Ups and Downs in More Ways than One.

So yesterday morning we got up. We had breakfast. We got the cats into their carriers. This latter was harder than it sounds, because as we were putting Lorenzo into his, the cat Markko decided to hide under one of the sofas. He goes there sometimes and normally of course we let him stay there until he wants to come out. We didn't have the time to do this on Monday morning so the OH had to try and coax him out. When coaxing didn't work he leaned underneath and tried to pull Markko out. Markko was not in favour of this. Markko was not entertained by this either. Markko decided to show us how fast he can sprint into the kitchen. And back out again, swerving past two pairs of eyes arms and alert humans. He streaked off to take refuge in a bedroom. Sadly (for him) he had been forestalled and all the bedroom doors were closed. I managed to pick him up, and to keep hold of him while he lunged, squirmed and flailed to get free, and we manhandled him into his carrier. I was only amazed I had got away without either a scratch or a bite. 

We delivered the cats to the cattery where they leapt with alacrity into their usual pen, which they share, took a sniff at their dishes, swallowed a morsel of food each and then curled up on their beds and gazed at us reproachfully. We still left though. 

And there we were sitting in the queue for the ferry, rejoicing in the fact that there were no disruptions to the schedule and agreeing how much we were looking forward to the Masterclass at Scottish Opera today. The A's phone rang. It was L from Scottish Opera. Happy New Year. Thank you for the chocolate hamper we had sent the fundraisers. And by the way, the masterclass had been cancelled because the guy giving it had gone down with a nasty chest infection. 

If only she had rung an hour earlier. Then we could have cancelled the cattery,, rebooked the ferry for Thursday and had three extra days at home. But there you go. I suspect that the Masterclass wasn't called off until first thing Monday and L would have had a list to work down once she knew. 

It was only to be expected after that that the crossing would be rough, and it was. Very up and down literally. I am normally a good ferry traveller, but I felt distinctly queasy on this occasion. 

We had planned to go out tis morning to Braehead which has a large shopping centre, also an IKEA, but I didn't feel well so in the event we didn't get out until the afternoon. I was reminded of one of the reasons that I have a love/hate relationship with shopping in Marks and Spencer. If they have got what you want it will not be in your size. Everything they have got in your size will be either very very expensive, or horrible, or both. This applied equally to the OH as it does to me. How can it be so difficult to buy a pair of black mens trousers? We did find some eventually, and also  a rather nice blue pair on the sale rack, but it was a long hard haul. We did not however find any women's long sleeved pyjamas in my size that didn't involve having a cartoon character across my chest so we gave up on that. 

I was feeing fairly fed up by the time we came out of M & S but we were in the market for some lamps and at a venture drove to another part of the shopping centre where we found three shops in a row which sold them. Sinc I had been gloomily prognosticating that it would all be a total waste of time as there would be no lighting shops I was pleasantly surprised. And we found the two lamps we wanted; a floor lamp for the living rom  and a bedside light, both for the flat. It would not surprise me if we didn't go back later on for another of the floor lamps as the one we have in the living room in Orkney needs replaced. Anyway they're both set up now and look very nice and do the jobs they were bought for, so that's a good thing. 

Tomorrow we are off to the city centre. The OH wants a look in the Lego shop (naturally), son no 2 needs some new jeans, and we'll take the opportunity to get some opera tickets for April. Miles in  advance I know, but if I get them from Orkney I either have to buy them from the theatre group website, thereby incurring 'box office fees', or ring them up on a premium rate phone line and queue on it for anything up to 20 mnutes. At the box office all I pay is the cover price, although given that they are opera tickets,  'all' is a relative term.