Heavenly Beverley : While the Cat's Away, the Mice DID play!

Released from Henry Murray ward at the record time of ten o'clock, we launched forth out of Hollywood Hospital. On our way out, we popped our heads through the door of my friend Nina's room. She was not impressed. After knee surgery, she had been waiting for the necessary paperwork to organise her continuing antibiotics so she could go home. At high speed on her zimmer frame as she isn't allowed to weight bear for eight weeks. Naturally, there had been a delay somewhere in the system and her departure had been put off by a day. She had warned the entire hospital that any further tactics of a delaying nature would result in her shimmying down the drainpipe onto her waiting broomstick. I just hope she doesn't break the other knee.

Onwards and upwards. We had arranged to meet Callum at the leviathan that is Karrinyup Shopping Centre. By this stage, after a magnificent sunrise, the day had become wet. Again. Which meant chaos on the roads. Taking the drive very carefully indeed, we arrived at our first destination just after eleven.

Callum regaled us with his fairly torrid week. Working in hospitality is not for the faint-hearted. As a restaurant manager in a busy beach pub and venue, he is on the go for every second of every shift. And as he lives with my lovely intended daughter-in-law Bronwyn, who is a school teacher, they rarely have mutual downtime.

We enjoyed an early lunch with him. Then, whilst I was undertaking the Shop of the Century in Woolies, Michael and Callum were diverted on a Blokes' Errand, taking my recalcitrant modem back to the Telstra shop. They returned with a "loan" modem whilst my modem went to the computer hospital for a rest cure.

The boys set off to Goldie to load her with the shopping. I adjourned to the chemist for some necessary items. Imagine my surprise as I met with Larry Arkondakis. This was someone I hadn't clapped eyes on for about twelve years. And he hadn't changed a bit. We parted cheerfully at the checkout, with him hoping to get together with us in the near future.

Off to Midland. Vino and dogs' mince were the priorities. And we filled Goldie's petrol tank. Then we collected Ruby after her three days at the vet. She had not been in control of her saliva whilst unwell and had picked up a chest vest of green print from the newspaper in her cage. The nurses had washed her multiple times to try and remove the additional colour, to no avail.Thus, we took delivery of a green-throated Beagle. With cirrhosis of the liver. Without having drunk a drop of vino. Awesome.

Apparently, this is an age-related problem with Beagles. And she will have to be medicated for the rest of her life. Oh goody. We coughed up the six hundred dollar bill and set off for home.

After tea and cake with Lucky and Sandra, we finally arrived back at the House that Rocks. We met Vicky on the front steps. She filled us in on the Fearless Feathered Fool's antics. One of us (probably me) hadn't secured his cage. A good shove on the front door and he'd escaped out for a day long rampage of the inside of the house. He had eaten part of a wooden placemat, poohed everywhere and somehow avoided being eaten by either a Jack Russell or a Fickle Fairweather Feline.

Then we ventured into our bedroom. Leaving on Wednesday morning at five o'clock, the cat had given me the Hairy Eyeball as I attempted to remove her from our bed. Bollocks. I chose to tuck the dog/cat sheet in under our pillows. Surely that would work.

Alas no. The two remaining Stooges had scratched back the sheet, rolled all over the sheets and pillows and then dumped Michael's pillow on the ground. Dust, sand, and hair were everywhere. Our bed was unsleepable.

Which is why we ended up in our guest room last night. Clean and fresh sheets. Bliss. And in the great scheme of things, our bed could do with a decent airing. So, with our beloved Vanessa here to give me a hand, I am able to resign myself to my exhaustion because I know I have help for the next week.

The moral of this story? Never trust any creature with fur or feathers. Particularly if they rule the roost.