A week away from the blog.
I'd like to explain my absence with exciting tales of derring do. But I can't. The most excitement I got was watching Hibs beat Kilmarnock in the Scottish Cup, nailbiting to the end.
No, I've been away largely because I couldn't be arsed for the last week.

I'm slaving away trying to come up with a greatest Scottish league XI for the The Away End's current search for the best of the best.
I've actually already had my vote but now I've been asked to put something down in writing and I find myself with too many names, too many options.
Should I only vote for players I've seen?

Saturday 15th October 2011.
Celtic, fresh from a defeat at Tynecastle, are 3-0 down at half time to Kilmarnock.
Winning the title looks a long way off, Neil Lennon's managerial coat seems to hang on an ever shooglier peg.
They came back to draw 3-3, three goals in a 10 minute burst from Anthony Stokes and Charlie Mulgrew salvaging a point.

Falkirk face Celtic in a semi-final knowing that Kilmarnock lie in wait in the final.
It's the 1997 Scottish Cup all over again. History doesn't repeat itself, does it?
Mind you, Falkirk don't have the best of records in the league cup. They qualified for the second final back in 1947/48 and promptly lost 4-1 in a replay against Second Division East Fife.

"No, we're the underdogs."
Ayr v Kilmarnock. An Ayrshire derby in a league cup semi final and nobody wants to be favourites.
No surprise there. Derby games are different. Derby games in cups carry an extra weight. Make it a semi final and you've got a hell of a game on your hands.

A few drinks this evening and the chat got round to the Ayrshire derby being played out at Hampden tomorrow.
Ayr United v Kilmarnock.
An outing of Ayrshire's dirty linen at the national stadium. The Jerry Springer "I Married A Horse" episode writ large. An incestuous family feud settled in a national competition.

"Sheer stupidity."
Maybe Leigh Griffiths had been fed that line in the bizarre public apology issued by Hibs today.
But it's pretty much bang on the money as a description of his behaviour in the past few weeks.
Gesturing Griffiths, the daftest laddie in the whole of Leith.

Today's SPL. All of our dirty dozen are in action. Here's a very quick look ahead.
St Mirren v Celtic
Ah, St Mirren. 2-1 up last week with their opponents down to ten men. They lost 5-2.
A season in 90 minutes. The promise, the impressive moments, the entertainment and the frequent disappointments.

Another week spent dodging ever more dire warnings about the state of Scottish football.
This time everything's got a lot Grimmer with Aberdeen losing a lauded protégé to the mysterious land of riches that some people call England.
Highly rated youngster leaves Aberdeen area to chance his arm in England?

If you've got a moment or two to spare might I point you in the direction of The Away End?
They're on the lookout for the 100 greatest Scottish league players of all time.
That is the best players - of all nationalities - to have graced league football in Scotland over the decades.

So yesterday was a day without Wikipedia.
How did we all cope?
Maybe by using the various workarounds that let you bypass Wiki's self-imposed protest blackout. Or whiling away the hours following STV's #fitbawiki chat on Twitter.
Or you could have gone old school and picked up a book.

Fare ye weel, Davie Weir.
The Scottish Football Blog has often been facetious about the Methuselah of Scottish football.
Unfair that. Davie Weir was playing at the highest level in Scotland in his 40s and I'm often too lazy to play dominoes in my 30s.
Perhaps unsurprisingly Weir and Rangers will part company this week.

"We paid our wages on time," say Hearts.
"Naw. You didnae," say the SPL.
A prize to whoever identifies the voice of reason and truth in the parcel of rogues contributing to the latest farrago over Hearts and the saga of the paid/unpaid wages.
As it stands Hearts are to be charged "under SPL Rule A3.

Apparently the first recorded example of football boots were owned by Henry VIII.
Football boots: worn by oversexed egomaniacs since 1526.
The description of Hank's boots - heavy, leather, ankle high - actually chimes with the general principles of the humble boot through much of the last 150 years or so.

Did your Cup overfloweth last week?
Not so much. Or if it did is was with lukewarm, overly milky tea rather than with an expensive Asti Spumante.
Back to the slog of the SPL today though. What joys await...
St Johnstone v Rangers
Poor timing.
That was Ally McCoist's verdict on his bid for St Johnstone's Francisco Sandaza on the eve of today's game.