h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I had to replace my electric kettle after Duncan put the fluence on the old one by admiring it, whereupon the cut-off switch stopped cutting off. So I bought a replacement that came with a free toaster attached.
On Monday I went into the cats charity shop next to where I get breakfast on the way to Lincoln and bought half a dozen eggs laid that morning. I also bought a pair of braces patterned with liquorice allsorts to hold up my new trousers which fit perfectly round the hips and tummy, but are therefore too big for my waist - so they fall down.
Early departure from the cathedral because they weren't very busy meant a flowerpot from the Heart Foundation shop, a copy of 'The Sneetches' from Waterstones and a shower cap decorated with pink and purple sequins from the Pound Shop. What else do I not need?

Glad to see you back on line, WS! You can justify all the unnecessary purchases by taking a bagful of earlier similarly unnecessary but fun purchases to the charity shop, surely?

And these little fripperies are NOTHING compared to the impulsive, extravagances that men are likely to commit. They start at about 400 (insert monetary unit of your choice here) and don't even end at top-range cars.

Wearing liquorice-allsorts patterned braces with a pink and purple sequined shower cap ?
Now, that's what I call a fashion faux-pas.

that gives me a great mental picture!

I'm intrigued also by the idea of a kettle with attached toaster

I notice you all agree that 'The Sneetches' were a necessity. My last copy left me about 35 years ago.

oh that part passed me by completely

I've never heard of it

My husband - and total gadget freak - has a "Completely Useless Box". Which he made from a kit.

It's a black box with a toggle switch on it. When you flick the switch on, a hand appears and flicks it off again.

Perhaps you need somehting like that?

Yes, yes I want one. Something like that belongs on the list of things attached to the will but who could I leave it to?