Over the last few weeks we’ve had our fair share of sport, what with tennis at Wimbledon, European Championship football coverage and the Grand Pix at Silverstone.

I’m no sports fan and every time I turned on the telly or lifted a newspaper, I just couldn’t seem to get away from it.

“How come Coronation Street was on three times last night?,” my mum was confused.

And so was I because some of my regular programmes were well out of sync.

However, in a deliberate effort to avoid watching the final of the European Championships, my friend Christine and I opted to spend the evening in her husband Jim’s brand new hot tub.

“No telly or radio for us,” Christine declared.

“Just good music, warm bubbles and a glass or two of Prosecco.”

So, despite the drizzly weather, (well it was Airdrie after all), we slid in to the brand new hot tub raring to relax.

“This is the life,” I purred like a kitten.

“Definitely,” my pal agreed.

To let you understand, Christine and I are useless at getting our heads around anything remotely technical, but since we were on our own we had no choice but to investigate the workings of the hot tub unaided.

And of course, this new hot tub had all the latest gadgetry.

“Wonder what all these buttons and dials are for?” Christine queried as she pressed and turned anything she could get her hands on.

And as she did, I suddenly found myself amidst masses of bubbles which shot up at one end of the tub and then the other.

Different coloured lights flashed intermittently and we agreed that this was the bee’s knees.

Before Jim left us to go watch the football, he wisely put on the music which streamed loudly through silver speakers within the tub.

Nervously Christine asked.

“Janice, do you think these speakers are waterproof?”

“Waterproof?” I shrieked.

“I blinkin hope so Christine because we’re sitting in a tub of water!”

Sheepishly she changed the subject and we blethered non-stop as we enjoyed the music blaring out from the ‘waterproof’ speakers!

“It used to be so simple Janice,” my pal suggested.

“You just plugged your stereo in, turned it on, put a record on, pressed play and off you went.”

“Nowadays it’s done through this Bluetooth thingy,” she pointed to Jim’s iPad.

“You’re right,” I was in full agreement with my pal.

“It’s really difficult trying to keep up with the latest technology.”

Enjoying the warm bubbles we lay back and laughed as we recalled the night a number of years ago when we were mystified as to how Jim’s then latest music system worked.

We pressed every button and tried every remote control we could find, but the music system was a mystery to us until Christine had a bright idea.

“I’ll give Jim a call and he can give us a step-by-step guide as to how to work this bloody thing.”

Of course having had a few glasses of wine we thought this was an ingenious solution to our predicament.

“Are you two having a laugh?,” Jim yelled down the phone.

“I’m in Canada and you pair are phoning me to give you instructions as to how to work a music system in Airdrie.”

In hindsight, we reckoned Jim was rather irate because of the ten hour time difference which meant he had been fast asleep when we called.

Pressing yet another undiscovered button, Christine and I smiled as suddenly a beautiful waterfall gushed from the side of the tub whilst the lights changed colour.

“Oh my,” I exclaimed

“I didn’t’ realise it had a waterfall.”

Ten minutes later and delighted we were avoiding all sports coverage, Christine suddenly jumped up and frantically pressed any button she could get her fingers on.

“Where’s the off button for the waterfall?” She frantically fumbled through the steam.

And things weren’t helped by the fact that neither of us had our glasses on and could see Hee Haw.

“Where the off button?”

“Which button?,” I asked.

“The waterfall button.”

“I’ve no idea,” I replied.

“You were the one who put it on, so why do we suddenly need to put it off?”

“Because it’s been on for ages and I’m worried the hot tub will overflow.”

Well, my sarcastic head instantly came on.

“Christine, if the Trevi Fountain in Italy doesn’t overflow, what makes you think the hot tub will?”

Returning home Jim was anxious that his latest toy was still in working order.

“Well, how was the hot tub?”

“Yep, brilliant,” we mumbled

“And did you manage to work everything OK then?”

Christine and I gave each other the same knowing nod as we had done many times over the years.

“No problem Jim.”