Birthday reports

Feet up , ankle wrapped in an ice pack - glass of Chateauneud Du Pape to wash down a nice steak - what more can a 22 year !!!!!! old wish for.

Thursday, took RGB and Go Jo to the airport where they discovered that the travel company had not booked their flights south and then west for their holiday - big trouble, but RGB ended up buying new tickets to London and in the meantime the travel company managed to get seats for them on their next flight - lots of confusion caused by the British Airways recent strikes, and with their holiday being rescued by United Airlines, looks like BA have lost future clients.

Spent the day on the doorstep, managed even more paperwork and getting books up to date as I was still not feeling 100%.

Sparky Mark arrived and attempted to dry out my web book which had been drowned by RGB on Tuesday and was still not working - but being an enthusiastic chap, he ended up melting several keys with the hairdryer !!

This morning, despite the aging process accelerating I headed to weekly meeting of the BII at Hermiston Gait as a stand in for RGB, quite a lively meeting with all these entrepreneurs in one room.

From there it was on to B & Q to buy a new toolbox and storage boxes for the garage which has undergone a dramatic late Spring Clean, and then PC World where my big lap top was returned to the original factory settings,having been seriously affected by a virus - lost a lot of data, but hopefully I have most of my photos, etc saved on an external hard drive- a lesson learned.

As for the Web Book, now deceased, goosed, out the box, and not worth a toss - so I had to invest in a new one - good job it is my birthday, that's my present.

By the time I reached the Mercat Bar things were hotting up, and continued to do so with a full house, top and bottom for two hours plus, and on top of that the kitchen had to prepare a hot buffet which I delivered to a client in Haymarket Tce., something different.
The staff were very kind, wishing me well, looking for a zimmer and memory tablets, etc, and in the kitchen Claire, Jamie and Chris prepared a wee surprise, a steak with a candle followed by a chiabatta and candle.

In the big bad world, Andy Murray managed to lose at the tennis at Queens Club so will need to get in some practice before Wimbledon starts on the 21st. The World Cup football is now underway in South Africa, very colourful, and lets hope that the event is a great success with no trouble.
What about the lady from Aberdeen who has spent £4000 to rescue a stay dog she found in Mauritius, had quarantined and is now living with the "loonies" and "quinnies" in Aberdeen, something different !!
Nice to receive a few birthday greetings on Facebook - BUT,
Tomorrow is another day, back to The Mercat Bar for the weekend.

Needing a bit of a rant.

Totally out of sorts at the moment, today ( Wed) being a day off for me with the chance to catch up on the wee jobs, etc, but I decided to take my weekly Calcium tablet - prescribed to help prevent osteoporosis, and as usual ended up felling bloody terrible, and a bit worse than I usually am so ended up back in bed for three hours. It is a bad job when something that is to make you feel better makes you feel worse !! Having said that , the beloved Cruella had another pain inflicting session with me yesterday , and yes, I am feeling better.

Why do we always complain about the weather ?- because there is nothing about it to celebrate for - we have two days of sun - SUMMER , over and gone, then back to grey skies, drizzle between the pouring rain, and temperatures which will suit the new baby pen quines at Edinburgh Zoo down to the ground.
Our road men need divers suits and pumps to get on with digging the holes in the roads, and the potholes are now even more of a hazard when you cannot see how deep they are.

For the past couple of months we have been protecting the bedding plants from frost with covers or bringing them in at night , now I have tottie wee umbrellas to cover them from the rain - even the slugs have water wings on as they attack their new found fodder, but a healthy scattering of slug pellets put paid to their greed !!

I see that the bookies could be paying out on the Tramworks fiasco, we now have SNP councillors who want a public referendum as to whether the project should continue or be stopped !! If the public stop it does that exonerate the Councillors and planners who wanted the job doing in the first place ? - there should be a set of gallows set up in the High Street or down by "The Last Drop" in the Grassmarket (where the last public hanging took place) for those involved in this horrendous waste of public money. P.M. David Cameron is setting out to cut public waste in the Government Departments - BUT - look at the immense amounts that have been wasted over the years and for which no one has been held accountable, looks like public servants and M P 's are above the law.
The "Demo Tram" in Prices Street could be set in cement and used as our new "Folley" and the trams that have been paid for stored in the new depot at Gogar and in a few years it ight be turned into a transport museum. Mabye not - word is that we need an alternative to fossil fuels as they will be scarce by 2015, so they will be rolled out again - even airships are bing suggested as a means of transporting heavy loads once more.

Did my shift in the Mercat bar yesterday , and despite the rain ( aka "Scottish Sun" , drizzel) and overcast skies the taxi drivers did us proud once again by taking the local handicapped children out for their annual run, through the City, Musselburgh and down to Yellowcraigs Beach at Dunbar for the picnic. The children were wonderful, firing water cannon at the pedestrians and throwing water balloons from the open top bus, and taxis - seems that despite everything they had a marvelous day - well done cabbies - makes a change from me moaning about you. ( will add photos later).

One consolation , Jodi at Leme, returned my good shoes, soled and heeled - looking super and only took a couple of days- bit of a problem now that we have no cobbler in Penicui, although when we did it took ages, famous comment from the late Mr McGavin, was "be ready in two days" and that could be after three, six months, etc. Going to get my good boots done next.

Sort of peed off with technical problems , No 1 son accidentally poured water over my Net Book, so it has gone haywire and looks as though its innards are cooked ; my good lap top was infected by a virus ( compliments of the same person); so it has its moments , but none of my original memory , photos, etc left, and the steed of steel still remains in its garage stable as my mechanic has failed to come to the rescue as promised -
Perhaps I need to chill out like Sparky Mark and take a holiday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sunhine and mega mega showers

Having sat up and watched the dawn breaking while listening to the STV show, Nightshift, I headed out into the garden at 6.30 a.m. Not there long before I heard the roaring of burners and there in the playing field opposite were two balloons being prepared for an early morning flight. Took myself over with my cuppa in a mug and watched the preparations and eventual take off. the big balloon was three times the size of the small one, but when they took off the small one seemed to catch the wind first and then headed off while the big one seemed to hang about in the sky for some time before it eventually caught a current.

As the day warmed up I remained at home in the garden while Mrs. B. headed off to meet Go Jo and friends to see "Sex in The City 2"

I worked away, but the sun never really broke through as there was always some degree of cloud cover, and by 6 p.m. I had had enough and headed in leaving my neighbours seated around their respective BBQ's. BUT ten minutes later the heavens opened as we were drenched by a tremendous thunderstorm. I have seriously never seen so much water falling here before, and the road outside turned into a running river while the entire back garden disappeared under water - you can guarantee 100% that there would have been bad flooding in John Street with all the water steaming down onto the level - terrible. However, every cloud has a silver lining, I do not have to water in the new bedding plants tonight and can watch the final of Britain's got Talent, in peace, especially as there is no one else in !!

BUT it is an early rise to open up the Mercat Bar for breakfast, and at 2 p.m. I am being allowed to go to the Jazz luncheon, which should be fun and is already a full house.

Dawn Chorus and STV exposure

Well, what's new, back to my old sleepless ways again, wide awake at 12.45 a.m., just no way I was going back to sleep - into my usual "rocker" in the conservatory. BUT I had the TV on watching/ listening to "The night Shift, on STV with Cameron McKenna and Michelle Mcmanus. They were asking for folks to E mail them, so I did, and they actually read out the following - which was composed based on some of the comments being discussed. - fair tickled pink.

