Part of the building conversion work here a couple of years back resulted in the placing of a unisex convenience at the top of the stairs leading to the corridor access to upper floor: a high traffic area in which the water cooler is situated. As such, it is better, to many minds, that this convenience not be, er, too conveniently exploited, so as to not draw attention to the fact that it has been. There are more discreet alternatives close by in the new building.

The other morning my intended short visit was cut even shorter, when I was forced to immediately about-turn upon being confronted by a piece of floating bark-like matter, yellow-studded in a fashion that could only be of interest to a data-desperate Barbara McClintock (doubtless a fictional scenario on both counts).

Transposing swiftly on, yet remaining on the theme of indigestible matter, I was amused later by the (it transpires not unprecedented) story of how far a peckish dog will go. Don’tcha just love them barking scavenging mutts? Wonder whether an anaconda could digest them. (Golf balls I mean; a dog wouldn’t be much problem for an anaconda.) And I wonder if they would as readily snaffle up the fruits of my Capsicum chinense? (My sister’s bonkers Tibetan would happily have away your chili con carne if you left the room to answer the phone.) I know which would be more effective for indigestion. Hmmm. I have an idea…