Up until now, I have been happily exempt from the iPod craze. I mean, I’ve thought they were pretty cool and everything, but have remained completely laissez-faire about owning one. Sure, if someone had given me one for my birthday I wouldn’t have thrown it back in their face or anything, but aside from that it hasn’t been high on my list of things to spend my money on.

A few months ago, AAH received an iPod shuffle as a confirmation present. Within days, my laptop had been hijacked by some annoying programme called iTunes and every so often this little white unit would appear, sticking out of the side. Plus it became increasingly hard to communicate with AAH. I’d speak to her and she wouldn’t answer; I’d raise my voice and she’d still not answer; I’d shout and she’d turn, remove an earplug from her ear and go, ‘Huh?’

Fast-forward to a few days ago. AAH received a new iPod as a present. A bigger version. And seeing as how YT had recently upgraded her laptop and AAH had got the old one, it just naturally followed that since AAH had upgraded her iPod that YT would get the Shuffle.

So this weekend I launched into a new activity, busily pulling out all my old [and new] CDs with the purpose of loading all my favourite tunes into the iPod. What a blast! Time to rediscover all my favourite music, plus get re-acquainted with this wondrous new software called iTunes [we’d got off to a rather bad start, after all], to say nothing of discovering a kick-ass feature of my new laptop, namely a DVD/CD player of the highest order. Yowsa!

I had the iPod Shuffle loaded in no time and suffice it to say that I’m completely infatuated with it. In fact, I have been incommunicado for the better part of the weekend. On Saturday I went downtown on an errand – on foot – and took the iPod. What a revelation! How did I ever live my life without the fantabulous soundtrack provided by the iPod? It’s like I’ve been watching a movie without music – completely devoid of depth!* And yesterday I went out for my run and… just… ran and ran and ran. I ran at least twice the distance that I normally do. All thanks to the Shuffle.

So, this is probably the place where I’m supposed to put the ‘Now Playing on the iPod’ list or something similar. But I won’t because I think they’re kind of banal. Instead I’m going to do something else.

Ta da! I give you….

THE iPOD CONTEST!
That’s right: instead of listing the songs playing on my iPod Shuffle right now I’m going to record a few lines of the song now playing, to wit:

To touch is to heal
To hurt is to steal
If you want to kiss the sky
Better learn how to kneel.

Hear this: I will personally send a package of harðfiskur [dried fish – Icelandic delicacy – best eaten with butter – your choice of haddock or catfish] to the first person to tell me WHAT SONG by WHAT SUPERGROUP those lines are taken from. Oh and it wouldn’t hurt to name the CD, either.

MEANWHILE THE SUN JUST CAME OUT
… and it looks set to be another mild and gorgeous day. Just the sort of day to take my little iPod Shuffle out for a walk around the golf course. There’s hardly any wind, temps are 10°C at the moment [50°F], sunrise was at 08.24 and sunset will be at 18.04.

* Ok so I exaggerate just a little about my life having had no depth before the soundtrack.