No, Mills, you're not alone.


I trust that's food, not kids.

As do we all I'm sure, but I spend much time sitting on trains and planes, not always with the space or energy to work or the inclination to read, and find it a highly pleasant thing to have, especially with earphones which blot out most of the sound coming from outside, which, believe me, isn't that interesting on one's fourth flight of the week!

I don't like wasps either. There's a vent in the wall here which used to be covered on the inside but I uncovered it, and there was a week in March when an unbelievable number of ladybirds emerged into the room day by day - I suppose they'd been wintering in it. I'm so glad it wasn't any kind of stinging insects!

I tend not to listen to music on the move, although perhaps I should (but I'm not commuting at the moment: it would have been more relevant up to a couple of months ago). I don't like the idea of an iPod because I'd have to spend time at home every so often loading it up with new things, which at the time I was travelling around a lot was probably beyond me. Having said that, my CDs are in better order now than they were before so maybe I could cope now.

I did buy a portable CD player in the airport when I was flying to Mexico for the second time, and I carried on using it for a while when I came back, but it's lain untouched again for months now. Like Mary I often prefer listening to what's around me, even if it is the same every day. Also, I was starting to get bothered by very quiet bits I couldn't hear on the move. I need to get better headphones, or choose my music more carefully.

Using it on planes did seal the association of certain music with place, which I find is something very powerful. The first time I ever wrote a booklet notes for a CD, I felt I needed to get away from London, and I spent a weekend in a b+b in a deserted and wonderfully bleak place called New Romney in Kent. It worked so well that since then I've often tried to associate each project with a particular location. Being asked to write about Martin Butler happened to coincide with a trip to San Francisco, so I made a point of starting to think about what I'd write while I was there. There's a particular Judith Weir song about the clouds and the sky and the sea that was at the end of the first edit NMC sent me of her orchestral CD, which I just happened to hear for the first time on that walkman as the plane was descending through the clouds on to Mexico City, and another song in the same cycle which I re-ran again and again in my mind as I walked along the beach in Acapulco.

I'm supposed to be writing about Ligeti next week, but I don't have any trips planned except possibly to Liverpool at the end of the week. I wonder whether that one would work!

I'm on trains and planes a lot too - two hours a day commuting to and from the Smoke for a start, plus at least two trips to mainland Europe a month, and I wouldn't be without the iPod for exactly the same reasons as Richard.  And on the train it blocks out inane mobile conversations, silly ringtones, etc. 

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

You know I said he had a Nintendo DS?  Well that's right, he HAD.  He's sobbing right now.  I had my utility room door open into the garden all afternoon because he was in and out playing, he left it in there and now it's walked! 

Fortunately I have CCTV at the front and behind my house and my son is on his way round as we speak.  We're going to have a look to see who's taken it shortly and ring the police if there's an identifiable image.  The only person who's called was the taxi driver with my Chinese takeaway so if anyone has taken it they must have come over the back wall. 

Just as well we don't rely on material things only for our entertainment.....
 

With regard to music over PA systems, I've taken to emailing the PRS about places who may be flauting the law as everywhere that plays music over a public system is required to show their PRS certification.
(Evil smiley)

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY That's what I call a result!

CCTV showed child about 9/10 climbing over the back wall from the beach to retrieve a football that had come over. He must have spotted it on the side and the temptation must just have been too great.  Son raced round the beach, found said child, got the Nintendo back having issued dire threats about legal action/parents etc., none of which we ended up doing of course. 

You will all be relieved to know that I have not minced/chopped/boiled said child and he has gone home all in one piece. 


-

P.S.  My dog has only had his own dinner today - no extras.