Last gasp

The snows arrived a final fling before disappearing for the next eight or so months. As always the impact has been harsh, the icy fingers as if reluctant to let go digging their claws into the country.

Coming back on the plane last night the plane I was on had to sit on the tarmac for an hour as there was nowhere for it to park, delayed flights causing a traffic jam.

With the Fegrig mobile snowed in a taxi was required it's a pity a large number of my fellow passengers were of the same mind. Luckily I had a hat, gloves and enough layers to keep me warmish as I queued.

Eventually I got to the front if the queue and into a cab I jumped. This was a large van type carrier a heavy beast that worked in it's favour when moving but less so when slowed due to the weather. We slithered and slid and on more than one occasions I thought we would hit the fixtures by the side of the road.

Coming up the hill we stalled as if someone was holding onto the back axle, the driver manouvered the taxi and we retook the hill more succesfully. On we pressed but as the snow had barely been touched by other vehicles I jumped out before hitting our estate. I feared that the drivers earning power would be severely curtailed for the night if he became snow bound, stuck in our cul de sac.

Just as well really as on the way in walking up the middle of the road I counted four abandoned cars stuck fast in the deep quickly fallen snow. I also found a pair of glasses lying in the snow wondering if the lady who lost them was now suffering a form of snow blindness?

This morning after more snow we dug a trio of indignent chickens out of their house.




The way this one was moving around made me wonder as she appeared to teeter about her snowy pen, was she looking for her glasses?


-- Post From My iPhone

Phut!

So I'm sitting there writing a post thinking I had enough juice to save and send then phut! iPhone juiceless and dead.
Now like Frankenstein
"it's alive !"
With the aid of several volts it's up and running unlike me who after a long time travelling has come home and is in bed waiting to sleep.
Good night!

-- Post From My iPhone

Peanuts, politics and Pinot..

It's been a long evening, the coming together of a group to discuss the teams way forward.

A range of topics have been raised, discussed and mulled over.

With the night drawing to a close, being good trade unionists the forthcoming political direction of the country is now the talking point.

With so much talking and so much alcohol having been consumed (as a small cog I'm doing more listening than talking and no drinking) the munchies have set in.

The vending machine has been raided with copious nuts, crisps and chedders packets now lie sitting amongst the empty glasses and bottles.

An interesting debate with some issues likely to influence tomorrows agenda. Maybe this will be more interesting than the agenda first suggested?


-- Post From My iPhone

Motivation?

Have you changed your clocks? Or are you stubbornly refusing to do so as if you have declared some element of time zone independence?

Are you motivated by the need not to be late for work tomorrow, as I don't think the independence argument will cut much ice with the boss as you stroll in an hour later than colleagues.

Or perhaps the motivation was to change in order that you don't miss "The Archers" getting up at the usual time thereby missing all but the last 15 minutes would not be a smart move. Several cows may have delivered their calves in your absence.

Some of the motivation to get me up at an hour earlier although later if you see what I mean were the animals. The cluck, cluck of the hens needing out of their hut to indulge in henny type stuff. The dogs and their heavy breathing at the bedroom door applying the pressure on me to let them outside to do doggy type stuff.

The chooks then had their weekly house clean all soap, water and polish, clean bedding, with a food and water refill. The young ones took the open gate as a sign to explore the garden and almost the adjoining field whilst the "old mother" after some feeding and scratching settled under the green shooted gooseberry bush. She is rapidly nearing that stage of her legs when she will be "off her legs"

The dogs after their morning constitutional "helped out" as I took the axe to some recycled waste wood. This resulted in 5 nights of a roaring wood stoves worth of material for next winter, excellent motivation the thought of a set of cold fingers and toes. The assistance offered by the aforementioned canines being the retrieval of the wood that flew off circus acrobat style. You know when one acrobat jumps on one end of the board and because they are heavier the lighter acrobat on the other end says "whee" and flys off. In my wood chopping circus both acrobats are lighter than my axe and as they fly up its a case of duck! rather than whee!

Its now pouring with rain so thankfully being motivated to get on with things has paid off and I can do inside stuff like this and motivating myself to fill out my expenses return.

Maybe I'm getting confused am I talking about motivation or is it now procrastination?

