Adam enjoys opening and closing doors. Actually, he's better at closing them than opening them.

Ugh! This coffee place is very crowded, but I wanted to take some time to update a few things. I had a dentist appointment this morning (Saturday) so I'm downtown and having some iced coffee after buying a couple CD's at the local HMV to try to get the economy moving.

Linda just had the all clear from a blood test she got. She was worried about unexplained bruising. So we're relieved that there doesn't seem to be anything serious wrong. Just a little low on iron. She really had worked herself up into thinking she was stricken with some serious illness. I was a bit more optimistic, but I suppose you never know, things happen. But it's OK afterall so that's a big relief.

My health seems OK. I have type 2 diabetes and I should probably cut the sweets out more than I do, but I take my medication so I'm good. Should exercise more and keep my weight down, tho. I think I've gained a little since having a job over the past few months.

My job is fine. Busy, which makes the day go by quick, I suppose. I've moved from my office to a little office on the production floor last week, where I'll be based temporarily as we have a big project that I have responsibilities for. I'm closer to the action now, which makes my work easier in a way, but also a bit more noisy and less relaxed. Not that I'm there to relax anyway, but it's just a bit of a different environment than where I was based before. My job is to provide production controls, instructions, checklists, best practice guidance etc... ie manufacturing engineering duties for the production of armoured vehicles.

They've changed how they make iced coffee here, and it is not for the better.

Yesterday I faxed in my application to attend the graduation ceremony in July. I finished my MSc in Carbon Management last autumn but decided not to attend the grad ceremony in Glasgow in December, but instead attend the one here at the local campus in July. My father and Darlene will be visiting and so they are going to attend along with Linda and probably Jenny.

I saw in the paper how work on a new wind farm just north of here will start soon. I'd be interested in somehow being involved in that due to my new degree but since I have a job, I'm a bit settled. I think I might visit the open day with the contractors, as advertised in the paper, to see what types of local people they'd be looking to recruit. I think I'd be suitable as a project manager, but again, I have a job so I'm not that motivated to actively look for a different one except if the pay was substantially more, I guess. My current job is very handy geographically, tho, so it would take a lot to want to change, I suppose. I'm content where I am more or less.

Tansy, our 18 year old cat, is doing fine. We thought she was on her last legs a few months ago but she has improved. She spends her days in and out of the conservatory. We keep her out of the rest of the house because she has had an issue of peeing in inappropriate places. All the cats love it in the conservatory, tho, so that's the best room in the house for her.

A friend from school days in Natick is stopping by in Scotland on her way to Italy in September. We'll show her around a bit... She'll spend a few days in Edinburgh and a few days down here in southern Scotland. Hadrian's Wall is on the agenda as well as a few other places.

My thumbs are tired now (typing on my iPhone) so I'll stop. Covered a few things going on, not much else exciting happening in my world. Just work everyday and visiting the grandson on weekends. Maybe I'll post a picture update on Adam.

Well I haven't written in here properly in quite a while. Just busy with other things, I guess.

My days are busy at work, and I'm liking it for the most part. I also like my commute, which is the shortest distance I've ever had to travel to a job (not counting living away in Glasgow during the week like I used to do when I worked up there.

After work, life usually consists of going to the horse with Linda, coming back at around 7ish, watching the news, coronation street, having dinner, tending to my virtual farm on facebook... not much exciting really.

We visit Adam on a Sunday and Thursday after work... and Linda still has him one or two days a week during the day. She is also tutoring and being a part-time teacher regularly (retired but still quite busy most days).

Three day weekend coming up.

100 years since the Titanic hit that iceberg... Here's a memorial in Dock Park, Dumfries honouring a few local people who perished.

It actually sank on the 15th, so there's an error in the inscription. They hit the berg late on the 14th.

Happy Anniversary to my honey bunch and I. Eight happy years, which isn't too bad for thirteen years of marriage. ;-)

In other news, I got pulled over for exceeding the speed limit the other day, almost a week ago. I was going 43 in a sparsely populated, but 30mph zone. £60 and 3 points. Not too happy about it.

In better news, we finally got our kitchen sink tap fixed. It had been leaky for quite a while. I looked at it but it was beyond my expertise at fixing so we finally got a plumber... Linda's cousin Rodney.

Andy bought this car yesterday.