This week held cause for celebration. We have – at long last – set up a joint account to draw on for dull household stuff. This practically has me singing and dancing in the street now that my Other Half – whose income is considerably greater than my own – will be picking up a more equitable share of the overall grocery bill. Things other than just what we have for dinner and which I tend to buy from the cheaper places around town rather than the supermarket. Sink cleaner unfortunately must now find its place in the grocery budget as much as a lovely piece of organic lamb. Since the financial fairy godmother has been handed her P45 I expect the realities of household economics to become clearer and it may be that we have to make some adjustments on how much organic lamb we eat. So be it. I understand too much red meat to be bad for you anyway. Or was that last week’s health advice? I lose track rather of what dietary advice is the new black.
With this lovely new addition to the household this week so far I have acquired a new phone handset – so I don’t have to fly down two floors from the converted loft where I mostly work to take phone calls that are mostly for my Other Half who is out at work. And a new doorbell which can be heard in the loft so I don’t miss the postman or be stuck downstairs unable to get on with my work whilst I am waiting for the inevitable deliveries and tradesmen that are an irritatingly necessary part of owning your own place. Much better. Unfortunately the handset didn’t work so I wasted half an hour negotiating with the company for them to come and pick it up and replace it and when this will be as I may need to leave the house at some point between now and when they decide to send the courier round. At least I shall hear the door-bell ring when he arrives.
I have also engaged the services of a window cleaner. Happily this was quite simple as it is someone I know vaguely as he used to date someone I know and I ran into him again recently as he was cleaning the newsagent’s windows a few doors away. Getting around any slight awkwardness of employing someone you once knew socially with polite mumblings about giving work to local businesses we briskly establish rates and times and promises about catching up for a drink that neither of us intend to keep. Looking at the windows I think that the insides should probably also be done. I did read some advice somewhere recently that suggested that windows were best done on a sunny day wearing sunglasses so you can see any streaks. This seemed like an excellent advice particularly as the first step is to get some fabulous new shades. It took me some time to find a suitable pair and I hovered at the till for a moment with the new joint debit card before chickening out and buying them myself. Department stores are not a recognised grocery shop – yet. I am still waiting for the sunny day though to arrive in order to clean the windows but at least I am confident of being able to look as glamorous as humanely possible with my hands in a bucket of suds.
