A Penny Dreadful

Sitting on my sofa just reading my emails not even thinking of dinner yet as I'm just not hungry. My mobile goes off and it's L from work.

You said you weren't doing anything tonight right?

Yup - that's the plan, a whole lotta nothin'

We've got a spare theatre ticket tonight, it's only a fiver, no idea what it is, want to join us?

Sure

Be there in about 10 minutes (she just lives around the corner from me).

The show was 'The Mystery of Irma Vemp' and was at the Royal Lyceum Theatre. It was a nice bit of fun.. A very camp show consisting of two men playing all the parts so of course there was some cross dressing involved. The cheap tickets were part of the First Fridays deal, kind of like a dress rehearsal I guess. No assigned seating so you need to arrive early. But this is the theatre, no stampedes as everyone queued as they tend to do here in the UK.

At intermission the ushers come down to the audience to sell mini-tubs of Haagen Daz ice-cream which I found really strange, but it seemed immensely popular. Why ice-cream at the theatre?

Speaking of the theatre, it's very nice.

After the show we walked home going around the back part of the castle and up into the old town. I found it funny that as we crossed onto the street at the foot of the castle there was a big sign pointing towards it that said...

<-Castle

I must go back during the daylight and take a picture. Makes me wonder how many tourists have stood with their back to the sign, underneath this massive looming presence and said to their spouse 'I wonder where the castle is'.

Took this shot as we walked up the hill just before connecting up with the Royal Mile.

It was a good night.

Dare I speak the word that is... spring?

If I jinx it by doing this then so be it, but gosh it feels like spring :)

I wake up in the morning and the sun is starting to poke its head in the sky as I make my breakfast. I'm no longer walking home in the pitch black. No more do my pajamas consist of flannel layered over a t-shirt, socks and topped with a hooded sweatshirt, and I am no longer sleeping curled up in a tight little ball shivering. I even reduced the number of hours the boiler is on for.

I can hear the birds twittering out my bedroom window as I type this.

Yes I think spring is just around the corner.

Its amazing what people search for

As most of you are aware I post all my photography (the good and the crap) on Flickr. Its main function is that of an archive but also a way to bridge the distance between here (Scotland) and home (Canada). Many of my friends are on Flickr so its fun being able to check out the vacation shots when one gets home or to get that feel good warmth when I look at pictures of my cats at my folks place.

But there is also the sharing aspect. You can join groups to post your work to in order to receive critic to better your craft or just to meet some really interesting people. I belonged to the Glasgow Flickr meet up group when I lived there as a way to not only meet other camera geeks but also to get out there in and discover the hidden areas of the city. I've done the same here now in Edinburgh, although I haven't been out all that much yet to actually take some shots but I have attended the 2 social evenings at least (they're such a friendly bunch).

Then (and this is the reason for the post) there is the utterly random. You can look up the statistics on your photostream. What shots were viewed yesterday, how many times, how were they seen (i.e. people going directly to your stream or viewed from a group) or what photos were searched for.

This is my most viewed photo:



Ok everyone together now 'WHY???' Because I titled it Genetic Mutations and EVERY DAY I can see that people either through Flickr, Google Images, Google Search, Yahoo Images or Yahoo Search the masses out there will type in the words 'genetic mutations' and hit search and my photo pops up. Probably not what they were looking for but I find it funny. How many pre-med students have seen my work, or budding mad scientists?

And for those of you wondering, its a TV show prop that was sitting on my cousins balcony because it was just too cool to throw away.

And now its famous.

(oh and I'm running late so I'll add in all the hyper links and some more reference photos later tonight after work)

The Movies

I've been watching quite a few movies lately. Both the DVD kind and the go to the cinema kind. One reason is, well... I've got lots of free time on my hands due to not really knowing that many people.

For the last 2 Sundays I've been going to the double feature at the Cameo Picturehouse. (thanks for the free ticket JG) Going to the cinema by yourself is not for everyone, but I don't mind.

It's easy enough finding a seat as unless forced, people tend to leave at least one empty seat between them and the stranger next to them in a row. If I get to the theatre early enough I can be strategic in where I sit. Preferably directly behind someone that isn't tall. I've learned the hard way that if I don't do this the empty seat in the row ahead of me will be filled by a 7 ft giant just as the lights go down.

While waiting for the movie to start sometimes I'll read the paper but eventually I feel myself being drawn to the snippets of conversations around me.

The couple 4 seats over
- he's doing all the talking. He seems very opinionated about a friend of his and that she (only 24) is dating a guy in his 40's. "But if she's happy..."

The guy 2 rows ahead
- is going on and on about how awful the last movie he saw was and how he didn't even want to see it but the comedy he wanted to see didn't start until after 10:00 and that was too late.

The 2 elderly ladies to my right
- are discussing their grandchildren.

The guy at the end of the row on the right
- has already fallen asleep

4 rows ahead to the right is a blond
- I recognise her from last Sunday as she's wearing the same blue coat and she has great hair.

A couple sits in the seats directly next to me just as the movie begins. Within 2 minutes they switch seats because the girl can't see the screen because of the tall guy in the seat in front.

The lights go down, I've got my tube of Pringles Sour Cream & Onion crisps and a pint of Deuchers IPA. Let the movie begin.