eric byrne

Hi Susan, I am sorry to read your sad news,your mum couldnt have had a more supportive daughter,thank you for sharing her life with us,you have provided so much support to everyone here.I hope you will maintain your links to your friends here.My sincere sympathy to you and your family.

Good Afternoon Everybody, Its just beautiful today,the Trossachs would have been more photogenic,shame it was dull and overcast yesterday,but I still got some nice photos. Thanks JudyMI for decribing to Becky about posting pics in,I am still not very confident yet in doing this,Jennifer was out today and gave me a hand to post my pics in and the flickr attachment. Yesterday was pure pleasure for me,off alone with my camera on an adventure,snapping away at anything that moved and even those things that didnt.Visited Loch Katrine(provides Glasgow with its water)to photograph the steamship the Sir Walter Scott,seems the area inspired him with his writing,it is such a beautiful wild area.Next found myself on board on a cruise up the Loch,I stood up at the sharp end and clicked away merrily with my camera.I got chatting to one of the passengers,a free lance journalist,who is currently writing an article on Biofuels,since this ship/boat? is powered by cooking oil,it raised his interest for his article,we got chatting,I mentioned I was out doing an Autumn shoot which I was going to post into LUNGevity,he was very interested in both my story and LUNGevity also that November is Lung Cancer Awareness month,no promises given but he is going to research this further,and approach his editor with a view to doing a feature for us,he confirmed his interest by sending me an email this morning,asking, if requested, would I be willing to add to my story,needless to say my reply,your rootin tootin right I will,isnt this exciting,we could all become famous-well in Scotland anyway?. I was at the ABC mens breakfast this morning, up early to help set the tables,do my waiter and then clearer uppera,and putting the washed dishes away,who said men cannot do housework?well I really needed to do something to reduce my waistline after scoffing all that bacon,sausage,hash browns and eggs,not forgetting bread rolls. Got to go and pick Sally up at work now(she has also been asked to work to-morrow -shame)more laptop time for me tee-hee.OK Judy you know and I know you are absolutely right on this issue,but come on, I am on holiday,and back at work next week, so I wont have the same time for posting. Enjoy the rest of your day everyone.Bye.

Hi Everyone, Fresh off the press,I went for a drive in the Trossachs yesterday,to try to capture the Autumn scenery,I felt like I was in a film set,being totally enveloped by the surrounding beauty,it is very difficult to capure through the small lense of a camera,so regard each pic as the individual tessera of a giant mosaic.Its the best I can do to bring you a flavour of what I saw yesterday. The two above photos are the Maid of the Loch,a paddle steamer that takes tourists for cruises up Loch Lomond,and the second is Ben Lomond the highest mountain that overlooks the Loch. I have just download the remaining pics I took into FlickeR,unedited,oh the last two 2386 and 2387 is the view I have sitting at my laptop in my study,taken on Monday last.(the flicker photos are in reverse order?).If you wish further infro on any of the pics I would be happy to reply,any comments welcome,I hope you enjoy seeing them.

Hi all Some autumnal scenes from the Trossachs - enjoy! http://www.flickr.com/photos/54882832@N03/?saved=1 Eric

Good Morning All, Weather ditto,although supposed to brighten up by lunch time.Becky I just love your enthusiasm in greeting the new day,but come on,its 9.30am here,goodness knows what your local time is,just one thing to say to you-get back to bed and get some shut eye.Oh another thing,you are not supposed to dance along with Tina Turner,you just sprawl out on the sofa,relax, and just admire her legs and stuff as she goes through her paces. Just about to leave now and take Sally to her work,then freedom (Sally has been getting on my wick about the time I spend on the laptop recently,and ignoring her,rediculous,dont know where that has come from?)Anyway camera in hand,setting off for my Autumn photo shoot to Aberfoyle,hope to get some nice scenes. Will get back to you all later,laptop is being threatened again with out the window,isnt life fun?have a great day everyone.

Hi Bruce, Gosh you have been in the wars havent you,really sorry to hear of your accident with your horse,thank goodness,things have turned out reasonably OK,this could have been much worse.Imagine you buying Llamas,this really sounds like fun,I wish you well in your new venture,love to visit you in the keg bus.

Thanks Bud you are a true gent.

