Edinburgh

This is the nicest day I've been out in for 2 years. Baking sun with a refreshing straight wind; instead of the bitter uniquely hair-styling curveball wind that usually whips around Edinbrughs streets. Tourists everywhere on Princes Street, in shorts and t-shirt, not realising the town isn't always like this, summer holidays are always hot, right? And they're enjoying the character provided by pipers on princes street: not realising that they keep making mistakes and play the same two tunes over and over. Whoever chose Scotland's national instrument must have been feeling kind to potential buskers: it doesn't matter if you can't play or make lots of mistakes: it's out of tune already. Genius. I might even make use of them, in my forthcoming tweemo band - it'd be like the Dropkick Murphys, but less punk. In sound at least. It's the kind of day that reminds me why I love this place so much. Who'd have thought going to pay a gas bill could result in such a warming feeling? And not just tourism to make the city alive, there's the impending G8 periphery - as the consciousness raisers, replacing the SSP for once, outside Burger King and under a monument to Wellington remind me - and the festival is on the horizon: all the programmes are out, Ian Rankin has sold out, and sitting in Princes Street Gardens for lunch is back in. Something good is gonna happen. Soon.