grinding teeth in the credit crunch

Thank you for your sympathy, Camille, over our domestic upheavals. Nothing like a hurricane, so we shouldn't complain, but it's so DEMENTING when you are constantly waiting for people to fix things. Anyhow, tomorrow may - I stress 'may' - be D day. Having got the joiners to shave the doors and watched them shoot, by mistake, through an electricity cable (now thankfully fixed), the painters come to redo the damaged paintwork. And that, my dears, may be that, although I shan't count any chickens until a great deal more hatching has been effected.

This morning, a new set of excitements. Our bank was unhappy but apparently 'sound'. This morning, the beastly thing seemed less sound so we took ourselves off to remove all the money not guaranteed by the regulator (or somebody) and stick it somewhere else. Spread the risk, people said. Don't be your usual foolish selves. Well, trying to set up another account, then closing one and reopening it with our joint names was too ambitious. Really. I think the girl in one bank we tried to deal with must live in a bubble. She seemed oblivious of any turmoil and very surprised that we showed any concern. Unable to answer the most basic of questions, she summoned her boss, who answered one crucial question wrongly. This is why we hate the banks. After greed and complacency comes utter incompetence. It's enough to make you want to stuff any money you manage to earn under the bed.

Whilst I was waiting for the bank to mess things up, I read Don Quixote. Seems curiously apt for these cloud cuckoo-ish times, and being nice and long, by the time I've finished it, the whole world financial system may have collapsed and reconstituted itself without my even noticing. And anyway, if financial Armageddon comes, I shall at least go under with the nice Birkin bag I bought on ebay slung nonchalantly over my arm.

I also ate two choc ices. I don't know why, but they made me feel better.