Interior Designers

The interior designers have had a blank canvas, partly the reason for my absence sawdust and stoor can cause havoc with the lap top and the hard hat does nothing for my hair.

What do you think?

See you later

What would you give for a laugh?

It's that time of year again when you can guarantee that Fegrig will have moist eyes and even wet cheeks. No its not the annual big onion chopping contest or the poke each other in the eye tournament its something far more serious than that its the annual "relief" evening.

This year it's

Sports Relief

Tonight is the TV event but fund raising has gone on before and will do so after wards in order to raise money for UK and overseas causes. This year it's the stars of sport who predominate in giving their time or celebs participating in sports related activity in order to encourage you to donate.

Some of the items in the programme are inspiring, some thought provoking and more than some are funny bringing another type of tear to the eye.

I've been watching for about two hours now and the emotional threshold has been breached about three times and not necessarily at the obvious bits like the films of dying children. I suppose it's what you have been exposed to, rather than being some weird uncaring type.

So once again here at Castle Fegrig we shall empty the piggy banks and give our tuppence worth and hopefully you will be able to join us in giving. As usual whatever you can give is the most important thing.

£16,262,541 so far and rising!

One day the world....

Will be freely wifi'd and available but until then I must pick up wifi crumbs as I move around. After last weeks hols in New York I'm now on a work trip to Frankfurt. Presently strolling through Frankfurt and have come across the Apple Store. Once again as one who has my fair share of apple ware I don't feel bad about borrowing their wifi signal.

However I must go as I need to get back to work but I'm back to blogging after this little trip and wifi allowable should be back blogging daily once full wifi access is restored.

In the meantime I'm falling asleep typing this. I'll take that as a sign that the combination of the dregs of jet lag with the need to have an early start today are catching up and I need to put my feet up.

Do Apple make a sleeping station?
The iNap perhaps?

Come on weary bones, move!
-- Post From My iPhone,

New York 3

So I'm sitting here having my breakfast




With an excellent views from my upper corner table




And northwards




It's interesting what you hear just over there is a couple of men one older than the other. They are discussing wether the younger man should take his package and move on, or stay to seek promotion. " the company like those who stay, those who try".

My thought here is so why are they offering to get rid of him?

Just over there we have two men discussing a legal contract with a woman. It's relating to charities, money from big companies, churches and Eastern Europe. It sounds like a plot line of a Dan Brown holiday thriller.

Behind me we have a Mom who is in the city on business for the day who's Dad is looking after her daughter. She will not be back till late but if required I now know her daughters bed time routine in case I have to baby sit.

Now I don't want you to think that I am being nosey but none of these guys have a volume control. Perhaps they are so used to talking above the traffic?

Now here's an interesting group who it appears comprise of an older couple who are in fashion and are looking for connections in New York. At the other side of the table are a couple of younger woman who would not be out of place as extras in "Sex in the City"

All very interesting but have to go the day beckons!

-- Post From My iPhone

New York 2

One of the things I like to do on holiday is to participate in an organised running event. Toronto, Chicago, Berlin and now for a second time New York have all extracted my DNA on some sweaty running kit or other.

On Sunday up early travelling through fairly sleepy Gotham City streets to the subway feeling slightly isolated like some wayward drone trying to get back to the hive. The carriage carried a few people, workers going home from the night shift criss crossing with those starting their days labours.

Slowly as if following the same signal, similarly dressed travellers joined the train. At least we felt that we were on the right path to the race venue. More joined until the carriage was overwhelmingly decorated with runners of all shapes and sizes. Some dressed for the weather and some to my mind not

I'm not talking about wearing a skimpy shorts and vest combo when it's snowing ice but more wearing layers, hats, gloves, puffa jackets ( with and without sleeves). In fact the sort of things that you would wear say if you were running the North Pole marathon rather than a road race through the sunny streets of uptown Manhattan in Washington Heights on a lovely spring day.

It seems that New Yorkers are wary of disrobing the winter wear for their spring running wardrobe. Perhaps they have seen too many false springs to expose their flesh too early in the year. Unlike my compatriots who require no excuse to run in a simmet and shorts regardless of the climate. Pale blue skin and legs the colour of corned beef being national reactions and characteristics.

