Batemans Bay is very much a tourist town, but only during summer. For the rest of the year, local businesses more or less survive by taking in each other's washing. I am the first one to support local business, so when I heard that a new franchise had opened up, I was ready to give it a try.
Unfortunately, it wasn't open yet. It seems the owners are still held up with some legal proceedings and their case may not be stroganoff. Of course, they're fighting it but they haven't got mushroom for error.
Undeterred, I went on to Vinnies. I'd only been there last Thursday when, as always, I had declined their offer of a shopping basket as I only ever buy as many books as I can carry in my arms. Last Thursday I must have broken my self-imposed limit because I put some down and then forgot to pick them up before I went to the check-out with the other lot. Their volunteer "book whisperer" took one look at the titles and immediately knew whose books they were, and called me to pick them up, which is how I got another armfull of 'mind'-watering books today.
So many books and so little time left. At this rate, my most likely cause of death will be that the stack of books on my bedside table that I've been meaning to read falls over and crushes me. What a way to go!
With Padma far away in Indonesia, I have plenty of time for reading, and for listening to audiobooks, and for blogging (as you will have noticed!) I also spend a lot of time in bed, and, of course, leave the toilet seat up and the dishes unrinsed, which takes me right back to my bacheor days. My employers loved it - as did I - because I could pour all my energy and give all my attention to their work, without any domestic interference.
I'm already counting the days to the very last day of this month when Padma returns, but not the way she would have expected me to do it.
