By George!

In Glasgow this evening so that J can go to a gig (it's not a 'concert' Mum, it's a 'gig', get it right).

Glad we got here. I came out of work this evening with 35mins and 15miles to go before I had to pick J up and start our journey. As I was walking towards my car I thought that it looked very lopsided. My heart went lopsided too. I peered down and it was confirmed - a flat tyre of epic proportions under the driver's door. It was like one you would see in a Loony Tunes cartoon. If Salvador Dali drew tyres it would have been like mine - melting into the ground. I ran back into school to fetch a man - I know, very pathetic of me, but I have never had to change a tyre before and I really didn't have time to start learning now via the manual. Actually to be fair I did run into the Guidance room (where there were five women and one man) and blurted out "Does anyone know how to change a tyre?" and only the man answered in the affirmative. Meanwhile I phoned J to say I wouldn't be there on time, and I phoned my local tyre place who remained calm through my panicking incoherent rant: "I have a puncture and I need to go to Glasgow tonight and have you a tyre that would fit my car because I need to go to Glasgow tonight and I'm just putting on my spare now but I need to go to Glasgow tonight and what time do you close because I need to go to Glasgow tonight and we're meant to be there at 6.30pm and I need a new tyre because I need to go to Glasgow tonight". They were so sweet and said not to worry - they had a tyre in stock and they would stay open late if I couldn't get there by 5.30pm. I wish I had just gone to them last night to get my tyres changed. Yes, that's right - it was only last night I had two almost-new front tyres put on the car. Ironically enough it was the trip to Glasgow that prompted this. I knew my tyres were on the way out so thought I might as well get them changed as we're off to Loch Lomond on Saturday too. I have never bought anything but brand new tyres before last night, but someone at work recommended this salvage place in Glenrothes ("I've gone there for years and never had any issues with the tyres I get from there") - well never again for me, I tell you! Think that less than 24 hours for a tyre is pretty poor value no matter that it was half the price of what I would usually pay. I am sticking with new ones from my local place from now on - I should never have abandoned them for another yesterday! When I pitched up they were quick and efficient, deeming my flat one 'irrepairable" and putting a new one on. Off I set to pick up J - 45minutes later than expected. We arrived in Glasgow 25mins late for the venue door opening so not too bad all things considered. Once I'd dropped him off I relaxed. Parked up in Merchant City and took myself off for a walk around George Square (snapping this pano of the City Chambers - minus the central tower) before deciding to take myself out to dinner.

In summer, when J was again at a gig in the same venue, I had taken my niece out to dinner and we'd gone to an Italian on the corner of George Square. It had been a Monday in early July and the place was practically empty. I thought I would go there tonight and get a nice quiet table once again (where I could hide my Missus No Mates act) but clearly a Wednesday in late November was much more popular than I anticipated and the place was buzzing. "Table for one?" I asked the front of house. He could not have looked more taken aback. "For one?" he replied with eyes widening to the size of saucers. "Yes" I said. I was placed at a little table to the side of two groups of about half a dozen each. I read my book all the way through my pizza!

J rolled into the car at 10.30pm dripping and smelling of sweat. "Have you been dancing?" I asked him. He gave me an incredulous look and an attitudinal "No!". I raised an eyebrow and said "Have you been moshing?" (see how up with the times I am!) to which he answered yes. "Show us what you do for that then" I requested. "No!" was the reply (said in a Kevin the Teenager tone!).