How's it going and other silly questions

Slim Dusty's song suggests 'G'Day and How're you going?' as the universal Aussie greeting.
Let's start right there.
How're you going? What's the answer to that? By train or car, perhaps?

Then there's the alternative version 'How's it going?' What is the it exactly? Life, the universe and everything?

I had a manager who used to ring and ask, 'How's things?' I quite liked it but what things? Work things or the weather things or my private life things?

The other day I was happily reading on the plane and a work acquaintance  walked past, tapped me on the shoulder and asked 'Having a good read?' Answer that one. 'No, I actually hate reading. ' or 'Of course' or a long review of the book which is an excellent one.

I was reading Cadence by Emma (now Eddie) Ayres about her bike ride from London to Hong Kong with lots of musical commentary along the way.  I was gripped by her account of arriving in Pakistan and carrying her bike up the steps of a hotel. A woman asked her, 'Oh are you cycling in Pakistan?'
Emma wondered if she should have replied that she wasn't but it was an experiment she was trying in various countries to see what inane question people ask.  Because she likes lugging a  fully loaded touring bike up steps in 50 degree heat after cycling one hundred kilometres.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds some questions pesky.

Of course if asked how things are going you can always answer, 'I'm OK. I'll get there.' The only problem is I'm never quite sure where there is...