27 Million

Robbie scored 27 Million for the pinball game that comes with the Microsoft Windows operating system this evening. He spent the entire day, focused and controlled, attempting to defeat the score of 23 Million. You see; Jaydon, for his holidays, came down to Durban and stayed in Robbie's spare room. And managed to get the score of 23 Million at pinball, putting himself up at No. 1 on the High Scores scoreboard. Robbie, is extremely competitive; especially with Jaydon. They have been competing since they were tall enough to play Ching-Chong-Cha (or Hammer Paper Scisscors) and he has been biting his lip every time he looked towards his computer. This is a big problem if you use your computer every day to write essays for a Master's degree in International Shipping Law. So today his Master's degree got put aside; food got put aside; and everything became focused on the really important stuff.

Whilst Robbie was hitting virtual flippers and listening to virtual bells Sandra and I went to deal with the missing R400, pay some bills and find green desk lamps (to go with the green dill we painted on the walls in our study.)

We spent a while at the bank whilst they phoned Standard bank (the bank of the DIT) and confirmed that the R400 had indeed been deposited. They provided us with some documentation as well as relevant phone numbers with which Sandra can confront the nasty bureaucrat next week.

We then intended to go to Zebs at Springfield park to look at lights. But I missed the turn off and instead we ended up at the Gateway in Umhlanga. So we looked at the shops in the Crescent. We found a perfect green desk lamp at Cash Crusaders. But nowhere else was anything green enough to satisfy Sandra's green needs. We did manage to pick some coat-hangers (which we suddenly absolutely needed in Sandra's opinion) and some cheap light T-shirts from a T-shirt factory shop.

Also there was general confusion and crossness when we lost each other in Furniture City. Both of us thought the other had abandoned the other one. Sandra thought I had just got too bored and had got the mutters and gone to sulk in the car. I thought Sandra had just wandered off to look for green desk lamps in shops that were not Furniture City. She, not finding me in the car, had bought a coffee and gone looking in shop windows. I eventually located her by climbing to a suitable vantage point to have a clear view of the largest area; spotted her drinking coffee and window shopping a cell phone shop.

And then on the way back we decided to take a last chance and stick our heads into the Lighting Warehouse. There we found two more perfect green desk lamps. But no suitable standing lamps for next to the brown couch. But there was a potential green light and ceiling fan combo that has attracted us - and maybe we will return tomorrow.

Upon arriving home, Sandra discovered that the third desk lamp needed an extension cord to go in the perfect place. And against my express desires, shouts and whines she abducted my extension cord from my DJ room rendering all my music equipment silent. I then, realising that I was going to lose this one, worked out a way to turn it to my advantage. I then proposed that she could have the extension cord for the desk lamp if we could go and see Blade: Trinity at the cinema tonight. And she agreed. Ha.

I then made chick-pea and spinach curry for supper (which I invited a happy content relieved and proud 27 Millioner Robbie to try) and it was loved by all.

Blade was fun too and Sandra did not seem to hate it too much.