My wife and I have been decorating the front room for the last week. This is a pisser; for we have an equal relationship and neither of us likes to blink when it comes to the other's flaws. Hence, we over-step our abilities to work from stupid-bravado. Four days of fucking-hell. Working too hard when we were too knackered.

Four days of ladders, cans, brushes, white spirit, spite and angst. I don't know what you think about when you are applying a roller to the ceiling (if you do such a thing) but I'm always thinking about how the human condition has changed for the worse since we lived in caves. 

This is of course part of the game of ours, in this case my wife and I, but in general all of our lives. For we all play the game of our fellows..

For tonight, when everything is wonderful in the front room, while my wife skinned the boiled chickpeas between bowls I made a salad of chickory, chervil, tomatoes and basil. A peppery thing that only those who have a taste for bitter could understand.

I think the point is that we can't understand what any of this means.

So you should do as I do and take joy from what you have.