Day 979 (31/08/2012)

We went out for dinner last night to The Cosy Cafe and quite nice it was too. I went for the Slow Cooked Pork Belly whilst my wife went for the Rabbit & Bacon Pie.

We shared the afters as I thought I would cut down a bit but just a bit don't want to actually diet.

Went to the gym today, did 12minutes each ion the treadmill, bike and cross trainer then 2x 20 lifts on each of the weights. Totally knackered but relaxed in the pool & steam room afterwards.

Doing work in the office, again obviously.

The boys are still in Italy but I can't remember where.

Day 978 (30/08/2012)

Woke after a good nights sleep but still very tired. It was a full day on my feet talking yesterday followed by a midnight drive. I tend to take a day to recover from these things now that I am more than middle aged.

I can't face the gym today but having a hair cut instead. I will be going to the gym tomorrow as anytime I go on a plane I am always keen to diet and hit the gym again.

Update on the boys tour, they are sampling the sites of Italy, having visited the Coliseum, Vatican City and today going to see the leaning tower of Pisa today.

Sounds better than Lithuania, which is very East European, with modern touches. A few thoughts from my time there.

It was an ambition to be met at an international airport by someone holding a sign with my name written in big letters. I should have got a photo but forgot after the flight. My next ambition is to be met at an international airport by someone wearing a chauffeurs uniform holding a sign with my name written in big letters and then taking me out to a stretched limo & driving me to a swanky hotel that someone else is paying for. I can dream.

When being driven from the airport I commented that the city looked nice, wide roads, nice houses no graffiti. The lady that met & drove me was not a very confident English speaker but said that this was not a nice area as this is an area where "how do you say people not from you country" live and that these people works mostly as cleaners. Ironic that even in Eastern Europe there are people who don't like immigrants who take the lowest paid jobs.

Lithuania is not the sort of place to go for descent food but may well have other nice features but it seems unfair to pass comment on what I saw, which was really just from the taxi on the way to the airport.

Anyway work in the office for the next few days.

Day 977 (29/08/2012)

Gave my talk in Lithuania which went quite well.

The lunch was interesting but I have no idea what it was.

At the end of the day I had to hand out certificates to those attending, so had to read out 18 East European names that I could not pronounce but they took it quite well by laughing at me every time I read out another name which to me just looked like a bad scrabble hand with squiggles on top.

Flew back into the UK afterwards followed by a nice long drive and home at 2:30am then bed.

Day 976 (28/08/2012)

Up far too early and then a long drive to Stansted to catch a plane to Lithuania. I ended up getting to the airport far too early just in case there were problems on the journey. So time to kill with some food.

Vilnius Airport seems rather quaint for a countries main international airport.

I am giving a talk tomorrow and the client, who I do not know, has booked it all. The talk is in the hotel, which turned out to be a Best Western and they booked me into a very nice suite.

It's a bit wasted on me really, I'm on the 6th floor with views over the city but I'm only here for tonight and as Lithuania is 2hrs ahead of the UK when I arrived it was nearly 10pm.

Anyway update on the boys tour, they are now in Rome.

Day 975 (27/08/2012)

Unless you think Storage Wars is educational I fear I may have wasted a rather wet Bank Holiday.

Mind you we did have some nice pancakes for breakfast.

Off to Lithuania tomorrow but really would rather stay at home. I have loads of courses coming up and think I may have booked far too many.

Day 973 & 974 (25 & 26/08/2012)

Spent all of Saturday doing work & reports. Hopefully Sunday will be a bit more relaxing but seeing as Monday is a Bank Holiday and I am off to Lithuania on Tuesday and haven't done the presentation yet, I think I may have to spend a few more hours in front of the computer.

I have definitely left it too late to learn any Lithuanian, so Ar Kalbate Angliškai?

Update - Sunday 19:30 - OK a quick blog update then time to do my presentation for Lithuania.

The three of us went to Thew Worlds End for dinner, didn't fancy the Sunday dinner so went for the Fish & Chips, very nice.

Day 972 (24/08/2012)

Work, work and Gym.

Today I up'd my time on the treadmill, bicycle & cross-trainer to 12minutes. That extra couple of minutes on each really had the effect of completely knackering me out, so it must be doing some good.

I also did double the number of lifts on the weights, which totally finished me off for the day. Annoyingly the pool was full and the jacuzzi was broken.

Update on the boys European tour, they are in Split in Croatia, which apparently is amazing, lucky sods, but then as last week proved I don't think I could keep up with the pace of these young'ons and definitely would need something better than sharing a room in a hostel.

Day 971 (23/08/2012)

Work, work, work. I really need to get things sorted so I can start writing. I keep feeling that I should be doing something else & really see things be different in a few years and I'm sure writing is going to be the way. Either that or a lottery win.

It could just be the change from last weeks fun at Edinburgh and lots of work this week and having to make plans for my upcoming courses.

I have a new iPhone. Although I already had an iPhone and its not a much different, this phone actually works much better as a phone. The button works properly and when it rings on silent it actually buzzes & vibrates so you know that someone is phoning. I must put some music on it before I go away next week.  

Anyway Thomas is off to the beaches in Croatia for a couple of days.

Day 970 (22/08/2012)

Work & stuff yesterday.

Went to see The Wedding Video in the evening as it was an Orange Wednesday. We haven't gone to the cinema for a few months and within a few minutes of taking our seats I remembered why we don't go that often; other people, they are just annoying f**king idiots.

Firstly it isn't that difficult to find your seat. The rows are clearly marked with letters of the alphabet and believe it or not they go alphaf**kingbetically you thick prats.

Then the seats all have numbers on them and rather than them being numbered randomly they follow the general rule of 1-2-3-4-5 etc.

