Hogmanay

This morning I was grateful for daughter L walking Django, as I'd stayed up late investigating a HiGHS issue raised by a user yesterday. Had I known that she only has a pair of Birkenstocks to wear outdoors, I wouldn't have let her go out. Hence, when she went for a late morning appointment at the Medical Centre, I drove her. This also meant that I did a big grocery shop: I'm hosting people on Saturday. Tesco was so busy. You'd have thought that all the Edinburgh Hogmanay events had been cancelled, so people were unexpectedly having to party at home. I'd expected to take L back home, but she went to a coffee shop opposite Tesco and then announced that she'd walk. Five minutes later it was hosing down again, so I insisted that she wait for me to pick her up. 

Back home, I had an unexpected message from a former MSc student in China, who is still as chronically depressed as she was when I was her personal tutor 5-6 years ago. We've kept in contact since, but the responses from her stopped in May of this year, so I was pleased to learn that she's still alive. We had a good chat, and I sent her a virtual hug, but what she needs is professional help. However, in a country where mental health issues are shameful, there's little she can do.

It's been sweet listening to L sing to her guitar for the past hour or so and, although she has just gone out to meet a couple of Penicuik friends in a nearby pub, she's given up on the idea of going into Edinburgh. Hence it'll just be the two of us - if she comes back before midnight.

Of course, I still have to walk Django...

Happy Hogmanay to you all!