Would you like sanitiser with that?

Shot through dirty glass. Our Thomas Cook closed in 2019 and reopened in 2020 as Hays Travel. This year, during the third lockdown, it closed again. I don't think it will reopen. We still have Miles Morgan, the one surviving travel agent in the town. I remember when there were half a dozen. Thank goodness I did not make a sideways move into the travel industry! At one time, I had thought I might.

Friend J and I had 'a grand afternoon out' in Stroud. Oh, the joy! We met at a takeaway bakery; I was late because of a last minute 'accident' at nursery. After our hot chocolate, we went to Home Bargains for some pointless shopping. Outside Savers we bumped into an old friend who was passing through. I didn't tell her off for wanting to see her grandchildren, but accompanied her to the facial waxing section of the store (her choice, I'm too chicken to try that myself). J chatted to a friend outside, who had experienced temporary loss of sight following his vaccination (I don't know which one he had). At the post office I collected a parcel. The staff were surprised that it did not appear to be a jigsaw. I told them that I do read, too sometimes. Remembered to post a Mother's Day card to my mum, after having helped 26 children aged 2-5 to make their own this week.

After an exciting trip to the public toilets (only two open) I had a yearning for chip shop chips, so bought a small cone. Shared them with J and a gentleman of the street who is no longer homeless. They discussed afro hair and how to grow dreads. I ate chips. We walked through the park and the graveyard Rain was still raining. Occasionally a squall blew up, then subsided. Iceland, the store, was pretty unexciting. No great bargains. I bought some fish and a six-pack of baked crisps.

At the top of the High Street, we decided to hang out in the launderette for a while, because it was warm and empty. Shared a pack of Smarties mini-eggs. A man came in, loaded his washing into a machine, and then left. I noticed he hadn't put the washing on. We wondered whether his behaviour was suspicious. I peered into the bag he'd left. It contained used tissues and a face mask. The man returned with a bottle of clothes washing liquid, and set his machine in motion. We discussed whether it's true or not that liquid, as opposed to powder, rots the spindle that attaches the drum to rest of the machine, or that it clogs up the solenoid valve. We pondered the use of the solenoid valve, and whether Spindle Rot is in fact an irreversible medical condition.

For our next trip, we have decided to take the bus to Aldi. Possibly next week. The last time I caught a bus was in November 2020! When J started reading the free newspaper, Metro, we decided it might be time to go home. I'd already spotted one of the nursery kids walking up the hill with his family, so I knew it must be late. The child's older sibling is back in school now, since all English children returned last Monday.

This was our grand outing. This I record because it may seem funny, or sad, or even normal, some day in the future. This evening's new task is to administer a lateral flow test at home from a kit. This is my first time of using the new procedure. I can't wait!