This is my cat. Possibly the most beautiful cat in the whole world. You didn’t know I had a cat, did you? No. I didn’t either. He, possibly she, just arrived one summer day when the back door was open. We get lots of local cats ‘appearing’ but they run away. This one didn’t. Joey screamed at it, whilst holding a big stick. Joey’s default is ‘holding a big stick’. But this cat just ignored him, strolled up to the back door and squeezed his/her/their way in, lay on the floor and did a bit of ‘grooming’. Not, like trying to coerce Joey, or me, in some sort of sexual sense, but just licking himself and scratching. That kind of ‘grooming’. And he/she returns. Frequently. We’re having a bit of ‘work done’ (unfortunately not in the cosmetic surgery sense, even though I need that more than a new floor) and our builder left a door open and in walked… Kevin? Deirdre? Merlin? Just strolling round to see what’s going on. As ya do. If you’re a totally fearless/oblivious and exceptionally beautiful cat.

Football’s getting a bit depressing now. Arsenal keep winning, Manchester City keep winning, Liverpool… play in a few minutes. Against their true enemies and rivals, Manchester United. Who, this year, are shit. But engaged in the ‘thrilling’ ‘battle for 4th place’, though possibly 5th, we’re not sure yet, which will bring the kudos and lucre of Champions League entry. Later on Spurs are playing Nottingham Forest. That’s a big one. I don’t know why, but it just is. We should beat Forest. On any measure of any sometimes predictable criterion, we should beat them easily. Like Luton. Possibly West Ham (just on moral grounds). Yet it won’t be easy. It will be painful to the point of excruciating.

And I just want to mention Kathleen. She’s not a cat, she’s a storm. Well, she’s a wind. A very strong one. So they’re banging on about how half of Scotland has blown away in Kathleen’s wake, how the NorthWest coast of England is… well, stormy, wind and rain and waves half a mile high upsetting the residents of Scarborough and Blackpool. But there’s no mention on what Kathleen does to tennis balls. Its awful. You go to play your forehand down-the-line winner and by the time the ball arrives, it’s a backhand drop shot. Which will float over to the next court and interrupt their doubles match. Yet they don’t tell you that on the weather reports, do they? We’re suffering too, ya know!

Happy Sunday

A xxxx