"Good Morning Cameron / Michelle, first time I have actually sat and watched the TV at this time of the day, I am having one of my sleepless nights but normally do not have the TV on , just the computer, so it makes a change. no dancing or pub for me last night, not even a glass of wine which is my usual tipple,, trying hard to be good but as we are going to The Mercat bar , Haymarket, on Sunday for a "jazz luncheon" I think that restraint will perhaps go out the window., whoopee. The wine tasting item was good, we have similar nights at the bar once a month sampling wines from different countries / regions of the world. Being in the studio you are missing a highly vocal dawn chorus, but with Michelle and the young lassie who sang with Snow patrol, you have your own personal chorus. Just heard that you have been out in the car park to hear the dawn chorus. do you think that the injured English Captain will be sent home or will he get a free holiday at the F.A.'s expense ? I have not heard the "old yin" singing but my wife thinks she is remarkable - so being the type of competition it is she could get the public vote, and with the dancing dog also in the final - it is any ones guess what will happen. Enough, you two enjoy the rest of your "shift". regards.

Had a nice E mail from the hotel we are staying at in August on our "Ruby" wedding anniversary, not sure if we will be dining in or out that night.

Have also heard from Tilak and Srimathy ( The Eden resort and Spa, Sri Lanka) who
have arrived in London on holiday so hopefully I will be able to make contact with them and they might even be able to make it to Edinburgh - once they discover that it is not in Ireland.

Pubs Bars and Hotels - all in one day

Thursday, lovely morning, had time for a quick swim and then a session with the beloved Cruella in an attempt to get myself walking upright again

Was bad, but not as bad as it has been.

Into town on McEwan' bus to meet Mrs. B. and head off to the new Wetherspoon's pub in George Street, The Alexander Graham Bell, named after the inventor of the telephone who lived nearby.

The bar is very nice, not as large as I thought it would be, the staff were on their final day's training before the opening today. I ended up with a lovely ribeye steak washed down with a Merlot.

The staff did well, were very smart, welcoming, and we wish them well. We will no doubt be in to see them on our travels.

Headed for The Mercat Bar and then to Morrison Street to collect the car , but outside Fraser's Store I assisted a blind lady who was totally disorientated due to the road works associated with the tram works. It must be a nightmare for the blind and visually impaired who have to cope with an ever changing "landscape" in the town, even scaffolding and street furniture are serious hazards.

Made it home with an hour or so to get changed before heading to the Old Original Hotel at Roslin for the Annual Gentleman's Dinner organised by the SESLTA (South East Of Scotland Licensed Trade Association). Really good turnout this year with one hundred and twelve people present, two guest speakers, complimentary drinks, Black Grouse whiskey, and Brugel Dark Rum. Unfortunately, being out of sorts I left early and headed home so I missed the speakers, raffle , etc - but I have heard that the night was enjoyed by all.

And today - with the sun shining from early morning, and on a day off, no question - out into the garden to get it sorted. hard to believe that we had a touch of frost a few days ago and several plants were lost - and with mid summer day only three weeks away, we are surly going to have some kind of summer

Horses, Buses and Scooters

Heading around the town during the week there was the Duke of Wellington on his horse, eyeing up the Balmoral Hotel, perhaps for a "wee Pint" in view of the warm weather we are having for a change. Princes Street must have been a wonderful place in the day of the horse and carriage, followed by the early buses and trams.

Now we have more than enough buses, in fact there is barely room for cars at times so when the new trams MAYBE arrive - it will be a bit of a squeeze, especially when the trams are doing away with only the 22 Bus and perhaps the Airport Express No 100

But the intrepid scooter is making a serious revival, our man with his mirrors was accompanied by a large posse, but I am still a bit wary about all these wing mirrors, must cause a lot of drag.

Back on line again - Junior bikers to the fore

Few comments as to the fact there had been no blog for a few days - just a bit "peed off" and not in a literary mood - anyway back again, not swallowed up by the continuing shaking of the world, earthquakes do not take time off.

I see B P are now struggling a bit, no sign of a resolution to stop the leaking oil pipe and as more oil floods out causing ecological devastation in the Gulf Sates the Company shares are tumbling - I do not blame the President for not being amused.

Monday past, we ended up with Amy, Arron, Mum and Aunty Jo up for a we BBQ instead of a picnic, however Juniors took a fancy to the motorbike, but once kitted out with their helmets they took fright when the engine was running - BUT they did enjoy their visit and were sound asleep within minutes of leaving here for home.