200000 steps

Been a bit obsessed with meeting the steps target my phone thinks I should meet. Been a bit of a couch potato this month so it's been a struggle. In fact I was left with about 70000 to go a couple of days ago, but, as luck should have it, I have been off work this week so a few long walks were undertaken.

The surge started in Edinburgh last Saturday where, after a long walk, we ended up at the Sheep Heid Inn in Duddingston for a decent meal. The Queen drops by on occasion apparently..

The steps target was then met by 2 coastal wanderings (Monday and today) to the far side of Dysart and back (with detour to spoons for some grub) and a long walk from Dalmeny rail station to Aberdour that I did yesterday, was tiring, but worth it in the end. Was rained on for about half the time, but was easy weather for walking.

This month has not been the most exciting, did a handful of walks to kirkcaldy, had the flu jab, had an issue with a rear car tyre that I needed to get replaced (oh, the lifestyle..), even cut my grass just the other day, unusual that I do that so lete in the year, but it needed it. Will probably have to call council to get ivy cut back a bit again as it's so thick half my grass has died off.

Wish I had more exciting development to report, but I dinne.

Plan a trip to Edinburgh tomorrow to visit the cinema, might squeeze in a couple of craft beer pubs beforehand.

Congrats to BP who achieved a sober October (it's been tough- for me) and even got her picture taken with William Shatner!  But seeing as this is about me, me, me, I won't publish..

Photos show a railway engine in Pittencrief park that I remember as a wee boy- this was taken during a work break. Also the squirrel, there are so many in this park! There is much talk of the new bridge across the Forth, but this is the original, taken yesterday. The other is Dysart harbour, taken today.

Post Clematic stress syndrome

Did the most steps in ages this month- the app on the phone told me that- about 250000, which is not bad.  Also went a couple of runs around Kinghorn, I have a wee circuit that i like, and that was good. Used to run along coast to ruin of Seafield tower and back, but I'm not as young as I used to be!

My oldest-and most loyal- pal Clemens came over this month for a 4 day visit, much liquid refreshment was taken, we walked to Kirkcaldy and back on first day, from Elie to Crail on the second, Kinghorn to the Hillend Tavern on the third and a wee pub crawl of Edinburgh on the last day- think we were in Guildford Arms, St Andrews on Potters Row, Jolly Judge, Bow Bar, Blue Blazer...you get the picture.

Was nice to have a few days off work as it has really been getting on my perfectly formed chest recently. Talking of work, I even spent Thursday night at the City Hotel as I was working til 10pm and starting early next day, was OK.

Worked back-shift last week as Lesley N was off, and it's my back shift week this coming week- though a late start does have it's advantages, and I can watch more of the Starsky and Hutch box set I am into now. Yes, another series from the past, a psychologist probably knows why...true, I am obsessed with the past.

Here are pictures of Kinghorn, BP and Clemens and St Monans on the day we marched from Elie to Crail.

Wedding witness

A month that started when I was ill is now coming to an end. Just back from the Bavarian beer fest in Kirkcaldy, a bit tipsy it's true.

Anyway, was in Germany for a week or so this month, the gorgeous couple decided to tie the knot, and it all went swimmingly. Too hot for sure, but then any temperature is too hot for me.

 I will post once I remember passwords etc, am in a tizz right now.

 Well.  This is a couple of days afterward, Tavis and I got a bit pissed at the German thing, story of my life really, he did go the extra mile on the hat though..

Congrats to Silvio and Franzi. I am a boring wedding guest, you learn by experience.

Flooded ill Juror

Just back from court after sitting on the jury for a week in Kirkcaldy, the courtroom stuff was fine, but the hours spent waiting in the jury room each day was a joke. The jury room simply isn't fit for purpose, virtually nothing to do, couldn't even get outside at all during the day. Still, I wasn't at work for quite a while, so every cloud as they say.

