supermouse

I went out to Wigan with Random, on, I think, the last shopping Saturday before Christmas. The weather was terrible. I had a really good time shopping. Random was willing to explore everywhere until we got tired, and also willing to wait while I had a good look at what was on offer. It was all really good-tempered and pleasant, and having time to stop and get my bearings meant I didn't get overwhelmed or end up triggering a migraine. There was only one screaming child.

At one point, we were following a real life Calvin, although (mercifully) Hobbes was not in sight. During all of this retail wandering, I saw not one thing that I thought would make a nice present for someone I know. I'm wondering if part of that is that I've barely seen anyone - the last time I was in Nottingham was for the Novacon before last.

At the stop where we get off, there's a really nice café close by. It does fancy coffees and teas, basic grub, booze if you really must have booze with your sandwiches and Wigan Tapas: a selection of small pies served with I forget what. There's also Fizz and Chips; different sorts of fish goujons, chips, mushy peas, tartare sauce and two glasses of bubbly. I'd love to take my mum there.

The last place we went to was a booze shop with a wide range of single malts, including the one I really want - yet again, I didn't have *quite* enough money to buy a bottle of the 21 yo. But it's £125 and one day, I will. I got liqueur de espices (*not* liqueur de pain de espices, gingerbread liqueur, but a spice liqueur with anise and mace among other things), ginger liqueur and 'Old English Bush Liqueur Cordial' which, even after reading the label, could be *anything*.

Random set us off the bus a full mile down the road for the convenience of the bus driver(!) but I don't think it's done me too much harm. I got back, and I've put the dishwasher on, plus I've got lamb stew cooking right now, full of leftover spiced roast vegetables and unwanted lamb chops, plus some fresh veg and meat and a lamb stock cube.

On the whole, a really, really good day. Probably my most fun day in the last two months. Thank you, Random.

Last night's thought went undeveloped, thanks to a long and necessary conversation with Pol, but I would have gone on to say that realising the whiteness and maleness of my favoured poems' writers has prompted me to seek out new poetry that's less monochrome. All the tabs with poetry in are now closed, but showcasing poetry will be something nice to do for another time. Seeking out new poetry is nearly always a good use of spare time.

I found glee in consumerism when Sessifet drove me to a big supermarket to get all the things I can live without but still want and can't get in Horwich itself. Things like strange seed mix snacks, malt beer, frozen chicken livers, pear in cranberry juice, cherry cordial and juice, plastic pool noodles for indoor staff-fighting, chocolate cream sundaes, ginger and honey tea, sesame seed bread and, of course, a large soft hairy rubber multicoloured light-up ball. The current one (the last one died) is yellow, green and, around the middle, sky blue all sprayed on possibly glow-in-the-dark white hairy rubber. Pol's fallen in love with it already.

It strikes me that our Scottish Nibling will soon be old enough to play with things like this. :0)

Lots of things I've been unable to do suddenly seem entirely possible and likely, so I foresee a few days of being more or less in my room busy working on them. I'll take this computer up there tonight and settle in. I have presents to wrap and cards to write out, fabric to cut up and nail down, a bag to sew. And sew on and sew on.

Intellectually, I still have more on my plate than I can handle.

BTW, does anyone know how I can get my mouse mood thingies for DW? Or just a different mood thingy?