Fit like and furry boots

Well,

I made it and what a funny week it was...starting off with being an hour late for picking up my (ex) missus from the airport prior to my temporarily moving into her flat for a week until I could move into my lodgings in Holburn Street...I was appalled at my time keeping but all was ok...I deserved I right kick in the ass (one for youws Americees!!) for that one I tell thee. Monday, Wednesday and Friday saw me at Duthie Park working on Treefest...4 zones of total child anarchy involving sparkly butterflies/bats/wooden squirrels, Nordic jousting (oh my lord)/giant jenga/willow coits, sawing wood (still traumatised)/skittles and finally designing your own woodland. 2 zones inside teepees which were put up and taken down on the same day...every day...jings...thats was difficult..Tuesday and Friday I ended up back at Duthie Park to help them take the site apart..couldn't walk past and leave them to do it on their own could I?

Meetings with NHS health co ordinater (parp) for health walks...met 2 councillors (PARPAROONEY!!!) and had to patter on about my role not really knowing what it was at that point!!!...pond dipped...clay modelled and cockahooped my way through junior rangers and family fun days..woohoo!!! Advised by Mr Wobley that I need to press the flesh with all councillors whose ward I am going to work in....roughly 20!!!

Met some other members of the team and agreed with other folk I have met...politics, pettiness, fear and immaturity all prevail....one of the reasons I was picked for the job was that I am pretty tough, in terms of surviving office jiggery pokery (thanks final salary administrations) which I will need to be here.

It is only now I realise this role is very important (the role not me!) in terms of what the project delivers...check "Woods In And Around Town" and the pivotal time my role comes in...it is a bit scary but I must keep the faith. My experience around Scotland...oh, how my family despaired as I sallied thither and yon in all weathers for little or no money...has put me in good stead for this but now I must raise my game and set the thing in motion...unleash the hounds!!!

So, in addition to my new job and new city...I managed to get me temporary lodgings with the (ex) missus...and, yes..for those who know me, I (or we) managed to mess it up as well. Now I know blogs can be used to vent your spleen and disrespect others but I am not going to do that. I have nothing but respect and love (platonic, of course) for this person and wish her all the best for the future..a lovely caring lassie with a totally unselfish nature, a cheeky glint in her eye..oh...and a very nice booty as well!! By the way..this is not meant to sway your opinion my dear...you know me...gotta say it like it is.

Bruised and befuddled...currently at dad's in Fife..I move into my lodgings tomorrow and things will start to get quite busy...a few more family fun days and then we are seriously getting into site visits..councillor schmoozing..health walk prep..map prep..oh..bugger....this is bigger than I thought!

Happy and enthused..ready to get to know Aberdeen..looking forward to life..pretty happy really...keep you posted.

SB

It's a funny old game

Well...it's been a funny old week...with each day the feeling of loss of having to move on AND the growing excitement/anticipation of starting a new life up in Aberdeen...and this is not an understatement all readers...for that is what it is...a proper life where you can actually plan things ahead of 6 months...woohoo!!!

What a week....obviously rain played a great part..with only one day where Mr Sun came out...and only for a short time as well. We had a triathlon on Saturday...yes, I know...I wasn't working but difficult to shake of the habit..as it were...it was great as a spectator but we all agreed not the thing for us as individuals...thing is...the guy that came first didn't look out of breath at all...we all agreed this was nonsense and cheered when someone arrived and they looked mildly peffed oot!!! What do you expect the runners to receive when they arrive...a medal?...some lucozade?...no..in true Scottish style..they handed out a bottle of Greenmantle Ale and a nutbar...to be fair...I was expecting a beer and scotch pie from the bakers!!! Greenmantle is a fine ale..dinnae get me wrong...but not at the end of a triathlon. By Jimminy that water looked cold..he he...madness!!!!

So, it's goodbye to the team...thought i would put in the pic above...taken on an "away day" team building day thing...we walked from North Berwick to Belhaven Bay..the final section of The John Muir Way to be opened. As you can see it is a wee bit chilly...in May...but, to be honest, the weather hasn't really improved. This pic includes both east and west teams of east lothian ranger service (Dunc's taking the pic)..those that I worked with are Mr Dodge (the boss man), Kathleen (see you oop north), The Freeman (Miss Muse), Leigh (what about the kids?), Mr "the brown container?" Aitken and, of course Mr Richard "leave it until tomorrow, he looks ok to me" English. In addition, John and Kate, "the disappeared" of Aberlady LNR. Of course there are the characters from the east east team who are jolly gid as well...thanks to Vicky for the assistance with the jump leads...NEVER LET THEM TOUCH WHEN LIVE AND NEAR YOUR FACE...that could have been the end of me!!!

THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HELP GUYS...it was due to this post..what it entailed and how i felt while doing it..that meant I went to Aberdeen and kicked some ass!!!!! Will be seeing you all at some point. Take care and don't work too hard.

So, what now? Just about ready to load the car and head to Fife (heater and suit to pick up) then Kirriemuir (chat with ma ma) and then Dyce airport to pick up me missus...who called me this morning at 3am having just come back from night oot in Kirkwall..bless. I must say I was fairly verbose considering I had been fast asleep...hussah...never min...it's been 7 days since I saw her and that will soon be sorted.

OK..take it easy.

Lost Dog Day

I had a dog for a short while...it had run away from the mother in law (seriously!) and after some deer...so I caught it in the car park and sat around for a while talking to it. The thing is...at the time we did not know where the owner was and there was every possibility the owner was lying on one of the paths...so...Dodge came down...walked around while I stayed put..the pooch was not for going down the valley again..then the lady turned up having gone all the way to Yellowcraigs and back again!!!! All's well that ends well...

Kinross was fabby..lovely hotel and BAR...Saturday spent walking around and then to the pool..kip on a lounger..sauna..steam room...jacuzzi..bar...another boozer in Kinross and lovely meal...so..check laterooms.com...then Windlestrae..cool..then I took the missus to The Hermitage on Sunday (nice and sunny) to show her where I spent many hours volunteering..they have fixed the folly...so...go see it..off the A9...although we found a canister from a cremation...some had been poured out...wee bit spooky but a nice place to end up..next to the waterfall..very nice. A lovely weekend spent with a lovely lady....I maybe said too much on how I feel..but..hey...it's me!!!...wouldn't be me if I didn't..right?

So..last week in east Lothian...enjoying the views and the relative calm...already booked up for all of next week and the one after..enjoying the rest as I do not think I will be able to once I get up there...or will I?...possibly so..he he! There is nothing to do now except let time pass and then move....looking forward to it.

Later

Here we go!!!

Hey..how about this one...we were going to call it "LLTNP..always moving the goalposts!" check who isn't smiling...me!!!! The goalposts are very heavy indeed...after being on the job since 8am..this was at the end of the event around 6pm....not happy...who are the other guilty parties? In front of me...smiler...Adam...what a nice guy...always smiling and always a good word to say about folks...the wee man on the other back post is Callum McSporran...my old boss...bless..and behind him on the front post...Skipper...luckily we are all in uniform as, before, we were in heeland get up....Gavin was greeted with the sight of Callum straddling me..with me on my back on the ground behind a bush...as Callum tried to tie a belt round my kilty thing...he never has recovered..this was in Breadalbane Park..in Killin..if you are ever passing...stop in and take a pic of the hill ranges in front of you. Of course..if it is raining you've nae chance.

Anyhoo..another successful two days away in Aberdeen...nice journey up..apart from being stranded in Dundee for a while...not a pleasant bus station I tell thee...although fairly modern...spent some time with me missus...very nice...met up with members of the team I will be working with and got to see some of the places I will be working in...PLUS...I found somewhere to stay..on the right side of town for me...bit basic and, I suspect, cold...although guaranteed otherwise...we shall see!!!...1 min from a nice looking boozer...20 mins from town and 10 mins from HQ..all looks good.....got the gossip as well...areas of potential jiggery pokery but I think I can manage it.

So...close to moving and getting sorted..all very exciting...today I was walking along the beach checking all was well on my manor...and I just thought...another place to leave...hhhmmmmm...but I know my future lies in Aberdeen..on a number of different levels..so..it's cool. Writing a report on my activities over the 3 1/2 months I have been at Gullane and East Lothian...you know...I have been working my socks off...it looks good...which is always a bonus...especially when thinking to the future...you never know!

And..I have found out through the lovely lady...there is a community radio in the area I am going to be working in as well..Wullie Pie is back on the air!!...hussah!!!!!..although I think the technology they will have will be a wee bit more up to date than Heartland FM...what if they don't use cd's...swine!!!

Because of the domestic situation here in Haddington the missus and me are off to a loverly hotel in Kinross....check out lateroom.com...which looks cool...gonna be chilling out in the pool..sauna...steam room and side of pool...now I have 5 bloomin' reports to read I can catch up...so..will be away over the weekend and then the last week afore I finish...fun and games...hope you are all well.

