Ow

I have a couple of photo's. it would be remiss to not post them during this quiet moment.




Luca's going for a haircut this week. Take him or let it grow? Leaning toward the latter personally.





His official Colony Park team photo with Luca front centre. I'd be confident that you'd spotted him immediately however. That 1960's Beatles-esque mop top stands out a mile amongst the tidy, sensible haircuts of his peers. The long, flowing locks aren't our choice, he's quite insistent on it. With that ever lengthening barnet the little chap is most likely to become an anti-establishment rock star when he grows up. Or perhaps a tramp.

He had his first football tournament at his home ground today. After a beautiful weekend up until then the sun reverted to its usual "Screw you Scotland" state by disappearing back behind our country's ever present clouds (people wonder why Scots are so dour) just as the tournament kicked off. Undeterred, however, Luca began brightly and even netted a nice goal in his second game. Grandad Mike, ker-ching!

Speaking of the weather (every Brits national sport), I took advantage of the unexpected sunshine yesterday by taking off on my longest run ever, just over 14 miles. Jesus, it hurt! (sorry Mum). I really enjoyed the quiet country roads I ran along, but my "Stewart Knee" decided enough was enough after about 10 or 11 miles causing a rather uncomfortable last leg home. As Danny Glover wisely opines, "I'm too old for this s***".

Yesterday was actually the first time I'd been out running since my last race, last Sunday's high profile "Baker Hughes 10K" at Aberdeen's beachfront. I did my usual and ran it as sensibly as a brain damaged orang-utang, yet somehow managed to knock nearly a minute or so off my personal best. I came 398th out of 5000, squeezing inside the top 400 (top 8%) by overtaking a group of competitors in the final stretch with the sprint finish shown in this photo:-

http://www3.marathon-photos.com/scripts/photo.py?event=Sports/CPUK/2013/City%20of%20Aberdeen%2010K&bib=100&photo=ATKO0105

Bloody knackered I was. Awful run too, flat, boring and run through some of the ugliest areas of Aberdeen. Rather bemused how this event has developed such a status.

Spoke to both my sisters this weekend. Very nice, and more to say on that in the coming days. But then, as life dictates, there always is.

**Useless fact of the day - We actually live 80 milliseconds in the past, as this is how long it takes our brain to process information**

A Picture Can Tell A Thousand Tales

Tonight there'll be no bluster, no flannel, no conjecture and not even a little blether. This evening the pictures is "where it's at":-

 

Forced grin ahoy. Luca posing after his first football tournament for Colony Park. Note the Aberdeen FC strip he's wearing (this was before they got their official strips) and the medal round his neck (which is actually mine from a race I'd run earlier that day)

 

Roughhousing with Harry (my friends son, and my Godson - well, my second Godson after Cade) at a race meet in Balmoral. An atypical picture from North East Scotland - unkempt wind blown hair, absolutely no danger of the sun appearing and wet clumpy grass. Why did Kelly emigrate again?

 

As the loving gaze indicates, Harry just adores Luca. As do we. Except when he gets up at 6am on a Sunday morning. And when he's awkward at mealtimes. And when he interrupts conversations. And when he lies about brushing his teeth. And when he replies "fine" every time we ask him how school was. And when.........

 

With Granny Jo on Mothers Day. My Mum clearly rather more enamoured with the idea of being photographed than my son.

 

Mum's birthday this time. Yes, I've been rather inefficient posting up-to-date images of late. A nice picture spoiled rather by the poor lighting as well as brother Ross' complete indifference to the idea of posing.

 

This time in the Aberdeen Maritime Museum. Again. Yes, I feel Groundhog Day and Deja Vu combining and ganging up on me. Our 1000th visit, this time with Luca posing beside a blow up whale. Only item on interest here is the length of Luca's legs. It's like Carlton Palmer after a session on the torture rack. Likely only Dad will get that last reference.

 

Staying with Dad, here he is at Partick Thistles (kind of) recent Cup Final alongside Ross and Colin Kilgour. Dad's expression can only have been caused by a glimpse at the bill for the corporate hospitality.

At Doonies Farm in Aberdeen, a home for "rare" farm animals. A treat for Luca? Or a way to rid my wallet of £8 only to see sheep, pigs, chickens and horses that pretty much resembled every other sheep, pig, chicken and horse I've ever seen.

I've tried to post a final few photographs, of Harvey behaving animalistically (an oxymoron, I know), but my computer is behaving about as well as Luca at bedtime. So, to mirror my habits formed over a lifetime I'm just going to give up with the intention of trying again later. Despite knowing that I won't.

I've much more to report - such as Carole having joined a weight watchers club - but after having joined her for one of their "special" dinners the grumble from my gut is telling me I need more. Either that or whatever it was that went down wants back up again. Whichever, I don't envy her, and was very proud of her first weeks loss of 2 and a half pounds.

And I'll bore you stupid with my latest running tales next time too.

**Useless fact of the day - Eating within one hour of getting up kick starts your metabolism and helps you burn more calories through the day**

Don't drink and blog

A partially inebriated contributor tonight, following too many Jack Daniels during tonights golden televisual time between the FA Cup Final ending and a rerun (30th anniversary) of Aberdeen's European Cup Winners Cup victory against Real Madrid in 1983. Yes, our local team used to be one of the planets greatest teams. What happened???

Perhaps Luca will rejuvenate local sporting prowess? He featured for his club side (Colony Park) in a tournament at Pittodrie (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittodrie_Stadium) on Tuesday, and after a nervous first couple of games performed admirably. Here he is in action:-





Perfect defence splitting pass




He's still pretty small, and not exactly fearless, but he's keen, a great communicator, has a good touch and just keeps going no matter the setbacks. Most of all he loves it - the most important bit.

We're in the middle of another busy week. Today my cousins Kieran and Meghan (and Kieran's fiancée Julie) visited from Glasgow. Great to see them, but I'm still attempting to calm Luca now, nearly 2 hours after their departure South. He already adores Kieran and Julie, but today was the first time he'd spent any time with Meghan. He stole her sock and hid under our bed as they were preparing to leave in an attempt to stop their departure!

Tomorrow brings a friends birthday, so a cinema visit and meal are forthcoming. Granny Jo will be caring for Luca during the (non child friendly) flick, so the usual timing complications come into play. How do we get Luca to Banchory for mid afternoon when he has another football tournament the very same afternoon 20 miles away? Answers on a postcard please, to ourselves and the millions of other exhausted and perplexed parents out there.

My knee (henceforth known as the traditional "Stewart" knee) is playing up again, with the anterior damage having never (and never will) fully repaired. Perfect timing, with my most high profile 10K race only a week away and my first half marathons looming ever closer. Frustrating, as I'd been running extremely competently and was initially confident of beating my fellow competing workmates (my work has a team in the race, which includes 2 experienced marathon runners) as well as my own personal best time.

Life eh? As a wiser man than me once said, it's a ............

**Useless fact of the day - The largest attendance at a football match is 199,854, set in 1950 between Brazil and Uruguay. Football remains the most popular sport on Earth, both in terms of spectators and participants**

Location:Rae Circle,Inverurie,United Kingdom