However some of the runners and the amount of clothing they wore did make me ill. The thought of running in these clothes brought me uncomfortably close to a hot flush.




The event though was very well run, the Coogans 5k an out and back course with a looped return that could be generously described as undulating! Along the course there was good local encouragment as well as regular musical support for that extra lift.

A Marriachi band in full garb playing in a bus shelter. A lone guitarist who had brought the amp for his guitar but forgot about his voice, perhaps he was a confused mime artist. The tributes were also out a Simon & Garfunkel duo. A lone axeman up on a rocky hill grinding away on the chords, was that "Stairway to Heaven"? I also discovered what happened to the Beatles! They've moved to New York look obviously older and heavier, have kept the mop tops and Paul McCartneys had a sex change as he us now a mature woman.

Now if my breathing allows I am grateful on the way around these courses thanking those who give encouragment. Heck, I even stopped to shake the two pipers hands who were playing at around the mile marker to show my appreciation. However the reality is that I generally don't go overboard wanting to save my breath in order to survive.

There was this local who initially impressed me with his gratitude as I heard his "thank you" before I saw him. His call of gratitude was to every race volunteer, marshall and musical performer. Now please don't think I'm being curmudgeonly, but it was painful to watch. Every platitude was accompanied by a pointing finger. I was concerned that if he stumbled some unfortunate volunteer would be blinded for life!

However he reached his pinnacle of dorkyness when he was passing the Afro American funky soul band. He did not point at them no, no he raised his left arm with a clenched fist held high!

Black power? From a White middle class, affluent male? Please! I decided enough was enough and put some distance between us. I feared how he would react to the gay and lesbian running group supporters with their cow bells and banner who had set up position just down the hill!

So on we sped



Passing more musical motivators


On, on, on we ran, the finish coming closer and closer.
Gasp, puff, blow, wheeze, lots more puffs.

It was tough only later did I realise how tough I had pushed myself. My heart rate watch later recounting that near the end my heart rate was beating at it's theoretical maximum!

I'm still deciding if that's a good thing ie you were working that hard and didn't die or what......................
I'll take it as a good thing as my heart still works, my knees stayed in one piece and my ankle didn't fall off.



At the end I waited on Al who on the stenghth of the MrC fitness regime.Oops just spilt my coffee there, difficult to drink with your tongue in your cheek. Completed the race without stopping.

I do believe that he owes his success to his fleece imbued long shorts. It's difficult to see but the Lycra shorts had become covered in the cotton fleece from his jogging bottoms. Helped him run like a downy bird being pursued by some bird of prey?



So that was my adventure until the next time.
Now that I have recovered Washington Heights citizens and all attached to the race
THANK YOU!

Oh shoot I've just poked the person at the next table in the eye!!!

Call 911!!!!




-- Post From My iPhone

New York 1 near the Cook Islands)

So here I am in New York the planning has come to fruition and I'm lying in my bunk bed. Al is on the bunk above in our "pod" as the room is described. We are not exactly like peas in the pod but bijou is I think the way estate agents describe such spaces.

We do have enough room to access our bags, move around (if a degree of planning is involved) and to swing a biggish cat so it's not that bad. The reality is that as in most space precious tourist hot spots room rates are high and related to square metres. If I sound unhappy I'm not it's clean, the bed is comfortable, good location and I'm in a bunk bed.

A set of bunk beds is something I'm sure I asked for as a child but like many impractical requests you make as a child it never came. Perhaps there was a fear that I would dramatise some fantasy of being a secret agent assailing the evil baddies lair. The lair atop the bunk bed mountain top. Of course agent three and a half would not have a ladder and would climb the frame in some difficult manner to accentuate the degree of difficulty in the mission. Climbing backwards, only using thumbs, feet first who knows as I never got the bunk bed.

Maybe my folks had safety fears that I would jump from the top with a towel as a parachute leading to either a fracture of my ankle or the neighbour belows ceiling plaster?

I still have the mental scars of me using my parents double bed as a landing area as I played some game that involved me throwing myself at the bed having been thrown by an "explosion". The evil baddies henchmen pursuing me no doubt. Rather than a spectacular fall, recovery and brush off the dust afterwards. I missed the bed knocked myself senseless and wandered through to my Mum and Dad in the living room standing before them blue lipped, pale and speechless.



