Hogmanay Havers.

I never showed you my Christmas Tree.

The day after boxing day Peter went a long run with the bigger boys. I had half an idea I would go for a 'dawn raid' in the Pentlands. Since dawn is about as late as it gets at the moment it didn't seem too challenging and I'm usually up and about fairly early. However, I got absorbed in something and the time got away. I needn't have worried because the sun never really got above the hills and I was mostly in cold, damp shadow. I went the low level route from Flotterstone up the road to the Howe and then down the other side, along the reservoirs and back over between Black Hill and Harbour Hill.

There were quite a few cyclists out, dressed up warm, but not many runners. As it happened, when I did meet runners, as I drew close, I realised that I knew 50% of them. Kerry was out doing more than she had to for a marcothon run.

C-c-cold. Cold enough so I wore my jacket for 3/4s of the run. The dawn hasn't dawned yet and it's 10am.

tantalising light on the top of the hill ahead

There it is.

After I'd finished I went to IKEA - probably a quiet day at IKEA but a bit of a contrast to the lonesome hills. I hadn't eaten or drunk anything and I'd been out running for more than 2 hours so I thought I'd maybe go to the cafe. When I got there, however, it was too complicated. There were instructions for how to use the cafe. And there was a huge queue. And it wasn't moving. I didn't even know how to work the trays. So I headed off to go and get what I needed and get home instead. I was a bit low blood-sugar I think and my brain wasn't working. I followed arrows pointing the wrong way to get into IKEA land and ran into Mike Lynch, almost unrecognisable in civilian clothing. He said he had to hurry to catch up with his family, but I don't think they were there. I think he was there on his own.

Peter came home much later, clearly drunk but trying to act like he wasn't.

The next day I suggested a run to the Modern Art Gallery - not through some great love of modern art but because I wanted an excuse for strong coffee and sweet cake.
Peter has covered the art in his blog and I have nothing further to add. Except this. Pah!!!

Okay, a little bit to say. I didn't even bother taking a photo of the downstairs art. A giantess had got a roll of cottonwool at Superdrug and taken her make-up off with it. Then she'd left it lying around on the floor.

In another room, someone had been a little bit sick on a clear-plastic umbrella.

The least impressive was a zinc sheet with some uninspiring stones placed on it. I worked in archaeology for a while in my early 20s while I was trying to figure out what else to do and I made more beautiful art with the soil and my trowel.

My biggest problem with this is that I've been trying to get round to doing a few things around the house for ages and I just can't - and someone has gone to the trouble of doing this. This took time and effort. A terrible waste of time and effort, and of a nice room.

multi-faceted

I was trying to get Peter to look wistful but this was the best he could do.

Peter says this is rubbish but I still like it. 

Not sure. I think it's a Goth band.

I went back to work for a day, which was a pleasure really. No sooner have you thought "On no, I have to get up early and go to work all day", than you're off again for another few days. This is a rhythm I could get used to. Plus it gave my legs a chance to recover from running too much. I don't normally run every day but, without really planning to, I'd run for the last 6 days, just because I had time, and it was good to get out the flat. Anything rather than sorting things out there.

Today we thought we might be brave and go and do a Park  Run. I got up early especially. But when I tried waking up Peter for it he said it sounded too windy and went back to sleep. I didn't spend much time trying to persuade him. It was too windy. We went to Gullane for a run around the shore there.
It was grey and blowy.

The little sanderlings are nimble and hard to see against the sea.

Cheeky. I tried to take their picture and they turned their backs on me.

So it's the end of the year. I am too hungry to attempt some kind of summing up. Strava provided me with some stats. I ran 1819.4 miles, ascended 99,072 feet and was 301 hours and 54 minutes doing it.

Thanks for visiting, and good luck.