h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

This one's squeaking in by its whiskers. I blame today's Guardian crossword setter, Paul, for making today's clues hard enough it took an age to get beyond the first few. Then just infuriating enough that I couldn't stop until I'd finished it.

Today's crossword had a loose theme of musical rounds, such as London's Burning, which had me dredging the back of my mind for childhood memories of rounds my schoolteachers made me sing. I don't even remember singing 'Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree' as a round but when an anagram as long as that works, you know it must be the right answer. As for 'Michael Finnegan', I'm not sure that even is a round but it fit the letters in the grid, so it's gone in.

With half an eye on the telly as we were watching an episode of Stephen Fry's Planet Word TV program from last month, my progress was slower than it should have been. You might think listening to people talking about languages and the beauty of words might act as inspiration. But no, it was a pleasant distraction and didn't help solve one letter of my puzzle.

Once the TV was switched off, my word gaming mind switched on again and the answers started to flow. Maybe Stephen Fry's voice had helped at some subconcious level, or my crossword brain was carrying on in the background and waiting to get control of my pen-wielding fingers. Whatever, with 'disallows' and 'rigmarole' now filled in, it's done and I can get on with other things. Trouble is I'm tired now and heading for my bed. The to do list will still be there tomorrow, as will the next crossword...