My original idea whilst here was to try blogging daily but this is impractical the wifi signal is weak in the hotel and at the moment non existant. I have lost one daily post already from Saturday it's in the ether somewhere along with lost socks. I tried to work on Scottish time and then NY time but to no avail no signal. So we will call this Saturdays post from somewhere in the Western Pacific who are just about to tip into Sunday.

More later from NY.........
-- Post From My iPhone

Going fishing

I'm not really and anyway I don't have a photo of me fishing because I dont fish. I did think that I could take a picture of the fish fingers in the freezer but its not the same is it. I'm on holiday tomorrow I'm off to New York for few days with my friend Al who's presence has graced these pages before.

It's his first visit and my 4th or 5th but the last was just after the attack on the Twin Towers so it will be interesting to see what has changed in and around Manhatten and beyond.

Unlike the usual packing half way through the night I'm pretty much packed and should really be heading to bed as I'm up at around 0600 in order to get to the airport and do all the checking in , security and waiting thing. There are just a few more bits and pieces to be done and then off to bed.

The big challenge will be what to do with the blog? Ive been adding to it every day since November 1st but what to do on holiday? Write and hook into free wifi when you can to send the story to blogdom like some latter day correspondent. The blog from America perhaps. Or should I just put the gone fishing fish finger picture up with a see you in a week sign?

Maybe the shepherd will give me guidance as he is obviously delighted due to the red sky. Night.

Red Cross Parcel

Holiday time almost here, thinking about what to pack , where to go, what to do and of course the preparation of the "Red Cross Parcel".

The real Red Cross Parcels were collected and prepared by volunteers during WWII to send overseas to prisoners of war. They consisted of food and sundry items from home sent out to supplement the provisions given to the prisoners.

Thankfully such things are no longer required however family members still gather provisions from home to send to their loved ones overseas. When I was working in Saudi Arabia folk from home set me provisions unobtainable in the Kingdom of the Saud. Macaroon bars, tablet and other good Scottish fare.

The wish list from my sister, who is to be the recipient of this delivery is a fairly standard list now and usually runs to just three items these being kinder bueno bars (I can never find these), crunchy nut cornflakes and finally soft and gentle deodorant spray. They do have the last item in the shops in the U S A but it seemingly it is not the same.

I dutifully fulfilled by brotherly duties tonight and headed out to Tesco to stock up. Before I headed out though I downloaded a new iphone app, the Tesco finder app. This little piece of software sits on your phone. On it you can find your nearest Tesco store, clicking on the store in question you can then search for foods, compile a shopping list and the fabbiest bit the app will tell you the aisle and shelf where the product sits. There is even a wee picture to help you identify it. How exciting or sad is that? Take your pick.

In Tesco I bought the monster box of crunchy nut flakes (aisle 10, right side, 7 units along, on the bottom shelf) thinking that this would last longer and give a warm glow for more mornings than the smaller box, but only now I realise that the box is too big for my hand luggage.

I could I suppose disperse the contents in small sandwich bags and carry these in all the pockets that I am carrying and as I am partial to wearing Rohan clothing that is a lot of pockets. As I am going with Al he could also do the same, we could be a couple of crunchy nut corn flake mules?

Soft and gentle have a promotion on (I didn't need to product search for this as I found it without looking) a 2 for 1 type thing well a cheaper price promotion anyway. So I stocked up and along side the haul sitting in the trolley was the usual deodorant shop for those at home. When I placed all these deodorant, anti-perspirant products on the conveyor belt I could see the operator looking, at me and the products and was that a sniff? a wrinkling of her nose?

My sister assures me that these products are not all for her and that she passes them on to other ex-patriot colleagues. I'm not so sure, perhaps she runs a soft and gentle racket preying on women's dependence on the soft and gentle?

As yet I have not been stopped and questioned by the relevant agency on landing in the U S A, the questions relating to my baggage. However I wait on the day when one of the lids become disconnected and due to luggage pressure or even atmospheric, the contents of a tin are sprayed all over the inside of the bag. I'm sure that this would send the sniffer spaniels in a wee tizz, noses twitching excited by "cool silk" or "shower fresh".


