Valentine's Day Masala

The plan was foolproof. No 1 son had agreed to baby-sit for nos 2 and 3 daughters. We would get them down to sleep, then go out for a lovely meal for two at our top local gastro-pub. Table booked, nothing could possibly go wrong.

Then no 3 started coughing and hacking, like she knew the plan, ran up a fever and we knew it was doomed. Booking cancelled, we instead ordered a curry, and I trotted out to the Co-op for a bottle or two. which we duly consumed and bemoaned our fate.

Worst moment though was the panic when I realised at a quarter to midnight that my plan to blip from the restaurant had gone too - and I had only moments to come up with an emergency blip or break my continuous sequence. The cats were out, the wife would not have wanted me to blip her lying asleep on the sofa - then I just found a still life arranged in the kitchen...and the punning title popped into my head.

Sadly, the still life was still there untouched when I got up this morning...