High, higher, highest

After a horrible night with the most amazing sore stomach ever (mum's mince and tatties?, Usher Hall Shiraz?) it was #4 call to the bank to get them to change the way my address is written so I can upload money on my foreign currency card before I set off for sunny (Wunderground says it's 22 deg) Spain. The nice lady at RBS says it will definitely work this time, but as that is what her equally nice three male colleagues also said we'll wait and see. Monday will tell. If not I'll be straight round to Bishopsgate.

Then I did my housework - yes I can hear the loud gasps and acclaims - housework!! I vacuumed, cleaned the worktops and hob and even WASHED THE KITCHEN FLOOR (there 's a design fault with the vinyl I bought - it has indentations, dirt collects - ah well) and I cleaned the bathroom, emptied said Dyson and put out the rubbish. Then I watered the plants on the windowsill and admired my handywork. It does look good and the flat is
is so bright and sunny now.

I was actually quite surprised by the state of Polmuir House when I was there. Dave was always so much better at cleaning than me and used to make comments if the kitchen floor wasn't washed - especially the tile one at La G - that was my Friday evening chore before he came home. But now he is living in a kirn - piles papers everywhere (explains a lot) - financial documents, legal documents and, like his mum, old newspapers, very dusty bathroom, filthy hob, ironing board permanently up and clothes lying around. It felt unkempt. I know he's had a difficult couple of weeks and that he's been alone since January but looks like a bachelor existence and not a very good one at that. Very odd things in the fridge. I wonder how she copes? Maybe she doesn't do housework either - she'll have a maid at home. Sad really to see him existing, rather than living.

But back to my pristine (well as porisatine as I'll ever nake it) gaff. The sun is shining in the front window and there is blue sky outside - not that warm but looks good.

After doing the chores I set off down the town for round 2 of the great shoe and bag hunt. I'd done my research on luggage and after visiting Frasers, Debenhams, BHS and M&S and I eventually fetched up on the 3rd floor of Jenners where a very pleasant Medical Sciences student assisted me with my purchase. I had decided that a cabin bag wasn't a necessity but that what I wanted was one smaller than my long haul case with maximum space and minimum weight and now I have it - 63l, only 2.1 kg, yippee! and 30% off - it is earth brown but you can't have everything. Of course as I'm coming back Ryanair the volume is a bit academic as I can only have 15kg.

There was success on the shoe front too - not 1, not 2, but 3 pairs of black shoes in the sales. If only I hadn't grown by 4 kgs since December I would have some new clothes to go with them.

So now I've just made 'going away soup' (the amalgamation of some of the very odd things in my fridge and veg drawer.

Tomorrow there will have to be a phone conversation - I was texted at lunchtime but I'll see. May plant the grass seed , if it stays fine and pack, of course!

New shoes, on clean kitchen floor!