A fistful of dollars

Columbus Day today, so no school for the Girl and Boy. They had been badgering me for some time to take them to Crossgates Mall, the Girl having plans to spend her pocket money, the Boy because he wanted to choose a winter coat (now there's a turn-up).

So, off we went. The Girl, who had been saving her weekly two dollar allowance for almost two months, excitedly thrust an impressive wodge of notes at the toyshop assistant. The object of her desire? An 'e-pet' - a doleful looking cuddly puppy. It comes with a code that allows you to log on to a fairly average website. As seen on TV. It doesn't move me too much, but then I am not a 7-year-old growing up in 2007.

(I am a child of the 1970s. I found out in Borders today, to my consternation, just how venerable that makes me. A display stand for publishers American Girl bears the legend: Meet '70's girl Julie Albright - NEW Historical Character!)

The Boy managed to select a coat, so there's a chance he might actually deign to wear it come the big freeze. Miracles do happen!

The Nobel Prize for Physics will be announced tomorrow, so of course the Man's on tenterhooks. It's the same old story every year. The disappointment he can handle. It's the hope that always hurts.