Reverting to last weekend ...

... and ignoring irrelevant distractions such as oiks in cars with horns ...

We went to Cambridge, as you may remember, to take Joan out to lunch on the Sunday.  We had intended to dash down and back on the Sunday, but Tabitha convinced us that it would be an even better plan for us to head down later on Saturday afternoon to play with her.  She had taken a few days off work and was looking for something to amuse her.

So we did.  And immediately took her back to her place of work to lay in Supplies for Saturday evening.  I had a fancy for Aussie burgers, so we raided all the various shelves with the Doings for Burgers.  While we were there, I grabbed a pretty collar for small dogs for Farley.  I realise that Farley is largely immobile and probably doesn't actually require a collar.  But I can't see why being a toy dog should disbar you from collarness, and this was quite a pretty one.

Back to the house we ambled, and passed the evening in convivial burger munching and wine quaffing and telly watching.

I got up on Sunday morning and was pottering around.  I wonder where that pretty little collar went.  I can't see it anywhere, and the bags are empty and folded up, ready to put back in the car.  I shall have a thorough search in the kitchen.  It may have got caught up with the various ingredients for the burgers, or in amongst the packaging, or somewhere. But no.  Right then.  I shall clear up the dining table and sort things out.  It may be there.  No.  Hmm.  Maybe I put it in my basket, or (for some weird reason) in my computer bag.  Nope.  That there collar is nowhere to be seen.  Odd!

Find that Taffa is now awake and chatting on Skype.  No, she hasn't seen it either.  And no, she definitely is not wearing it around her neck!!!!!

Give up pondering the whereabouts of the collar and go to ponder the question of breakfast instead. And to admire the beautiful morning which the weather dogs have seen fit to bestow upon us.

Was happily assembling the wherewithal for egg, bacon and tomato sandwiches, when The Builder came downstairs.  I mentioned to him, in passing, the mystery of the missing dog collar.  He looked worried.  No, no.  It's OK.  It's only a dog collar - it's bound to be around somewhere. It'll turn up. Eventually.  He looked even more worried.  Had I checked the receipt to make sure I had paid for it?

Well no.  I never check supermarket receipts unless the total looks wrong in some way.  Why would I have done it this time?  He looked even more worried (if such a thing were possible).  I began to get suspicious.  What did he know about the whereabouts of the collar?

AHA!!!!!  It seems that he had unpacked the shopping basket at the checkout and put everything on the roller thingy.  Suddenly, there caught his eye - a dog collar, caught up on the packaging for something else.  He assumed it had been left by a previous customer, although the one immediately in front denied all knowledge of it.  Despite the fact that I had, some days earlier, mentioned the possibility of getting Farley a nice collar, he didn't think to ask me about it.  And I wasn't paying attention.  I was listening to a story that Taffa was telling me.  And so it was that he handed the collar to the checkout assistant, telling her it wasn't ours - and the pretty little dog collar was sent back to the shelves!!!!!!!

It's no wonder I couldn't find it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And for those of you who have enquired - Joan wasn't too bad on Sunday, thank you.  She is in fair health and fair spirits.  She is a bit forgetful, but is managing reasonably well with the aid of a calendar and a daily "to do" list.  I think Penny and Jeremy keep her up to speed as well.  Mind you, I managed to confuse her mightily by telling her (when I rang on Sunday morning to confirm that she was still coming with us) that Taffa and Gaz would be going on their bicycles and not in the car.  I meant that they would be going directly to the pub. She understood me to mean that they would be cycling out to her place (which they have done in the past) and then coming with us in the car.  And had been thinking about where the bicycles could safely be stored. Plus she had put out water glasses for them because it was quite a warm morning (by comparison to recent temperatures) and they would be hot and thirsty when they got there!  Must remember to be more precise in my comments next time!!!

Am looking forward to the next few weekends.  This one coming, I have three days off (no particular reason for having Monday off - I just fancied it). Then I am at a conference on Tuesday and Wednesday in Nottingham.  I thought I might come into the office on Thursday to see if any of the missing people have come back (though mostly they are on holiday so probably won't have). Then it's Easter and SHU gets five days off. Then I am at work for three days - and then I get a weekend that lasts for TWENTY SIX days.  I am very excited about that weekend!