Georgia on My Mind

Every year while watching the U.S. Masters from Augusta, I make a promise to myself that one day I will go there.Not necessarily for the golf tournament, but to just be at the place itself.Augusta,Georgia always looks immaculate and perfectly manicured.She is always pleasing on the eye ; and the weather there always looks perfect.Invariably, I have either got the time or the money but never both at the right time.Next year I will have both in union.Fortunately, my cousin lives only a relatively short drive from the course.All I have to do now is run it by Lady Roby.Well; it is generally held on or around my birthday, so what could there possibly be to object to.So maybe, I will be on that Midnight Train to Georgia pretty soon and it really will be like my birthday and Christmas all rolled into one.

Ticket to Ride

Last weekend The Ladies Roby came up to Aberdeen to visit Pa-pa.Now, during his time in the Scottish Highlands Lord Roby has taken to walking lot.In fact,walking everywhere.Whereas back in downtown Two Dogs there is a definate tendancy to take a cab, if the is no chauffeur on hand.So cabs it was.The first cab was duly despatched to us all for breakfast.The destination was; left at the lights and straight through the roundabout to 'Prego' for breakfast.When we reached the roundabout the taxi turned right! I duly told the driver to keep on round the roundabout until he 'understood'.We all laughed.After a very tasty breakfast, we embarked on a pleasant day of shopping and snacking and headed back to the hotel for a rest, prior to a birthday meal for young Lady Roby.After a few drinks in town we decided to get a taxi back.After the earlier confusion I decided to give the driver as much information as I could regarding our hotel.'Its the Great Western Hotel on Great Western Road,opposite the church,before you get to the Mariners Hotel and this side of Burns Road.He duly drove straight past the hotel !! As I looked at him and pointed at the hotel he just muttered 'Oh that used to be called The Clubhouse'...to which I retorted..'and I suppose the church was the 1st Hole'.He growled and drove off, albeit with a tip!! I was beginning to get a tad pissed off.
But after a good nights sleep we decided to head in to town for a Sunday breakfast.No problems this time, other than we were overcharged by a £1.00 for two non-existant suitcases.That cost the driver a £2 tip. I was now totally anti-taxi.Nevertheless, after a great time on Sunday evening there was no way the Ladies were walking home in heels.So, I reluctantly succumbed.We hailed a taxi and told him the name of the hotel.He set off in the opposite direction! I immediately told the thieving bar-steward to 'do a uey'.He obliged with a u-turn, while growling some gaelic curses I presume.By the time we got to the hotel....about 90 seconds....I was ready to blow.The money was thrown in his face after I had told him all about my 'bad taxi day'.The door was duly slammed.At which point;he lowered his window and gave me the fingers while pulling off.'Have a nice day' I think he growled.Needless to say I am now happy to rely on Shank's Pony.

Perfect Day

To some people a perfect day might involve a wedding or the birth of a child.To Lord Roby yesterday was a perfect day of a quite different sort.Up early on a Sunday with the obligatory hangover to walk/climb Bennachie Hill(???).If I'd been told it was 1750 foot I would have stayed in bed.Against all the odds I got to the top.Admittedly, it took an hour and a half.But the weather was perfect with warm spring sunshine and a gentle breeze.The walk was punctuated by numerous stops 'for a breather'.Oxygen debt being the norm rather than the exception.But,it did offer up the opportunity of a spot of twitching.The highlight being a Wood Warbler, that is if my eyes didn't deceive me.Towards the top I stopped to 'take the air' and I've never heard silence like it.The only people at the top were an American tourist looking for a quarry(?) and a couple picnicing.The descent took half the time.But while the ascent was arduous the descent was quite tortuous.Still it was nice to cool off with some water courtesy of the spring alongside the 'path'.Another excuse to stop.

Then it was off back to Aberdeen for some Soup and a glass of 'M and S' Rose(under duress),a nice steak and chips,some claret,a few beers and a 'Bloody Mary' for a night cap.The latter was for medicinal purposes ,you understand; to quell the bubbling stomach.Then it was off to bed and a re-run of a Roy Orbison documentary on BBC4.

I guess perfect days are like allsorts.They come in all shapes and sizes and no two are the same.Needless to say I slept like a baby!