New toy!

Up (and dressed!) and ready to watch Murray's match at 8am. So far so good for the Brits. I'm getting very used to starting the day in this leisurely way. Can't last.

I rang Uncle A to say we'd be over when the match was finished, so thank goodness it wasn't a five-setter.

Uncle A was looking pleased with himself, and something was different, though I wasn't quite sure what. Why was there a fire label hanging on his armchair? And was that shiny new remote for the TV? Eventually, he could contain himself no longer, whipped out the remote, and proceeded to tip back, tip forward, rise up, legs raised. The only thing it couldn't do was a back massage. Archie was intrigued - he's never seen a battery controlled chair before! I was very jealous of the ejector seat facility...

We took the bus back into town and walked home through the Meadows. It was quite warm, but windy. JR came home relatively early, so we caught up with last night's viewing - War and Peace and Deutschland 83. I find I'm ready for my bed by 9pm. I thought you needed less sleep as you got older...

Two new dog borrowers, Julie and Claire, popped in to meet Arch. They live nearby, so it's very handy if they'd like to take him out now and again. Archie was very exuberant - normally he's a bit timid with new folk. He was licking feet and pulling scarfs, growling very fiercely in tug of wars and generally showing off. Despite this performance, Julie will come and take him out on Wednesday morning.

Is it just me, or has War and Peace deteriorated into a second rate soap opera (sorry Tolstoy). Albeit with big furry hats. It's full of women who are either scheming or vacuous ones who fall in love with every man with epaulettes who doesn't have two left feet. Thank goodness I didn't stay up past my bedtime to watch that last night.