Amazement!

We (they [radio 4 announcers]) are always being amazed at how badly we deal with the winter and spend hours trying to explain/justify it. Do they really think their audience haven't lived through a British winter before, or listened to radio 4 before, or maybe they think that with their listener profile we have all lost huge chunks of memory and need telling all this again. We do it badly, we do - it's 'cos we don't really suffer from the chaos, we abandon cars and panic and complain and it gives us something to do to justify ignoring people for whom not bothering is fatal.

'Little Bits' says "Thank heaven for the mobile phone" - maybe she wouldn't have dared to run out of petrol with a baby in the car in pre-mobile days, maybe she'd've had to take more care.

Out in the snow the black birds and pigeons are busy being territorial instead of eating; squabbling instead of searching for food - if I fed them less they might co-operate better. This was going on out there while in here, Radio 4 (a different program now) was talking about the American attitude to climate change which seems to be, 'let them worry about it, we're not going to do anything because we're not suffering.' Reminds me of "Sheep look up" by, I think, JG Ballard.

So I turned to Radio 7 and listened to 1970s comedy while I cleaned the kitchen.

This is my favourite bit at the moment, though the stewpot is missing 'cos it's in the fridge. I'm not suffering either which is why I'm pondering all this. The stewpot has chicken thighs in it - for Angel. But I do feel remote from the future-threat not only because I don't feel it yet but also because at my age and with no children, I can afford not only to be a bit objective, but a bit selfish too. When push comes to shove, I'll be among the first off the cliff, so I may as well enjoy now. As Angel does. This is her reaction to hearing the fridge door open. See her run: