We were walking past a busker, and I started to sing along with the song. Oh No – my dad used to cause great embarrassment by singing along to the background music in stores and shopping malls. I’m turning into my dad.

CGF Sprog 3, however, wasn’t embarrassed – or if she was, she was polite enough not to mention it. She just remarked that “this is another of those songs that only Ruby knows”.

I didn’t think it was that unusual a song.

fit the Second

Great oddity surrounding my car’s MOT test result. It passed with two advisories, but that’s not the oddity. Both advisories related to tyre wear, so easily fixable and caused by general wear and tear, rather than the general condition of the vehicle. So that was good.

But what was odd was that the advisory I’ve had on the previous two MOTs (something to do with a suspension mount beginning to debond, whatever that means) wasn’t mentioned. But I’ve not had it fixed, so presumably it is still there. So why wasn’t it noticed?

fit the Third

As well as the MOT, I’ve had to fork out for car tax, insurance and car breakdown cover. Having done all this online on evening, I forgot to put my wallet in my pocket the following morning – when I went to work and, subsequently, to CGF’s. I hadn’t needed to buy anything all day, so didn’t notice until I went to bed.

So I had no money – apart from small change in change in my pocket. The youngling when I went shopping reminded me every time I looked as if I might be about to buy something, “but you have no money” which sounded as if I were an undischarged bankrupt rather than a forgetful muppet.

I did make a small purchase, and this leads to an incredible coincidence. We went out for a group meal in the evening. The bill came to £25 each, plus a small bit. That small bit was £1.61 –the exact amount of change I had in my pocket.

fit the Fourth

When CGF’s nephew and niece were staying, her niece was at a loose end: “I don’t know what to do” she said. “Well, “I replied, “you could make me a cup of coffee if you like”. “OK” she said, and trotted off to the kitchen, coming back a few minutes later with a mug of coffee. There was a lot of water on the kitchen floor, and as she mopped it up, CGF wondered (out loud) how it got there. “I don’t know,“ said niece. “But the kettle leaked as I carried it from the sink – I don’t know why”.

fit the Fifth

My orange juice declares that it is a “new recipe” and that it contains “only orange juice”. I’m intrigued to know how many recipe variants there can be with a single ingredient.

fit the Sixth

I mentioned to CGF that pies were originally used as a cooking utensil – the filling was eaten but the pastry was discarded. She didn’t know whether to believe me, but when we went to Hampton Court Palace this fact was verified.

CFG Sprog 3 suggested that my brain is a mind palace, like Sherlock Holmes’s – with the difference that I only store useless information.

fit the Seventh

I wore my second running shirt, and as I put it on I noticed that I hadn’t got round to washing kit after last time I wore it – er, four weeks previously. It had just been lying at the bottom of my sports bag (ok, not really a sport bag. More a Sports Direct bag for life). “It’s the alluring aroma of parfum d’homme” I told CGF. “You smell – go and stand over there” she replied.

fit the Eighth

We went blackberry picking. I don’t like blackberry picking – a legacy of my dad’s insistence on dragging us out for hours on end, long after the enjoyment had worn off. It was a remake of the scene from my childhood – with me playing the part of my father, pushing further and further into the bushes to reach that ever elusive ripe fruit, and CGF Sprog 3 playing the part of the bored me, asking “have we picked enough yet”. Though, in a change to the original ending, I agreed that we probably had.

fit the Ninth

We had a trip to Southend at the bank holiday. I’ve never been there before – and probably will never go there again. I hadn’t appreciated just how far away it was when I agreed to help my nephew and his gf with a move to Chichester. I also didn’t realise that Sodding Leigh-on-Sea is out that way too.

Nephew told me he had “two suitcases, a TV, and a few bags”. Yeah right. The suitcases were more like trunks, and there was a line of bags stretching the length of the hallway – and it was a long hallway. I found out later that he did tell his mum “I think we’ve got a bit more than we told Uncle Ruby”. But, with a bit of careful packing, we managed to get it all – plus them – in the car (though I think they were a bit squashed in the back).

West Sussex, however, is beautiful and we had a lovely scenic drive once we got off the motorway. Definitely an area of the country that is worthy of further exploration.

And rumours that I reversed CGF’s car into a telegraph pole are greatly exaggerated. OK, slightly exaggerated.

fit the Tenth

News that had me shouting at the radio on my way to work was a report about gas and electricity prices, and how consumers could collectively save billions of pounds if they moved to the cheapest tariff. To be honest, I’m not sure why this was news as I can’t find anything recent about this on tinternet.

But anyway, why did I should at the radio? Well, apart from the obvious point that if everyone moved to the cheapest tariff, these tariffs would a) no longer be the cheapest as they would be the only ones and b) the tariffs would probably have to rise, benefitting no one. The report shows that the people making the suggestion have little grasp of economic or business theory.

Gas and lecky prices are an example of differential pricing which, as a generalisation, means that some people pay a higher price than average in order to subsidise others who pay a lower price than average. OK, that may not be entirely correct. Another (and possibly better) generalisation is that sellers will sell things at the highest price buyers are prepared to pay – even if that is higher than the price other buyers are prepared to pay. The buyers need to be differentiated – often this is done by some criterion that needs to be fulfilled to get the lower price. E.g. time of purchase (early bird details at restaurants); age of purchaser (e.g. pensioner discounts); having a “Money off” coupon; timing (e.g. half-price parking fines if you pay within seven days). So it’s all very well bleating about how more people should move to lower electricity tariffs, but it may be that these people aren’t eligible for the cheaper tariffs. They may not use enough electricity, or use it at the right time of the day, or live in the right area, or be one of the first 10,000 people to apply, or … make up your own criterion.

Why Sodding Leigh on Sea? It’s in the song, of course.