Apologies.

So yeah, I did the three half marathons and there were brilliant times and involved stories for each of them. But I failed in the blog task - once you're a few days past nothing seems fresh enough to write about.  Amsterdam was an age ago, Alabama was a dream.  There will be pictures and stories from both, but in deference to my bulging inbox I'll email them rather than blogging.  This sucker is dead in the puddle of a North Lanarkshire winter...  Thanks for reading, N (:

German sets his babies free...

Compost Trauma

As penance for yesterday's over-social afternoon I decided to move the compost heap today.

I have discovered it's about 30% eggshell, 40% vigorously multiplying potatoes, and *GULP* about 5% mole.

Now I know a lot more about moles.  How surprisingly tiny they are (I thought they were the size of cats!) and how desperately helpless they are when you expose them to the light.  I also know the sound they make when you accidentally stab them with a spade and they crawl off to die.  Now I have to do more penance for killing little helpless furry things.  Two of them.

And I should probably do penance for flipping the remaining three into next door's garden for Oliver the dog to deal with.  He wasn't around, they'll be fine... they probably came from there anyway.  Really.

Footy Crowd Trauma

Yesterday I was in town for longer than planned, and as the streets moved from busy to hoaching me and my Raleigh took refuge up at Hope St Studios.  The coffee was hot, the conversation important and the outside world was mad.  Below is the queue that stretched from inside Central Station, down the block, around the corner and off down Argyle St.  It lasted for about two hours.  For those not Scottish, it's the Tartan Army politely awaiting the train to Hampden, before kickoff against World and Euro champions Spain.   Final score: Scotland remains favourite scrappy underdog.  I didn't get home till after 8pm...

Awesome

I'm supposed to be doing an 8 mile jog but I can't take my eyes off this:



and the magic behind it:

Loopy Lyndsay

The cactus licker!

Mid-week Weekend Part One

Hanging with Marshall, Adam, Lorna, Ben, Cammy, John and Maureen.

Marshall The Clown

Ross, Lindsay and John make new friends....

... at the reptile house!

John Japhoto

John and Maureen Moosh-fest

Cafe Crawl Debris

Over-sugared at CCT Cafe.

Autumn Still Life

Today's Long Run

13 miles, and it went really well.  Scotland is about to get gorgeous, the leaves are turning golden and the mushrooms are out.  I found some as big as my shoes.

7 Years in Scotland

Has done wonders for my Kiwi Twang.

German's flash-fast art installation, last Sunday

Pictures by Ross

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

From German's Exhibition

Can you BELIEVE it?

Yup, already.

Stuff I Shouldn't Own Up To.

I got sent to Stirling.

And got to film the Scottish Rugby 7s Commonwealth team in glorious weather.

The first signs of Autumn, chameleon leaves in crisp air.

Wallace monument and Stirling Uni Golf Course.

Sat Truck 534 on a lovely day for broadcasting.

Central Belt Cuisine.

Scottish Parliament Canteen Food.  Got a nation to run?  Do it on greasy carbs and boiled canned corn...

Uh Oh

So I took my sister's advice (or was it a demand?) and didn't work out for a whole week, because work suddenly got crazy and I ran straight to the money.  Then Saturday was an amazing sunny day that I spent painting the shed instead of doing 12 miles.

But now, it's two weeks till Amsterdam and I'm suddenly freaking out....

Rare September Sun

Te WareWhare, Glenboig Branch.

Long Run, Sunday, Out and Back.

Crossing the mighty Clyde then heading up the Kelvin River to the Clyde & Forth canal.  A tour of Glasgow's great waterways on a grey afternoon.  

Hills, Friday

How could I have forgotten?

To post my favourite picture from my run in Cambridge.

No eating the roadside berries down this way...

Amusing Cropping Incident

On the Guardian's live Pope page today.

Yeah, I'm a bit slack. Whadya gonna do about it?

I can't keep up with the blog, the website, the facebook, the twitterfeed and the rest of my life at present.  I'd do better if I didn't spend the first half hour of each day reading online newspapers and skimming the best of ALD.  For those who need more Nicola time, I also do a weekly boast on my website designed to frighten other freelancers, and I twitter under the moniker @damntheinternet.

The eventual aim is to merge everything into one massive information stream, which will spew onto the web via a port in the back of my neck.  I'll maybe start by mingling some of my online profiles next week.

Until then, here's a video of a train:

Leftovers from Cambridge

Too cool not to put 'em up, even if they're late...

Leo the owl, from the Raptor Centre

Photo of the month, by Ross.

7 in the Zafira!

Cambridge.  It's where smart people go.

Possible album cover for a band yet to be named. Suggestions please...

It's the MaizeMAZE!!!

Urr... we are so lost...

...and lovin' it.

Must...find....cider....

What's the time?  Stomping on the Meridian line in Somersham.

Topographical Triumph

At one point in this race I was apparently dead...

Race Day, Glasgow

We were as lucky as Christchurch.  Totally wrecked but no fatalities.

George Square, 20 minutes before the start.  Note the look of total fear on Kirsty's face.

Waiting in the start line queue.  

2 minutes in, and all is well.

It's all fun and games until you're forced off the path by a man who's forgotten the size of his costume.
Stupid Rainbow Heart man.  

That's US!  2 hours, 30 mins, and 3 seconds.  Ignore that clock above our heads.

Trust us, that's a grimace of relief, not a smile...