Vernal Equinox

This morning I'm listening to Fred talking to Ruby Wax and I'm sure I've just heard her say "that's why guys get erections in lifts without thinking about it", which seemed to come out of nowhere and even had Fred flummoxed. How she knows is a mystery she doesn't explain. Maybe it's to do with hormones, or not apparently. Funny woman, I like her. And Fred. She's in Citizens Theatre, Glasgow this weekend for those of you in that lovely city. I would go myself but my present condition does not permit such adventures.

This morning Edinburgh is looking good, as usual, and I feel blessed to live here. The Pentland Hills are looking hazily inviting and I can't wait to be amongst them again. Soon I hope, and certainly before the end of 2014.

At long last Edinburgh has a statue to Robert Louis Stevenson, which was unveiled last autumn when I was in hospital. It's in the form of a sculpture of him as a young boy and is located outside Colinton Parish Church, where his grandfather was the minister, and where he used to spend his summers. I find it quite satisfying to think that RLS used to wander about my part of Edinburgh when he was a boy. It makes me feel closer to him, although I also see him in his house on Samoa as much as I see him in Edinburgh. The Samoans called him Tusitala, the teller of tales.

I mention the sculpture as I'm meeting my pal Roy for a coffee this afternoon, in Colinton, and we plan to go to see the statue, which will be first time I've seen it since it's unveiling by Ian Rankin in October 2013. So looking forward to that and might even post a photo on here for you if you're good.

I'm told on good authority that we are now into March, incredibly, which means it will soon be my birthday, which falls on the day of the spring equinox, here in Edinburgh at 16:57 on 20/03/2014. That's the equinox at 16:57, my birth was at 13:00 hours. I remember it well. So be sure to celebrate both these happy events, and I plan to be around to celebrate a lot more of them. If you have a bithday on the same day please let me know and we can celebrate together.

My treament continues as planned. More on that later. Lunch calls.