Spontaneity Worked.

My legs have been recovering in the past couple of days. They're catching up to the rest of my body. The twenty-one hour travelling session I had to complete left me standing and sitting upright. When I lay down on my bed, my body collapsed into a form of sighing relief.

The journey consisted of a cramped ferry journey with little choice of food and entertainment. Here the Terry Pratchett works would come in handy. Only with this Ferry there was much swaying. I wouldn't be surprised if it was due to many more passengers being present.

Three hours in Stena Line's Terminal was stupid. Although, my initial idea of travelling into the town of Stranraer felt even more dumb. So when I reached Carlisle at 10.00pm, it was my aim to make the most of it.

'Anywhere open?' asked one other traveller.

'Well it's Carlisle,' said the bus driver. 'And it's Monday. So no.'

I passed a couple of empty pubs, a scaled down Frankie & Benny's (which was closing just as I passed it) and was loosing hope. But further travels made me spot this group of young, beautiful people.

What's going on here then? I asked myself.

'Excuse me,' I asked one girl outside. 'What kind of place is this?'

'It's a gay bar,' said the girl.

'Brilliant! In we go,' I cried. Paid my £1.50 and me and the suitcase went in to cause an obstruction for Gay Bar goers in Carlisle. Funnily enough, it was a gig. I got a gig for £1.50. Warm surroundings. Material to write about. A video of a band composed entirely of pretty boys. ChromoGirl is what they called themselves.

What was more important was seeing that my insecurities are becoming more dispelled for me.

Some risks like this are worth taking.

Only the next eleven hours until I returned weren't as great. I got exceptionally hot Earl Gray tea to scold my mouth and a miserable old bat of a woman who questioned me on why there are so many 'foreigners' about.

Natural Disasters spark panic, worry and Key Lime Pie

Iceland. Where Bjork comes from. However, it's anything but 'oh-so-quiet' (I've got a million of them) due to Volcanic Activity happening there.

This Volcano with an unpronounceable name, has sent tons and huge wafts of Volcanic Ash up high into the sky, flowing its way towards the UK and most of the North-West section of Europe. Now circulating in airspace, there's no such thing as a flight at the moment. With it's substance being lethal to aeroplane engines, all UK and the greater part of Europe's flights have been cancelled. A nightmare for those stranded abroad.

If this happened ten years ago, I wouldn't have battered an eyelid. Mainly because there was no way my family would be travelling abroad, using an aeroplane of any kind. Now...

I rely on Budget airlines to commute for each term at University. It was on Friday morning I was meant to return to the Midlands of England. With one flight cancelled and all news reports pointing to further delays and cancellations, it's become a constant researching battle in what I'm to do. The two most accessed websites on my laptop at the moment are The Guardian and the BBC. Hints of hope where available for a short period. Now with European winds headed back to the UK, this dangerous Volcanic Ash is set to stall itself. And with reports of a second Volcano erupting, as well as the first explosion still sending this lethal smoke into the sky, I can't help but wonder why my panic levels aren't higher.

Is it because I live in a world where the Daily Mail and Daily Express have reigned havoc on our simple minds, that now I don't wish to believe hysteria or hype until I've experienced it first hand? Last year I spent forty minutes of one morning worrying that I had Swine Flu.

At the moment, being stranded in Belfast has encouraged a lot of family bonding that I don't think even they're aware of. And I made the attempt I've been wanting to hit for a long time. Key Lime Pie. It was nice running around Sainsburys, pickinig up ingredients. Surely to buy my own Key Lime Pie would be cheaper, but mine has a thick topping - something that could comfort me while I sit through tonight's episode of Doctor Who and continue with Pratchett and Gaimen's Good Omens. Maybe a DVD. Something to stop me from panicking.

See, I've just discovered; my next flight has been cancelled.

Squeak + Bubble's Rival - Job Hunting

Handing in a CV gave me a more queesy feeling than the Squeak + Bubble ever could. Questions arise in your head. Will I get the job? Will I even get an interview? Will the people like me? Will I like them? Did I make any type of mistake on the CV? If I get the job, how long will I be stuck in it, wondering if something extra special comes along?

I leave a lot to a Higher Auhtority. Whether that be God or a deciding committee, I feel I've done my part. I can't do any more.

Forget University work. I've been doing part-time work. Extra hours of it to help me along with expenses of a FINAL term. The comforts range to chocolate eggs to the Alien DVD box set. However, even Terry Pratchett hasn't been read this Easter. That show show tired I am. My coffee intake has pretty much doubled this week.

Squeak + Bubble = Not as much discomfort as spilt Coffee

Café's in Leicester, other than the chains such as Starbucks or Costa Coffee, are rarely tread upon by me. So it was a delicious and comforting notion of visiting one with Liam earlier on a Saturday afternoon. A brunch fit for a student who has reached the end of his finances.

Wonderful though it was, I'm learning that I'm not as cultured in food stuffs as yet. Two vegetarian sausages, two free range eggs, baked beans (they're a distant memory for me), two slices of toast, two hashbrowns and something else...

'If it's on the plate Liam,' I said, 'I eat it'.

Looking at the menu, I discovered what it was.