If you are an adult and can't follow the alphabet or count up to 20 then go home and watch the X Factor or something else aimed at the brain dead, as clearly a film with a plot is going to be too much for you.

Secondly its a f**king cinema not a restaurant. If I can sit for 90minutes without having a plate of nachos then so can you.

Thirdly there are other people near you, so just shut the f**k up during the film. I've paid to listen to the film not you.

If I had a gun & immunity from prosecution I could put an end to queues & overcrowding.

Anyway the film was really good.

Day 969 (21/08/2012)

Doing some work and went to the gym again.

I was doing just 10minutes on the treadmill, bicycle and then the cross trainer but have decided to up this to 11minutes now and am aiming to increase it week on week until I'm doing 15minutes on each. I could aim for more but it's the time that it takes out of my day. I have also started adding to the repetitions on the weights, doing 20 and then another 10 of each.

When I first started going to the gym I was finishing off by doing up to 20 lengths in the pool afterwards but now I can barely manage 6. I don't think my fitness is getting worse but is more to do with how much effort I put in to the gym beforehand.

Thought I would post a photo of Thomas & Lemon, who are in Prague today.

Seems the weather in Europe is very very hot.

Day 968 (20/08/2012)

Things seem very quiet after being in Edinburgh last week but it is very nice to be home and not to have to walk along those hilly Scottish roads.

I went to the gym this afternoon and have started adding things to my circuit. My t-shirt was soaking wet when I finished and my legs were as wobbly as having walked up and down the Scott Monument last week.

Booking my hotels for my courses and going through my training material after a few months off.

Thomas was in Hamburg then Berlin and is now in Prague. Apparently they are having lots of nice weather (I'm not jealous at all, yes I am).

Day 966 & 967 (18 & 19/08/2012)

The weekend is here and after a nice nights sleep I am back to work, catching up on all of the things that came in during the week.

BTW Thomas has been in Hamburg and is now going to Berlin.

Day 965 (17/08/2012)

Going home later today. Although I have lots to do (but not as much as it could have been thanks to my excellent staff, well Elaine anyway) I think I may well sleep a lot this weekend.

It will be nice to see my wife again, even though I will obviously be missing Richard Herring, only joking, no doubt he will be touring soon then I can see him again.

Update - Had a really nice breakfast. Proper porridge but with maple syrup, not salt.

Then scrambled eggs (to die for) and smoked salmon.

Then saw a dance troop before going home.

Day 964 (16/08/2012)

The days and events are starting to merge into each other. There is quite a bit of walking and lots of taking in things. I think I can manage a maximum of 3 shows a day where as Kelly is seeing about about 8 or 9. I can't keep up, even though it is fun.

All three of us were together for breakfast. Then Gary & Kelly went off to see a Simon Munnery, which sounded great. Then off to see rich Herring. We sat at the front and I even got a name check on the podcast, which made my day.

Then off to see the Harry Hill art show and then off to the Gallery of Modern Art and an early night for us old timers.

Update on Thomas, I think he is in Hamburg.

Day 963 (15/08/2012)

Another day of walking around Edinburgh and seeing shows is planned. Oh and yeah trying some more fun food.

I believe Thomas is off to Amsterdam today, the lucky lucky sod.

Update - A full day, started with a very nice and reasonably healthy breakfast.

After breakfast we thought we would go up to the top of the Scott Monument.

What a mistake. Apart from the near 300 steps, there was only one narrow spiral stair case, which meant people going up and coming down had to cross, even though there was no room. In fact at the very top the was so little room I thought I was going to take the door frame out.

After recovering a bit we went to the Richard Herring podcast, again, and saw Sarah Millican who was fantastic.

Then we went to see Phill Jupitus, who was very funny.

After that we had a Mexican for dinner and then saw Catie Wilkins, who is Richard Herring's wife, so this in no way was like stalking.

Day 962 (14/08/2012)

Started the day with a nice breakfast.

Hagis for breakfast, well I suppose when in Rome.

Seeing some great shows, though a lot less than Kelly. Her days are full, going from one show to the next.

Me & Gary are too old to take that level of excitement. I think 3 or 4 shows a day is the maximum. If nothing else with all the walking around Edinburgh I am keeping up with my exercise regime.

Day 961 (13/08/2012)

An early start and drive up to Bristol to catch a flight to Edinburgh to see some comedy. It was a nice trip with a few laughs.

Went to a gallery to see some art, which was really good.

Then we had a little bite to eat at an all you can eat Chinese restaurant, so OK it wasn't just a little bite to eat.

Then off to see Richard Herring's new show, Talking Cock, which was very funny. I didn't get a photo with him today but I did get one of him walking up to the venue (you can just make him out in the photo).

Gary & me are playing a game of celebrity spotting. I have Richard Herring, Christian Reilly and Sean Hughes. Gary might be winning with David Mitchell and his partner Victoria Corin. Unfortunately my camera wasn't ready when hey walked past.

 I'm not quite sure where Thomas is but he seems to be enjoying himself.

Day 959 & 960 (11 & 12/08/2012)

An early start for a Saturday as Thomas had to be at his mates house before 9 to get to the airport for the start of his European tour, starting in Paris.

Obviously missing him already and will be a strange month but great for him.

Update - Sunday 16:00 - re-potted some plants yesterday.

Thankfully no more gnomes yet.

Seems like Thomas is having a good time in Paris.

Packing later for Edinburgh as have an early start tomorrow but looking forward to a few days away.

Day 958 (10/08/2012)

Whilst Thomas was out with his mates clubbing for the last time before he goes away and many leave for University, the rest of us went out to The Thali Cafe with Gary & Elaine.

Very nice it was too and always lovely to spend time with G&E.

Aiming to go to the gym later but have things to do and a man coming to photograph my office (don't ask, not thru choice).

Hopefully the weather will be nice for a few days.