Time eaters

Here is my list of things that take far longer than you would expect:

• Cutting out fabric for sewing - why have I still not grasped that it takes three times as long to pin the pattern and cut and press the fabric as it does to sew everything together? I should really not be surprised about this by now.
• Teaching children how to blow their noses properly - how on earth can they bear to wander around sniffing or talking as though someone's poured cement into their heads? Bleurgh.
• Going from East London to West London - its the same city, so it seems all wrong that it takes over an hour and a half to get from one side to the other.
• Learning to dance - I've been trying to dance well for twenty five years now, and last summer I had a moment when I thought I might have cracked it...but it was just a moment.
• Persuading a hen to get back into her run, when she's quite happy digging holes under the laurel bush, thank you.
• Taking the perfect photo. This picture is, I think, the twentieth attempt at the acorn. But I love it!