What a day. Remember Treasure Hunt with the catchphrase 'Stop the clock I've found the clue' Today was like that. We were taken by Di's surrogate mum Joy to a shop in Reading called Costco. If you have been to Makro it is similar, a huge warehouse & everything is sold in bulk. For someone who doesn't like shopping - boy did I shop.

Di had to be back in Hersham for a 2pm appointment. She confessed later that had she appreciated the sheer scale of Costco we would have spent an entire day there. I can't accurately convey the speed of our purchasing, suffice to say we arrived about 10.30 & left again about 12.30 having filled 2 industrial-sized trolleys with all the major food-groups.

Di was very tired & my car needs MOTing so with apologies to her I want to repeat the conversation we had about driving when I set off in her car, a Renault Clio.

Di ' Are the controls the same in my car as yours ?'
Me 'No, in fact Japanese cars tend to be the opposite of French cars. (I drive a Honda)
Di 'Oh, is your car French then ?'

I will miss our conversations.

After Costco we then hit, in rapid succession, Wilkinsons, Woolies a party-shop & Safeways.

We left the house at 9am & did not return until 5pm. I collapsed into a hot bath after a lovely brew.

I have felt strangely calm today but was hit by a totally unexpected wobbly moment. We were driving back home & I was looking in my diary to see if I could squeeze in a visit to Yorkshire to see Mater before I leave. I looked at the date I am due to fly, the 12th May & realised something odd. When I copied my shift pattern into my 2003 Diary in January this year I decided to only do a few months due to this vague notion I had of taking a career-break. Would you believe me, dear reader, if I told you that the last day I actually wrote any of my shifts onto was the 11th May. The 12th May is the 1st blank day. Fate, karma, laziness, pen ran out ?

Anyway, to continue, I looked at the 12th & for no reason I can really put my finger on I suddenly wanted to howl my eyes out. The feeling passed as quickly as it came & looking at the torrential rain beating on the windscreen helped. I just hope all the rain has been & gone today. More for Di's sake than mine, she has put such a lot of effort into tomorrow & I know she is looking forward to having lots of guests in her lovely new home.

There is also 'something' afoot. It's not difficult to work out. When we came home yesterday, Di had some ansaphone messages on her phone. She listened to them on speaker for ease & the 3rd one was from Stuart apologising for missing her call. I looked at her, asked 'Captured ?' & being a useless liar she laughed & replied 'Totally' It's hard being surrounded by control freaks.

The good news today is that as I was drifting off to sleep last night it occurred to me that I had not asked Clare what the hacking was like ie. the terrain. I have been pretty spoiled hacking in Headley because you can access the Downs or Headley Heath within minutes so I hoped the hacking in NZ would match-up. Clare told me that I can either ride straight to the beach, or to the river, or around the 440 acres of farmland. I told Di that I had visions of me riding, bikini-clad & bareback through the waves on a stunning grey stallion with my hair streaming in the wind. She replied that I had better buy a wig. She is not a very nice person.



The other update was that my bedroom window overlooks the fields where the neddies live :-)

For any of you who haven't lost the will to live, there is an entry on here about the Society Golf day. Queenie has slotted it in somewhere near the front so you may have to look in 'Archive' if that makes sense ? On that note, thanks for the positive feedback from those of you that have waded through my diatribe. Bill, in answer to your request for more smut, scandal & gossip, I can only recommend you take out a subscription to Heat, OK or similar. It's probably called G'day or similar in NZ.

Wendy, in answer to your request for more foties, especially of the moggies, Queenie has put my 1 & only foto on so far. I will have to consult with him as to how to put more on.

Best news of the day ? Angie can now make it tomorrow as I have agreed that she can bring a small person along (no, not Andy) a child. She arranged to babysit months ago for her 7 year old godson & this was the only way I could have 1 of my bestest friends in the whole wide world attend. Barley has been warned & will be on kid-sitting duties.

On that happy note, bon-soir & a la mode Roderney.

Cx