No bathing!

Start the day with a treat, I often say.

Today's treat was porridge. With milk. Full cream milk. That may not sound much of a treat, but I've been on a diet recently and one of the things I do without now is milk. Full cream milk. Not even that wishy-washy half skimmed stuff. So I have porridge with water, which is not something to enthuse about. We now don't have milk in the house, but having got caught out last weekend with a visitor requiring milk in their tea, there is a wee carton in the fridge. Nobody needed milk yesterday though. Bubbly was the order of the day. And Leo brought his own. Milk - not bubbly.

I'm on a diet because I intend to time my descent into Relaxed Obesity and Elasticated Jogging Bottoms for when I'm 70 +, so I've got to remain trim and fit (ahem) for a few more years. All those buses to catch and toddlers to run after.

Another of the conditions of the diet is that a monster bag of Maltesers at the pictures is no longer de rigueur. Yes, I did lapse last week, but my excuse (to myself) was the celeriac soup eaten just prior to the film. I didn't really like it, but ate it all and needed to forget the experience quickly.

I had pencilled in a visit to my uncle today to do some painting. No, not landscapes or portraits. Kitchen shelves. But he decided to get a Proper Person to do it. I choose to think that he'd rather give a chap a job and some cash, than a reflection on my painting abilities. I shall pop down and inspect the work later in the week.

So, the day is my lobster. There are lots of householdy jobs to do. All can wait.

With the admirable Admiral on my ipod, I set off to view the fountain in Princes Street Gardens.

I say fountain, but it does not, in fact, fount. I haven't seen it founting for years (since 2001, when it was 'renovated' I read on the plaque). I was reminded of it when I bought a lovely card at the weekend with it in Full Flow. I have written to the Man in Charge of Fountains to find out why it is no longer flowing. Perhaps we haven't got enough water? (er, no) Part of the Cuts? (Can't be - it was shut off years ago when we were still blissfully unaware of Fred Goodwin). Then I thought that I'd better check that they hadn't suddenly switched it on at the weekend.

Later:
They haven't.

Grey sky, but despite the nice flower garden, I felt it needed the monchrome treatment. Note the sign put up by an enthusiastic but deluded 'Elf 'n' Safety jobsworth!!!

Or... is it just a statement by a passing existentialist stating the obvious?

Letter posted.

Will keep you posted.