So I was in the climbing shop in Nottingham today picking up my gorgeous new climbing shoes (see link at the bottom)and I met a climbing friend from a couple of years ago. She's married now, and has a little boy, called Mark.

Mark was about 6 months old, with big blue eyes and blonde hair and was possibly the cutest thing on the planet at that particular moment.

He was giggly, inquisitive, and TOTALLY in awe of my new shoes which I held up for him to see (and I respect him for that, y'know, because they are such great shoes after all).

Best of all, his mum let me hold him for a minute or so, which I have to say has been the highlight of my day.

Little children are fantastic, especially when you can give them back and not have to worry about them. Its scary thinking about the enormous responsibility, and the amount of anxiety that a parent must feel at every moment of the day. I felt okay holding the little rascal, who pawed at me and tried to get hold of my glasses (they love glasses, babies do...isn't that weird?), but I could see his mum leaning ever closer to me the longer I held him, so I gave him back quite quickly.

Changing tack slightly, why do babies get such an easy time of it? All they have to do is giggle maniacally, chew on their fists and drool a lot and women start fawning all over them. If I tried that, they'd lock me up.

Mad. Anyway. Yes - the point of this post.

a) Babies rule. Especially Mark, who improved my day enormously.

b) climbing shoes rule. Especially my Torros, which Mark wanted but couldn't have because size 10s just wouldn't fit him.

Bourne