Of Cell Phones And Opticians

This is the sort of Saturday I loath. I'm having to spend vast sums of money on things. First up today was the trip to the opticians, which set me back £10 (eye test, half price), £60 (new frame, half price) £115 (lenses), £113.50 (complete half price second pair). Second up £20 on picture frames (OK, that I didn't *HAVE* to do, but I've got things that have needed framing for ages and that are getting bashed up for the lack so...). This afternoon, I have to take my cell phone into the shop, AGAIN, because the keypad's mis-behaving AGAIN. I had to do this back in June, so I'm not impressed at it going within six months. Of course, I'd only had the thing four months when it went the first time, so it's NOT a very good phone... The most irritating thing about this is that I either have to strave into the city centre or I have to hike out to Cribbs Causeway - neither prospect thrills me (it's the January sales), and given we're supposed to be getting freezing rain, the last thing I want to do is drive anywhere... (Yes, call me a coward if you like, but there are enough idiots on the road who can't handle the conditions without me adding to 'em.)

Ugh.

And on top of it all, I haven't got anything ready to post. My aim is finish Jingle All The Way today; do a double posting on Time Lost next weekend, but Jingle's climax is proving quite difficult to write - trying to tie everything up is a nightmare, considering I'm juggling a helicopter gunship attack, the need for a martial arts grandstand finish and the need for the girl to get saved in suitably James Bond esque fashion so that she can snog the hero - and so that the hero can politely remind her he's very married...

And then there's the meanwhile back at the ranch stuff...

I mourn the days when I wrote simple stories...

Hiccups...

Well, I was planning on writing this evening, but seeing as I'm tired and have the hiccups (badly!), I think I'm gonna quit while I'm behind and come back in the morning when, hopefully, I'll have a nice clear head and be in a position to finish something!