Back to Reality

I'm back in toon.
I've had a tremendous holiday - the first time I've been abroad for two weeks for over twenty years, and for now at least I've got the tan to prove it!
Our holiday took in Paris (very expensive but a beautiful city), Barcelona (a very modern city with some stunning architecture)and seven days sailing the Med, dropping in to various wee coves and towns along the Menorcan coastline. There were so many sights to see and things to do; simply an unforgettable holiday.
There's nothing worse than boring people with your holiday snaps; we took over 900 between us, so the two above are just the tiniest of samples - I'll post more when time permits.
Got back to Edinburgh on Friday evening - temperatures were a bit different than we've been used to and I think jumpers and long sleeve shirts will be the order of the day now. Vests, teeshirts, shorts and sandals will be stored away for another day (probably wise in the interests of sartorial elegance anyway.)

Lockerbie - smoke, mirrors and more questions than answers
Didn't see or read any UK news while I was away, so catching up on the latest twists and turns of the Lockerbie case which broke just before we left Edinburgh. Seems more and more info is being leaked out, and the focus has shifted to deals done by Blair's government to ease trade and tap into the economic opportunities offered by dealing with Libya.
When the news of the prisoner release broke I was disgusted by the line being peddled by the BBC - that this move was a major mistake by the Scottish government that will result in an anti-SNP backlash. Whether is was or not, whether it will or not (and I doubt it) is really not the main issue - and the BBC knew that full well. I don't know whether the convicted man was guilty or not - there are certainly enough grounds to question the verdict, including the with-holding of potentially crucial evidence - and I fear that, now, we never will.
Qui bono? Mr Megrahi certainly, but there are shadowy other parties who will be very happy to put this story to bed too.
There's a huge story in there waiting to come out but the chances of a public inquiry now appear slim - doubtless to the huge relief of the Washington and Westminster governments, despite their synthetic 'anger' over the release. In the pragmatic world of international world of diplomacy (certainly when huge contracts are at stake) yesterday's bogeyman becomes today's best buddy. The whole thing stinks from top to bottom, and the families of the bereaved deserve better. Just who planted that bomb, and who knew?

The Highs and Lows of Scotland
After the humiliation by Norway last month Scotland looked a bit more polished against the mighty Herzegovina - although it may have been a different story of the visitors had had their shooting boots on. I was struck by the number of ex-Hearts and Hibs players on display - I wonder how many would have made the frame had they still been plying their trade in Edinburgh? Whatever, we're in for another rollercoaster evening on Wednesday when the Dutch masters come calling. Another hiding, or a glorious victory against the odds? Neither, I fancy - expect a heartbreaking last minute defeat, that's Scotland's style. And if the impossible was to happen and we do beat Holland, expect more misery in the playoffs. It's in Scotland's psyche - glorious failure. So I won't be booking my ticket to South Africa just yet. And yet, and yet ...

Keith Waterhouse
Sad to hear of the death of the incomparable Keith Waterhouse. 'Billy Liar', which I first read at High School, was one of the finest novels I ever read and remains a favourite to this day.

Back to Basics
Back to work tomorrow - 400+ emails to trawl through (95% of which will be of no interest whatsoever, inevitably). The X Factor is back. My Fantasy Football team is already looking slightly distressed, and I am struggling near the foot of Radio Scotland's Predictor League (5000th and dropping alarmingly) in less than a month. It's cold and miserable outside; the central heating's on.
After a fortnight of high adventure on the open water (I will not regale you with my tales of derring do on the heaving seas for now), it's back to reality. It is nice to use a shower that doesn't throw you around when you're in it, though! Welcome home!