Oh dear oh dear. The best laid plans etc etc.

I took the car in yesterday in order to have its window fixed. I was concerned that I was leaving my guitar and other stuff in there while I went to work and left it not secure, but I couldn't carry all my stuff with me and so I had to take the risk. I left the car under the watchful eye of the staff.

Having to take an hour out of my day at lunchtime to pick up the car cost me the earlier departure time I'd rather hoped to get after work, Edinburgh-bound. When I got to the place to pick up the car, I found they'd fixed the window, but left it all unlocked. Reception had lost the keys, and for a moment, I imagined that they might have been left in the ignition. However, the keys were found and the car hadn't been interfered with, so no harm done. As a bonus, the boss told me how much the windscreen replacement might cost me and his advice might have saved my car from an early termination. The jury is out.

After work, I headed to Edinburgh. There was traffic, there was fast driving and I was just pulling into the old city, focussed on maybe seeing a few shows and performing at a particular late night show when I got a call which changed my plans. I was asked to come and help develop an act for a first-time stand-up comedian. This person was under pressure to do well and needed a set, fast. So, I joined a couple of friends and then we brainstormed with the person in question. It was fun and illuminating.

The friends were in the show - Scotland 4, Australia 1 - which I'd seen on its opening night, but which I went along to see again. It went really well and made me laugh a lot. There's some good comedy value in that show.

Afterwards, I had a car to get parked somewhere safe - it had been parked on Cowgate next to a pavement so high that I couldn't open the door and had to climb in and out of the passenger. Plus, the parking space was controlled and I was liable to getting myself ticketed if I didn't. So, off I drove. I went to the venue where I was planning to perform, looked around and changed my mind. Then I went and parked somewhere miles away from where I would be staying that night, and where I had to walk to meet everyone. Well, the walking is good exercise.

Then I walked to the pub where everyone was. I ended up doing a gig there, which went pretty well. I enjoyed it. Then we drank until kicking out. Kicking out is late. Very late. D'oh!

We walked over long distance to the flat where I was to be sleeping. I got about 3 hours' sleep... if that.

Waking up at 9 at the Fringe is not a good thing, but I didn't want to risk going back to sleep and wrecking my day. I walked back to my car to drop my stuff off - I had to forego a shower as I couldn't get the bugger to work. I realise that the last sentence contains two fractured thoughts, but it was a fractured morning, the hangover and the tiredness not being exceedingly good bedfellows. I had slept in a sleeping bag on a floor with my fleece as a pillow... forgive my confusion.

Anyway, I decided, after coffee, to go and see a show this morning. The show was called Mudfinger and was billed as a kids' show. Let's just say it was more a demonstration of mental illness... the audience had a whale of a time, so no harm done... in fact, I may never laugh that much again. I very much doubt that our amusement was created by the performer as much as it was generated, tangential to what he was doing. Oh dear oh dear. The kids got the idea of the show very quickly and had the better of the performer.

Mudfinger: Would you like me to turn your sister into mud?
Little boy: I haven't got a sister.
Mudfinger: We can change all that!

Aaaaaaaaaagh. Brilliant fun.

I have a meeting before my first show of the picnic. So, this is just a quick bit of bloggage. More later, if there's time.