If to-day hadn't been Friday, I don't know what I would have done

I just had to keep pushing myself, every step of the way.

The break point is never far away

I suppose that from the outside, my continual angst doesn't make sense. Yes, as I drove home this evening, if I had misjudged my position on the road at the wrong moment, I could have been involved in a head-on collision, and be in no state to be writing this. It feels as though we are living on the edge, but I don't suppose that we are.

Tummy bug

A day at home, never far from a toilet ...

I just wish that I could reach a place where, even just for a while, everything that needs to have been done has been done, and I can just relax. Now, I relax at times, when I have to, but just to recuperate, so that I can get back to catching up - always catching up.

God smiled at me!

He was standing on his head.

A religious Sunday

I've been to church twice to-day, and we (the children and I) went swimming this afternoon, so it's been a pretty full day.

Flaming Nora

We were at a ceilidh last night. The band was Flaming Nora; the event was a fundraiser for Fischy Music.

Sunset

Through the window of a number 30 bus

Strange Sunset

Still looking out for spring

But, of course, we are still in the middle of February; I shouldn't have been surprised by the cold fog which engulfed us this morning and this evening.

Winding down

I gave the third of three presentations this afternoon. As I've just said to my wife, it has seemed for the past three weeks or so that my life has been on hold. I wonder just to what extent my physical debility has had a psychological component.

So I'm picking up the threads. To-morrow morning, the surveyor comes to measure up for the new doors and windows we've ordered. To-day, I picked up the car after it had passed (with some work) another MoT. And to-morrow, of course, is St Valentine's Day.

An official birthday

Actually, I think that having a birthday in early February is good - anything that cheers us up at this time of year has to be welcome. But I reckon that the real star of these days has to be the humble snowdrop - what better sign of hope than this?

Tenacity

Thank you for your wishes; unfortunately, this virus which won't go away turned my birthday into something of a non-event. The battle continues ...

But my son, kindly, gathered some of his toys which he knew that I enjoy playing with, and gave me them as a present. Wonderful.

It's my birthday

Unfortunately, the virus which I thought I'd seen the last of is still bothering me. It's becoming a family tradition. Nine months ago, our daughter endured her birthday meal feeling rotten. Yesterday evening was my turn, although the meal was pleasant.

To-day is my actual birthday.

Whatever my mental state

Portobello Town Hall
Originally uploaded by Glaswegian

I hope that I can show you an interesting photo.

Surely spring is just around the corner

I took this picture this morning:

And yesterday's presentation - I was pleased to see, in the lecture theatre, that the lectern was brick (or possibly concrete) - I could have sheltered behind it if there had been trouble - in fact, someone in the audience admitted that they were giving us a hard time ...

I'm not cut out for this

To-morrow, I have to stand at the front of a lecture theatre, and give a presentation. Essentially, it's the same spiel as I gave two weeks ago, but the venue is daunting, being a proper lecture theatre. Also, having to talk with academics frightens me, especially this particular group, as the department where I used to work (18 years ago) is part of this school. There will be people in the audience alongside whom I used to work.

I have to go through with it, but I wonder if I shall ever be in control of my life, able to say, "no," to things which I really don't want to do.

We've been swimming

A notable day, on at least two counts. This morning, for the first time, I was helping with the Sunday School at our local parish church. And this afternoon, while my wife was visiting her mother, the children and I went swimming. Of course, I have swum before, but this particular arrangement is new, and worked well.

Crisis mode

Can't really say why.