Still no run to report. I stayed hopeful all last week, but still had the faintest of twinges in this calf, and decided against taking a risk.
Instead, all the excitement in my life has come from domestic minutiae, like watching my runner beans appear, and yesterday’s trip to the supermarket. Last time I was at Sainsbury’s, I saw Ulrika Jonsson. This visit was less memorable, though a couple of incidents gave me cause to reflect on the standards of their customer service. First, this encounter near the frozen desserts:
"Excuse me", I asked a lady filling a cabinet with blackcurrant cheesecake, "Could you tell me where I might find raspberry coulis?"
"Erm, I’m afraid I couldn’t, no."
She then gazed at me quizzically, as though inviting me to ask her another, preferably slightly easier one.
That strangely British self-consciousness took over, and I just mumbled an apologetic "thank you", and went off to ask someone else.
I had the opportunity to make amends on behalf of Sainsbury’s a few minutes later. I was, appropriately enough, on my knees in the wine section, fishing about at the back of a line of Australian Chardonnays, hoping to uncover an earlier vintage, when I heard someone ask:
"Do you have any of that Riserva Chianti that you used to do?"
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I looked up, and realised that the smartly-dressed lady was addressing me. I was just about to embarrass us both by pointing out that I didn’t work for Sainsbury’s, but I was suddenly overtaken by a sense of nostalgia for my wine trade days, and instead, I heard myself saying "Let’s have a look", as I got to my feet.
Unfortunately "we" seemed to have sold out of the own-label Riserva Chianti, but I was able to recommend the Antinori instead. Yes, it’s more expensive, madam, but the additional two years’ bottle age, and the reputation of one of Tuscany’s greatest winemakers makes the difference well worth the extra three pounds.
She thanked me profusely, and bought two bottles. It made me realise that the supermarkets could increase their wine turnover with someone actively selling the stuff.
And OK, I didn’t call her "madam", but I thought it would make the anecdote a little more palatable.
Maybe I’ll make that run this week.
