Sunday

We had a good day with the family yesterday. M is lucky to have two sisters and a brother. Perhaps I have an idealised view of family life. Philippa cooked a meal vast enought for another 20 people to attend and we played a game in the afternoon. A bit of a disaster when David upset a bottle of wine, which broke a figurine and the bottle itself and sprayed red wine on an armchair and all over the floor. Natasha, our niece cleaned the chair with white wine. At 7.05 we 'girls' trooped into another room and listened to The Archers.

Today I am very tired. I need to get down to the office work, but can't concentrate yet. I went to meet my ex neighbour, Maggie, at the local Sainsbury's (cafe) and we had hot chocolate and chatted for a couple of hours. Other than that not a lot has been done, but I need to get back to work tomorrow.

I thought about my talk and came to the conclusion it wasn't one of my best. I was aware that I was hesitating quite a lot, and saying 'em' in between words. Let's say I felt less sharp than I have on some occasions. Last time I talked at Sutton, I arrived late and was very tense. Once I started, everything seemed to go well. I wonder if a certain amount of tension brings about an andrenoline rush which then helps you to speak better. On this occasion, M took me, which meant we had an uneventful journey. Then he sat in the audience, which was distracting, particularly when I heard him chatting to another member of the audience. Maybe I should dispense with my written spiel and just have a few notes, so that I can ad lib throughout the whole speech. I'll think about it.

Must try to get to bed early tonight.
9.20 p.m. on Monday