A Postcard from the Cruise Ship Solitude

We embarked on our cruise on The Solitude on Sunday - when we exercised our democratic freedom not to leave the house. The only thing we really needed was milk and Lindsey dropped off a couple of litres. The weather was wet, cold, gloomy, misty, dank, mirky.  Delightful, as you can tell. No real incentive to go out at all.

We didn't go out yesterday, either.  We still don't need anything. I am walking around the house and garden and didn't feel the need to leave just to go for a walk. We have stayed at home, eating well, watching TV, watching the few DVDs that we have, drinking tea and later wine.  It's quite a pleasant cruise all told.

Not that I have any plans at all to go on a real cruise. Cruising has never appealed as an activity unless as a means of getting somewhere without flying - although I understand that cruise ships can be environmentally very unsound.  At the moment, however, they appear to be positively dangerous.  We will stay on dry land for now.

What I did need was more toner for my printer.  I bought the printer for tuppence ha'penny at Kmart. I assume you can get the cartridges from other places but I have always bought the replacements there.  At considerably more than I paid for the printer!  I discovered that you can buy from Kmart online, with free delivery for orders over $45.  The cartridge pack cost $42.  They wouldn't let me have two packs.  Hmmm.  It costs $15 to have things delivered to regional addresses. So I added a flat pack set of shelves for $20.  Figured I might as well get something for my money rather than just delivery.

The package turned up yesterday.  Inside I found not a flat pack set of shelves but this

It's a wall shelf for little things.  I had accidentally clicked on the wrong thing. It cost $16.  I'm sure I'll find a use for it.

But I wanted a set of shelves for the lounge room to put the DVDs (and other things) on.  I was considering ordering another from Kmart, or waiting until I could actually get to a store.  Then I remembered that I had one in the study.  It had the printer on it and not much actually on the shelves.  So I moved it.  And here it now is:

I'm going to have to leave the house today. One of the DVDs that came with the player from Amazon is faulty.  They have sent another one but they want the original back.  It's packaged up. Now I have new toner for the printer I have been able to print out the return label. It's all ready to go - and there is a post box just round the corner.  No need to go to the post office, plus I'll get a little walk.

Oh - and Tabitha has found my missing USB DVD player.  It was hiding under her bed.  Guess it fancied a longer stay in England. And there it can stay until a stray passing Aussie collects it and brings it back. I am not expecting that to be any time soon.