Friday 13th -does it bother you?

Are you superstitious?

I like to think that I'm not. After all, I am expecting..






OOOO I was cut off mid sentence by the knock on the door of the person I was expecting! My hero aka Mr Dishwasherfixerman. The nice one.

He took apart my machine and found what is hopefully the problem. Yes Les n his mate had fitted the new parts - I never had  problem with that. They simply hadn't wired them back in! Something that I think an electrical engineer, working on an electrical  appliance that requires electricity to make it go would check! So he reattached the wire then reprogrammed the on board computer to my machine. This consisted of lots of holding the buttons in in different combinations whilst he squinted at his laptop screen to check he was doing the right thing! He finally altered my salt settings. Which was very kind of him!

So ... it's now purring nicely and I m waiting, biding my time, before I go to check if it is heating up and the water is HOT instead of ice cold!
I have his mobile number! He is only round the corner! I have been instructed to call him if all is not well! So....those of you who are superstitious and those who are not, cross your bloody fingers for me that when I go down in approximately 13 minutes time - warm water is present.


Sooo Friday 13th. Lets have a quick round up of common superstitions my Nanna taught me.
NEVER EVER EVER put new shoes on a table. I have no idea what dreadful demise this causes because I have never ever put new shoes on a table.
Ears hot n itchy?  Then people are talking about you. Left for love and right for spite.
Palms hot n itchy? It is money. Right to receive ( yay) Left to leave. I am pretty sure I have the world's itchiest left palm.
Never cross anyone on the stairs. and if you meet someone - they have to go up - you NEVER EVER go back down. The devil is probably waiting for you.
Spill some salt - then throw some over your left shoulder.
There was one about dropping cutlery on the floor but I can't recall it fully. But it was probably linked with a long, slow death.
Do not walk under a ladder.
 Do not walk on mirrored floors. (I LOVE THIS ONE)
The black cat one I was never much good at. Did it HAVE to cross your path in order for you to be lucky? I have pissed a lot of cats off on this one - always getting in their way.

I have some Chinese customs that interested me in the 90s when everyone went Feng Shui bonkers.  I say some - I actually meant one. It was the money behind the front door lined up in order of value which was supposed to welcome money into your home. I was always nicking it for my bus fare and the milkman so it did not work.

And my particular favourite that Lisa and I both do  - and when we are in the car together we do it simultaneously - synchronised Magpie Saluting!.
If I see a lone magpie - one for sorrow - I have to salute it and if I am alone I will say out loud, good morning/afternoon Mr Magpie/. If in company I ALWAYS say it in my head and always get asked
"Who are you waving at?"

So Lisa and I were off in the car somewhere and we both must have seen the same magpie because we both used our left arm to salute him. We then laughed as we noticed what we'd done and we were both then discussing how our men folk always ask the Who are you waving at question as we were doing this we both spied a magpie on the other side and in pure synchronisation we saluted the bloody thing with our right hand! It made us laugh a lot!
It's quite good arm exercise for me at the moment because we have a lot of magpies round here but they rarely are seen together!


*** RIGHT - I AM GOING TO CHECK MY MACHINE ***11.01am

11.06am - WE HAVE HOT WATER!!!! Um admittedly some of it was on my kitchen floor. I am confident this is not supposed to happen! I called Dishwasherfixerman to say we have heat and also leaks now - which we didn't have before!  But HUZZAR for the hot water!

Superstition also happens to be my very favourite Stevie Wonder song. So here it is for us all to enjoy!  Even better it's LIVE and on SESAME STREET! I just love the brass section. It is funkeeeeee! I also like jungle bookie for the same brass funk it's got going on!

What are your favourite superstitions?