Respite

Today I have a 'nothing to do day'... well apart from tidying and housework and all the things that haven't got done this week!

Wednesday saw me in Glasgow for my Commonwealth Games interview.

After an argument with my iPhone, which insisted on getting me to the venue in the most roundabout way possible so that I lost my way completely, I eventually made it there with minutes to spare and got immediately shoved in front of a computer for the obligatory awful photo.

There were quite a lot of us who were being interviewed for Press Operations and the people in charge were trying, in a very 'jolly hockey-sticks' way, to make us feel this would be the very best job of the whole Games. We watched an inspiring little film about volunteering at the Games, then we had a not very inspiring talk about Press Ops to persuade us how wonderful it would be and finally to the interview itself.

I was interviewed by a rather elderly lady who was rather keen on spending much of my 20 minute interview telling me about herself and encouraging me to gift her a few of the sayings I like (she apparently collects sayings in a book)... I obliged of course.

There was one awkward moment when she was blathering on about collecting things and shoved a list of things that I didn't realise said 'we don't want'... one of them being pin badge collectors... and I was telling her about my collection when I realised exactly what it said and swallowed my words. I don't think she heard me, but now I'm wondering if they taped the whole thing!

She also told me I would be put down as a team leader in spite of my protestations. I won't find out whether I've got the gig until October, which will probably be just enough time for me to forget the experience.

Thursday and Friday saw me in Troon. I had a final 2 days of teaching there, back in The Marine Hotel. This time I took my swimsuit and, after the first day's teaching, I headed down to the pool for a relaxing swim and jacuzzi, but was met by what felt like hundreds of screaming kids having swimming lessons. I lasted about 10 minutes and left for the peace and quiet of my room.

The weather was ok and there were some lovely skyscapes to admire, especially along the beach. I'd been given a room with a view over the Firth of Clyde, which was rather nice.

The view along the beach to the town

An evening skyscape from my bedroom window

Although today feels like respite from the rush of the week I actually have to pack my bag ready for a 24 hour stint to London tomorrow.

After that things really do calm down as I have a relaxing week coming up which will be filled with poetry, my weather course and my friend Su, who's over from Australia for a few months and is coming to stay for 5 days. We've been friends since our art school days in 1970 and then went off to the States together and got up to things that are best not written about in blogs.

We will be left to our own devices as Mountain Man is off cycling to Paris so it's probably just as well that I live in a small village and there's not that much to get up to here!