Run, Lilley, Run!

A couple of posts back I mentioned my purchase of a pair of scarily expensive running shoes. Well, money has succeeded where all more sensible concerns failed (I am a Scot, after all) and driven out to exercise. I've got even less fit since I stopped riding on moving south, so it was about time something was done. I've now started the programme detailed in this book, and so far, so good. I feel tremendously pleased with myself. Currently I am trying to badger a friend into running a Race for Life with me - watch this space.

Spring is springing, the weather is improving, and I need a new coat. And, of course, the threatened hosepipe ban is getting ever nearer. Any Scottish readers I might have will probably be surprised and frightened to hear that sometimes it goes for THREE or even FOUR days without raining, and when it does rain, it's only ever vertical! 'Tis not God's way, say I. In all seriousness, however, a drought in England's wet season is deeply disturbing, and I can't help feeling that it's symptomatic of a greater malaise. Not to mention, of course, the ODPM's plan to build thousands of new houses on land that is either a) in the area currently affected by water shortages or b) vulnerable to flooding. Where's the happy medium?

I'm enjoying looking at the spring sunshine as I write this, but I'd better enjoy it while I can, since we're allegedly moving to the basement any day now. On the plus side, no stairs; on the minus, no windows. Well.

Anyway, back to the grindstone.

Moderately diverting way to spend five minutes

I freely admit to having stolen this from Adam. You stick iTunes/iPod/Windows Meeja Player/whatever on shuffle, and you ask it these thirteen questions:

1. What do you think of me, iTunes?
Expecting by the White Stripes.
Yes, I am demanding. Uncanny.

2. Will I have a happy life?
Open Your Heart, by Madonna
"I see you on the street and you walk on by/I hang my head and I want to cry". Oh.

3. What do my friends really think of me?
Love Will Bring Us Back Together by Darkflower.
Erm, OK.

4. Do people secretly lust after me?
I Only Feel It With You by Rebekah Ryan.
That's nice. Now who the hell are you and where can I find you?

5. What should I do with my life?
Rescue Me, by Madonna.
Erm, right. Who might you be? Are you the same as in Q4?

6. Why must life be so full of pain?
Dedicated to the One I Love by the Mamas and the Papas.
Well, I hope whoever that might be appreciates the bloody pain!

7. How can I maximize my pleasure during sex?
Otherside by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
"Slitting my throat". Forget that.

8. Will I ever have children?
Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams.
So either... I've got to go back in time and get knocked up in the autumn of '68 OR my chances of conception will be maximised by adopting a certain position as foreplay every time for three months. Riiiiight.

9. Will I die happy?
Get on Top by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
I think that's actually the answer to question 7.

10. Can you give me some advice?
You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet by Bachman-Turner Overdrive.
Well, that sort of makes sense... I'm still fairly young.

11. What do you think happiness is?
This Is How You Remind Me by Nickelback
That makes no sense at all. Read the question. Bad iTunes.

12. What's my favorite fetish?
We're Going to be Friends by the White Stripes.
I think we're getting to the end-of-exam slump here.

13. Am I a complete freak?
Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes.
Why so much White Stripes? Do they possess oracular powers?

All in all, I don't think this is going to be catching on as an alternative to tarot, tealeaves, or, indeed, just waiting to see what happens.

Friday Friday

Not a lot to say for myself today, but I'm told it's good discipline to write regularly. And God knows that one thing my approach to writing could do with is discipline. So, this week I have:

• booked my flight home for Easter and the April concerts with NYCoS. As you would expect from last week's post, I'm flying with BA.
• bought scarily expensive running shoes in order to force myself into exercising. I shall be buying the rest of my kit tomorrow, and will report progress next week.
• been for a drink with my old mate and co-founder of Web3d Mike.
• Read A Question of Love, the new offering from Isabel Wolff, one of the few tolerable chicklit authors.
• Bought the new issue of Prospect, and felt ridiculously adult for doing so.
• Done actually quite a lot of work. Phew.

The low-cost revolution

To Edinburgh yesterday with easyJet. I thought I'd engage in a spot of comparison for your edification and my amusement.

British Airways:

• Return from Heathrow to Glasgow for £68.90.
• Online check-in means you can choose your seat 24 hours in advance; so if you want a port side window seat as far forward as possible, well, go for it.
• Allocated seats. So no train-style "is this seat taken?" malarkey, and no free-for-all boarding.
• Free drink. I'm a nervous flyer, and my medication of choice is gin.
• Free food (although frankly picky vegetarian + airline sandwiches = misery for all).

easyJet:

• Return from Gatwick to Edinburgh for £70.89.
• Online check-in is available, but puts you in boarding group D for "definitely getting a middle seat next to a screaming child, because you're getting on last". Not that it's the child's fault - he probably wanted to fly BA.
• Aforementioned free-for-all at boarding.
• Hideously overpriced food and drink. I'm sorry, but if I wanted to pay £4.50 for a limp cheese 'baguette' (which would cause any self-respecting French boulanger to stick his head in his oven) and £1.80 for drain coffee, I'd have lunch at Waterloo. And don't even get me started on the bar prices.
• What kind of service industry of any sort sells singing Crazy Frog toys? On a means of transport with no means of escape? That sort of thing really ought to get Stelios in a playpen in a court at the Hague.

Plus the flight up was an hour and a half late. Still, a special mention should go to the woman who offered me an M&M. If you were that nice sharing person on EZY 703 yesterday, I appreciated the gesture, even if I do hate peanuts.

So yes, I really don't see what's so great about the no-frills carriers. Me, I like frills, and if they can't even manage to be cheaper, then what the hell is going on?