Heat, sleep, tennis (i.e. the usual)

Since I came back from Vienna, i.e. since 8 August, there hasn't been one drop of rain, and only very few clouds. I'm starting to resent summer just a tiny little bit -- nights are starting to get hot again. This morning at 5 a.m. the temperature was 25°, which is definitely too much. So today I opted for switiching on the a/c, mostly for ze boyz but also for my own sake. Coming home to a temperature of 28° or more isn't nice, if you're all sweaty and tired from tennis. The weatherforecast promises a strong northerly wind and a significant drop in temperature for Sunday, but I'm only going to believe that when I actually feel it.

Since both Valentina and Elena have repeatedly told me to watch slow-motion videos of tennis players, I finally did so -- lots of stuff on youtube -- and it's actually quite interesting and instructive. I might be developing a slight crush on Roger Federer. Silly though it might sound, there's a difference between my instructor telling me that I ought to do certain things, and seeing Federer doing them, because, you know, if he does it, that means it's really important and actually works.
Yesterday's lesson (Valentina) wasn't so good, BTW, but merely on account of me being so tired that I could have slept right there on the court. I'd woken up at the ungodly hour of 3.30 a.m. and been unable to go back to sleep, because my nose started to run and didn't seem to want to stop anytime soon. I was feeling ok during the day, but after we'd played the first basket, which was good, I suddenly felt as if I was made of lead.
I fell asleep sometime around 9 p.m. yesterday, woke up a little after midnight completely drenched in sweat, took a cool shower and went to bed, slept till 5.30 without interruption. So today's lesson with Elena should go a lot better. (Unless, of course, she starts another Mr-H-eulogy, which might have semi-lethal consequences for her)

Boss's brother (with assorted offspring, I believe) arrived yesterday. The two brothers are planning to leave for Greece this afternoon and climb Mount Olympus. Boss was being very endearing yesterday, clearly unwilling to be at work and wanting to leave already. I offered to go to some celebratory event -- 100. birthday of Mother Teresa -- this morning in his stead, and I guess he was tempted, but then he said no, he would go and leave in the afternoon.
Since he'll be absent tomorrow and on Monday, and will have to go to Vienna for the ambassadors' meeting no later than next Thursday, I'll try to persuade him to give me next Wednesday off. He'll be away till 17 September at least, maybe even a little longer, and I'd like one more day of relaxation, sleeping in and sports before the rhythm of life and work picks up again. Not that I foresee any resistance on his side; he's way too grateful for having been able to enjoy this summer as much as he did.

Coffee time, I think.
I'll be having lunch with Dan the Society Slave today, and otherwise my diary is empty.

Peace of mind, très difficult to achieve

Phone conversation 5 mins ago with boss.

Boss: I met Mr H today at the parliament.
Me: How nice.
Boss: He told me last week already that he'd like to meet up, and today he suggested lunch on Tuesday.
Me: Sounds like the beginning of a wonderful friendship.
Boss: He's a bit strange, don't you think?
Me: Erm...
Boss: Because, when he proposed lunch, he asked me what I'd like to talk about.
Me: What? *He* wants to meet you and he asks *you* what you'd like to talk about?
Boss: Exactly. Strange, isn't it?
Me: Uh-huh.
Boss: I think we ought to follow the [...] a bit more closely.
Me: Erm, the, erm *whole* [...]?
Boss: N-no. Oh, I don't know. I'd just like to know what's going on there, get some insight into the workings of their oh-so-secret organization. Mr H plays tennis...
Me: No way. I'm not going to make an idiot of myself by playing against him, and anyway, if I play, I play and don't talk.
Boss: Yes, but... but afterwards, I mean, you could...
Me: I am not Mata-bloody-Hari!
Boss: Uh. Well. You could disguise yourself, buy a wig or something.
Me: This is probably the silliest thing you've ever said to me.

I HAD REACHED A STATUS OF TOTAL ZEN AND THEN MY BOSS JUST HAS TO MENTION HIM AND SUGGEST THINGS, AND IN 1,5 HOURS I'M GOING TO PLAY WITH ELENA, AND SHE'S PROBABLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIM, SO HOW ON EARTH WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO PUT THE BASTARD OUT OF MY EFFING MIND????????

*dies from capslock*