My jury stint was quite an ordeal for a number of days as I had a bad food poisoning (thanks Wetherspoons!) and I was terrified I was going to puke-or worse- while in court. The stomach cramps were especially painful, but the worst is over now -now though the gout is back in the big toe joint!! Have still some tablets from last flare up last month, so hopefully the pain will go soon, honestly I'm just falling apart. With all these health issues I've not even had a beer for over a week, so that proves I'm not quite myself.

Been a good month for weather, managed a walk to Aberdour and went a few times to Kirkcaldy along coast- will have to not order food at Wetherspoons from now on, they poisoned me 5 years ago and now again, pretty sure the breakfast wrap I had last Monday was to blame. I got myself a folding bike a few days ago too, though illness has prevented me trying it out, no rush I suppose, have a few days off in August.

Was in Edinburgh to see Mamma Mia 2 this month too, not really my kind of movie, but it was OK. Hope to go to a show or two at the Edinburgh festival, but won't make it this weekend as am working unfortunately.

One of the main things that will stick in my mind this month however is the flood caused by a faulty hot water hose pipe at the bathroom sink, this is similar to the disaster I had with the shower a few months back and the same workman was responsible as he fitted the sink and shower at same time. I called him and he blamed his supplier, obviously I got an emergency plumber , most of the damage was done to neighbour's below. She needs plastering and painting done, the guy who did my bathroom will pay, would have been worse had either party been out at the time.  Think I might need a proper plumber to give the place the once over before too long.

 The photos show the unused new bike, the beach here at mine on a typically sunny day in July and the other is the grave of my Great Grandfather, his son James (my great uncle) was killed in July 1918 and is listed on the gravestone. Nice and cheery, eh?  Oh well, always a bit depressing when July ends, but August might not be too bad, invited to a wedding for starters..

Out and a gout?

Apart from today-it's overcast here-it's been a brilliant month for weather. This is the only day I have off, am working the next 7 days unfortunately, might mean i'll miss a couple of world cup games, but such is life.

Was at the barber today, just noticed I was there on 2 June too, very rare for two visits in one month, especially these days..will need to get my remaining strands cut again for the wedding of the year in Berlin in August, but more of that another time.

Month started off with my car being serviced, had booked courtesy car, but they wouldn't give it to me as they required my national insurance number! I don't carry the number around with me so ended up having to get taxi to work, not the best start to the day, or month.

The following weekend I took Kath's dogs a walk from Inverkeithing to Kinghorn (well to Burntisland for them), they really are such well behaved doggies, have to to this more often if health allows..

I say this, as the last week of the month has been dominated by massive pain in my big toe joint, had to phone doctor, got an appointment with a nurse practitioner, who thought it was gout, was prescribed pills which make me woozy and a bit sick, though the pain in toe is seemingly much better now and even managed a walk along coast to meet Tavis in spoons today. He grudgingly bought a round of the cheapest beers..

Work is stressful, lots of people at end of tether, we'll see how this ends up, am not looking forward to the coming 7 days at all, though hopefully I'll have a few more days off from now on.

These photos were all taken recently, One on a sunny walk along the cost to see the seals, one on Kinghorn beach last Sunday, the other was taken the day of the Germany-Sweden game, the only game they won before going home in disgrace (also the only day the flags were out).

Endless sunny stressy month..

This month has lasted forever, is the month I only had 8 days off work, but managed the 200000 steps the fitness thing on my phone demands!

Month started off with me falling ill for a couple of weeks, thought it was just the usual bug, but lasted for a couple of weeks or more.

Felling under the weather one day as i was driving home I got a wee stone hitting windscreen, but luckily this was repairable as I'm already on my third windscreen with this car.

Managed at least 4 marches to Kirkcaldy this month, plus at least one gym visit I can remember. Also a visit to Edinburgh to buy expensive jeans- Levis- now i have 3 pairs of various colours.

Biggest walk was last Friday, the only day I've had off recently, when I walked on my own from Leven to Kinghorn. Was a good walk and the weather this month has been really good.

