Reason Number ONE why Al and I have stayed married for 40 years.  We arrived in Glasgow and I went immediately to bed – it was late enough and I didn’t sleep at all on the plane. Al went out to get food and also scope out the reason he wanted to stay at this particular hotel.  The MINIATURE GOLF that is just blocks away.  We have mini golfed since the beginning of our relationship. Everywhere and anywhere. Fairbanks, Alaska indoor Glow-in-the-Dark, for example. I think this one is indoor, too (it rains a lot in Scotland, doncha know). We have some favorites for sure. There was a range on our Southwest trip with the kids years ago at the campsite where we were staying. The features were so clever – based on National Parks, so there was a Grand Canyon, there were Arches – you get the idea. Anyway, you’d have thought the man bought me three new cars and a couple of mansions when he came in last night and told me he’d checked out where the mini golf was. Of course I thought he was kidding (most of what comes out of his mouth is meant to poke me a bit) but he was NOT!

Our journey was largely uneventful. I forgot to take my mother’s little helper on the flight and therefore did not sleep the entire time. By the time I finally got to the hotel I had been awake over 24 hours. I only had one meltdown when we got off the airport shuttle in the middle of the city at the wrong stop and had to walk extra blocks with our suitcases and try to use the map Al had printed out that required a magnifying glass to use. We stopped to ask the very friendly Glaswegians where we were and twice they helpfully gave us directions that were close to being right but not quite, and eventually following these convoluted instructions we got to our hotel.

As I say I had no choice but to lie down for a bit, got up, ate something, went right back to sleep.

Was awakened about 2-3 a.m. by youthful and apparently whiskey-fueled serenaders on the street below. Reminded me of a wee morning in Milwaukee when the cop gently reminded us college kids that the new building that had been erected on our city campus was a senior apartment building, and suggested maybe we keep that in mind and keep our vocal styling down a bit….

Today we head off for our Hop On Hop Off bus tour and….mini golf. The airport bus had seats facing each other and we chatted with a lovely couple our age who live outside of Glasgow. I could understand her perfectly but got about half of what the gentleman said. He immediately teased me and asked: “Are you going to try haggis?”

Absolutely. I’m not guaranteeing I will eat a lot of it but I’m definitely not leaving this country without a taste. My money says I’ll love it. My Mother was the granddaughter of a man who owned a butcher shop in Chicago, so I learned to eat and enjoy “innards”. I loved liver and onion and bacon as a kid – my Mom knew how to cook it just right so it was tender and not like eating shoe leather. My Grandma loved sweetbreads and I’ll leave that to you to research….