Welcome to My World

Today is the last day before we both go back to work. I had a load of things I wanted to get done, namely:

• Go to the old house in Hedge End to pick up the piano stool and leave a bag of instructions/guarantees relating to appliances in that house (yes, that's right, the photograph of the piano posted to last Wednesday was only actually taken and posted today)
  
• Get a picture frame from Hobbycraft to replace one that got broken in the move;
  
• Buy some bed linens from John Lewis in Southampton, using the gift vouchers we got from Mum & Dad for Christmas (we must have shopped there a dozen times in the last four months and haven't once remembered to take the vouchers with us);
  
• Get a new pair of jeans;
  
• Buy rawl plugs, light bulbs and a toilet seat from B&Q in Hedge End;
  
• Get a new chain for my necklace - the one that came with it is the kind that pinches the hairs on the back of my neck every time I turn my head;
  

And seeing as I was going to the old house and there's a household waste centre close by and we have a house filled with junk, I added: -

• Take a car load of rubbish to the waste centre;
  

Then Rob said he would like sausage and mash for lunch so I also added: -

• Buy sausages, potatoes, onions & Yorkshire puddings from Sainsbury's in Hedge End;
  

Because my brain is terrible at remembering things at the best of times, I made a list on my phone in the order I would do everything, which was: load car up with rubbish; waste centre; B&Q; old house for piano stool; Sainsbury's; into town for John Lewis, jeans and necklace chain; back home via Hobbycraft for picture frame.

It took me well over half an hour and at least a dozen trips up and down stairs to fill the Jaguar up with stuff to take to the waste centre. I was almost finished loading the car when I checked the washing in the machine and saw that it only had 8 minutes to go, so I decided to wait till it had finished and put it in the dryer before I left. I made the last couple of trips out to the car, put the bag of instructions/guarantees in the car, picked up my handbag and even remembered to grab the folder of fabric swatches for the bedrooms so I can match the bed linens with what we've already got (I forgot to take it when I went on Friday so I had to wing it). AND I took my necklace with me and put a sample piece of wood in my handbag that's the colour of the cabinets in the piano room, where I want the picture frame to go, so I could match that up too. I couldn't believe I was so organised!

The first part was fine. I unloaded the car at the waste centre and got what I needed from B&Q, plus some nice light shades for the top bedroom. Then I went round to the house to get the piano stool and it wasn't until I was pulling into the drive that I realised I hadn't actually checked that I had the key with me. I didn't. Then I remembered that I hadn't picked up the John Lewis vouchers. And I hadn't put the washing in the dryer before leaving the house.

It was 12:30 so I decided to go to Sainsbury's, get the groceries, fill the car up as it was close to empty, go home and cook lunch then make a second trip out this afternoon with the old house keys and the John Lewis vouchers to do the other jobs on the list. Sainsbury's wasn't too bad, especially for a Sunday, but the petrol station was chaos; they were queuing out on to the road so I decided I would come back another time.

I got home, made lunch, burned the apple crumble because I still don't know how to work our oven, picked up the old house keys and John Lewis vouchers (finally!), put the washing in the dryer and set out again, only this time I decided to take the Audi as the petrol stations will be busy all day today - I'll fill up the Jaguar tomorrow. By some miracle I remembered to go into the Jag and get the swatch folder from the front seat, and I set out again for the old house. When I got there I realised I hadn't brought the bag of guarantees out of the Jaguar.

I got the piano stool and picked up the mail that had accumulated over the past few days, then went into town, got the stuff I wanted from John Lewis, bought a pair of jeans and a new chain for my necklace, then I drove to Hobbycraft for a picture frame, armed with my sample piece of wood for comparison. Then I realised that it's all very well knowing what colour frame to pick, but if you don't know what size the picture is, choosing a frame is going to be difficult...

Sigh.