After some weird visual effects that I've written up as a footnote to yesterday's post, I had a good night's sleep, Full (Blue) Moon nothwithstanding, didn't oversleep, didn't take my Concerta pill late, nothing.
A relaxed day, rainy/foggy/chilly out there, which helped me focus. Just found that several mountain passes have been closed in Switzerland due to heavy snowfall down to 2000masl (over 6,500ft). Glossy snow-capped peaks in the Alps for the beginning of September it is! (Not too unusual for winter to come early to those elevations, but not necessarily a very good thing as snow is an excellent insulator and can trap the heat in the rocks, leading to more ice melting nearby and hence to more glaciers melting off – "Fresh snow is an excellent
insulator. Ten inches of fresh snow with a density of 0.07 inches, seven percent
water, is approximately equal to a six-inch-layer of fiberglass insulation
with an insulation R-value of R-18" see http://www.snow-forecast.com/pages/nsidc-snowfacts.)
Got a few more things off my list of things to do; a few more came onto the list – what else is new? For example, a reminder re my MOT in October; my own reminder to arrange for payment of rent increase from mid-October; legal requirement to transfer rent deposit to a "safe" deposit institution: I have to make decisions, contact people – something I've always found quite hard.
Ah well, tomorrow's another day – the arch procrastinator's famous words, eh...
Friday, August 31, 2012
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Day Seven
A week already! It doesn't seem that many days since I started taking Concerta, nor does it seem a week since my lovely foster cat went back to "her family" - I still catch myself expecting her to come charging round the corner in search of food, or sitting on the door mat waiting for me to come home. Ah well... at least I know she's happy back where she grew up, a much quieter place with far less traffic – and a lot of mice to take care of, or so I've heard!
Again overslept after being woken just after 7am by a rogue phone call from the Continent. Had forgotten to turn up my mobile phone, which is my reminder of umpteen things and appointments every day. Don't know what I did before these handy wee things came into existence – certainly remember missing lots of appointments and dates, that's for sure!
I got caught up in intense work, getting my head together for a wee Gaelic exam in a week's time. I was under quite a bit of time pressure and found as I went into the garden mid-afternoon that I had a fairly bad headache. I think it was dehydration, though.
(Would hate those stress headaches to return that I used to suffer from in my mid-twenties to mid-thirties!)
I did manage to tick off about five things on my 15-item list of things to do by tomorrow evening and thoroughly enjoyed my weekly Tai chi class. Way to go!
Blue Moon night. A very chilly night after a wonderfully warm and dry late-summer's day with lots of sunshine. But also a day on which I again felt really "wired" for much of the time.
PS added the next morning, 31Aug2012:
As I was falling asleep last night, I had the weirdest visual experience ever. Let me see if I can describe this...
Irregularly-shaped, clearly outlined small fragments of bright blue, a clear lapislazuli blue, the purest blue you can imagine, were moving across my retina, like a very slow, chaotic ballet. Beautiful – if a bit spooky.
I've experienced colour visions before, in deep healing or Shakra meditation for example, but usually see the colours of the rainbow, fading gently into and out of darkness, or each other. On some occasions they would change from purple to blue to green, yellow and pure white, or from purple to red to orange, yellow and white...
Again overslept after being woken just after 7am by a rogue phone call from the Continent. Had forgotten to turn up my mobile phone, which is my reminder of umpteen things and appointments every day. Don't know what I did before these handy wee things came into existence – certainly remember missing lots of appointments and dates, that's for sure!
I got caught up in intense work, getting my head together for a wee Gaelic exam in a week's time. I was under quite a bit of time pressure and found as I went into the garden mid-afternoon that I had a fairly bad headache. I think it was dehydration, though.
(Would hate those stress headaches to return that I used to suffer from in my mid-twenties to mid-thirties!)
I did manage to tick off about five things on my 15-item list of things to do by tomorrow evening and thoroughly enjoyed my weekly Tai chi class. Way to go!
Blue Moon night. A very chilly night after a wonderfully warm and dry late-summer's day with lots of sunshine. But also a day on which I again felt really "wired" for much of the time.
PS added the next morning, 31Aug2012:
As I was falling asleep last night, I had the weirdest visual experience ever. Let me see if I can describe this...
Irregularly-shaped, clearly outlined small fragments of bright blue, a clear lapislazuli blue, the purest blue you can imagine, were moving across my retina, like a very slow, chaotic ballet. Beautiful – if a bit spooky.