-- Post From My iPhone

10..9..8..7..6

I am in pre holiday countdown mode. Head buzzing with all the things to be done in preparation for going away including of course work!

I like to have a clear in tray, to do list, desk, head - take your pick. With everything as up to date as possible. I'm getting there a couple of overlong work things completed in addition to the usual and I'm beginning to breath easier.

The appointment with exercise has gone by the way side this last few days but I still have walking the dogs in order that I get some fresh air and movement in my limbs.

I worked a long shift today but just wanted to say hello before taking the dogs for a walk before bedtime. I'll tell you about the trip over the next few days.



-- Post From My iPhone

The Vets

Here we are in the waiting room of the vets.


This is Misha who seems quite chirpy and unperturbed (unlike many human males of a similar age) by a visit to the "Doctors". He has scabby legs, a by product of some self inflicted injuries due to the sores that come and go. He has lick granuloma's a particularly persistent condition that he had long before we picked him for re homing from the dog home.

He seems to like going to the vets and enjoys investigating the plethora of odours and scents that live in the surgery. He allows the examination without protest and is quite an accommodating wee soul. l sat there keeping him to heel as we waited. If not then some of the food sitting on the shelves may have left with him, ingested as they would surely have been. Thankfully he did not leave his calling card as he has done in the past. He is quite territorial!

So I'm sitting there looking around (we are never taken on time) at the other animals and their humans and noticing how alike they are. You have to believe me as I'm not bold enough to have taken photographic evidence.

There was a man who had eye brows that looked as if a many antennaed creature was sitting across the top of his eyes. The hair on his head was also in need of a trim. He was rangy and skinny and by his feet he had his dog. The dog was also a hairy beast who I think had two eyes but like his humans his eye brows his were also rampant and creeper like. Perhaps both were in for a trim.

Along the same row of seats we had a wee skinny wifey with her wee skinny dog both looked in good need of a feed and I did wander who was the more dependent on the other?

Then there was me and Misha is he like me or am I like him? Perhaps the most obvious thing is the creeping advance of grey whiskers around our respective muzzles. Then there are the creaking and stiff joints. The quiet demeanour ready to burst forth with enthusiasm. Oh and a love of the outdoors. Maybe there is more to this than when I first had today's idea?

Thankfully though I have not acquired his preference for leaving a scent mark everywhere I go!








-- Post From My iPhone

Guppy or Gummy?

When you use "energy" eventually the tank becomes empty, it runs dry and the machine or whatever has used the energy stops.

Today I am that machine and I have been expending energy. Why else would I have been falling asleep on the sofa trying - but goodness knows why? to stay awake. I've not had a particularly laborious day, no long drives, no record breaking exercise session. No the answer must be that I have been expending energy of the nervous kind.

One of my tooths has been giving me some sensitive moments due to hot or cold food and drinks. At times I have felt like some advert where the person looks pained and raises a hand to their mouth as they wince. I went in the dentist chappy. He did some jiggery pokery with his needle and drill made a big hole removing the filling that occupied the space.

When I die perhaps I will leave my mouth to a dental museum as I am a product of 1970's dental practice. If it looked suspicious, it must be and therefore drill it and fill it. My mouth now looks like the stunt double for the Richard Kiel character of Jaws from the 1970's Roger Moore Bond movies.



So the filling had to come out and to be honest it was not a bad experience older and wiser that I am aided by more empathetic dental practice and practitioner. Or was I like the proverbial swan serene above the water but paddling like mad underneath?

When the filling was out a temporary dressing, filling type thing was put in its place. This was a bit of a wonder potion for the tooth having antibiotic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties. However there is a strong presence of cloves in this potion, one that has been omnipresent in my oral cavity all day. Quite reassuring to see old dental remedies are coming back.

Perhaps then it is the cloves that are making me sleepy? When you look further the magic cloves have been reported to be a dental remedy, kill bed bugs, be a herbicide, repel mosquitoes and in large enough quantities it's even a central nervous system suppressant.

There you go I am hyper sensitive to cloves and that is why I am sleepy or perhaps I'm actually a fish? It is used to euthanise them as well.