Yesterday was...

cold.  When I got up about 7.00am, it was 13C in Avalon.  That's the suburb next to us, people from Ocean View, New Jersey, because I just know you care all about Sunny (or not so much) Newport and its weather.  It also happens to be the closet suburb I can get information on from WeatherBug, which sits on my desktop.


windy.  I had a sloppy-joe on.  For people inside continental US, that's maybe what you call a sweatshirt?  


a long day.  Up at 7.00am (see, getting older now, losing my mind, repeating things.  Also, repeating things and losing my mind).  Out with My Best Friend and the Kidlets for shopping at Warringah Mall.  Warringah Mall is the biggest shopping centre within reasonable driving distance to me (read, 45 minutes on a bad day, 30 on a good day, 5 days before Christmas, what do you think?).  Why, in Ghod's name, did you go there, 5 days before Christmas?  Well, Gentle Readers, it's a sad, sad story.  I bought one of these for Mr Golightly's niece, and I've... misplaced it.  I know I got it home & I know it's here somewhere, but I can't find it.  Normally I'm very organised with gifts that have to be retained for some time until I can see the recipient in person, because I don't really like to do the mail-y thing if I know I'm going to see them again, which is why I had a souvenir bottle of Limoncello from Rome, 2008, in my cupboard for 2.5 years before it went off to its new home.


Anyway, I had to go & buy her another one, because otherwise the symmetry of the gift giving would have been shot to hell, and there's nothing worse than one sibling getting more presents than another, relative values mean nothing to children.  One of my worst Christmases ever (and there have been a few, just quietly) was the one where I got a guitar, and my sister got... everything else.  I had no idea how much a guitar cost.  Or that boardgames were so cheap.  And abundant.  And plentiful.  And fascinating.  And... not mine.  Still got some of those boardgames (still not mine).  Guitar long gone to Vinnies*.


Anyway, that took us until 2.30pm, we actually had to pay for an hour's parking ($5.00) before we whipped off to Mona Vale for Dental Floss (forgot it), Crewel Needles for the present bag, chocolate money for the Kidlets, a Handbag Butler for the present bag, ribbon, leather cord (don't ask), Muesli (for the best friend) and, finally, lunch.  We were still eating lunch as they closed up the coffee shop around us, lucky for us we're regulars and they don't think we're nuts for eating lunch at 3.00pm.


Then home for whole half hour to deal with mail, phone calls, a change of clothing (off with red angora cardi, on with said sloppy joe), then back up the hill to mind the Kidlets whilst MBF had her hair done:  

Bit worried about that for a while, but the end result was lovely!  And then, we met up with Mr Golightly who had been patiently waiting at home for me to return, to have dinner out, with much hilarity, and me calling young Master H "Helen" all night.  See, I'm older now, and losing my mind, because yesterday was:

My birthday!

Thanks to all involved for the calls, cards & gifts, there will definitely be return calls made today!  And now, Gentle Readers, it's time to go back to bed, because I'm older now and need my beauty sleep!

Ciao!

**aka Charity shop