Hi All, Its me again, bet you are all saying,I ll be glad when Eric goes back to work again next week,to get a little bit of peace and quiet,sorry about the grammer and spelling errors in my earlier post,I usually do a wee preview check and make any corrections necessary,but fool that I am, I pressed the submit button instead of preview. Thanks Judy your daylight hours pretty much match with mine,We change next week from British Summer Time to Greenwich Meantime,by moving our clocks back one hour.I am a bit relieved to read Sarah Palin isnt as popular here as the UK press indicates for The USA,if she does make President ,remember the fifties and early sixties nuclear war scares,Cuba an all? well I am for looking out my garden spade and digging a nuclear bomb shelter in my back garden,having read some articles on her political views. Judy MI,havent read much from you in a wee while,hope you are well,whats U of M? bet the Ms for Michigan,right? Bud your reflections on dairy products remind me of my Cancer Research UK visit to Stirling Uni,one of the delegates I made friends with,(He had advanced prostrate cancer,but has been a survivor for many years)warned me off all dairy products,he believes that the hormones that are given to cattle to improve milk yeilds,cause prostrate cancer in men,he was so forceful with his opinion,I thought he was a bit "eccentric".He told me to get into soya product substitutes,milk for example as an excellent alternative.Maybe I should take this a bit more seriously after all?I tried to contact your Rice Dream link by email to find out if they have their products in the UK(we have many American products in our shops now in the food and drink areas I particularly like the products of Ernest and Julio Gallo)but when I press the submit button it refuses to accept it until I append my State in the box,arent machines dumb sometimes? Ann, since I am talking rubbish just now your comments are very topical,our council provide us with three plastic wheelie bins,one for general household waste one for recycling materials and one for garden waste,each bin is picked up on a fortnightly alternative rotation.Works well although they refuse to take any glass items I have to go to the tip myself and feed them into the respective coloured glass recycling bins. Just about to leave for "Christianity Explored" meeting,I am leaving my boxing gloves behind to-night and keeping my big yap shut tight-promise,no controverstity at all.(unless someone says something provocative of course. I will let you know later,have a good day.

Gosh what a boring life I have lived compared to all of your reponses,who could beat Randy driving/steering a billion dollar submarine?.Thank goodness it was Randy, imagine it was a woman instead? they would have reversed it into a Russian sub and started WW111, LOL. What can I divulge?some years ago,my local had contributed the most money in the UK towards muscular dystrophy,and a famous patron visited the pub with his agent to pick up the cheque,well the locals stayed away from him possibly in respect of his privacy or shyness so he was left standing alone in the bar with his agent and nobody else,well didnt stop me of course so I spent a good part of the night having a good blether and jokes with him,oh his name,dont know if youve heard of Sir Richard Attenborough?

Good Morning Everyone, Wakey,Wakey,time for another visit by the holidaying me,wont be this next week will it?Weather boringly Ditto today,Sally has gone off in a taxi to do a big shop at Asda,(she gets a 10% staff discount)our cupboard was getting a bit bare.This leaves me free with my laptop,Hooray.Now what vaccous rubbish can I post today? Oh today is a very special one the 14th of October,did think about organising a meal and invite all my relatives and friends round in memory of a tradition upheld by Samuel Pepys each year after his "Cutting of the stone"you should his account,I guarrantee it will make your eyes water.It is two years ago today since my dx,does survivorship start on dx or after youve finished your treatments? I share this date with my favourite singer,a guy you probably dont even know,Cliff Richard is 70 today,happy birthday Cliff.Been a fan of Cliff and the Shadows since I seen him perform Move it and Living Doll on TV from the London Palladeum in I think 1958,my older brother was an Elvis fan,so we used to have many arguements about who was best.By co-incidence yesterday when I was booking my Roy Castle tickets for the Winters Ball,I got talking to Genine? in her Liverpool booking office,she told me she and the office girls had sent off a birthday card to Sir Cliff (yes he got knighted)turns out Cliff is a sponsor of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and he attends many of their functions,gosh imagine if he had turned up at Manchester at my presentation?maybe he will come to the Winter Ball.Genine says she has his home address and is in regular touch with him,I have still have the wee 9 year boy inside me that would just love to meet him face to face,its on my bucket list,maybe now it may be possible? Hi Judy,sorry if you have Republican tendancies a fan of Sarah Palin and the tea-set brigade,maybe better you dont read on.I just love America and its citizens,you are so open and friendly,America has gone to the aid of many countries without reward who were in difficulties at times including the UK we owe you a lot.What I cannot understand is the apparent lack of support for its own citizens in difficulties when ill or unemployed.Doctors were supported by taxpayers thoughout their lives right through to graduation,healthcare should be a godgiven right to everyone on the planet,without being intruded upon by businesses making a profit out of someones illness.Your fight to get access to drugs you need, using meadiators would be funny if it werent so serious.I know I am Scottish,and there may some who would say I am wrong in my views,a shouldnt really be airing them here,my apologies,but I do hope whatever Presidents plans are for health care reforms get passed and can extend its provision to every citizen in America regardless of race,social class, employed or unemployed.Best of luck Judy,in your fight for your drugs without breaking the bank. Enjoy the day everyone,see you later.

