The Final Hours Of 2008
I'm sitting here like Jeffrey No-Mates this afternoon. No change there, of course, but this time the isolation is visible. The ground floor of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã H.Q. in Inverness is eerily quiet.
Upstairs the news journalists are busy, as are my colleagues from Ö÷²¥´óÐã Alba. In Lerwick (via Aberdeen) birthday boy is presenting his last live show of the year and, at Pacific Quay in Glasgow, the Music Team is preparing for tonight's Hogmanay extravaganza in the rooftop restaurant. Once again Robbie Shepherd will be teaming up with Bryan Burnett and Vic Galloway.
But here, where I am, just a sea of empty desks and an office clock ticking away the remaining hours of 2008. Worse than that, the vending machine has just packed in. Through the glass I can see crisps and chocolate bars, but there's just no way of getting at them. Not without using a hammer.
I've been out. I had lunch at the Inverness Museum on Castle Street. A very nice ham and cheese sandwich with free Hogmanay shortbread. I sat there in the cafe among the Pictish artefacts thinking about what the future may hold. Luckily there was a copy of the sitting on a nearby table, so I turned eagerly to the horoscope page. Apparently us Aquarians should leave our flies unzipped and our knickers tucked into our skirts. I kid you not, that's what it said. I mean...how do they get such specific information from studying the arrangement of the planets?
Downtown Inverness was heaving with shoppers and tourists. One small group of vistors was being led around town by one of those walking tour guides. I saw him point to the spire on the tollbooth steeple and explain that the larger of the two golden balls up there was actually filled with whisky. Can this be true?
Then a final saunter through Woolworths which, according to the posters outside, is set to close in seven days...but didn't seem to have enough stock left to last until teatime. I bought a tub of pic 'n' mix sweets which I plan to store in the attic until it becomes a valuable collector's item.
Or, if they don't fix that vending machine, I might just scoff the lot.
Anyway...that's it for this year of blogging. I hope you have fun tonight and a Happy New Year to all readers and listeners.
Cheers.
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