Ein alter Kunde kam nur zum Erzählen vorbei, ohne Termin und ohne neue Hautwünsche. Die Chefin sagte gleich, ich hätte gerade Zeit, obwohl im Garten genug wartete. Er brachte ein Foto seines Enkels mit, das wir erst auf seinem Telefon suchen mussten, zwischen sehr vielen Bildern von einem Grill. War ein schöner Besuch. Als er ging, bedankte er sich für den Kaffee, als hätte er mich von etwas abgehalten. Dabei war ich froh, dass er nicht gleich weiterwollte. Wir kennen uns länger, als manche meiner jüngeren Kunden auf der Welt sind. Die Tomaten standen hinterher noch genauso da. Ein Termin, bei dem nichts gestochen wurde.

My sister didn't answer when I called upstairs this afternoon, and within a minute I had gone from wondering whether she was asleep to imagining something much worse. She was outside talking to a neighbor, without her phone, perfectly entitled to enjoy herself. I felt relieved and then rather cross, which was unfair and fortunately stayed inside my mouth. Since she moved upstairs, hearing her about the place has become part of what makes home feel right. I hadn't noticed how much I rely on it. We shared soup later and I told her I'd worried. She said she would try to take her phone, then asked whether I always took mine. Not always, no.

I spent part of the dog walk trying to remember who lived in the yellow house before the roof was changed. There was a family with two boys, or one boy and a cousin who stayed summers. I can picture the younger one limping into our old clinic with a purple cast, but that gives me no useful date. My wife remembers the house by the woman who grew enormous tomatoes. We may be talking about different families. I started to look it up when we got home, then wondered what I would even search for. The dog had found something worth investigating under a bench and was probably having a more productive evening.

Au bureau, deux personnes m'ont raconté le même échange avec des mots presque identiques et des intentions complètement opposées. Pour l'une, c'était une proposition ; pour l'autre, un ordre à peine déguisé. Je me suis surprise à préférer immédiatement la version de celle qui s'exprimait le plus calmement. Mauvais réflexe professionnel : on peut avoir raison en étant agacé, et très bien parler en arrangeant les faits. J'ai relu ce que j'avais noté en séparant les paroles des commentaires. Il restait beaucoup moins de certitudes. Ce soir je repense surtout au ton de voix de la seconde personne, que j'avais jugé excessif avant de savoir ce qu'elle avait compris. Le dossier n'est pas clair, malgré mes colonnes bien alignées.

今天最後一節課講到一半，聲音突然變得很沙，清了喉嚨也沒有比較好。學生以為我在提醒他們安靜，全班一下子沒了聲音，我只好承認是老師的喉嚨不肯配合。後來把解題步驟寫完整，請前排同學念給大家聽，才少說了幾句。回家喝水時仍有一點刺刺的，不是吞不下去，就是每次吞嚥都會注意到。我原本想問兒子今天學校的事，開口又覺得費力，索性坐在旁邊陪他吃飯。先生說這樣也很好，飯桌終於不用補上一堂課。我瞪了他一下，但沒有反駁，實在懶得用嗓子。明天課還是照上，只希望睡一晚能恢復些，不然連點名都得放慢。

大宝写作文要写一次难忘的劳动，问我煎饼怎么摊。我说面糊不能太稠，锅要热，她说奶不是学做煎饼，是写作文。那不写怎么做写啥呢。她说老师要写心里怎么想。我当时就想着这张别糊了，下张有人等，哪有那些话。后来想起来下雨时得把炉子往里挪，挪完还得把顾客鞋边的水擦擦，怕人滑倒。跟她一说她赶紧往本上记，原来这些也算。她问第一张卖给谁了我还真想不起来，只记得那人拿了一块钱我找他两毛。

Walked the dog past the mailbox because the air finally felt decent and I wasn't ready to go back to that chair. My shoulders were still up near my ears even outside, which I noticed only when the leash pulled my arm forward. By the turn my steps had got longer and I could hear myself breathing instead of the computer fan. Came home with dust on my ankles and an honest appetite, not the kind where I open the pantry and forget what I'm after. Ate my sandwich at the kitchen table. The dog lay across both feet, so getting up on time required negotiations with somebody else for a change.

La forêt était encore humide ce matin et j'ai marché plus lentement pour éviter les feuilles glissantes. Au bout d'un moment, j'avais chaud sous la veste malgré l'air frais sur le visage, cette température agréable où l'on n'a besoin de rien changer. Les genoux se sont fait sentir à la descente, mais sur le plat j'ai retrouvé mon pas sans difficulté. Je suis rentré avec l'odeur de terre sur les mains, après avoir écarté des branches et ramassé quelques morceaux de bois. Martine m'a dit de me laver avant de toucher le pain. Je le savais, évidemment, mais j'avais faim et je regardais déjà la croûte. Le panier n'était pas bien rempli, l'appétit beaucoup plus.

Watched the late match with the aircon on and told myself not cold, then gradually pulled the sofa throw over both knees, then up to the shoulders. By half time only the head outside. Wife came out for water and asked if I was camping. The trouble is I sit very still when watching, apart from the occasional hand movement to inform the referee he is wrong, so I don't notice the cold until my feet are like that. Turned the aircon down in the end. This morning the legs wanted another hour in bed but the farm dog came to the door on time. He never watches football, very sensible animal.

A woman came out of classics night saying she hated the ending but couldn't stop thinking about it. I've been trying to decide whether that's a successful recommendation, because she bought a ticket on the strength of something I'd written. At university we'd have spent an hour making the question less understandable. At the bar I mostly said yes, I know what you mean, which I did. A film doesn't have to leave you happy, but I don't want to become someone who calls boredom a test the audience failed. I keep choosing next month's programme and hearing her voice. She said she'd come back, anyway. No pressure then.