lost in YouTube

Fifteen degrees! FIFTEEN! I'll be needing a coat soon. Humidity was aroud 70%, but this is still a decent combination, unusually pleasant for Sydney in January. I was feeling a little bit dusty after a couple too many beers last night. The guys I was catching up with had been running a bit late, so I'd sat and caught up on the UK news on my phone while absent mindedly throwing back a couple of micro-brewery bevvies in Sydney's Small Bar.

I met JC and The Chad through a local scuba diving shop over a decade ago, back when we were all single. Now all married with kids we compare the length of time since we last dived. If I exclude my recent holiday to Fiji (where I did 5 dives that, pleasingly, I took in my stride. Like riding a bike only completely different) I win hands down...kids can do that. We still have our gear sitting in our homes and we'll be back - we always say. I went snorkelling last Saturday morning; it's a start. We had a couple more beers and then, as another round approached I made a dash for the exit. In such circumstances I need to bolt because my mates don't really understand what "no, I'm all done, no more beer for me" means. Either we're all having a beer or none of us are. And if a beer is placed in front of you it is incredibly rude to not drink it.

The run this morning was dramatically different to most mornings. No, that's a lie. I ran about 200m into St Leonards park to get to a loo and then got back on metronome duty. I had a chat to a lass I caught up to as she got to the top of the bridge steps; I'd passed her on Parriwi so to find myself behind her again, I guessed, meant she had cut the corner from Military Rd to the Bridge, something I do when it isn't janathon. I let her get back to her music and did the last bit to work. Run one done, said the poet. And, for a change, there were a couple of sweat-free patches on my shirt! Woo-hoo!

One of life's little pleasures came next. Before heading up to my desk I shower and change then head out to get a coffee and some toast. I have started doing this walk barefoot. Not VFF, but barefoot. I like walking around the city in rush hour without any shoes on. Not sure why, but like I said - one of life's little pleasures.

Up at my desk and I had a quick look at the UK news. I read a piece on the Muslim Brotherhood's performance in the Egyptian elections. This proved to be my entry point into a morning of Youtube listening.

The first two songs I selected, but from the Jones Girls on it was suggestions all the way, and this is where I went:

1. The Brotherhood of Man - Save Your Kisses. Because I read a news article about the Muslim Brotherhood's election result in Egypt.
2. The Jones Girls - Nights Over Egypt. Because I was keeping on the Egypt theme.
3. Dextar Wansel - The Sweetest Pain. Because I saw the suggestion, and Dextar Wansel is an awesome name! Let's go wiht Youtube suggestions from here
4. Marcus Miller - Brazilian Rhyme. Because of the picture of Miller's bass
5. Faze 0 - Riding High. Because it keeps cropping up and I don't know them or this tune. Hmmm, I think I may only ever listen to this once...
6. Curtis Mayfield - Pusherman. Because Fred is Dead wasn't suggested. Starting to get all funked out.
7. Stevie Wonder - Higher Ground. OK, a bit more funk, and this might lead me to Chili Peppers.
8. The Clash - Bankrobber. No idea why this was suggested, but I'll take it.
9. Pixies - Where is my Mind. Wow, we're on a roll now!
10. The Stranglers - Golden Brown. Not so much for this song, more to see where it would lead me next.
11. OMD - Enola Gay. Because 80s synth pop is awesome.
12. Enigma - Sadeness. Because there is nowhere near enough Gregorian chanting in popular music. How I long for the olden days of 1990.
13. Nik Kershaw - The Riddle. Because Joy Division was a little too obvious and the Kershaw hair-eyebrow combo more than makes up for the musical failings.
14. Phil Oakley - Together In Electric Dreams. OK let's make this the last dodgy (yet awesome) 80s synth pop number.
15. Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart. OK, this is a blatant attempt to get The Undertones "Teenage Kicks" (best pop song ever said John Peel) suggested. Damnit Feargal had nice hair.
16. The Jets - Crush on You. Bollocks, no Undertones, so it's electro-beat-box-break-dance-boogaloo. Must resist the urge to flatten out some cardboard boxes and spin on my head in the office.
17. Hey You - The Rock Steady Crew. Because B-boys break and electric boogaloo. OK, maybe this was a mistake. OK, this WAS a mistake.
18. Sugarhill Gang - Rapper's Delight. Not sure how much old school hip-hop I'll be able to take. Hotel, motel, Holiday Inn!
19. Ollie & Jerry - There's No Stoppin' Us. You really need to watch the video for the full effect.
20. Ice Cube - Bop Gun. Lead me out of the 80s Ice Cube...
21. Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction. Not sure I like where this is headed
22. G Unit - Feel Good. Still looking for a way out but I find myself lost in gold-chained mysoginistic bitch nigga bullshitland. HELP!
23. A basic Reggae beat. No artist, just a bit random, but this might just be my way out...
24. TOP 10 - Bob Marley. Soem shitty and unnecessary upload, but it is but a step on my path out of here...
25. Bob Marley-Don't worry be happy. Dear god, I'm getting lost in YouTube moronland as someone credits Bob marley with what is clearly the Bobby McFerrin song Don't Worry Be Happy. Still, it's a nice little tune...
26. Bob Marley - Three Little Birds. Right, we're back in the land of what-it-says-on-the-tin
27. What a woderful world - Louis Armstrong. 

Time to take a break for lunch because I could not possibly go anywhere better than this.

I figured that the problem with the foot long sub was the bread and tested this theory with a beef burrito for lunch that did not come back to haunt me on the run home. The run home was a nice commute and I finished the day on the standard distance in the standard time - nice to se that I've not slowed as the week has gone on, merely been slow throughout.

Highlight of the run home was undoubtedly the Datsun 2000 that was parked near Spit Bridge. It was definitely worth the break to click off some pictures. I was going to write a bit about mental fatigue, but I'm tired - which seems appropriate - so that'll have to wait for another day.

And now the weekend is here, I have a couple of kids parties to attend, Alex urns 3tomorrow and then a friends daughter does likewise on Sunday. Logistics of running are tricky this weekend. I also have the chew-the-fingers-to-the-second-knuckle fear of what twitter will tell me Andrew has clocked up while I've been wearing a silly hat and pretending to like pink princess stuff.

Over to you Mr. Fletcher :-)