One step in front for Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day in Australia on Sunday, and my mother lives in Perth, meaning that today was the last possible chance to get a yellow overnight mailer in the post box for delivery to Perth suburban regions on Friday. It's overnight anywhere else, including Perth CBD. But Perth suburbs require an additional day. Dammit.

Often something comes up at work and I miss the post office. Or I walk right past it, in my usual daydreaming state, and forget I have something to send off. Today was almost no different; I was about to leave work this afternoon when the carpet shampooers showed up at the last minute, and "requested" me to be "ready". Which means: everything off the floor, etc.

I'd bought Mum's gifts weeks ago, but she encourages me to combine her birthday, Easter and Mother's Day presents in the one satchel. But I'd left the contents at home! Luckily, I bought a mailer, got it all packaged up at home, then Jack and I headed off back to the post box, to beat both an imminent thunderstorm and the 6pm cut-off time for the overnight mail. With only a few toilet breaks (for Jack), we made it in good time, then celebrated with a takeaway kebab.

Jack was quite hilarious at the kebab shop. I extended his lead out all the way, as per usual, so I could reach the shop's counter and place my order. Sometimes the owner brings Jack out a few morsels of kebab meat, but tonight Jack just stood in the doorway, staring at the guy and looking distressed: ears pinned back, one paw raised, and trembling all over.

It took me a while to work it out, but the shop had one of those ultraviolet mozzie zappers. Every time it went zzzzzzzzzzztttttt!!!!!, meaning yet another bug had just bitten the dust, Jack reacted in an atypical Jack Russell way. Also particularly scary when you're so low to the ground, was an empty McDonald's bag that blew towards him in the breeze. Jack reversed onto my foot, I almost tripped - and, to any bystanders, it would have looked like I'd just kicked him.

Big Brave Jack Russell!