:: more catching up

I really am on a mad treadmill, organising this, that and the next thing. Today's ticks on the to-do list were: order a muzzle for Bertie, make a hair appointment and talk to returning officers about the constituency list results for the Scottish parliamentary elections.

Bertie's getting a muzzle because he's going to stay on the farm and the farm is home to approximately 12 cats, and some of them are geriatric.

Tomorrow's my day off and I've got appointments with the doctor and the dentist, what fun. These very odd "dents" have appeared on my legs and I'm getting them checked out; and I have intermittent toothache.

Next week is going to be wildly busy: I have Monday off, then I'm working right through to Saturday. I usually always have Saturdays off, but we'll be helping with the changeover to the new computer software. The election is on Thursday and I'll be working hard doing the results that day and Friday. Sunday Andrew comes down, Sunday night he drives me to the airport. I stay with David and Donna and hang out with them on Monday, which is a bank holiday. Then on Tuesday morning I go to Westminster to train our political staff (yes! on my holiday!); then over to Victoria to train the London reporter, then back to Westminster for the final reporter.

Wednesday morning I fly to Greece. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to a break!

The return journey is all worked out too: I arrive back at Gatwick on the 7th and get an easyJet flight straight away to Edinburgh. The next day I go to Inverness on the return half of Andrew's train ticket. Then on Friday or Saturday I drive back down in my car -- which Andrew will have driven up in. The whole arrangement is so finely tuned it's frightening.

I bought a pair of shorts on Saturday, least said about that the better. I hate buying clothes, it's traumatic. I tried on several skirts but ... I'm not really into skirts, and the ones that fit just look awful. Also, they all seem to be that fashionably pre-grubbied denim or heavy twill -- I'd want something a bit more floaty & floral to avoid looking like a diesel dyke. I can get by on what I've got in my wardrobe, but I do need a hat and some sandals. I shouldn't really wear sandals, because I can't wear my special insoles with them. But I'm hoping it'll be so wonderfully hot in Greece that I'll need sandals. And shorts.