Trying not to make a hash of something.

The drawback of using off-the-peg solutions eg the recently acquired IKEA Christmas lights, for my railway layout is, not unexpectedly, that they do not exactly fit the situation and thus require modification.

The intention was to string the IKEA lights along a wire frame that was shaped to fit around the walls of one of the buildings on the layout and so illuminate the space beneath its canopies.

But, frankly, there is too much spare wire in between the individual lights that needs to be wrapped or folded away.

You can see 2 of the lights dangling between the canopies.

So, decided to wrap the spare wire around the frame with masking tape; and just made an utter mess.

An utter mess.

So, drew a line under the exercise and will think again. I mustn't accept low standards simply to get something finished quickly.

The value of thinking something through and, indeed, planning generally cannot be over-estimated. Unfortunately, I have spent the last 5 decades doing exactly that. But not for any longer!!!!!!

Watch this space.

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Currently listening to:

I have been alternating between these two CDs recently. High energy electronic music is how I would describe them.

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Last night's dinner:

John Dorey, scallops and shallots/peppers in tomato sauce

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Currently reading:

Inching my way towards a conclusion

Despite my declining enthusiasm for this book, there is usually a telling aphorism from Isherwood's Guru on most pages.

Yesterday, I read this entry from Isherwood's diary:

"He (the Guru) told me, 'Whenever you think of God, he thinks of you."

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Miscellany:

Philosophy class tonight and I will be telling the tutor (and indeed the other 4 members of the class) that I won't be tackling the class essay - it's only optional anyway.

My reasoning is that my interests have changed as a result of attending the class. The class is called, "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Mind", but I now realise that my interests lie in the notion of substances, essences and properties. Until I can get a firm grip on these concepts and their inter-relations my attempt at the essay would be half-baked and insincere and I don't want to waste time on insincerity. I'll continue to attend the class because I enjoy it, the young lecturer is excellent and listening to the lectures will give me a sense of the topic's landscape.

Name this philosopher.

IKEA LED lights continued.

Stretched the string of IKEA lights along a wire frame that will fit around the pink ceramic Boulevard Haussmann building and illuminate the area under the canopies.

Made a bit of a hash of this task but I'll have another go later in the week.

Pink ceramic building and canopies

Lights attached to the wire frame

Not quite right.

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Currently listening to:

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Last night's dinner:

Cod and chips from the Wee Kelpie

All told, a fantastically enjoyable evening in Helensburgh yesterday.

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Still reading:

Getting slightly fed up with this book but almost finished and I have learned quite a lot from it about approaches to the spiritual life.

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Miscellany:

Spent much of the day being an 'extra' in the making of an Independent Film. I was a jury member and the council chamber of Glasgow City Council was the venue - some building. Full of admiration for those involved in making a film - painstaking.

IKEA as a source of parts for HO scale model railway

There are few things I enjoy more in life than a saunter around IKEA; even if it's only to marvel at the breadth of ingenuity.

Nowadays when I visit I'm also on the look out for artifacts that could be used for or adapted for use for my model railway.

For example, these LED Christmas lights powered from 2 AA batteries.

I'll use them as some kind of street or cafe lighting.

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Currently listening to:

Much of BBC Radio 3's coverage that is marking the centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth.

Some interesting documentaries as well as archive performances.

I hadn't realised how wedded Britten was to the sea; his childhood home at Lowestoft looked out onto the "slate grey" of the North Sea.

Now a B&B

Lowestoft

One of my favourite CDs

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Last night's dinner:

Chicken Curry at the Shenaz restaurant, Glasgow. Only took photos of the Tennents Lager and the pakora.

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Currently reading:

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Miscellany:

Off to Helensburgh tonight to have fish and chips from the Wee Kelpie.

HO Scale Neon Signs

Made another attempt at fashioning a neon sign from electro-luminescent wire; this time the word, "Bar".

Cut a section of clear plastic from a hand wash bottle, punched some holes in it and threaded the electro-luminescent wire through the holes.

Not the finished article yet, but you can see the potential - the wires are being held in place by a mug of tea while I take the photographs!

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Currently listening to:

Malcom Martineau (piano) and Florian Boesch (baritone) on BBC Radio 3 iPlayer perform "The Miller's Song" from Glasgow - a performance we actually attended at the time but which is being broadcast again this week.

Martineau and Boesch

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Last night's dinner:

From the freezer - chicken thighs in a mustard sauce plus rice

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Currently reading:

Can't help comparing Isherwood's book with that of Robert Irwin's which I read 2 years ago - the latter is more powerful.

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Miscellany:

A coincidence:

Only yesterday I was thinking about a nurse who cared for my father when he was very ill  in Stobhill Hospital about 6 years ago. Each day she cycled 11 miles from home to Stobhill.

Met her this morning - she's still cycling.

I have a small head: the proof

Zero time or inclination for railway today, so here are some posters about French Railways.

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Currently listening to:

Continuing with my regime of listening to the Samba artist, Cartola, so as to imbibe Samba rhythms and hopefully become a more natural player of the bongos.

Cartola, aged 11.

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Last night's dinner:

Consumed at Piatto Verde in Edinburgh - a really tiny Italian restaurant - just a shop really.

Calamari

Spaghetti Bolognaise

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Currently Reading:

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Miscellany:

Cycled over the Clyde and across the confluence of the M74, M77 and the M8. Never got away from a view of the Clyde Port Authority crane at Finnieston.

Sorry about the traffic lights

Reflection in glass wall of building

From the top of a bridge crossing the M74/M8/M77

The tarmacadam confluence.

And the proof that I have a small head; I was quite taken aback.

Whenever I stop on these urban cycle excursions and a pedestrian (or pedestrians) passes, you can bet that you'll hear East European languages being spoken. The shadow below was speaking on her mobile phone - actually, she also had quite a small head.