Christmas shopping campaign

James and I set off on a mission into town today to do our Christmas shopping with a strategic plan (list of presents) that we made while having breakfast in bed, and a steely determination to succeed. We marched into the fray from shop to shop undaunted by the wind and rain, unflinchingly making crucial decisions about our purchases. The list really helped. By the time we had lunch at Zizzi's we were two thirds done. Instead of lingering over coffee as is our wont, we pressed on to several more retail destinations but did not falter until our final sortie to John Lewis. We had something in mind for Grandma that we couldn't find, and I suggested one more sweep of the ladies' section. As we walked through the store I could hear quiet but unmistakable sounds of distress coming from James behind me - a sort of groaning and whimpering. I knew then that we were finished for the day. When shopping you have to know when to employ a tactical withdrawal and have a nice coffee at home with your troops. Which is what we did. Still, 95% of Christmas shopping done - excellent!