THE BRIGHT AND COMFORTABLE NEW WORLD

I'm going to Canada on Friday. It's quite exciting, the thought of jetting across the Atlantic, setting foot in a continent I've never seen, and crucially, taking a well-timed break from the norm.

I'm going to hang out with Emmie and Nick.

Equally excited about it, are the Intrepids, who will no doubt fill the house with Classic FM and eat liver and onions while I'm gone. That's what they normally do. I wouldn't wonder if they invited all their friends round for a bungalow party - Boggle would be out of the cupboard, as well as that bottle of Shloer that's been waiting for it. There'd be Schubert thumping through the stereo, and platters of cheese and biscuits being passed round while Jean from next door plays canasta with milk bottle tops.

Still, there are four normal days between now and then. Four normal days of technical writing, choir practice, band practice, packing, shoelaces and water meters...

"We had a water meter installed today," said my Dad at lunchtime. My Mum rolled her eyes.

"What for?" I said.

"It's so your father can tell us we're using too much water," she interjected.

"Eight minutes in the shower," he replied, "is plenty."

I fear the worst. He already has a kind of sixth sense when it comes to fiddling with the thermostat, not to mention his on-going mission to switch the lights off, regardless of whether there are people in the room. I think my Mum was imagining a world where the taps are twisted tight and there's an alarm clock in the shower. Mind you, last time they went away, I didn't have a bathroom at all, so I can't really complain.

Speaking of setting foot in the New World, I went to Sainsbury's yesterday and bought new shoelaces. I don't know why I've not done this before - it's a brilliant way of refreshing an old pair of sneakers. I spent a happy half hour threading white shoelaces through tiny eyelets. My tired old trainers are suddenly bright and comfortable - which is great, because the last time I wore them they got soaked in the Peak District. I had to take the laces out and dry them in the sun. It's tough work threading old, stiff shoelaces back into sun-dried trainers. I reckon, sometimes all we need is a little refreshing and everything looks bright and comfortable again.

Well that's exactly what I'm hoping for.