Age is just a number

Matfen Hall

Rain this morning, so we won't be going out for a while. There's always a chance the rain will clear away by eleven. So I shall continue with my final edits and hope to finish them today.

It will also be a weekend of tennis. There must be something in the air as we have the finals of the Australian Open this weekend, and in both male and females sides we have competitors who are over 30 years of age. Rafa, of course, is the baby of the group at just 30. Should be amazing to see Rafa and Roger take each other on again. John Lloyd puts it down to modern training methods and diet. Before he played a match he used to have steak and chips, but I gather it is mostly pasta - plain carbohydrates now. Australia is eleven hours ahead of us, so Serena may well have finished her match by now - must go and check!

Tennis again!

Tennis time again! I can't concentrate on writing or editing because I'm glued to the online slamtracker following Rafa's match.
Editing-wise I've re-read the first chapters of the work currently called Daisy because I haven't thought of a title. I found some places where I could cut a paragraph or two and tighten the whole thing up. The first five chapters are now printed out and soon I'll get back to work. Only one more set to go!  I got my timings in a muddle, so this should sort that out and then I can move on.

In case anyone is wondering, Tim is running well and shows no signs of hurt or injury. We went into the woods near Hexham yesterday yesterday. I wandered around taking photos while Tim ran everywhere, checking back with me every so often just tomake sure I was still following.

Rafa seems to have rallied now the end is in sight. A stomach bug's going around the players and he seems to have got it. You'd think they'd take very careful hygiene precautions when their physical state is so important.

My book and the Australian Open

Since my book is published this Friday I thought I should let everyone know the good news.

This picture is of Ullapool - but not of the Ullapool of today. This is my view of Skuli' Grey Cloak's Steading, the place where Flane takes Emer when he buys her in the Dublin slave market. As the week progresses I'll add my impressions of Emer, Flane and Oli.

I am still immersed in the Australian Tennis Tournament. Today Murray was beaten. I wonder what the headlines will scream tomorrow? The British press can be cruel I think, in the way it pounces on a UK player and lauds them to the skies before they've ever won a Grand Slam. I've watched it happen so often over the years. The players must come to believe a little of the hype, and then the fall must hit very hard. Far better to wait until Murray wins a Grand Slam before touting him as the favourite before players like Djokovic and Federer. Nadal is always polite, and so avoids confrontation. It looks like being a Nadal-Federer final, and I know who I want to win.