Sat in the murk of a rainy cafe in York, one blessed with free internet access, I ponder on the friends who said "yesssss" and then couldn't be bothered to see me on this trip north, and muse on the changes between today and the same time last year. Interesting times, one might say; it's hard to be that dispassionate though. Last year was delightful, this has so far reflected the damp weather. A certain maudlin nostalgia stalks my psyche at the moment, try as I will to maintain that bounciness of early 2007 on my own account. I shall have another coffee, and vow to jump in one of those puddles when I leave this establishment and embark on the epic trek down the M1.