John Walker's Electronic House

Things that are bad: Ken Campbell’s dying. Thanks to Tony Ellis dragging a group of us to see a man I only faintly knew from glimpses on television, I was fortunate enough to see him live last year. He was truly magnificent – a tremendous force of humour and intelligence. It is a great shame his voice shall no longer be barked at crowds.

Things that are good: I’m off to America tomorrow. I found out yesterday. Such are the peculiarities of my job, that one day I can be standing in my kitchen contemplating the possibilities of selling my Eee (anyone want a perfect condition Asus Eee 701, white, with a second, super-length battery?) in order to upgrade to an Aspire One based on the knowledge that I wasn’t going out the country for the foreseeable future, and the next packing my bags.

These trips sound so very luxurious. Whisked away to the Americas on someone else’s budget, in order to visit gaming companies and play their games, inevitably staying in lovely hotels and eating delicious food. The romance of it all does somewhat fall apart when you learn these trips last, on average, two nights. So that’s fly in, go to bed, get up, go to the company’s offices all day, eat dinner, go to bed, get up, fly home. Except in this case all the gaps those commas take up will be spent attempting to write the many pages of magazine required almost immediately.

I’m not complaining at all. It’s a joyful and utterly ridiculous job, and I’m luckier than I could ever deserve to be. But this one’s going to be busy, followed by a packed weekend that allows no room for jetlag. I predict that Monday will be spent dying, probably with a miserable cold brought on by the weaknesses inherent in rapid time travel. Or perhaps I shall be mighty and strong, sailing through, maybe even (and here I become delirious) sleeping on the plane! As if.

Instead I’m loading my – for the moment – precious Eee with things to watch when BA’s inevitably poor in-flight entertainment lets me down. Oh, why can’t everyone else mimic Virgin’s astonishingly good system, available to all? As I write absolutely torrential rains rush down from the sky, ensuring that after Saturday’s cruel teasing, August’s remarkable run of miserable weather is to continue through into September, and I really can’t wait to go somewhere with the potential of sunshine. Even for two days. Spent indoors.