause of the noise a lady clearing her table of her dirty plates, glasses and cutlery after finishing her full English.
Despite the small army of waiting staff buzzing around the dining room ensuring tea and coffee for all whilst clearing dishes. The woman had decided she could not wait and would put her dishes onto the empty table, perhaps to clear space for more toast or full English (it was a buffet).
Then a couple shuffled up returning to their table vacated it must be said some minutes ago as they acquired their full English. Being more mature it had taken them sometime to return to their seats. They sat down silently and looked at their table strewn with discarded breakfast utensils.
Just for one moment I did wonder if having sat down, staring at the plates did they think
" crap we've had breakfast!"
By now impatient toast woman had realised her social faux pas and apologised profusely bowing and scraping with a face as red as the half eaten tomato on her neglected plate.
The couple still did not respond and when the plates where removed by the attentive waiting staff the couple returned to their full English without a by or leave. Perhaps this happens to them all the time and they see it as a kind of social hazard?
It used to be go to work on an egg but I like go to work on a smile much more amenable.



-- Post From My iPhone

Toby the Tortoise?

So there I was last night sitting in the Cineworld, Edinburgh having used my unlimited card a good buy. As many visits, for as many movies in a month, every month, allows you to try the movies that you would not usually want to spend hard earned cash upon , almost as a get one free offer.
I had decided to watch "Gran Torino" not a great movie to be honest. Clint Eastwood carries everything and indeed everyone on his back in this film the other actors making Mr Eastwood look like some much vaunted thespian, they are a bit weak. 6 out of 10 and one that will come into the "get one free offer" category.
My mind wondered as I thought of actors who had played animals in movies Roddy McDowall in the Planet of the Apes series.
Andy Serkis as Smeagle
Of course although not a movie but who can forget Simon MacCorkindale in Manimal.
So last night we had Clint Eastwood as an old Tortoise.
When I was young and before restrictions were (quite rightly) placed on their import I had a few tortoise as pets, none surviving over the winter hibernation. So I was sitting there thinking that's Toby the tortoise. Slits for eyes, stretched reptilian neck, hissing, snappy approach to delivering his dialogue (tortoises do hiss and snap) and at times an ungainly gait (he is 78), all topped off with his emotionally detached hard shell attitude to life.
My fellow cinema goer rated it much higher than me so if you like old tortoises standing up to the bad guys go see Clint.

Scottishness?

There have been many books, TV and radio programmes produced speculating on what it is to be Scottish well I have another piece of the jigsaw for you to contemplate, the essentially Scottish reaction to a little bit of sun.
Yesterday the sun came and after a wee sleep is with us again today. Now it's still a bit fresh but it's the sun it must be summer!
Now being Scottish and pragmatic to the marrow the practical consequence of living in Scotland is that these two days could constitute our sunny summer. Yes we of course will still have the summer season with the clocks running forward, lighter nights, repeats on telly and increased consumption of salad cream but it might be a dreich kind of summer.
So what do we do? Well we ditch the winter wardrobe at this first glimpse of the sun (1st April ) and delve into the summer garments and accessories. So as a start for me that's shorts, sunglasses. Unlike some of my brethren stripping to the waste and displaying my bare skin looking not unlike an anaemic bottle of milk in hue is not for me, perhaps it's an age thing?
As you can see the long sleeves have not been discarded neither has the waistcoat as these and the boots are essential for forays into the woods. Perhaps when it warms up a bit the sleeves and waistcoat will go but a whole season of potential scrapes and scratches if I move of the beaten path is murder on the skin.