Cinders, Marks & Spencer Hates Me and Construction

Cinderella on Ice was engrossing, even if it did take a lot of creative license with the storyline. When did a lovely gypsy brandishing a crystal ball come into the picture?

We had great seats so we could watch in awe at the skaters’ moves. How, for example, do these men lift women and other men and whirl them around the dance floor for minutes on end in tight turns again and again? Repeatedly for two and a half hours? And whip out double and triple axles like there’s no tomorrow?

How is all of this done perfectly, in character, while looking absolutely effortless, incredibly graceful and in sync to the music? Let’s not forget the stage is small, with props here and there and others skating at the same time. Amazing. Some of the team are former Olympiads – all were beautiful to watch.

The kids seemed to very much enjoy it; the first scene, with Cinderella’s mother fading away, clearly got to Claire, but she didn’t shed any tears throughout the remainder of the performance.

We picked a great day for Cinderella, as it was cold and rainy.

Monday found me having lunch at La Fromagerie with a friend. I’d been dying to eat at the place, which is, as the name states, known for its cheese. The shop’s cheese department is in a climate-controlled room with a limit as to how many people are in there at any given time. Baby the cheese, baby.

Anyway, La Fromagerie offers lunch on wooden tables with stools in the back of its shop, so we dined on (appropriately) cheese plates. I enjoyed every cheese served. Frankly I haven’t met a cheese I don’t like yet, though I’d prefer never to encounter those plastic-wrapped orange things they pass off as cheese at Safeway. And Velveeta is best eaten in queso. Otherwise why bother…

From there I made a quick jaunt down to Marks & Spencer to exchange some items for Claire. Upon confirming with two clerks –not one but two – I sought out the right sizes and some dinner items, then got in line.

Eventually it was my turn, and after arranging everything on the belt, that insolent clerk informed me she doesn’t do exchanges. Wherein I said two ladies upstairs had directed me otherwise…

This would be the equivalent of waiting in a Walmart line, plopping your items on the belt and then being told you had to go to customer service for your issue. SUCH a pleasant shopping experience.

Here I received no apologies, just an emphatic, no, I don’t do returns. Take it to the 3rd floor.

I expressed my dismay, then asked which till etc. I was then told first floor.
At this point I was really annoyed; clearly no one knows who does what when where or how. Time was ticking and I’m sure the people behind me thought I would pull a uni-bomber trick, as I was rather irritated and not covering it up. Maybe next time I’ll instill more fear and tell them I’m from Montana.

Against my better judgment, I purchased what was on the belt (justification: one needs to feed one’s family), gathered up my three large bags and hit the escalator.
On the first floor I was told I needed the third floor; on three the lines were lengthy and I had to bail for the school run, bags and all.

Outside I watched as my bus went by, and with all this stuff I’d planned to return, plus my new items, there was no way I was going to be able to run to the tube and get to ASL in time.

SO I grabbed a cab, only to realize a few blocks later that I’d spent the last of my cash on that cheese board lunch. As innocuously as possible I pulled out my wallet and started counting coins while monitoring the meter.

When it hit 6.50 I told the cabbie to let me out prematurely on the pretense that it was such a nice day to walk. (Actually it was the nicest weather we’d had in months.) Too bad I had to shlep all these bags…

Naturally when I retrieved Claire she dumped her bag on me. At this point I was well and truly a bag woman, and hadn’t even gotten to Ava yet.
And may I digress for a moment and ask how in the world people who aren’t in shape parent? I feel like a mountain goat on the move most days.

So that was on Monday and I haven’t had the mental energy (or time) to return to Marks & Spencer. BUT Ava’s got a deadline; she needs a skirt in a different size for her 100 day party on Friday. Thus tomorrow is d-day at M&S. I’ll go in search of smaller black skirt/pink leggings and 100 small marshmallows. (And a clerk/till that will cooperate. Wish me luck.)

Re: Ava’s fashion plans - given she rarely gets to wear anything other than the uniform, the M&S skirt is REALLY important for Friday.

In other news, the builder did show up on Monday and has been taking paint off walls, patching things up, bringing in more and more wall fix-it stuff and generally making the guest room stink to the high heavens. As long as we can open windows and close doors, bring on the home improvement program! (Especially since the kids’ shelves got put up today, too!)

Yesterday I cranked on a bunch of house stuff and slipped out mid-day for a wonderful cooking class at Divertimenti. The chef: Jennifer Joyce, who made fabulous sausage lasagna w/ taleggio cheese, buttered shrimp, teacup tiramisu and a delicious salad. I liked the cheese in the lasagna so much I marched over to Waitrose afterward and bought some.

And because yesterday was another spectacular day, Ava and I met some friends at the park before retrieving Claire. I had big plans to do the same today but the weather turned pear-shaped again. I am reminded of last year; we arrived here in early March and I remember freezing all month. In fact, I’ve gotten a ton of use out of my long sleeved, long legged, insulated exercise gear that I purchased the first week I was here in 2009…