I've experienced colour visions before, in deep healing or Shakra meditation for example, but usually see the colours of the rainbow, fading gently into and out of darkness, or each other. On some occasions they would change from purple to blue to green, yellow and pure white, or from purple to red to orange, yellow and white...
Day Six
Overslept massively after a "choppy" night – that's what I call nights when I sleep fitfully and for what seem only minutes.
I was awake from about four until about six-thirty, then tried to sleep but only really slept after taking Concerta pill no. 6 at 9am. The phone woke me at 10.
I caught up with myself in terms of work and messages and getting finances sorted. And I sent out an e-circular telling a long list of people I'm stepping back from a voluntary thing I've been doing for the past four years, which was iniated by someone who moved away after about 18 months and left a few of us "holding the baby". More people moved away or were promoted so I ended up keeping the flame going, so to speak.
Things have moved on, technology has evolved; I've asked people to tap into other platforms to "green" this area.
Response has been gratifying and I'll be doing similar stuff in other ways, I'm quite sure of that.
Now I'm exhausted and tired and all I want to do is sleep, but I went out to a wonderful concert and got home late, then just flopped and watched the end of a documentary on the iPlayer and switched over to a harrowing film about a young black NYC woman lifting herself out of misery – with the help of a dedicated teacher.
When I'm less tired I'll probably find it inspiring. Right now, all I want to do is sleep. But I needed to write these notes here now.
Concerta effects? A slight headache late afternoon, after working outside in the garden for an hour or so where it got suddenly quite hot and muggy. It went away when I drank a large glass of water, so may just have been a touch of dehydration.
All the tasks I still need to do – accounting, tidying up the house, tidying up the garden – the weeds are just horrendous! – are daunting. I'll get there, step by step by step, but sometimes the weeds are taking over, at least that's what it feels like.
But some of my flowers are absolutely stunning and I managed to pick a small handful of wood-strawberries and a large handful of blueberries. Will have them for breakfast in the morning.
I was awake from about four until about six-thirty, then tried to sleep but only really slept after taking Concerta pill no. 6 at 9am. The phone woke me at 10.
I caught up with myself in terms of work and messages and getting finances sorted. And I sent out an e-circular telling a long list of people I'm stepping back from a voluntary thing I've been doing for the past four years, which was iniated by someone who moved away after about 18 months and left a few of us "holding the baby". More people moved away or were promoted so I ended up keeping the flame going, so to speak.
Things have moved on, technology has evolved; I've asked people to tap into other platforms to "green" this area.
Response has been gratifying and I'll be doing similar stuff in other ways, I'm quite sure of that.
Now I'm exhausted and tired and all I want to do is sleep, but I went out to a wonderful concert and got home late, then just flopped and watched the end of a documentary on the iPlayer and switched over to a harrowing film about a young black NYC woman lifting herself out of misery – with the help of a dedicated teacher.
When I'm less tired I'll probably find it inspiring. Right now, all I want to do is sleep. But I needed to write these notes here now.
Concerta effects? A slight headache late afternoon, after working outside in the garden for an hour or so where it got suddenly quite hot and muggy. It went away when I drank a large glass of water, so may just have been a touch of dehydration.
All the tasks I still need to do – accounting, tidying up the house, tidying up the garden – the weeds are just horrendous! – are daunting. I'll get there, step by step by step, but sometimes the weeds are taking over, at least that's what it feels like.
 |
| Three blooms on one lily stalk. My pride and joy! (29Aug2012) |
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Day Five
Quite a busy day. Not woken by early traffic, but only because I slept with my bedroom window closed, I think. It was so chilly last night, felt like winter!
Again beat the alarm clock for my 8:45 pill by a couple of minutes. Mustn't get complacent, though.
Breakfast al fresco, at least for about fifteen minutes. A sudden squall drove me inside. Work called anyway. It's been a bit busier now the summer holidays are over.
Lateish cup of strong coffee, about an hour before my ESOL class in the afternoon, preceded by a meeting with our "boss". Who told me and my assistant teacher that in four months of classes we've used up way more than the proportion of our budget (which was much reduced from last year anyway). I can feel a rant coming on about a government that has the wrong kinds of priorities...
The class went well enough but I had prepped with students in mind who didn't turn up (which always seems to happen when I prep stuff), so we had to adapt quite a lot and I'm not sure I managed to match the material (Looking for a job and Job applications) to all the students in the classroom.
