Catching up

Can't believe it's been over a week since I last wrote on here and I'm sure you must be dying to know how London went. No? Oh well, I'll tell you anyway.

It wasn't the best of starts as my mother, who'd only just got back from New York, was in a bit of a state as she couldn't find her cheque book and cards. Luckily she found them the next day in a drawer, safe and sound, which lead to a bit of an emotional moment as her jet lag and the relief caught up with her. After that drama she put aside her emotions and, stoic that she is when a party is in the offing, pulled herself together.

I spent my morning at the Apple Store in Regent Street trying to see what the problem with my iPhone was. The battery had started to run down really quickly. It took them almost an hour to tell me the battery wasn't long for this world and I could either have a new battery installed or buy a new phone. I have to admit that I would have bought a new phone, but they're all bigger than my 4S and wouldn't fit in my purse thing, so decided I'd have to forgo my penchant for new gadgets and opt for a new battery. It was going to take too long to wait for them to do and I knew I'd be drinking at lunch and might not make it back to the shop before it closed, so decided I'd get it fixed in Edinburgh. So then it was time for the Xmas lunch.

The actual lunch was lovely with lots of laughs and was good fun. People started to leave around 3 (we started at 12), but Xanthe, who works in the office, and I put our best Xmas feet forward and were the last to leave just before 7.

I got in a cab to go back to my mother's, but the traffic was so awful we only got about 500 yards and the fare was racking up, so I paid up and left to walk back. It was at this point I realised just how much I'd had to drink and also how much I needed a pee. I managed to weave my way through London's streets going in slightly the wrong direction, but this did mean that I found myself at the Ritz in Piccadilly, so popped in there to use their loo. I sat there in the salubrious surroundings trying my best to sober up. When I got back my mother told me I looked a bit squiffy... I think that was an understatement!

The next day, surprisingly un-hangovered, I got back to Scotland with no problems.

On Monday my younger son came to dinner, which was just great. He was originally going to stay the night, but had to scoot back to Edinburgh to help his girlfriend sort out a problem. Still, it was lovely to see him even for such a short time.

Tuesday was Mountain Man's time to be away so I was on dog duty. We had a very ordered day of walking and sleeping. Vespa's due his last lot of jags on Saturday, which will be great so he and Odi will be able to go running together at last.

Wednesday saw Odi and I spend a day in Edinburgh getting my phone fixed and lunch with my friend Shirley at Jamie Oliver's. Odi was fantastic and slept her way around Edinburgh showing everyone how well trained she was. I was so proud of her. When we got home she decided she wanted to be a small puppy again and spent the whole evening in Vespa's first puppy bed and wouldn't give him a look-in!

Odi takes over the puppy bed, while Vespa is confined to her cushion!

Thursday I did a bit of work and then today I went to the bowls Xmas lunch in Tweedbank, where my team lost both games - though I do have to say I played quite well (I was playing lead), but the guy playing second kept knocking my good bowls off, so much so I began to wonder whose team he was really playing for and sadly our skip was having an off day - and then I had the worst nut roast ever. I don't know who thinks that putting raisins and cranberries is a good idea in a savoury roast, but it was disgusting.

I'm just getting my head round the fact that Xmas day is only 6 days away and after bowls rushed off to Marks to get a turkey breast, so at least the boys will have proper, traditional Xmas dinner and I'll be making a nut roast for Mountain Man, my mother and me. I can't trust buying one from anywhere, just in case any dratted dried fruits sneak in.

My weekend is going to see me doing my bit for charity at Sainsburys in Kelso. Tomorrow, Odi and I are fundraising for Guide Dogs and then on Sunday I'm bag packing for Borders Search and Rescue.

In between all that I'm going to try and break the back of the rest of the food shopping and then clean the house. My mother's coming you see, so unless I end up shoving things under beds and into cupboards I'm going to have to pull my finger out and get it done, though to be frank those cupboards are looking mighty tempting!