I finally went shopping for a new computer, or rather for a new base unit. It was great to order up just what I want, and get a brilliant setup (I hope) for less than I would have paid for a whole new system. Plus the firm I'm buying it for will install the internal bits I'm keeping -- modem and scsi card -- for free. I have to take them in tomorrow ... which means I kind of have to take them out tonight, ahem. Then I have the weekend to quickly back up the last few bits and pieces ... just email and photos and stuff ... before the new unit arrives. A 40Gb hard drive! I remember when 40Mb seemed amazing. Now you'd only think that was whizzy if it was in an MP3 player or something. I'll have 256Mb of memory and a 1Gb chip, so I'll be cooking with gas!!

It's a drastic solution to a crashing computer, but what the hell. I'll be able to update the website without rebooting three times.

I had a great couple of days off, lots of walking and eating. I did another BBQ while Andrew was here -- chicken marinated in soya sauce, olive oil and garlic. It is soooooo delicious and dead easy. And of course it smells fantastic while it's cooking.

On Monday we went for a walk around the loch at Linlithgow -- it's only little so it's not a major trek -- and on our way round met a man who used to race greyhounds at "flapping tracks" -- unofficial dog racing. We had a long and fascinating conversation. He was full of praise for Bertie, said he's the right weight, "fighting weight, like a boxer", has lovely feet, nice legs, a good head and a "long cast" -- his back. Best of all, he said, he looks happy and fit.

He said he kept all his dogs after they finished racing but didn't have any now -- he has a terrier. He said there's a bit of bad practice on the tracks, doping and that.

"I didn't do that ... well, I did experiment with it once..."
"Oh, it's all coming out now, Tam," his wife murmured.
"But that dog never ran again."
"What a shame," I said.
"Shame on me, for doing that. I learned a lesson, but it was the dog paid the price."

He gave dietary advice, which I'm pretty much ignoring. No way am I going to "bile up a pot o cabbage" for Bertie. He also recommended a breakfast of Weetabix and milk, with a raw egg broken into it. Hmm, maybe. I'm wary of upsetting Bertie's digestion, though -- using the poop scoop is bad enough on a good day.