Good grip on the darts tonight. No slipping between the fingers, no need to keep wiping my hand on the trousers. After a day walking the beat, I like standing in one chosen place and making one small movement properly. The rest of me goes quiet for a while. Missed the double anyway, so there is a limit to what a comfortable body can achieve. By the last game I could feel my feet in the boots again, the left heel particularly. Stayed for the result, changed shoes when I got home. The soft pair by the door are not handsome. They are considerably more useful than the advice people offer about putting my feet up.

My son rang without being reminded and talked for nearly half an hour. Nothing urgent, just school and something a mate had done. I kept expecting the actual request to arrive, money or a lift, but there wasn't one. Felt quite pleased afterward. Then annoyed with myself for waiting for the catch while he was only talking. I don't think he noticed. I asked about coming over and he said he would check, which is neither yes nor no and will have to do. Mum asked if I'd heard from him when I took her shopping round. I said I had, then managed to tell her most of the conversation before she'd finished putting the milk away.

A driver called me unfair today because the car beside his had no ticket. Different restriction, different circumstances, all quite visible if he'd looked instead of performing for the pavement. I explained it once. I've explained it another six times in my head since, with better wording and an audience suddenly willing to listen. That audience is not available in the real high street. I know the facts were right, checked the entry before finishing my shift. Still catches in my mind that he walked away thinking he'd made his point. He probably forgot me before the next set of lights. I can remember his registration without trying, which is an uneven arrangement.