iTunes *@!?*^!

My plan to play some WoW last night was fiendishly foiled ... well, I couldn't remember my password and the Blizzard site was down for maintenance so I couldn't request a new one. Instead I watched the last 2/3rds of The Day After Tomorrow, which was better than I was expecting.

So this morning I got myself ready for Week 1, Day 2 of C25K. Got my kit on, went to sort my playlist out and discovered my entire library was absent without leave from iTunes. Thankfully it was all still there on the hard drive. God only knows what foible iTunes was exhibiting, but there it was, 1 Frank Turner album and NOTHING ELSE. But I did an on the go playlist on my 'phone and headed out into the not-quite-drizzling morning. This time wasn't as horrendous as I was expecting, thankfully. My plan was to get back, shower, play a little WoW now my account was accessible again and then head out the the Three Horseshoes to be interviewed by Laurence Tilley for the Rugby Artists' Group newsletter! It was at that point I discovered that, not only had my music gone astray but ALL MY APPS AS WELL!! Needless to stay no foul, undead deviants were slain. Instead I frantically tried to put my 'phone back into it's well-loved state. Of course, all my Angry Birds scores have disappeared ... AGAIN!

However, such frustrations were mollified by a splendid lunchtime spent sipping beer, munching pub grub and being interviewed by Laurence. Had anyone told me a couple of years ago I would be interviewed for an artists' group newsletter I would probably have said something unrepeatable in an incredulous manner. But there I was. And a better lunchtime I haven't spent in a good long while. Excellent company. And yet again I am being persuaded to consider whether I really need to learn to draw if the art that inspires and fuels me is spontaneous, energetic and passionate. Hmmm, it's a good point. I suspect my drive is that I hate being told I can't do something. For some inexplicable reason I want to prove my art teachers of 25 years ago, wrong. What is that about?

Free and single

Ok, just to clarify, that's "free" as in without cost because this Bank Holiday weekend got me thinking. What do you do when you're single and unemployed? Oh and the weather is determined to ruin any possibility of anything outdoors? It's a tricky one, but I figured I wasn't the only person on the planet to have pondered the question, so I turned to a good ol' Google search. It was quite an eye-opener! To start with there's a significant gender split.

No prizes for guessing the top male suggestion for having spare time on your *ahem* hands! Their lists seemed to be about earning money and not having to spend it on a date, hitting the gym, playing Xbox ... Whereas the female lists were about pampering yourself, meditating, turning your music up and dancing around your flat. Are we really so 2 dimensional?

But here is a list I've come up with:

• Do the C25K thing and actually feel fitter
• Get back in to my art journal
• learn to draw
• research world music for next September
• practise my 'cello
• find local art exhibitions (and actually go to them)
• play on the wii
• play WoW
• get making again.
• arrange craft days with friends
• go swimming (ok, not free but affordable)

There's probably more, but that'll do for now. Any suggestions always welcome :-)