Murder Most Fowl*

“Look,” I say to Dad, stopping my bike, stepping down, putting my bike flat on the grass.  “Look at this dead person.” There’s a crow, or rather an ex-crow, lifeless on the ground. Dad stops, gets off his bike, peers at the black iridescent feathers.  “Maybe he just dropped down dead of natural causes,” he […]

Killer Instinct*

Waking from a three hour afternoon sleep, I crawl through to the television on switch it on.  Serena is losing.  She lost the first set 4 – 6 and although she is roaring and slamming down the serves, she’s not comfortable today.   It’s 2 – 2 in the second set and Serena is serving […]

The Cat Who Sang For The Birds*

“What’s the fluffy monster doing?” I ask Mum when I call to inform her that I’ve left the Office. “He’s telling me that he wants his supper,” Mum says. Can hear the sound of her shaking some dry food into his bowl. “Hello Mr Fluffy,” I say. “Say hello to Tanya,” Mum says to him. […]

Death Serves An Ace*

“What a sport: tennis,” Fabrice Santoro says, sighing.  Whilst I was meditating and sleeping, Tsonga won the first two sets and was just about to win the match when Berdych somehow wrestled the tie-break off him, took the third set and is now in the ascendant: 3 – 1 up in the third set.  Tsonga […]

Breaking Point*

Seb is on his way.  Or will be, after he’s done various things.  It’s been raining in Paris, so we’ve been watching Andy’s match from yesterday.  Now, at last, they’ve swept the courts and some play is happening.  It’s the French hope Alize Cornet – very pretty in blue – and the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, […]

The Yellow Wallpaper*

As we wait for Spin to start, I realise that the new studio wallpaper (photo attached) evokes that in the kitchen at my parental home.  It’s disconcerting.  It’s also Too Hot in here.  The air conditioning must be broken again.  Mustn’t grumble: this is my favourite Spin class – 11.15am on Saturday, and I haven’t […]