I have started to hate my workplace, very stressful, especially at weekends when a supervisor is on their own. One of them just got herself signed off for 2 weeks, beat me too it, because we just aren't paid enough to take the crap dumped on us, with very little reward.

Got a pair of scales so I can see my weight going up, seems it's very inconsistent though, how can it be so different every day? 77kg one day, 75.4 the next, back up to 77 again.. anyway, must get fitter! Pic are me in Edinburgh, twice on the long walk from Leven, and Dysart harbour.

Jersey

So that is April almost over and the sun is beating down, getting in my eyes as I write this, with the budgies making a hellish noise. This flat is a good place to live when the weather is good, perhaps not in the depths of winter however, and it was just a few short weeks ago when the snow was here!

Managed two trips to the gym this month and did a few walks along the coast to Kirkcaldy, just today I was along the coast and back to Kirkcaldy, stopping to panic buy some booze because tomorrow minimum pricing is introduced. Actually there was a great offer on smoky Black Grouse whisky, so I have 3 bottles in store, they will go up to at least £14 tomorrow and I get them for little over £10. Blame the crap SNP for this nanny state policy that really only targets the poor, the separatists really need to fuck off, the sooner the better.

Got back on Saturday from a wee trip, four nights, to Jersey. Had never been before, was good. Is a place I may well want to go to again. Did a couple of tours, one around the whole island, the other to the War Tunnels, built by occupying Nazi forces during the war. Also visited the military museum, festooned with swastikas, and had a nice walk from Corbiere to St Helier in the nice weather. The pubs were ok, though not brilliant, probably the best of the bunch were the Cock and Bottle and Lamplighter. The beer of choice was Liberation Ale, also liberation IPA was good.

Got a wee bit squiffy yesterday as I had today off, I managed to cut the grass and clean the living room windows while steaming however! Luckily the budgies didn't escape!

 Here are a few photos taken over the last few days in Jersey.

Chester, Liverpool and (finally) Wales

I'll let the photos tell the story this month,  was great to visit Chester, Llnandudno, Wrexham and Liverpool. 

Beast from the east

No, I did not forget to update this marvelous blog, I was stranded in Dunfermline with no access to internet for the most part, OK I did have access while at work, but I cannot remember the passwords etc. I do not want to use my work PC for private matters anyway, perhaps because I am sensible.

Anyway the month involved a couple of walks to Kirkcaldy along the coast, a long-awaited trip to Edinburgh, and, in last few days, lots of snow.

I was stranded at work from Wednesday until Friday, and only got home yesterday by walking the last few miles from the far side of Aberdour. Spent the two nights in the Wetherspoons hotel in Dunfermline, but unfortunately on the the first night the bar was closed as all the staff had gone home. Still, my other stranded colleagues and I found a few other pubs that were not yet closed..

Photos show Dunfermline High Street from an office window, the Dutch team in the pub, except Gino, who was thrown out of this one for being pissed. Gino is seen as found outside our hotel after leaving the pub.  The other photo, on a sunnier day, is of one of the bus shelters that have now been removed from the Kirkcaldy promendade, one was from 1930, the one in the photo from 1938, bit of a shame they are gone, but it improves the area no doubt.

Only got home yesterday after a colleague risked her car to drive me to the outskirts of Aberdour, I walked the coast home from there.

Deja vu

This old bugger just got even older, it's getting beyond a joke how old I am getting, I remember thinking 35 sounded old, now it sounds positively youthful.

Was still suffering a bit from the lurgy at start of month, still got a wee cough now, especially after lying down, but things are getting better. Obviously I have not been to gym or done a run due to my life-threatening condition, though a couple of walks were undertaken.  The longest would have been the Leven to Kinghorn walk with the unemployed Reddick, well, he managed it to the Harbour Bar anyway. Other walks were to Kirkcaldy and back, never get tired of the stretch, though longer stretches are planned, hopefully I will have one to report every month.

