Cuddle your pet

I find it incomprehensible, but apparently people are getting upset because one of the big UK energy suppliers sent an email to customers telling them if they were worried about the cost of heating their homes this winter they should try cuddling their pets. Or eating porridge. 

Both suggestions seem excellent ones to me, and regarding the cuddling proposition, I would like to demonstrate to my canine (and feline?) friends a variety of possible options to help keep your human warm. 

Oh, and if sitting on laps is not your thing, why not take your human for a brisk walk, ideally off leash so you can run on ahead, ignoring their calls. They will be well warmed up by the time they've exercised their sprinting muscles to chase after you at speed, and if you repeat this several times, your human will not cool down again until long after you've returned to your chilly home.

I expect my friends will have other helpful suggestions on this topic. Please do share!

My favourite weekday mornings...

…are those when Gail works at home for an hour or so before she leaves to attend a meeting…

Sometimes I like to help her with her work.

I study the documents carefully and give her my considered opinion.

Hmm. I am not convinced that a repeat seismic survey after one year's gas production on the Tormore gas field will be useful in helping determine whether additional wells should be drilled, and at a cost of £7 million for the survey, one would have to question the value of the information gained…

It is also my view that the undrilled oil and gas prospects presented here are very risky from a geological perspective, and given the low oil price and the high cost of drilling in the harsh offshore environment of the West of Shetlands basin, I cannot in all conscience recommend that they be pursued further. One feels that if the SNP government were able to see and understand these data, they might be less sanguine about the long term future of Scotland's offshore petroleum industry as a source of valuable tax revenue ...

I wonder what my friends think?

I can't help noticing that there is a certain theme to the names of the gas fields in this offshore 'West of Shetland' area: Glenlivet, Macallan, Bunnehaven, Talisker, Tomatin, Laggan, Tobermory, Tormore, Edradour, Craigellachie…

Is it time yet for a wee dram?