Recent trends towards upmarket living:

1. I visited Waitrose in Portswood on Sunday. Its like a different world. Full of blonde and beautiful people, like Steve and Elaine, deciding between sushi or tapas. Not between a sausage roll or a pork pie, as per our lovely local Co-op. It was the first time I had been shopping in Portswood for over 3 years, and prior to that I had frequented it often, as it was on the bus route from our old house and has a fine charity shop selection.

2. I did charity shopping today in Lyndhurst, a fabulous find in the Shaw Trust shop. Also bought floss in a chemist that employed smartly turned out ladies in suits, not white overalls. I had run out, and as I had visited my dentist in Shirley the day before, I felt compelled. The dentist, this time an Iranian German young lady with conversational English explained why I only ever see the same dentist once. They all come on one year contracts, and I only go every 9 months to a year. Booked in for another visit before she returns to darkest Peru, and I get another male dentist who can not understand me or talk to me and tells me by stabbing and grunting that I need more fillings.

Shirley was as good as ever, but sadly did not have time to browse. It has a flourishing range of Polish shops, which I like, including a Polish hairdresser. It is an incredible shopping centre, dare I say its better than Bitterne? Yes. The truth is out. You can buy sharps, blunts, grinders and other more everyday things in Shirley.

Number 3 on my list of being posh: I have been using the steam room and sauna at The Quays. I know, I know, shame on me for rejecting the verucca pit of beloved Bitterne.

Today I cycled in the rain to nursery, then did a swim and sauna steam sesh at lunchtime at the Quays, and then while H had her swimming lesson at BLC I popped in the gym there for a few reps. We got the bus to and from Bitterne, which cost £3.20. That is a ridiculous price for such a short journey, and prevents anyone from Thornhill with children over 5 from accessing the delights of Bitterne Leisure Centre unless they are made of money (in which case they would drive or live in Highfield).

Fourth posh thing - Ang and I went for lunch at John Lewis. I used to go in there loads with H when it was just me and her, but since A been around I not been there more than a handful of times. Maybe something to do with their different temperaments? We had omlettes. Again, I felt like a fish out of water - no savoury pasties in sight.

Our lovely housemate Amanda is moving out tomorrow, she has had a really quick offer from the YMCA and is off - all packed, room bare. It feels rushed and sad, the girls are sad to see her go, she is excited but scared, we were expecting a few more weeks before she was off. She has blessed us immensely and I think we have been pretty good for her too. Taught her to cook a few things but not resolved her burning toast habit. Bought her a toaster tonight so she can continue in perfecting the setting off the smoke alarm daily test routine.