And DONE!

All the work I can usefully do has been done! Articles written for our mag:

MPA Ten2One
Nikon D700 launch
Nikon D700 preview (may have replaced the launch)
Voigtlander 58mm
Gitzo tripods

Articles to go to F2

Voigtlander 58mm and 40mm
Gitzo tripods and photogear vest (may need new pictures for these)

Articles to finish for the future
Stuff for Geextreme, which is now woefully out of date.
Nikon P60 and P80

Tomorrow, I may end up relaxing. I think I am definitely going to skip the RIAT sadly - the cost, the time and the chance of good weather being slim, combined with the A7 closure to look forward to on the way back to Hawick is filling me with dread. I may go hang about near an RAF base or something. Or near a famous person's house; I can be a Paparazzi with an 800mm lens, 'cause that's REALLY easy to lug about (I can see why a Sigma SD14 and 500mm lens might be a preferable combination).

The Citroen dealer here is jumping through hoops to get me a car on finance within an acceptable budget. Not sure if I posted that already, but it's interesting. They're offering WAY over book for my Suzuki, and even before I've haggled at all (which I think, to be fair, the whole process of hammering up the price of the Suzuki, and 2.9% apr finance with a low residual and 3 year term already counts as) the ex-demo C6 is coming in £7K below the revised (lower) list price for a 2008 model with 'delivery' miles and the spec I want (black/cream, HD-based Satnav) - and they DO listen. They're including mudflaps, mats and extended warranty in their calculations.

Even if they do come up with the goods, I doubt my credit rating would allow such a thing. But I'm fairly sure they can't bring it in with me paying nothing down and under £400/month. And I need a towbar on it if they do.

What I DO get is a 24 hour test drive - I think I'll be back down in Birmingham after this week in Hawick, moving more stuff (I plan to get the MR2 repaired too) down like my iMac and office desk if I can cram it into the car.

I've listed my NeXT, ICL One Per Desk on eBay. Next up will be my erased Mac G5 with dual monitors. Any recommendations for SATA to USB/Firewire HD enclosures (to pop my old HDs into)?

OMFG

Trade-in allowance on Suzuki - £2800
+ £4000 trade in dealer allowance.

I can has?

Oh, also my RME interface is doing bloody well on eBay. I should have bought a lottery ticket, but realistic stuff is better.

C6 HDi This one isn't mine, but hopefully there's a black one in the system for me - otherwise, darkest blue metallic or darkest grey metallic!

So. Yeah. That deal on the C6.

My credit rating is naturally shot. Jen's isn't. Pre-registered for a mind-blowing £7K below list plus £2,800 tradein on the Ignis. Monthly payment less than I've been spending on old cars. WAY less. Residual manageable. APR 2.9%, when the house sells I'm sticking the residual in a high interest account and keeping on with the payments unless I find it annoying. Extended warranty, 12 months tax, all the good stuff like mats and proper mudflaps and towbar (eventually; still trying to verify how much is modified on the car to fit it).

Test drive today was a success; awesome parking sensors, it fits in the drive, it's smaller in some ways than it looks, computer is very cool (you can change all sorts of aspects like if the steering headlights are enabled), DEEPLY relaxing. Barely need to touch the throttle, easy to use cruise control.

The deal was worked out on an in-stock HDi Exclusive (Iron Grey, cream) but they're going through the dealer network to find me a black with cream one; it may have the electric reclining rear seats, but it won't have a sunroof. It should be done in two weeks, and will be a pre-registered model that may have spent time in the showroom but will be delivery mileage.

Apparently being 33 is WAY out of Citroen's demographic for the C6. I told the salesman that I guess they'll have to change it to show 25% of buyers are under 35 now.

Back up to Hawick tomorrow with Banana bread and an A-class. And no cat. And via the A1/A68 somehow, since the A7 is closed. I may ALSO be in Glasgow on Sunday evening to catch up with people I missed today.