Bah Humbug. It's December again - and the NASA countdown!

Bah Humbug, it's 20th December.

That means one thing - NASA countdown time - 5 (days to go).

Being a Saturday, I was ready to go out to tutor in the afternoon, but it was cancelled. Maybe my pupil needed to do some urgent Christmas shopping? After all, the Saturday before Christmas has now got a name: Panic Saturday.

I am not sure why, as every day seems to have been a panic over the last month when I have ventured out - as I mentioned, I hate going out and "milling around" in amongst the crowds of people who are not quite sure what they are shopping for, but they know they need to get something.

So, "Panic Saturday" - I went to the post office.

What madness you ask? I even asked myself! I took a book in case I had to stand in the queue for a long time. If you read my post about queues, you will understand why I took a book.

Surprisingly, the post office as no busier than on a normal Saturday and the ladies behind the counter as grumpy as ever until you smile at them.

Why was I going to the post office? I had sold a book from my Etsy store: The Balloon Ride. The story of the first passenger balloon flight, that took a duck, a chicken and a donkey up into the air. I could do with a balloon occasionally to fly over everyone in my way.

The advantage of not having to tutor, for my son anyway, is that I become a taxi. Not an Uber Taxi, but a Mum Taxi. And off he went to a climbing and mega-zip line party. Perfect boy stuff for the start of the school holiday and a break for my eldest son who got some "on-my-own" time.

The prospect that there may not be many people around at one of the shopping malls, drew me to go and buy chocolate and wrapping paper. I had run out of the latter and you can't have Christmas without chocolate. Fairly straight forward. Until I decided to try out the supermarket.

Oh goodness me! $99.99 for a box of cherries! $18.50 for a medium sized carton of strawberries!

How can anyone afford such luxuries?

I left in haste and went home to make myself a cup of green tea.


BAH HUMBUG
They'll just have to eat apples instead.