Came home to find a message from my younger brother and his wife in response to my letter to the family about ADD/ADHD, a very positive reaction that shines an honest light on their own situation. We're on similar paths, working hard to stay sane in a totally crazy world!
My very bright young private student came in for her Tuesday afternoon ESOL lesson. She's been coming for several years and has made wonderful progress from very little English to taking good grades home in her last year at High School. Proud of her.
After she left I sat down to take care of a translation job due at my client's by tomorrow late afternoon and honed that piece until it shone and is now ready for me to re-read in the morning and "ship" off.
By 8pm I was ravenous, hadn't had anything but breakfast all day, which is quite common. So, despite quite a bit of school work still waiting, I had a large bowl of home-grown lettuce (harvested the day before) with an organic tomato and some organic ham, sprinkled with some organic Fairtrade cashew nuts, plus a couple of slices of toast made from sourdough bread, with a little organic butter. (Yes, I do try to eat organic and Fairtrade products as much as I possibly can, even though they cost an inordinate amount of money. But I have long noticed a big difference in taste and the impact food has on me, so this is well worth it.)
Will see how this goes. I would have preferred tatties but the bread was going stale and I hate throwing out food. In the past I've noticed that my joints are much more stiff the morning after eating bread or pasta or rice, or fresh tomatoes. Seems they increase acidity a lot more than potatoes or cooked tomatoes, for example. And when my joints stiffen up, my sleep gets disrupted.
While eating, and after, I watched a couple of episodes of detective series (Gently..., Montalbano) on the iPlayer; now it's time for bed but I feel totally "wired".
Is Concerta making a difference? Not sure; it's hard to tell because I have a long history of irregular days, periods of intense, highly focused, mostly intellectual work that alternate with slumps in which I can't be bothered to do anything but watch TV – which I guess is ok and necessary and goes with the territory of being a freelancer, but is also really quite exhausting.
I don't know...
Again beat the alarm clock for my 8:45 pill by a couple of minutes. Mustn't get complacent, though.
Breakfast al fresco, at least for about fifteen minutes. A sudden squall drove me inside. Work called anyway. It's been a bit busier now the summer holidays are over.
Lateish cup of strong coffee, about an hour before my ESOL class in the afternoon, preceded by a meeting with our "boss". Who told me and my assistant teacher that in four months of classes we've used up way more than the proportion of our budget (which was much reduced from last year anyway). I can feel a rant coming on about a government that has the wrong kinds of priorities...
The class went well enough but I had prepped with students in mind who didn't turn up (which always seems to happen when I prep stuff), so we had to adapt quite a lot and I'm not sure I managed to match the material (Looking for a job and Job applications) to all the students in the classroom.
Came home to find a message from my younger brother and his wife in response to my letter to the family about ADD/ADHD, a very positive reaction that shines an honest light on their own situation. We're on similar paths, working hard to stay sane in a totally crazy world!
My very bright young private student came in for her Tuesday afternoon ESOL lesson. She's been coming for several years and has made wonderful progress from very little English to taking good grades home in her last year at High School. Proud of her.
After she left I sat down to take care of a translation job due at my client's by tomorrow late afternoon and honed that piece until it shone and is now ready for me to re-read in the morning and "ship" off.
By 8pm I was ravenous, hadn't had anything but breakfast all day, which is quite common. So, despite quite a bit of school work still waiting, I had a large bowl of home-grown lettuce (harvested the day before) with an organic tomato and some organic ham, sprinkled with some organic Fairtrade cashew nuts, plus a couple of slices of toast made from sourdough bread, with a little organic butter. (Yes, I do try to eat organic and Fairtrade products as much as I possibly can, even though they cost an inordinate amount of money. But I have long noticed a big difference in taste and the impact food has on me, so this is well worth it.)
Will see how this goes. I would have preferred tatties but the bread was going stale and I hate throwing out food. In the past I've noticed that my joints are much more stiff the morning after eating bread or pasta or rice, or fresh tomatoes. Seems they increase acidity a lot more than potatoes or cooked tomatoes, for example. And when my joints stiffen up, my sleep gets disrupted.
While eating, and after, I watched a couple of episodes of detective series (Gently..., Montalbano) on the iPlayer; now it's time for bed but I feel totally "wired".
Is Concerta making a difference? Not sure; it's hard to tell because I have a long history of irregular days, periods of intense, highly focused, mostly intellectual work that alternate with slumps in which I can't be bothered to do anything but watch TV – which I guess is ok and necessary and goes with the territory of being a freelancer, but is also really quite exhausting.
I don't know...