SB

Oh no...the sun is shining!!!!

Bloody Dodge...kiss of death...he said yesterday..oh...Sunday is supposed to be rubish so it won't be busy...swine....the sun is high in a clear blue sky...Gullane is going to be hoaching....aaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Afore I forget...Godmother of mine....I seem to have deleted your text/new moby number...can you text me again..please!!

Well...things are moving apace now...bit scary really...all paperwork came in for Aberdeen post on Friday am so had to fix a end/start date between Aberdeen and East Lothian...so..finish on the 20th here and start up there on the 23rd...with the weekend to move my stuff. So..now I need to find somewhere to stay...looking at a room tomorrow am...yep...that's right...I am megabussing it to the granite city tonight....all the boxes to tick...see the missus..see the room...meet some more key players in WIAT..meet the missus' team and see what they do..oh...and have a relaxing time as well...woohoo!!!!

On top of the logistics of moving to Hayberdine I now have to figure out what to do with the Edinburgh flat. At long last (but at the worst possible time) my Polish tenants have found a flat they can buy...good for them...very bad for me...means I now have to find the money to put in a new bathroom...carpet in the living room and livingroom suite...to do this means I have to blooming do some of the work myself...so I have to get down there..having moved up there...while trying to sort myself out in the new job....you never know...I might have an extra pair of hands to help me....he he!

Anyhoo....one of these days it will quieten down for me but, as usual, it all seems to be happening at once. Good news...Mr Perth tenant has paid his rent on time so whatever the lass at the letting agent said must have done the trick..well done and thank you.

Right...well...that's me off for a few days..back with a tan and...no doubt...lots more paperwork

SB

Back Again

Hey...thought I would pop this one in...not bad is it...North Berwick Law..taken on a team "away day" from North Berwick to just outside Dunbar...a good day by all accounts. I remember when I went on a caravanning holiday all those years back with my lass of the time...a lady we worked with took her caravan to Tantallon park and let us stay for free for a week...awful nice she was..smoked like a chimney..husband smoked capstan navy cut...ooyah..hope they are both ok..lovely weather and lovely times....but...hey...I am wittering on about the past...so..what's been happening?..well another lovely trip to Aberdeen..via Perth and Strathyre..furniture moved from Strathyre..banter with chef Nixon..nice one...gifted them my expensive coffee table for their bistro to Perth (thanks Jimbo)..banter with Jimbo and the very randy Rannoch who took a distinct shine to me!!!!..megabus from Perth to Aberdeen..lovely evening in Aberdeen (thanks Foubmeister..lovely enchiladas!!!) and a productive Tuesday meeting with one of my bosses and picking up various reports for my perusal...trip back was a bit naff....drove from Perth...kipped outside Kelty but had to buy chocs from service station Forth Road Bridge as still tired...got home to hear tenants moving out of Edinburgh...ooyah..refurbishment is now and not later then...swine!!!...financial jiggery pokery ensues and back to work today...mud and strimming!! Blimey..things are a wee bit tiring....supposed to be going to Aberdeen next week but we shall see...need to get to Edinburgh flat and see what is happening there but I do so want to go cause I miss my lady..yeah...bit mushy..but it is true.

She got a cam which makes it easier cause I can't deal with not seeing her..is this the right thing to be saying on a blog?..hell..whatever...I mean..just to chat..nowt mucky like...it's all a bit strange to be honest..but I like the way things are going and think it will be Ayriee. Better not say too much or I will get myself into trouble...anyway..it is good and we are happy..although..I think fair to say...wondering how it all happened and why we are both comfortable with each other to such an extent...right...shaddup!!

For those interested..the first good days weather in a long time and I was out on butterfly patrol..lots of activity..muchos Ringlets..I mean it...and.....drum roll...a common blue...woohoo!!!!..a very bedraggled painted lady..on her last legs methinks..meadow brown and big muckle red admirals as well..hussah!!! Was a wee bit worried as you could see the torrential downpour hitting Fife..was it going to hit the lothian east coast??...I was obviously not alone as everyone on the beach piled out with fear...ha ha..it was fine and hit us only at 5pm...home time....woohoo!!!...good to see a bit more activity now it has stopped raining...blimey...it gets ye down I tell ye...raining for days on end.

Strimming tomorrow at Gullane...assuming I do not break the remaining strimmers..chat with Rodger on Friday..exit interview and all that..then the weekend with Haddington Show and Friday slow down...phew...then..for my days off..we shall see.

Later..hope all is well with you all.

SB