It has been very hot these last few days, so hot that sometimes you don’t know how to get to sleep at night. Actually, in spite of the heat, I slept very well last night; oddly, I discovered that I sleep better with only the thin curtain pulled across the window (even though it lets in light) rather than the heavy, black out blind (which also keeps out the fresh air).

So I awoke quite late but feeling perky and ready for plenty of exercise. The results of my ascetic diet of birdseed like groats and an abundance of salad have been somewhat disappointing to date which must mean I need more exercise. Therefore I cycled the four or five kilometres over to my favourite destination, the Hyperdome. Red-faced and boiling upon my arrival at one of the entrances, I was greeted by a nice lady who was about to go in herself:

“You’ll be able to cool down on those nice chairs inside,” she smiled, “I often come here just for a cool down.”

“Me too,” I said cheerily before she disappeared through the sliding doors.

She was right, as soon as those doors open and you step inside you are transported into a different world – of comfort, cool air and any amusement you can think of… I had no intention of sitting down on chairs though, I was hot, not tired, and it was enough to be in the cool.

My bike was left outside but I carried my cycle helmet with me so it was obvious to all and sundry that I had cycled there; and I wore shorts, socks and trainers. If you want to have conversations with handsome young men, I can recommend carrying a cycle helmet. John was intrigued to know how far I had cycled and we chatted about all sorts of things, including travelling, archery, and cloud shooting…. He didn’t even try to sell me anything or sign me up for charitable good works. What a lovely chap!

Everywhere I went people were similarly friendly and chatty; some asked if I had bought the helmet there or had I actually cycled?

And now it is the end of the day and, after my third shower today, I am dressed ready for bed. My night-wear is new – I bought it from a pretty little underwear shop called “Love your Body” (nice name, if a bit peculiar!); I say “night-wear” because it isn’t a nightie and it isn’t like any pyjamas that I have ever worn before; it came in a pretty box with ribbons and it cost only five dollars… It looked so cute in the box… It looks quite sweet but strange now that I’m wearing it… It is quite figure hugging and has horizontal stripes… Is it pretty? What is it? I’m sure you want to know but how do I answer those questions?

Let me just say that when I went to put out the green rubbish bin a few minutes ago I thought twice about doing so in my night-wear lest the handsome pilot opposite should look out of his window at that very moment and wonder what his eccentric new neighbour was wearing! I reasoned that it was sufficiently dark outside for me to run out unnoticed, deposit the bin and run back inside. I wasn’t bargaining on the garage security lights coming on like a spotlight during my dash to the bin but I had to keep going as there was shade around by the bins. With the bin shielding me, I took it out to the nature-strip for collection, hoping that nobody (especially the gorgeous pilot) would hear the sound of the plastic wheels on the driveway.

The security light went out, leaving me silhouetted against the light emanating from the street lamp on the pavement – for all I know I may have appeared to be naked. One last dash and, if I kept to the left, perhaps I could avoid triggering the garage light. That security light of Glenn and Sue’s is a technological wonder… of course it came on in all its harsh neon glare – enough, maybe, to alert the neighbours to the sight of a burglar dressed in a pink stripy, figure-hugging, short-legged all-in-one (onesie) outfit that looked very much like a Victorian gentleman’s bathing costume, except that it has the words “You Wish” emblazoned in large silver letters on the back!