263/365

We had a great night on Hogmanay. First, we had some friends round for drinks and nibbles at ours, followed by dancing to fantastic 60's music at the wonderful goth/rock/metal club round the corner. Here is Magnus in the dazzling lights upstairs at Studio 24 (this might technically have been taken on the 1st of January, but meh).

As we were leaving, we decided to have a peek downstairs in the metal/rock bit of the club. Much to my rather drunken glee, a Metallica cover band were playing, and they were awesome! Ah, Mentallica, you were a perfect end to my night!

262/365

Again, a 365 cheat... a pictoral representation of what we accomplished today.

We have justified this week's laziness by acknowledging that we only have two weeks left in this place, and we want to get as much out of it as we can before we move out. I will be really really sad to leave this little flat - it was our first home together and we have been very happy here.

261/365

Ooo...we actually left the flat! For beer.

260/365

On Sunday, in addition to doing all the things I mentioned in my previous post, we also watched a whole load of DVDs.

259/365

Now here begins the 365 cheating. Magnus and I became pretty much disabled with laziness from Saturday the 27th until Hogmanay (we did leave the flat once on Monday night for drinks with friends - but I suspect that doesn't count as a break in the laziness!). So disabled, in fact, that I couldn't even motivate myself to take photos. Plus, all we were doing was eating, drinking, sitting around in our jammies, playing GTA and listening to music. It was pretty awesome.

So I'm afraid this photo is nothing but a pictoral representation of what we were doing on Saturday.

258/365

This was my favourite gift this year - a wonderful birdie necklace from Magnus.

257/365

Christmas at the in-laws means lots and lots of Raffles cuddles for Magnus. It also means a lovely delicious meal prepared by Magnus' mum and loads of pressies. I'm so glad I have lovely in-laws!

256/365

The survey was fine yesterday, so now it's official! Our solicitor called to tell us to put the SOLD sticker on our For Sale board. What a fantastic Christmas present!

255/365

Work Christmas cards.

254/365

Today, I was the only person in the studio for a large part of the day. So it was just me and MY music - bliss!

Something wonderful happened today, but I didn't capture it on camera - I got a phone call from our solicitor this morning, and a very nice lady has offered the full asking price for our flat! The survey will be done tomorrow, and if that goes ok, we can consider it sold - hallelujah!

253/365

Kiki gave me this gorgeous thick die-cut felt thingy for Christmas. I don't quite know what to do with it (I have been putting my fruitbowl on it), but I absolutely love it. Die-cut felt is so hot right now, btw.

252/365

Now this is a proper tree - Emma had us round for Guitar Hero and festive nibbles. I won't shame anyone with Guitar Hero action shots... but a little birdie told me that someone might have uploaded some to Facebook...

251/365

Ohhhhh, M, how I love you.

250/365

This morning I put up our 'Christmas tree': a foot-tall red perspex thing from Muji. Very minimalist and just the right size for our little flat - I love it! Next year, we'll have a proper tree in the new flat.

249/365

One of my favourite tools - a cutsey little measuring tape I bought in Toronto. For some reason, everyone is always borrowing it!

248/365

More work - Giordana taking the spine off of a lovely early 18th Century book

247/365

I'm sorry - this week I took a lot of work photos. Here, I'm trimming down heat-set tissue after applying it to very brittle paper to make it safe for microfilming. Perfect mindless work for a Monday morning!

246/365

Look who we got back from grandma and grandpa's today. Birdie the Destroyer. There goes the lovely clean flat!

245/365

I think I was so traumatized from dancing the Macarena that I put myself to bed without taking off my make-up. This was the shocking result in the morning.

Also, I have lost my tweezers in the tidy up of the flat - this photo has made me realise my eyebrows are starting to revolt! Prompt action is required, I think...

244/365

Work Christmas do at the Voodoo rooms. I'm afraid there was dancing. To the Macarena. Oh, the shame. But that's what work Christmas do's are for, I suppose...

243/365

This is my very last wet press book. I have treated 83 of these, at 600 pages each - that's 49,800 pages! It only took me 27 months!

242/365

This is an amazing object - a sheet of parchment has been cut with scissors into bible verses and decoration. It's unbelievably ornate and detailed. Lucky Giordana gets to conserve it!

241/365

The excellent Frightened Rabbit at the Liquid Rooms with Magnus and Emma.

240/365

Today Gordon and I spent the day de-installing the Heroes exhibition at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

239/365

Today we went for a walk before our flat viewings - we had two viewers and both were very keen!

238/365

Today we borrowed Magnus' parent's car to do some errands around town. Getting the car is often just an excuse for Magnus to get cuddles from Raffles. He's her favourite person.

237/365

Kiki has a Playmobile advent calendar at work. Every morning we're greeted by Playmobile cuteness.

236/365

After makeover - with everything moved back in and the walls repainted. A huge improvement, I think! And we are finally able to move back home!

235/365

During makeover - Magnus and I popped in to see the progress of the work on Wednesday.

234/365

Our teensy tiny kitchen - before makeover.

