1 wedding and no funerals...

4 months has passed since the last major update and so a little catch up is probably required. Sine the last update:

1. We are now both gainfully employed. I am indeed working for the NHS. My job basically involves answering phones from people whose computers don't work and logging a job for someone to go and fix it. Not the best but it keeps me off the streets. Tracy is working for Aberdeen University. She's an administrator for postgraduate courses in one of the schools there.

2. We now live in a flat in town which means that we can both walk to work of a morning and don't need to patronise the expensive bus too much - although it's still handy for getting over to the Hill.

3. Tracy and I have each had a birthday. Although I'd like to think I'm a year wiser I'm not sure this view is commonly held.

What, you may ask (please note I wrote MAY and not DID. For those who did ask the question I am about to pose, I shall enlighten you. For those that didn't, feel free to stop reading here... although I guess you'll need to read as far as the question itself to know whether you asked it or not), has prompted this sudden glut of blog activity? Well, I suppose I could probably have managed to avoid passing comment at the wedding of a family member (after all, this is the second such event and it's now old news) but if that wedding coincides with the a new addition to the family - and that event happens almost concurrently with a member of Tracy's family paying us a visit, then the combined blog-worthyness reaches a level that cannot be ignored. I will, however, break from current blog etiquette by ignoring, completely, forty-something TV singing sensations who may or may not be from Scotland - no matter what their previous romantic experience may be.

So - to business!

Libb's wedding went unbelievably well I thought. She may have her own opinions, but I was well impressed. Everything seemed completely hitchless and good time was had by all. Hopefully, this will soon all be borne out by the photos which were taken, but in the meantime you'll just have to take my word for it. The day itself was blessed with good weather - meaning that the umbrellas which had been gathered by the better prepared guests were not actually required in the end. I represented my adopted homeland by donning the kilt but made a few concessions to compensate for my lack of orange beard and nationalist sympathies - namely by wearing a tartan which can no way trace its roots to any particular clan which may have inhabited any area north of Hadrian's Wall. One of the main reasons I chose it was that it tied in with the wedding theme colour (purple) and the colour of the rest of my get-up (black). But it was also in an ex-rental kilt sale and was cheap. I think the kilt was generally well-received - although I'm pretty sure I got a few funny looks parading around the middle of Cambridge in it. I even got my picture taken by some Japanese tourists. Nice! We had a pretty full turn out, though. We had 4 out of 5 Swarbricks (& 2 from 3 spouses of those present) as well as 4 of 5 Noden kids (1 of whose absence would have ruined the occasion) and an excellent 100% attendance of spouses (i.e. Trace). The one notable absence from our family (Nick) was rather understandable. Why? Allow me to explain...

The night before the wedding we got the news that the Noden family was larger by one: William Anthony James arrived at 11:30pm on the 16th of April. He's got all 20 fingers and toes (10 of each) and at 8lbs was a touch on the heavy side, but not close to breaking my family record (for which I'm sure Sarah is quite grateful). We've since been lucky enough to be in London twice (more later) and were able to drop by to see Nick, Sarah and William. He's such a wee cutie, the little guy. He's definitely got the Noden ears (i.e. 2), but as for the bandy legs, we'll have to see...

So this rounds off this edition of "Iff's blogging hour". Tune in next month for 'massive catch up number 2: what happened next...'. Can't wait until then? Give me a phone and I'll tell you!