Baltika

Saturday arrived in Lothian Road style - one of the building's cleaners asking me to go to the binstore and wake someone who'd chosen to spend the night. Then a quick cycle to my sister's to find that rucksack full of components and CD I'd brought to fix her computer failed to include the one item required.

Every month, or so I meet up with MarkD for a couple of pints on a Saturday lunchtime. It's usually a quiet event: two grumpy old men sitting, nursing their pints, and moaning that things aren't the way they should be. This Saturday was different: 1) a different pub with different beer. I ended up drinking something called Baltika that, after a couple of pints, the barman told me was, "quite strong."

I think that may've been polite barman talk for, "don't you think you've had enough?"

Difference 2: I hadn't eaten all day. Even a couple of pints on an empty stomach is a bad thing, but on Saturday I had six.

I walked home from the pub (not bad, considering), walked into Sainsbury's to buy some food (a little late, but still positive), and danced my way around the aisles. At the time I thought the woman in the queue was laughing with me, but on sober reflection...