Grin and Bard it....

We had a fabulous Burns' night tonight, with Spanish Maria and Pablo, and my friend Aileen, who is also my Area Manager. (I've known her since she was a student of 17, and I was HER boss. Then I left the company, and by the time I returned 4 years ago, she was a 30yr old going places. I'm so glad I was nice to her in her youth!)

For anybody who keeps track of such things, Maria has only one week to go until her baby is due. She was telling us that in Spain, the custom is for babies to get their ears pierced on the day they're born, but she's not going along with that tradition here, for fear people will think she's a bad mother! Her mother though, doesn't understand the culture difference, and is coming over from Spain with a pair of antique earrings for the baby, convinced that Maria will give in to her Iberian heritage at the last moment.....if I knew how to say 'fat chance' in Spanish, I would.

Doris made us a delicious supper of haggis with rosti potatoes, a quail's egg, and pickled swede - and I told a rude story about Bono!

It was a really good night....