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Sep. 10th, 2007 10:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
blackberry444I haven't had time to post for over a week, as my Sis has come to stay and we've been busy nattering and going to the seaside, Barter Books, shopping and so forth.
Today we went to the Metrocentre, because she'd never been and I took the plunge and joined the Shopmobility Scheme. I hired an electric scooter to scoot round the shops, and it has completely transformed my Metrocentre experience.
Usually I stagger to about three shops and then my knees ache so much that I have to go home, or latterly I've been so breathless that I could only get around a small area of the mall from bench to bench. Not only that, but the effort of it all, always leaves me wet with perspiration.
Today, however, I went everywhere without getting tired or breathless, or even sweaty!. It was a little difficult learning to reverse, because it seems to be the opposite to reversing in a car, and some of the shops have their displays a little too close together for the comfort of an inexperienced scooter driver. I only managed to knock a few hair-bands off a rack in Accessorize, though, and even went into the camera shops and Art shops without breaking anything.
I have learned a valuable lesson from today's experience, though and that is that next time, I'm going to take my folding walking stick; my usual stick was such a nuisance!
My Sis treated me to lunch in the tapas bar, and we were having such a good time that I phoned Shopmobility and booked the scooter for the rest of the day.
I can't really remember everywhere that we went, but I bought a top and a nightie in Evans, a book for John in Waterstones, some chocolate shower gel in Lush (where I also got a free Happy Soap sample) a fabric handbag for £6.99 !!! and some rechargeable batteries for my camera.
My Sis had a field day and bought a top from Evans, a diary, some soap for William and a new digital camera!!
We didn't leave the Metrocentre until about 5.00 pm. I don't think I've ever stayed there so long before, except when I once went there with Alison, before my arthritis really caught up with me.
On the way home I stopped off at Aldi to get some pitta bread, but they had none, so it was a relief when I found two packets in the freezer.
John was out for an early Boys' Night Out tonight, so Charles, my Sis and I had a very odd meal of stuff from the freezer - a combination of home-made kebabs in pitta bread, home-made burgers in buns, both with salad and Charles' super-duper potato salad, followed by Mr. Delmonte's lovely strawberry and banana smoothie ice lollies (only 82 calories each)
I had to come up to bed early because sitting on the sofa, watching a very enjoyable programme about the history of British children's comics, (in which they never once mentioned Bananaman), I was totally unable to prevent my legs from twitching furiously. I do hope that doesn't mean I shall have trouble sleeping tonight, because I'm completely exhausted!
When I tried to charge up my new batteries, the charger still didn't work properly, so I've reluctantly come to the conclusion that it's the charger which is broken. I'm so annoyed when I think that I've thrown out eight rechargeable AA batteries away which may have been perfectly OK!
I've just had a thought! I remembered that we haven't recycled our dead batteries for weeks and I found a set of four rechargeable AAs in the recycling bag, so I can try recharging them to see if they're actually OK after all.
We may go to Lindisfarne tomorrow, depending on the weather and the tides.
Today we went to the Metrocentre, because she'd never been and I took the plunge and joined the Shopmobility Scheme. I hired an electric scooter to scoot round the shops, and it has completely transformed my Metrocentre experience.
Usually I stagger to about three shops and then my knees ache so much that I have to go home, or latterly I've been so breathless that I could only get around a small area of the mall from bench to bench. Not only that, but the effort of it all, always leaves me wet with perspiration.
Today, however, I went everywhere without getting tired or breathless, or even sweaty!. It was a little difficult learning to reverse, because it seems to be the opposite to reversing in a car, and some of the shops have their displays a little too close together for the comfort of an inexperienced scooter driver. I only managed to knock a few hair-bands off a rack in Accessorize, though, and even went into the camera shops and Art shops without breaking anything.
I have learned a valuable lesson from today's experience, though and that is that next time, I'm going to take my folding walking stick; my usual stick was such a nuisance!
My Sis treated me to lunch in the tapas bar, and we were having such a good time that I phoned Shopmobility and booked the scooter for the rest of the day.
I can't really remember everywhere that we went, but I bought a top and a nightie in Evans, a book for John in Waterstones, some chocolate shower gel in Lush (where I also got a free Happy Soap sample) a fabric handbag for £6.99 !!! and some rechargeable batteries for my camera.
My Sis had a field day and bought a top from Evans, a diary, some soap for William and a new digital camera!!
We didn't leave the Metrocentre until about 5.00 pm. I don't think I've ever stayed there so long before, except when I once went there with Alison, before my arthritis really caught up with me.
On the way home I stopped off at Aldi to get some pitta bread, but they had none, so it was a relief when I found two packets in the freezer.
John was out for an early Boys' Night Out tonight, so Charles, my Sis and I had a very odd meal of stuff from the freezer - a combination of home-made kebabs in pitta bread, home-made burgers in buns, both with salad and Charles' super-duper potato salad, followed by Mr. Delmonte's lovely strawberry and banana smoothie ice lollies (only 82 calories each)
I had to come up to bed early because sitting on the sofa, watching a very enjoyable programme about the history of British children's comics, (in which they never once mentioned Bananaman), I was totally unable to prevent my legs from twitching furiously. I do hope that doesn't mean I shall have trouble sleeping tonight, because I'm completely exhausted!
When I tried to charge up my new batteries, the charger still didn't work properly, so I've reluctantly come to the conclusion that it's the charger which is broken. I'm so annoyed when I think that I've thrown out eight rechargeable AA batteries away which may have been perfectly OK!
I've just had a thought! I remembered that we haven't recycled our dead batteries for weeks and I found a set of four rechargeable AAs in the recycling bag, so I can try recharging them to see if they're actually OK after all.
We may go to Lindisfarne tomorrow, depending on the weather and the tides.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-11 08:09 am (UTC)I only managed to knock a few hair-bands off a rack in Accessorize
Crikey! I manage that with just a rucksack!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-12 07:56 pm (UTC)It's reassuring to know that you've knocked stuff off racks with your rucksack, but thinking back, I think I may have done that myself previously just with a shopping bag.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-09-13 07:50 am (UTC)