(Nightshift)
Nightshift can be quiet at times. (Tumbleweed tumbles…). but on the last weekend of the Glasgow Fair, well I am considering writing to the Guiness book of records to see if it might be the quietest shift ever worked?
Of course there is always admin, notes, records, updates, but after 6 previous equally quiet nights, it’ s all pretty much up to speed – even the maps for the cycle race closures (don’t get me started!).
There are times when a vibrant conversation can fill those hours, sometimes I will wax philosophical entirely inside my head, indeed there are nights when there is too much time to think and reflect on ones shortcomings!
Mostly though, this has been a time of drinking (yet another) coffee and poking pencils into my eyes, though falling asleep at the desk is not the issue – I have a good staff and they know to throw pointy things at me if I should start to nod (I will return the favour…) – it’s the hour’s drive home that’s the challenge. I’ve certainly be saved by the rumble strips more than once.
Happilly on this occasion, I was sustained, nae motivated, by inspiration;
Last week brother Tam (of the new hip) commented; “Omitted and worthy of it’s own song -THE MARMALADE PUDDING INCIDENT”
Of course it was “the Treacle Pudding incident” – but having lived with him in that place and time, I understood the confusion (there was a lot, A LOT, of marmalade).
Now I do sometimes bring my guitar into work, although it gets played in breaks, not on duty on the bridge, but I did not have it this Sunday, so when the inspiration hit me, it was entirely an internal composition – I suppose I could have sung out loud, but they already think I’m a bit strange – hence after eight hours of mental lyricism, I was able to move to full opera mode on the drive home. The miles just flew by.
To use a previous analogy, I thought perhaps it was going to be a little bit “Manhattan Transfer” (Younger viewers may need to ask their grandparents) – “I like coffee, I like tea, I like the jaba jab……..” , when I started to dig, but boy, was I wrong.
I actually had the song about 90% (I’m still tweaking the odd word), but untill I started driving I had not heard it. What’s it like? Well that you’re going to wait and see, but soon, promise.
Thanks Tam.
Next week on IaDL. Killiefest? the Ceildh In Killie?, Dal-minifest? The time it rained all day and we had to go inside?
Dalmallyfest the Asylum 