Anyway

Apart from the iTunes fiasco, what else has been happening in our neck of the woods? You know you want to know.

I went to see my lovely Mum on Saturday and had a really nice day with her, including a great lunch at Pizza Express and a wander around the shops. Including Marks and Spencer, where I met the least helpful checkout assistant ever, I think.

The scene: A busy Saturday afternoon checkout queue, several people waiting to pay for their stuff.

Checkout person: That's £2.26 please.

Me: Here (handing over a tenner) Sorry, I don't have anything smaller. Would you like the 6 pence as well?

Her: Ooh, yes please. (Hands me back £2.74 in change)

Me: Um. I gave you a tenner.

Her: Ooh, you did, hang on. (Rummages in till, starts getting a bit red-faced and flustered)

Till: beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep! beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!

Her: Here you are (handing me the same change again)

Me: Um. No. I need another five pounds I think.

Till: BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
(Supervisor shimmies across and stands behind the checkout lady but doesn't actually help in any way)

Her: Look...here's your change (handing me the same change for the third time)

Me: No, sorry, I gave you ten pounds, look, here's the receipt. (Holding out the change she keeps giving me and the receipt, which she snatched off me and glared at.)

Supervisor looked at me and did that "Tch, here we go again" face. Still did nothing to help.

Till: BEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP!

Her: Oh, what am I doing?

Me: (Helpfully) You're just getting my change.

Her: YES! I know that! (Stuffing the correct change into my hand and turning her back on me)

Me: Thank you. (Leaving the shop, laughing immoderately)

I have never really forgiven M&S for not keeping me on as a Saturday assistant when I was 16. Apparently I am "not Marks and Spencer material." Good job too, it seems.

Other news: Went to see Iron Man at Salisbury cinema. Most entertaining. Jeff Bridges was unrecognisable, and surprisingly scary. And I now know what all the fuss about Gwynnie's shoes was about. Oh my word.

Ate a fab Thai meal afterwards which was bloody lovely. Mr WithaY made the mistake of replying "Ooh, quite hot please" when the teeny Thai waitress asked how hot he wanted his soup. He had at least 3 huge chillies floating about in it. Mmmm, tangy.

Prior to that, we wandered round the shops and picked up some bits for our forthcoming holiday, and had a huge afternoon tea at the Red Lion, as we hadn't had lunch. How civilised.

Today has been a blur of domestic activity, lots of washing, cleaning, hoovering*, tidying, sorting and making a rice pudding.

Ooh yes, also, car news. Mr WithaY took his Landrover to our mate Barry the Fish, as it is still not right even though he's has another £800 worth of work done on it. Barry the Fish drove it round with his head hanging out the window and diagnosed the problem in about 3 minutes.

He has a special Landover stethoscope for finding out which bit is broken. And it worked. So, new rear wheel bearings to be fitted this week, and with any luck it will all be fine.

Fingers crossed.

*With the Dyson