Nice! Very glad to know you got through it unscathed. :)

Well done, you!
x Vic

I'm glad things went smoothly Mera. Enjoy the rest of your visit.

Glad all went well Mera :)

D

Well done. Sigh of relief.

Yay Mera!

What grown adult sends out expensive holiday wish lists? Don't let that pressure drag you down, Christmas is about the kids!!

Mera:
I have often found tomato juice with plenty of Tabasco Sauce or Worcester Sauce provides some insulation from comments in that it gives a feeling of a boost without alcohol and leaves the uninformed with an impression that you are drinking a bloody Mary. And if someone wants a taste to see if there's alcohol so as to gloat ("Aha! The leopard never changes her spots!") then swarm them with very fast talking Italian, ancient Roman or Etruscan curses, threats to send them to be eaten by tigers in the Colosseum. If they gang up on you say you have to go to the bathroom, sneak out a back door and head out for the territory ("Get out of Dodge" as they say in the Western movies). Buy some really foul smelling perfume. Dye your hair green and eat lots of garlic. Come up to them real close and breathe on them. Chew licorice to make your teeth look black. Wear purple sunglasses. Do a Dorothy Parker and, when entering the room, say loudly, "What fresh hell is this???":dee

W

I know!!! So weird!

I've encountered some "expensive" people in 89 plus years but I never have heard of anyone sending out lists of expensive presents they might enjoy receiving, like "If you happen to be browsing in Cartiers over the holidays I wouldn't mind receiving a fifteen carat pink diamond they happen to have. Or you might check Harry Winston. I'm sure he can find something similar which would be appropriate. And I've always wanted a full length Russian sable coat. Or you could bid for that Vermeer which comes up for auction at Sotheby's next week.And they have a Stradivarius which would be very appropriate for our 18 year old daughter. Our dog already has a diamond collar but could use another one for more formal occasions.

W.

Nicely done Mera. Hope you are enjoying your time here. What are the plans for the rest of your trip?

Bill (wpainter) : chortle! And spoken by a chap who's seen A Very Great Deal of the human condition = A Lot. More than most of us. Much that we can learn from.
x
Vic

Painter Bill, you always make me laugh & I always enjoy your esoteric references.

(When my children were young I would say "if I find out you (fill-in-the-blank), you'd better get out of Dodge"... One day my youngest asked why do you want me to jump out of a car? Long pointless explanation from me about Kansas and Wyatt Earp).

Cara, I'm so glad all went well.