taking stock
I've got a spare moment, and I want to get back to writing, so this seems a good way to start. How are things with me, anyway?
Not too bad, actually.
So, the first year of married life has ticked around. That didn't start off too well what with Allie being in another country and all, but that's been rectified since October. She found it fairly hard to get a job, partly because of her peers in the world of recently qualified Art experts having a bit of a head start in the job hunt (thanks, pointless employment restrictions on student visas!) but she's a little better placed now, working as the Art Buyer for Blackwells. This is a good thing, and it also means she isn't working till 2am or whatever in a pub all the time. Actually having your wife awake at the same time as you is a much under-rated thing.
My work's been a bit easier, recently- they've changed a few things about the way we work to make it more fair, and I've been one of the major beneficiaries. People have started to realise exactly how much work I do, and have started to treat me as one of the people to ask when something tricky needs explaining and fixing. A little bit of a pay rise this spring was quite nice too. It's still not what I want to do, but it's better, and I work with good people. As an example, the guy I used to sit next to is a punk rock bassist who's currently writing a concept album about Godzilla. There's similar lovely folk about throughout the building. The place is full of musical connections. One of the managers is Phil Rourke, whose brother Andy was in some band called the Smiths. What's more, somewhere in the building lurks a former member of Runrig. Haven't found him yet. Keeping an eye out for SNP propaganda and mullets. I still want to find something better to pay my way, working on it.
I'm also moving house. I've been staying with my family friends the Farquahars on and off for a while in Edinburgh, and it'll be odd to go, but the place we're moving to is lovely, and a bit more space. It'll also properly be ours- staying in somewhere that's been someone's family home for about twenty-five years (I've been coming here for about that time, too!) means that you can't quite make it your own. Allie and I are both looking forward to that, though I suspect I won't have much say in what the place actually looks like. Kind of inevitable when you're married to an art expert who is obsessed with the theory of display.
Not having to deal with an old dog that shits everywhere will be good, too.
And then there's bands. I was in the one (Sabai, good little folk-rock band) for a few years, but that came to an end for me as it became apparent over time that I was on a completely different wavelength to the rest of the band, on lots of things, and that my opinion didn't really count for anything with them either musically or in terms of how to go about things. Leaving was a strange wrench but looking back, it was the right thing to do- I'm currently doing more music than I've ever done.
Right now I'm in two bands, Mad Nurse and Royal Edinburgh Music. They gig on a fairly regular basis, and whilst neither are quite setting the world on fire, it's been great so far. I've also got a huge amount out of joining Edinburgh's Beltane Fire society, who are basically a big bunch of giggly hippies who like dressing up in funny costumes like Larpers, and drumming at public festivals. Allie's been involved that too, and it's been a really cool thing to be able to share that with her. It's introduced us to a whole community of other people who LOVE PLAYING DRUMS AND TALKING ABOUT IT! Finally, a home amongst my people...
Life is fairly hectic- things like last week keep happening. I practiced with my various musical ensembles each night after work from Monday to Thursday, sometimes till ten o'clock. I then spent friday's day off sorting out stuff for our move, then going to the Wee Red Bar (a lovely little venue in Edinburgh College of Art) where I played two gigs with Mad Nurse and Royal Edinburgh. People kept treating me as if I was in charge, which was kind of odd but rather cool. Oh, the power.
After the gig, we took one set of drum paraphenalia back to the house and then rocked on down with some other drums to a club. The Drummers had a gig at a private party, and as we arrived we walked through a fairly empty club where terrible music was playing, but then a door at the back was opened and a thunder of drums flooded out to greet us. Our gig was at midnight, and we played on the dancefloor with people all around us. After the gig proper was done, we carried on in a back room, about twenty people playing till about 2am before we staggered home, exhausted.
Things aren't perfect, but right now, they really aren't all that bad. Some people are too far away, and I don't have enough money to visit them as much as I'd want, but give that time and all should be well.
Not too bad, actually.
So, the first year of married life has ticked around. That didn't start off too well what with Allie being in another country and all, but that's been rectified since October. She found it fairly hard to get a job, partly because of her peers in the world of recently qualified Art experts having a bit of a head start in the job hunt (thanks, pointless employment restrictions on student visas!) but she's a little better placed now, working as the Art Buyer for Blackwells. This is a good thing, and it also means she isn't working till 2am or whatever in a pub all the time. Actually having your wife awake at the same time as you is a much under-rated thing.
My work's been a bit easier, recently- they've changed a few things about the way we work to make it more fair, and I've been one of the major beneficiaries. People have started to realise exactly how much work I do, and have started to treat me as one of the people to ask when something tricky needs explaining and fixing. A little bit of a pay rise this spring was quite nice too. It's still not what I want to do, but it's better, and I work with good people. As an example, the guy I used to sit next to is a punk rock bassist who's currently writing a concept album about Godzilla. There's similar lovely folk about throughout the building. The place is full of musical connections. One of the managers is Phil Rourke, whose brother Andy was in some band called the Smiths. What's more, somewhere in the building lurks a former member of Runrig. Haven't found him yet. Keeping an eye out for SNP propaganda and mullets. I still want to find something better to pay my way, working on it.
I'm also moving house. I've been staying with my family friends the Farquahars on and off for a while in Edinburgh, and it'll be odd to go, but the place we're moving to is lovely, and a bit more space. It'll also properly be ours- staying in somewhere that's been someone's family home for about twenty-five years (I've been coming here for about that time, too!) means that you can't quite make it your own. Allie and I are both looking forward to that, though I suspect I won't have much say in what the place actually looks like. Kind of inevitable when you're married to an art expert who is obsessed with the theory of display.
Not having to deal with an old dog that shits everywhere will be good, too.
And then there's bands. I was in the one (Sabai, good little folk-rock band) for a few years, but that came to an end for me as it became apparent over time that I was on a completely different wavelength to the rest of the band, on lots of things, and that my opinion didn't really count for anything with them either musically or in terms of how to go about things. Leaving was a strange wrench but looking back, it was the right thing to do- I'm currently doing more music than I've ever done.
Right now I'm in two bands, Mad Nurse and Royal Edinburgh Music. They gig on a fairly regular basis, and whilst neither are quite setting the world on fire, it's been great so far. I've also got a huge amount out of joining Edinburgh's Beltane Fire society, who are basically a big bunch of giggly hippies who like dressing up in funny costumes like Larpers, and drumming at public festivals. Allie's been involved that too, and it's been a really cool thing to be able to share that with her. It's introduced us to a whole community of other people who LOVE PLAYING DRUMS AND TALKING ABOUT IT! Finally, a home amongst my people...
Life is fairly hectic- things like last week keep happening. I practiced with my various musical ensembles each night after work from Monday to Thursday, sometimes till ten o'clock. I then spent friday's day off sorting out stuff for our move, then going to the Wee Red Bar (a lovely little venue in Edinburgh College of Art) where I played two gigs with Mad Nurse and Royal Edinburgh. People kept treating me as if I was in charge, which was kind of odd but rather cool. Oh, the power.
After the gig, we took one set of drum paraphenalia back to the house and then rocked on down with some other drums to a club. The Drummers had a gig at a private party, and as we arrived we walked through a fairly empty club where terrible music was playing, but then a door at the back was opened and a thunder of drums flooded out to greet us. Our gig was at midnight, and we played on the dancefloor with people all around us. After the gig proper was done, we carried on in a back room, about twenty people playing till about 2am before we staggered home, exhausted.
Things aren't perfect, but right now, they really aren't all that bad. Some people are too far away, and I don't have enough money to visit them as much as I'd want, but give that time and all should be well.