233/365

Magnus and I are staying at his sister's lovely flat in Newington while we get our kitchen done. Rather than mess up her impeccable kitchen (she's trying to sell too), we ate out tonight at Kalpna, a famous Edinburgh vegetarian Indian restaurant. It was possibly the best meal we've had for a very long time. This is the cool mosaic peacock in the dining room.
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232/365

Our ESPC web listing went live on Friday, and we had our first open viewing today - we had TWO viewers! Yay! After loads of cleaning, the old hole in the wall is surprisingly photogenic!

231/365

Tonight, Emma had us round for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. She made roast potatoes, roast veg, and sprouts. I made vegetarian meatloaf and good ol' green bean casserole. Neil made an AMAZING pumpkin pie from scratch with rum-soaked raisins. Andi brought tasty wine.

Afterwards, we went to the Caves for a marathon of music for the Shelter charity, and loads of excellent local bands played. Unfortunately, the few bands we wanted to see were on too late for us oldies, but we got to see a great selection of bands earlier on. We left around 1am, and there were loads of bands still to play. This is the excellently-named Jesus H Foxx.

230/365

Our flat went on the market today, and we had to tidy to within an inch of our lives. It's looking pretty good, if I do say so!

229/365

The latest torture devices administered by my foot doctor-new custom insoles. Can't wait to go shopping for granny shoes.

228/365

My first photo on my new toy - a secondhand BlackBerry Pearl. I love it - shame the camera is a bit crap! Sally was kind enough to pose - she's a very mysterious lady.

227/365

Team meeting at our remote bindery. We had to use the visitor's mugs, and this was the one I ended up with - love it!

226/365

Finally back at work. This is my favouritest tool in the whole world - a brass boxmaking square given to me by a friend as a wedding present.

225/365

Early hours of Sunday morning... on the way back from a friend's house post-pub, we were rewarded by a lovely dusting of snow. Of course, I had to make sure everyone knew it!

224/365

Had Emma round for some wine and a catch-up. I was so stir-crazy from my week off work, I allowed myself to be talked into going to the pub after a bottle of wine!

223/365

Off sick again today. I downloaded Super Mario 2 on the Wii.
Perfect sickie game, kickin' it oldskool.

222/365

A cool bit of graffiti on my way home from work.

(I actually went to work today, thinking I was better. Bad idea.)

221/365

Yes, another day off sick.

220/365

Another day off sick.

219/365

Day off sick. This is all I did today.

218/365

I'm heartbroken. Magnus and I had bought tickets to see the bestest live act band in the whole world, The Black Keys, tonight at the Queen's Hall. But a trip to the Royal Infirmary for an emergency appointment this afternoon confirmed that I have a chest infection, and therefor should not be listening to awesome toe-tapping gritty blues-tinged rock'n'roll and drinking beer from a bar full of delicious microbrewery beers. Instead, I sit here a mere mucous-filled shadow of my former self, watching Scrubs reruns and feeling sorry for myself while Magnus has gone alone to the gig. To add insult to injury, none of our friends were available to go along this evening, so Magnus had to sell my ticket for less than face value outside the venue. Boo!

PS - Have I said recently how much I freaking LOVE the NHS?! I probably have, but I'm going to say it again. Time and time again, I am impressed by the treatment I have received from this wonderful service. I called NHS 24 this afternoon at 1:30, the nurse on the phone decided that I should be seen by an out-of-hours doctor, so she made me an appointment for 2:40 at the Royal Infirmary. She even offered to arrange transport to the hospital for me! Instead, we decided to take a taxi to the hospital, I was seen immediately, and we were home half an hour later. No forms to fill in, no insurance to deal with. I love me my socialized medicine!!

217/365

This has been keeping me upright for the past couple of days.

216/365

Sally bought this card for her brother's birthday - I love it!

215/365

(click for full-size. It should be legible.)

Kiki was working on this handbill today, and I think it is absolutely brilliant. Dated 1847, it pleads with the people of Scotland to turn their backs on two gentleman from Virginia who are 'at present lecturing throughout Scotland on Christian Union'. These two gentlemen, you see, 'assert that slavery, considered in itself, is not sinful - is not opposed to the spirit and principles of Christianity - and that the Saviour, and his Apostles, sanctioned the practice of man holding property in man.'

It goes on:

'For the sake of suffering humanity - for the sake of THREE MILLIONS OF YOUR FELLOW CREATURES groaning under the cruel bondage of American Slavery - People of Scotland, see that you do not in any way countenance that abominable system; beware lest you, in any degree, sacrifice your well-known Anti-Slavery principles, by apparently assenting to the absurd opinions of these men on this matter. Protest against their pro-Slavery views - tell them that you can have no connection with them, until they go home and urge upon their Slaveholding brethren to cease to do evil, to learn to do well, to seek judgement, and to EMANCIPATE ALL THEIR SLAVES!'

Excuse my French, but fuck yeah!!! This gave me goosebumps. Powerful stuff!

214/365

The moon rising over St. Giles Cathedral on the walk home tonight. Atmospheric!