useless friends

I got a text from K this morning... actually, better start at the beginning. Well, maybe not THE beginning as that's a long way back to go an would take far too long. I'll start instead at some relevant point in between. Lets call it, for argument's sake, a week ago last Wednesday.

In a vain attempt to plan my Birmingham weekend in advance I sent texts to all my brummy friends; K, U, L, V and S, suggesting that we might go to the cinema that coming weekend. I gave 3 options of films to see, just to be on the safe side. 1) The Hithchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - the main film I wanted to see; 2) 9 Songs - although I don't think it was actually showing anywhere at the time anyway; 3) The Interpreter - because people have said it's a good movie. K replies "Yes, definitely up for it". L's reply was slightly less enthusiastic and committal, she'd already seen The Interpreter and had never heard of 9 Songs, so maybe she'd be up for it. S simply didn't want to go see Hitchhikers, I think he just doesn't trust my choice of films anymore after dragging everyone to see Arthur and Garden State - he just wants to see crappy Hollywood formulaic b_ll_x these days. V simply didn't reply, possibly forgivable as he's got his finals to be worrying about and has started seeing a bunny-boiler he's afraid to dump until after his exams, due to the hassle it will cause! U also didn't reply, but that's nothing new.

Needless to say, with all that against me I didn't manage to organise a trip to the local picture house for that weekend, let alone to see Hitchhiker's. A little background about my desire to see HHGTTG may be useful at this point, so you'll have to forgive me for taking you slightly beyond a week ago last Wednesday.

The fact of the matter is simply that, for quite some time, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was my favourite book. Or rather, trilogy of books in 5 parts. I've even read it more than once, that's how much I liked it. I liked it so much that I wanted a girlfriend of mine to read it, to the point of leaving my signed (by my sister - it was a 17th birthday present) copy with her after we split up. She didn't read it, instead giving it to a mutual friend to return to me. The mutual friend did not return it on several opportunities and, due to a course of events I wont stray onto here, is now no-longer a friend but still has my HHGTTG. Recent attempts to regain my lost volume have failed.

Back down south and on my own in the flat last Wednesday, I ring K for a chat. I catch her just as she's leaving for the "Slim Factory". Glad she's getting some exercise but it takes more than driving to the gym once a week to get slim. In theory, loosing weight for someone like here should be much easier than it is to gain weight for someone like me. After all, all you have to do to loose weight is regular exercise, eat less and eat healthier. The exercise isn't even that strenuous until you get to the toning phase I'd imagine. For me, someone who has a pathological to most healthy foods, putting on weight throws up obstacles more insurmountable than mere hunger and lethargy. I digress.

K says she'll ring back on Thursday. Thursday comes, no-one calls. I wish could say I was surprised. Friday I text her whilst on the train, see if maybe this week we can arrange to see Hitchhiker's, as I'm going straight to Nottingham from Birmingham Monday morning. I got a text from K this morning saying she thought no-one was bothered about seeing it so had already seen it! Her brother's mate had a dodgy copy and she could see if he's still got it if I want? How bl__dy kind! Arghh! I have not replied. Instead I thought about making a blog entry about it all, was about to put on my dressing gown and go to the computer like Arthur Dent himself. Then I remembered that my dressing gown isn't here. Then I thought it was an odd response to have to an emotion (loneliness, despair;...) - to simply want to type it out and publish it for anyone who 1) manages to stumble across it and 2) can be bothered to read it. I digress again, the story really ended a couple of sentences ago. Interesting wasn't it!?