In which I’m awake for over 32 hours, read a book (well, most of a book), discover planes in the Icelandic mists, and hit the ground running in Glasgow with visits to injured friends, distillery shops, parents and a restaurant, before sleeping the sleep of the dead.
The flights were nice and easy: almost no turbulence, more or less room to breathe in the seats, the flight attendants didn’t beat anyone up, etc etc. I spent most of the time just 
chilling and reading. Yup, reading. OK, so I looked at the movie selection, but it didn’t appeal much. Besides, I always used to use flight time to read books (paper things, no backlights, smell nice in a funny sort of way). Specifically, many moons ago, I would use flight time to read the latest by a favourite author, Iain (M) Banks. So, as a return to form, I grabbed one of my favourites for the trip: Use of Weapons. Didn’t finish it, but I read for several hours which I haven’t had a chance to do in ages.
Flight 2 (Reykjavik to Glasgow) was a little weirder. The whole island was under a fairly decent fog, so visibility was low at ground level. Unusually for this airport, we had to get on a bus to get to the connecting plane, which was apparently parked about halfway between Iceland and Scotland… Seriously we were on that bus for some time, passing parked planes which eerily rose out of the fog then faded back into it as we passed. I swear we drove down at least one runway. But we found our plane (or *a* plane which we boarded and thereby commandeered), and then we waited. For an hour. Turns out that Iceland Air is one of those nice airlines who, as well as not beating up passengers, also take fog delays into account, and was waiting for all US-based flights to arrive so that all my fellow passengers made their connections. A considerate and civilised business practice. It’ll never work.
Fast forward to Glasgow. Arrived, and so did my luggage, though how the hell it ever found the connecting plane I will never know. Next up, rental car. Also hassle free, and brand spanking new – 10 miles on the clock. Also, since it’s new, it has built-in navigation vs the $17 per day add-on. Score! Next, a quick stop to buy a new UK smart phone. Nothing fancy, just basic and pay as you go. Had to be the easiest sale that guy made all day:
“I need a pay as you go phone. Is this one any good?”
“Aye, they’re all pretty much the same. It just depends on his much you want to spend.”
“OK then, I’ll take this one, a twenty pound top-up card, and could you put it together for me?
“Aye, nae bother.”
In and out in 5 mins, a new Android smart phone, completely set up, all for just under $75. Ahh, Europe.
Next stop, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital to visit an old friend who is, I’m delighted to say, doing remarkably well despite a having been hit by a fast moving motor vehicle a few days ago. Oh, and he was also just reelected. Yay!
Sitill not done. Pegged it from the city center straight through the suburbs, past my folks’ place, to the foot of Dumgoyne, where I procured two bottles of The Teapot Dram (Batch 005) just before I thought the distillery was going to close. Turns put they just moved to summer hours, so I had plenty of time.
Finally thought it best to show my face at my folks’ place. We chatted for a bit, went for dinner at their favourite Chinese restaurant, then I spent some time arguing with two-factor authentication on my Google account while adding apps to my new phone (see previous entry re not having my US phone with me, and fill in the blanks). A quick video-chat with my ladies back home to assure them that I was still alive…
…Aaaand then I crashed. Hard.
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