Now then - would have called writing yet another blog "displacement activity" had I not been assured by Beloved - who as animal scientist should know - that it would be technically inaccurate. So will have to make do with u d a - ie "undisplacement activity." (Saw article recently in which Alan Sillitoe claims it was choice between life and writing; he chose writing. So what's this?)

Converation between Beloved and Self last night, following self's looking up to see if Bristol City was still heading via play-offs to First Division football, so she could congratulate or commiserate with son-in-law. 'Why should it matter?' well no, really, but hard to explain to someone who seems totally devoid of such impulse to loyalty, let alone that somehow such things do to millions - and that logic. not to say sense, doesn't come into it.

Self of course equally contaminated in Beloved's eyes by long-term commitment to Chelsea: only to be justified by mother's ditto, and self having thought - erroneously- that I was conceived just down the road. Beloved claimed - rightly I daresay - this wasn't good enough, how could I buy fair-trade goods, refuse to use peat, etc at the same time support a club owned by a long-term Russian crook who'd enslaved millions of Siberian peasants? Explain that haven't actually bought tickets, joined fan club, in any way added to wealth of crook whom I didn't like either; but that this failed entirely to eradicate atavistic connection...let alone faint surge of pleasure when team did well.... thereby, I say, echoing far from faint pleasure with which the millions similarly add joy and meaning to their lives.

Beloved unable to empathise with joy and meaning so entirely lacking logical explanation looks baffled and reverts to Russian crook. Not only does he of course think logic is all, he also believes - at times perhaps erroneously! -that he himself is not only logical but always acts that way. Discussion runs into ground as usual. Oh my Beloved! Seal departure from it with kiss, which partly assuages him.. Telly does the rest.