The Christmas madness is in full swing now.

I've already been involved in the school Christmas fayre last Saturday and this Thursday our Christmas street lights will be switched on in a Yuletide Festival at Cardonald Library.

As vice-chair of my Community Council I take great pride in our switch on as it has been very successful and attracted big crowds over the past few years.

Local school choirs sing carols, we have a magician and Christmas stalls.

'Mary the Fairy' walks about lit up and on stilts and of course Santa is the main attraction.

The actual switch on happens at 6pm followed by a firework display and to round it off a wee cup of hot soup and light buffet is available in the library so come along and get into the Christmas spirit.

The pain of over-indulgence

Talking of Christmas spirit I've had a wee bit too much already. So far I've been at two Christmas lunches with the girls. Only five more to go…

Last weekend, the bold Tommy and I were in Aberdeen's Korova Nightclub at an Indy night. The hospitality was tremendous and that is why I am blaming the humongous hangover which I endured on the organisers of the event.

On Sunday morning, my 'heid' was like a burst couch and I had a bad case of the 'munchies'. Since my cure for this affliction is the need to feed it, my instinct was to head down to breakfast and eat a 'scabby dug' if need be.

So you can imagine my horror at being confronted with a big long queue to be seated and then to add salt to my self-inflicted wounds an even longer queue to actually get a sausage, egg, black pudding, beans and a bit of bacon onto my plate. The one server simply couldn't cope with the demand from hungry guests who had paid good money for a bed AND breakfast.

It was surprising as well, for this was the hotel we were in and let's face it, you would expect a good feed there surely. But alas it was an excruciating wait.

My drooth was quenched with a cold cup of tea after devouring the aforementioned greasy fry-up cure. A top hotel needs to get its act together or it will lose lots of custom.

After the late breakfast it was off to Dundee to another Indy event where Tommy was speaking. Of course I've never heard the end of it from the auld Moaning Minnie.

He is very intolerant when it comes to hangovers. Probably because he's never had one. Being the goody two shoes, non-drinker that he is, he has no comprehension of the various stages of misery you go through. His constant line is that old chestnut ….. ''self-inflicted!!'' --- accompanied with a smug, wry, loving it, smile. Oh, he was sooo on the verge of a kick up the jacksie.

No safe drink driving limit

I'm sure I won't be the only one suffering over the next few weeks. At this time of year with parties and works nights out there is a tendency to overdo the 'sherry'. I suppose my only consolation prize with having a tee-total hubby is his constant availability as my chauffeur, much to his annoyance and my pleasure!

The festive period is always a temptation for that reckless crime of drink driving where the usual excuse of ''but I've only had one'' surfaces.

But as of Friday, Scottish motorists are advised not to get behind the wheel at all if they have had any alcohol whatsoever.

The limit will be changed from 80mg to 50mg per 100ml of blood bringing Scotland into line with most of Europe and Northern Ireland leaving England and Wales at 80mg.

I haven't a scoobie how that amount of alcohol is measured in a glass never mind your blood so I think it's a safe bet to just not bother.

The Scottish Parliament originally voted in favour of reducing the limit two years ago but implementation was severely delayed by administrative backlogs at Westminster which still reserves power over the setting of breathalyser limits.

A Government consultation found that ¾ of the public back the proposed change and quite right too since latest estimates are that one in ten deaths on Scottish roads involve drivers who are over the legal limit.

So forget it and jump a bus, train, taxi or subway, and if you're lucky like me get yer other half to ferry you about.