Not the same thing at all

My wife, the sainted Katie, She Who Must Be Obeyed, sometimes reads this blog. I suppose someone has to.

I often don't know about it until weeks afterwards. I'll have written something and then, when I've practically forgotten about it, she will ask questions. Of course, when I say "ask questions" what I mean is "deploy interrogation techniques that would put the Stasi to shame".

Potato, puh-taht-o.

A month or so ago I wrote about our experience when buying a bed. I know, I'm like Ernest Hemingway without the rum, aren't I? If you've not read it, I freely recommend it. It's a right riveting read, a roller-coaster from start to finish. In the posting, I complain how difficult it is to just go out and buy something. How tricky it is to simply part money without the salesperson trying to get more of your hard-earned out of you with additional sales, related items, extra charges, delivery, etc.

I think I made a well-reasoned point. Which is why I hope Katie doesn't read it. Because if she does, I'll be hoist upon my own petard. The moment I find out exactly what a petard is, I suppose.

You see, the truth is this. The day after we paid for the bed, I went and bought a camera. This was a planned purchase. I knew the make and model - I'd even reserved it from the shop beforehand. Both Katie and I knew exactly how much money was going to change hands.

So it was a little unfortunate when the well-meaning folk at the camera shop told me about this fantastic new deal they'd got on. How I could get an additional lens for Not Very Much At All. And of course, you need another lens, don't you? I might as well get a case, too. You're not going to go around without a case, are you Sir? It would be a shame if any damage happened to this camera, just because you didn't take this LowePro case that we just happen to have on offer? And what about a memory card? You can't do anything without a memory card, can you?

Stitched up. Like a kipper. I walked out of that shop, my wallet feeling like it had been violated. So if I moan about spending extra on getting a bed delivered, you must take it with a pinch of salt. Because at some point Katie will read about it, and an eyebrow will be raised.

Still, as long as I haven't spent all this money on a camera just to take pictures of the cat, all's OK, isn't it?

Oh dear.