Well, it’s only just over a week since we returned from Scotland - and it already feels like years! The past week has been rather boring, and very long, compared to the previous week’s fun and excitement.

I returned to work on Monday expecting to find the usual "problems" and things that no one else could (be bothered to?) sort out - I wasn’t to be disappointed! It wasn’t until late on Tuesday afternoon that I had everything back on track and all the issues resolved, including one that had the potential to bite our butts to the tune of over £1000. Still, they do try bless ‘em!

I’ve been a bit of a slacker this week in terms of using the mountain bike… I haven’t used it once! I had planned to ride to work on Friday, and had even got as far as starting to pack my work stuff into my rucksack, only to find that the night before I had come home from work in my normal shoes, which left the biking shoes still at work. Bang went that plan!

Mr David Lloyd (the gym I go to) and I are still close friends. I had a very good workout on Thursday, another hour and a half there yesterday before the Derby County game and was back in the gym again this morning.

After a rather disappointing body fat result the last time I checked it (25.2% on 22 July) I was more than happy to see today’s figure of 21.0%! I have been trying to watch what I eat a little more but wasn’t quite expecting such a drop. This now puts me right back in the "good to excellent" range. Maybe Scotland, and it’s battered Haggis, whisky, cider, Italian food, red wine, Chinese take-away, McDonalds and large portions of fish & chips, did me more good that I first realised!

Derby County kicked off their Premiership season yesterday and I was lucky enough to be there. My good friend Mark is away on holiday at the moment and was kind enough to let me use his season ticket. THANKS, MARK! The game itself was pretty good, even though Derby only managed a draw - they could easily have won it by two or three goals if things had gone their way just a little more.

Camera phone picture of some of the 32,176 fans inside Pride Park.

The Rams fans just before kick-off. Camera phone again!

In the end 2 - 2 wasn’t a bad result for the first day of the season and it was good to see The Rams more than hold their own against Portsmouth and the likes of David James (England’s No;1 keeper!?), Sol Campbell (England international) and David Nugent (England international). Nugent, I have to say, didn’t impress me or the rest of the Derby crowd. When he was substituted, the chants from the Derby crowd of "What a waste of money!" weren’t, in my opinion, too wide of the mark.

Next Saturday we’ll be off down to Cambridgeshire, for the Cambridge Rock Festival. This is a gig I’ve been looking forward to for many months. Bluehorses and The Reasoning are playing on the same day - a damn fine bit of planning by someone I reckon! Not only will we get to hear some cracking music but also meet up with a bunch of very good friends. I can’t wait!