Blogging by phone again, this time from Edinburgh. Went to see a play in a bar called Drinking and Writing (Volume II – the first part plays on alternative nights). It’s a literary history of prohibition, entertainingly relayed – complete with audience interaction – by three Americans. Definitely worth a look, even – or perhaps especially – if you know little about early 20th century American literature.

The show I’ve just come out of was Richard Herring‘s The Twelve Tasks of Hercules Terrace. Nerdy but hilarious, I’ve failed to take Rich’s advice to forget CNPS (now on 31). Laughed loads, in particular at the late Norris McWhirter. Also ran into The Actor Ben Moor at the first show. Hopefully didn’t frighten him by knowing who he was. I’ve promised to try to see his show, Black Cocktail. More shows to see tomorrow…

The Comedian Richard Herring has completed the game of CNPS (see http://www.richardherring.com/cnps-stats.php) by reaching the magical 999.

I am on 28.

I’ve just been on the weighing machine at the Co-op. It helpfully displayed my mass in both imperial and metric, and as it did so the kilogram total flickered from 99 to 100. I was mortified. I’ve been trying (OK, not very hard) to lose weight, and 99kg was the absolute upper limit I’d set myself.

I have been much more active recently, what with the elections and moving house, but my work has become increasingly sedentary. When I first started working at the Library, I was active all day. After a year or so, my job changed and I was only active in the mornings, with a desk job in the afternoons. Currently I’m on secondment from my previously active morning job to a project (which is stimulating and I’ve learnt a great deal from) that is mostly computer-based.

My new strategy (which differs little from my old strategy) is to do more exercise. Now I live on the top floor, I’ll do more stair-climbing. Additionally:

• Walk to and from work and to and from the city centre without catching a bus.
• Buy an umbrella to facilitate the above when raining.
• Spontaneously go for walks around the block. (This should also help boost my CNPS score*.)
• Try to limit myself to one lunch a day
• Drink less coke and more water. Although the litre bottle of coke in front of me needs finishing first.
• Get out delivering more political literature.

I’ll check back in a week or two and see how much I’ve lost…

*Like Job I held firm in adversity and was rewarded with a 25 after weeks of waiting. Albeit minutes after the CNPS gods taunted me with a 26 and a 27.

It was most inconsiderate of Mr Tony Blair to call the Hodge Hill by-election and the Leicester South by-election for July 15th. I’m otherwise engaged every weekend until then, so now I’m going to have to ration my dwindling annual leave to take time off work.

This weekend, for example, I’m moving house. I’ve done this far too many times over the last seven years and I absolutely loathe it. It’s not just packing a whole life into a few boxes and the relentless cleaning, but the unreasonably deducted deposits and the numerous organisations to inform of the new address. A whole new set of routines, new shops, new bus timetables…

On the plus side, I do get a trip to IKEA out of it.