For the life of me, the mere thought of keeping this thing anything like up to date escapes me. Not that I don't know it's there, but is anyone watching who might be interested I wonder? Perhaps not.

I notice that b2e is now up to v2.4.2 [stable] "Palms". Does that mean I ought to go through the rigmarole of updating once more and trying to find where I made the changes I needed in the skin? Ugh! Not too difficult to do you understand, but am I really that bothered?

Probably time for bed now so I'll sign off - too hot to sleep though tonight, probably going to be a long one.

OK, so this is the first mark on the paper.

I sit in Riyadh Airport waiting for BMI to call the flight to Heathrow forward, and from there to Manchester and home. I don't do stream of consciousness stuff, but I find myself pondering on a Huxleyan vision of insanity. Airports are dull make no mistake and to put my mind at ease in this uncomfortable, and frankly, miserable place, I'm plugged in, tuned out, iPod agogo. I wonder if KT Tunstall would appreciate knowing that she is providing the means of my escape from the real world. I'll pass on the religion thank you very much; my opium runs through my ears in measured quantities of Dm, Dsus2, Dm, Dsus4...

Damn it, it just ended. Time to re-run the tape from the top. Back again to 'Little Favours' and the opening bars in the aforementioned chord sequence - she's singing my song. Still no call for boarding, so I'll just sit and watch them all wandering aimlessly past and tap my foot to the rhythm of life ebbing past me.

The pen I write with sitting here, is one begged from one of the BMI ticket staff. I don't think he wanted to give it to me, but I think 'customer service' mode kicked in and he handed it over. It probably ranks as one of the cheapest pens on the planet, undercutting the margin on a Bic be a sizeable proportion. No matter, it was important to the man, if I finish writing before I get on the plane (ugh!), I'll pass it back to him. Good chance I can get another off the cabin staff anyway.

Well we're supposed to be taking off in 35 minutes, but as yet, no sign of movement - must be late I guess. Ah! Speak too soon, it looks like the January sales on cheap seats are on.

These songs are infectious, worming their way under your skin, itching to get out and pass on to the next host. It is with some regret that I find myself unable to write songs in even the most basic form - I lack the spark of imagination somehow. Don't get me wrong, I can play a few bars and hold a time-signature to a passable degree, but only to produce a pattern copy of someone else's work. The ultimate human Xerox. Tell me what you want and I can probably make an honest attempt, but don't ask me to define what "it" is. Dear Tony, please tell me what "good looks like"? Blowed if I know, try me one on sport...

Well the queue is almost short enough to join now, no doubt the overhead lockers will be crammed to overflowing. Passengers in the bizarre belief that a small pachyderm still comes in at under 5kg and fits in the required dimension. Certainly is another dimension, a parallel one for sure. Time to go...

+++++
It's now 08:40 and I sit on the Manchester flight. I never did find another pen, so all sorts of random musings will never see the light of day. There were a few notable aspects of it; the seat next to me contained a fellow crushed direct from a garlic press - he was obviously a well seasoned traveller. The seat in front of me was fitted with additional leg room, courtesy of a seat back that rested neatly on the bridge of my nose. A slight exaggeration no doubt, but far less distance from the truth than was comfortable for me.

At least I could indulge in a couple of small bottles of Oak Ridge Cabernet somagnon - liquid anaesthetic, nicely reinforced with a few banging tunes on the iPod - set it to stun and 'Beam me up, Scotty'. Odd thing, coincidence call it even, I mentioned my choice of anaesthesia in the airport lounge and bugger me if she wasn't the first tune on the aircraft PA system when I sat down - 'Hold On'...

Think I've now established that gel pens and this notebook don't agree with each other - too much bleed. Need a pencil, got to be cheaper than a £3.49 uni-ball. But would they let me take a pencil sharpener with me - could be construed as a sharp implement...

Now we wait - seems BA get first dibs at the runway. I suppose Heathrow is their home base after all.

As an extra special dose of strangeness (anyone got any quark or charm?), somewhere in the region of 50%, possibly more of the passengers on this flight appear to be Chinese. I know the Beijing Olympics are on, but... Makes queueing behind Richard Branson or sitting behind Mark Owen [Take That] a positively ordinary travel experience. As a side note, for anyone wondering whether all Chinese students really do wear spectacles, you may be interested in the results of my latest research. My report will be in the shops soon. Ah! I hear the tea-trolley - time to put the pen into standby mode [/pen]

And the city of Manchester hoves into view, as we bank left, Ringway can be seen about 5 miles away, could be further. We are clearly on finals. Soon we'll be on the ground and if BMI have done their bit with the bags, I'll soon be with AM again. It's only two weeks, but it could have been a lifetime. Not long now...