Monday, June 25, 2012

Shopping online

Bill's computer has had the side panel off and a pedastal fan blowing on it for over a year now. Then Sarah accidently bumped it over and for some hours it was dead and doing a good job of convincing us that it was going to stay dead.
Bill did a  bit of intensive care and it got going again. But who knew for how long? Meanwhile, with winter here and a wind blowing across out feet at the dining table, I wished for better things!
Bill doesn't pay board and from time to time I over pay him back when he does some shopping. My hope was that he would save up and get a better computer. I noticed however that his shifts were becoming quite scarce and a few well chosen devious questions and I had uncovered that he was actually going backward in his savings- getting further from the computer and not closer.

At the same time I was thinking about coming summers: back at the old house there was a very old gas BBQ. Sufficiently greasy that my car and my clothes would be ruined if I was to move it. That or I would donate a weekend just to cleaning it before I shifted it. So I was watching the classified for a BBQ.

Allclassifieds is my favourite, but I seldom find the bargains there - I bought my car from an add on Gumtree and in the end that was where my BBQ was.

Now here is something: I have a bad habit of getting cold feet at the last minute. Yes I have been to rug shops, got the biggest heaviest rug down, run off to get the cash and not gone back because I changed my mind. Kate has seen me do it enough that she is now quite strict with me when we go shopping. When it came to a Yucka I had Mum on one side telling me they were bad plants and Kate on the other telling me that I had promised the lady I was going to buy it..Guess which I was more afraid of!! (The yucka is on the front door step)

The Yucka: Because I am more afraid of Kate
So I found an advert for a BBQ in very good condition. ( I think I was actually looking for a lawn mower) $60, two gas cylinders and one of them full. I am thinking I will have my moneys worth just in gas bottles....
I arrived at the house. Looks like a run down rental. Hmmmm is this where I want to be on my own?

I ding the bell. I wait. I try to peep through the curtains to get the measure of where I am. I decide I can wait exactly 30 seconds more before I run for the hills and send s polite TXT saying that I came but no one answered the door.
At 17 seconds the door opens and I am lead through a student style house but a returning diplomat!

The BBQ is lovely and clean and as good as new. Not dirty, not rusty and not covered in spider webs. My car proves itself to be the best little Honda Jazz ever by fitting that huge 4 burner BBQ, hood and mount and 2 gas cylinders.
Good little Car! Lovely BBQ. Thank you Mr Diplomat!

Bill helped me get it out of the car and in return i gave him a link to an allclassifieds add for a 2nd hand computer. That has also come here now and he was breathless with joy at his new computer's magnificence. Trained by his mother in the art of loving a bargain he has assured me that it has the 7th best graphics card IN THE WORLD that alone would have cost what the whole computer cost him. (Does that sound familiar?)

Oh and last night on Ebay I won the lawn mower......

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