Colinton Christmas

What fun we have had today. It began with a phone call to the pharmacy (the one close to the GP surgery) to ask if my prescription was ready, and did they by any chance have Mr Flum's as well? His was to have been sent to a different pharmacy, and when enquiring yesterday we were told that neither request had arrived. Though we both requested routine meds at the same time it seems to be taking a long time to hear that they're ready. But, no, they still haven't actually received a request from the GP.

The meds in the other part of my prescription were unavailable at many pharmacies but the Doctor had tracked some down , albeit at a different strength, but can be easily accommodated, so we drove over to Oxgangs to collect that and asked if, perhaps, the other part had been included in the request? Or Mr Flum's? But no, they had no such record.

So we went up to the surgery to ask the very kind receptionist if they could tell us what was happening - whether perhaps there was a paper copy that we ought to have collected and taken to the pharmacy ourselves, as we did in the Old Days? Not that either; mine had indeed been sent to the pharmacy a few days ago, Mr Flum's sent to that of his choice, nearer home. The very kind receptionist, using commendable initiative, printed a duplicate for me, popped round to a doctor to sign it and I left, clutching my prize, which I duly presented to the pharmacy and, five minutes later, emerged with my meds.

Flushed with success we headed to the big supermarket for our weekly shop, only to turn round when finding a massive tailback and used a lesser store instead - gosh, how stock varies between traders. More to the point, do any of them sell ordinary brown paper for wrapping parcels? We had three to post but no suitable paper.

Once home Mr Flum walked up to collect his meds, arriving just as they closed for lunch. So back he went after our own lunch and giving them time for a post-prandial nap but, though they're they're short of stock they did provide enough to tide him over and he can collect the rest after a delivery early next week.

While at the local shops he did manage to buy some plain brown paper so we managed to finish the parcels for posting and drove over to Colinton PO, having found them reassuringly efficient in the past and much the same distance from home as any other.

Which is why my blip is of the Christmas tree in the village.

And it is why we have achieved very little else today.