A bad day to go grocery shopping. It's too hot, and the bus was far too crowded. Two mishaps: 1) one of the handles on the bag containing my celery broke, forcing me to embrace it all the way home. Now my shirt reeks of celery. 2) As I was getting off the bus one of my shopping bags exploded and my mushrooms tumbled onto the footpath... fortunately I managed to salvage most of them.

Not a single person tried to help me when my mushrooms started escaping, as a matter of fact. And there were plenty of people at the bus stop (admittedly, most of them were school kids, whowere probably delighted at my misfortune. Pure evil). Perhaps I appear too young, resourceful and able-bodied?

Another thing to add to my tally of woes...after finally getting home and unloading my now-lukewarm vegetables, I went outside to have a much anticipated cigarette (I didn't have a lighter with me while I was out, and I don't like talking to strangers). Only to discover that a spider has built a big old web right across the top of the steps of the courtyard, thus barring all access. Good on ya, spider. Take up the whole damn courtyard. Claim it as your own. I'll just stand uncomfortably at the side of the house.

I don't like spiders, in fact I am terrified of them. I'm too scared even to knock the web down with a broom handle or something, just in case the spider, lightning-fast, shimmys down the pole and starts crawling on my arm. I also feel pretty bad about knocking down spider webs, after all, it is the damn thing's house. But then again, it is also my courtyard, which I like to access from time to time. And if I go out on the front verandah to smoke, I'll have to talk to people passing by, or risk looking like a nasty person. I've managed to avoid my neighbours thus far and intend to keep it that way. I'd rather not meet them face to face. May they know me only as that person whose out-of-tune viola practice keeps them from enjoying the evening programs.