Masked Foxy Drivers

Just a quick update with some strange things that have happened recently.  (The title will make sense when you reach the end)

Tonight, while walking home, just past Holyrood Palace, I witnessed one of the strangest sights.  I was in the middle of the city and not the only person around though it was after dark, yet coming down the middle of the road toward me was a full-grown red fox!  It was following the centre line, which was a good indication that he was not drunk.  Then, following all the rules of the road, he turned into a little driveway not ten feet in front of me, passing under a gate and trotting off through the car lot.  I have never seen a fox this close up before, and it was certainly a great sight to see.  He was not vexed by the presence of people at all, and was, by all indications, both sober and knowledgeable of road laws.  The only thing missing was a bunch of hound dogs and men on horses chasing after him.

The other strange sight for this week involved motorists doing what they were supposed to.  Construction on the Royal Mile backed up traffic in both directions.  As I walked to work, I saw the traffic beside me receive the green light.  Unfortunately, there was an intersection which involved a yield and merge area.  Drivers were correctly leaving a full space between them so that the line of cars backed up in both directions could merge together like a zipper.  Traffic was flowing smoothly, and everyone was getting to go.  Even better, no one was being rude or inconsiderate (except one, but I think he got flipped off, and definitely got guilted by his peers, so it’s okay).  I thought, this was something I would NEVER see in the US with drivers only concerned about themselves.  It still baffles (albeit pleasantly) how good, polite, and aware the drivers are over here.  Perhaps it is just Scotland, as I’ve heard London and perhaps England, such is not always the case.  Regardless, I will cherish this small luxury of drivers respecting pedestrians, cyclists and each other to all share the road, and making travel, whatever the means, an overall pleasant experience (the multiple construction sites excluded).

In other news, I was supposed to get into my new office (a multi-purpose room that would for the time being be primarily mine) today at work, but this was postponed, after the janitors did all the work to clean it up and reorganise.  There is testing for the next two weeks that no one cared to mention to me, or anyone else involved in the move.  I found out by accident, and was then told I’d have to wait for two weeks to get my computer moved into the room and set up my work station.  Oh well, at least I know it’s coming, and it will be a nice work area, with a big window, and mostly quietness, where I don’t have to constantly walk back and forth between multiple workstations.  (Granted, I’ll still be back and forth, but not as much).

Tonight, we were supposed to go to a Postgraduate, Masquerade Ceilidh.  For those of you that are unfamiliar, a Ceilidh is the Scottish equivalent of barn/line dancing, but is far more fun.  The Scots will find any excuse to have one, and this would have been our second.  A caller walks you through the dance, usually in couples in a big circle on the dance floor.  Anyone can join in to walk through the steps.  Then, the band, almost always live, plays a wonderful, peppy celtic-type song (fiddle, guitar, drums, and maybe even bagpipes), and everyone dances the routine again and again, until the song is over.  It’s a great time of fun and laughs.  Even better, this one was to be a masquerade, so we (well, Bailey) made masks that looked amazing!  Perhaps we can get pics soon.  Unfortunately, health was not on our side, and we were forced to bow out tonight.  Now, we’ll have to find some other good excuse for our masks, but we can’t say they didn’t look awesome!  Think: Phantom of the Opera, Masquerade Ball, black and white, and you’ll get the idea. 

That is all for now.  I’m off to fix lunch for tomorrow’s work, and then early to bed, for early to rise.  I have a 2 mile commute each way every day, on foot.  Nothing like that to get your blood pumping and wake you up in the morning.  I do miss driving, but I enjoy walking to work every day, and I feel like I’m already getting healthier because of it. 

Best wishes to all,

Matt