How can you lose a salad spinner? They're not exactly small, are they? There are only so many cupboards where one will fit, and it can hardly hide behind the cruet set or whatever. So I searched, and I re-searched, and I was just about to give up and use the colander when it came to me.

It was in the tiny cupboard above the fridge, the one I never use because its only other occupants are my rice cooker (which I almost never use for the actual cooking of rice), and my set of bamboo steamer trays (which is, incidentally, where the rice cooker comes in).

And, now, my colander, which I couldn't be bothered to put back in its original position.

I have come to the conclusion that I buy way too much bagged salad. I buy it, despite the fact that the salad bagger's definition of "dry" and mine vary enormously and the lettuce invariably rots the day after you bring it home, because I like a variety of lettuce in my salads and because Elvis wouldn't touch a lettuce leaf if Kim Bassinger was using one for a g-string. And believe you me, if anyone's lettuce leaf would tempt Elvis, it would be Ms. Bassinger's.

But today, I bought an actual head of lettuce, because the bagged variety had already started to rot in the supermarket instead of waiting until I'd purchased it and taken it home. And it's nice lettuce. Very nice, and now it's clean and dry and crisping up nicely in the fridge.

Hey, some days are just more exciting than others.

It was, however, an absolutely gorgeous day today. It had to have been at least 18 or 19C (66F), with a clear blue sky and loads of sun. It was more like a nice Spring day (or a June day in my home town), instead of the end of January.

A bunch of people were outside, sitting at cafè tables in the Square and soaking up the sunshine. I would have liked to join them, but I had too much I needed to get done. A part of me wishes I would have, although I did accomplish almost everything I intended to today.

In fact, yesterday was exactly the same. I didn't mention it then, as I didn't want to tempt fate.

Oops.

I've got a bit of a dilemma.

I've been invited to a baby shower tomorrow night, and I don't want to go.

Well, I want to go, but I have no idea what present to get for her. This friend, you see, is a bit particular, to say the least. She also deserves a name, so I hereby christen her She Who Must Be Obeyed, or SWMBO for the balance of this entry, since I've already typed quite a bit today and Ye Olde RSI is starting to kick in.

So, let's get back to my dilemma.

SWMBO has already bought the baby lots of clothes (including talking herself out of buying a tiny sheepskin jacket), and has the nursery and so forth all set up. We don't have children, I didn't go to my Sister-in-Law's baby showers, I cannot recall going to anyone's baby shower before, and have absolutely no clue what to purchase under the circumstances. Oh, and I asked the Organizer of this grand event, who is a very nice person, for some assistance. Even though she tried to be helpful, she was not. I don't think she realized the severity of the problem, and the depth of my cluelessness.

I am seriously considering calling in sick. Nothing too drastic, since I've got a thing to go to on Thursday morning I can't miss. A bad hair day would be honest, but probably not good enough since it's "just us girls." Maybe a minor gym accident? A cold I don't want to share? (Did I mention that my faucet of a nose mysteriously stopped its constant dripping when I got up on Sunday morning? Quoth Popeye: "What did I tell you? Enough alcohol will kill anything. A good night out and you're laughing!" But I digress....)

On the other hand, SWMBO is a great friend, and a lot of other great friends are going as well. Not to mention the fact that I said I'd be there, and what I say, I do, unless there is a damn good reason.

I am begging for help here. I'm considering ignoring the baby and going for Mum and Dad-- a bottle of champagne (which she drinks, but only the Good Stuff, of course), or perhaps a really good bottle of red wine. I have some Barolo in my collection that I'm willing to donate to the cause, but it just doesn't seem right for some reason. I would prefer to do something clever, but cleverness seems to have deserted me a long time ago.

Any and all suggestions will be received with a pathetic amount of gratitude and slavered over shamelessly.