Looking For Vanilla.

...read your labels...

A Thursday in Rechnitz proved to be rather funny. I set off early in order to still be able to visit a newly minted resident of Rechnitz's old age home and managed to find him ready to receive guests. One never knows how long ablutions etc do take.

He wasn't expecting me when a nurse showed me through to the common room where a lot of folks where whiling the time away between meals. As I had previously only seen him reclining at his home in a darkened room, it gave me a bit of a start to see him sitting at a table. Was it him? Hesitatingly I edged closer but the marvelous nurse on duty busy cooking lunch for all, nonchalantly pointed me to the right table.

Shoo, that I felt a bit awkward not being quite sure if it was him or not, but once we started chatting with me throwing in many a mention of Eisenberg, it was great to spend time with him. A bar of nice Lindt chocolate which I had decided to re-gift to him as he loves chocolate, made his eyes sparkle with gratitude and anticipation.

After I left him to enjoy his lunch, a visit to the local supermarket was next on my list. A sedate turn about the various aisles took me the better part of half an hour but reading labels takes time...Finally I managed to wheel my trolley out the door while at the same time glancing over the till slip. Gosh, the second last item was a Billa Topa Vanilla which for the life of me I couldn't remember buying. Vanilla? Not in a million years. Wondering if the cashier had made a mistake, I rehashed my steps and thankfully met a staff member at the entrance.

" Excuse me, could you tell me what this particular item is? I didn't buy anything with vanilla and I have searched my whole trolley to no avail. "

She glanced at the till slip, then into my trolley and straightaway and marvelously straight-faced said;

" Here you are. This packet of loo paper is vanilla scented. "

Well, ask a silly question...I started to laugh at my mistake, thanked her and made my way out to the car imagining a whole month of having a heavenly scented toilet...Let's see if Bob notices the difference a perfumed loo paper makes...

Biggi