Not reading
Don't seem to be able to get into anything much at the moment. Tried reading "World's End", the first in a fantasy trilogy called Age of Misrule by Mark Chadbourn. It seems to have gotten good reviews, but just seems pointless after the first couple of hundred pages. There's clunkily heavy foreshadowing, characters beating you over the head with the Issues To Resolve, and the direly-overfamiliar Plot Tokens storyline: a magic woman turned up, explained they have to gather four magic items, then disappeared again.

I have a strong suspicion they will recover these items and resolve their issues. But it doesn't look like much of interest will happen along the way. Think I'll abandon this one.

Also 2/3 through These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach. Starts out with a nice premise, where assorted elderly retirees are outsourced to a retirement home in Bangalore. Starts out well but sags in the middle with not a lot happening. Will probably finish this one: not that much more to go.

Me
Went for a long walk along the Grand Union Canal at the weekend, this time heading West, starting at Greenford. Some bits are fairly industrial, but some bits are pretty green and pleasant: it goes through a few parks. Had a look at the new Northala park they're building. It's still under construction and is lined with menacing "danger no entry signs" being cheerfully ignored by parents taking their kids around. They've made four pretty big, artificial hills, with a spiraling ramp so you can climb easily. Superb view from the top, you can see for miles in every direction. Going to be great when it's finished.

Also ate blackberries from the bushes by the towpath. Haven't done that in years. Maybe this nature thing isn't so bad after all.

Came back via Southall and the Uxbridge Road. Note to self: the 607 express bus doesn't run on Sundays. So it's not really worth missing two 207 slow buses waiting for it.