Z's nervous tick. Yes, I can spell.

Well . . . I think I've caught up with myself.  I've emailed off the list of lots and condition report, uploaded the photos and made the changes that the Sage suddenly thought of after I thought I'd finished.  Grr.  He thinks the sales are fun, I think of them as work, I get the bits that aren't fun and I don't get paid, so I tend to feel that the least he could be is considerate.  But there we go, it's a bit late to wish he'd change.  And he went out for fish and chips and has just made me a pot of coffee.

Apart from having unwisely bought a summer frock for Tim's party, all is in hand for my weekend away.  I should say that Tim invited the Sage too, but he's otherwise engaged, unfortunately.  But there's something rather nice about a bed to oneself and being able to read all night without disturbing someone if one wants to (saying 'one' only works *one-ce* - after that, it becomes horribly artificial, doesn't it).

The Sage had his mid-year tax demand a couple of days ago.  Since I'd completely forgotten that a second payment is due at the end of July and I hadn't budgeted for it, I was slightly alarmed.  Not *that* alarmed because my habit of not overspending is deeply engrained.

In fact, I shall explain it.  I never spend more than half the money I have available.  I never have - when I first had a Saturday job at the local library when I was 16, I was paid monthly by cheque - I had to open a bank account specially.  I'd never received pocket money as a child - I was always grateful for book tokens or cash as presents because it was the only time I ever got my hands on any money.  Books were bought for myself, but I saved the money for presents.  But this monthly paycheque was awfully exciting.  My father had died not long previously, and I felt I had to contribute to the family budget, so I bought a treat each month.  A nice meal, some grapes or olives or something like that - my mother wouldn't have thanked me for chocolate.  The rest was mine, but I never spent it all.  I made an arbitrary rule that I never spent more than half on any one thing.  But I really didn't earn much, so I didn't fritter it on cheap stuff either.  I usually had to save for two or three months to buy anything - by which time, I usually didn't need or want it any more.  But the thing is, it worked, whether I had a fiver or five shillings - I'd only ever be down to my last penny if I'd only had tuppence in the first place.

Anyway, I can't remember how much I owe the taxman.  I'll get a bill, but I must look up the papers, just as soon as I remember where I put them.  And it was a going to be a case of frisking the back of the sofa and long-neglected handbags in the hope of finding lost change or the odd forgotten tenner, until I opened today's post.  A company I'd forgotten I had shares in has been bought out and I've been bought out too.  Pity to spend it nearly all on a tax bill, but I'm not too bothered about that.  The main thing is, I've got the money.  Whew.  And my to-do list is almost fully ticked, for this week anyway.  Not that I wrote it, it's all in my mind and on my nerves.  Sort of a nervous tick-list.