There was some snow this month, even had to get train to work one day, though we have been spared the worst of it. Mostly mild though, so no major motoring difficulties.

The major event was a trip to Germany- basically an almost exact repeat of the trip undertaken a month before- so that we could be at the birthday party of Clemens. Was a good trip, and no, I didn't get pissed. Some seriously good music was played by the musicians present, though Germans are quite standoffish at times. Anyway, was a good night, then, next day, wandered the streets of Stuttgart to find a decent pub, but had to make do with Biddy Earlys as the better one was closed on a Sunday.

Work is, well, work. Not quite as depressed about it as last month, but it's not a place I miss when I am not there. Here a few photos..one of a sleeping cat, one of Heidelberg main street, the other of Tavis drinking heavily with West Wemyss (this is a word I can never spell, just checked it) in the background.

Upgraded internet to faster speed, so far all good. Wonder what February will bring, March as soon as possible I hope.


  

Flu-ridden uninspired old shit

At the risk of sounding repetitive, that's another year gone in record time! Life is short, only young people don't understand it yet. Have been feeling quite ill since about Xmas day, have the flu, with lung infection and a bad back too. Though, am I one to grumble? You had better believe it.

I like December, the month started in usual fashion, then we went to Germany for a few days, as one does. Feeling uninspired as I write this as my temperature is quite high, was working today and yesterday as only supervisor, otherwise I would have called in sick. Just back from the Auld Hoose, still early evening, but I'm just not in the mood, no way am I staying there until midnight, also that fat layabout Rob was been especially dive-like today and I just cannot stand it.

Germany was good, though the visit was short, far too much Glühwein, beer and whisky was drunk, though I knew that would happen before I boarded the plane. Have vague memories of "Bomben auf England" being sung in central Heidelberg, and meeting a couple of nice people in Stuttgart the one night we were there.

No runs this month, am a real lazy shit, things will have to change, even the 170000 steps were below the 200000 target. Thanks to my sister Kath and John for helping with the moving of lots of stuff from one Kinghorn flat to another. Oh, and the ivy problem has been slightly addressed, I called the council about it touching the flat, they have now cut a lot of it back. No action in the last few days, I hope they come again in the new year to finish the job.

Have a good new year dear reader  :-)   Here a few photos taken this month...

Alan

Cracked lakelander

This month went very, very quickly it seemed, though if any month should go quick I'm glad it is this dark, ice cold one. Month started off well, went a run around Kinghorn, walked the coast to Kirkcaldy once or twice too, but that was about the size of it.

Noticed driving home near start of month that widescreen had a crack, so, yet again, I had to have it replaced, wasn't even that long since last time! Then a couple of days back another wee stone hit windscreen, there is just a wee damaged area though so will not get Autoglass out just yet. Typical.

Only major trip this month was to Ulverston, an almost traditional annual pilgrimage. Had intended to walk to Coniston, but it was so muddy that walking around Ulverston itself seemed a better idea, was nice to be back there, visited all our favourite pubs that we, by now, know so well. This time I didn't take car, went by train and all went fine- apart from the initial train to Haymarket to Kinghorn that Scotrail cancelled for no reason, meaning a mad dash in car to park and ride in Inverkeithing and a run along the road there to catch a connecting train, oh what a stress..

Work is quiet, I do not like being there at the moment. Job is becoming more and more centered around reports for this and that and, frankly, I wouldn't even mind if the French parent company did, what we all expect will happen sometime, and closed us down. Anyway, I'm not worried too much, tomorrow is December and Christmas is just around the corner.

A wee trip to Germany is planned in a week's time, should be good. Have quite a few days off in December, so an Xmas market or two are bound to be visited! Fay and Richard moved out of Kinghorn today after selling their large house, maybe we will see them at some point in the future.

