Return of the Son of the Curse of the Man-Eating Sofa

In recent weeks, it was my viewing of the European Football Championships which was impeded by my insidiously comfortable, uncannily sleep-inducing TV sofa.

Last night, it was the tennis.

I'd begun watching the latest Federer-Nadal match-up at Wimbledon in a bar downtown with my buddy, The Chairman. We'd transferred to our favourite Pool Bar (nearer to my home) during the first rain interruption.

When there was a second shower, at what would have been 7.30 or so in England (2.30am here!), we thought it unlikely they would be able to resume that evening, and decided to head home. However, I doublechecked on the local sports channel, BTV-6, when I got in, and found to my surprise that the rain this time had lasted only 10 or 15 minutes and that the players were already warming up for the re-start. Since they were by now well into the 5th set, it did seem conceivable that the match would after all be concluded that day, perhaps within no more than half an hour. So, I settled down to watch.....

And that goddamned sofa got me again! I lapsed immediately into unconsciousness, only stirring again 3 or 4 hours later, after dawn.

I have been pottering around on my computer all morning, while BTV-6 plays on the television in the next room, keeping an ear open for the sounds of a full re-run of the match getting under way (bizarrely enough, they've been re-showing one of the EURO 2008 games again!).

YES - a re-run of the tennis has just started!!

However, I have once again managed to miss Nadal's key early break-of-serve against Federer at the start of the match (I missed it last night because the dratted sports bar I was at insisted on showing the post-race interviews from the British Grand Prix - without any sound!!! - rather than switching over immediately to the tennis.).

I don't particularly want to watch the whole match again - but I suppose I'll have to, because I can't trust Chinese TV to show a complete re-run rather than randomly compiled highlights......

Oh, well - there goes the afternoon.......