errand day

after speaking to (my uncle) Trace on Sunday night, I am wondering why I even drive anymore. We both agreed that there are more ‘special’ people driving than ever and if we’re not behind them they are coming for us down the centre line. And really, how does that thin strip of white keep me safe?! Over here the roads are filled to breaking point with fools behind the wheels of mercedes, bmw’s and volvos. I had them all in a perfect line for about 40 miles yesterday, alternately speeding, swerving and signalling into oblivion and if all that viewing pleasure wasn’t enough, I spent the best part of the beautiful sunny early evening stuck behind another idiot who had tenderly placed his bmw into a lorry on the North Circular. Of course it was 5:30pm, the almost-rush hour home and all lanes were chocker. Luckily the streetcar I was in had air conditioning and a decent radio. I find that as long as I am cool and have music I can sit in traffic for hours and not be bothered…well, aside from the wasted time, the missed appointment and the extra cost for the car…anyways, when I finally did get home I managed to score a parking spot right outside our front step- despite the fact that the theatre was drawing quite a large elderly crowd! Bonus. If I’d been home earlier I probably wouldn’t have gotten that spot and I would still be dragging groceries across the Green. So I guess traffic is sometime a good thing. Despite the pollution. And the hours of wasted time- if I had a tape deck I could’ve listened to and practiced my French- and I suppose the cost of petrol. In fact, despite all the negative environmental and monetary costs, traffic is okay. It gives you a chance to think about your life-well I suppose if I wasn’t sitting in cool-air comfort and singing along to Robbie Williams I would’ve thought about my life. But I was singing to Robbie and laughing inwardly at the poor kids beside me in an ancient toyota with all the windows opened and looking like they were about to die of heat (and probably BO) stroke. But with age comes comfort.

So yesterday I did all the errands I have been postponing for the last few weeks. Huge black bin bags of plastic to recycling. Costco run to Watford for an institutional-sized box of washing powder, dishwasher tablets and nurofen. The organic shops along the way for the essentials, and a stock up of a few live herb plants to re-pot. Ikea for a door mat and a loss of sanity. Charity shop for a quick browse and a substantial drop-off. Oh yes.

Hamish wanted these crystal champagne glasses for ages, and he finally found them in town, so I dutifully spent almost all of Friday tracking down the wine shop that sold them as well as traipsing into Soho to a little-known wine shop (it's speciality is whisky) for a couple of bottles of the good stuff. Of course, these new glasses need a proper shelf space and I had none. Out comes a box and in go my special glasses, glasses and glasses. Now safely ensconced on the ensuing free shelf, his prized flutes are standing awaiting their dew…and a box full of glass bits is stored away, while another has already been unpacked and placed on the charity shop shelves. I figured it’s not too big of a sacrifice as most of the stuff I got rid of was from ikea and due to break at any time!!!

oh, and mum-I found my scissors.