Here are a couple of photos taken in Ulverston, one of the Hoad monument, one taken of part of the town from the aforementioned monument, and the other is taken in one of the pubs. My favourite ale down there is Lancaster Red, very nice indeed.

Pyramid loving beastie boy

Does not feel like Halloween, seems all the festivities ended last weekend, even the spooky walk which I normally go on, but missed, because all was too early.

Quiet at work, I have the same feeling I've had a couple of times in recent year, namely don't make long term plans, cause things might very well change. Still, if it happens, it happens, let's not worry about things.

Lazy lard arse had no gym visits this month, nor did he go running. Did do a couple of walks though, the usual along the coast, need to do better and cut down on the malt whisky writes he while savouring a peated gem from Glen Moray..

Highlight of the month was the trip over to the Cottbus region- not my last German trip of the year- for a get together of various people I don't know too well. Yeah, managed to get drunk on the whisky I bought and mentioned the war a couple of times, same old, same old. Also managed to go to Bad Muskau, then a short walk over into Poland where all sorts of Nazi stuff was for sale, managed to resist all the Steinar clothing and Hitler statues though. Got bitten to death by German midges though during my stay with Wilfried in the village of Haasow. Before I knew it we were back in the dreich Scottish paradise of Fife.

Clocks now gone back and it's getting dark as I write this, a quarter to five! I hate this time of year, the intelligent would head for Australia or similar. Photos show a couple of Fuehrer statues (there were also Hitler lighters, cigarette cases etc, SS badges etc), one of the impressive pyramids in the Branitzer park, the castle at Bad Muskau (about 200 metres from the open Polish border), and one of the many bites I suffered from the aforementioned wee beasties. Almost looks like a poppy to commemorate the war dead.

Bathroom bother

Well I have figured out now how to get photos from the new phone onto the PC at last, have to use two Google accounts, was a struggle to work out a simple thing.

Another month almost over and it has been quite eventful. Started month by walking over the new Queensferry Crossing , won a bit of a lottery to do so as the bridge has no pedestrian access, the bridge featured today too as today was the first time I drove over it! Certainly it is quite an impressive structure, should last for a few decades.

Was quite active this month, did a lot of walking, mostly to Kirkcaldy and back, but on Monday Tavis and I walked from Kincardine to North Queensferry (in the shadow of the aforementioned bridge), was a long stretch and there was a bit too much road walking for my liking, also the pubs weren't up to much, hardly a decent beer to be had.  Even managed 3 visits to the gym this month, mostly run on the treadmill to be honest, though I do use a couple of other machines.

Work has become quite quiet, been off this week and I sure don't miss it. My days off were fine-until Thursday. I had intended to go to Edinburgh on Thursday, but my neighbour downstairs was at my door just as I was about to leave. There was water cascading down through her light into her bathroom, and the kitchen and hallway too. I switched off the water for both flats then came to the conclusion that my new shower was to blame, the workman Donny had messed up. Called him, he was in Spain, will be speaking to him upon his return tomorrow evening, he should hopefully be here to repair it all on Monday, we will see. Am pissed off that it happened- emergency plumber showed me one of the connections at back of shower unit had come out. Would have been an even greater disaster had my neighbour not been at home, as there was no indication anything was wrong in my flat!! In a nutshell I have to use another flat for showering at the moment and my happiness at the expensive new bathroom has gone.

Will soon be putting my glad rags on, am invited to a wedding reception in Aberdour tonight, will go to the Auld Hoose here first because Annie and Gordon are due to visit the pub today, also I have to convince Davie Specs to come with me as our partners cannot make it.

Here are a few photos taken this month, one is of the part that failed at back of shower, the emergency plumber who stopped the leakage had to destroy one of the new tiles :-( , one is of me at the bridge walking event, another shows me in Limekilns last Monday with the new bridge away in the background. The other is of Linda Gallacher, my old Sykes colleague who emigrated to Australia in 2008, met up with her for a pint or two in Kirkcaldy.