Sunday

Markets - without Mouse

The morning call with Tr was well underway when it suddenly occurred to me that Jo was flying off to Canada this morning with Rachel for a two-week visit. When I texted to see when she was leaving, she replied: "Waiting for the flight to Sydney. Ours was cancelled. Gives us half an hour to make our connecting flights😔". At least when I rang her they had managed to find their passports - which had gone missing when they put them down near them while they re-packed their carrying-on bags to put their make-up into their luggage (apparently a new requirement). Luckily the passports had been handed in (phew) but Jo was still concerned about the (very real) possibility of missing the connecting flight - and that she and Ra (14) were not sitting together on the flight to Canada - they were sitting behind each other.

Sooz decided to have an "at home" day, even eschewing the Markets, so she could finish off her scoring and start getting things ready for her trip to the Sunshine Coast for work this week,

I was expecting a small turnout at the Markets since M and Mouse are away = and Az and Mo had other plans - but we ended up with (short pause for a remembered head count) 13 or so! Even Ba came and he seems quite well and in good form after his operation (that we're supposed to know nothing about ... and we don't really - just that he had one and that they were all being very secretive about it ... as is their wont) but he does seem to have lost a little weight in the few weeks since we saw him last.

It's only takes someone to be away for you to realise how much they do ... usually it's Mouse who gets the tables of a Sunday morning, and wipes them down, and brings the utensils, cuts the tomatoes ... and while Mi did her best to fill in ... it just wasn't the same - but thanks for doing it Mi!

St was there today, with Ni and Ca, and he was showing me how to "fake it" with the boys when they were doing soccer talk. I have learned some valuable lessons including that iPhone's Siri, when you ask her to look up the FIFA World Rankings, offers you Feifer World Rankings, but still manages to go off and get them. Australia is in 59th position and not likely to make Brazil for the World Cup in June!

Spa anyone?

Post-markets, I made a quick trip to Harvey Norman to get some pics developed for Mum for her Christmas presents for We and Te. Well it was supposed to be a quick visit but when I fronted the counter with my $2.10 (to pay for the pics I had just ordered) they told me it was going to be an hour and a half before they were ready ... leaving more than enough time to be lead astray in the store and still have time for a leisurely hot beverage at the coffee shop across the way! So what had started out to be a quick trip turned into nearly 6 hours including the drive in and out. Yes, I didn't have to stay until everyone left the Markets (12 noon today - not bad given the Markets supposedly close at 11am).

Cane toad

Maggie is still spending most of her time in the spa but she did come out for dinner before taking herself back there. We're hoping she's not ailing for something - and I'm just wondering if it's anything to do with the tablet M gave her the other morning. Hmmm. We shall see but as long as she's comfortable, that's the important thing ... and I'm sure we'll get used to the feeling of being watched while we're in the shower!

And no recount of the day would be complete without noting that when I put on my shoe this morning, it felt a bit weird - and I thought something might have fallen into it from my rather crowded "dresser" but when I shook my shoe - what should pop out but ... a cane toad. I am still trying to work out how it got inside the house ... and the bedroom ... and how long it's been hiding against the background of the carpet. At least I'm taking heart in that if there are cane toads chances are good that there are no snakes (and no, I don't need to know that snakes don't eat cane toads at this point).