Why don't you pack it up

Packing day hath arrived and with it cleaning and washing. Well the son and heir is housesitting so I have to at least hoover and change the bed. At least while there may be more to pack than the Berlin trip it all should hopefully weigh less. There will be no latex outfits and no steel boned corsets or silly shoes this trip, just thin cotton and sandals in anticipation of sunshine.
Do we pack the frocks yet or leave them until the morning? Will there be enough room for the big camera or not. It will be no disappointment if there isn't as it only means I have to lug it round with me and get moaned at if I leave it in the room. There was a time of course when clothes made way for the camera but they have long past, so has the need for carrying extra lenses and equipment for the sake of it.
It has been decided that madam needs a restful break and so I hear does Dolenta, who is suffering from the builders and decorators woes.

Holday shopping

Another successful shopping trip. Yesterday sees the kitchen almost finished at about 8am when madame asks if I would like to accompany her to Oxford Street so its down tools and out by 8.30. Straight to Primarni and a pair of el cheaperoonry, dare I say it, male shorts are followed by a pair of denim girlie ones plus a pair of white sandals. Now as you will find later Primarni sizing is total crapola. The denim shorts are a size 12 and fit like a dream. Thinking we are to be homeward bound I pop into Superdrug for some clear nail varnish. This magical elixir has proved a real nail saver. Well over 600 tiles stuck to the walls, ceilings and paintwork washed and painted and not a broken nail in sight. So much so that I am considering trimming them post girlie days on Sunday and Monday.
Aaaanyway I digress, nail varnish bought madame asks if I fancy a jaunt down to the Kurt Gieger shop in Covent Garden. It seems the flat shoes I was after a while ago are in the sale, £120 down to £39. So off we trot whereupon madame spots a pair of low heels and a rather cute bag to go with the flats she bought recently. Suitably weighed down we trek home only to find the sandals do not fit. Well they do and they dont. Everything is fine except the ankle strap is not long enough, in fact not long enough for madame who is at least a size smaller then me so they are marked for return. Back home its lunch and a quick nana nap in the garden and back to the grouting and excess grout removing.
Up with the lark again this morning to get the last of the excess grout off and to wash the inside of a cupboard then paint it. As I am painting the last door madame appears and I say when I've finished I'll go with her to return the sandals. We get to Primarni about 9.00am and she returns the sandals while I have a mooch around. Well by the time we finish I have a new frock in a 16, a long white top and a long legged multi-coloured playsuit in a 16. See what I mean about sizing?. We stagger out with our collective purchases and into M&S where I need two pairs of, ahem, dangly bits flattening knickers. These bought we drop into Pret for a late breakfast, well late for me that is, as it is about 10am. Post face stuffing madame returns to Primarni while I elect for a stroll around Selfridges. We are soon homeward bound and post liquid refreshment on our way to Brent Cross where I manage to find a nice pair of sandals in M&S, £19.50 down to £12. So that is two pairs of shorts, a long white top, sandals, playsuit, frock, knickers all for around £50 and holiday shopping complete !!

and again

So yesterday off we set for another visit to Oxford St. Off the bus at Selfridges and on another down to South Moulton Street. Madame wants a pair of shoes in the Kurt Geiger sale. I must admit t-girl or no t-girl I have always loved shopping. While madame tries on the shoes I wander the shop and see these wonderful platform high heels... Luckily I'm not 'dressed' and I also have more expensive fish to fry ;-)

Shoes bought we retrace out steps and off to John Lewis. Up to the fifth floor for breakfast and then into radio and TV. Now fortunately or unfortunately, as I stop to look at the cameras. Oh did I mention I was in the market for a replacement of my Nikon D90? No? Well I am. Aaaanyway as I say, fortunately or unfortunately as I am looking for a new one a nice assistant asks if I need help, not only that but he actually works for.... Nikon. By-the-by we find out that it is really pronounced Nick-on and not Nye-kon. Apparently nye-kon is the American pronounciation which as usual, is wrong. Anyway I digress. So I get him to get out a D5200 and very nice it is. I tell him I need a replacement for the D90 as its done 120,000 exposures and he appears to be taken a little aback but agrees it time for it to go. Needless to say it is the last day of the cashback offer so I get one. He also tells us that John Lewis have bought all the remaining stock of the D90 so it indeed has reached the end of its life. I was sorely tempted by the D7100 but apart from the expense why buy something that is bigger than the one you have and heavier?