No 17

This business of doing the post titles in numerical order is already annoying me. I've already gotten them mixed up once so I had to edit.

Yesterday I noticed my bike tyres/tires (which is the English one? Annoying that I can't remember) were a bit flat. So this morning I left a little earlier to swing by the petrol station and pump the tires in the automatic thingie. And it was BROKEN. And I was so tired.

And there was a man on the train today who talked loudly on the phone non-stop for 25 minutes. In Hindi or other Indian sub-continent language (no, I can't tell them apart, sadly, despite a Pakistani sister-in-law). When it's so foreign it's just white noise (lol) really, you kind of block it out. But then he started repeating a series of numbers in English. "Seven five double-six two four. Double-six. Two. Four. [Hindi Hindi Hindi] seven five double-six... Seven. Seven. Five. Double-six. Two. DOUBLE-SIX. Two. Four. [Hindi Hindi Hindi]"

No 16

Our fridge broke. On a Saturday, naturally, so the landlord only has emergency service and now we have a small half-fridge standing taking up space in the kitchen, waiting for the real fixers on Monday.

No 15

Hang on, what was it now. I had it this morning.

Oh yes.

You know these things that go round the internet, especially on Facebook, those texts about how non-coddled us auld people were growing up - we cycled without helmets, we stayed out all hours, we played in the streets etc etc. Well, I'll confess to hitting the like button on a few of them in the past, but this morning I suddenly got majorly annoyed, because what the hell is the point? Frankly, a lot of people spreading these texts would NEVER raise their own kids that way EVER. The street lights were our curfew? If you're, say, American, and you knew this was the rule for one of your neighbour's children I'd bet you'd ring the Social Services on them.

Put your money where your mouth is or accept that you ARE the nanny state.

No 14

When you're dressed and ready to go so have to just sit and wait for the Right Time.

No 13

I can't find my bike keys. There's a risk they're in a long-gone binbag. Fuck.

No 12

Cycling in a skirt that is fairly free around the legs yet just not enough.

No 11

Cycling in a skirt that is fairly free around the legs yet just not enough.

No 10

The single most annoying thing Mr Bani does is take one section of the newspaper, open it and fold it over and start reading an article and then wander off leaving the newspaper all folded up like that. Why oh why can't he learn that newspapers are read from the beginning to the end and always left neatly closed so the next person can easily start reading from beginning to end?

No 9

Little kids who hear me speaking English to my kids and see it as an invitation to tell me all about what words they know in English. Hello. Good-bye. One two three four five.

Sometimes I wish my mother had spoken Irish instead.

No 8

Those inserts in magazines and mail order catalogues that completely hamper the leafing experience.

No 7

Fecking bloatware on the phone. And it starts up automatically if I restart the phone. It's ludicrous. That stocks and shares app - who needs it! Footprints -  go away.

No 6

Things I may never again have to buy ever, unless I become a very proficient ebayer: brown packing tape. I think I've found three rolls now. I'm not counting the clear tape, mind. There are more uses for clear tape.

No 5

I have to go to the shop and think of a dinner. Boring.