Well done Stephanie,couldnt believe anyone could have come up with something relative starting with a Z.Enjoyed the fun of playing.

Sorry Judy I didnt fancy being left with Z either.

Hi Michelle, Your post has so moved me,I am really sorry for your loss of Donald,compiled with your son untimely moving out,life goes on I understand that, but the hurt remains.I hope that with time you can pick up the strands and develope new ways of enjoying life,you owe it to yourself and Donald.God bless.

Yeast of course to make the bread rise.

Good Evening Everyone, Yeah, I am back,great having more time to myself,no marking or preparation to do.Its nearly 8pm,dark outside,what time does it get dark where you live?today remained overcast but dry. Met up with my bowling team to-day(I am the only one who is not retired)after dropping off Sally at Asda.By jings oor dander is up after our win last night,we put in two hours practice bowling up and down the rink,the opposition better watch out Tuesday next.Oh I dropped out the Thursday Bowling night temporarily,the Baptist Church have started a Christianity Explored Class for ten evenings,and since they have been so supportive of me I signed up,unaware it was bowling night.Anyway we meet in the church hall for a meal prepared for us by the ladies at 7.00pm then into the church for a DVD then break into discussion groups,I am really going down like a lead balloon,I reflected to the group that I thought Adam and Eve and Noahs Ark were really just allegories,also mentioned the big bang,I didnt mean to be controversial,I have serious opinions to air,and its supposed to be about exploring christianity isnt it?Well I was confronted on all sides,with why is it then Eric you have one less rib than us women?another lady came up with another cracker,If I threw a bomb into a scrap metal merchants yard whats the chances of finding in the mist of the clearing smoke a perfect Lotus car?this is in response to a random big bang event.One lady said everything in the bible is absolutely true,I decided not to ask how Noah managed to get two of every animal on the Planet into the Ark when theyve still not yet all been discovered.Oh boy this is going to be more difficult to make progress than I imagined.Another thing youve got to stay away from mentioning the Dinosaurs and early man. Hi Bud, Just oatmeal,honey,raisins and cinnamon,that sounds great to me,I have my porrodge with salt and milk,anyway what is rice milk,never heard of that before? Hi Judy,yup last six bags of compost did the trick,I also put in a ring circuit for lights when I designed my raised planters,for sitting outside in the evenings,put them on to-night they look great,still to figure out what plants to put in yet,that can wait until the spring,did plant to-day a couple of hundred bulbs out front, mixed lot, mainly tulips and hyacinths. Didnt understand all your test abbrievations,did get the feel of your frustrations though,really hoping things are going to take a turn for the better for you now.Look after yourself. Booked my tickets today for the black tie Winter Ball in November something to look forward to.Goodnight everyone enjoy the rest of your day

Thanks for your comments Judy,Number 41 ah yes, you read me like a book,she is so cute isnt she,I am really so lucky in being able to get people to pose for me,I also love the pipe major kids in 194,and the dog wearing his tartan collar.

Good Morning Everyone, Still on holiday and relishing every minute,our weather is really strange this week each morning it starts gloomy and overcast then by lunch time skies clear and wow another brilliant clear sunny day.Its overcast just now,but... Great day yesterday,bought more bags of compost for my raised planters,my car can only carry six at a time so I think another run today should be enough.Good news to share,I started to play indoor bowls as part of a four man team about this time last year,and the good news is we actually won our first game 12-6 hooray we are no longer at the bottom of the league,theres one now one team below us,this could be the start of something big,hold on to your hats folks. Sallys girning in my ears just now about wanting to get into work NOW,she wants to blether with her pals and a cup of tea before she starts work,sorry gang got to go,if I dont, this laptops going out the window.Post later

Hi Trawna, Thanks for keeping some focus,how about Spectre. Donnie joke in similar vein. Lost man in Glasgow,says to a passerby "Hey Jimmie,could you direct me to Sauchiehall St please" Man replies "How did you know my name was Jimmy"" I just guessed" said lost man.Well then said the other "You can just guess your way to Sauchiehall St then "

Hi JudyMI, Sorry you are feeling a bit down this morning,I cannot think of anything more wearing than living with constant pain and discomfort,you really are going through the mill.I hope the University of Michigan can nail your problem to the mast with an effective diagnosis and treatment plan.Try to keep your chin up,and think this is only temporary.Wish I could help you more.

