An interlude

Which should properly be called "displacement activity". There is much to do, including some ironing as I have no uncrumpled clobber for this weekend. Feh.

Moreover, "interlude" carries at least for me the sense of a calm oasis in the midst of turbulence. My two tales are neither of them that.

Let's try "chaotic displacement". Yeah.

First - Ruby and the mole. Sounds very cute and Kenneth Grahamesque. Herself bounded in to the porch to greet the DSM, but was then distracted and went to sit next to the litter box, peering intently into the dark alongside it.

Bravely, the DSM investigated. "There is" he said "a creature in there, along with some sort of vegetation."

Said creature, the eponymous mole, went to ground, or at least tried to. Had been trying for some time, and the vegetation was actually large quantities of skirting board that had been scrabbled away with those big, strong moley front paws that even a baby such as this was could wield pretty effectively.

A prolonged interval involving the DSM on his front on the porch floor and a long palette knife ensued. But eventually, the baby was retrieved and put carefully into a plastic box, and transported up the lane and over the bridge to pastures new. Leaving a puzzled cat and a bloody great hole in the skirting.

We blame Rubes, rather than Barni as she is the feisty, stroppy little madam, and besides, she knew it was there!

And now - a rant. I have always considered the charges levied on packages coming in from overseas to be outrageous, but the latest lot was even more so. We tried to work it out, and the numbers did not compute. So we rang Customs and Excise. Despite my experiences over the years, I had not realised...

I had not realised that VAT is charged on the value, the duty levied (wait for it) and the postage paid in the country of origin.

That, my dears, is theft.

If I drove to wherever and brought the stuff back and declared it at my port of entry and paid the duty, would they also levy a charge on the fuel I had used?

I would like to think not, but at this point could believe anything.

Steam still issuing from ears.

OK, off to AH for three days (all that cake!) always assuming that I don't poison myself n the first day with fibre reactive dyes (don't ask.)