This Part of My Life is Called Running

It will not surprise anyone who knows me to learn that songs become stuck in my head often. Wikipedia tells me that this is a common experience, and that the pieces of music are known as 'earworms' (yuck), but I suspect that I get it more than most. There are certainly very few times in which there is not a song stuck in my head, or indeed unstuck coming out of my head through intelligent movements of my lips and tongue. At the moment that song is the theme tune to the 2004 game Sonic Heroes.

For anyone who doesn't know, Sonic the Hedgehog  is unquestionably THE best video game series that has ever existed, and Sonic Heroes was one of the first Sonic games I ever played. Before that I played some of the classic side-scrolling games on my friend Zack's Sega console, which is not something you see very often these days! Sonic is a blue hedgehog that can run exceptionally quickly. In Year 6 I actually did a presentation to my class at school about Sonic the Hedgehog and brought in all my merchandise, plush toys of Sonic and the like. Probably my greatest achievement to date. I implore you all to buy and play Sonic games, because apparently the series is in decline, and it is clearly of historic/aesthetic/cultural significance, so you should all buy it.

Sonic joins me at Christmastime (Picture not stage-managed at all)

The problem with writing a blog at breakfast is that I do tend to forget the things that I did the previous day. I think I did lots of work, but most of it is gone from by brain. I definitely watched The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, which is a really terrific film, mainly because it has Bill Nighy and Judi Dench in it, among other brilliant performers. I don't know how accurate the depiction of India is but it's certainly exciting, and it gives that 'assault on the senses' vibe that lots of people associate with the country. I hope to see for myself what it's like one day. My parents went for 6 weeks on their round-the-world trip and my mum said that it was the best country they ever went to. Greetings, incidentally, to my four Indian readers.

I also went for a run, which is grand. I came back from Cambridge feeling a bit fat (mayo - there's so much mayo in Cambridge - what else can I do?; and also, not much time left for running) so it's good to be back in the swing of things. There is a farm exactly one mile from my house with which I structure routes. What's great about running is that it really is a kind of deeply personal pursuit: it's not performative in any way (unless you write about it on your blog, har-de-har-de-har), it makes you feel better about yourself, it's challenging and gets you seeing the outside world. I used to hate sport but thanks to the Running Club at school (and my Dad's nudging - he was a marathon runner!) I really got into it. Not that I'm especially good, but I enjoy doing it, more than most things. I used to go 5 times a week (!!), and I exist in a constant state of attempting to return to that level after the breaks of termtime without destroying my knees.

Taking pictures of yourself on runs is also performative, you vain, vain young man.

Incidentally, I forgot to include a photo of the band last time. This is from when we did a Christmas concert (2013?), aptly named 'Ten Lords A-Leaping' (because there were ten of us, not because we are lords).

Aren't we sweet. And my hair is just grand.

Anywho, I'm off to prepare some Mother's Day stuff. Incidentally, do feel free to leave comments, eager readers - I like hearing your thoughts on things!

RJLF