Nedding

I can't do justice to it, I really can't. So just the highlights:

• Seeing the girls head off to the registry office in a state of high excitement and return (about 30 seconds later) officially nedded: it brought a tear to my eye (in a good way).
• The first sight of the secret location, the glorious Ardanaiseig Hotel, and Fi's particular excitement at showing us all to our specially selected rooms (ours chosen for the short bed (as Official Shortest Couple) and fabulous freestanding bath).
• Trying out the bath - mmm, hot water!
• Seeing the boys draw up in their Inspector Morse car.
• Walking into a timewarp before dinner when everyone had dressed up beautifully for the 1920s theme and the venue was perfect for it.
• Venison.
• Poker with a professional dealer.
• Music and dancing and Fi and Ailsa looking really happy.
• Messing about quietly with arty stuff in a comfy yurt.
• Swimming in the loch, thinking all swimming should be done in fresh water, under the open sky.
• Lying on short grass in warm sun.
• Talking to Archie about dinosaurs.
  
• Feeling pretty in my hippy dress.
  
• Steak.
• Ceilidhing with Simon and Morag like old times.
• Al winning the Fantastic Prize.
• Mulling it all over with the cheeseboard on the way home.

That's quite a lot of highlights. And the bits in between were great too. It really was lovely to see Simon, as well as others old and new faces. It was the perfect location not only for our own brand of crazy competitiveness but also for all the party, young and less young, to keep entertained.

Can't wait to run another Mouse Race next year! I'm already planning on asking the neighbours if we can borrow their tennis court and wondering if you're allowed to swim in Gartmorn Dam.

Back down to earth: Fi's sister caught me in a weakened hungover state and signed me up for the Coll half marathon in (gulp) five weeks. I'm going to try and run 100 miles before then: averaging 20 miles a week. So far I have done two gym trips, one 4 miles and one 4 and a half, at just quicker than 6 mph. It was horrendous: so depressing that what would have been a mild warm up three months ago is now a real workout. But if all else fails I can do the 5km race instead.