… because it’s for charidee, after all.

Well, that’s not the only reason I’ve been checking out the Red Nose Day climb webpage, following its Twitter feed, listening to the updates on Radio 1, and watching the online video footage. I’m genuinely very very impressed that 9 celebrities, some of whom wouldn’t be in obviously the best physical shape (looking at you, Moyles, and you, Girls Aloud), have managed to climb pretty much all the way up Mount Kilimanjaro. They should reach the summit tonight, and moreover, they’ve raised more than a million quid for Comic Relief.

I couldn’t do it, and I wouldn’t even want to try. I have done a few charity challenges though. The last was a sponsored swim a few years ago - 50 lengths, and I spent the last 10 of them cursing the person who hadn’t shown up, thus meaning we had to split 200 lengths between 4 of us instead of 5.

And of course, back when I was in school, I took part in the annual walk to Bethlehem. That’s Bethlehem in west Wales - the place they feature every Christmas on the news as a ‘light item’ because you can have cards postmarked there. The total length of the 3-day walk from Barry to Bethlehem was 64 miles, and I did it twice (5th and 6th years) although I admit I had a ride in the van for a short while both times due to hideous blisters. It was good fun despite the effort and sore feet; I have fond memories of singing our way down the A48, although not so fond ones of the weird soup we used to be given for final-day lunch by Ammanford Round Table.

The Bethlehem walk also had a rather lasting effect on me too, in the form of shin splints; I’ve suffered from them ever since, alas.

Also today, I am mostly … trying to write

… because I’ve promised myself that I’d do a personal Novel Writing Month - MyNoWriMo - during March. By the end of today, I should have written 9,678 words. So far I have 1,125. I have a bit of catching up to do.

Better get on with it…

… on the FreePoverty site. The aim of the game is to correctly pinpoint places around the world - it seems to be made easier once you get to SuperHard level by most of them being in Argentina and Algeria for some reason.
Interesting game, anyway. And hopefully useful.

… having spent the morning as one. I found myself figuring out the demographics of those who did and didn’t contribute.

Almost all over-60s of both sexes did, be it 20p or a pound - and I got caught up in more than a few conversations about the kittens that various old biddies were looking after. (Yep, that’ll be me in 30 or 40 years.)

I was surprised that most of the 20- to 40-something men who passed also put money in the pot (and no, I don’t think it was anything to do with me being the collector, much as I’d like to flatter myself).

But the group that on the whole walked straight past without making eye contact (except for one who actually smiled at me a couple of times and /still/ didn’t contribute) were women of my own age. And I felt rather ashamed of all the times I’ve avoided charity collectors in the street. Chuggers, fair enough, but there’s no real excuse for not putting 50p or a quid into the collecting tins, especially because the causes being collected for are generally worthwhile ones. (I do usually put small amounts of changes, 20p or less, into the collecting tins in shops.)

So I’ll be changing my ways. Next time I go past a collector when I’m in the town, I will put my hand in my pocket and put some money in their tin, and proudly put a sticker on my bag (come on, I’m not going to wear one - I do have limits).

Also today, I am mostly … listening to the rugby

via internet radio. And I wish I wasn’t bothering… England are hammering Wales most embarrassingly. I don’t think I’ll bother to watch the televised high- (or low-) lights later on.