Monday, August 27, 2012
Day Four
Beat the wake-up call for my pill this morning by a few minutes! A fairly good day, chilly and damp here, but growing warmer and drier as the day wore on.
Very tired just now after a fairly intense day, but still have a short piece of work to do. Got through quite a decent load of work, though, and felt focused.
Also spoke to some members of my family about ADD/ADHD and using Concerta. It's not easy for them; my parents, especially. Have not yet heard back from either of my (younger) brothers. Are they in denial? My youngest nephew got back almost immediately wishing me luck. He's a very nice young lad. They're all very nice, my niece and three nephews, but busy young people.
Good, if tiring singing session with the Choir this evening; but I had overeaten (cleaned out that big box of chocolates – never want to eat chocolate again!) and felt stuffed. Still do, in fact.
Otherwise, I couldn't say that I can feel any symptoms, certainly no unwanted side-effects so far. Not that I'm expecting any, really...
Very tired just now after a fairly intense day, but still have a short piece of work to do. Got through quite a decent load of work, though, and felt focused.
Also spoke to some members of my family about ADD/ADHD and using Concerta. It's not easy for them; my parents, especially. Have not yet heard back from either of my (younger) brothers. Are they in denial? My youngest nephew got back almost immediately wishing me luck. He's a very nice young lad. They're all very nice, my niece and three nephews, but busy young people.
Good, if tiring singing session with the Choir this evening; but I had overeaten (cleaned out that big box of chocolates – never want to eat chocolate again!) and felt stuffed. Still do, in fact.
Otherwise, I couldn't say that I can feel any symptoms, certainly no unwanted side-effects so far. Not that I'm expecting any, really...
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Day Three
Woken again, at about 2:11am, by an empty lorry thundering past. Managed to fall asleep soon after, though.
Phone alerted me to time being 8:45am, time to take my pill. Dozed for a while after, missing the cat. It was a chilly morning, hence breakfast (the usual, plus about six chocolates) not al fresco. Felt ravenous, so prepared lunch from leftover potatoes, a couple of eggs, fried into a kind of Spanish omelet, on a bed of Lollo rosso with fresh herbs.
Headed down to just south of Kilmelford to visit the studio of an artist friend and really enjoyed the drive, the scenery, and the company at Karen's studio. Gorgeous artwork, fabulous garden, warm, sunny weather.
On the way home, dropped in on some friends who will soon be moving away. She wasn't in but I blethered with her partner for a bit, then headed home.
Spent two hours digging up a few more potatoes and weeding the garden, there are SOOOOO many weeds! Nearly missed the time to take myself to the cinema for – hold tight! – Rock of Ages. Oh, well. The music was way too loud but it was fun, all the same.
Had a text from the cat's family saying she's fine and has settled in well; seemed to remember the place. That's really good to know. She sounded so distressed when I handed her over in the basket, it broke my heart.
Is Concerta making a difference? Not at all sure. Certainly feel the same old impatience on the road when a clueless tourist is taking a 60mph road at 35mph, and enjoyed overtaking a slow-coach when I could see that the road was clear even though there were a couple of wide curves.
What I have felt a couple of times is a hint of dizziness when getting up quickly from sitting down or straightening fast from bending over. I used to have that a lot when I was much younger, not so often of late. Appetite is healthy enough; haven't eaten since that breakfast-dessert-lunch binge and don't feel hungry, just thirsty. That certainly IS different.
Phone alerted me to time being 8:45am, time to take my pill. Dozed for a while after, missing the cat. It was a chilly morning, hence breakfast (the usual, plus about six chocolates) not al fresco. Felt ravenous, so prepared lunch from leftover potatoes, a couple of eggs, fried into a kind of Spanish omelet, on a bed of Lollo rosso with fresh herbs.
Headed down to just south of Kilmelford to visit the studio of an artist friend and really enjoyed the drive, the scenery, and the company at Karen's studio. Gorgeous artwork, fabulous garden, warm, sunny weather.
On the way home, dropped in on some friends who will soon be moving away. She wasn't in but I blethered with her partner for a bit, then headed home.
Spent two hours digging up a few more potatoes and weeding the garden, there are SOOOOO many weeds! Nearly missed the time to take myself to the cinema for – hold tight! – Rock of Ages. Oh, well. The music was way too loud but it was fun, all the same.
Had a text from the cat's family saying she's fine and has settled in well; seemed to remember the place. That's really good to know. She sounded so distressed when I handed her over in the basket, it broke my heart.
