Memphis comes to town

Having been to the main competitors of Verizon (who were striking and did not glean my business,) I am the proud possessor of a mobile phone for the dubious sum of $9.99 Furthermore I can text anybody, or indeed ring them for $2 a day, which means I can turn off my UK phone which has already cost me nearly 20 quid for receiving reminders that my UK answerphone messages are going to be deleted unless I pay a further pound apiece to listen to them again.

I celebrate the occasion by ringing Jim Brooks on his US mobile (Well it is still working so it isnt US but it is registered to his address in Memphis so it is technically a US phone) Jim Margaret and Justin hosted Simon in Memphis and have been good friends ever since. We stayed with them three years ago (see windthroughmyhair.blogspot )and had fun playing Baggo and not quite passing out at Gracelands. They have engineered a holiday on the Isle of Palms a ten minute car journey (to a correctly calibrated Satnav...Take note Sally) to coincide with the latest British invasion of Charleston, and have invited us over to avail ourselves of their pool and renowned hospitality. We regail ourselves with beer and the ancilliary equipment required to keep it cool and report for duty. The men have had the good sense to go fishing, so we strip for action in the pool...I have not regaled you with the domestic incident that led me to surrender my budgy rustler speedos for a pair of suave turquoise swimming shorts in the GAP sale, but they get an adequate airing as we cool off before an electric storm threatens our well-being and we shuffle indoors trying not to drip too much. The fishing crew return on Queue, and Jim shows us the pictures of the one that was so big he had to put it back, before going on to the top deck complete with ocean view. It has been a great day made all the better for Aunty Cathys cooking, and meeting little Audrey, who overame her initial shyness to charm us all.

We say our farewells, and hope they will visit us in the UK soon.