It feels luxury being in a flat, rather than a boat. Although, I find myself being a lot more lazy and staying inside a lot more!
Just a short walk across the living room, across the corridor and into the toilet, I don’t even have to put my shoes on. Whereas on the boat, I put my shoes on, wonder whether I need a coat, grab my keys, walk 100 metres up the towpath, unlock the facilities block and into the toilet.
No need to move my body to the left and the right, as I navigate myself down the narrow corridors of the boat. But maybe the most luxurious, is having heat by a flip of a switch. As I lay in bed last night, I realised, that normally I am worrying if the boat is going to be too hot or too cold through the night, whereas in a flat, you know the temperature is going to be constant and nice and cosy in the morning.
Through the night last night, Honey was upset by another thunder storm, that lasted about an hour from 1.30am. It wasn’t constant, so didn’t manage to get any photos of the lightning. There was also some really heavy rain on the window which seemed to disturb Honey, where as on the roof of the boat she doesn’t seem bothered at all!
So this morning, we slipped into our Leith morning walk routine and headed a long Leith Walk looking for Covid signs for the blog. I was surprised to see La Favorita restaurant open!
Then I headed into town to pick up a hire car.
My goodness, how stressful my afternoon was sitting in so much traffic trying to get anywhere. I am so glad that I don’t own a car and have to experience this everyday!
I moved stuff out the flat to different parts of Edinburgh – Bethany to recycle clothes and food. Then on to the recycle centre, only to find you have to book a slot, however, after explaining I don’t own a car, the guy took pity on me and let me in without a slot! So I recycled some wood and carpet, then onto B&Q to buy some more paint. This took all afternoon.
Then we met Hannah in the cemetery, to give her my flat keys. She is going to hangout with Honey tomorrow. Then onto the boat to drop off more of my belongings.
My neighbour Fiona came out of the boat for a catch-up and she gave Honey a biscuit for finding her Christmas Elf! Then Honey sat outside her door, on her boat, on the hope (I guess) that she would come out with another biscuit (Blog Cover Photo), but she didn’t !
The only thing I couldn’t find a home for was a lot of books!
It Made Me Smile
Anna sent me this saying it made her smile 🙂
Very topical for reflections on lockdown and Christmas 🙂
Christmas Music Corner
This is my favourite Christmas song EVER 🙂
I always text or email Ken Bruce on his BBC Radio 2 Ken Bruce morning show, knowing that he is from Glasgow. He always plays it and I get a mention!! I even have a limited CD Single version of it.
It’s very Christmassy and is Scotland based. Once you’ve heard it you will want to listen to it over and over again! Although, maybe that’s just me 😉
Here’s a brief bio about the song taken from – scottish-quest.com/index.php?_a=viewDoc&docId=17:
“Pure festive genius” – BBC Radio Scotland
“I’ll get that song to Number 1 if it kills me“ – Ken Bruce, Radio 2
“The track to put a smile on everyone’s face“ – The Sun
Since its initial release in 2006, Santa’s A Scotsman by The Scottish Quest All-Stars has found itself lodged in the Christmas charts, due to its popularity at office Christmas parties, bars and nightclubs throughout Scotland and, of course, its widespread UK radio play. Radio 2 stalwart Ken Bruce commented; “I’ll get that song to Number 1 if it kills me”.
Santa’s A Scotsman became a cult hit in 2006 when it knocked Leona Lewis off the top spot in the HMV Digital Chart. Pundits are expecting the song to take up the official Number 1 spot this year as consumers bid to get a festive song to the top of the charts after years of being subjected to manufactured ‘hits’ churned out by reality talent show winners.
In 2007, Santa’s A Scotsman hit the headlines again when Jeff Zycinski, Head of Radio for BBC Scotland, banned the song for inducing “negative stereotypes about Scottish people”. The ban was lifted after 48 hours, when Zycinski accepted that lyrics referring to “Scots as pie munchers with a weight problem and a fondness for alcohol were intended as a bit of fun.”
So here it is – Santa’s A Scotsman
As I come to the end of this blog, I am feeling tired. I can’t believe how much energy it takes to move! My flat is starting to look emptier, but still more to go.
Today it has rained heavily most of the day! Not too cold, but very wet. Honey and I got wet numerous times through the day.
Off to bed!
Jim x