Monday

Did I mention that on Sunday, Stan and Mary (the B&B hosts) were kind enough to wake up Dad and get him to breakfast on time? It was a great help as I was going with Mary and on my own tour and wouldn't be back in time. Yes, I was in charge of waking Dad and Mary up every morning. Anyway, I have to repeat myself in saying that Aslar is a gem in St. Andrews.

MONDAY:
I got up Monday and woke up Dad on my way out to do a little walk around the town. It was a sunny cool day. After a hearty breakfast, I ran over to the only bookstore I hadn't been in to try to find a children's book about Rory. for my nephew Patrick. It is a series of Scottish books about a little boy named Rory. I think we got the first book when we were there in 2005 for Matheson who would have been 2 years old.
I found one! and a newspaper for my dad. I think he has been in a much better mood than normal because he hasn't been reading the news or watching the TV. So I got a small paper called the Scotsman which has a lot of sports scores around England.
I ran back to the B&B because Mike was picking us up at 10. Dad was happy about his breakfast. He had a sausage that was locally made. THE BEST!. Other than that he had only fruit. That is a good thing. His weight has soared in the past few years.
Mike was on time as usual, and we got in the car and Dad started to talk.. Mike is really good to my dad who loves a blather as I mentioned.
We are on our way to Dunfermline to pick up Fred Man (the brother of Jean Dundas, who we saw on Saturday). Fred was an academic (very smart and amazing memory for information). He was involved with the Carnegie organization which was (is?) headquartered in Dunfermline. His wife (who died last year) was very involved in the abbey which goes back to 1072 and was built by King David I of Scotland for his saintly mother, Queen Margaret. Dad and I knew Fred would try to take us there for lunch so we told him we were taking him somewhere. We have been to the abbey quite a few times. I knew it would probably be good to get Fred out. He has two bad hips and has had a stroke so he isn't too quick or mobile so doesn't get out much anymore.
Mike and I had quite a time getting Dad and Fred in their seat belts in the back of the car. They couldn't get it done on their own. It has turned into the geriatric tour!!!
We drove along the coast up to one of a few fishing villages, called Anstruther. We had lunch at the Craw's Nest. It is a hotel, but being off season it was very quiet in the restaurant. I was able to get out for a quick walk down to the water while Dad and Fred had desert. Don't worry, Mom.. he only had fruit.
We got BACK in the CAR and drove up a few more villages and then back to Dunfermline another way. I took a nap, and Mike (who has picked up on what dad likes to hear about) gave information about all the places we were passing. It is just such lovely landscape that for me it is just fun to just be there.
At one point Dad said he saw a Rover (car that Britain used to make). He has mentioned a few times that he wondered why he didn't see any Rovers... then he says... oh they must have stopped production a long time ago. Mike, for the third time, that they only stopped in 2006, and there are quite a few still on the road. Dad for the third time didn't hear him. I just laughed.
Dad is funny. He has soooo much information in his head. He can talk to someone for 5 minutes and remember their whole life history. Amazing. And he tried to tell us that he is shy! He will talk to anyone.

We dropped off Fred, and drove yet another way back to St. Andrews. It continued to be such a beautifully sunny day. Mike drove us through a very cute town named Faukland. It was great. I just wish we had more time to explore and less time in the car. BUT this trip is about my Dad and what he wants and is able to do.
Dad really enjoys learning about new places and the history and he remembers things, so Mike has been a great resource. Mike put on a CD of Scottish music. Unlike my father, I can't retain information that rapidly, so I don't know the name of the group. In one of the songs, the lead musician says "I think I will have a wee dram of whiskey to project me into insanity" THAT I was able to remember. It was very funny. Dad liked it but doesn't like the word insanity, so he has changed it to oblivion. So if you ever hear him say it, that is where it came from.