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It was my last day off until the end of the Fringe, but things were pretty intense. I didn’t nearly kill anyone, at least. Unless you include myself. Through exhaustion.
Firstly we had to do the usual trip to the shops to buy the stuff that the flat doesn’t have, or that the flat does have, but is coated in dirt. It was the usual stuff: pillows and pans. We forgot to bring our own bedding this year, but sleep is so important during the Fringe that you don’t want to lose even more because of a stinking or soft pillow. We were also looking for a safety gate for Phoebe’s room and other bits and bobs. Before that we joined the gym for a month. The Nuffield were offering passes for August for £35 a person, which seems pretty reasonable. So that will work out as infinity pounds per visit.
Be nice to get back into exercise while we are here. Hard to tell which way it will go yet, but I am hoping it will be relaxing day times with the family, reading, exercising, seeing shows and then the show and then an early night. I did tell my wife I wasn’t going to drink much this year, but then did have a beer and 3/4 of a bottle of wine tonight. So the jury is still out.
Lunch suggested that this might not be the healthiest Fringe I’ve had. I had an onion bagel with Marmite on it for main course and a poppy seed bagel with honey on it for pudding. The Fringe hasn’t even started yet. I was too tired to schlep up to the Tempting Tattie.
We had a child gate delivered from Argos (same day delivery, very impressive) after John Lewis said they couldn’t get one in stock until August 22nd (boo!). I fitted it myself and felt fatherly and manly.
I started work on signing the limited edition programmes that are sent out to the wonderful people who paid money to SCOPE to get their names printed in the brochure I give away at all gigs. I write Limited Edition, the programme number and the name of each person on the cover. Some of those names are now very familiar to me. It’s always a bit of a jolt when I meet one of the people who regularly donates in real life. They are very good people. You should hopefully have your programmes by early next week.
I relaxed a little too and played Civilisation 2 and then made a chilli. It felt like a long time since I chopped vegetables. I did my daughter’s bath time for the last time in almost a month. This little oasis before the Fringe starts is always pleasant. It’s a shame the whole Fringe can’t be just us staying in a strange and slightly dirt-smeared flat and not have to do anything else.
But tomorrow my first Fringe in three years begins. It doesn’t seem possible that it was that long ago since that terrible Edinburgh, but nor does it feel like 30 years since the first one I did.
So far, remarkably, I haven’t seen any other comedians. This might just be because I don’t know or recognise the new ones.
With British Gas raising their electricity prices, it might be a good time to recommned Bulb:
They have just reduced their prices (British Gas have admitted electricity is cheaper but are putting up prices anyway)
They use renewable energy
They will buy you out of your contract
You have no contract and can leave any time
They are probably cheaper than your current provider
Good way to pay me back for all the free podcasts, whilst actually getting paid and saving money yourself. Seems to be win/win/win/win/win to me.
They haven’t paid me or asked me to recommend them and I would be doing so without the referral (in fact I did so and it was only after that that they told me this was an option. If I discover they are terrible people this gives me the freedom to let you know. They have been really impressive so far though.
