Starting a new business is time consuming and involves much planning and I’m being very strict with myself making sure I do my best not to get distracted.  However, I made the mistake of picturing in my head a scene involving a cafe, nice coffee, a business magazine and a quiet read; all as a result of popping into town on the way home from the school run to pick up some bin bags, which of course we desperately needed….and drop the charity bags off to Age UK. As the charity shop didn’t open for another forty minutes too, it was the perfect excuse to have a little treat!

The first coffee shop I went to wasn’t  accepting cards for payment temporarily, so with no cash, I crossed over to the other coffee shop.  Robert Dyas also wasn’t open for the bin bags, so I thought I’d get the magazine first then the bin bags, then sit and have a read until the charity shop opened.  However, WH Smith also wasn’t open, so I wondered slightly  aimlessly up and down the road waiting, feeling a bit incongruous.  And then it started to rain..

Finally Smiths opened so I went in looking for a specific mag book to help with my business venture, unfortunately to no avail.  I asked for help and was told I needed to talk to Dave the resident magazine expert.  I was quite impressed that there was a magazine expert, and went to find him.  To no avail initially, but finally unearthed him helping another customer.  Another customer who turned out to be the slowest individual on the planet. Who was this person wanting to order a book at 8.30 in the morning? A book that, with no amount of searching, could be found on the database….by this time, I realised I was running out of time for the car park, so went to find another assistant who could help.  She was very sweet but utterly unhelpful ‘oh no, Dave’s the one you want’.  Then I did that indecisive thing of walking out of the shop and then still picturing the nice coffee/magazine/quiet read scene in my head, went back to speak to Dave….who was still helping slow man.  Enough.  I huffed my way out of the shop, deciding to go straight for the coffee. Maybe I could read the paper in there (the business section of course).

As luck would have it, it seemed this morning every person was taking their time today; customers and coffee shop staff….and someone else had the same idea with the papers, nabbing the last shop copy just before I could get it.  Nevermind, I thought, I’ll just get a takeaway, still a treat – I was determined not to let anything ruin my high spirits – or feel remotely guilty about not already being hard at work.  Finally, I got my coffee and exited the shop. By now it was raining properly, and pleased with myself that I’d remembered my brolly, I attempted to put it up. Turns out this is quite difficult with one hand, and I managed to tip half my coffee over my boots in an effort to do so.  By now, as you can imagine, I was hot and bothered, especially as I’d totally misjudged the temperature and was wearing a thick jumper and big woolly scarf. I hadn’t realised it was so warm, so instead of being this sophisticated individual sipping coffee whilst educating myself on how to start my business empire, I was hot and sweaty trying to wipe mocha off my boots and not get drenched in the ever increasing rain…

Heading back to the car, I managed to smile wryly at myself.  At least I’d got a nice coffee to drink (well half a one) and I was about to sort out the bags of charity stuff that’d been living in my boot for weeks.  Thankfully by the now the shop was open, hooray and even though I had been longer than intended, I didn’t have a parking ticket. Another hooray.

Driving away in my car, I thought, well that wasn’t a complete waste of time, sipping the remainder of my mocha. Then driving past Robert Dyas, I realised. I’d forgotten the bin bags.