iTARP

Two very jolly children were headed for the toy department of Harrods yesterday as a reward for letting The Burns Supper party go uninterrupted by dulcet trumpetings.  A bit of a bribe, but, they had credit due for some returned Christmas toys that were duplicates.  Our walk to the toy department took us on a tour of various things along the way including a Chinese hamster (which looked like a kitchen mouse), a tower of apricots, and a whole village of animated soft toys who waved and winked at us.  The spectacle of shopping and all its surprises and excesses was a rather welcome kind of magic after a torrid week of economic and market reports.  We exited with a bag of toys and books as well as some treats to celebrate the Chinese New Year with.  

It is the Year of the Earth Ox and so, hard-working, calm, intelligent, patient, stable...Stable? What a fine attribute for 2009.  Missmarketcrash could use an Ox around the house.  She is married to a "dog" and has a "snake" and a "monkey" for children.  All spot-on personality wise.  

An Ox in the house would work if it were some kind of a machine rather than a person as we currently have no vacancies.  Perhaps it would function like a kind of personal helper for our finances - an iTARP.  Yes, yes yes.  Like an iPod or iPhone, but certainly less entertaining(downright dull I imagine), the iTARP, or iOx, whatever you prefer - anyway, this gadget of sorts could toil away and work magic.  I'll bet Harrods has one for sale somewhere in their delightful shop....and it quite possibly might even be 70% off!