Relaxing weekends...

... Are so few and far between, so this one has been wonderful.

This last week was very quiet at work, so I spent a lot of time doing nothing but surfing the web. I also got to watch a couple of DVDs. And to top it off I had a lovely weekend organised too.

Originally on Saturday I had planned to go to Castle Plaza to buy mum a birthday present, my friend's son a birthday present, and my husband an anniversary present. And I planned to do it by myself. Alone. Just a couple of hours with no time limit, with a stop on the way home to have a cuppa with an old friend.

But, as we all know, my plans don't always work out do they? First of all Dobby put on such a performance because SHE was supposed to pick out the son's birthday present (afterall, the invite was in her name).

As I lamented to Fluffy that I was looking forward to having a couple hours to myself, he pointed out that I get 8 hours every day to myself. Not quite the same but I relented.

Then, he asked if I could pick him up a plastic set of drawers for his side of the caravan, matching the one in mine. Problem with that is, the shop is several kms across the other side of town, and nowhere near the direction I was heading.

So I was not quite in the best of moods when I left home. I picked up the offending set of drawers, plus paper, cards etc. Then as I didn't want to go way back the other way I thought it would make sense to stop at Harbourtown to find the other things on my list.

Well, the dress shop I was looking for to purchase mother's birthday gift from doesn't appear to be there anymore so I had to improvise. I did find her two lovely pairs of pj's at $15 each (and I hope those who know her and read this don't tell her!). One errand out of the way.

A stop at The Book Boys solved present number two. Dobby found a story book and CD set reduced to $15, and I found a cute little pirate book (the party theme is pirates) to add. Second errand out of the way.

Now for Fluffy's gift. I wanted to go to Target and buy him a decent set of electric clippers. I had budgeted about $30-$40. At one shop down one end of Harbourtown, the cheapest set was $100. No way!

Way down the other end was another set for $59. As they were my only options I went with the $59 set. Problem, and isn't there always one, it was battery operated. And the store didn't sell them. Who did? Woolies, all the way back down the OTHER end of the complex.

By this time I could barely walk as my hip and back have been playing up terribly lately (the joys of getting older I suppose) so back we walk to buy them. That done we had to go all the way (again) up the other end to where the car was parked. Dobby knew I was not happy, and tentatively asked for lunch. Nope, I snapped, got no money left. Drink? No change in my wallet.

Of course, as this was now $60 (including the drawers), over my allotted budget, I decided that I would miss the trip to the cheesecake shop for Fluffy's other gift. Plus, instead of a lovely relaxing cuppa with my friend, as I had Dobby with me, I just stopped in to say hello and collect my housekey. Bumma. She did give Fluffy and I a gift though, a box of my favourite Lindt chocolates. Mmmmm!

So by the time I got home I was tired, sore and thoroughly p'eed off. Fluffy asked me what was wrong so I told him I was $60 over my budget and he was not getting the cheesecake I planned to buy him. To top if off, I was supposed to buy milk and sugar and totally forgot (despite my trip to Woolies!)

I wrapped his gift, wrote in his card, stuck stickers on the gift and made it look pretty, and wrapped and boxed mum's present ready for postage, then when I did the son's gift I realised I had forgotten to buy him a card. Luckily, mum had given me several packets of printed paper, one of which was a print of a scroll of paper. So I improvised. I got out my calligraphy pen and wrote:

Ahoy Cap'ain Cooper!

It be your birthday!

You'd better enjoy it or there be mutiny!

Happy Birthday from your crew

Fluffy, Froggy and Dobby the Wench (using our proper names of course!)

Then rolled it into a scroll. Problem solved. Of course, on writing this I realise I should have written Yer instead of Your... never mind.

Anyway, a little while later Fluffy asked me did I want him to go to the shop and buy the milk and sugar. Nah, I said, don't worry, we can make do for a few days. No, it's okay, I'll go he says.

And promptly disappears.

About half an hour later he came back - with milk, sugar, a bunch of red roses, and a whole caramel cheesecake and a white chocolate mud cake! Bless him! I had told him that I couldn't decide between his favourite vanilla cheesecake or a chocolate mud cake so had planned buying half and half but didn't have any money left. What a treasure!

So after our cuppa and cake (we tackled the white mud cake first) I gave him his gift. He was suitably impressed (specially because I had accidently left the price tag on it) and promptly went outside to try it out!

We had a relaxing afternoon doing not much else, although he did put his new drawers in the van and screwed mesh magazine racks up beside our bed too, and I read. We went to bed after 11pm....

Today, we slept in till just before 8 and the cat woke us up. We wished each other happy anniversary, then he brought me a cup of tea in bed. Aahhh.

I got up, changed the sheets, did two load of washing, and he vacuumed the floors. I had mopped the kitchen yesterday so the housework was done. He pottered around outside and I pottered around inside.

A friend from the caravan club and his daughter came around to pick up an old washing machine we had, and brought Fluffy a carton of beer. I told fluffy he should have asked for a carton of softdrink so we all could have some! Anyway, I did a cheese platter and we sat outside munching away. The landlord came over to collect some figs so we gave him a beer too.

The rest of the afternoon was very slow, relaxing and just what I needed.

We had a lovely tandoori marinated roast chicken with baked potatoes and salad for tea, cheesecake, ice-cream and orange jelly for dessert, and now I have run a bath. If Fluffy comes in later to make coffee I'll have a cup of hot chocolate with him then early night I think.

Yep, this is how anniversaries should be spent I think! Looking forward to the next one now!

Oh a sadder note, while I was having dinner mum phoned to tell me my sister's boss had passed away last night. And the she is the one who found him. Very upsetting of her I imagine. I did try to phone her but she didn't answer her mobile. If you read this chicken, be strong and remember to prepare yourself for a rocky road for awhile till decisions are made and directions taken. With your experience you will be fine! Love ya! xxx