Pj's and Dragons

After 4.5hours of cleaning today, for which I am paid ( cause that’s my job,) and as someone who rarely spends more than 10 mins cleaning her own house, I do think I deserve to lie down after that kind of effort. This was largely my problem all last year. I needed to lie down after the shock of all that cleaning, and so no running got done. Today I came home and knew I had to rise to the challenge and walk or run 3 miles. I chose to walk, as it was far less intimidating. There was nothing for it but to instruct Spook in matters of the evening repast and at least enjoy not having a vacuum cleaner attached to my hand as I walked off into the murk of 4pm. On target!

Back at the start of the holidays, just before Christmas, the Fort William ‘boys’ were hosting a ‘cycling’ weekend for the Kingussie ‘boys’. Cycling was done, beer and whisky was drunk, and old Shinty rivalries were buried. Lindylou of well known Kingussie shinty stock, invited me up to her neck of the woods instead of coming to Lochaber, as the sun was shining up there and it was raining in The Fort. She promised a little cycling and a little whisky drinking, and a night out in Aviemore.

So off I headed

The cycling was all uphill

But the rewards were sweet.

After biscuits, cheese and whisky liquer, we jumped on the bikes for the long cycle home - which took about 10 minutes. We had really convinced ourselves we’d climbed a lot higher! But it’s chilly free-wheeling all the way, so Lindy suggested we warm up with a sauna in her Ma and Pa’s shed just down the road from her house. This seemed a pleasant option, so we got cozzies on with pyjamas on top, a towel, and I stuck my feet in her husbands slippers for ease. We were walking through the streets of Kingussie thus, when we bumped into a Kingussie Shinty hero, who had by- passed the Fort William event in favour of walking his dog and delivering his christmas cards. He was politely trying not to notice my outfit and outsized slippers. Lindylou was rocking her pj’s as if they were Haute Couture.

I was so mortified I had to take comfort from a Tomatin from Pa Malcolm’s christmas dram collection.

It’s a healing kind of drink.

And works well in a sauna environment

Lindy’s husband was confused by his lack of slippers. They are always where he leaves them as he is a disciplined kind of fella as are his dogs, who wouldn’t dream of running off with them, so it was puzzling. But he forgave me for his cold feet and cooked us an amazing dinner of extremely fresh breast of pheasant, potato dauphinoise, blue cheese sauce and kale.

This was to give us sustenance for a wee night out in Aviemore to see Robert Robertson and Manran at an all seated auditorium. No one told the Badenach Shinty Girls it was seated (and no one was brave enough to ask them to sit down) so Lindy lou, who trains with them, insisted that we lend them our support. Stripping the Willow in a seated auditorium is not an easy thing to pull off and as I let Lindy go, she pelted into a generously proportioned seated woman and pinged off in the direction of the Sound System guys. Just a classic Stripping of the Willow, really.

Next day, I wanted to make myself useful while a fully slippered Dave prepared our brunch (between Fire Brigade call outs.) Lindy asked me to plump up the cushions but to watch out for Diagio - it took me a while to find him.

I did try to get to know him, but he’s not easy to bond with……

Not cuddly.

Next year I’m taking my own slippers and buying fancy pyjamas.