Is Concerta making a difference? Not at all sure. Certainly feel the same old impatience on the road when a clueless tourist is taking a 60mph road at 35mph, and enjoyed overtaking a slow-coach when I could see that the road was clear even though there were a couple of wide curves.
What I have felt a couple of times is a hint of dizziness when getting up quickly from sitting down or straightening fast from bending over. I used to have that a lot when I was much younger, not so often of late. Appetite is healthy enough; haven't eaten since that breakfast-dessert-lunch binge and don't feel hungry, just thirsty. That certainly IS different.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Day Two
Back from an evening out with walking friends, saying farewell to a couple who are heading south (primarily for health reasons). A sad occasion, but a happy evening filled with laughter.
The day started sluggish, I was woken in the middle of the night by a lorry clattering noisily past the house – Scotland Transerv need to get their a--- kicked for letting the main road into Oban go to the dogs.
Found it hard to go back to sleep and even harder to wake up properly.
I've decided to take my one pill a day at 8:45am; any earlier and I'll be stressed out all night for fear of oversleeping...
Once I was up I was fine, got into the swing of things, breakfast was the usual healthy affair: a mix of rolled rye and barley with fresh and dried fruit and berries, lots of hot water and some fruit juice to give it a bit of taste. Glass of carrot juice, glass of water, lovely strong coffee. Plus: lovely weather allowed me to have breakfast al fresco, reading my favourite paper.
Almost forgot time (what else is new?) and ended up running a bit behind on getting produce out of the garden and into the kitchen in time for lunch for a friend.
Salad of home-grown Lollo rosso, with tomatoes, avocado, a few shavings of carrot and fresh home-grown herbs, with a balsamico/olive oil dresing and a generous pinch of sea salt; plus freshly dug up potatoes and home-grown mange-tout peas with a fresh tomato gently cooked in olive oil. Yummy – out of the garden, into the pan! Nothing can be better.
Later I spent about three hours digging up more tatties, as well as dandelion roots and doing a general spot of weeding. Very physical work - my back and wrists don't much like it any more but it's satisfying in every other way.
Then it was time to get cleaned up for dinner at Soroba House Hotel. Had a G&T followed by a very small glass of white wine before switching to water. Chef Tim McKechnie did us proud. He produces wonderful meals with an imaginative, modern twist. (I must try his Sunday carvery one of these days...)
My choice was poached salmon with a colourful array of fresh veggies. Dessert was an amazing gateau (I think it was coffee-flavoured chocolate = moccha, with a hint of sea salt), beautifully presented with a "waterfall" of the lightest of frothy vanilla-flavoured cream.
When I got home I felt the need for a walk so took myself down the hill to the Corran Halls and back up again, not too energetically so as to digest all the lovely food – I don't usually have breakfast, lunch and dinner...
A good day; the lovely weather helped. Miss the cat, though, really miss her!
The day started sluggish, I was woken in the middle of the night by a lorry clattering noisily past the house – Scotland Transerv need to get their a--- kicked for letting the main road into Oban go to the dogs.
Found it hard to go back to sleep and even harder to wake up properly.
I've decided to take my one pill a day at 8:45am; any earlier and I'll be stressed out all night for fear of oversleeping...
Once I was up I was fine, got into the swing of things, breakfast was the usual healthy affair: a mix of rolled rye and barley with fresh and dried fruit and berries, lots of hot water and some fruit juice to give it a bit of taste. Glass of carrot juice, glass of water, lovely strong coffee. Plus: lovely weather allowed me to have breakfast al fresco, reading my favourite paper.
Almost forgot time (what else is new?) and ended up running a bit behind on getting produce out of the garden and into the kitchen in time for lunch for a friend.
Salad of home-grown Lollo rosso, with tomatoes, avocado, a few shavings of carrot and fresh home-grown herbs, with a balsamico/olive oil dresing and a generous pinch of sea salt; plus freshly dug up potatoes and home-grown mange-tout peas with a fresh tomato gently cooked in olive oil. Yummy – out of the garden, into the pan! Nothing can be better.
Later I spent about three hours digging up more tatties, as well as dandelion roots and doing a general spot of weeding. Very physical work - my back and wrists don't much like it any more but it's satisfying in every other way.
Then it was time to get cleaned up for dinner at Soroba House Hotel. Had a G&T followed by a very small glass of white wine before switching to water. Chef Tim McKechnie did us proud. He produces wonderful meals with an imaginative, modern twist. (I must try his Sunday carvery one of these days...)
