I should be in bed

In bed or at least getting ready for tomorrow. That's what I should be doing. But Tat's prompted me in to blogging tonight *Hi Tat!*

Today I found myself at Canary Wharf, with 15-20 minutes left until school pick up time, carrying a large parcel, heavy bag and with no money in my purse or on my Oyster Card! I was certain there was nothing in the bank too, and I had so little on my phone I could only do a drop call to Liam.
Now there's broke.
Not only broke, but pretty fucked, considering I had to be at school pretty damn quick.
I was panicking - what could I do? The only conclusion I could come up with was to cash in one of my oyster cards (I have 2) and put the £3 from that on my other card. But the queue was looonnng. I could check in case there was anything in the bank, but the queue there was also loonnnng.
Panic! Phone Liam, realise he can't do much (he suggests giving the sob story to the guards in case they let me through, I doubt it will work). Panic more! 15 minutes - shit, it's hard even to pull my sleeve up to look at my watch with all this stuff - Panic!

So how did I get to this place, this awful predicament?

Today is Thursday. The penultimate (Love that word) day of term and last chance to go shopping for end of term treats for both children and teachers (only remembered teachers yesterday!) The library toddler group was having a 'party' this morning. This translates as the usual group but a bit more food at snack time.
I got Rowan off to school and headed for the train station as fast as possible. Liam had checked with John Lewis, and they had Rowan's scooter at the Canary Wharf store, but I needed Bond Street for Lush and there's another JL nearby, bigger than the Canary Wharf one too.
I had it worked out. In fact, my boredom at the library had enabled me to write up a detailed list of what to buy, how much I thought it cost and where to buy it, and exactly what times I needed to be at all places, while still leaving me enough time to get the scooter home and hidden, then for me to get to the school.

Was about on time in to Lush, but of course the lovely ladies talk too much, too friendly! and they show me demos of new shower bombs (Sex in the Shower - looks great! You fizz it up and the scents come up in the steam - free at the moment if you spend over £15) and chat about what is good etc. I left 5 minutes late.
John Lewis: I'm not too late, but they have no scooters.
Bugger bugger bugger.
Head back to the station, need to get to Canary Wharf and pray that Auntie Laura will let me store the scooter at work until tomorrow.
Canary Wharf: Who designed that bloody place anyway!? Sure it looks good, but you try finding John Lewis! I went in to the part signed 'shopping Mall' as opposed to the 'Offices' part and get completely confused. I know there is a JL here, but it's not on the maps and it's not anywhere I can find. I did see some *lovely* bags though, in Accessorise. I've resolved to buy one as a changing bag for my next baby, and I don't care if it is suede-y, has beads and sequins and is unpractical, it's yummy! And considerably cheaper than the JL pram bags I've seen so many mums with - £70+ for a baby bag? Are you serious?!?!

I eventually ask for help and it turns out that John Lewis is in the 'offices' building.
Grrrrr.
Run over to there, look around, no John Lewis. Look more, check map, still not there. Begin to wonder if it is actually outside. Ask for help - it is on top of Waitrose and completely unmarked as JL!
Finally I find it, buy the scooter AFAP and realise that I've spent too much in Lush - need to use the tenner in my purse in case what's in the bank isn't enough. Oops, the scooter is about £2-3 more than I thought, I have to use that £5 note that's in my purse too.
*phew!*
All done now, I resolved to take the scooter with me wrapped in two big bags, will tell the children it's daddy's parcel. Leave store trying really hard to avoid the baby bits....

Just as I am approaching the escalator, I realise. I only put enough on my oyster card to get to Bond Street and back, not Canary Wharf too. Wouldn't be a problem, but I have no money to top up as I used it buying the scooter. Paying for Oyster by card means you need to top up a minimum of £5 and I'm pretty darn certain I don't have that.
And this is where the panic set in. I'm sweating by now, with the running around, the dodgy hot-cold-humid weather and carrying all this stuff. I am now practically spinning in circles, looking from queue to queue to top up machine, trying to lift my sleeve to check my watch as my phone battery keeps bleeping it's deadness at me, and I might need to tell Liam to go to the school (late, but there at least). Queue to queue to machine, queue to queue to machine. Look over at guards at the gates, no way.
In the end I risked topping up with my bank card, I knew it wouldn't work, but it did!

Dash dash dash all the way to school now. As I can't drop off the parcel anywhere I am actually early, so check my bank balance. I've gone over by 92p.
Damn - this is not good. My money goes in tomorrow, but what if they charge me? I just keep consoling myself that 20-30 quid is worth it not to be leaving my children alone at school, but ouch that will hurt if they do charge me. I was going to phone Barclays and explain why, but Liam said to leave it and see what they do/say first. I was too tired to argue at that point.

I made the most of having money on my oyster card and we got a bus home from school. No one offered a seat to any of us, but Rowan grabbed one when we got on and I was past caring about me.
More happened today, but I am so past tired now I'm not going to share it. More has happened in the past week or so since I posted, but again, you'll be lucky!

G'night all. A day in the life of this Lainey is almost over, thank goodness. xx