Back to Isolation

It’s been all quiet on the blogging front recently because for the past two weeks (well…12 days, but close enough) I have been in civilisation! That’s right – I have been back in the land of Starbucks, cinemas, and shopping, and I’ve been loving it. Even more than the excitement of Edinburgh, though, was the visit to my own personal Mecca – Bloomingdales, New York City!

Maria and I fly off to NYC last weekend for a three night jolly (as you do!) and it was FAB! We did a city-tour on Saturday (because we were only there for a couple of days we figured it was the best way to see as much of the city as possible in a short amount of time), went to an amazing restaurant called Tao, drank cocktails that were dangerously drinkable, I shopped until I almost literally dropped, I had…wait for it…a Jamba Juice (Berry Lime Sublime with Energy for those to whom that will mean anything)…we got $9 manicures, ate far too much food…it was fab!

It was lovely being back in the ‘burgh too – seeing everyone, going to the cinema, generally being able to walk anywhere without ALWAYS seeing at least one person that you know…to be perfectly honest, I didn’t really want to come back up, but…the call of the pay-check was a bit too strong to ignore.

So here I am…back up on the edge of the world. But only just. The ferry ride last night was….umm….interesting! There was a force 10 storm…it was great! Buck (who was in the Navy and then worked on the oil rigs up here and in the Far East and Africa) suggested that I either a) get off the boat or b) strap myself in and make my peace with God. Helpful, huh? Fortunately my cabin was pretty much in the middle of the boat so I think we were spared the worst of the movement (there were two of us in the cabin and by this morning it was a sort of blitz-spirit type thing!) Since arriving back in Lerwick the general response has been “Were you on the boat last night?” “Yup” (said with a deep sigh and a grim look). “Wow,” (laughing) “how was that for you?” Dontcha just love community spirit?

But now I’m back in my wee house (which is absolutely bloody freezing after my 12 day absence), desperately trying to convince my shitty fireplace that it does, in fact, want to become a roaring house-warming blaze – thus far it is remaining stubbornly unconvinced. Fonz is back from the kennels, looking only lightly traumatised but I think that had more to do with the storm last night than any fault on the part of the lovely people who have been looking after her, and I think that she’s almost forgiven me for putting her in there – although she does keep on directly disapproving little meows in my direction. And now I really must get around to the huge pile of marking which I’ve been studiously ignoring thus far…fun as procrastination is, I really need to do it.

PS: Hurrah – there are flames! There are definite flames – that has to be a good sign…fingers crossed…