Code Fuscia! Fridge is empty and snow batters the building! Challenge Accepted.

Unknown to even those who know it well, the exact time of arrival of the Scottish summer changes so often that even girls make fun of it! Anyway, last week we had barbecues, sunburn and heat stroke but this week we have snow, although speaking of the weather may comfort the rest of us Brits I regretfully inform you that this is not a normal post, this is the story of somewhat insane idea of fun, and while you read it, remember that I said this was fun, the fun I was having was overflowing and came out as cackles as I gazed through crazy eyes at what I had brought home.

So, to the story and a wonderful way it begins. I have finished third year of University in this fine city and I have a lot of free time ahead of me and I thought it best to start of productively; clothes washed, room tidied and cleaned, kitchen tidied and cleaned, random bits of paper sorted into their idea piles and just the shopping to do.

Gleefully I waltzed towards Riverside Tesco, a pleasant walk in a muggy bubble, empty rucksack flapping at my side like an overexcited packhorse who loves his work just a little too much, straps happy to be free to flap in the wind, the stench of cupboard rot wafting towards Perth, or Broughty Ferry, or Northwards and Southwards also, with... every... gust... of.... good 'ol Dundonian breeze.

Forthwith I arrived, slouched to the bank machine, my face fills with glee: Money! I trip the light fantastic, hop the aural armada and grace the grand sliding doors with my presence. Whipcrack! I deftly remove my list from its holster and peruse the scribblings before shooting off on my quest (as efficiently as possible of course.)

I tangoed with the trolley, foxtrotting to the fruit, waltzing into the women's hygiene aisle, ahem... Slowly backing away, I refocused and made for the last push, must not get distracted... oooh potato waffles!

List collected a congratulatory message appeared before my eyes "You have succesfully won the Golden Trolley Trophy for the speediest sweep of a supermarket (hope I don't need to pay for that)". To the till! The many hours I spent perfecting my Tetris technique came into its own as I keyed my pin into the machine.

Ten minutes later I was munching on a sandwich to build strength after repacking the uselessly packed rucksack, the stage was set, 1.5 miles, 26 kilos of goodness, one man...

For the first five minutes Haych-Too-O and his evil cousin Hayl were determined to fight me all the way, filling my hood, building a snowman between my back and the bag and other things of an irritable nature, little did it know that I was gaining strength from the miniature drops of refreshment that blasted their way up my nose.

As the hail calmed down the sun broke out and for the next twenty minutes I was bathed in the golden warmth (no I didn't pee myself, the sun!) and frigid wind as I powered my way back up the hill.

Discovering on my way, evidence of the dreaded kidnapper who uses tinned mackerel to lure unsuspecting boot wearers close before stealing them straight from those aforementioned boots!

To the victor, the spoils!

That is why I cackled, I just kept unloading my bag and the pile grew!
And here is old faithful himself, he has travelled far and wide (Nepal, Australia, Canada and India to name just a few) but this was his toughest challenge yet and, although looking like a sad carcass, he smiles with the happiness of a job well done and a challenge overcome perhaps that is more of a gurn...

It's odd moments of exercise and challenge like this that make me smile, I've been shut up doing work for too long and this is one of the results.