My choice was poached salmon with a colourful array of fresh veggies. Dessert was an amazing gateau (I think it was coffee-flavoured chocolate = moccha, with a hint of sea salt), beautifully presented with a "waterfall" of the lightest of frothy vanilla-flavoured cream.
When I got home I felt the need for a walk so took myself down the hill to the Corran Halls and back up again, not too energetically so as to digest all the lovely food – I don't usually have breakfast, lunch and dinner...
A good day; the lovely weather helped. Miss the cat, though, really miss her!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Day One
Today is day one of a new chapter. At the age of 60 + 2 months I've decided to take medication to help me deal with what I now know to be ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)/Hyperactivity Syndrome (ADHD), which has made much of my life quite challenging, not to say miserable.
I've received a prescription of Concerta XL (aka Methylphenidate hydrochloride) Prolonged Release Tablets. My current daily dose is 18mg; I'm supposed to gradually increase. More on this in a later post, perhaps.
The point of this blog is to try and keep tabs on whether and possibly how this affects my mood, my output and quality of life.
It's been a very mixed bag of a day: my "cat for a year", who ended up staying with me for almost 15 months, has gone back to her family – a wrench made none the easier for having been long expected and well prepared for.
Until her owner came – and afterwards – I dealt with some fairly urgent work for my distant clients.
In the afternoon I had my weekly one-to-one Gaelic session with my private tutor – most enjoyable, instructive and topped off by wee cups of strong coffee plus, today, two delicious chocolates made in Oban.
It was a dry, sunny, mostly warm day, so I walked into town to get some tickets for the cinema on Sunday (which re-opened on 2 August) and a Gaelic song recital next week, plus to pick up a few things from the shops.
Work more or less done, I didn't check e-mails again before I headed out to Dunollie Castle for a hugely enjoyable evening of hog roast with two different kinds of salad (rice and pasta) and a goodly quantity of a very decent Pinot grigio to wash everything down before we gathered for a drama walk about the castle grounds to the words of Shakespeare. The Walking Theatre retold the ancient tale of Macbeth in a thrilling and sometimes surprising way.
During my walk home I enjoyed the magical light on the still water – another one of these many lovely evenings we've had this summer when the water in the bay looked more like quicksilver, with a sheen of purplish gold long after sunset.
I'm not sure I've digested it all but am tired now and getting ready to turn in.
Has Concerta made a noticeable difference? Not sure – probably too early to tell. What I do notice, as I type, is that I make a lot of wee mistakes that I have to correct – is it the wine (only had one large glass, hours ago, plus a glass of water)? Or am I just tired?
I've received a prescription of Concerta XL (aka Methylphenidate hydrochloride) Prolonged Release Tablets. My current daily dose is 18mg; I'm supposed to gradually increase. More on this in a later post, perhaps.
The point of this blog is to try and keep tabs on whether and possibly how this affects my mood, my output and quality of life.
It's been a very mixed bag of a day: my "cat for a year", who ended up staying with me for almost 15 months, has gone back to her family – a wrench made none the easier for having been long expected and well prepared for.
Until her owner came – and afterwards – I dealt with some fairly urgent work for my distant clients.
In the afternoon I had my weekly one-to-one Gaelic session with my private tutor – most enjoyable, instructive and topped off by wee cups of strong coffee plus, today, two delicious chocolates made in Oban.
It was a dry, sunny, mostly warm day, so I walked into town to get some tickets for the cinema on Sunday (which re-opened on 2 August) and a Gaelic song recital next week, plus to pick up a few things from the shops.
Work more or less done, I didn't check e-mails again before I headed out to Dunollie Castle for a hugely enjoyable evening of hog roast with two different kinds of salad (rice and pasta) and a goodly quantity of a very decent Pinot grigio to wash everything down before we gathered for a drama walk about the castle grounds to the words of Shakespeare. The Walking Theatre retold the ancient tale of Macbeth in a thrilling and sometimes surprising way.
During my walk home I enjoyed the magical light on the still water – another one of these many lovely evenings we've had this summer when the water in the bay looked more like quicksilver, with a sheen of purplish gold long after sunset.
I'm not sure I've digested it all but am tired now and getting ready to turn in.
Has Concerta made a noticeable difference? Not sure – probably too early to tell. What I do notice, as I type, is that I make a lot of wee mistakes that I have to correct – is it the wine (only had one large glass, hours ago, plus a glass of water)? Or am I just tired?
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