Why?

At the end of a season in which fans had been prevented from watching the team they follow, there was a chink of optimism this week: with England opening up, 10,000 fans were allowed into Premier League stadiums, provided social distancing norms were respected. (There is no truth to the rumour that Everton sent an email to the PL asking whether there was a special fund available to help them pay the 10,000 to attend.)

So, having been more or less deprived of football for 18 months, having won a ballot to get your ticket, and in the middle of what was a very entertaining game, how do you spend the time? That's right, you get your cell phone out and say what a wonderful time you are having. While not looking at the game. Having watched the game but taken my camera out but having paused it to take a photo of some people who were not watching the game, I am well placed to (as my old Latin teacher used to say) "cast nasturtiums". 

I was going to go on a rant about how the cell phone (or mobile if you insist) is indicative of everything that is wrong with the modern world, but I need to check my Twitter feed.

A decent enough day. Managed to get some editing done on the "Official Liverpool FC Programme Guide 1945-2020", which is due out in late June, early July (all things being equal), an hour-long Skype call to wish McGuffin a Happy Birthday (five minutes chat, the rest guessing how old he is - estimates went from 25 (Ottawacker Jr.) to 35 (Ms. Ottawacker), to 55 (me). Also witnessed the birth of a tomato plantation in our front garden (to go with the garlic plot). 

Then Mrs. Ottawacker took Ottawacker Jr. to the park while I prepared the tureen full of ribs for dinner. Finally relented and allowed Ottawacker Jr. to watch the second of the Hobbit movies. I hadn't seen it before. I was stunned at the liberties taken with the original plot. Like... what?