Tuesday

It's still raining here - and that's good because we do need it!

Did I mention that the new treadmill arrived at Latimers yesterday and I determined that today would be the day I would take it out of its box and start using it? I have always been an optimist - no wait ... I have always wanted to be an optimist but don't quite manage it - which is how it turned out with the treadmill ... not quite managing it.

It did come out of the box - which is now waiting out the back to go for a trip to the tip with the old treadmill - and after much perseverance and persistence (and not a small amount of swearing) I did manage to get it assembled (okay, so there are a couple of screws missing but I don't think they're crucial or going to make it unsafe!) - but the one thing I
didn't manage to do was to get it working. Was it because we didn't turn it on with a Christmas Vacation drumroll? We did turn it on though and checked and changed powerpoints and made sure we read the instruction book and did everything within our power to make it more than a very expensive paperweight. Of course, I will try it all again tomorrow without an air of absolute frustration and desperation - I'm hoping that will make a difference - and failing that, that I can get on to customer service (supposedly excellent according to the web reviews).

Did I mention I purchased the treadmill over the interweb and that it came to us from Perth. And if I have to put it back in that %#}^^<*£ box to send it back - it may not happen! We will just have to wait to see what tomorrow brings.

It's not the same knowing that H and Me are not just down the road with Mouse. There was an email from his Dad yesterday thanking M and us for showing H a good time - and referring to him as the "cuddly little toy". It will be good for him to see his family again - from what he said you could tell that he really wanted to go home - but he also wanted to stay. S had taught him a song - the "That's All Folks" one from Merrie Melodies - to sing if he got sad. Of course, I'm hoping he will also remember the Fizzy Bubelah song - to the tune of the Hallelujah Chorus! (Yes, yes, we suspect that's not exactly what Handel had in mind when he composed this Christmas piece.)