Good Morning Stephen, Just read your post and felt so much for you I just had to respond.I am probably the least able of the buddies here to offer you the kind of help and information you need.I live in Scotland and I dont have the familiarity of the support systems you have in the States for helping you,but I know soon the buddies here will lend a hand. You really cannot do this alone,in Scotland we have an organisation called the MacMillan nurses who would meet your needs 100% also the Marie Curie Hospice Centres,theres also social services who do home visits,who would look after your mums domestic needs,such as washing,dressing and some housework and shopping,maybe the buddies there can identify from my list what is availabe to support you through your difficulties.I am really sorry for what you are going through and only wish I could help you more,look after yourself as well,it would be so easy for this situation to take its toll on you.Please keep in touch and let us know how you are doing.God Bless.

Good Morning Everyone, 8.00am here,overcast day very quiet outside not even the faintest of a breese blowing.Monday was so unexpected,sunshine and deep blue cloudless skies the entire day and a beautiful sunset,too good to last though. Thought with being on holiday I would have the morning air all to myself,particularly with at least five hours advantage in out respective time zones?Becky what on earth are you up and about in the wee small hours for?,and in a working weekday.My problems the reverse,even on holiday I waken about 6am and cant get back to sleep. I had a super day yesterday,with my daughter Jennifer off on holiday also this week we got to share the day,I dropped Sally off at her work,picked up Jennifer,on to Morrison's, for a super cooked breakfast,bacon,square sliced sausage,two eggs,potato scones and toast,Jennifer being a vegetarian had the most boring meat free healthy meal,guess she will live to 130 years old,but Id still rather go with my choice. We shared the chore of clearing out the garage,most of it was her stuff anyway,then up the the tip with the accumulated plastic bags to deposit.Then on to the laptop to post in the pipeband pics,couldnt get the 900 x 600 size Chris can get,had to make do with a smaller version,then posted some onto flickr,the smaller size dosnt look the same,never mind. Picked Sally up at 2pm,then into Costco for Jennifer to get her pic taken to activate the card I got her,It was her first time visiting and we had a great time wandering through all the aisles,picking up a few bargains.Then back home for dinner and a quiet night in front of the TV. Got a publicity pack from Roy Castle L.C. Foundation,it contains,small leaflets A3 and A2 posters for raising awareness of the early symptoms of lung cancer,so I am going to circulate these to-day to include my GPs surgery,Monklands Hospital and some local pharmacies I will keep some for Stobhill hospital also. Roy Castle are holding a Winter Ball at the Oran Mhor in Glasgow at the end of November,its a black tie affair,so I will need to hire a tuxedo etc,not an occassion I will feel very comfortable with ,but it is a fundraiser for Lung Cancer so a worthy cause,I just dont like the feeling of being over-dressed. Hikers and Bikers Presentation night is coming up soon,think its a week on Friday,trying to arrange with Susan to get all my pics ready to be projected as a continuous loop for that night against some wall in the hall,hope theyve got a white one.I still dont know how much was raised,so looking forward to finding out and seeing the cheques being passed over to the various reps of the receiving charities,again my cameras at the ready. Have a great day everyone,dont work too hard.

Becky, A couple of years ago,Sally and I had been out all day and hadnt prepared for the provision of goodie bags for the guising kids,so we put all the front of house lights off,just after 6pm and sat in the kitchen at the back of the house with one little light on,thought we had got away with it,then bang,bang,bang on my back door,it was a couple of guisers of the wont be fooled types who crept through the back garden of my house to reach my back door.You have got to give them credit havent you.

Think I've managed to put the others on flickr - try the link! http://www.flickr.com/photos/54803367@N08/?saved=1 Eric

Hi All, Pipe band at last,I think on a smaller scale.

Hi Becky, Could you make a wee change to your GPS thingy,as I am no longer based at the flagpole at Balgrayhill in Glasgow,no, you see the nights were getting too cold for camping out,anyway polis came along one night and "politely requested" me to vacate base camp toots sweet.Your log jam at the Panama canel just took too long to clear,so if you could reset for Airdrie. I am currently on holiday and up to my arm pits, raking the autumn leaves off my front lawn.Hope you can make it for my halloween party,noo mind its Scottish rules here,theyll be nae candy or nuts 'till ye've done yer party piece,which can include singing,tellin' a joke or two,or recitin a poem,I hear Becky, you dae a fine balloon dance,which is prefectly acceptable since theres nae bairns aboot,an Ive goat ma wee pin handy.In case ye appear at night,you canna miss my hoose,its the one wi aw the pumkins lit up in my front garden. See you all soon Bye.