Edinburgh, Saturday/Sunday

540 Sunday. Having a cup of tea after night out with Hugh and Valerie at Espionage. Really good night. Not really drunk either. Life in the old dog yet... Having tea on terrace, daylight, "seagulls wheeling in those far distant skies"

1649 Sunday. On train home. Solo seat in first class, socket for phone charger, should be some free tea/coffee/food. Pretty good weekend.

Didn't write much as not alone much so will waffle a bit now.

Friday we had tickets for Rich Hall's Hoedown, so that was my first show. 11pm. Pretty good.

Saturday we had tickets for Ed Byrne at something like 9:30pm and Will Seaward's Socialist Fairytales at 11pm ish. The latter was in some convoluted way a connection of Hugh and Valerie's. Ed Byre was good, not side achingly funny but entertaining. Will Seaward was a bit weird, the rest of the guys really seemed to dislike it. I thought it was a bit odd but entertaining in a low key whimsical way.

We didn't see any other shows, though Hugh, Ronan and Ben went to a show this afternoon - I didn't have time to go with them due to my train.

Met up with Ben & Javaria shortly after arriving Friday. We got keys to flat - very nice, and we had single beds afterall (though I shared a room with Ben & Hugh). We wandered around and had a pizza, then went to the Last Drop on Grassmarket to meet up with Ronan and then the others as they arrived.

We went on to Rich Hall then afterwards a few of us stayed out; Ronan & his gf Fiona, me, Valerie and Hugh. R&F left after one drinks, we (not really me) sort of got chatting to this group of people who told us about Late & Live and some disco with every number one hit since 195x. We couldn't get into either of them so the three of us went home.

I was surprisingly not mega late up Saturday morning. We had a very slow breakfast at the flat, Ronan & Fiona came over and we went to a bar in Broughton Street (probably just called Basement Bar) for a few drinks and a bit more food. We sort of accidentally split up on a few occasions during the afternoon; I stayed at Basement Bar with Valerie as she had nearly a full pint, we then joined the others at Queens Arms where we fissioned again. I ended up with Hugh, Ben, Dave & Ronan at the Beehive on Grassmarket before we went over to Ed Byrne to meet the others. Due to being in that group not the other one, I didn't get to meet Jim's sister who was around briefly.

We got some food at a street van between Ed Byrne & Will Seaward. After Will Seaward we tried to get tickets to Late & Live but had left it too late. We went down to Library in the basement of the same building where it was (no sound) on TV. There was some dissatisfaction there and I think a lot of people wanted to go home. Valerie and Hugh went into Espionage, I joined them, the others had been umming and ahing about staying out and didn't come in. As it turned out they went and had a couple of drinks at some Latin American bar they found further on.

Espionage has like four or five floors, going down from street level. Top level was karaoke, which was a bit heaving. We went down one level. Felt a bit rough and I think we were all too sober. After a bit we went down one level to vaguely arabic themed level but couldn't get seats so went down one more level to Pravda. Not really Russian themed except the odd poster and sign, although maybe the James Bond themed ads on the TVs behind bar were part of that theme. We stayed there, didn't make it down to the remaining level below.

Music not my favourite but acceptable pop-dancey kind of tunes, I can't describe well but not because it's obscure. Not so different from music in some of the clubs in Playa del Carmen. Didn't really get that drunk but was good fun really. We left at 5 when it was closing.

Went to bed after initial entry but took 10-20 mins to fall asleep. Woke up 930ish with full bladder but on emptying it felt better. We had to check out by 11 so we all stayed in bed til Javaria came in to warn us at 1030. Leapt out of bed and had shower etc. Hadn't been that drunk night before so didn't feel too bad.

We had a sort of scrappy breakfast with remains of food then went to Treacle on Broughton Street for food and coffees and stuff til 1ish. We then wandered around a bit, I ended up wandering around with Ben as we fissioned. Saw very good Spanish-style guitarist somewhere round Lawnmarket (prob wrong street).

As I say, not a bad weekend at all. Especially now I've seen "what it's like" and that the atmosphere is really not as bad as I might have expected, I could imagine coming on my own for maybe 4-5 nights next year. I could see a lot of shows so I'd be occupied, I am not sure if I would be able to scrape aquaintance with anyone but you never know; I think as long as I came without relying on that it would be OK. Would also be good to come again with a group but that would I think be a bit more 'party' and less 'seeing odd shows'.

It's odd, given it wasn't a major point and that I was pretty sober but something Ed Byrne said during his show struck a bit of a chord, doubtless on the Harry Browne note. He said something about you only have time for 20 or so friends and there are seven million people on the planet, so you really don't need to waste your time with arseholes. I am trying to stop worrying about getting older and "where my life is going" (puke) and stuff and just actually get on with it.

Oh, I didn't really  get that drunk at all and it wasn't too hard not to. "Worst" was the session in Last Drop on first day, but the whole weekend I stuck to weakish beers (lots of Deuchars at only 3.8%) where possible. I probably had five or six at the Last Drop but that was over a number of hours, plus I naturally slowed down latter on, and I ate something there plus the pizza I'd had earlier.

I have probably bust my 21 unit allowance this week but taking the abstemious last week or two into account I'm probably not over that on average a week. That may not be ideal, but it will have to do.