Passage Down the Forth

Have final evening in pub, very mellow. Clare manages not to greet as she gives me the cocktail she's been promising since Friday (she's so emotional!:-). Get up in the morning, clean, tidy, pack bike. Have a delicious and leisurely lunch at McWhinnie's with chums, go and say cheerio to Ronnie, Nick and Julie at Craigencalt. A perfect day as the sun beats down. Reluctantly get on the bike and go to perform last-minute maintenance checks at Kev's garage (had to be some!), but they're simple and Kev helps lots. Ride off into the glorious sunshine, get on ferry. Sit there and realise the only thing I've forgotten can be easily remedied simply by just giving the keys to Ewen in Vilnius!

Relax - hmmm! It's been such a long time since I've done this! What is it I'm doing again? Why!?

Text from Ruth - 'put that beer down and get yourself on to the port side to wave at me!!' Eh? I haven't got a beer, I'm just sitting, relaxing in the sun. No sign of her, but wait - who's that on the road bridge? Was it Ruth? No response to text asking and I'm too shy to wave back in case it's not.

Andrew texts, he can see the boat from his train. Mo's waiting to wave. Ewen can see the ferry from his train. I can see his train going along between Aberdour and Burntisland. They're all at Nick and Julie's waiting to wave. Chris is even out in his boat!!! Madness! A flurry of texts - I can hardly see the view for reading them! I'm starting to . . . oh dear and I'm all alone, surrounded by uncaring strangers! Pathetic! Get hold of self!

With my binoculars, I can see Mo bouncing around like a mad thing outside her house. Now I can see Chris's boat, with my own flat in the background.

I can see figures on The Farr Balcony. A very welcome and strengthening text from Beverley. Chris asks me to wave for his camera. But the ferry's giving him too wide a berth. I'm filling up, waving and giggling and giggling and those nearby don't know why. Ronnie's waving from Tesco car park in Kirkcaldy. My last view of Kinghorn. It gets smaller and smaller behind the ferry.

Control, control and it's all over. Bar, glass of wine, relax - hmmmm . . .

Great send off guys. With chums like youse . . .

But the fear's immediately gone. Crazy thing these human emotions. The excitement's setting in. I've done it, I'm on the ferry and I've only forgotten to give Kev the garage keys!

Please take excellent care of one another. I can't wait to get this done and be home again, but it's all cool and I'm not going to rush it.

Special thanks to those who went a goodbye too far, and those who endured more than duty demanded. I think I've almost perfected my hugging technique! Need more with those taller than me though! Cheers for Friday night as well. If only I could remember more clearly! Blame the tequila! But no sorrow for singing - Karen the landlady seemed to like it!

Hope to see some of you out there!