Bear does Shopping

Bear decided that he would like to go by himself to a sandwich shop that is a little way away and across a busy road.  I said, fine.  He is now eleven, he's smart and it was around 9am.  Bear came back and said that the people in the sandwich shop were sooooo nice.  I asked what he meant.  He said that the people in the shop asked if he knew how much 75p and 75p came to.  Bear said £1.50, and I'm sorry but I only have a tenner.  So they complimented him on his manners and then asked him how much was left if you took £1.50 from £10.  Bear told them it was £8.50.  The people in the shop are lovely so I suppose they were just trying to see if the youngster knew what was what. 

Bear doesn't realise how good he is when it comes to charming people.  I may be biased as a mother, but he is a good looking lad.  He was wearing a clean shirt, had tidy hair (because it grows that way - honestly, he never has to comb it), was polite and didn't cause a fuss.  I'm sure he had the ladies behind the counter eating out of his hand.  It's worked on martial arts instructors in the past as well.  One day I am convinced he will be charming traffic wardens.  He has a way with him.  I am braced for the teenage years. 

I sort of begrudge his trip to the sandwich shop, as a lot of the time you I have stuff in, but bear doesn't like going out and while I could try and force him to go to the Royal Armouries or Roundhay Tropical House or the Museum or something, it would cost me a lot more and not be nearly as relaxing, so I'll hand over the pennies for him to go the sandwich shop or similar and relax. 

There were no casualties during tonight's driving lesson but it was a close call.  I got beeped at as well, deservedly so.  On the other hand, I'm tackling the harder stuff and the instructor (who is awesome) is pushing me to get better.  I have been driving with him since July 9th, and from being just about able to stop and start, I'm now going around roundabouts, dealing with evil junctions (I nearly went the wrong way up a street because of genuinely confusing layout), double roundabouts and hill starts.  I did a three point turn and parallel parked.  I'm getting better.  I should be ready to take my test within the month if I continue at this rate. 

I haven't put a post on 'Always Another Chapter' up.  I'm keeping it quiet until I get a proper website set up that will support a newsletter.  And speaking of newsletters, you can sign up for a newsletter (around the middle of September if I can work it out) and a chance to get a signed paperback copy of 'Tales from the White Hart' and the details are here at the end of the blog post. 

I was looking for pics of the sort of junctions I had been dealing with, and I found this.  It's far more interesting.  Another lesson tomorrow. 

Photo © Stephen Craven (cc-by-sa/2.0)