TFI Saturday

The wheels are moving. We have a Presiding Officer, we have a First Minister, we have Government Ministers. MSPs' staff even have new offices to move to, although to be perfectly honest, I was quite happy where I was on the first floor. But, status appears to have been attached to the offices on the top floor, so instead of just moving everyone along, Labour are moving down and our lot are moving up. Symbolic, perhaps, but a pain in the arse nonetheless.

For one thing, it's meant that there was no point in anyone unpacking anything from our sealed crates this week. Even simple tasks like taking a phone message or writing a letter became like a scavenger hunt, as rumours of supplies of stationery sitting somewhere swept the building. Hopefully, that will sort itself out next week, but there's been altogether too much of the pioneer spirit about things this week for my liking.

Since Shona has been appointed as Minister for Public Health, her office is now over in the Ministerial Block. Apart from the large window which looks onto the Calton Cemetery, it's identical in most respects to the one she leaves behind. It's not clear who'll be sitting where yet, but I'd imagine that the floorspace will be made up of MSP staff, their new Private Secretaries from the Executive, and much of the old SNP press & research team. The banter could be pretty fierce at times where we used to sit - I guess those of us on the move will have to learn to tone it down a bit now we're amongst 'civilians'.

Anyway, I'm away to do something I haven't done in months - go to the gym. Then I've got a ceilidh to go to later tonight to celebrate a friend's wedding. I might not be able to walk tomorrow, but now the election's over, it's time [shudder] to get back into some good habits...