Stale is the word to describe most of today I think. After the emotions and reflections stirred up by the funeral yesterday it was never going to be a great day but it was given a jarring, unsettling note by what happened after the funeral. For several years now (as long as they've lived there) our neighbours have gone in for long, violent, loud arguments, or rather tantrums as its overwhelmingly him screaming obscenities at her rather than a joint venture, all this accompanied by crashes, bangs and thumps. It becomes so loud it's like it's happening in our house which is awful enough but the real concern is trying to decide whether it's just furniture being flung about in childish emphasis or if she is on the receiving end of something more physical than just screamed insults. The fights are so frequent that if I called the police every time it happened they'd be round there two or three times a week, I try to do the right thing by drawing the line where, if I hear anything that unequivocally sounds like an attack ie hearing her scream or shout something that indicates she's being assaulted - that's when I reach for the phone. Well it happened last night and I duly called. Last time this happened he was sweetness and light to the police and nothing was ever said by him afterwards to us, we continued to exchange superficial greetings if we met on the step etc., last night however when the police showed up it took them 45 minutes of him shouting at them to F off before they could get in the door...apparently they were told by both of them it was just an argument and they left. So today has been leavened with the uncertainty of what, if any, repercussions are heading my way. All quiet so far.

In the evening things improved out of all recognition, we'd been invited round to an old friends for dinner and had a really nice evening, not so much setting the world to rights, more enumerating all that's wrong with it. As usual when I have people to talk to I made up for my long days of isolation by talking far, far too much. They were very understanding though.