A Bubble + Squeak. Now I had heard of this, and now I had actually had one. Supposedly it's to create a bubbled feeling in one's gut that will soon give a squeak here and there in the form of a belch. I'm not great at belching. It wasn't until around 6.30pm I felt that my tummy might give some firm reaction to the dreaded effects.

I pushed through. A trip to the cinema, some free chocolates and the new Doctor Who were suitable distractions.

Nestlé. A company lined with a degree of corruption. So I stayed clear. Have done for around five years. So when I see that KitKat has the Fairtrade logo printed on the packet, I manage to convince myself to purchase some of their products.

Of late - Smarties Mini Eggs. A pleasure discovering that Orange Smarties contain Orange chocolate.

However, walking through the main shopping centre in Leicester, I see the Carte Noire Readers. A huge stall (by Shopping Mall stall standards) that give out free coffee and provide readings. Of books that everyone had to do in English Literature at GCSE level or higher. Bugger.

'Have you got a website?' I asked. 'I could volunteer to read.'
'We're using professional actors,' said the girl.
My head full of scorn. Professional actors? So they dress up as characters and parade around thinking this will lift them up for another BBC production. They could get me in to read pieces much better than Austen. Not necessarily my own work, though Ii wouldn't deny it to them. They'd only have themselves to blame if they let that happen.

It was here I noticed the majority of people sitting in this stall were older ladies. The ones I've come across many times, who pick up the latest no.1 seller because it's now a film and think themselves cultured.

Hollywood Wives - that's the phrase.
I'm a judgemental sod, aren't I?

What Carte Noire don't realise is that women of that age love a bit of filth. Some slap and tickle. Sodomy on the rocks and grassy stains on skin. Not much can be done with clothes on.

So I take my coffee in a paper cup so thin that my hand is scolded.
'Just give me a second,' I say to Liam. 'I'll get my glove out.'

Now because this shopping mall thinks themselves as quirky (despite being as generic as the other shopping malls in the country, thereby robbing more of the uniqueness of the city) they have these benches that are like glass blower's oblong joke. So I set my coffee upon it, paid attention to my glove, only to find this hot feeling on my left foot and a mess of coffee before me.

I hastily pick up the coffee cup and set back onto the bench - only to have it fall again. 'For feck sake,' I say outloud, not giving a damn if children are near me.

Quickly I rush to the bathroom to drench my left Converse shoe in water. Dry it. Drench it. Dry it. Tip it and empty it of water (and excess material). Dry it. Place back on foot. Pretend none of this has happened.

Maybe it's my comeback for not supporting Nestlé for so long. I did in 2007 when I was in the middle of a Peruvian desert. And last year when Odeon cinema had nothing else to provide but white chocolate. Or maybe a warning against what could happen if I do start purchasing such products from the store. The Lord works in mysterious ways. Especially when it comes to certain ethics.

Earlier I mentioned free chocolates. All Things Chocolate was our next destination. And the shock of Milkshakes not available was less than the shock of All Things Chocolate closing.

'They just told us by surprise,' said the girl behind the counter.

'Shit,' I said. 'What kinda game are they playing at?'

'I know.'

'They sound like absolute feckin' ejits,' I continued.

'Yeah. The Shopping Mall have doubled their rates. This place can't do it.'

'The higher powers are usually bastards.'

'Totally. But we were only just told.'

'Awk darling.'

In between all this Liam shows his sympathy and distress of where a good MilkShake is going to be available.

'So what can I get you?'

'I was going to have a hot chocolate, but I can have a hot chocolate and one of every loose chocolate. Seeing as I'm not getting another chance.'

'Give them to him for free,' whispered the other girl employee.

'A final one fingered salute to this place?' I asked.

'Yeah.'

'I hope it works out well,' I said. 'Best of luck to you.'

Quite sweet (no pun intended, what with chocolate being involved) of them, as this girl gave a friendly wave to Liam and I as she passed out of the store from her last shift.

Ethics are difficult to keep to. And when you find the higher power screwing the smaller people, they can't be expected not to react and maybe even sacrifice what their ethics might be. No matter how important they are to them.

April Fool's Day

Google has shown itself to be pretty useful. With the downfall of Internet Explorer and Firefox, where was I to look? Of course Apple supply Safari, yet I don't own a Mac. The more recent GoogleChrome has had its criticism from various people - though I don't have a problem using it.

Google probably know enough about my seedy life anyway - a further delve into what I research isn't going to harm my reputation with them.

At High School there was always a rumour that April Fool's Day would only occur until 12pm of that day. It's currently 2.05pm. Does this mean I've escaped it? Baring in mind that the majority of students around De Montfort University have returned home for the Easter Vacation. Which means I've no one to play pranks on.

And here's my confession.

I don't have the imagination to set up a prank.

At best, I could do the normal 'homage' and watch something. There's a horror flick somewhere called April Fool's. Then somewhere else there's a comedy called Dirty Work with Chevy Chase in the background. I've not seen either.

This is something you'll learn about me. That when it comes to a major holiday, or indeed any day of the week, my life is linked to some film. With the way reality has treated me, you can't blame me.