A Day that didn't go quite to Plan...

Our day today was supposed to be a morning visit to Paphos to do some shopping and chores that can only be done down there followed by helping Dad to install a wifi repeater to boost the signal in the lounge, lunch with Mum and Dad followed by a quick game and then home for about 2.00pm and a quiet afternoon together.

I didn't sleep too well last night as neither of the cats was in evidence which is strange.  Eventually Minnie did make a brief appearance at 3.30pm which woke me up and after about 10 minutes of her padding on my bare flesh I was quite glad when she jumped off.  No Chivers though and no Chivers when we woke this morning and no Chivers when we called him for breakfast despite frantic bowl tapping, calling and whistling - this is most unlike him as he is always hungry or at least interested in what might get put in his bowl.

I quickly shaved John's head and we prepared to go off to Paphos but our hearts weren't really in it and I knew that John would be loathe to leave until we had seen Chivers.  Eventually he appeared over the fence covered in burrs and looking half asleep - we had woken him from his slumbers at last!  Satisfied that both he and MM were okay and had been fed we shot off down to Paphos.

Amongst other things I wanted to go and spend the money which Deb had left for us as a thank-you.  We had told her that we would put it towards a pot for the garden and had earmarked the Asparagus Fern that Mum gave us as a suitable candidate for repotting and some TLC.  Super Home Centre had quite a few to chose from - we could have gone to a garden centre but as we had to the Centre to try and find a storage box or shed for the car port we thought there would be as good a place as any.  We did eventually find one we liked and purchased it with a stand - photos will follow but it should look good in the conservatory when potted up.

The quick five minute job to install the DLINK repeater that Dad had purchased turned out to be a nightmare - should have known having read the indifferent reviews on the internet and the various posts about difficulties with its installation.  After a couple of hours we gave up because when and if you got the installation wizard up and running it required you to press a button either physically on the equipment or virtually on the PC and neither of them were in evidence anywhere.  We tried everywhich way (but loose) and failed miserably so made the decision that the DLINK would have to be returned.  We weren't sure what time the shop reopened after lunch and Dad only had a phone number for Nicosia so John took to scouring the Paphos yellow pages in search of a number.  Nothing doing we decided that it probably wasn't going to reopen until 4.00pm so we had to play a quick game of Noms to while away the time.  We managed to return the item and get a refund but only after a bit of a debate with the manager who said that the company policy was not to offer refunds unless the item was returned unopened and offered us a credit note which of course we didn't want.  John started to spout something about belonging to the EU and the legality of not offering a refund blah blah blah and the manager capitulated without a fight and Dad got his money back.

We were going to go home via Kissonerga (to spend the remainder of Deb's money on a plant) and then Peyia to pick up some Cider as the shop in Chlorakas was out but as we were running later than planned we made our way home but did stop off at a shop which is on the road between the new fountain roundabout and the Polis Road which we have passed on numerous occasions and thought we should take a look because the mannequins sported shorts that might fit John.  Clothes out here, if they are not purchased in a chain store like Next or Debenhams, seem to be sized for little stick insects and so John struggles.  It was a successful trip as John managed to get three pairs of shorts for the equivalent of about £10 a pair - he has been told he has to keep these for best!!!

We were relieved when we returned home that both MM and Chivers were in and quite vocal - they had missed lunch after all.  Fed and cuddled they escaped outside where Chivers started an enthusiastic game of "Poke My Sister Through the Green Stuff".  Order is restored in the Wiseman household!