Mastermind

Inspired by Hollowspy a couple of weeks ago, I ordered Mastermind from Amazon and today finally introduced the Little Misses to it.
As expected Miss E is fantastic at it. She cracks the codes in six or seven moves!
I, on the other hand, am completely useless. My brain just doesn't work like that. I see patterns and think I'm on the brink of a foolproof solution and then, poof, like a puff of smoke it disappears and whatever I was thinking is just out of reach.
Miss E thinks it's hilarious!!
At one point she was trying to explain how I could work out the solution but she may as well have been jabbering at me in Swahili and the irritating repetition of the same thing didn't help!!
In the end I was shouting at her to stop jabbering at me because it didn't make sense; didn't help; was annoying and made me want to smash things!
It was quite an interesting role reversal to be the one completely unable to do something and getting cross with the person who can!!
Annoyingly when Mr K got home I had to go over to Brackley to collect a garden riddle I bought on eBay. It was only  £5 and I thought I could go over one day after drop off to pick it up and have a mooch round the antiques centre.
When I emailed the woman to ask when was convenient her reply was: Evenings after 5.30pm. Let me know when you're coming.
I bought it on Saturday and couldn't go Sunday, Monday or last night so I thought I'd better get it tonight even though it was the last thing I felt like doing, driving out in the pouring rain.
I texted the woman to ask was 8pm OK and she replied yes.
When I got to her house - not twenty minutes later - she opened the door in her jim-jams looking like a space cadet and asked had I let her know I was coming.
Er, yes. Twenty minutes ago and you replied.
Nutter.
But my riddle is nice (see extras) and will look lovely in the garden with pots on.
And any excuse to pop to Waitrose for Thai basil and a free cup of tea!