The Call of the Wendigo wrote:

I've just had a nap. I dreamt that my living room had the light shades that our living room had when I was little.

It's all go inside inside your mind isn't it.

I went to bed at 8.10 last night, the sun was still shining on my curtains. And I woke up at 5.30 full of energy

Went to bed at 8.20 last night and woke up at 2.45. I thought 'I know it's June, but it's very light for so early in the morning.'

Then I noticed it seemed to be getting darker

Then I realised that I had misread my (analogue) watch and (analogue) wall clock - it was 9.15, I'd only been asleep for an hour.

There's a happy ending though, I fell asleep again and didn't wake up till 4.30.

I slept 10½ hours last night.

Though that's probably because I stayed up all night on Friday talking to my friend till 6.30am. 19½ hours of continuous yacking.

Ooh, I knew I shouldn't have boasted. I went to bed at 7pm and stayed there for 8 hours, but I didn't get more than 2 hours' sleep. And I've got to drive miles today.

I survived! Although I felt a bit sleepy on the boring lower bit of the M6, I didn't nod off and then crash, I made it to my destination. And now there's just a quick 80-mile dash for home tomorrow morning.

I have found a good way of coping with insomnia. If I wake up after 5 hours and can't get back to sleep, I get up and do something quiet and boring for an hour or so, then go back to bed, and so far I've always managed to get back to sleep again.

I'm glad it works for you. I went to a specialist in sleep who had me doing that - for every half hour of not sleeping, I had to get up, get dressed, and find something else to do for an hour. Like cleaning. I ended up with a completely immaculate flat and was ready for the day ahead (if completely shattered).

I slept excellently last night. I had a no-wine evening and tucked myself into bed under two duvets at 8.15pm, and just sat back and enjoyed the ambience for a few minutes before turning the lights off. And the next thing I knew it was 4.25 and time to get up.

I went to bed at 5.58pm, and had horrible nightmares all night about ceaselessly malicious enemies. But I got up at 2.15 refreshed for my long drive to Glasgow.

I hope you reached Glasgow safely and are enjoying yourself already.

I like The Burrell Collection, and wandering round Dowanhill/Hyndland. I'm sure the locals will be happy to tell you what's on where and will have their own favourites to suggest. My best friend is from Newton Mearns originally, and that's a nice residential area you might consider looking in.

One note of caution - a Polish architect of my carnal acquaintance lived there for a year and suffered debilitating insomnia due to the extended twilights. When he came back to London he was able to give up taking sleeping pills. You might need to invest in blackout blinds or curtains from the off.

Yes thank you. I'm in my hotel room in Bearsden. Everyone in Tescos was Scottish, it was weird.

I slept soundly last night despite people clomping around upstairs, and someone from a Fanchester number I didn't recognise phoning me at midnight.

I had half a half bottle of Jura Journey before going to bed, that might have helped.

I'm going to try and get a train into Glasgo w today. Or maybe I shouldn't, due to the coronavirus?

I got the bus into Glasgow, and had a pleasant time wandering around. The city centre is very spacious and grand, but a wee bit untidy. I went across one of the Clyde bridges and pondered in the middle, looking at the skyline and clouds and wondering if it really was the city for me.

The bridge had an automatic audio recording playing, to deter people who were thinking of chucking themselves off the middle

I hear the Gorbals are loverly this time of year

So, did you get a welcome to your new home vibe or not? Untidy as in lots of litter and dog sh*t? Or some other features?

I think I might know what you mean. I find it untidy in the same way Bristol is. They're both so damp all the time that moss is everywhere, weeds have established themselves on buildings, and nobody is able to maintain a neat lawn. It does create a visible atmosphere of slight neglect.

cosmictanya wrote:

So, did you get a welcome to your new home vibe or not?

I cautiously concluded that it would feel like home if I accepted it at face value. If I was going to insist it ought to be nice and tidy, I might as well stay where I am, because I've already got one home that I'm not happy with. I love the thought of myself casually wandering round those grand cityscapes just doing my weekend shopping.

I do like the idea of getting big city living so cheaply, and accessibly. It was only a 25-minute bus ride right into the centre with all its cultural and commercial offerings. Where I am now it'd be an hour on the train, and the house prices are still way higher. The posh bits of Glasgow are ludicrously cheap house-price-wise.