Better Health and Grand Surroundings

Software development can lead to a varied career, but I don't expect many developers can compare their working environment to mine.

Crossbasket Castle is a 15th-century tower house near Glasgow. It is now a hotel, and a busy venue for weddings and other social gatherings.

I've been based there for around six weeks, and it's a remarkable place to work, the most surprising thing to me being the sheer number of staff involved in running a luxury hotel.

Speaking of the staff, they have been very welcoming and have listened patiently to my rookie questions about what they do (which is part of my job). They are also understanding when I get lost in the castle!

The owners have big plans for the estate, adding the Four Angels Spa (named after a nearby waterfall) and luxury cabins (both of which will be completed in the coming months). I'm very grateful to them for the opportunity to work here. I'm based at the newer hotel building, but my work takes me into the castle itself.

The same owners are behind Caledonia Gladiators, whose new season has just started. We took our kid to a basketball game many years ago; she now has a career with the club. Quite a return on a family day out — and if you're ever nearby, I'd recommend you give it a go.

Health-wise, things are still improving. Weight loss has slowed down a little, so I've got to keep to the diet, and find time to exercise. Most lunchtimes, I manage to go for a walk around the estate — another advantage of working here, it's literally helping to improve my health.

In related news, I had my annual eye check-up at Optical Express last week, and got a bit of a surprise. The eye that was operated on last year has now fully settled down. The eyesight has actually improved slightly, and the slight astigmatism has now gone.

I'm hopeful that relatively soon my dose of Metformin will be reduced to zero, with the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes gone. That's been the goal, and it feels like I'm almost there.