A ramble to catch up

Still standing and inone piece.  So much for taking time out to relax and recover - just not enough hours in the day, irrespective of what anyone says-  or maybe that is just something I need to come to terms with !!

Arrived back from Ireland nice and relaxed until I got within a mile of the house !! - back to square one again.

Saturday we had  wonderful weather so I managed my annual top up of suntan before the weather broke, pulled multitudes of weeds and ended up withs sunburn and a sore back - no doubt like many others taking advantage of such a nice day.

Sunday, up with the larks and off on the stted of steel,  met Mr McInally at Hermiston Gaitand headed for Glasgow where we wended up in the shopping mall at Robroyston withabout sixty other motorcyclistsall gatherered to head for a charity run up to Ballock to Robin's House, a home for seriously handicapped young people.   The run was organised by the Blue Angels , who had called in several other motorcycle groups like ourselves in the IPA Motorcycle Touring Group.   Escorted by two members of Police Scotland's motor cycle section we headed off along the M8 and through Glasgow to Dumbarton, where we met up with a further forty plus bikes and eventually made it to Robin's House.   Quite a gathering of bikes, all sorts, ages, and an assortment of riders, even met a few former colleagues there.

Our own group left and took a somewhat twisty route through hills and glens and eventually ended up in a viewpoint overlooking the Forth Clyde Canal above Kilsyth - a spectacular view - where  we split up and young Tom and I headed home past the Kelpies at Falkirk, Linlithgow Palace and Edinburgh Airport.

Quick change and down to the Mercat Grill, where we were meeting friends,including Greg Karabin and some of his rugby team from Westchester, PA, who had been over for a week playing local teams, visiting Murrayfield and also watching Glasgow Hawks in action.  Lovely to see Greg again after several years as he had looked after us in the USA and had been here with a younger team previously.

Back into harness again, down at the Grill, busy weekend and also Easter Monday, not that we were complaining,  once again new faces through the door,  just a pity that some of our younger staff have the odd lapse which kind of lets the side down,  rather disappointing after all the effort that the others put into looking after our customers.

Ended up in Edinburgh,  Haymarket still a nightmare with the trams and traffic, and on our way in we see that Midlothian Council are remarking the A703 into Penicuik,  nice wide cycle lanes ( for cyclists who pay no road tax) and even narrower roads for cars, etc.

The new developments are progressing at Straiton Park,  but it looks as though there  will soon not be enough parking space for customers !!   so much for progress.

Not sure what to make of the David Moyes debacle at Man U.,  did Alex Ferguson set him up for a payout ?  knowing that the team that he had left were past their best !1  Keep saying it,  but these prima donna footballers should be on performance related pay - and only get paid when they win - that would sort a few out .