Fish tea at the Kinross Motorway Services

Suprisingly tasty.

Sent from my HTC HADDOCK™, a Windows® phone from AT&T with salt and sauce

Hodie

Today is a day that one should celebrate. To be with family, friends. To eat an overly-sweet slice of cake and share a very dry bottle of wine. It's a day that you use to reflect, looking both back and forward and taking stock of your life and your place in the universe.

I'm doing none of those things today.

The one where I am discouraged.

I am beginning to think I am only given hope to make the subsiquent let-down that much more substantial.

Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone from AT&T that is really needing an off-stage contraption to deliver Zeus centre stage right about now.

The last mile, being the longest.

The boys should be here in less than an hour. I am sure they will have tales (tails?)to tell.

Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone from AT&T that patiently waits.

Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme doughnuts. In Edinburgh. A drive-thru Krispy Kreme doughnuts in Edinburgh. And it's open late. This is not the Scotland I remember. But I'm OK with that.

Sent from my HTC PUREFATANDSUGARTHATISHARDENINGMYARTERIESJUSTTHINKINGABOUTIT™, a Windows® phone from AT&T with chocolate sprinkles

Moggie Migration Update 2

Hopefully, they are arriving on the morrow.

Back and There Again.

It's just my to do list, but the over-the-top title page gives it a certain archaic glamour, methinks.

Sent from my HTC REDBOOKOFWESTMARCH™, a Windows® phone from AT&T that has never read the Hobbit and has no idea what you are Tolkien about.

Hanging out with another old friend, part 2

It was good for the soul. Thanks, you.

A rather funny thought.

The room I'm staying  in at the B & B (or the I³, as it is more appropriately known), is actually slightly smaller than the walk-in closet in my old house in Phoenix.

Hanging out with an old friend.

It was good for the soul.

Moggie Migration Update

The boys are in Dusseldorf. Eating schnitzel. OK, I  made that last part up.

In which I am clever and resourceful.

Tonight, I heated up a cold Cornish pastie I bought from a garage (gas station) by placing it on top of the electric kettle in my room, letting the rising steam do the job.

It worked quite well.

No challenge is beyond me.

In honour of this somewhat momentous event, I have officially named this place "The Inn of Infinite Ingenuity", or the I³ for short.

A wee change

When I first lived in Scotland in the early 90s, whenever I went to a shop, the person behind the counter, on hearing my accent would invariably say, in a fauxmerican, sing-song voice, "Have a nice da-ay!", thus showing their awareness of American customer service culture and their mastery of irony in one deft move. In the few hours since I've been back I have been told to have a nice day multiple times.

This has been said genuinely, without feeling, and also without irony.

This is not progress.

Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Baggage

Is here.

I am now shaved an' weel sarkit.

Good news/Bad news

The good news is, they found my luggage. The bad news is, it's in Estonia.

And the cats are in LA, heading to Italy

Scattered.

Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Rabbit at Rest

I have made it to the B&B. In deepest darkest Fife. In the dark. Without a map or GPS. I actually drove straight to it, no wrong turns. Did I mention it was dark? It's nice to know the sense of direction/detection that helped me to drive the band's van to gigs (I could always find the venue) way back when still works.

And so to bed.

But of course...

...the airline loses my suitcase.

Sent from my HTC STINKY™, a Windows® phone from AT&T that will be wearing the same ratty T-shirt and trousers for a few days.

IRN BRU OMNIA VINCIT

With all of the shit that has happened over the last few years, I need to remember the goals and milestones I set for myself.

This was one. And one only my Scots friends will understand.

One down, a million to go.
Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone that hasn't quite given up yet.

So close, I can taste it.

On the plane to Edinburgh, waiting for take off. I'm eating a cheese an' onion sarnie.

It's wonderful. On so many levels, it's wonderful.

How can a simple f'n sandwich make you misty-eyed?

Sent from my HTC PUREBLISS™, a Windows® phone from AT&T that is very easy pleased.

More than halfway, less than all there.

I'm off of the flight from Newark. The immigration officer was very disturbed by my emergency passport; "But why did you let your old one expire?"she asks repeatedly "I don't understand?" I finally replied, "I'm incompetent and have poor life skills." This actually seemed to please her- a traveler was finally speaking the truth; what she had always known in her heart was confirmed. And for her, I could not progress until I admitted I had a problem.

"My name is Matthew, and I am a passport expire-er"

I'm now in the labyrinth of Heathrow, trying to get from terminal 3 to 5.

This may or may not be achieved.

Sent from my HTC PURECONFUSION™, a Windows® phone from AT&T that is really just wants a cup of tea and my bed and for this nonsense to stop, thankyouverymuch.

Time, Gentlemen, Please!

The sun is shining on the planes, making the tails cast long shadows like the gnomon on a sundial. And like a sundial, it's telling me the time; it's time to go home.

Sent from my HTC PIGEON™, a Windows® phone that's going home. At last.

Scattered

Everything is now scattered, thrown up in the air like so much confetti. I am the confetti- shredded and swirling at the mercy of the cosmic trickster's dust-devil. And now the gathering begins. Well, not so much gathering as gleaning. I suppose I should say something inspirational here, like how I may be down, but I'm not out, and how I will be stronger for all this, and how it will be all right in the end. But, truth be told, I don't feel any of that, and right now, I have precious little indication of a happy ending.

I feel numb, very small and overwhelmed. And I keep feeling smaller and more overwhelmed.

Non possum sperandi meliora.

(I am scared.)

Gone

Lucas mi amigo, ahora eres el curator. Deseo para los dias soleados con el techo abierto.

Sent from my HTC CURATORMOBILE™, a Windows® phone that has low mileage and was hand waxed every three months.

...Going...

My storage unit is cleared out and all my worldly is packed into a 20 foot container, which has just been hauled away.

Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Would you believe...

...I had coffee with Miles Davis this morning?

Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Going...

I have packed the car, and I'm driving away from TIOIS.

:)

Sent from my HTC PURE™, a Windows® phone from AT&T

Oh, For F%$k's Sake...

They're back and louder and more orgasmic than ever.
Well at least it's only a quickie tonight.

I guess I'm rooting for them as well...

Hodie dies est.

Today is my last whole day at TIOIS. I leave here tomorrow morning. I then drive to my storage place, and spend three hours getting my 20 foot container packed.

Stand.

Stand.

Stand up.

Stand down.

Stand in line.

Stand around.

Stand for something.

Stand for it.

Stand tall.

Stand proud.

Stand your ground.

Stand alone.

Stand by me.

Stand and deliver.

Stand willing.

Stand up guy.

Stand-up comic.

Standpipe.
Standing water.

Stand in one place.

Stand in the place where you live.

Standing in the shadows of love.

Standing on the corner watching all the girls go by.

Stand revealed.

Standing room only.

Stand the pain.

Standby.
Stand by.

Standard operating procedure.

Standard time.

Stand on ceremony.

Stand.

Stupid Cats.

It's very quiet. There is no nervous playing. There is no darting under the bed. There is nothing. Nothing but two cat-shaped holes in a very dirty room. Already, I think I see them out of the corner of my eye, lying on the blanket-less bed or sniffing at the newly packed boxes on the floor. Really, I'm okay; I'm sure they'll be fine. I won't miss them terribly, wondering if they're okay, wondering if they're making friends with the large and terrifying dogs that I'm sure they will be stacked next to in the plane, wondering if they are confused and frightened, knowing that they don't really understand what's happening. No, I won't be thinking any of those things.

After all, they are just cats.

Stupid, stupid cats.

Stupid cats can't even look at the camera.