The last post was back in June, in some ways it does not seem that long ago, but in others it seems to have been ages.
I must admit I spent a lot of July worrying and mildly panicing about the up and coming first anniversary of Tony’s death. I thought I was unprepared for what I was going to feel and how I was going to react. It was a very strange time and essentially has made me realise how much I cannot remember from July and August last year.
Towards the last minute I made plans to try and be away from home as much as possible; away to the Cairngorms in a friends croft. I find the hills and open spaces far more relaxing that the city and my friend and his mum were very understanding (as they were last year). Then after that I was away for Spain and France to spend a week with Scott as he had finished work and was ‘holidaying’ for a month before coming home. That trip was truly relaxing, I hired a car and we drove around the north of Spain, through Andorra and into France. Stayed a monestry, climbed a peak in the Pyrennes and explored a castle in the dark. It was a such a difference from last year that I still have vivid memories of the holiday even now.
I have now also got Fes back :oD The work was pricey but he is a new car now and has returned my joy of driving around in a small odd wee car. It is not an understatement to say that the Mini thing and the trips and runs with the Mini Clan are reasonable part of my life. I have met some great friends through it and have been on some spectaular holidays and trips. At the end of August I was up in the Black Isle supporting Minis in Inverness’ charity run. Another really good weekend taking me to places in Scotland that I have never been to and I want to go back and explore more. Some more flickr photos.
Work has been good, in fact it has been damn good. I have a couple of really interesting items on my desk at the moment and I am really enjoying the challenge. It once again reminds me that I am very luck about working life, I enjoy (to a high degree) the work and I do and the place that I work. Granted there are always small things that I would change (and the odd big one as well), but I get the opportunity to say my bit and I know that, in some if not all, it is taken on board and valued as a contribution. There has been a bit of sadness as one of my good collegues and mates has left to go on to better things, but it has left me with the opportunity to get some staff now and learn what it is like to be a people manager as well a the manager of a subject. Time will tell how that will go, but I think it will go well. (Maybe you can tell I am in an optimistic mood about life at the moment!).
There are more detailed things some of which are mentioned above and some are not, but I am going to fill in more blanks over the coming nights.
steampunkpharaoh 